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Joy Daniels: Inspiration from Music City, USA
Friday, May 9th, 2014

I love country music. Love the sounds, the stars and the lyrics. In the car I can resist turning up the volume and belting out the words at the top of my lungs. (One of the things that I love about it is that I can actually understand the lyrics and I’m not totally embarrassed to sing them in front of my kids.) It’s a newfound love for me – growing up in New York City, you don’t hear much country. But since I move to Maryland, the northern tip of the South eight years ago, I’ve become a big fan. (I’ve also gotten into NASCAR, but that’s another story. Literally –I wrote about NASCAR in my debut release Revving Her Up :)).

Why do I love country music so much? It’s about real life. Situations that we all face. Problems and triumphs everyone can relate to. So many times I’ve found myself nodding while listening to a song on the radio. I know what that feels like. That’s happened to me. I enjoy listening other kinds of music – alternative rock is my fave for dancing around the living room – but no styles speaks to my life the way country does. And I can’t count the times that I have listened to a country song and thought I could write a story about that.

And I have! My latest release Nashville Trio, A Music City Ménage follows the passions of Ashley Ford, Rob Porter, and Ty Monroe through the highs and lows of love and passion in Music City, USA. Nashville Trio combines both friends-to-lovers and second-chance storylines into a romantic and sexy m/m/f novel, which I had a blast writing.

Nashville Trio was inspired by my overall love of country music, as well as some of its greatest recent hits. More than any other story I’ve written to date, Nashville Trio had a very definite soundtrack that kept me pumped from the first page to the last. (And if Rob Porter reminds anyone of a certain New Zealand/Australian country crooner and part-time American Idol host, that’s not a coincidence). Here’s a list of some of the songs and stars that helped me bring Nashville Trio to life:

  • Country Girl (Shake It For Me) – Luke Bryan
  • Famous in a Small Town – Miranda Lambert
  • A Modern Day Prodigal Son – Brantley Gilbert
  • Boondocks – Little Big Town
  • The Good Stuff – Kenny Chesney
  • You Gonna Fly – Keith Urban
  • I Hold On – Dierks Bentley
  • Whatever It IS – Zac Brown Band
  • Stuck Like Glue – Sugarland
  • Come Back Song – Darius Rucker
  • Redneck Woman – Gretchen Wilson

Country music fans will recognize those names and probably most of the songs too. If you’re not familiar with country music, but want to learn, this is a great list to start with.

Here’s more about the novel inspired by those songs, Nashville Trio, A Music City Ménage, available now at most online e-book sellers:

jdNashville Trio Ebook Cover DANIELS

Music City, USA.

After years of hard work country music duo Sweet Talk is on the verge of success. Singer Ashley Ford swore off the romantic entanglements that cost her mother her musical career, but her playing has fallen flat. She needs a spark.

Where inspirations strikes

Co-singer Rob usually find his pleasure with men, but when Ashley runs back to the arms of her ex lover Ty, he realizes that he’s no longer content being only a friend.

A tangled trio

Pride kept Ty from pursing Ashley to Nashville. When Ashley returns to his bed, Ty vows not to give her up again, even if it means sharing her with a man he finds aggravating – and surprisingly attractive.

When secrets and ambition seem poised to destroy her chance to be a star, Ashley must decide if she’s willing to risk it all for a Nashville Trio.

Thank you Delilah for letting me share my crazy country passion and my new release!

Now let’s hear from y’all – love country or hate it? Who are your fave singers? What songs make you crank the volume and sing? Time to confess!

About the Author:

SAMSUNGJoy Daniels writes romance that’s Smart, Sexy and Down-to-Earth. She loves erotic romance because it allows her to expose her characters completely – strengths, flaws and scars. She’s originally from New York City, (and still a loyal Yankees fan!), but since moving south, she’s developed passions for NASCAR and country music. Both feature in her recent stories. In addition to writing (and reading!) she enjoys yoga, belly dancing, and growing veggies in the Washington, D.C. area with her scientist husband and two curious kids. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a note at authorjoydaniels@gmail.com, stop bywww.authorjoydaniels, or find her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/joy.daniels.author.

