Saturday, December 17, 2011

Merry Blissemas!



Season's Greetings! This week I'm being featured on Victoria Blisse's blog as part of her Blissemas blog extravaganza. Comment here to win a Kindle.

Check out fabulous interviews and more from the sexiest authors working today! You'll also have the chance to share a sexy winter memory and win a copy of my novel, Her Captive Muse.



Monday, December 12, 2011

Fab Giveaway for Readers at Ella Jade's Author Blog!


Today, I'm celebrating the Full Moon with a special giveaway for readers and fans. Want to win a copy of my first novel? Just comment on my revealing Meet the Author Interview with Ella Jade here. Tell me about your sexiest winter memory, and get lucky!


My sexiest winter memory? Getting snowed in with my man. There was no way we could make it to town in time for work, so we both called in and celebrated with an impromptu snow day. We lit candles and stayed in bed all day, making love and cuddling. Let it snow!

Sunday, December 4, 2011

We Have A Winner!


This week, my blog tour took me to Elizabeth Morgan's sexy site, My World. We dished the dirt about writing, and I held a giveaway for her readers.


Congratulations, Shadow! You're the lucky winner of a copy of Her Captive Muse. I'll be in touch soon with details.



Missed your chance? Never fear, readers! This month I'll be doing more giveaways and juicy interviews. Catch me on author Ella Jade's website December 12. Then, on December 16, join me for a Merry Blissemas with Victoria Blisse!

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Guest-Starring... Me!

Today, I'm thrilled to be guest starring on Elizabeth Morgan's blog, My World. Kicking off the winter leg of my blog tour with a great giveaway for my fans...

Leave a comment here and you- yes, YOU!- could be the lucky winner of a digital copy of my first novel, Her Captive Muse. Visitors to Elizabeth's site will delight in our provocative interview. You'll also be treated to an exclusive sneak peek- a steamy excerpt from Her Captive Muse.

Here's a teaser from our interview...


Q: As a reader, do you prefer good guys or bad boys?



A: I've always been drawn to bad boys... Good guys will give you a big hug when you’re having a tough day. Bad boys will give you a big orgasm.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Bestseller For A Day Returns To Indigo Skye: Ink and Art!


Welcome Back, readers! I'm ending my blogging hiatus with a special event for readers. This month, our Bestseller For a Day is Amber Scott's novel, Soul Search. This book is available all week at Amazon for only 99 cents!

See below for a chance to win a Kindle, and get some other great Bonus Buy reads on the cheap!






Soul Search
By Amber Scott

Three years ago, one horrific night changed his life forever. And now the wolf soul that was invoked to save him is taking over his body, day by day.


Can he master his animal instincts in time to discover who is stealing children's souls before the delicate balance we all depend upon is shattered?


Or will he reject the one woman who can help heal his body and his soul?

Here are some other great Bonus Buy must-reads, on sale this week at Amazon for just 99 cents.




What the Heart Wants
By Kelli McCracken



Do dreams foretell the future? Are there soul connections that go deeper than love?


He can sense her emotions at any place and time. Their bond is powerful but a mystery. One thing he does know: She's plagued his dreams for months. Maybe even longer.


Being involved with a celebrity is the last thing she imagined...or wanted. Can she forget the pain from the past? Can he let go of his fears?




Anyone who buys one or more of these books can enter the drawing to win a Kindle, AND have the purchase price for their Bonus Buys rebated.


Want to win a Kindle? Visit the Bestseller for a Day website after making your purchases, and fill out the form on the right hand side.

It's the most fun you can have with your clothes on. What are you waiting for? Enter today!

Friday, October 7, 2011

Fall Hiatus...Fiji or Bust!

My regular readers will be devastated to note that I've taken a brief hiatus from blogging this fall. Fear not- I'll be returning in November with some fab special guests. The results of my Heat Wave Short Fiction contest will be announced shortly.


I decided I just couldn't face another long, cold winter in the States- so I'm heading to the tropics, where it's summer all the time! I'm relocating to Fiji to blog on the beach. As I shake the dust of the Rockies off my boots and look to the west, I find myself eager for new adventures. My passport's aching to be used, like a masochist with money.


As I go international, fans can expect my writing to heat up accordingly. My special team of Muse-Meteorologists predict that a tsunami of inspiration will devastate old creative blocks and fears. Travel always has the effect of freeing me from my inhibitions- not that I've got many to begin with, as my fans know!

First stop, Fiji. What comes next, only the Fates can know... but you'll be with me every step of the way, readers. Wherever I go, I'll take my trusty laptop and my wild imagination. This is Indigo Skye, signing off for the moment. Keep warm, until I return with more spicy stories to see you through winter's chilly nights.






Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Indigo Skye Reviews "In Leah's Wake" by Terri Giuliano Long


I'm thrilled to be a part of the Indie Book Collective's August Bestseller for a Day. This month, we're be featuring In Leah's Wake, by Terri Giuliano Long. Here's the blurb, to whet your appetite... 

