Simple Pleasures – Draw by the Fireside

As Delilah gets ready to give her Plotting Bootcamp in Oklahoma, Rachel and I got to thinking about the opposite of traveling: the pleasures of staying home.  While travel is tremendous fun, and there are some lucky folks in Oklahoma with Delilah, there are many good things to be said for the fireside – especially if you’re fortunate to live somewhere with an actual fireplace!

When I talk to people about doing things like crafts, the biggest complaint I get is that folks have no time to do crafts, even if they wanted to.  As any crafter knows, this doesn’t have to be a deterrent.  While there are, of course, wildly complicated crafts, there are also simple but fun things one can do as a pastime that are enjoyable and give you a finished product you can display afterwards – a double win.

Here are five suggestions for fun but simple things you can do by yourself, with friends, or with your family as the year winds down toward the holiday season – and, if you think ahead, you can use some of these for gifts!

1.  Coloring Books

I know, I know; not really a “craft” in the strict sense of the word, right?  But give it a shot.  Think about it: you don’t have to think a whole lot, you can just color in the designs.  There are some amazing books available – have you seen the Dover Stained Glass Coloring Books?  If not, check them out – well worth the investment of a few dollars (most of them are under $10 USD).

2.  Knit or Crochet a Scarf

Knitting and crochet are easy to do and have the advantage of being inexpensive and portable.  If you, like me, have trouble sorting out three-dimensional stuff from two-dimensional, consider taking a quick class at JoAnn’s or Michael’s.  Or, to really get into it, check out your friendly, neighborhood LYS (Local Yarn Shop).  You can find listings of them on the internet or, if you’re in the states, look at the TKGA site (The Knitting Guild Association).

3.   Makit and Bakit

These are a lot of fun and I wish they were more popular, because they’re super easy.  Some of the designs are cheesy but if you poke around you can find some cool ones (my favorite, personally, is the coyote howling at the moon with a cactus in the foreground).  Tip:  use your toaster oven tray, and line it with tin foil.  Use a tweezer to place the little color beads into the frame.  When you bake it, the plastic melts and you have a real, live, stained “glass” ornament.

4.  Polymer Clay

There are so many kinds of polymer clay available now that your choices are endless.  The two biggest brands are Femo and Sculpey.  They both can be baked in your toaster oven.  You can make figurines, buttons, beads, and all sorts of little animals.  If you have no idea how to do anything with ceramics, this is a great book to try:  The Incredible Clay Book.

5.  Check out Klutz Press

If you think you’re all thumbs when it comes to crafts, and that the nearest 8-year-old has more talent than you, then you owe it to yourself to check out the offerings of Klutz Press.  You can find stuff on all sorts of topics.  Have some fun and let your inner child out to play.  All you have to lose is your skepticism.

—
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.”
– E.E. Cummings

Noony’s links:  Blog | Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon | LinkedIn | Pandora

Knoontime Knitting:  Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Ravelry
Noon and Wilder links: Blog | Website | Facebook
Team Blogs: Nightlight | The Writers Retreat Blog | Beyond the Veil | LGBT Fantasy Fans and Writers
Publishers: Samhain Publishing | Torquere Press

Check out BURNING BRIGHT, available from Samhain Publishing.
Check out EMERALD FIRE, available from Torquere Books.

Check out “Taking a Chance“, part of the Charity Sips 2012 to benefit NOH8, available from Torquere Books.

Orgasm in your Mouth

I want to thank Delilah for letting me jump between her blog sheets to play today.

Coming up with a fitting topic for this blog was tough. You see, I’m a children’s writer—middle grade (8-12 year olds)—and I just don’t touch on erotic topics, and my hubs would prefer it if I kept our sex life in our bedroom. It’s far more comfy there, doncha think? Soft bed, pillows, porn. . . . er, never mind.

So what do I blog about?

With the weather finally giving us a break and becoming cooler, my thoughts turn to making candy. I love making candy. I think I made 55 pounds of candy to give away last Christmas, everything from four types of fudge to sea salt caramels to English toffee to peanut brittle, and molded chocolate truffles. The truffles are the hardest, but the most satisfying to make. They are time-consuming, back-breaking, delicate (entire batches have cracked and thrown out), and temperamental, depending on humidity. Very finicky stuff, but well worth the hassle.