A Question…
Thursday, May 8th, 2014

First, thanks to everyone who purchased Her Only Desire. I hope you’re busy reading it, and when you’re done, I hope you’ll leave a review or tell a friend about it. I’d love to be able to write more books in that series, but it really depends on you! If you love it, you’ll tell someone about it!

I’m busy starting a new project today. I spent yesterday drafting brief descriptions of the stories in a new series. Something to follow the Delta Heat cops books. This series will follow a group of firefighters at one firehouse. More sexy fun, I promise! So, while I craft that opening scene, here’s a question for you…

Of all the simple little pleasures you enjoy in life, which do you enjoy most of all?

I can tell you, my simple pleasure centers around a cup of tea… I love spending time with my daughter’s family. It’s a nearly nightly thing, meeting for a cup of tea, talking about our day, playing with the kids, and maybe watching a movie or surfing Pinterest for fun jewelry or craft ideas. We know life is fleeting, so we do our best to stay closely connected. At the center of it all is that cup of tea. There’s something magical and calming about sharing it.

Ashlyn Chase: Writers Be Crazy (Contest)
Wednesday, May 7th, 2014

Some people may not know that I was an RN in the psychiatric field for many years. I found it fascinating, mostly because we’re still learning so much about the mind, personality, and behavior of human beings. Now toss into the mix a creative brain and you have something really interesting.

Someone once told me, “You don’t think like other people.” She was a fellow writer and didn’t mean it as an insult. She meant it to help me…and it did.

Writer Juliet Bruce, PhD paraphrased creativity researcher Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi best when speaking of creative people. “Instead of being an individual, they are a multitude.

“Like the color white that includes all colors, they tend to bring together the entire range of human possibilities within themselves. Creativity allows for paradox, light, shadow, inconsistency, even chaos – and creative people experience both extremes with equal intensity.”

I think she meant to say the color ‘black’ since white is the absence of color and black is what you get when you mix all colors together. Oh well…I went to Mass College of Art, so you can blame it on them.

Here are a few qualities he lists, as Bruce summarizes and I identify:

  1. A great deal of physical energy alternating with a great need for quiet and rest. (*Check)
  2. Highly sexual, yet often celibate, especially when working. (*Check with husband.)
  3. Smart and naïve at the same time. A mix of wisdom and childishness. Emotional immaturity along with the deepest insights. (*Um…yup. Double check.)
  4. Convergent (rational, left brain, sound judgment) and divergent (intuitive, right brain, visionary) thinking…(*What left brain? The only sound judgment I demonstrate is letting other people take care of the rational stuff.)
  5. Both extroverted and introverted, needing people and solitude equally. (*Check—especially at writers conferences.)
  6. Humble and proud, both painfully self-doubting and wildly self-confident. (*More about this later.)
  7. May defy gender stereotypes, and are likely to have not only the strengths of their own gender but those of the other as well. A kind of psychic androgyny. (*?)

For more, see Bruce’s post “Understanding Creative People” – and Csikszentmihalyi’s classic book Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention, plus his article “The Creative Personality: Ten paradoxical traits of the creative personality.”

It’s that intensity (passion) that can get us writers into trouble, in my opinion. Speaking of painful self-doubt…John Lennon had huge issues with self-esteem. Even during the height of Beetle Mania, he thought he was a fraud.

I vacillate wildly, just as mentioned—especially after reading a review. Horrible thoughts go through my mind if a review is a bit negative. Everything from “What’s the matter with that broad? Can’t she recognize my brilliance?” To, “Oh, God. I’ve been found out. I suck. I’m a hack, and now everyone knows it.” For self-preservation, I no longer read consumer reviews. They seem to be the harshest and my assistant would have to talk me off a ledge.

