Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Guest Starring... Elizabeth Kyne!

2012-01-16T11:46:00.002-07:00

Welcomes Author Elizabeth Kyne

Today, I'm thrilled to host author Elizabeth Kyne. This dynamic writer trained to be a radio journalist and spent her early working years reading news bulletins and writing for magazines. Later, after learning the meaning of “mortgage” and “gas bill”, she decided to do the sensible thing and drop the freelance lifestyle to get a proper job. The job, however, all went horribly wrong and she returned to her first love of writing, and worked on several novels before finding success with If Wishes Were Husbands.

Congratulations on your success, Elizabeth. Wishing you all the best on your blog tour! We at Indigo Skye: Ink and Art salute you for having the courage to truly pursue your dreams. (What could be more romantic than that?) Cheers to you!

The fabulous Ms. Kyne is here today to dish the dirt about why she took the ultimate risk and ditched her day job in pursuit of her dreams. She's written a piece for Indigo Skye: Ink and Art that I think my readers will enjoy. It certainly inspired me!

WHY I GAVE UP THE DAY JOB

Author Elizabeth Kyne admits doing the one thing writers are urged not to do

Here’s a piece of advice editors give to writers when they sell their first novel: “don’t give up the day job”. It’s an entirely sensible piece of advice, one that is repeated often, which has many plaudits, and with which I agree wholeheartedly. Even though I didn’t actually follow the advice myself.

For most people, jobs are good things. They bring us income, a purpose, certainty, colleagues, something to get up for in the morning, a routine, and doubtless many more advantageous attributes. (They can also bring infuriating bosses, refused leave requests, impossible deadlines, long and frustrating commutes… and all the rest of it: but let’s stick to the good things for now). For some, especially in these tough economic times, a job is not something to “have”, like one might have a packet of biscuits, but something to strive for. A friend of mine, last year, finally got a job after two years of unemployment, and I am so thrilled for him, it’s great news and something which I have great admiration for.

I have a job. Well, sort of. I had a job, really. It was a full time thing with all the stuff that I mentioned above. In theory, it should have been great. I planned for it to be great. I loved how it allowed me to pay the mortgage every month, book a holiday and actually take it, strive for career progression and all the rest of it. But at the same time, it was all rather “normal”. I’ve never really done normal. I’m the sort of person who had three earrings put in one ear and dyed my hair red purely because I wanted to show that I was different. (Rather annoyingly, everyone seems to be dying their hair red these days, so I’m seriously thinking about going back to brown). I was a grown up, I told myself, and a job is one of the things that a grown up should have.

There was one teensy, weensy thing that I could never quite come to terms with. Having a job, it seemed, took away a certain amount of control over my own life. This was rather awkward. I mean, back when I was a freelance writer for magazines, I would decide what I wanted to write about, ring the editor and, if they agreed, I produced an article about that subject. I admit, there were things that were out of my control, like layout of the article or editing of my work and – in one unfortunate case – the publisher deciding to close the magazine, but in general I was the boss of me. I quite liked being the boss of me. I was reasonably demanding, but I was also quite forgiving and I liked that about myself.

For a while, my regular job was sort of like that. Until one major project which I worked damned hard over. I rather over-worked myself, if truth be known, but I understood there was a budget and resource issues and I really wanted to get it done, so I bloomin’ well did it. Then, at the end of it, the bosses decided that they didn’t want me to do it anymore, snapped their fingers and threw me back to the pit from which I’d crawled. I still had a “job”, they still paid me, but all that effort was for nothing. I was, to say the least, a bit miffed. I mean, I’m quite prepared to try and fail, but when I’m doing it on someone else’s terms – and they change those terms on a whim – it’s rather demoralising.

As I continued to work that job, I longed for days of yore back when I was my own boss. And, let’s be truthful, when I was back writing. Putting everything into a job is fine, but if your job does not appreciate it, you start to reconsider. I started to reconsider. What was I doing there if I wasn’t getting anything out of it anymore? It was a good question.

There was one thing I was getting out of it, of course: a salary. This is, I have to admit, quite a useful thing to have. If a job has nothing else going for it, then a salary will go a pretty long way to creating a silver lining. A sensible person, of course, would simply go and get another job. This happens all the time with normal people, I’m told. They spend some time at one job and, when it ceases to inspire them to get up in the morning, they look around for another job. But, as stated above, I am neither normal nor sensible.

So, I jacked it in. Well, sort of. I half jacked it in. In actual fact, I went part time; initially one day per week and, eventually, two days per week. It kept a little bit of money coming in while I pursued my new career as a novelist.

Bonkers!

Barmy!

An apple short of a fruit salad!

But I did it. Because I couldn’t stand working in a job where I wasn’t appreciated anymore, and would always be wondering “what if…?”.

The point is, no one should give up the day job to become a writer because it is such a precarious profession. You may hit the big time like JK Rowling or you may never get published. You may sell one book, but there’s no guarantee you will sell the second or third, and even then the advance may not be enough to pay the bills.

But, for me, all the sensible advice in the world wasn’t going to stop me. If I had been able to write a novel while I was still working at that job, I would have done. I have great admiration for writers who do this, and some of them do it while bringing up a young family at the same time (when do they sleep?). I am not that sort of person. I am absorbed by one thing or another. If I gave my all to my writing, I would not be giving value for money at my job, and vice versa.

So, I had an opportunity to change my life and I decided to go for it – despite the fact that it was a mad idea. I mean, seriously, don’t try this at home kids. There’s a lot at risk and I can’t say that I’m making anything near the salary I once had, but inside I was a writer and I needed to express that. I needed to give myself a proper chance because otherwise I would always end up hating myself for not doing so. People who are successful are the risk takers. That’s what people who go into business do, they take a risk on a product. I decided to take a risk on my writing. I’m not at the stage yet where I can say that I’ve fully made it, but I don’t regret doing what I did and, if I had that time all over again, I would still go against all the sensible advice and give up my day job.

Author Links:

Visit Elizabeth Kyne's Author Site at:

http://www.elizabethkyne.co.uk

If Wishes Were Husbands
By Elizabeth Kyne

Rachel re-invents herself when she moves back to her home town of Aylesbury; with a new job, a new house and a new haircut. But people’s eyes glaze over when she tells them about her life as a forty-something singleton who works in accounts. So why not spice things up a bit? Why not tell her new hairdresser and her new friends about her fantastic husband? Everyone wants to hear about Darren, the man who cooks her amazing meals, cleans the house and takes her to bed for orgasmic sex three times a night! What a shame he doesn't exist…

…Until she comes home one night and finds Darren sitting in her lounge. And everything she said becomes true: from his sensuous food to his skill in bed. So real, that she believes it.
Not as if living with a perfect is man is… well, perfect…

She can’t find anything because every time she puts something down, he tidies it away. Then there’s the shock of the credit card bill from buying all that gourmet food. Not to mention the sex! Three times a night is great at first, but sometimes all she wants at the end of the day is a sandwich and some sleep.

Then Rachel decides that Darren has to go - and that’s when her troubles really begin.

Elizabeth Kyne takes the absurdities of the modern woman's quest for love and turns them into an enjoyable romp. She finds the comic in everyday situations, from buying a dress to experimenting with hair dye at home. While, underneath, she comments on the pressure to find the perfect husband and how that quest is doomed for us all.

You can purchase If Wishes Were Husbands online- just follow the links for her Paperback and ebook editions.

PAPERBACK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wishes-Were-Husbands-Elizabeth-Kyne/dp/1908340010/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319364974&sr=1-3
EBOOK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/If-Wishes-Were-Husbands-ebook/dp/B005S66A8M/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319364974&sr=1-2
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92446

http://www.amazon.com/If-Wishes-Were-Husbands-://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/if-wishes-were-husbands/id475075856?mt=11
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/if-wishes-were-husbands/id475075856?mt=11
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-wishes-were-husbands-elizabeth-kyne/1106913246

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ifwisheswerehusbands-606059-150.html

Friend Elizabeth Kyne on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.kyne1

Merry Blissemas!

2011-12-17T09:43:00.001-07:00

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.

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

2011-12-12T12:55:00.001-07:00

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!

We Have A Winner!

2011-12-04T16:42:00.000-07:00

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!

Guest-Starring... Me!

2011-11-30T17:29:00.004-07:00

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.

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

2011-11-29T18:02:00.000-07:00

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!

Fall Hiatus...Fiji or Bust!

2011-10-07T09:29:00.000-06:00

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.

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

2011-08-17T00:01:00.005-06:00

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.

Seducing the Myth

2011-08-10T09:35:00.001-06:00

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

Going Deeper: Insights into the Writer's Craft

2011-07-23T11:43:00.001-06:00

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!

Indigo Skye Reviews "Fall into Winter" by Eden Baylee

2011-07-21T08:42:00.001-06:00

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/

Because Longer is Better...

2011-07-20T09:08:00.000-06:00

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

Guest Starring... Rachel Thompson!

2011-07-19T09:51:00.000-06:00

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!

Heat Wave Short Story Contest Update

2011-07-05T09:09:00.000-06:00

Greetings, fellow smut-o-philes and word wranglers! Summer is such a busy time, I wanted to give my followers a few extra weeks to concoct steamy stories for Heat Wave, my sultry summer short story contest.

The extended deadline will be July 25, 2011. Please send your stories to me no later than midnight, Mountain Standard Time. See my Contests Page for further details! Lots of great prizes are up for grabs, so don't delay- submit today!

You could win...

Doc Johnson i-lube and Pocket Rocket Vibe

Eden Fantasys Gift Card

E-Books, Signed Print Editions, and More!

Click here for all the dirty details...

Celebrating Independence Day with the Uniform Behaviour Crew! Indigo Skye Interviews Cassandra Carr

2011-07-04T12:30:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Author Cassandra Carr!

Q: Cassandra, readers are eager to know all the dirty details behind your erotic story, Circling. Was the story you penned for Uniform Behaviour based on a hot real-life hook-up, or a sizzling fantasy?

A: Ny hottest experience with a man in uniform was the basis for my story, Circling. I steamed it up a bit for the book, but that guy in the story? He and I did "circle" around each other for a couple of months before getting together and dating for a year and a half.

Q: Any steamy new projects in the works? We'd love to dish about your latest release and any works in progress you'd like to discuss.

A: Oh man, have I got projects in the works... *takes deep breath* My current release, Talk to Me, is available now. It's about a radio producer who is seduced by her new host's voice. I'm thrilled that the book is getting a lot of great reviews! Right now I'm editing my next release, Caught, which Loose Id will release in December 2011. It's a BDSM holiday-themed novella. How do BDSM and the holidays fit together? I guess you'll have to read and find out! I'm revising the first of my bull rider series as well, and writing a my first menage story.

Q: Your pick for hottest uniform- soldier, policeman, fireman, or priest? (If none of these do it for you, what is your favorite uniform and why?)

A: For some reason I find firemen kinda sexy. I think it's the tight T-shirts and the fire pants.

Q: When you're not hard at work creating steamy erotica, how do you like to spend your time?

A: I'm a bit of a hockey freak. Okay, more than a bit. I also love to garden - I'm wrestling my perennial beds back into submission after a few years of letting them go while I was pregnant and had a newborn. I don't watch much TV, but I'm loving True Blood and Mad Men on DVD, and I watch White Collar and Burn Notice religiously. I can also be found skulking around Twitter (@Cassandra_Carr is my handle).

Q: I'm always interested in what other authors are reading. Your top three picks for a great book to read on the beach?

A: LOL! Now that I have an ereader it's easier to read the kinds of books I enjoy - erotic romance. Before I had people looking at me like I was reading a skin mag or something - pretty ridiculous. My top three picks for a beach... hmm... I'm going to say any of Lorelei James' Rough Riders series, any of Jaci Burton's Wild Rider series, or any of Maya Banks' Sweet series. I'm going to the national conference for Romance Writers of America in a few weeks and am hoping to meet all three of these awesome ladies and get my books signed. Yes, writers are total fangirls for other writers!

Q: Tell us about your day as a writer- do you stick to a set schedule, or just write when inspiration strikes?

A: Neither, unfortunately. I write when I can, since I stay home with my toddler. Most of my writing gets done either when my mother-in-law takes her for the day or between 9:00 p.m. and midnight. When I get going, I can put at least a couple thousand words on the page in a few hours.

Q: What inspires you, makes you itch to write?

A: Luckily, tons of different things inspire me, but most of all - I love love love telling a love story. Sure, erotic romances have more sex and the scenes are graphic, but the characters are still falling in love. I don't really have a choice about writing - I need to do it.

Q: Are any of your stories based on personal experiences, or are they mostly derived from your fantasies/imagination?

A: My stories, with the exception of Circling, are almost entirely taken from my wild and wooly imagination. I have to say - I wish my sex life was as exciting (and frequent!) as my characters'. But fear not, readers, I have plenty more ideas - I actually have an "ideas folder" on my laptop and besides my current writing I have no less than a dozen other ideas.

Q: Do you do any research as part of the writing process? What does that entail?

A: I do tons of research. It's a pet peeve of mine when it's obvious a writer hasn't done their research, especially where sex, or even worse, BDSM is concerned. For my BDSM holiday novella, I talked to a bunch of people who practice BDSM. I also did research online and read two of the most prominent books on the subject - SM 101 and Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns.

Q: Any final words of inspiration for emerging authors?

A: Keep writing, don't take rejection personally, keep writing, and keep writing. Oh, and once you actually publish? That's when the hard work really begins. ;-)

To Be Read...