About five years ago, I started experimenting with making truffle fillings. I now have fifteen flavors that are the epitome of an orgasm in your mouth.

Peppermint Schnapps, Strawberry Margarita, Frangelico (hazelnut), Amaretto (almond), Whiskey Toffee, Bäranjäger (honey), Key Lime (gin), Chambord (raspberry), Buttershots (butterscotch), Rum Raisin, Grand Marnier (orange), Black Forest (kirshwasser–cherry), Limoncello (lemon), Porto, and Gingerbread.

Gingerbread is my most recent invention using a vodka-based filling. Hubs came home from work and he sampled the remnants in the saucepan and asked, “How did you get gingerbread in there?”

Yeah, I’m that good.

I know all of you have eaten a piece of chocolate, done the little happy dance, moaned a little, maybe allowed a shiver of pleasure to tingle all your naughty bits, or had your eyes rolled back in your head as you experienced a climax of endorphins shooting throughout your body.

And, odds are, that was from a mass-produced, grainy piece of chocolate. Can you imagine the orgasm you’ll have eating one of these lovelies?

What makes chocolate so sensual, so sexual? The velvety texture? The smell as it floods your senses? The visual stimulation? The flavor as you roll it around in your mouth? The contrast between sweet and salty?

Let’s switch to a quickie anatomy 101 lesson. The reason you are enjoying chocolate so much has to do with the more than 10,000 taste buds you have in your mouth. Not all of your taste buds are on your tongue; they also reside inside your cheeks and in the roof of your mouth.

1–find a piece of chocolate.

2–roll that velvety smoothness around on your tongue,

3–and inhale through your nose.

4–savor the moment until the last bit of goodness slides down your throat.

So what happened?

The essence of the chocolate scent glides over soft palate and into your sinus cavity where the olfactory cells will detect the aroma, thus increasing your satisfaction of eating chocolate. In one simple bite, you will have experienced taste, touch and smell. Before you take the bite of chocolate, you will have the visual stimulation. And so we don’t forget our sense of hearing, your moans and groans of delight as you experience an orgasm in your mouth, further release the endorphins of happiness.

Since y’all were so kind to put up with me, I’d like to share a little something-something with you–my recipe for Sea Salt Caramels. The sweet is countered by the crunchy saltiness, while the creamy caramel blends beautifully with the chocolate coating.

Now, you can make an orgasm happen in your mouth.

SEA SALT CARAMELS

1 1/3 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
2 cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup (Karo)
½ cup honey
6 Tbls. butter, cut into small cubes
1 tsp. vanilla extract (Madagascar real vanilla)
2 tsp. sea salt (if you have fleur de sel great, but I used Alessi coarse sea salt)
Dipping chocolate (Merkens or Ghirardelli dipping chocolate)
1 tsp. sea salt for decorating

Line 8-inch square Pyrex baking dish with aluminum foil. Spray with non-stick cooking spray.

Place cream in large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir in sugar, corn syrup and honey; continue stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Cook candy, swirling occasionally, until it reaches the temperature of 257 degrees Fahrenheit on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat and add butter, vanilla, and salt. Stir until ingredients are incorporated; take care not to scrape sides where sugar has crystallized.

Pour into prepared pan. Scrap out caramel, but again, take care NOT to scrape areas where sugar has crystallized. Set at room temperature to harden. Lightly cover with waxed paper after it has cooled if you are letting it set overnight before you make your caramels.

Melt chocolate until it is smooth. Place waxed paper sheets on counter for dipped chocolates. Place sea salt in small container to be sprinkled (about 5-6 grains) on top of caramel.

Remove caramel from pan by using the foil ‘handles’. Carefully remove foil, as it can tear. Cut caramel into 1/2- inch squares, dip into chocolate until coated. Lift out with dipping fork and place on waxed paper to dry. Dip a few pieces (I can do about 10 without the chocolate hardening too much, but I’ve been doing this awhile) and then, sprinkle decoratively with salt. Let dry.

Take a sharp thin knife and trim excess chocolate puddling around base of caramels. Place in paper cups or store in air tight container until ready for giving or eating! Enjoy!!

HINT: I used orange blossom honey.

HINT # 2: If you forgot to wash your saucepan out and the sugar solidified, don’t freak. Just fill it with hot water and let the magic happen! The sugar will dissolve away.