But when I receive a fan letter (okay, these days it’s an email) I realize I’m doing what I was meant to do. I’ve entertained someone. (Yay!) Even so, I have a hard time using the word ‘fan.’ I have readers. When someone calls themselves a fan of my work, I’m flattered and humbled. When they call themselves a fan of me, my mind goes a little numb. No—they can’t mean that. They don’t know me.

Or do they? How much of who we are goes into our books?

Thomas Wolfe said, “Every novel is an autobiography.” (*Gulp.)

Even though I’ve never met a vampire or werewolf, I have the type of creative imagination that makes them very real. They live in my head. They speak to me and all I do is take dictation. (Talk about crazy!) If they are real to me, they become real to my readers—and apparently that is happening. I received an angry letter because my heroine was “selfish” when she let her true love give up his immortality for her.

Something to note is that I had a different ending to that story—one that the reader would have loved. An editor made me change it, and all I can think now is, “Why did I let myself be pushed around like that? I suck.”

Well, dear reader, I apologize! I shall try to be true to myself and my characters in the future. I’ve always thought of myself as a “girly-girl,” but I can fight like a man if I have to. (That must be where androgyny comes in.) If an editor again tries to force me to compromise part of my story that makes sense, I will drag said editor into the middle of Times Square and…

No. I really won’t. But I’ll be more assertive. I promise.

Here’s where a lot of creative writers (including romance authors) are showing their testosterone levels. We’re taking charge. We’re self-publishing our books. And we’re doing it our way.

Many are just dumping their agents and publishers and have decided to handle the business as well as the creative parts of publishing. The big benefit of this is keeping a much higher percentage of the profits. Even among these authors, the smart ones will hire artists and editing professionals to make a good product better—and then keep the rest.

Some authors (like me) are becoming ‘Hybrids.’ We continue to work with professional publishers and agents for some books, but we self-publish other projects on the side. The self-published books are called ‘Indies.’ My first Indie is The Cupcake Coven (release date May 5, 2014.) Here’s a quick promo:

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Pretty Wiccan Rebecca Colby borrowed money from her father to start her bakery, and now he’s calling the loan due. When she learns he fell off the gambling wagon and owes big money to some scary people, she has to start making a profit—quickly—and hope the loan shark takes payment plans before anyone has an “accident.”

Hot cowboy Dru Tanner is looking for his missing sister who left Texas to explore their New England Wiccan roots. She’s the only family he has left and losing her is not an option. Dru has to hide the fact that he’s not Wiccan long enough to infiltrate a Portsmouth, NH coven, which is the only lead he has.

Dru needs a job and a place to stay. Rebecca needs cheap help, and he’s willing to work for nothing. Perhaps he can pick her brain about Wicca and she can learn how to run a business from a ranch foreman—if lust doesn’t drive them crazy first.

Log line– *This was written by Dorine Linnen of Romance Junkies, but it’s better than the one I wrote. LOL

“Entertainment abounds when a coven of witches whip up a few spells to help their friend hold onto her bakery while losing her heart.  Can a long distance romance work between a cowboy and a baker if they believe in magic?” 

I hope you’ll give my crazy brain a chance to entertain you.

The Cupcake Coven should be available at all e-tailers (like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com) for only $2.99.

Print copies cost a little more, but you can have your library get one. Every sale will help me continue this insane path I’m on. I want to thank my blog host Delilah, and thank you for your support and encouragement.

Here’s a picture of a bracelet I made and will give to one commenter on Delilah’s blog! I know she makes beautiful jewelry too, but just like writing, our styles vary.

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Biography of Ashlyn Chase

Ashlyn Chase describes herself as an Almond Joy bar.  A little nutty, a little flaky, but basically sweet, wanting only to give her readers a satisfying experience.