While her parents fight to save their daughter from destroying her brilliant future, Leah's younger sister, Justine, must cope with the damage her out-of-control sibling leaves in her wake.


Will this family survive? What happens when love just isn't enough? Jodi Picoult fans will love this beautifully written and absorbing novel.

A long-time fan of Picoult and others in the genre, I'm excited to review In Leah's Wake As a special treat for readers, I'll also be sharing an excerpt from Long's latest novel, In Leah's Wake.


Bestseller For A Day Giveaway...
Readers- want to win an autographed copy of In Leah's Wake? Simply answer the following question in the Comments section, and you'll be entered to win a signed print edition of this novel! (Don't forget your email address, so we can get in touch with the winner!) Here's the question...

Do you enjoy literary fiction? Why or why not?

Can't get enough? Still want more? Bounce to the Bestseller For A Day website for a chance to win a Kindle. Register here for a Kindle giveaway!


Author Terri Giuliano Long

Indigo Skye Reviews In Leah's Wake, by Terri Giuliano Long



This book is a real page-turner. The story of two sisters, In Leah’s Wake opens with an intriguing prologue that immediately piqued my interest. Will and Zoe, anxious parents awaiting their daughter Leah’s arrival after a soccer game, are on the edge of a fight when the book begins. Financial and career pressures only add to their stress when Leah misses her curfew one night. A protective father, Will heads out to search for his daughter while Zoe remains at home, waiting and worrying.


Long's finely-drawn characters and rich, descriptive prose drew me in right away, and I truly empathized with these frantic parents. When Leah arrives home late in the company of local bad boy Todd Corbett, there’s an ugly scene with her father. Zoe’s attempts to salvage her relationship with her daughter backfire, blowing up in her face and further alienating Leah from the rest of the family.


The narrative expands its scope, showing us the teenaged Leah, who’s up to no good.  While her parents worry, she’s getting high, flirting with boys, trying Ecstasy for the first time, and running wild with a bad crowd.


I liked Long’s characters immediately because they are flawed and imperfect- they make bad decisions, lose their tempers, do things they’ll regret in the morning. It makes them seem all the more real- who hasn’t been there? These are people I can relate to.


When Leah’s casual experiments with drugs lead to a blackout, her younger sister Justine is forced to keep a dangerous secret- or risk alienating her sister further. Wanting to prove she’s trustworthy, Justine promises not to tell their parents. What happens next? I'm no spoiler- you'll just have to find out for yourself!

Characters you can relate to, a tight plot, and a story that moves at a whirlwind clip- In Leah’s Wake is definitely a book I’d recommend for your To Be Read list.


Blue Ribbon Day



An excerpt from In Leah’s Wake


By Terri Giuliano Long


It’s late morning, the end of October - the six-week anniversary of Zoe’s abortion. Exhausted, Zoe is dozing, dreaming about the baby boy she has lost. Her head aches when she comes to.


She rubs the sleep from her eyes. Leah stands at her elbow, cuddling her filthy pink blanket, a bright yellow tutu stretched over her playsuit. The elastic legs of the tutu pinch her chubby thighs; her shorts bunched. Her bangs are caught unevenly by blue and yellow plastic barrettes. Leah plugs her thumb in her mouth, brings the blanket’s satin edge to her nose.


The child is four years old, too old for a blanket.


Since the birth of her sister, eight months ago, Leah’s behavior has steadily regressed. Zoe was alarmed, at first, when her four-year-old suddenly began wetting her pants, mangling her once clearly articulated words. This is normal, the pediatrician had assured her. “A new sibling is stressful. She feels displaced. You’ll be surprised, how fast she adjusts.”


“Take your thumb out of your mouth, honey. You’re not a baby anymore. Here—” Zoe curls her fingers. “Give Mommy the blanket.”


“I wanna play wif Hammy,” Leah says, thumb garbling her words.


“Take your thumb out of your mouth.” Zoe extends her hand. “And give me the blanket.”


Leah shakes her head furiously.


Zoe’s neck aches. “Fine,” she says, too tired to argue. “Have it your way.”


The door of the cuckoo clock on the wall in front of the staircase swings open and a bright red rooster springs out. Cuckoo, the bird sings. Cuckoo, cuckoo. Noon.


“How about if you go outside for a while? Play on your swings? Dog’s out there.”


“Don’t wanna go outside,” Leah says, unplugging her mouth. Leah turns the blanket in her hands, twists the blanket into a filthy pink ball. “I wanna play wif Hammy. Hammy likes me, Daddy says.”