Talk to Me, out now from Loose Id & named a Top Pick by Night Owl Reviews!

Uniform Behaviour, out now from Andrews UK

Caught, coming December 2011 from Loose Id

Author Bio...

Cassandra Carr lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on Twitter. Her debut novel, Talk to Me, was released by Loose Id on March 22, 2011. She is also an Editor at Wild Child Publishing and Freya's Bower Publishing.

Author Links...

Author Website: http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com/
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr.

Purchase your copy of Talk To Me here:

http://www.loose-id.com/Talk-to-Me.aspx

Guest Starring... Margie Church!

2011-06-28T09:07:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Margie Church!

Celebrating Hard as Teak by Margie Church

Like many authors, I write novellas between my novels. It's an opportunity for me not to work quite so hard and get myself ready for the next full novel. That was my intention with Hard as Teak. It didn't work out that way. The characters had a lot to say and the story kept evolving. I never envisioned writing a gay male romance; it just happened. When I finished, I had written an utterly romantic coming out story that I hope you'll love.

The book takes place mostly in northern Minnesota. That's where I grew up and it was easy to pull wonderful wilderness sights, sounds, tastes, and scents from my memories and put them into this book. I hope you'll feel like you're right there with Kevin when he arrives at his cabin that first starlit night. There are a few of my favorite haunts sprinkled into the book as well as some of my favorite foods. Every name has been changed, but Kevin's property and cabin are reminiscent of a place that I spent so many wonderful summer days as a child. The rocky cliff where he photographs Teak, the island he used to swim to, and the small lake he fishes on with Drew, are all places I used to go and sometimes still enjoy. When Kevin dives into the frigid lake, I hope you'll shudder with the chill and the thrill of the water passing your body. And while teak doesn't grow in the Minnesota forests, the name came to me as strong, sexy, and fitting for a woodlands lover.

Now let's enjoy the blurb and a sexy excerpt...

Hard as Teak

by Margie Church

Kevin Marks escapes to the north woods to reignite his passion for photography and women. But the only flame he seems able to spark is for his latest photography subject, Teak Hildalgo. Kevin's never been in a man's arms before.

Teak, the raven-haired, photographer's dream come true, is hell bent on capturing Kevin's heart. He takes Kevin, body and soul, on a romantic, sexual journey previously lived only in Kevin's fantasies. And no dream was ever this good, no truth this undeniable.

How will Kevin react? When the camera's put away, will Teak live up to his name?

EXCERPT:

Teak rocked back in his chair, studying his new friend. Kevin had that all-American-boy look. Blond hair and blue-grey eyes the color of the sky just before sunset. His coloration fit right in with almost every Scandinavian person living in the area. Except for that all-over tan. Great shape, tall, clean-shaven—everywhere from what Teak had seen—and a dick that could definitely get someone's attention. He's certainly got mine.

His body had reacted strongly when he'd come upon Kevin lying naked on the dock. The cold-water bath took the edge off the throbbing in his cock this afternoon, but what about now? When Kevin smiled, his whole face lit up. Great lips. Thinking of Kevin going down on him made his balls tense. Wonder what he'd do if I made a move?

Teak got back to the subject of having his photo taken. "You know what? It's cool. No offense taken. I'm flattered, I guess. The chicks are always on me, but it's nice to . . . ."

"To what?"

"To know they're not entirely full of shit just because they wanna get laid." Teak slid his chair back and picked up his plate. He set it on the sink. "Thanks for dinner."

"You're not leaving are you? You probably shouldn't drive."

Teak leaned against the counter. Kevin's interest in him was apparent, but he wasn't sure Kevin was tuned into his own feelings. Kevin's behavior reminded him of a first date. Does he realize it? I'll take it slow. If it's a mistake, I'll say it's the beer talking. "If you don't mind, I'll stay. I'd hate to spend the night in jail. Even the DNR guys are a pain in the ass this time of year."

* * * * *

While Teak used the bathroom, Kevin grabbed his camera and went outside. The half-moon provided perfect illumination on the frost clinging to the wildflowers. Careful not to breathe on the tender crystals, he knelt next to his subject and adjusted the camera to capture the perfect moonlit conditions.

Kevin glanced over his shoulder when the front door opened and shut with a heavy thud. Teak rubbed his hands together and then shoved them under his arms. "What are you doing? It's freezing out here."

Kevin clicked the shutter one last time and rose. The effects of his last beer made him stumble back a step; Teak grabbed his arm. Kevin broke into an alcohol-induced fit of laughter. "Just what I need—to drop this camera—and break it—or my shutter finger." Kevin wiggled his index finger a few times while laughing at his own joke.

"I suppose that thing is pretty expensive."

"Very. Let's go inside before I die of thirst, too."

"We've probably both had enough beer for one night, but I won't argue about going inside. There'll definitely be a hard frost tonight."

Opening the cabin door let out a blast of warm air. The sharp temperature contrast hit Kevin in the face, making him woozy. "Shit, it's hot in here." He peeled off his jacket and shirt and tossed them one at a time onto a nearby chair. "Do you want a bottle of water or some coffee or something?"

"I'll take the water. Wouldn't hurt to sober up a bit," Teak said. "I hate hangovers."

"You and me both." He retrieved two bottles of water from the fridge and handed one to Teak. "And if the night's still young, we can get drunk again later." Kevin laughed with his half-smashed friend and took a swig of water. "I'm going to make up the guest bed." He couldn't resist making another wisecrack. "The maid service sucks around this joint."

"You probably look stupid as hell in an apron anyway. Go make the bed."

"You're not helping? Shit, the assistant to the maid service sucks too." Chuckling, he walked to the closet to dig out some bed linens.

Kevin turned on the light. He'd used this bedroom countless times growing up and even got laid in here a couple of nights. The fitted sheet snapped as he shook it open. He made his way to the headboard to tuck in the corners.

He couldn't believe what a turn-on Teak was. The realization startled him. He'd never been sexually attracted to any man he'd met. At least not this strongly. He didn't mind watching a couple guys getting frisky with each other while they were messing with a woman in videos. But, I never really wanted to touch another guy's junk. He'd tasted his own cum many times. But from a cum-soaked pussy. He'd fantasized about sucking dick—countless times. But never thought I'd want it if I could actually get it. He unfolded the flat sheet.

With the sheets tucked in, he reached for the comforter and spread it on the bed. Lost in his lusty thoughts, he didn't hear Teak arrive and Kevin stumbled against him. Teak's arms wove around his ribs, preventing him from falling. Like the proverbial deer in the headlights, Kevin froze and didn't say a word. Pleasure whip corded his dick. His heart hammered. Resting his head rested against Teak's bare shoulder, he wondered when Teak had taken off his shirt. The trimmed hair felt stiff and foreign against his skin. No other man had ever held him this way. Kevin noticed rough calluses between softer patches of skin on Teak's hands. He soaked in the new sensations, enjoying them.

Silence thundered in Kevin's ears as he turned and met Teak's gaze. The intensity he saw nearly choked the breath right out of his lungs. What little air remained ran for cover when Teak's lips met his. The feelings reminded him of his very first kiss, heady and surreal. His lips twisted with Teak's. He'd never experienced the force of a man's tongue in his mouth or the scrape of another man's beard on his face. Not this way. Guttural sounds filled Kevin's throat. His breath hissed through his nostrils. These were the sounds of an aroused man. Except another man is turning me on.

Teak kept a loose hold on Kevin's waist. The non-threatening hold gave Kevin free reign to accept or deny him. For a long minute, he participated in the kiss as though moving with a partner in a choreographed dance. He knew what to do and how to do it, but his brain and his dick were going in opposite directions. Kevin's cock was so hard he wanted to take it out and come. His brain kept screaming at him to slow down. Confusion filled him. He broke from the kiss and focused on Teak's tattoo, glad for the distraction.

"Aren't you going to say something?" Teak asked in a soft voice.

"This is the most amazing tattoo." How fucking lame was that?

"Touch it."

With nervous hesitation, Kevin traced the pronounced veins on the dragon's side, and higher to its curved neck. Continuing to follow the dragon's neck with his index finger led to Teak's nipple. The hardened nub looked ready to be clenched in the dragon's sharp teeth. Or mine.

"Taste me," Teak said, his voice hoarse and hushed.

CONTEST: I'm giving away a copy of Hard as Teak. Tell me why gay male romances appeal to you and you could win. Don't forget your email address!

Author Links...Buy Hard as Teak here.

Visit Margie here: http://www.romancewithSASS.com/

Check out Margie's Blog: http://blog.romancewithsass.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MargaretRChurch

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

1Place For Romance Buy Link: http://1placeforromance.com/index.php?searchMe=margie+church&column=author&_a=viewCat

Author Bio...

Margie Church writes erotic romance novels with a strong suspense element, in keeping with her moniker: Romance with SASS (Suspense Angst Seductive Sizzle). She has a degree in writing and editing and has been a professional writer, editor, and journalist for over 25 years. If you enjoy books that you can't put down, then read one of hers.

Margie lives in Minnesota, is married, and has two children. Some of her passions are music, flower gardening, biking, walking her dog on moonlit nights, nature, and making people laugh. She also writes children's books under the pen name, Margaret Rose.

Celebrating Armed Forces Day With A Bang: An Interview with Victoria Blisse

2011-06-25T10:47:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Author Victoria Blisse!

Victoria Blisse Tells All!

A Revealing Interview by Indigo Skye

This summer, I'm interviewing selected authors from the Uniform Behaviour anthology, edited by Lucy Felthouse. For details about the fab prizes and author swag you can win in our UB contest, click here.

A special message to the men and women serving in the armed forces: The creators of Uniform Behaviour wish to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our troops on Armed Forces Day. Your sacrifices, your hard work, and your courageous hearts protect our freedoms. A percentage of all Uniform Behaviour sales is donated to Help for Heroes- it's our way of showing our appreciation for all you do to protect our rights and keep us safe.

Now, meet one of the contributing authors of Uniform Behaviour- Victoria Blisse! Victoria, welcome to Indigo Skye: Ink and Art.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the story you penned for Uniform Behaviour?

A: I wanted to write something a little different. So I was thinking through different jobs with uniforms and my husband was calling out jobs too and then we got to cleaner and I decided I could work with that!

Q: Any steamy new projects in the works? We'd love to dish about your latest release and any works in progress you'd like to discuss.

A: My latest release was Artistic Sights, Heavenly Delights, a lovely little story about a rich handsome man who pays a poor artist to paint his portrait. It’s available from Total-E-Bound here.

I’ve been very busy writing lately too and I have my Bollywood novella, Silver Screen Dream, due to release on the 5th September, and "Tasty Italian," a short story lined up for the 19th September too. I’m also writing a tempting temp story which will hopefully be out later this summer. I’m a really busy bunny at the moment.

Q: What's your favorite national holiday to celebrate in bed, and why?

A: Valentine’s Day! It’s so expensive to go out on the day so it’s much better to make some finger food in advance then eat it in bed with my lovely hubby- or off my lovely hubby, if I’m lucky!

Q: Your pick for hottest uniform- soldier, policeman, fireman, or priest? (If none of these do it for you, what is your favorite uniform and why?)

A: That bright white naval uniform they have in the US always gets me a little hot under the collar. I can’t explain why except it just seems to accentuate the tasty manliness of a man somehow!

Q: Agreed- there's something very sexy about a sailor. Anchors away! Favorite way to unwind on a long holiday weekend?

A: Sit on the beach with my head in a book (or my e-reader as is more likely these days) preferably in Scarborough. I love Scarborough.

Q: When you're not hard at work creating steamy erotica, how do you like to spend your time?

A: I love to cook but I especially love baking, I find it very therapeutic.

Q: I'm always interested in what other authors are reading. Your top three picks for a great book to read on the beach?

A: Get stuck in to the Percy Jackson books by Rick Riordan, I know they’re kids’ books technically, but they’re really well written and it’s a great escapist read. Discworld novels would be good, my very favourite is Mort closely followed by Soul Music. They make you laugh out loud though, so if you don’t want to startle the general public you might want to save it to read in your hotel room not on the beach! One of my all time and always favourites is Jane Eyre. It’s got everything and I can read it over and over and not get bored.

Q: How has writing/reading erotica affected your sex life?

A:Well, it hasn’t made it any worse that’s for certain! I have to make sure I’ve done my day’s writing before I give in to the urge to erm, play, with Mr. husband man because once I’ve gotten that female satisfaction I do not want to write at all!

Q: What are your turn-ons? Turn-offs? How is this reflected in your writing?

A: I don’t like to have my ears nibbled so you don’t get much ear nibbling in my books but there is a lot of neck sucking! I write a lot of stories with spanking and BDSM themes- so assume what you like from that!- but it’s always fairly mild, nothing too extreme. I think that’s pretty much me all over!

Q: Are any of your stories based on personal experiences, or are they mostly derived from your fantasies/imagination?

A: Oh now, that’d be telling! There are definitely scenes that come straight from my life experiences but I’m not going to tell you exactly which ones, you’ll have to guess!

Q: Do you do any research as part of the writing process? What does that entail?

A: I love being an erotic romance author, I can count day dreaming and the enjoyment of sexual fantasies as research! I’m not very good at doing real hard work research though I did have to do a lot of reading and googling when I wrote my Bollywood story! I had to make sure I was keeping somewhat true to the genre.

Q: Any final words of inspiration for emerging authors?

A: Write, write, write and when you think you’ve written all you can write then write some more. If you want to get better, you just have to keep doing it. That’s the best bit of advice I can give any author, new or established.