She holds a degree in behavioral sciences, worked as a psychiatric RN for several years and spent a few more years working for the American Red Cross.  She credits her sense of humor to her former careers since comedy helped preserve whatever was left of her sanity.  She is a multi-published, award-winning author of humorous erotic and paranormal romances, represented by the Seymour Agency.

She lives in beautiful New Hampshire with her true-life hero husband who looks like Hugh Jackman with a salt and pepper dye job, and they’re owned by a spoiled brat cat.

Where there’s fire, there’s Ash
Sign up for my newsletter right from my home page:
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Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Ashlyn-Chase/e/B002BOJ4FK/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1360590343&sr=1-2-ent
Here I am at Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Ashlyn-Chase?csrfToken=geodGFzkRvda1FrJApOPBCffGhh2gw7E&store=allproducts&keyword=Ashlyn+Chase

Tilly Greene: The Best Gift
Sunday, May 4th, 2014

I think one of the best gifts is the one you don’t expect and I’ve been lucky enough to be on the received end of one.

Let me back up a bit.

I’m not a purse lady. On a daily basis I load up my pockets with what’s necessary, otherwise I don’t take it with me. If I’m traveling then I take a backpack so I can have my laptop with power cord at hand. The few times I’ve been abroad without my cutie to carry stuff for me I carried a sling type backpack.

tgPurses

It’s funny but I don’t normally carry a purse and if I do, they’re usually small and not appropriate. My cutie has actually bought me all but one of my purses. The brown one was from my mom gifted decades ago, yes, DECADES! The red one doesn’t zip closed and so he happily bought the blue one which does. It’s bigger and I can carry my laptop in it and load it up so I nearly break my back from the weight – oops. The last one was gifted to me a few Christmas ago by the cutie. He gave a hot pink gem that is small, holds a Coke and my phone, and only snaps closed. I need to admit security is his thing, not mine, but I pay attention now and again.

One day last year we went shopping so I could point out birthday ideas and he took me to the purse section. I liked them, many were stunning, but none were for me until I laid eyes on one in particular.

I picked it up, held it on my forearm and then in my hand, and wow. It felt so right. I tried the zippers, checked inside to see what it had in the way of pockets, and dang … it was perfect for me.

My birthday wasn’t for two weeks and the cutie was going on a trip until the day before my birthday. I didn’t forget about the purse, but I did put it from my mind while he was gone. After I picked him up at the airport we went back to the mall in a bid to keep him awake for a few hours. [That’s a trick we’ve taken on for our trips abroad. Make it until 8pm local time and then a half hour or later each night after. Most trips we have no problem and don’t have to do this, but coming home is always a tough transition.]

Anyway, we were walking through the mall and went back to look at the purses. It wasn’t there and I was little sad until the cutie handed over a receipt. He’d prepurchased the bag, and I now owned my Trophy Purse. I’m very careful with it and only use it in Spring/Summer as I don’t want the ugly weather to mark it in any way.

tgTrophy Purse

Okay, it’s time to share. What’s you favorite gift … your trophy item? Inquiring minds want to know. 🙂

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000035_00025]My latest release is Branded, a collection of my contemporary western erotic romances. They all have BDSM and toys, some are multicultural and have ménage a trois, and one has some sensory deprivation. There are four books in the collection: Konnichiwa Cowboy, Giddy Up, Jon Black’s Woman and A Kinky Ride – the latter can only be found in Branded. Ride ‘em was the first in the Branded series and isn’t in the collection but can be found for $0.99 at Ellora’s Cave.

I adore my cowboys from Montana that are looking for a life behind bushes of roses and the white picket fence while enjoying BDSM with the woman they love. They’re all adorable and different. Their unique qualities make the catches but once they find the right lady, they cannot be steered away from getting them in their beds.

Thank you, Delilah, for giving me the time and space to share about my Trophy Purse and the Branded cowboys.