The hamster reminds Zoe of a rat. Will brought it home last month, after a trip. In a flash, Zoe sees Leah clinging to her father’s legs, begging him not to go. Their daughter asked for her father over and over, at least a dozen times a day, the entire time he was gone. Where my Daddy? Why he leave? In a time zone three hours earlier than theirs, he phoned them at night, after she’d fallen asleep. Zoe sees him in the doorway, two weeks later, hands behind his back, a guilty grin on his face. Peering around him, she sees the aquarium, a Habitrail, a month’s supply of wood chips. A giant bag of pellets leans against his luggage.


“Where’s my girl?” With a flourish, he produces his gift. “Where’s Leah?”


“For God’s sake. She doesn’t need another pet.” Zoe has her hands full with that puppy he brought home six months ago. The Lab isn’t even housebroken yet. Poor thing—they still call her Dog.


Will pretended Zoe was kidding. This isn’t a joke, she told him. You’ve been gone three weeks this month. She’s starting to forget what you look like. He turned away. He had no choice, he told her. Problem on one of the jobs. A Marriott. Something about the union, the plumbers threatening to strike. His responsibility. He’d negotiated the contract. He’d much rather be home. Didn’t she know that?


She shook her head, listening, not quite believing.


Leah refuses to budge.


This child is her father’s daughter. She inherited his dazzling blue eyes, his height—at four, she reaches her mother’s waist—Will’s sturdy athlete’s build, his silky blond hair. This stubborn streak, too, comes directly from him.


“I wanna play wif Hammy.” Leah paws Zoe’s arm, climbs onto her knee.


Zoe lifts her daughter, sets her back down. “Later, OK? We’ll get him out after lunch.”


Leah huffs. It’s almost comical, how she stands, feet apart, legs braced as though ready to fight, eyes flashing, tiny fists pressed to her hips. A miniature Will, Zoe thinks, picturing her husband in that same stance, the night before he left.


“California?” Zoe said. “And you’re not taking us?”


She and Will lived in California before they married. They met in Berkeley. He was a folk artist then, in his other life, as he calls it. He was playing a gig and she was in the audience, with a group of friends, at a table at the back of the room. Her friends were noisy, rude. Enraged, he’d ended the show early. She looked for him afterward to apologize. They talked for hours that night, and he’d driven her home. Within three months, they were living together. She misses those days, California, the loving, spontaneous couple she and Will used to be.


He’d be on site all day. He laid a starched white shirt in his suitcase. “You and the kids, you’d have nothing to do.”


Sure they would. They could go to the beach, she said, and ticked off a list.


“That’s ridiculous. I have to work. Besides, we don’t have the money.”


Damn it, she said. Why don’t we have the money? Where does it go? Look around. Where it always goes. Where it always goes? Toward your three-piece suits, she wanted to say, your nights on the town. Not here, she did say, into the house, like you promised. They’d made all sorts of plans when they bought the house. They talked about renovating the kitchen. Will promised to raise the ceiling in their bedroom, finish the basement, build a playroom for the kids, none of which he’d done.


“Will—please?”


“Jesus Christ, Zoe.” He looked at her hard, and turned away.


What? Tell her. Damn it. She wanted to know.


Fine. Look at her. How many more days did she plan on wearing those sweat pants? She’d gained fifteen pounds. Her jeans were too tight. Turning, she felt his eyes on her back. And when, by the way, did she plan to wash her hair? Zoe raked her fingers over her head. “Listen—” He lowered his voice, took hold of her hand, spun her around. “For God’s sake, Zoe.” Would she rather she’d died? The IUD her doctor had inserted after Justine was born was still intact when she discovered she was pregnant again. Her doctor attempted to remove it without surgery and couldn’t. One chance in a thousand, he’d told them. It was possible to continue the pregnancy—the choice was hers—but he did not recommend it. The IUD in situ put her at risk for septicemia. And septic shock could kill her. “I know it takes time,” Will said. “Think of the kids. You’ve got to pull yourself together.”


Leah clambers onto her mother’s lap, places both hands at the base of Zoe’s neck, yanks. She wants to play the kissing game.


“Not now, sweetie.” Zoe pries Leah’s hands from her neck. “Mommy has a headache.”


Leah squinches her eyes. For an instant, Zoe thinks she might hate this child, so like her father.


Yes, it takes time. Of course it takes time.


Her husband, Zoe suddenly realizes, is having an affair. Though she has no tangible proof, she knows, the thought winding forward for weeks. She hasn’t wanted to see.


Leah says something and Zoe blinks, trembling.


Leah gazes up at her. Zoe sees the confusion in her daughter’s eyes and feels bad. “Mommy doesn’t feel good,” Zoe explains. “Check on Justine, sweetie? Make sure she’s OK?”


“I wanna play wif Hammy.”


“Please, Leah. Mommy has work to do. Play with Dog, for now. We’ll get Hammy out of his cage when I’m —”


Before Zoe finishes the sentence, Leah scoots off. Zoe pulls herself up, heads to the playroom, to check on the baby.