Author Bio:

Victoria Blisse is a Mother, Wife, Christian, Manchester United Fan and Award-Winning Erotica Authoress. She is equally at home behind a laptop or a cooker and she loves to create stories, poems, cakes and biscuits that make people happy. She was born near Manchester, England and her northern English quirkiness shows through in all of her stories. Passion, love and laughter fill her works, just as they fill her busy life. Read more about her at Victoria Blisse, her author site.

Author's Book List:

Artistic Sights, Heavenly Delights, Total-E-Bound Getting Together trilogy, Xcite. The Victoria Blisse Collection, House of Erotica Snowed in at School, Silver Publishing Sweet Surrender, Total-E-Bound Uniform Behaviour, Lucy Felthouse Stopping Point, Total-E-Bound Moonshy, Total-E-Bound Big and Beautiful, Total-E-Bound The Point, Total-E-Bound Flaming Hot, Coming Together Spiced Vanilla, Total-E_Bound Restoration, Xcite Vanilla will Extra Nuts, All Romance Ebooks Christmas Spirit Warms the Heart, Total-E-Bound Seriously Sexy Stocking Filler, Xcite Ultimate Curves, Xcite SecretSurprise, Total-E-Bound Festive Handbag, Total-E-BoundTravel Delight, Total-E-Bound Sexier Side of the Hill, Total-E-Bound

Fiction Friday!

2011-06-24T09:16:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Author J.S. Wayne!

I'm thrilled to feature an excerpt from J.S. Wayne's latest Noble Romance release, Angel of the Morning. Aurora, the Angel of the Morning, has received good news: her husband, Benoth, banished from Heaven for joining with Lucifer, has been granted a temporary pass from Infernus. The Angel of Death, Azrael, has sought an audience with Benoth regarding the renegade assistant, Moradiel, and his mortal lover.

Benoth, never one to pass up an opportunity, manages to arrange his time so he can have the entire day with his beloved and dearly missed wife. As the two reunite for the first time in decades, they discover their passion burns just as hot and bright as ever.

But time flies, even for angels and demons. And sundown is coming . . . .

Angel of the Morning

by J.S. Wayne

At 10:23 a.m. on a bright but chilly and blustery Chicago Saturday, the usual teeming hustle and bustle of the weekend packed Michigan Avenue. Crowds thronged the sidewalks, hurrying to and fro, and the Magnificent Mile moved along bumper to bumper.

She materialized out of thin air into a gap that should have offered no camouflage and reached up to smooth a strand of cornsilk blonde hair out of her face as she looked around. Since her most immediate companions were a woman swaddled in furs, scowling and shaking her wrist impatiently at the bejeweled watch upon it and a man in a blue, pinstriped, three-piece suit yelping furiously into a Bluetooth headset, her arrival went unnoticed.

Not so her appearance; even the irate businessman broke off his furious diatribe as he realized she stood near. Her regal bearing was not unusual on the Avenue. Plenty of upper-middle-class women affected the same haughty air. The difference was she made it seem as though notice and admiration were nothing more than her due; there was nothing artificial about her demeanor. Quite to the contrary, she made it seem as natural as air and sunlight that people should notice and bow before her, sure that she inspired the envy of all women around her.

Heedless of both the admiration and the admonishment she drew, she navigated to the sanctuary of an open doorway, out of the flow and crush of the crowd. After consulting a delicately made timepiece on her left wrist, she peered down to ensure her white skirt and jacket remained unmussed. Assuring herself they did, she flicked an errant strand of hair out of her eyes and pursed her lips in thought. She turned to look first one way then the other as she got her bearings. Finally, she nodded resolutely to herself and began walking purposefully north.

Her destination visible, she zeroed in on the spires of the elegant Gothic cathedral that had loomed over Michigan Avenue since horses and carts filled the Chicago streets, and gaslights had punctuated the nighttime darkness. She swept toward the cathedral, and the throng of people appeared to part before her without conscious intent.

For several long blocks, she savored the peculiar odors of any large city. Cooking food mingled with vehicle exhaust and blended with the various fragrances, perfumes, and base scents of the bodies around her to create an ever-shifting,odd, but not entirely unpleasant aroma. The ear-bending shouts and calls of the swirling mass around her, the roar of a thousand motors, the occasional shriek of brakes or blare of horns, and the babble and arrhythmic cadence of footfalls formed an aural wall of cacophony that echoed off the towers and skyscrapers forming the walls of this unnatural steel and concrete canyon. One particular car pulled to a stop at the curb, its speakers blasting a song she didn't know.The only words she could pick out clearly were Angel of Harlem.

In short order, she covered the distance at a speed faster than an average walk but not quite a lope. She arrived at the immense oaken doors without a hair out of place or her breathing even slightly elevated. Placing her palm to the nearer door, reverently, she took a moment to savor the peaceful feel of the building.

Unlike the jagged emotional shards that reverberated all around her, the huge church pulsed with a quiet, calm power. There had been great joy and sadness known here, as unions had been made before God and broken by death. The prayers and faith of those who had worshipped here for generations saturated these walls, and that aura of sanctuary now permeated the air surrounding this place, seeming to dampen the noise of the traffic and the droning din of humanity.

She smiled to herself; what she sought was indeed here. Grasping the worn, ancient handle, she tugged the door open. It moved easily, despite its massive size, sending a blade of brilliant sunlight stabbing into the dim interior.

Author Bio...

Born in Amarillo, Texas, J.S. Wayne has lived, worked, or traveled in approximately two thirds of the North American continent and has amassed a resume that could kindly be described as “eclectic.” He currently resides in the Texas Panhandle with his wife, a vicious attack cat, and a terrier puppy who believes socks are a threat to national security. In his laughably sparse spare time, he enjoys reading, scary movies, strategy games, and collecting obsolete weapons. His professional writing credits include two current novels, Shadowphoenix: Requiem and Wail; a short story, “Angels Would Fall,” which has been contracted by Noble Romance Publishing and is due out in April; and a host of poetry and work-in-progress novels and short stories, including a nascent graphic novel with artist extraordinaire Bill Fish, who created the covers for J.S.’s first two novels, his website, and took the photos J.S. uses for various publicity needs. He maintains a home page at http://www.wix.com/jswaynesite/herebemonsters and a blog at www.jswayne.wordpress.com.www.jswayne.wordpress.com.

An Invitation to Inspiration

2011-06-23T09:05:00.000-06:00

Ever wonder what inspires your favorite authors to create sexy, steamy, titillating tales of an erotic nature? Find out here. Today, I'm guest starring at Lucy Felthouse- Erotic Author.

We Love Lucy!

Lucy is the mastermind behind the anthology, Uniform Behaviour, and she's invited all contributing authors to submit a guest blog about the inspiration behind their stories.

Curious about my racy and controversial story, "True Confession?" Wondering why I'd write about such taboo subjects? Sister Mary Indigo explains it all for you here!

Want to win fab prizes, author swag, and more? Just snap a pic of yourself reading Uniform Behaviour and follow the directions on my Contests Page.

A Revealing Interview with Rebecca Bond

2011-06-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

In an effort to support our troops, I'm interviewing the authors of Uniform Behaviour. This anthology is full of sizzling encounters with men and women in uniform. A portion of the proceeds from sales is donated to the UK charity, Help for Heroes.

This summer, we're holding a fabulous photo contest- just snap a pic of yourself reading Uniform Behaviour and you could win some great prizes. See my Contests Page for more information.

Indigo Skye Interviews Author Rebecca Bond

Q: Welcome to Indigo Skye: Ink and Art! Thrilled to have you here today, Rebecca. Please tell our readers about your sexiest encounter with someone in uniform...

A: A beach in Cyprus. A summer’s night. A squaddie. That’s all I’m sayin.’

Q: What was the inspiration behind the stories you penned for Uniform Behavior?

A: I penned two stories for this anthology, Sin City and Fireman’s Lift. Although Fireman’s Lift is the first story in the anthology, the first story I wrote was Sin City. Not only was it the first for this anthology, but it was the first story I wrote with publication in mind and for those reasons it’s a story dear to my heart. The inspiration? Well, many bods out there know I have a few obsessions in life, two of these being New York City and those that police its streets. Thus, Sin City was born – a sexy tale about a strong female NYPD cop, who chases down a sinister perp. Tables are turned midway, and a rather filthy erotic encounter ensues. Gritty erotica!

Q: Sounds hot! Any steamy new projects in the works? We'd love to dish about your latest release and any works in progress you'd like to discuss.

A: I do have a few new pieces on the go. In terms of new releases, I have a short story due for publication soon by Ravenous Romance. It’s an F/F piece and the first story I wrote in that category so I’m very nervous about it going public.

I’ve also had another story accepted by the lovely Lucy Felthouse for her upcoming anthology Seducing the Myth. My story, The Dark Night Rusalka, is a dirty little tale of a beautiful Polish lass who needs to avenge her death in order for her soul to be set free. And how does she go about this? Well, you’ll just have to grab yourself a copy of the book and find out ;-)

Q: What's your favorite national holiday to celebrate in bed, and why?

A: I’m not gonna lie, I like my bed. Yes, I’m a very, very big fan of bed and therefore would quite like to spend every day in bed, national holiday or no national holiday!

Q: Your pick for hottest uniform- soldier, policeman, fireman, or priest? (If none of these do it for you, what is your favorite uniform and why?)

A: I love the NYPD get-up but I do love me a fireman – utter delish!

Q: Favorite way to unwind on a long holiday weekend?

A: Me. The Boy. My bed. ‘Nuf said ;-)

Q: When you're not hard at work creating steamy erotica, how do you like to spend your time?

A: I live in London. Although I’ve lived here for nearly four years, there’s still so much of the city I’m unfamiliar with. I love nothing more than to grab my closest pals and go mooching about town. I’ve discovered so many new things this year alone; my new favourite brunch spot in Brockwell, the vibrant markets of Portobello, a cute little cafe in Crystal Palace where I can indulge both my coffee and cupcake addiction, a great old skool spa nestled deep within the backstreets of Bayswater, an amazing indie bookstore in Herne Hill – the list is endless. So, when I’m not writing, I pretend to be a tourist in my own city and then use it all as inspiration for more stories.

Q: I'm always interested in what other authors are reading. Your top three picks for a great book to read on the beach?

A: Any and EVERY book by Lee Child. As I’ve mentioned before, Jack Reacher is my superhero. Seriously, I could read these books again and again and again.

Q: The ‘I Heart...’ series by Lindsey Kelk. I discovered this author when I was in New York last year and although dubious at first (never before being a fan of chicklit), I am now addicted to every word she writes.

A: Well, this is easy – Uniform Behaviour! Grit, action, romance, drama, passion and raw, rampant sex – what more could you want in a book?!

Q: Tell us about your day as a writer- do you stick to a set schedule, or just write when inspiration strikes?

A: I’m an erratic, disorganised mess of a writer. I sometimes plan, but the plan never gets used so I usually just start writing without much of an idea of story and pray that the outcome is stable enough to work with. I wouldn’t really recommend this method!

Q: What inspires you, makes you itch to write?

A: At the moment it’s people. There are a few people in my life who inspire me and thus I find myself wanting to write because of them, sometimes for them. I have quite a few stories that have been written at the personal request of others, stories that are for their eyes only. Usually though, it’s a place I’ve been, something I’ve seen when mooching about town, a dream I’ve had. It really could be anything that gets my creative juices flowing.

Q: Are any of your stories based on personal experiences, or are they mostly derived from your fantasies/imagination?

A: I think it’s safe to say that there is a small part of me in every story I write, although this doesn’t mean I’ve had firsthand experience with everything that happens in those stories.

Q: Do you do any research as part of the writing process? What does that entail?

A: Of course. Research is important in terms of accuracy to detail. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean I run out and enact everything in reality before it makes it to the page, but in terms of locations, historical detail, things like that then yes, research is important.

Q: Any final words of inspiration for emerging authors?

A: Never let anyone make you feel as though you don’t deserve your dream. If you want to write, write. If you want people to read your work, show them.

Author Bio:

Bewitched by the vibrancy of city life, Rebecca Bond currently resides in London with The Boy, her fella of eight years. Originally from the sleepy Fens she uses a combination of urban and rural inspiration to carve stories steeped in fantasy. As long as there’s a good coffee house nearby and chocolate is always within reach Rebecca happily breezes through life and the hurdles it throws in her way.

By daylight Rebecca Bond is immersed in frantic city life working with the UK’s Law Enforcement officers, but by moonlight she uses her daily copperings to fuel her inner muse into creating erotic offerings, transforming mundane reality into exquisite fantasy.

Rebecca has works published on The Erotic Woman and Erotica for All websites, and in the recently released anthology ‘Uniform Behaviour’.

Author Links...
Author Website: http://www.missrebeccabond.co.uk/

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=177892785573785&sk=basic#!/pages/Miss-Rebecca-Bond/177892785573785?v=wall

Twitter: http://www.twitter/MissRebeccaBond

Tips on Hot Outdoor Sex, Hot Interviews, and More!

2011-06-20T09:12:00.000-06:00

This week, I'm being featured on Ella Jade's Author Blog, Get Lost in My Words. I'll be dishing about my favorite summer sport- outdoor sex! Check out my hottest tips for a steamy wilderness encounter here.

Tomorrow, I'll be featuring author Rebecca Bond in an intimate interview, as part of our tour to promote Uniform Behaviour. Click here for more information about our contest and the juicy prizes readers can win.