Tilly Greene
Scorching romances full of twists, turns and ties.
www.tillygreene.com
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Whether traveling or sitting in her office, Tilly Greene researches and writes erotica and erotic romance novels in a variety of genres and sub-genres like shape shifter, paranormal, contemporary and futuristics, and themes such as BDSM, multiculturalism and ménages.  Every day she looks forward to writing about women who are independent and confident, the men who love them, and their twisting passionate path to each other.

Lisa Whitefern: Choosing What to Write About For Your Erotic Romance (Contest)
Friday, May 2nd, 2014

Thank you, Delilah for having me guest post for you! I love Delilah’s blog as it always has such a range of interesting people talking about reading and writing.

Today I’m blogging about how to choose a plot and theme for your erotic romance.  Do you get overwhelmed at times trying to make a choice about what to write about?

Firstly, obviously, you want a plot where sex plays an active role.. But you also know that you want your book to be about much more than sex.

You want a full romance arc and a meaty plot. You want story! You want a book with conflict and drama permeated all the way through with heat. You want to write a great book that gets readers talking! But how do you choose what to write about?

First grab yourself a note pad and start to brainstorm things you really love, consider what stirs your emotions, your passions and things you feel strongly about.

Consider what you love to read in other genres, outside erotic romance, erotica, and romance so that you can put your own unique spin on the tried and true. Do you love thrillers? Can you write a super sexy romantic suspense? Can you use your fascination with technology to write a futuristic or science fiction erotic romance?

I’ve always been a big fan of fairy tales and the fae, of Christmas, and of underdog stories so I combined all of these things in my novel Wicked Wonderland from Samhain Publishing.

What about other random interests you have? In my current WIP I focused on my interest in and love for lions and so decided to write a novel that includes a lion shifter. And in my 15K short story Waking the Witch was inspired by reading Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and seeing the movie.

The next step after brainstorming is to write a check list. Decide on the story’s primary “what if” question and solidify your protagonists’ central conflict.  Condensing each idea into a premise sentence can give you an idea of the viability of each potential project.

Research the market, but don’t be enslaved by it, there is always room to put your own spin on trends.

Think about what stirs you emotions. While readers don’t want to be preached to, they will be drawn in by writing that has emotional resonance and sometimes in order to find that emotional resonance you must draw deeply from within yourself.

Personally, I never start any story without identifying sources of conflict and thinking up a final resolution to the conflict.

Here is an excerpt from an early scene in Wicked Wonderland (highly commended in the Passionate Plume for Best Paranormal Romance.) where the heroine Lilly is in conflict with others. .

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Sonya stopped by the trash cans, holding Lilly tightly around the waist from behind. Kandy grabbed hold of the chiffon on the front of her angel costume. Lilly shook and twisted violently to try to break their grasp, and part of her angel costume tore. “Let go of me, you assholes!”

She jabbed backward with her elbow, connecting with Sonya’s stomach, and heard the taller stripper gasp with momentary pain, but unfortunately, Sonya didn’t loosen her hold. “Oooooh! Rudolph’ll pay double for that!” Kandy exclaimed.

Lilly didn’t know why she did it. Maybe it was a way of dissociating from a horrible situation, maybe it was because her heart always ached to make music when she was in pain, but she began to hum, the sound starting low in her throat. She closed her eyes and played a flute in her head, filling her mind with a rich and clear melody, which, for a moment, took her right out of her nasty situation. Then a vicious pinch froze the sound in her lungs. Lilly twisted around enough to look up at Sonya. Something frightening had happened to Sonya’s face. It became very still, and the stripper’s eyes narrowed into slits that showed too much amber and almost no pupil, like the eyes of a snake or some other reptile. A sharp chill ran up Lilly’s spine.

“Don’t fucking hum.” Sonya spat out the words.

“Who cares if she hums? She’s just a weirdo,” Bambi interrupted. “I don’t care what she does as long as she doesn’t take our money again.” The words of the other stripper somehow returned everything to relative normality.