Pastry shells are cooling on an aluminum cookie tray, on top of the stove. Zoe’s headache is worse. She took a Percocet tablet fifteen minutes ago and feels woozy. Doctor Marquette prescribed the medication after the surgery. Two weeks later, Zoe was still having cramps and he refilled the prescription. She’s been back a dozen times since, always finagling, working his guilt. Dizzy, she grabs the back of a chair. When she regains her balance, she carries the tray to the counter. The kitchen is warm from the heat of the oven. She pushes the sleeves of her sweater to her elbows, opens the shells, pulls the warm doughy centers, places the bottom halves of the pastries on the sheet. When the shells are cool, she spoons whipped cream into the cavity, replaces the tops, dusts them with sugar.


Zoe put the baby down twenty minutes ago, for her nap.


Leah tugs at her leg.


“Sorry, sweetie. What is it? Mommy wasn’t paying attention.” Zoe sits, spreading her knees, draws her daughter into the empty space between her legs. She takes her daughter’s face in her hands, tips her head back. “My sweet baby,” Zoe murmurs, holding her close. “Momma’s precious little girl.”


Leah pulls away before Zoe is ready. “Do trot, trot?” Leah pleads.


Trot, trot is a baby game, but Zoe goes along anyway. She turns Leah around, so they’re facing one another, slides her daughter backward, takes hold of her hands. “Trot, trot to Boston,” Zoe chants, bouncing Leah on her knees. Trot, trot to Lynn. Better watch out or you’re gonna— Holding Leah’s hands tightly, Zoe opens her legs, dips her daughter, close to the floor. Fall in. Breathless, Leah begs Zoe to do it again. “Again, Mommy. Gain.” Trot, trot to Boston, Zoe repeats. Again and again.


Finally, Leah has had enough.


“Sweetie,” Zoe says, out of breath herself. “Check on your sister? See if she’s asleep?”


Leah nods and hops down.


When Leah returns, Zoe makes her daughter a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Zoe is due for her period. She winces, her uterus contracting, the pain intense, like the phantom pain people feel in an arm or leg after an amputation. When she opens the cabinet to fetch a glass for Leah’s milk, she eyes the bottle of Percocet, wedged in the corner. Her breathing labored, she blinks against the sudden, shooting pain in her womb. Just one more, she thinks. Or two. Two would help a lot. She pours a glass of water to wash down the pills, rinses the glass, fills it with milk, hands it to Leah, takes a seat at the table, across from her daughter, and watches her eat.


When Leah finishes her lunch, she climbs back into Zoe’s lap, twiddles a lock of her mother’s hair. “Your hair is pretty. I wished I had pretty hair like you,” Leah says.


“Your hair is pretty, honey. You have Daddy’s hair. Very pretty.”


Leah grins, pleased to hear she resembles her father, yawns, dropping her head, nuzzles Zoe’s chest. Zoe strokes her daughter’s hair. Leah smells of the outdoors, as Zoe imagines a baby robin might smell—of the trees, of the grass, of the air.


Leah falls asleep in her mother’s arms. Zoe stands, cradling her child, carries Leah to the den, lays her on the sofa, tucks a pillow under her head. Then she settles on the couch, on the end opposite Leah, her daughter’s bare feet tucked between her shins.


Within minutes, Zoe’s asleep.


In the dream, Zoe is rowing a canoe, in the middle of the ocean. The canoe bobs in the waves. A swell washes over her, tipping the boat, and Zoe is treading water. She tries to swim, the current too strong. The tide carries her downstream, through a narrow passageway, to a saltwater river. A party boat passes, so close she can almost reach out and touch it. People in Twenties-style clothing—mustachioed men in crisp white suits, women in short frilly dresses—are crowded on the deck, several men leaning precariously over the rail. The women laugh, sipping martinis. A band, playing on the upper deck, launches into a song, people singing, dancing. Zoe cries out, but no one hears. Suddenly, she spots Leah, floating toward her. Zoe kicks her feet, harder, harder, propelling her body forward. Leah reaches, grabbing her neck. No, Leah. We’ll both drown. Take my hand, baby. My hand.


He’s dead, Momma. He’s dead. Leah tugs Zoe’s hand.


“What?” Zoe says, somewhere between waking and sleep. “Baby, what’s wrong?”


Leah shrieks, her face blotchy, contorted. Zoe pushes to her elbows, her tongue cotton, her ears full of liquid.


A haze has fallen over the house. She searches for the clock.


The room blurs. Zoe thinks she might vomit. Leah tugs harder, trying to pull Zoe—Where? Reaching backward, using the arm of the sofa for leverage, Zoe drags herself up. Rubs her eyes, her skull expanding, her mind numb.


“Mommy, listen,” Leah cries. “You’re not listening, Mommy.”