On Fiction Friday, June 24th, I'll be featuring J.S. Wayne. He's got a steamy surprise in store...

June 25th is Armed Forces Day in the UK. We'll be celebrating here with an exclusive interview with Victoria Blisse- don't miss it!

Author Victoria Blisse

Fiction Friday!

2011-06-17T09:07:00.000-06:00

My guest today is author Ella Jade. Her short story, entitled "Welcome Home," was inspired by this steamy pic:

Welcome Home

by Ella Jade

It had been a crazy day at the hospital and all I wanted to do was hit the shower and crawl into bed. I needed to wash away the grit of my twelve hour shift and forget about the shambles that was my life. I stepped into the stall, closed my eyes and let the spray take over my whole body.

The grueling schedule I'd been pulling the past few months still wasn't enough to make me forget her. She was front and center in my thoughts all the time and it was getting frustrating. I constantly thought about the relationship we once had. How we'd spend a week at her parents' beach house every summer all through college… the Christmas mornings at my parent's house... the way her eyes sparkled on her birthday… the rainy Saturday afternoons we'd spend in our first tiny apartment, eating take-out and making love all day.

I mindlessly washed my body and shampooed my hair, and must have lost track of time because the cold sting of the water against my chest brought me out of my daydreams.

Fuck! How could I let her leaving consume me this way?

If she didn’t want to be with me anymore then I needed to get over it. She walked out two months ago, she wasn’t coming back and it was my fault. I didn’t pay attention. I missed all the signs, and then it was too late. She was gone and I had no one to blame but me.

My medical career was just taking off. I'd worked long and hard through my residency and finally secured a position at a renowned teaching hospital. My dreams were coming true. All the years of sacrifice, studying and working every odd job I could find while putting myself through school were finally paying off.

Why wasn't she here to share it with me?

I wrapped a towel around my waist as I stared at my sorry self in the mirror. I ran my fingers through my wild mess of brown hair.

Maybe I should cut it?

A new start.

I couldn’t!

Ava loved my hair. She couldn't keep her hands out of it while we were fucking. The memories were all I had left and if keeping my hair meant holding onto Ava just a little longer, I’d do it. I closed my eyes and imagined her face. I shook my head. As I entered my bedroom, I could almost smell her sweet scent engulfing the room. It assaulted my nostrils and made my head spin. Vanilla and roses, just like her body wash.

I must be nuts.

“Conner,” she whispered from the corner of the room.

“Ava?” I turned to face her.

She slowly walked toward me and the closer she got, the more stunning she looked. She was wearing the sexiest black evening gown I'd ever seen, and judging from the way her nipples were straining against the silk, I was betting she wasn’t wearing a bra.

“What are you doing here?” I swallowed hard.

I sure as fuck hope I'm not imagining this.

“Shh.” She pressed her lips to mine.

“Hmm,” I moaned at the taste of her mouth. I didn’t know what she was doing here, and honestly, I didn't care. All that mattered to me in that moment was she was here, standing in front of me, kissing and touching me. It had been far too long.

She reached for my towel, pulling it from my body with a wicked glint in her eyes.

“I’ve missed you so much,” she mumbled against my lips as she wrapped her arms around my neck.

I reached for her zipper and quickly lowered it before trailing my fingers down her spine. Not only was she not wearing a bra, but she’d forgotten her panties too. I smirked as I ran my hand over her bare ass. Her skin was smooth and warm. I missed being tangled in her body while we slept.

I miss so many things.

I moved my hands up to her shoulders and slipped the dress from her body, watching as the shimmery silk pooled at her feet. She kicked her stilettos off as I took a step back to take in her body. It was as perfect as I'd remembered. I ran my tongue over my lips as I stared at her freshly waxed pussy. Her taste was exquisite especially when she came on my tongue.

She took my hand and pulled me toward her, running her hands down my chest.

“Later, baby,” she whispered. “You can lick me all night, but right now, I need you inside me.”

I placed my hand on her breasts and traced her nipples with my fingertips.

She closed her eyes and threw back her head. “I’ve wanted your hands on my body for a long time.”

“Then you never should’ve left.” I spun her around and bent her over the dresser. “Do you want me to fuck you?” I moved my hand down her back, over her ass and between her legs, feeling how wet she was. “I asked you a question.” She tightened around my fingers as I pushed them inside her heat.

“Yes,” she screamed.

“Yes, what?” I moved my fingers in and out of her.

“Fuck me!” she moaned. “Now!”

With pleasure…

I moved closer to her body, placing one hand on the small of her back as I used my other to ram my cock deep inside her pussy.

“Conner!” She screamed as she braced herself against the dresser for my next thrust. “Yes…just like that. Hard and fast.”

I continued to slam into her, releasing the past two months of pain and frustration over her leaving with each plunge. I gripped her hair and pressed her face against the cherry wood of the dresser as I swiveled my hips, hitting her walls just the way I knew she liked. She always wanted it fast and rough.

“Fuck, baby,” I yelled. “Missed this so much.”

“So close, Conner…touch me!” Her voice was desperate and raw with need.

I reached around to her center and slipped my fingers inside her slick pussy, finding her sweet little clit. I ran my finger over it, lightly pinching it and feeling her body tense.

“You gonna cum for me?” I whispered against her ear.

“Yes, now, Oh God…”

I licked and sucked her neck as I wrapped my hand around her waist and pulled her upright and flush against my body, switching the angle from which I was fucking her. She reached up over her head and twisted her fingers in my hair, the way she always did.

“Fuck!” I screamed out my release as I held her as close to my body as I could. When I calmed down, I gently pulled out of her and carried her over to the bed…our bed.

We lay cuddled against one another, trying to process what had just happened between us. I wondered if it was just a quick fuck. A moment the two of us so desperately needed.

Would she leave again?

Could I handle it if she did?

“Conner,” she finally spoke. “I want to come home.”

I closed my eyes and pushed back the lump that was forming in my throat. I was overcome with so many feelings and we had so much to deal with, but for right now, I’d take this instant.

“You are home, baby.” I pulled her closer to me. “I’ll do better, I promise.”

“You better,” she warned. “’Cause I can’t live without you.”

“Welcome home, sweet Ava.”

Jocelyn's Choice

Jocelyn Andrews, a shy, awkward, high school senior, has never even been on a date until she meets Alex Jordon, the older, more experienced brother of her best friend Evan. Jocelyn falls hard for the charming player and wants to explore all of the “firsts” that go along with young love. Alex has no problem showing her what she’s been missing.

Alex is captivated by young, innocent Jocelyn and to his own surprise, only has eyes for her. One night of careless passion leads to a life-altering dilemma. Alex must head back to Yale to finish an internship, having no idea what he’s left behind. Jocelyn must decide what to do on her own, forcing her to grow up much faster than she anticipated.

Reality sets in, decisions are made and Jocelyn has to live with her choices. Alex returns home to more than he ever bargained for. Young love has never been more complicated as they deal with a teen pregnancy, social barriers, and concerned family members. Life sometimes throws a curve ball, but the unexpected isn’t always bad.

About the Author...

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed about two years ago when she found a fan fiction website and decided to spin her own version of a popular vampire series. That experience gave her the courage to start submitting her own original stories to publishers.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, kickboxing and scrapbooking. You can connect with her online at http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/.

Have Pen, Will Travel

2011-06-15T09:08:00.000-06:00

This summer, I'm touring some of the hottest blogs online, and hosting many of my favorite authors here on Indigo Skye: Ink and Art. Here's the skinny...

Friday, June 17th: Ella Jade is my guest for Fiction Friday. She'll be treating us to a sexy story, "Welcome Home." Her steamy fictional romp was inspired by this photo:

Saturday, June 18: I'll be giving Ella a little tit for her tat. I'll be guest starring at Get Lost in My Words, Ella Jade's blog. She's featuring an exclusive guest blog, an excerpt from my novel, and a hot giveaway!

Tuesday, June 21: Miss Rebecca Bond is my guest for Troops Tuesday. Some of the authors from the Uniform Behaviour crew will be gracing my blog with their presence this summer in an ongoing effort to raise funds for Help for Heroes. We're sponsoring a fabulous contest for fans this summer, with hot prizes including author swag, books, bath goodies, and more. Uniform Behaviour Contest Details can be found here.

Friday, June 24: J.S. Wayne will be guest starring at Indigo Skye: Ink and Art for Fiction Friday.

Author Victoria Blisse

Saturday, June 25: To help celebrate Armed Forces Day with a bang, I'm hosting another Uniform Behaviour author on my blog. Victoria Blisse will be visiting Indigo Skye: Ink and Art to give an exclusive interview.

Tuesday, June 28: Margie Church will be my esteemed guest. A big thank you to all my guests and hosts this month. Couldn't do it without you!

Happy Flag Day: Honoring Our Troops

2011-06-14T08:52:00.000-06:00

Are you thankful for everything that men and women in the forces do for us on a daily basis? The authors that contributed to Uniform Behaviour certainly are, which is why we’re running this fabulous competition!

From Flag Day (14th June) through the UK’s Armed Forces Day (25th June) up until Independence Day (4th July) we’re offering some very special prizes to those of you that send in awesome photographs of you reading Uniform Behaviour. You can be reading the book on your computer, laptop, smartphone, eReader – anything! As long as we can clearly see that you’re reading Uniform Behaviour, you’re eligible for entry.

The prizes:

- A PDF book of your choice from Lucy Felthouse’s backlist: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/

- Signed postcards, bookmarks and a mug from Lucy Felthouse

- A PDF book of your choice from Justine Elyot’s backlist: http://justineelyot.com/

- Orange and cinnamon bath bombs, courtesy of Victoria Blisse http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk/

- A Victoria Blisse t-shirt http://www.victoriablisse.co.uk/

- A personalised story from Lexie Bay http://www.lexiebay.co.uk/

- A PDF copy of Cassandra Carr’s latest release, TALK TO ME http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com/

- A personalised story from Rebecca Bond http://www.missrebeccabond.co.uk/

- A PDF book of your choice from Indigo Skye’s backlist: http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com/

Here’s more about the delicious anthology in question:
Do you get all weak-kneed at the sight of a grubby fireman or a hunky soldier? Perhaps immaculately-dressed waiting-on staff get you feeling frisky? If so, you’ve come to the right place.

Uniform Behaviour contains sixteen smutty stories about firemen, soldiers, sailors, police, security guards and even waiters, priests and cleaners!
Delve into this anthology and enjoy steamy stories from established erotica authors including Justine Elyot, Craig J Sorensen, Victoria Blisse, Shermaine Williams, Elizabeth Coldwell and Lucy Felthouse. Uniform Behaviour also proudly introduces some exciting debut authors. So remember, you saw them here first!
As well as being written and compiled for your titillation, this anthology is also designed to do good. A portion of the proceeds from Uniform Behaviour will be donated to UK charity Help for Heroes, which helps those wounded in current conflict.
The stories in this anthology have been hand-picked by a uniform aficionado, so you can rest assured that only the sexiest erotic fiction lies in this eBook.

How to enter:

If you’ve already got the anthology, then get snapping those photos! If not, see here for a full list of retailers and get your copy. Then, send your photograph to uniformb.promo@gmail.com for your chance to win. Two winners will be chosen to win their share of the goodies and will be notified by week ending 8th July. Announcements will also be made on http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/. Competition is open worldwide.

Good luck – and happy reading!

And now, to kick off our contest with a bang, Indigo Skye: Ink and Art is proud to present a special interview with Lucy Felthouse, the first in a series of exclusive dish sessions with the Uniform Behaviour crew!

Q: Welcome to Indigo Skye: Ink and Art, Ms. Felthouse. Readers would love to know more about your work. What was the inspiration behind the story you penned for Uniform Behaviour?

A: My inspiration for "Just Couldn't Wait" actually speaks volumes about me. I was watching one of my favourite TV shows, Supernatural and there's an episode where my favourite Winchester, Sam, is working in a bar. He's wearing a white t-shirt and looks... well... *fans self*. For some reason this made my insane imagination think about him in a waiter's uniform, and the rest is history.

Q: Any steamy new projects in the works? We'd love to dish about your latest release and any works in progress you'd like to discuss.

A: My latest release, Bite With Height, is another story which has an interesting tale of inspiration behind it. It's based in Paris and is heavily influenced by the Sacre-Coeur and the surrounding area. It's a paranormal tale of lesbian romance – and that's all I'm saying. I don't want to give anything away. It's available from Noble Romance here: https://nobleromance.com/Books/298.
Projects in progress are many! But one I'm most excited about is the novel I'm finally starting to plan and work on. It's been a long time coming!

Q: Favorite way to unwind on a long holiday weekend?

A: I love spending time outdoors. I like camping, walking, exploring the countryside and visiting historical houses and properties.

Q: When you're not hard at work creating steamy erotica, how do you like to spend your time?

A: If I can't get out and about, I'm generally reading, surfing the web or watching one of my favourite TV shows, or a film.

Q: Tell us about your day as a writer- do you stick to a set schedule, or just write when inspiration strikes?

A: It depends on what I'm doing in the day job. I work for myself, doing web design, PR & Marketing for writers. So it all depends on what I'm currently working on client-wise. I just make sure I organise my time well and it means I can make sure I'm doing my very best for all my clients and still find time to write.

Q: What inspires you, makes you itch to write?

A: All kinds of things. But mainly it's an idea. If I'm suddenly struck by inspiration, or a really good story idea, I often want to get writing straight away. Unfortunately, deadlines get in the way of that sometimes and the ideas have to be shelved for a while, but I make sure I write them all down so I can come back to them at a later date.