I must have been imaging the whole thing. Must have been the cold messing with my brain.

“You steal our tips, Rudolph, and I’ll give you a red nose, all right.” Sonya’s voice seemed inhuman in its rage. Fear swelled around Lilly like a choking fog. The tall stripper swung Lilly around like a toy, then pulled her fist back. Before Lilly could react, the fist connected with her nose. Shooting pain accompanied a sickening crack. Blood ran down her throat, tasting like metal, and all she could see was an ocean of red.

“Enjoy, Dumpster Girl!” Sonya tipped her upside down and slammed her headfirst into an empty trash can.

“Remember, Rudolph, you’ll never fit in anywhere. You’ll always be an outcast left out of all the reindeer games.” The other strippers convulsed with laughter.

Samhain link  for Wicked Wonderland
Amazon link
Lisa’s Amazon page
http://lisawhitefern.wordpress.com/

lgWaking-The-Witch-finalComment to be in to win a copy of 15K short story Waking the Witch by Lisa Whitefern published by Freya’s Bower.

Since she came of age Lisa Whitefern has embarrassed people by talking about sex. Now she writes the hottest of erotic romance and erotica.

Lisa has a life-long passion for fairy tales and fantasy. Ever since her teacher read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to her class when she was six, Lisa’s been looking for ways to visit Narnia.

Lisa thinks it immensely unfair she can’t wiggle her nose to clean her house like Samantha in the TV show Bewitched.

She has a master’s degree with honors in English Literature, reads tarot cards and tutors children of all ages in English after school.

Although born in New York City to American parents Lisa has lived most of her life in New Zealand. She now lives in the foothills of the beautiful Waitakere Ranges of Auckland with her husband and her two gorgeous sons.

Lisa will be speaking on erotic romance at the Romance Writers’ of New Zealand Conference.

Don’t forget to follow Lisa on Twitter and like her on Facebook!

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Elle James: The Melting Pot of Writing (Contest)
Thursday, May 1st, 2014

The joy of being a writer is having the flexibility to write those things that you enjoy writing. I love to write cowboys, cops, military heroes, comedies, suspense and paranormal romances. As a reader, I love to read all of these genres and hope that other readers will follow me no matter what genre I write. It’s exciting to wake up into a new world every day. And isn’t that why we read? To escape into another world, to be someone else and to overcome someone else’s obstacles and find love if even for a moment?

I love writing paranormals because I can make up the rules of my world and the magic that happens within it. I especially love a magical family whose members come together to help each other out. Each of the sisters have their own power relative to their position on the pentagram. Deme’s is the power of earth. She can shake it, grow it and manipulate plants. Her lover Cal is mortal, but an alpha hero willing to go up against any paranormal entity to protect the one he loves.

I started my witch series bringing all five of the sisters together in Chicago in THE WITCH’S INITIATION. They came to find one of their sisters who had disappeared. The first book was Deme Chattox’s story. The subsequent Nocturne Cravings have been Deme and Cal’s continued forays into policing the paranormals in Chicago. THE WITCH’S DESIRE takes them from Chicago to New York City. I chose to take them to NYC because I built that city as a den of paranormal activity and creatures in my demon series out with Nocturne Cravings. They even bump into some of the characters from that series.

As an author and a reader, I like to revisit characters from previous books. It makes them more of a community and, after all, we grow to love these characters as we read them and become part of their lives.

Do you like to revisit characters from previous books? Are you okay with two series colliding?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a download of TARZAN & JANINE,
a book coauthored by Elle James and Delilah Devlin!