Zoe floats toward the stairs, Leah zooming ahead. Her joints ache, the soles of her feet burning as she presses, one foot then the other, to the hardwood floor, sheer will propelling her forward. She wishes she could go back to sleep. She could sleep forever, she thinks.


Sleep forever.


“Mommy,” Leah calls, from the top of the stairs. “Hurry.”


“I’m coming, Leah. I am.”


Zoe holds onto the banister, the stairs moaning under her weight. Leah has drawn stick figures with black magic marker on the walls inside the stairwell. Her temples throb, blood draining from her head to her chest. Mommy. Come, Momma. Hurry.


What has she done? My God, Zoe thinks. What have I done?


“I did it, Mommy,” Leah cries. “I killed him.”


For one horrific moment, the world goes still. Then Zoe is shaking her daughter— “Who, Leah? Who did you kill?”—terrified of the answer.


Suddenly, the baby wails. Zoe blinks, catching her breath.


“I wanted to make him pretty, Mommy. I hadda hold him,” she sobs. “I holded him nice. I did. I tied the ribbon and he stopped breaving.”


She sees the hamster now, in Leah’s open palm, a pale blue ribbon cinching its waist.


Holding Leah’s free hand, Zoe guides her daughter back to the bedroom, removes a shoebox from Leah’s closet, lays the hamster to rest. Taking Leah by the hand, she goes to Justine. After she changes the baby’s diaper, the three of them will take the hamster outside, bury him in the backyard. They’ll say a prayer, sing a song. Afterward, Zoe will read the Genesis story, from Leah’s Bible For Children. She will take her daughter into her arms, tell her she mustn’t blame herself. All creatures die. Death is part of God’s plan. Don’t be afraid, baby, she’ll say. Dying doesn’t hurt. Death, she thinks, afflicts only the living. When Leah looks up, Zoe will read in her daughter’s eyes the faint stirring of comprehension. And she’ll hold her tightly, comforting, protecting her child, while she still can.


Author Terri Giuliano Long
 
Author Bio:



Terri Giuliano Long grew up in the company of stories both of her own making and as written by others. Books offer her a zest for life’s highs and comfort in its lows better than anything else can. She’s all-too-happy to share this love with others as a novelist and as a writing instructor at Boston College. She blogs about writing and the writing life at www.tglong.com/blog . Connect on Twitter: @tglong.

About Bestseller For a Day:

Making authors dreams come true, one promotion at a time.

Each month, for one day, readers, friends, family and peers rally together to drive an ebook up the Amazon Kindle rankings with a goal to pierce the top 100. The aim of the program is to help indie authors get a foothold in the traditionally published dominated market. Authors coordinate with book review sponsors to show readers that the 99 cent promotional price is worth every penny.

This month's Bonus Buy Books are...


Amazon Bestseller!

Sophie & Carter

By Chelsea Fine

While other high school seniors are dreaming about their futures, Sophie and Carter are just trying to make it through each day. Carter is overwhelmed by issues at home as he struggles to support his mother. Meanwhile, next door neighbor Sophie is left to care for her three younger siblings in place of their absent and troubled mother. All that holds these two best friends together is each other, and knowing that each night they'll sit together on Sophie's front porch swing and escape from reality, if just for awhile. But as their relationship reaches a turning point and high school graduation nears, will their friendship become something...more?




Chasing Amanda
By Melissa Foster

Recipient of three Readers Favorite Awards

Molly Tanner witnessed a young girl’s abduction in the busy city of Philadelphia, shifting her occasional clairvoyance into overdrive. Two days later, the girl’s body was found, and Molly’s life fell apart. Consumed by guilt for not acting upon her visions, and on the brink of losing her family, Molly escaped the torturous reminders in the city, fleeing to the safety of the close-knit rural community of Boyds, Maryland.
Molly’s life is back on track, her son has begun college, and she and her husband have finally rekindled their relationship. Their fresh start is shattered when a seven-year-old girl disappears from a local park near Molly’s home. Unable to turn her back on another child and troubled by memories of the past, Molly sets out to find her, jeopardizing the marriage she’d fought so hard to hold together. While unearthing clues and struggling to decipher her visions, Molly discovers another side of Boyds, where the residents--and the land itself--hold potentially lethal secrets, and exposes another side of her husband, one that threatens to tear them apart.





The Trust
By Sean Keefer

2011 Medalist – Mystery/Thriller/Suspense – Independent Publishers Awards

2011 Fiction Winner – Beach Book Festival

To attorney Noah Parks, the probate of a will should be a simple task. But the Last Will and Testament of Leonardo Xavier Cross is anything but simple. Though Parks has never heard of Cross, he learns that the Will directs that he provide the legal representation for the estate and as part of his fee he receive the contents of a safety deposit box – a safety deposit box no one knew existed.