Q: Do you do any research as part of the writing process? What does that entail?

A: It depends what I'm writing about. Most of my work is contemporary and therefore doesn't need any research. However, I recently wrote a piece based on a true legend from the Peak District and I did research into that, including visiting the place it's based. As someone passionate about the Peak District and its history, that was great fun.

Q: Any final words of inspiration for emerging authors?

A: Just go for it. In the first instance, get words down on the page. You might discover they're rubbish to begin with, but the more you write, the better you get, so keep at it!

Thanks for joining us today, Lucy! Best of luck with your new novel- can't wait to read it! Readers, you won't want to miss this one! Stay tuned to Indigo Skye: Ink and Art for more intimate, revealing interviews with Uniform Behaviour authors.

Author Bio:

During Lucy’s first year studying Creative Writing at the University of Derby, she was dared to write an erotic story. It went down a storm and she's never looked back. Lucy has had stories published by Cleis Press, Noble Romance, Ravenous Romance, Summerhouse Publishing and Xcite Books. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. You can also find her on Facebook and Twitter.

Fiction Friday- Photos to Inspire Your Work

2011-06-10T08:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! Got a little time to write? I'm posting a few photos here today in hopes of inspiring your work. Post your musings in the comments section below, along with your email address. All participants will receive a copy of Her Captive Muse!

Heat Wave Short Story Contest Updates

2011-06-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

Big news, writers! My publisher, Noble Romance, just got in touch regarding some fabulous prizes for my Heat Wave Short Story Contest. They'll be donating five $15 gift certificates to http://www.nobleromance.com/ to five lucky winners.

What else is in the pot? I'll be giving away five signed print editions of Her Captive Muse and Red Roses & Shattered Glass, e-books galore, and a special treat from Eden Fantasys.

This kit is perfect for a guy-or gal- on the go. It contains a Doc Johnson Pocket Rocket vibrator, and a bottle of i-lube, one of the finest lubricants I have ever personally experienced. No sticky mess, no foul fake-fruit taste, just a silky glide that lasts and lasts...

Our grand prize winner will receive this lube & vibe combo, and a gift certificate to Eden Fantasys! To get all the dirty details, visit my Contests and Calls for Submission Page.

Happy Writing!

Typing with Sticky Fingers,

Indigo Skye

Trippin' The Light Fantastic, Part II

2011-06-03T01:01:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Author Rebecca Bond

And the Anxiously-Awaited Sequel to

Trippin' the Light Fantastic

Trippin’ the Light Fantastic Part II

by Rebecca Bond

Jessie glanced at the clock on the wall. Only thirty minutes had passed since entering The Host’s ‘Fantasy Chamber.’ Thirty minutes had passed and another glorious ninety minutes remained. She smiled and looked down at her playmate, Alexis. She looked so beautiful like this, Jessie thought, her skin still dappled with red dots of candle wax, her lips so pink and plump from furious kisses, her eyes so wide and glossy and expectant.

The power Jessie felt sent waves of excitement rushing to her loins and she wiggled slightly in an attempt to quell the ever growing thirst of her hungry pussy. Her pussy was encased in the tiniest of fabric, sheer black material that clung to her body and really concealed nothing at all. She smiled wickedly as she looked down at her playmate, a whole ninety minutes of fun to be had.

“So beautiful, sweetheart,” she murmured as she slowly skimmed her fingers over Alexis’ wax-covered skin.

Alexis gazed up at the older woman, a coy expression on her face as she pulled against her restraints. With an evil smirk, Jessie watched her playmate squirm, delighting in her discomfort. She slowly stalked to the foot of the bed and gazed at Alexis’ mound. Her lips were spread wide, her pink, silky flesh glistening with arousal. Her hips bucked slightly and Jessie laughed.

“Begging for my touch, sweetheart?” She teased.

Nodding pathetically, a plump lip still caught between her teeth, Alexis bucked again, higher towards Jessie’s touch. Jessie rested her hands on Alexis’ legs, smoothing them along the milky flesh of the younger woman and up towards her open pout. Curling her fingers slightly, she dug her fingernails into the porcelain thigh, a sly smile appearing on her face as the young woman gasped in surprise. She grazed her nails over the tender skin of Alexis’ inner thigh, enjoying the way she wriggled and writhed beneath her tormenting touch.

“You don’t like that, sweetheart?” Jessie asked as her fingernails continued their path of destruction.

This time Alexis spoke. “Yes, Miss. I...” her breath hitched again as Jessie scratched a little harder, “...I, er, I like it very much.”

“Mmm, I can see that.” Jessie crouched at the foot of the bed, her face now level with one very fragrant pussy. She inhaled deeply, “I can smell your arousal, sweetheart, and it smells divine.”

Leaning forward, Jessie stilled her hands and pressed her palms against Alexis’ thighs. She inched her face towards the splayed cunt and licked the length of her slit. She watched as Alexis’ head lolled to the side, her eyes fluttering shut as she administered another slow lick to her core. This was it, the first time Jessie had ever tasted another woman. She was slow with her ministrations, careful to absorb the moment for what it was and to enjoy every single second.

“Mmm, you taste delicious, sweetheart, so ripe and juicy.”

Alexis moaned and tried to thrust her pussy closer to Jessie’s mouth, but to no avail given her restrained position. With one swift flick of her tongue against Alexis’ swollen clit, Jessie stood and marched around the bed, a panther stalking its prey with fire in her eyes. She stopped, this time at the head of the bed, and peered down at the young woman. Alexis looked like a doll, a porcelain beauty with features painted on lovingly by the artist and his brush. Reaching out, Jessie brushed a finger across Alexis’ cheek and along her parted lips. Her insides twisted as she watched a pink tongue snake out to capture her finger. Her eyes narrowed, hooded with lust as Alexis sucked her finger deep into her mouth.

Squirming, Jessie couldn’t contain the desire that was building so rapidly in her cunt. She felt her inner muscles clench, trying to stop her juices from seeping further down her thighs. Expelling a whimper of her own, she slowly withdrew her finger from between Alexis’ youthful lips, wishing more than anything that she could feel her oral magic on her own aching pussy.

Jessie stood back abruptly, purposefully breaking the spell that seemed to be forming between her and Alexis. This was a fantasy. Her fantasy. Turning her back to her young lover, she walked to the table of toys on the far side of the room. Taking her time, she admired toy after toy, fingering phalluses and stroking many variety of implement. A spark ignited deep within her as her eyes settled upon a leather crop, the end crafted into a thick, rubber tongue. She fingered the object, running her pads along the long handle before settling upon the tiny paddle. It was cool to the touch.

She turned towards Alexis, looking at her with an evil glint in her eye. A sudden ‘swoosh’ sounded in the room as Jessie flicked the crop through the air with gusto. Unable to suppress the laughter at the way the young lover flinched, Jessie approach the bed again. Slowly. Alexis watched with wary eyes, confused, half tempted to yell ‘stop!’ and half tempted to scream for Jessie to hurry up.

Finding herself at the foot of the bed again, Jessie’s gaze rested upon the dewy cunt that was spread wide for her. She ran the tip over the tender flesh of Alexis’ inner thighs, careful to jump her aching crevasse. Jessie wanted her playmate worked up to the point of no return, to the point where she begged for her touch, to relieve the throbbing within her loins. And relieve her she would, with her fingers, with her lips, with her tongue. But, not until she begged.

Alexis yelped as she felt the gentle slap of the crop’s paddle on her pussy. Jessie was careful not to hurt her playmate, but continued to pound against her pussy, slap after relentless slap on that beautiful cunt, slick and smooth with juicy arousal.

“You like that, sweetheart?”

Alexis squirmed, her face screwed up in pain, but her hips bucking constantly for more. Dropping the crop, Jessie climbed onto the bed and crawled along Alexis’ body until they were face to face. She lowered her lips to her young lovers’ and captured them in a searing kiss, heat pulsing throughout her veins as tongue slid against tongue. Eager to feel her tongue against her pussy, Jessie quickly positioned herself so her mouth was level with Alexis’ mound.

“Lick me,” she said to Alexis before her own tongue snaked out and licked the plump outer lips of Alexis’ pussy, delving further inside soon after.

Jessie’s stomach muscles tightened as she felt Alexis’ lips on her clit, suckling on her swollen pearl before flicking the very tip of her tongue across the begging nub. She lowered her pussy further onto Alexis’ face and shivered as the young vixen slipped her tongue deftly inside her aching core. She throbbed, seething as her lover worked her with abandon.

As her climax fast approached, Jessie sucked furiously on Alexis, feasting on the beautiful treat that had been presented to her by The Host. She shuddered as her own pussy was ravished by the mouth of another, a porcelain beauty so ready and willing to worship her. Dipping her finger between Alexis’ dripping folds, Jessie stroked her with determination, coaxing forth her climax and causing her to erupt against her lips. Jessie screamed against Alexis’ cunt as her own orgasm surfaced, a hot fire raging throughout her loins.

Tired and sated, Jessie forced herself to move from the bed, silently releasing Alexis from her bonds. She tugged of her younger woman’s hands, urging her upwards until they were both standing. Jessie cupped her cheeks and kissed her with a tenderness that spoke volumes.

“Thank you, Miss,” Alexis whispered as their lips parted.

“Oh no, sweetheart, thank you.”

A key turning in the lock alerted them to the end of their fantasy and as The Host appeared in the doorway, both women silently went their separate ways.

Author Bio:

Bewitched by the vibrancy of city life, Rebecca Bond currently resides in London with The Boy, her fella of eight years. Originally from the sleepy Fens she uses a combination of urban and rural inspiration to carve stories steeped in fantasy. As long as there’s a good coffee house nearby and chocolate is always within reach Rebecca happily breezes through life and the hurdles it throws in her way.

By daylight Rebecca Bond is immersed in frantic city life working with the UK’s Law Enforcement officers, but by moonlight she uses her daily copperings to fuel her inner muse into creating erotic offerings, transforming mundane reality into exquisite fantasy.

Rebecca has works published on The Erotic Woman and Erotica for All websites, and in the recently released anthology ‘Uniform Behaviour’.

Author Links:-

Author Website: www.missrebeccabond.co.uk

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/edit/?id=177892785573785&sk=basic#!/pages/Miss-Rebecca-Bond/177892785573785?v=wall

Twitter ID: MissRebeccaBond

"Her Captive Muse" Voted Ebook of the Month!

2011-06-01T08:55:00.000-06:00

Fabulous news, readers! Her Captive Muse has been selected as "Ebook of the Month" at the online literary magazine, From a Writer's POV. I'm thrilled to be featured today. It's all happening! This calls for a celebration...

Want a chance to win a copy of Her Captive Muse? Leave a comment for me at From a Writer's POV. I'll be checking in periodically to answer questions, address comments, and bestow prizes on a lucky few...

Afternoon Delight

2011-05-31T08:40:00.000-06:00

Not a big fan of morning sex? Too tired to get it on after a gruelling day at work? It can be tough to get in synch with a new partner, expecially if you're on different schedules. He's an early bird, you're a night owl. What to do?

Don't despair. Try a nooner! Arrange to meet him for lunch, and give your man the surprise of his life! There's something so decadent and delicious about afternoon sex... a stolen hour, locked away from the rest of the workaday world. What could be better?

This private pleasure is one of my favorite indulgences, simply because it's so unexpected. It makes a normal Tuesday afternoon shine. A spontaneous, sexy rendezvous can really spice things up.

I just had the pleasure of spending the afternoon in bed with my lover. We fucked and napped and fucked some more- it was amazing. Relationship feeling stale? Dr. Indigo says, try a nooner- it'll cure what ails you!

A Sweet New Feature: Fiction Fridays

2011-05-30T10:55:00.000-06:00

This week, I'm launching a sweet new feature on Indigo Skye: Ink and Art- Fiction Fridays! Each Friday, readers will be treated to a new free read, a steamy excerpt, a guest blog, or an interview, featuring both new and established authors.

This Friday, I will be featuring Rebecca Bond. She returns to the site with her much-anticipated sequel to "Trippin' the Light Fantastic." I've just read Part II, and I know readers will enjoy the smoking-hot chemistry between Jessie and Alexis. You can read Part I here.

I first met the fabulous Miss Bond through Twitter. Follow her tweets @MissRebeccaBond. Find out more about this emerging author here.

If you'd like to be featured on a future "Fiction Friday," please email me for details- indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com.

A Treatise on Bad Girls: What I Learned in High School

2011-05-29T01:01:00.000-06:00

Good girls go to the prom. Bad girls go everywhere else- and they have a hell of a lot more fun getting there. Why be nice when it’s so much fun to be naughty?

I used to be a goody-two-shoes, the teacher’s pet. Then I got wise. By the end of my high school career, I was one of the loud girls on the back of the bus, sneaking a smoke or a sip of vodka between stops. Once I got to school- on the days I actually deigned to make an appearance- I skipped classes so I could get high with my friends. I lost my virginity in the back seat of a car.

I was an avowed bad girl, and I would only be seen with a certain type of boy. I ditched pep assemblies to kiss boys under the bleachers- boys who’d never be chosen for class president or king of the prom. Boys who wouldn’t be caught dead in a football uniform. Boys with fast cars and big dicks. Boys who smoked weed and drank Jack Daniels whiskey, and devoted endless hours to pursuits like skateboarding and beer pong and playing the bass.