Witch's-Desire-cover200

THE WITCH’S DESIRE
Harlequin Nocturne Cravings
The third book in Elle James’s Witch series
by Elle James aka Myla Jackson
Amazon | Nook | Kobo

Demons, darkness and desire…

The only time Demi Chattox, a witch, gets to see her lover, special agent Cal Black, is when they’re chasing down demons. When they’re tasked with escorting a VIP—a Very Important Paranormal—to a summit meeting in New York, it seems like the perfect assignment. A few days away from the job…in a Manhattan hotel…just the two of them…

But there’s a storm ravaging New York, and a vampire who doesn’t want this particular VIP to make it to the summit. As Demi and Cal race to complete their assignment, they’re driven by their sense of duty—and by their desperate need to find some time alone.

Elle James’s Bio: Elle James spent twenty years livin’ and lovin’ in South Texas, ranching horses, cattle, goats, ostriches and emus. A former IT professional, Elle is proud to be writing full-time, penning intrigues and paranormal adventures that keep her readers on the edge of their seats. She has 39 works with Harlequin, self published works under pen name Elle James, over 40 works with other publishers including Samhain, Elloras’ Cave, Kensington and Avon and 18 works self-published under pen name Myla Jackson. Now living in northwest Arkansas, she isn’t wrangling cattle, she’s wrangling her muses, a malti-poo and yorkie. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling, out snow-skiing, boating, or riding her ATV, dreaming up new stories.

Social Media:

ELLE JAMES Website| Blog| Facebook| Twitter | GoodReads

Mychael Black: Obsessions
Wednesday, April 30th, 2014

When a romance author says the word ‘obsessions,’ there’s really no telling what they’re talking about. But today’s blog isn’t about the usual obsessions: hot men, sexy images, passionate kisses, hot men locked in passionate kisses in sexy images… Well, you get the idea.

Nope. Today I’m talking about completely unrelated obsessions. I’m a bit (okay, maybe more than a bit) of a research junkie. I regularly share news stories on archaeological finds throughout the world, goofy dog pics and vids, and stories about my other favorite animal: the shark.

I’m not entirely sure where, how, or when my love of sharks got started. Maybe it was my first viewing of Jaws years and years ago. Maybe it’s my love of the sea and its depths (even though I won’t swim in it—fear of drowning and all that). Whatever the reason(s), sharks are my second favorite animals on the planet—right behind canines.

I constantly watch (and rewatch) shows, movies, and documentaries about sharks–real and fictional. I’ve seen every shark horror movie made to date (unless I missed a foreign one or two), and all the gigantic shark B-movies. I avidly search for anything relating to my favorite shark of all time: Carcharodon megalodon.

Sharks are beautiful creatures, but Meg holds a special place in my heart. Just the sheer size and strength behind a fish that was about as big as a Greyhound bus is staggering. The teeth alone are colossal. The largest Meg tooth (untouched) is about seven inches. I have a small one that’s about three inches. (More pics are in a photo album on my Facebook page.)

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Maybe one of these days I’ll try my hand at writing a story like those delightfully cheesy B-rated creature features. Until then, I’ll just devour everything I can find online.

If you want to know more about Meg, you can find some good info here: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/sharks/fossils/megalodon.html

A Google image search brings up shots from documentaries and various artist renditions, as well.

If you’re interested in conservation, there’s also the Shark Trust, based in the UK: http://www.sharktrust.org/

-Mychael

***

Bio:

Call me Katherine or Mychael–I’ll answer to both. I’m a mother, student, author by trade, and editor by compulsion. I’ve been in the publishing business for several years, namely as a writer but also as an editor on occasion. It never fails, though. I always end up editing eventually.

I’m a proud bibliophile, to which my poor sagging bookcases can attest. I read all the time, namely fantasy and romance.

When not writing or reading or editing, I…eat. Maybe sleep. Or watch Spongebob. Yes. I am a self-proclaimed, thirty-something year old Spongebob Squarepants addict. Much to my roommate’s dismay. It’s fun.

If you’re curious about what I write (and who wouldn’t be?!), then you can find me below:

http://www.mychaelblackbooks.com/
http://www.mychaelblackbooks.com/category/blog/
http://www.facebook.com/mychael.black
https://twitter.com/mychael_black