Intrigued, Parks undertakes the task but after the body count begins to rise the otherwise basic task of probating the will becomes more complicated as each day passes. Despite all of Parks’ skills, the answers he seeks remain elusive and force him to delve deeper into the shocking and deceptive Cross’ family history which sets the stage for an explosive finale that Parks can only hope to survive. Set in Charleston, South Carolina, The Trust is the debut novel from Sean Keefer.

Blending elements of traditional southern literary fiction, suspense and mystery; you won’t be satisfied until the final page is turned.




Bella
By Steve Piacente
Moss knew she might lose her husband when he went off to war. When the call came, she was almost ready. What stopped her cold was the second call...

A striking widow intent on proving the military lied about her husband's death lures a Washington journalist into the investigation. Working together, they discover the power of temptation, the futility of revenge, and the consequences of yielding to either.






 





Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Seducing the Myth

I'm thrilled to announce the publication of Seducing the Myth, a collection of short erotic fiction edited by Lucy Felthouse. I've contributed two short stories to this collection, The Weary Traveller and Saving Orpheus.

Check out Lucy's exclusive feature on Seducing the Myth and read an excerpt here.

I had a great time creating a sexy new take on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice for my short story, Saving Orpheus. Booted out of Hades after failing to save his beloved Eurydice, Orpheus casts himself into the frigid waters of the River Styx. When a lusty naiad saves his life, she gives him a second chance at love.

In The Weary Traveller, a wandering bard loses his way in the forest, and stumbles upon a faerie revel. His sexy romp with Queen Morgana and her fey maidens may spell his doom. Will he come to his senses in time to escape, or spend eternity lost in the pleasures of Faerie-Land? Find out here!

These stories are hot, hot, hot! I had the chance to check out this steamy collection of short fiction over the weekend, and some of the sex scenes are the stuff of legends. This book immediately captured my attention- and held it until the last quivering gasp of pleasure on the final page.



Typing with Sticky Fingers,

Indigo Skye

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Going Deeper: Insights into the Writer's Craft

Want to get to know your characters (and yourself) better? Take a journey with me into the darkness, and look fear in the face.


As a writer, I try to get to know my characters as well as I can before beginning a story. Sometimes this takes the form of a character interview, a sketch or other visual art, a bio, or free writing. An exercise I used in developing the characters in my first novel, Her Captive Muse, was centered around each character's fears.

Morgan Roan, a dynamic and powerful woman, fears loss of control. Brendan Delaney, my leading man, fears being alone. He is immediately attracted to Morgan's take-charge attitude in the studio- and in the bedroom. As the novel progresses, he begins to fear being controlled- losing his freedom and his sense of self.



The next time you create a new character, try asking yourself, "What is his/her greatest fear?" Free write about it, list their fears and hopes and dreams. This can lead to some interesting insights, and help you better understand your characters- and yourself.

Typing with Sticky Fingers,

Indigo Skye


Readers... I want to know what scares you, what you dream of, what you hope for. Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win a copy of my novel, Her Captive Muse!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Indigo Skye Reviews "Fall into Winter" by Eden Baylee



This collection of four erotic novellas by Eden Baylee is a tantalizing read that promises to tease, entice, and satisfy. Fall into Winter was published in 2010 by iUniverse. Fall into Winter is available at http://www.iuniverse.com/, or by calling 1-800-AUTHORS.


Once again, I’m taking part in an Indie Book Collective event to help get the word out about Eden Baylee’s Fall into Winter through the IBC’s July Ménage a Blog.


Eden Baylee recently interviewed me on her blog  for her “Inside the Author’s Mind” author interview series. Read our intimate and revealing interview here.




Today, I’m excited to feature her sexy collection of erotic novellas, Fall into Winter. I will review each novella separately, so the reader can get a feel for each individual tale.


Seduced by the Blues


As a rabid blues fan, I was immediately intrigued by John Cook, Eden Baylee’s blue-eyed, guitar-picking leading man. The heroine of the tale, Ella Jamieson- named for jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald- is a dominating and powerful thirty-something single gal who knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it. I enjoyed the power-play between these two captivating characters from the first. The fast-paced seduction had me hooked from page one, and her steamy sex scenes didn’t disappoint.


I loved the insight into Ella’s character, and her conflicted emotions as John begins to prove himself different from her typical conquest. He fights her for control, asserting himself in a hot backstage finger-fuck scene that had me typing with sticky fingers…


Frightened by their intense connection, Ella quickly distances herself from the way John makes her feel. She’s a powerful woman who prefers to be in control- but can she be seduced by the blues? Will John persuade her that their relationship can be something more than just a one-night stand?


Act Three


This story was a fast starter. Stella and Norman, an adventurous couple, move from an argument about a ménage to a hot make-up fantasy in which King Norman punishes his naughty queen with a good tongue-lashing. While I always enjoy good head- and reading about it is nice, too, the dynamic between the couple in this story wasn’t quite as hot as Baylee’s first offering, “Seduced by the Blues.”