I wore too much eye makeup and dyed my hair. I went to bad gigs and got drunk and stayed out all night. Here’s what I learned in high school: I learned how to roll joints, and put a condom on an impatient young man. I learned to fake an orgasm. I learned how to shoplift like a pro. I learned how to cut class, lie, and sneak out my window at night. I learned to hold my liquor. I learned to drive my parents insane.

Good times? Absolutely. The best.

I’m not so reckless now, and my wild side is mostly expressed on paper these days. But I’ll always be a bad girl at heart.

Memorial Day Giveaway!

2011-05-28T11:38:00.000-06:00

Today, my blog tour for Her Captive Muse takes me to the Noble Romance Authors' Blog. I've written a special sexy post in honor of Memorial Day, and I'm giving away a copy of my book to one lucky winner! Click here for details.

Lots of new creative projects blooming this summer! First and foremost, I'm hosting a Heat Wave Summer Short Story Contest. You can find all the dirty details here.

In other news...

I'm working hard on my blog tour for Her Captive Muse, lining up new dates for the summer and fall. If you'd like to interview me or feature my work on your blog, please email me at indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com.

Summer is always a hectic time, full of projects and plans. I've been writing some poetry, and working on new short stories, novellas, and books. I'm editing a second book, Almost Everything, with hopes of submitting it for publication this summer.

If I'm not hard at work on my next new book, you can find me digging in the garden, or hiking in the woods. When I'm not blogging every day about my life, it's because I'm too busy living it!

Summertime in the Rockies is amazing. Wildflowers blossom, enticing my camera with their bright petals. Festivals abound, with twirling dancers shaking their hips in the sunshine. Baseballs and hula-hoops make an appearance, heralding this sweetest season. Time to go play outside!

Readers, time to weigh in- are you an adventurous lover who likes to get kinky in unexpected places? What's your favorite place to do the dirty deed outdoors?

Mood Music

2011-05-27T09:15:00.000-06:00

I'm often asked, "Where do you get your ideas?" Every writer I know hates this question. Why? There's no real answer. Who knows where ideas come from? Is it a combination of imagination and experience? An outside force infecting the collective unconscious with inspiration? It's a mystery.

I have no idea where my ideas come from... but I can tell you this. I get some of my best ideas when I'm listening to music. The right song can really set the tone for a story or an art project. It connects me to my Muses, and helps me find The Zone, that fabled flow state from which all creative work emerges.

The Road to Inspiration...

Some of my favorite musicians/bands to sample when you're in need of inspiration...

The Stooges
Robert Johnson
Miles Davis
Thelonius Monk
Nine Inch Nails
Fiona Apple
Dr. Dre
Billie Holiday
Macy Gray
Led Zeppelin
The Doors
Janis Joplin

Big news, readers! I'm hosting a sultry summer short story contest on Indigo Skye: Ink and Art. Winners will receive fabulous prizes, and I'll publish the top stories on my site! Here's the scoop...

Theme: Heat Wave

Deadline: June 30, 2011

Submission Guidelines: Stories should be set in the summertime, in a sexy outdoor locale. The hotter, the better!

Length: 3,000 words or less

How to Enter: Email your story to indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com before midnight on June 30, 2011. Text can appear in the body of the email, or in a separate .rtf attachment. Winning stories will be published on http://indigoskyeinkandart.blogspot.com in July.

Fabulous Prizes- E-books, signed print editions of Her Captive Muse and Red Roses & Shattered Glass, Eden Fantasys goodies, gift cards, and more!

When It Feels Real...

2011-05-26T08:51:00.000-06:00

I'm not your typical romance author. I don't believe in happy endings, damsels in distress, or Prince Charming. Happily ever after? Sorry, I'm just not that kind of girl!

My work reflects this cynicism. I don't read - or write- traditional romance novels because they don't feel real to me. Somehow, I just can't believe Lady Witless and Lord Lockjaw will ride off into the sunset on a white horse, seeking their happy ending. Even if I did believe it, I wouldn't care, because it's been done a thousand times before. Any impact this fairy-tale plot line ever possessed has been compromised by serious over-use.

If you've read my work, you'll know I believe in great stories, hot sex, random hook-ups, hilarious dialogue, good quickies, and real endings- not the fairy-tale bullshit some authors want you to swallow.

Want to grab my attention as a reader? Give me something to believe in. Authentic characters, a gripping story, dialogue that mirrors the way people actually talk, and hot sex that feels real. When I can lose myself in a book- touching, tasting, and feeling the story as it plays out in my imagination- when it feels real, I'm hooked.

Keys to Beating Creative Blocks

2011-05-19T09:23:00.000-06:00

Lately, I've been feeling a little blah. Down. Less than inspired. My ideas don't excite me. My characters don't surprise me, leaping off the page to have adventures and make bad decisions- they just lie there on the page, inert, waiting for me to breathe inspiration into their dull and senseless forms.

Sound familar? If you're creatively blocked, you might be experiencing some of the same feelings. It's hell. How to deal?

First, get organized. What's on your plate this week? Any deadlines, or projects you've absolutely GOT to finish? Prioritize them, and do the thing you dread most right away. Just sit down and do it. Whether or not you're feeling inspired, a deadline is a deadline. Part of being a writer is respecting the deadline, and meeting it every time. Yeah, it sucks. I know that. Quit whining now, and go do your work.

It's all about discipline. You've got to be able to make yourself work, to push through whether you want to or not. When that's done, you can concentrate on getting the juice back.

If you're emotionally, spiritually, and physically healthy, you will feel more creative. Take fabulous care of yourself, and you'll feel juicier. Still blocked? Try this...

Find a way to get out of your own head for a while. Take a walk through the neighborhood, or go hiking in the woods. Try a yoga class, or take up kickboxing. Doing something physical can often help you move through a creative block.

Visit a gallery or a museum. Don't take a sketchbook or notebook- just soak it all in, without trying to process it right away. Drift until you find an image with a story behind it- something that makes you itch to write, to paint, to sculpt. Stare at it from every angle. Absorb it, breathe in its genius. When you simply can't hold out any longer, run home and write about it.

Try looking at things from a dog's perspective. Dogs are happy, loving, and always 100% themselves. They don't fake anything; they aren't neurotic and self-conscious like their human companions. They love to nose around, find things out, take the unexpected path. Walk a dog today. Instead of taking the lead, follow your four-legged friend wherever she wants you to go. Who knows- it just might lead to the next great story!

Bestseller For A Day- "Fierce Dawn" by Amber Scott

2011-05-18T01:01:00.000-06:00

This book- the latest of Scott's Realm novels- hooked my interest immediately. The compelling story begins with two sisters arguing over their mother’s prophetic rants in a buried journal. Is their mother insane, or does she foresee an all-too-real danger for her daughters?

Mysteries abound in this thrilling erotic tale. Sadie Graves’ erotic dreams of a winged protector soon inspire her to paint his portrait again and again. Strangely enough, the man in her dreams resembles someone she’s seen in the library where she volunteers- a handsome, compelling man who seems to be following her. Is she inheriting her mother’s mania, or does he have a secret message meant only for her?

After a frightening encounter with a shape-shifter who senses her true nature as a changeling, Sadie begins to fear for her sanity. One of her greatest challenges lies in hiding her sensuous dreams and erotic paintings from her sister, and her therapist- trying to maintain the façade that everything is normal. Her world collides with that of the immortals when Sadie and her cousin are drugged at a club. The mysterious winged man, Elijah, proves himself to be a valiant protector indeed.

The seekers’ quest to find Elijah’s brother can be aided by this strange and powerful mortal girl- but at what cost to Sadie’s sanity? Can she withstand the transformation and live out her destiny as a messenger between the worlds? I enjoyed the tense pacing of this novel, and the plot twists and turns kept me guessing. Suspense and sensuality intertwine as Elijah and Sadie face their forbidden feelings for each other and dodge dangers from humans and immortals alike. Take a chance on this one- you won't regret it!

Read the steamy excerpt below, then follow the directions to enter a giveaway for signed copies of Fierce Dawn and a Kindle!

Indigo's Rating...

**** Four Stars!

Other Reviewers Said...

“X-MEN action meets True Blood heat.”

-Ann Charles

Nearly Departed In Deadwood, 2010 Daphne Winner

“Intensely satisfying!”

-Carolyn McCray

Kindle Bestselling author, 30 Pieces of Silver

Fierce Dawn Blurb and Excerpt...

Snarling teeth, glowing eyes. Someone--something--is after Sadie Graves.

Elijah Stokes, the man who haunts her dreams, enters her reality claiming she’s transforming into a changeling--not quite immortal but no longer human.

Battle lines are drawn and blood spills as the two fight not only for Sadie’s life, but for all of mankind's as well.

He stepped closer, so close he could see thin gold flecks in her sky blue eyes. “Do you remember the night something chased you past the park?”

Her eyes widened. She perceptibly swallowed. “A werewolf?”

“No,” Elijah said, not wanting to correct the mortal term and create even more confusion. “I thought she was a shapeshifter, but she claimed to be a changeling. And that you are, too.”

“It doesn’t sound like you’re sure I am.”

“I wasn’t. Until now. The changeling has been following you. I can’t get a strong enough trace to hunt her again.”

“She wants me dead?”

“I don’t think so, but she wants something. She’s waiting, watching.”
Her hand went to her throat but her gaze hardened. “That’s why you want me to come with you?”

“Yes,” Elijah said. “There are immortals who would kill you just to keep the realms pure. Half-breeds aren’t tolerated in the immortal realm. They’re seen as inferior, tainted perfection by many. A changeling would be far worse. Right or wrong, your existence threatens both realms. The fact that I’m not the only one who knows you are transforming puts you in higher danger.”

She threw her hands up and started yanking drawers open, tossing clothes aside. Impatient but not angry.

He took in her every move, listened to the even keel of her vibration. She sounded resolved. Elijah’s worries subsided. She was far sturdier than he’d first assumed.

She paused but didn’t face him. “And?”

“And there is a faction—The Illeautians—who consider humankind parasitic. They want the human realm destroyed. If humans start evolving….”

She pulled off her tee. The smooth bare skin on her back, two crescent shaped scars at her shoulders, filled his vision.

Elijah couldn’t look away as she strapped a bra around her slender ribcage and put her arms through the straps. His gaze caressed the slope of her back. Two hollows above her ass peaked out from her bottoms. His imagination filled in what he could not see. His body tightened against his will. He had no business wanting a mortal. Even a changeling one. Because a part of her might always be human. Humans died. Immortals lived.

“If you’re right and I’m not going to be human anymore, why would anyone care what I am?” She brought a snug blue shirt over her head then glanced meaningfully over her shoulder.

He should turn around, give her privacy. “Because, what are realm lines for if humans are evolving? Mortals live, they die, they do not become immortal. In human terms, it could be seen as the first stages of Armageddon. Only this wouldn’t be a war between Heaven and Hell.”

Fierce Dawn Giveaways:

Amber Scott will be giving away an Amazon Kindle to one lucky winner who purchases Fierce Dawn during the promotion on May 18th and fills out the form located on the http://bestsellerforaday.com/ site. Signing up the for event newsletter earns readers extra entries toward the Kindle, too!

Additionally, any reader who purchases Fierce Dawn through May 18th can request a signed ebook copy of it after submitting proof of purchase in the form of a five word phrase from the middle of the book sent by email to amberscottbooks@gmail.com!

Author Bio:

In between naptimes and dishes, Amber Scott escapes into her characters’ addictive lives. She often burns dinner, is a sucker for chocolate and still believes in happily ever after. She makes her home in hot Arizona with her two children, husband, and one day, two cats.

Author Links:
Email: amberscottbooks@gmail.com (for readers)
Twitter: @amberscottbooks
Weblog: http://amberscottbooks.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AmberScottBooks

Purchase Fierce Dawn today and get these Bonus Buy reads for ninety-nine cents!

Cattitude by Edie Ramer:

It's all in the Cattitude...
After Belle the cat switches bodies with a psychic on the run from a murderer, she wants her perfect cat body back instead of this furless human one. But she doesn't count on falling in love with her former owner. Or that a CEO and a beauty queen want to use up her nine lives. Now is her chance to prove anything a human can do, a cat can do better.

"Cattitude is a magical tale that you won't soon forget. Edie Ramer has a writing voice that charms, and she pulls the reader right into Belle's amazing world."

-Cynthia Eden, author of Deadly Fear and I'll be Slaying You

Fated by Carolyn McCray:

Lovers torn apart by history
Bound for eternity

Stolen Dreams by Stacey Kennedy:

Tess Jennings has the ability to see and talk to spirits. On a daily basis, they harass and annoy her to save their souls. Sometimes she helps, other times she ignores them, but one ghost will give her no choice. Kipp McGowan, a cop with the Memphis Police Department, uses his ghostly charms to gain her attention and forces her to expose herself to his partner.

As she’s pulled into the five year old cold case of Hannah Reid she wants no part of, she finds herself in more than one precarious situation. But that’s the least of her worries―Tess begins to have a serious problem on her hands. Kipp might be dead, but he’s drop-dead gorgeous and she’s beginning to forget that he’s a ghost.

Murder and corruption has brought Tess and Kipp together. But as her feelings for Kipp deepen, she suspects she just signed herself up for a one-way ticket to the nut house, and can only hope, straitjackets come in a size four.

All of these fine books are available on Amazon for a special price- today only, buy Fierce Dawn for 99 cents and get three Bonus Buy reads for free after author rebate!

Heat Wave... A Sultry Summer Short Story Contest by Indigo Skye

2011-05-16T09:07:00.000-06:00

One Hot Summer Night...