Because I’m naturally dominant- the alpha bitch in the pack, as it were- I prefer strong heroines who don’t take any shit from anyone. That’s the kind of woman I can relate to in real life. In this relationship, Norman is in control from the first… or so it seems. When Stella first brings up the idea of a threesome with another man, Norman forbids her to speak of it again. Older- and more experienced- than Stella, he indulges her fantasies and satisfies her desires like no man has ever done before.


But Norman only pleasures Stella on his own terms, maintaining control. His idea of a great first date includes a home-cooked meal, and a session in his pleasure-den. Dinner and a dungeon, anyone?


When Stella brings up the idea again, Norman takes some convincing. He finally agrees to a three-way with a hot younger man, Joe. That’s when things start to get really interesting. What began as a one-off soon turns into a weekend rendezvous. The author keeps you guessing until the last moment. Is Stella still in control of her fantasy? Or has something gone terribly wrong? “Act Three” is a thrilling ride that had my heart pounding.


The Norwegian


Protagonist Leah Jones, alone for the holidays, retreats to a secluded resort in hopes of finding inspiration. Stricken by writer’s block, she is grateful for the distraction of a handsome guest who comes knocking on her door one night. The handsome Norwegian, Henrik, reminds her of an earlier love, and her reminiscences of their doomed affair left me hot and bothered.


I enjoyed the complexity of Leah’s character. The tragic loss of her first love makes her guard her heart closely. Following Johan’s death, she immerses herself in her work. I can definitely relate to that- in tough times, I turn to my art and writing for solace. Some days, putting words on the page is the only thing that makes sense. I also admired Leah’s courage- she deals with her loss bravely. When a new opportunity for love presents itself, Leah accepts Henrik’s invitation to dinner. Henrik’s similarities to her first love are eerie, haunting her with memories of time spent with Johan.


A sexy supernatural encounter with a ravenous ghost heats up the plot, adding a thrilling edge to the tale. On her way to dinner at Henrik’s cabin, Leah encounters a strange beast in the snow. When Henrik appears suddenly to rescue her, scaring the animal away with a rifle, Leah can’t help but feel grateful- and afraid of her growing emaotions. Following a night of strange dreams, she awakens to find herself alone. Is Henrik the wonderful man he seems…or is something more sinister going on? This fast-paced erotic thriller kept me guessing. Leah’s a compelling character. Learning more about her life as a writer led me deeper into the story, and I found myself rooting for her happily-ever-after ending.


The Austrian and The Asian


The exotic locales and well-travelled characters in “The Austrian and The Asian” were an immediate hook. I love a story that can transport me to new places, and make me feel like I’m living a sexy adventure along with the characters. Elena and Stefan meet on holiday. Their cultures and backgrounds are very different- but there’s a spark between them that can’t be denied. Both are a little shy and reticent, leading to a slow, steamy buildup like good foreplay. I enjoyed the sensuous language of this story, and the patient, tender love-making featured in the final story of Baylee’s Fall Into Winter is a fitting grace note to end this collection.


Some Final Thoughts on Fall into Winter, by Eden Baylee


Baylee’s work is compelling, lusty, and visual. Her lush prose and mastery of language are evident throughout, and I highly recommend this spicy read. Baylee’s work gives me hope for the future of erotica- compelling plotlines, characters I can relate to, and sex that never disappoints. My definition of good erotica is a great story which happens to include hot sex. Baylee’s work hits the mark.


As some of my fans know, I often write in bed. While working on my review for this book, I was relaxing between the sheets with my man. I was typing along, enjoying the story, when I noticed he wasn’t watching TV. He was looking over my shoulder, reading “Seduced by the Blues,” and getting just as turned on by Baylee’s spicy prose as I was. This led to a hot afternoon in bed I won’t soon forget. With great pleasure, I award this five-star collection or erotic novellas by author Eden Baylee my highest rating. These steamy stories had me typing with sticky fingers!


Until Next Time- Stay Naughty!


Indigo Skye






Want to win a copy of Fall into Winter? Just leave a comment here! Don't forget to include your email addy so we can get in touch with the lucky winners! For a chance to win a Kindle and some great author swag, visit her blog today and leave a comment here- http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/blog/.




Author Bio:

Eden writes erotic, provocative stories incorporating all her favorite things: travel; culture; and sex. Sometimes there’s romance, sometimes not. Sometimes there’s a happy ending, sometimes not. What is consistent are the multi-dimensional characters who grow and change as the stories progress. Sex is the backdrop, but a very important element in their evolution.

Eden left a long and distinguished career in banking to become a full-time writer. As a fraud consultant, she honed some important skills that have helped her make the transition, the most important one—perseverance.

She lives in Toronto, Canada with her extremely good-natured and tolerant husband whom she sometimes refers to as “Ramone.”


Author Links:


Website: http://www.edenbaylee.com/  


Blog: http://edenbaylee.wordpress.com/


Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Because Longer is Better...