After much careful deliberation, I have chosen the "Heat Wave" theme for my summer short story contest. Thanks so much for your suggestions, Cara and Mr. Mister J! You'll each be taking home a copy of my novel, Her Captive Muse, as a token of my gratitude.

The Dirty Details...

Deadline: June 30, 2011

Theme: Heat Wave

Submission Guidelines:
Stories should be set in the summertime, in a sexy outdoor locale. The hotter, the better!

Length: 3,000 words or less

How to Enter: Email your story to indigoskyeinkandart@gmail.com before midnight on June 30, 2011. Text can appear in the body of the email, or in a separate .rtf attachment. Winning stories will be published on Indigo Skye: Ink and Art in July.

Fabulous Prizes... E-books, Signed print editions of Her Captive Muse and Red Roses & Shattered Glass, Eden Fantasys goodies, gift cards, and more!

Summer Short Story Contest...

2011-05-02T09:12:00.000-06:00

Spring has sprung, and summer is on the way, readers! I'll be hosting a short story contest this summer, and am currently looking for suggestions for a fun and sexy theme to get your pencils moving.

Readers, this is your chance to shine. Got a hot idea for our contest? Comment here and let me know. Don't forget to include your email address!

If I choose your theme for the contest, I'll send you a copy of my book, Her Captive Muse, as a way of saying thanks.

Blog Tour Blitz!

2011-05-01T10:30:00.000-06:00

This week, follow my blog tour to author George Pappas' blog, Monogamy Sucks. I'll be guest starring there May 4th and 5th. You'll be treated to an interview, a sexy excerpt from Her Captive Muse, and an exclusive guest blog, "How to Give Great Phone."

On May 6th, I'll be dropping in on Victoria Blisse for Friends Friday, with a guest blog, "The Allure of the Shy Guy," and a steamy excerpt from my book for readers to enjoy.

Caution: Contents may be HOT!

Each day of the tour, you'll have a chance to win a copy of my novel, Her Captive Muse. Just leave a comment- don't forget your email address!- to enter.

In other news, I'll be launching a short story contest this summer, and am currently in the process of securing some fabulous prizes for winners. Stay tuned for details! I'll publish the winners right here on Indigo Skye: Ink and Art.

Product Testing...

2011-04-30T11:12:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, I took a short hiatus from my blog tour to do a little product testing for Eden Fantasys. This time, they sent me the Sexy Slave Kit (shown above). When it arrived in the mail, I knew I was in for a delightfully dirty weekend.

I found the blindfold to be very comfortable, offering full coverage without being restrictive. Naughty girl- no peeking!

This kit is a quality product. Each component is well-made, and I'm sure I'll be enjoying it for years to come. The "Pleasure Feather" tickler feels fabulous on bare skin- my lover and I both agree.

The Sexy Slave Kit also includes four adjustable, padded wrist and ankle cuffs. After a little experimentation, we discovered that any of the cuffs can also be used as a cock ring. The padded red velour is fastened with velcro that adjusts to a wide range of sizes. I know readers will enjoy the versatility of this kit. Each cuff features a 44" connector strap so you can tie your lover to the bed- or anything else that strikes your fancy.

My rating? Five O's. (Or more- I lost count!)

If you enjoyed this review, please comment below to win a copy of my first novel, Her Captive Muse. Don't forget to leave your email addy so I can connect with the lucky winners! Each entrant will receive a copy of my short story, "Cherry-Boy," just for playing.

Guest Starring... Cherie DeSues!

2011-04-28T00:52:00.000-06:00

Today is your last day to win big on our Noble Romance Authors' Blog Tour!

Enter NOW to win our grand prize, a $200 gift card from Eden Fantasys!

Fabulous author swag!

This week, I'll be giving away a gift card to AllRomance E-books. Follow the tour for details!

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Author Cherie DeSues!

A Sizzling Interview with Cherie DeSues

Q: If you could have a hot one-night stand with any fictional character you've created, who would you choose, and why?

A: Each hero of my novels and novellas are complex, masculine and desirable. Choosing one is difficult because each man has qualities that appeal to me. If I mix in the situation, I'm still struggling to choose one, as each plot is interesting, action-packed and romantic. That being said, I have a soft spot for Neol, in "Tales of the Red Moon Clan", a paranormal suspense with edge-of-your-seat action and erotic romance on the run. Neol is a Navajo shapeshifting bounty hunter and sexy as hell. The problem is I wouldn't want a one-night stand, I want all his nights.

Q: What's the most unusual place you've ever had sex?

A: That's a really tough question, I don't favor a bed during sex. Some may think many of my interludes with lovers were unusual. The most memorable and exciting would include the back of a motorcycle, on an antique oak table in a haunted house, the Hawaiian coast during a storm and in a military plane over a war zone.

Q: Tell me your sizzling secrets for turning readers on...

A: I treat readers the way I enjoy being treated by authors I read. I want adventure, action, suspense and a mix of passion that includes all the senses. The scent of a man, the feel of his abs, watching his muscles flex on his shoulders and chest during sex. To hear a man groan with pleasure because he's with the right woman, in the right place and time. Including all the senses is important to involve readers in the pursuit of sensual awareness with the characters.

Q: I'd love to know about your writing life... Do you follow a set schedule every day, or just write when inspiration strikes?

A: As a full time writer, I break up my day with interviews, radio shows, and other promotions as well as writing. I write every day, though some days are less than others. My muse is subject to flights of fancy, so I move from one project to another to mix things up and keep the words fresh.

Q: Where do you do most of your writing?

A: The secret to my success is a deep orange chair in my bedroom that has a great ottoman to put my feet up. My desk and rattan chair is close by, but most of my writing is comfortable. I have a large window that looks out into a well-kept garden.

Q: Do you have any writing rituals, quirks or tricks to help you get started and stay excited about a project?

A: The only ritual I have is to make a new project so exciting on each page that I'm exhausted by the last page of the novel. I have an attention deficit disorder, not bad, but I have to keep things shaking to stay with a project. Anyone who's read my novels will attest that there is rarely a dull moment.

Q: Your best strategy for beating writer's block...

A: I'm thrilled I don't get writers block. I can flow with words morning, noon and night without a problem. I have editing block, LOL. When the time comes for editing my work, I have to take frequent rest periods to stay on track. I mix up editing one project with writing for a new project- that keeps me satisfied.

Q: Tell our readers about your sexy new release from Noble Romance...

A: My latest release is, "Dangerous Curves", an erotic contemporary suspense about a plus-sized supermodel spokesperson who wins a 3-year contract with a Parisian designer for curvy women. When Selena Russo begins to receive death threats, her entourage grows with two hot bodyguards and a sexy photographer. This romp across Europe will thrill readers as they try to figure out the mystery as bullets fly.

Q: Any advice for new writers hoping to break into the business?

A:Write to please yourself, and the romance readers will find you. I've had many readers email and leave messages on my site about how much they've enjoyed my novels. A new writer must find a voice and stick with it in each of their manuscripts. If a romance reader enjoys one of your books, they will come back for more.

Q: Upcoming projects you can't wait to dish about...

A: I've just completed a paranormal suspense called, "West Salem" and this novel is my best work. Imagine a new pagan village on the northern coast of California filled with witches, wizards and Fae. These pagans were chosen by the elders because of their abilities and the sacred soil of the ancient Pomo tribe is increasing those abilities. Very exciting.

Q: What's the interview question no one ever asks, that you'd like to answer right now for our readers?

A: I don't think anyone has ever asked what my first years as a writer were like. I began writing as a kid on an old typewriter that I taught myself to type with—of course, the ribbon was always getting twisted. I was in 5th or 6th grade and determined to write a novel. My mother hid her really good novels under her side of the bed, so I was rather well-versed with romance. I knew at an early age that eventually I would write full-time.

Q: Best way to relax after a hard day hitting the page?

A: My terrier, Reilly is very curious and loves to walk to new places and discover new friends. We take walks together in fields, along the beach and in the mountains. The fresh air and nature cleanses my head for awhile, so when I get back to work, I'm rejuvenated.

Q: Your secret little guilty pleasure...

A: I have sugar-free chocolates and red licorice in my drawer next to my comfy chair. I pop candy in my mouth when I need to push on during a chapter.

Q: What's your favorite book to read in the bathtub?

A: Ah, I'm a shower girl, but I do consider lying in the hammock near the pool as my bathtub experience. I have a Kindle e-book reader and enjoy reading Noble author books and other author friends when I have some down time. Noble Romance has the best talent in the industry and great editors that really tighten up a story to make it shine. I never worry if the book will be "meh", they are always the highest caliber!

Hungry for more? Here's a smoking excerpt from Cherie's latest Noble release...

"No one will bother us tonight. We'll make our way up the mountain tomorrow and maybe run into other hikers with a cell phone. Something will shake loose for us, I'm sure."

Sara lifted a brow. "You're an optimist. I didn't see that coming." She laughed a little, feeling nervous again about being in such close quarters with a man she barely knew but desperately wanted. The room warmed quickly and she peeled out of her flannel shirt.

Neol's gaze caressed her and her heart raced, hoping he'd touch her, kiss her. She blushed as she walked to the dresser for water and a granola bar. The attraction made thinking difficult.

He stood and ate up the distance between them. She turned into him; his breath fanned across her face.

"Hungry?" She whispered.

Sara looked up into feral eyes. His hunger claimed her with a powerful and direct gaze. Her lips parted. Animal heat sizzled between them like a hot wire.

With quick reflexes, Neol pulled her into him, tugging her hair back to seek her mouth. Her arms slid around his neck, taking fistfuls of black hair as his passion surrounded her. She nibbled his lip and slid her tongue sensually against his in response as he pulled her closer.

Neol's body bucked against her when she bit down on his lip and his possessive growl made Sara quiver with need. He moved under her snug t-shirt and filled his hand with her breast, rolling his thumb across the sensitive nipple.

She moaned with the sensation as he brought his fingers under her bra to touch the sensitive skin underneath.

She rubbed against his hard body like a cat in heat, desperately wanting to feel what she'd seen in the moonlight. Neol backed her toward the bed as his hands loosened the bra. With a quick tug, Sara became naked from the waist up.

He laid her gently onto the soft flannel and quickly took his shirt off over his head. His gaze feasted on her in the glow of the fire. His hands went for the zipper on his jeans.
Her eyes couldn't get enough of him as the fabric slid down and he revealed himself to her. Neol stood fully aroused then moved toward her like a predator. She quivered with pleasure. His muscles rippled as he leaned over her body and licked at the exposed flesh on her stomach and inhaled deeply.

"I can smell your scent, your heat." Neol's rough voice mixed with a guttural purr of desire as he leaned up, piercing her soul with golden eyes. "You would have me? Knowing what I am?"

Cherie, thank you for guest starring today on Indigo Skye: Ink and Art! Readers, comment on this post for a chance to win some fabulous author swag and prizes. Don't forget your email address- we want to get in touch if you win! This is your last day to be entered into the grand prize drawing for a $200 Eden Fantasys gift card!

Comment and win... then click the button to hop to the next stop on our Noble Authors' Blog Tour, The House of Elyot!

Author Bio:

Chérie De Sues is a "critically acclaimed" and "award winning" author of thrillers, paranormal and contemporary suspense romances from sensual to sizzling heat levels. When Chérie takes a break from writing novels, you can find her at book signings, online, or traveling to research her next novel. She shares her home in San Diego, California, with her Irish terrier, Reilly.

Cherie's Links:

Author website: http://www.cheriedesues2.com

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/writtenbycherie

Noble Author Page: https://www.nobleromance.com/BrowseListing.aspx?author=75

Guest Starring...Mindy MacKay!

2011-04-27T01:01:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Author Mindy MacKay

Q: If you could have a hot one-night stand with any fictional character you've created, who would you choose, and why?

A: If it's a one-night stand, then probably Michael from Soulgame. If we were talking an actual relationship, it would be a different matter entirely, but out of all my characters, I'd get the most out of Michael in one night, what with the obligatory after-event chess game. (If that sounds ridiculous, I'm being totally serious.)

Q: Tell me your sizzling secrets for turning readers on...

A: For me, the greatest delight is in novelty, so I try to apply the same principle to pleasing my readers. Hit 'em with something they've never seen or heard of before, and add a whole new topic to their repertoire of "internet research".

Q: I'd love to know about your writing life... Do you follow a set schedule every day, or just write when inspiration strikes?

A: I try to squeeze writing into the spare moments, but quite frankly, between school and a social life, it's a miracle to even me how I manage to churn out a book.

Q: Where do you do most of your writing?

A: In moving vehicles when I'm not the driver. I'm one of the only people I know who can read in a car, let alone write, and there's something about just rolling along the highway that creates the perfect relaxing atmosphere for writing.

Q: Do you have any writing rituals, quirks or tricks to help you get started and stay excited about a project?

A: My mentality is, if I lose excitement about a project, it's not worth continuing, simple as that. Good idea or not, if I'm not interested, I'm not going to force myself through it. That said, I've got a few quirks about my writing, like my habit of creating a playlist for each project, but that's more for my own personal enjoyment than a productivity booster.

Q: Your best strategy for beating writer's block...

A: I don't beat it. I set my work aside and do other things. The most important thing to realize about writer's block is it's a temporary ailment, like the common cold or good old Aunt Flo. When it hits, I take advantage of the break my subconscious is giving me and unwind for a bit, and eventually, inspiration returns to tie me to the desk again.

Q: Tell our readers about your sexy new release from Noble Romance...