Big news, readers! Red hot stories are flooding my in-box as writers enter my Heat Wave Short Story Contest, but I'm still not satisfied. I want more!

So I've decided to extend my pleasure- and the deadline. This contest will run until August 15th, and the prizes will be awarded by August 30th. If you've already entered a short story, you'll be receiving a special early-bird prize, so watch your inbox for a copy of my novel, Her Captive Muse.


Dying for more details? Click on my Contests Page for the info you'll need to get started.  

Questions, comments, ideas for another contest? Send them to indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com.


Typing with Sticky Fingers...

Indigo Skye

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Guest Starring... Rachel Thompson!

My Voice

by Rachel Thompson



Someone asked me how I know to trust my voice as a writer.



I get that a lot.


There is a program my husband teaches about communication styles; it is one of his most popular. You do a self-assessment and then have five to six others fill out the same assessment on you also. This is critical because self-assessment is correct less than fifty percent of the time. (This is usually because we place ourselves subconsciously where we want to be, not where we actually see ourselves. Good ole ego.)


I have taken this assessment a few times over the years and I am always in the same spot on the grid: task-oriented and assertive.


When I say I’m a snarky bitch I can back it up, baby.




There is nothing about me that screams THIS CHICK IS WARM AND FUZZY! So when people are looking for cute or nice or sweetness and light from me, I often wonder: WTF?


I clearly know who I am. I’m very comfortable in my skin. Having this kind of information is, I find, extremely helpful. I took the first of these types of tests in college when I majored in Communication Studies. When I met my husband, JP in my late twenties, I did more testing (we met in a work environment). I’ve done several more throughout the years and they have stayed consistent.


I’ve read intensively on the subject of communication for many years. Despite years of corporate brainwashing which I’ve now fully recovered from, I find it fascinating and supremely interesting that I’ve come full circle back to my college major – writing about communication between the sexes.


So how do I trust my voice? I can’t imagine writing any other way. I write what I feel, from my soul. I don’t worry about what others will think. I shook that monkey off my back a long time ago. That is a huge obstacle for so many people and to be honest, one that has given me the freedom to write about so many amazing topics.


The author Lorrie Moore teaches her students to “write as if your parents will never read it,” which most people don’t have the nerve to do. When I read that, a light not only went on for me, it broke into a million pieces. Because I was blogging and I knew my mom read every post (and still does. Hi mom.), I needed to just let that go.


It was okay that my mom read everything, but she needed to accept that her adult daughter was going to write about sex; and not just sex in general but the actual having of it; and not just the having of it but lovers; and not just lovers but my ex with whom I’d recently reconnected; and not just our reconnection but his shocking suicide; and not just his suicide but how deeply it affected me...and on it goes.


Taking those essays and forming them into my book A Walk In The Snark (self-published this past January) was very exciting for me. It was my chance to bring my voice together into a cohesive book form for my fans, and for people who have never even heard of me.


I added 25% new material, some of my most popular tweets (one of the few books to have done that), and it has sold really well in strictly eBook format. I average between 5-6 sales per day, where the average indie author sells four books/month! – and of my 30 reviews on Amazon, 95% are positive (with the exception of a few cranky men :). My themes are Mancode, Chickspeak, and lost love.


Snark is consistently in the top #10 ranking on the Kindle Humor/Motherhood list, #20 on Humor/Parenting and Family; and hit #1 bestselling status on Smashwords in May #woot. I’ve had a wonderful write up by @2morrowknight in the Huffington Post books section (about me, the book, and the Indie Book Collective which I cofounded last October); and I’ve been approached by an agent – on Twitter! who read the book and loved it. We’re meeting in NYC at the end of this month.



Speaking of the Indie Book Collective, I’m also a coauthor of Dollars & Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success. My coauthors, Carolyn McCray and Amber Scott, are amazing authors and my cofounders in the IBC. We share our wide range of personal experiences in both indie publishing and social media. Soup to nuts any author needs to write, publish, and market their book.


And with our special promotion, Menage a Blog, 7/18-22, anyone who visits my blog http://RachelintheOC.com on Tuesday, July 19 and leaves a comment will receive a FREE COPY and will be automatically entered in our free Kindle contest! There are twelve amazing authors on the tour and all are offering free books – be sure to visit them all!


Thanks for taking the time to learn more about me. If you want to find out more, please visit my blog, buy my book A Walk In The Snark, Twitter @RachelintheOC, Facebook, or email me at RachelintheOC@gmail.com, or visit the Indie Book Collective and become a part of something great.


A Note from Indigo:
Visit my new Reviews Page for an in-depth look at Dollars and Sense: The Definitive Guide to Self-Publishing Success. Want to win a copy of this amazing resource for writers? Just leave a comment on my blog, along with your email addy, and we'll send you a copy of Dollars and Sense!