A: If you mixed Cain and Abel with Crime and Punishment with The 120 Days of Sodom and dropped the whole thing into modern-day New York, you'd have an approximation of Fallen from Disgrace. It's as much about mind games as love, and started out as a character study about human choice versus societal pressure.

And if that sounds too preachy, just skip it all and leave here with the knowledge that the book is about an ex criminal genius who gets it on with her delicious boss, who at one point tapes her to a desk.

Q: Any advice for new writers hoping to break into the business?

A: I don't know what my advice is worth--I'm still so new to the business myself--but besides the integral and standard consejos of "never give up, be true to yourself, etc", it's important to build a strong social network. Writing is as much about interacting with people as actual craft and sales. Get to know your fellow authors, give away free things, take things that are free, read and post reviews, and get immersed in the scene. Not only does it get you known as the fresh new voice on the block, but it can be hella fun.

Q: Upcoming projects you can't wait to dish about...

A: If you've been following me for this long, you'll probably know all about Godspeed, my yet-to-be-submitted-but-complete manuscript about the troubled dictator and his runaway refugee inamorata. I won't go on too much of a spiel about that, but I'm really excited to be jumping right from that project into another one--it's yet untitled, but what I can tell you now is it's a tragedy about a gorgeous but self-loathing guitarist who's determined to end his life and pay for his sins until he meets a rebellious store clerk who introduces him to the subtle art of creating chaos after hours. Hilarity and eventual devastation ensue.

Q: What's the interview question no one ever asks, that you'd like to answer right now for our readers?

A: No one ever really asks what's the hardest part of the writing craft? And right off the bat, it's worldbuilding. I've tried to create a unique fantasy world, I really have, but in the end, I can only see myself identifying with our own beautiful little planet.

Q: Best way to relax after a hard day hitting the page?

A: Soda, chips, and an animated comedy on Netflix with a bunch of friends on somebody's couch.

Q: Your secret little guilty pleasure...

A: Shark Week.

Q: What's your favorite book to read in the bathtub?

A: The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson. I think it's one of the most convincing love stories of our time, and a lot of the parts take a moment or two of contemplation to let the ideas seep in…which is opportune for bathroom reading.

Author Bio:

Mindy MacKay is a native of Canada but currently lives and studies in Texas. She is a poet of ten years, a novelist of four, and has been a literature nerd for as long as she can remember. Her novels include Peacebreakers and Soulgame, the first two installments of the Puppetmasters series, and Fallen From Disgrace, a single-title mystery. Her short fiction has been published by Pill Hill Press and 69 Flavors of Paranoia. She blogs at http://theylikemehere.blogspot.com/.

Congratulations!

2011-04-22T08:08:00.000-06:00

This post is a shout out to this week's lucky winners... Dawn and Tracey will be enjoying Red Roses & Shattered Glass, as well as my first novel, Her Captive Muse. Ladies, thank you for your comments on the Noble Romance Authors Blog Tour.

Looking forward to week four. Along with my usual prizes, I'll be giving away a $20 All Romance E-Books gift card to one lucky commenter on my guest posts.

Yesterday, I was featured on Kay Dee Royal's blog. L.K. Below commented on my interview and excerpt, and won a copy of my book, Her Captive Muse. Everyone who commented on my post there will receive a copy of my short story, "Cherry-Boy."

Congrats to all the lucky winners. I'll be in touch over the weekend to distribute prizes!

A Revealing Interview with Kay Dee Royal!

2011-04-21T08:55:00.000-06:00

Cheers! Today, I'm being featured as a guest author on Kay Dee Royal's site. Pop a cork and celebrate with me, readers!

We dished the dirt in a very revealing interview, and she's also featuring a smoking-hot excerpt from my novel, Her Captive Muse.

Want to win a copy? Comment on my Interview with Kay Dee Royal! One lucky winner will be selected, and I'll be announcing the giveaway results right here tomorrow!

Happy Reading!

Guest Starring... H.C. Brown!

2011-04-20T01:01:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Author H.C. Brown!

Q: If you could have a hot one-night stand with any fictional character you've created, who would you choose, and why?

A: Nox, the seven–foot tall King of the Faerie. A dream lover who could make you forget you've been naughty.

Q: What's the most unusual place you've ever had sex?

A: In the hall cupboard- while SO's aunt and uncle were in the sitting room!

Q: Tell me your sizzling secrets for turning readers on...

A: I like to get inside my characters’ heads, so my readers can experience every luscious detail.

Q: I'd love to know about your writing life... Do you follow a set schedule every day, or just write when inspiration strikes?

A: On a schedule- I write seven days a week from noon each day.

Q: Where do you do most of your writing?

A: I have a bad back so I write in a very comfortable chair.

Q: Do you have any writing rituals, quirks or tricks to help you get started and stay excited about a project?

A: I'm excited about every project. I live in a fantasy world 95% of the time so writing is easy for me.

Q: Your best strategy for beating writer's block...

A: I have a lot of works in progress, so if one stalls I read another and go on with that one until the Muse comes up with the next chapter. Planning stories is the killer for me, I can't work to a plan, my stories are like life, changing and weaving their way to a conclusion.

Q: Tell our readers about your sexy new release from Noble Romance...

A: Hawke's Purr-fect Mate is the fourth story in the Pride Brothers series and answers the questions about Hawke's life I set up in the free read A Taste of Nox.

Here's a Blurb To Tempt You:

Deliciously handsome, insatiable alpha male Hawke of Knight Watch's reputation, for a voracious and varied sex life, is well earned. However, his ability to attract streams of men and women to his bed comes into question when he meets the mysterious, Ice Princess, Lydia.

Lydia born of both Fae and Pride has a secret. Unable to chance the man of her dreams discovering the truth about her, she publically refuses the handsome Prince Hawke as her life mate.

Disillusioned and heart sore, Hawke must fight the battle of his life against the dogs that invade his realm, and for the love of his true mate.

Q: Any advice for new writers hoping to break into the business?

A: Read books by current authors. This is because styles change over the years. Audio books are great. You need to understand that each writer has a voice. Listening to an audio book helps to understand the melody of writing. That is why reading your own story aloud or better still letting someone read it to you will help you to find your own voice.

Learn your craft, showing not telling. Join a critique group that contains published writers.

Submit to publishers/agents that are interested in the genre you write.

Follow submission guidelines to the letter.

Keep writing through all the rejections because there will be many and most of all NEVER GIVE UP.

Q: Upcoming projects you can't wait to dish about...

A: I'm writing a gay historical BDSM Romance. I love immersing myself in the time when homosexuality was a hanging offence. The brush of a hand or shoulder becomes so damn sexy.

Q: What's the interview question no one ever asks, that you'd like to answer right now for our readers?

A: How do I feel about people stealing eBooks and those comments that hurt authors?

* Climbs onto soap box*

Firstly, those people who put my books up on free download sites or share them are stealing. Hey, I make less than $1 on some of my books, so the hundred you steal makes a big difference. EBooks are cheap, one of mine, Hot Damn sells for .99c and yet it appears on free download sites !!!!!! .99c is obviously too much to pay for some people. I work hard writing stories for you, so if you want to continue to enjoy my books, how about doing the right thing and buying one instead of stealing from me.

Secondly, I take my reviews very seriously. I must say the reviewers from the review sites are honest in their opinions and I value what they say.

Then there are the people who make hurtful comments, without thought, on authors' pages on Amazon and the like. Many authors of bestselling books have been targeted. This is becoming widespread, like an evil virus. Why do they do this? Isn't it enough to say they did not like a book without denigrating the author? I often wonder about the mentality of these people.

Q: Best way to relax after a hard day hitting the page?

A: Sleeping.

Q: Your secret little guilty pleasure...

A: Baileys on ice . . . no, in truth a lot of Baileys on ice!

Q: What's your favorite book to read in the bathtub?

A: Anything by Diana Gabaldon.

Author Bio:
H.C. Brown is a multi-published author of many genres and lives in Australia. She welcomes feedback from her readers and answers all emails. She believes every story should have a happy ending.

Author Links:

Join H.C. Brown's Yahoo Group for up to date information of new releases and contests.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hcbrownfangroup/

Visit her blog:

http://www.hcbrownauthoroferoticromance.blogspot.com/

Guest Starring: Sarah Ballance!

2011-04-19T01:01:00.000-06:00

Indigo Skye: Ink and Art

Welcomes Sarah Ballance!

Q: If you could have a hot one-night stand with any fictional character you've created, who would you choose, and why?

A: Oh, wow. I think I'd have to go with Wyatt from RUN TO YOU, but ONLY (are you reading this, dear?) because he IS my hubby. Not in the literal sense – there are differences, of course – but everything I love about Wyatt's character came right from my H.

Q: What's the most unusual place you've ever had sex?

A: Um … I can't answer that. Second most unusual? In a national park in the middle of the day … on a sand dune. Probably in front of tourists.

Q: Tell me your sizzling secrets for turning readers on...

A: I know I'm in the minority, but I don't write graphic sex. I prefer instead to create the more sensual scenes with emotional tie-ins. That build up of sexual tension is foreplay in itself, and when it simmers to the point of explosion … YUM.

Q: I'd love to know about your writing life... Do you follow a set schedule every day, or just write when inspiration strikes?

A: In theory (ahem), I write each morning until about 9am then I start the day with the kids. (There are six of them – 12 yrs down to 9 mos – and we homeschool). I usually have an hour or two in the late afternoon, and after dinner is all mine. But in reality there are constant interruptions, so it's darn near miraculous for me to write anything. But I love the kids to pieces, interruptions and all. (Did I manage to say that last part with a straight face?)

Q: Where do you do most of your writing?

A: Most of it happens at night when I'm in bed with my little netbook (greatest writing investment EVER, by the way). The H accuses me of using it to take notes and makes threats about the webcam, but I think he likes me using him for research. ;c)

Q: Do you have any writing rituals, quirks or tricks to help you get started and stay excited about a project?

A: I use music to get in my zone. I have a few well-worn CDs, but pretty much anything to match my mood will work wonders because, truth be told, I really only need to drown out the noise from the kids. As for maintaining enthusiasm, well, I don’t always. I save my crits and look over all of the good comments or read "fan mail," and if that doesn’t take care of the doldrums I share my feelings with my crit partner. She listens graciously, then smacks me around a little. (Not literally. She probably wants to, but she's halfway across the country.)

Q: Your best strategy for beating writer's block...

A: I write ahead. I pick a scene later in the book and tap it out. When I get it out of my system, I can almost settle into the part I balked over. Then when I get the scene I wrote out of order, I get a boost from "fast progress" (LOL) over a few simple edits. Double win!

Q: Tell our readers about your sexy new release from Noble Romance...

A: After a breakup with her fiancé makes the front page of the newspaper, Mattie James allows her ex-lover and current BFF to drag her away from the fray to a remote beachfront cottage. He wants to ignite that old flame, but she's intent on drowning in the arms of a certain gray-eyed stranger. Then a woman is found murdered, then another, and suddenly Mattie's carefree vacation becomes a fight for her life.

Q: Any advice for new writers hoping to break into the business?

A: Find a crit partner who isn't afraid to tell it like it is. Seriously, if your CP doesn't find anything wrong with your work, your CP is not working. Better hear it from one person now in private than from a whole slew of readers later, so find one who will push you into bettering yourself.

Q: Upcoming projects you can't wait to dish about...

A: I am GIDDY about my new romantic suspense, UNFORGIVEN. My voice developed so much between my first and second novels, and I can see similar upgrades all over the place with this third work. The story begins with the hero holding the heroine at gunpoint, and things get interesting from there. I can't wait to see this one published!

Q: What's the interview question no one ever asks, that you'd like to answer right now for our readers?

A: I'm mulling it over, and I don't think I have one of these – especially not in terms of writing. In general, people ask me all the time if I'm crazy (for having so many kids on purpose) so I'll go ahead and say yes, absolutely, my life is nothing short of circus-like and I am SO not the ringmaster. (I think I'm the guy carrying the shovel behind the elephants). And you wonder why I write myself into other worlds? LOL.

Q: Best way to relax after a hard day hitting the page?

A: Reading! What else? LOL. But I'm always up for a ride in the boat with the family or hanging out with the H. He's my best friend, and I love every minute we have together.

Q: Your secret little guilty pleasure...

A: I don't know how much of a secret it is, but a chocolate cream pie milkshake from Sonic is the kind of guilty pleasure that'll make a girl blush. I tend to research nutritional info on any fast food I have often, but I refuse to look that one up. I'm just going to ENJOY, thank you very much.

Q: What's your favorite book to read in the bathtub?

A: I'm more of a shower person, and showers don't mesh with books at all. But I'm gonna pretend I have a big ol' hot tub Jacuzzi kind of thing and admit to anything suspenseful – the more horrifying, the better.

Readers, to follow the Noble Authors Blog Tour and be eligible for some amazing prizes, please head over to The House of Elyot to check out a hot new interview with author Gianna Simone. Thanks so much!

Author links:

Website: http://www.sarahballance.com/

Blog: http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SarahBallance

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sarah-Ballance-author/125956520788499

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4103362.Sarah_Ballance

Author Bio:

Sarah lives a charmed life as the mother of six incredible homeschooled children, all of whom are completely adorable when they're asleep. Her husband of many years (long, long years, he calls them) is the kind of guy who could teach those heroes from the books a thing or two about romance, not that he'd readily admit it. Completely supportive of her addiction for writing fiction, he's generously offered to help with any necessary research for "the good parts." She's never had to ask twice.