HINT #3: Hot, boiling sugar is like napalm! If it splashes you place the body part under running cold water. This is the only way to get it off since it adheres to your skin. Yes, I have a quarter-sized scar to prove this.

M. A. Golla’s Amazon page

Gnome de Plume blog

BIO:

Margaret Golla (M. A. Golla) has been writing since 2000, but in 2007 she realized she never grew up and wanted to play with her imaginary friends again, only this time she calls it ‘writing’. MAG’s lives in Oklahoma with her two kids—oops, make that one hubs and one child—one large fuzzy-butt Old English sheepdog, Maggie (yes, she knows the dog was named after her!) and one small fuzzy-butt guinea pig, Scruffy.  She’s plotting book four in The Goblin’s Apprentice series, DRAGON DAYS OF SUMMER, writing a non-fic blogagraphy (what else would you call taking your blogs and making them into a book??) about her weight-loss journey, and developing an adult paranormal series.

The winner of yesterday’s contest, chosen by random number generator, is… Stacy Wilson! Stacy, congrats and email me!

Laying Down the Law

Thanks to everyone who bought a copy of this book last week! It’s currently #3 on Samhain’s new release calendar. I appreciate your support!

And I hope that if you’ve read it and loved it, that you will mention it to a friend, and/or post a review somewhere to tell someone else about it. I’d love to write more of this kind of book!

For Writers!!

Don’t forget! There are only 15 days left before my current Call for Submissions for my alpha manthology closes!! Check out the details here: Cleis Press Sex Objects: He-Man Erotica for Women

Contests

I have two contests running right now. Both end on September 27th! There will be tons of winners, so be sure to pay attention to how to enter! Rules for entry and descriptions of both contests and their prizes are located on my Contest page!

Guests

I have a ton of guests scheduled to play here. My sister and I are traveling to Oklahoma next week to conduct a plotting bootcamp weekend with the RWA chapter there. I’ll be busy getting ready for it, then going, so I thought I’d better line up some guests to keep you entertained.

9/17 — Margaret Golla
9/19 — A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder
9/20 — Denise Rossetti
9/21 — Mary Marvella
9/22 — Me, I’ll prepost a snippet!
9/23 — Cathryn Fox
9/24 — Wendy Soliman

Coming Soon

I haven’t decided when to publish this one. Maybe this week, if I get time to put it up on Amazon and Nook, or maybe next week when I get back. But I thought I’d go ahead and share the cover and a snippet with you today. Hope you like it!

His need becomes a knight’s quest and a virgin’s gift.

An ancient, cursed creature, Drago, Lord of Drakkenberg, dreads the anniversary that marks the moment he must devour a virgin or visit a plague of destruction on the world around him. Once every century, he becomes a dragon…

Only now that his castle has moved to the U.S. in a vain attempt to break the curse, suitably mature virgins are hard to come by. In the midst of his transformation, he sends his loyal knight, Guy D’Alba, in search of a woman during the Renaissance Faire they are hosting.

Guy understands his duty well, but chafes against the curse that binds him in servitude to the dragon.  Until he meets a sweet young reporter who meets his overlord’s requirements—young, blonde and beautiful—and lo and behold, a virgin. But the moment he discovers her fitness, he knows he must relinquish her to Drago or their small mountain community will suffer the dragon’s wrath.

Angela Bowman is smart, young…and a lonely virgin ready to find an adventure. The moment she sees Guy, she falls beneath the spell of his smoldering sensuality. When he asks her to meet Drago, and then produces a blindfold, she finds herself so intrigued she consents.

She’s ready to surrender her innocence—but to which man? The sexy and attentive Guy—or Drago, the mysterious and dominant man she hasn’t yet seen but whose dark aura calls to the woman inside her, yearning to break free?

The woman shivered as she sat on the chaise, her head swiveling side to side to follow the sounds his minion made as he prepared the room.

She was lovely, skin like ivory, hair like burnished gold, lips…

Lovely, yes, but did she have the one thing he needed to end his curse for all time? He shifted his stance, his boots scuffling softly on the floor.

Her head jerked toward the sound. “Is this necessary?”

“I told you his requirements,” Guy murmured from where he stood beside her.

“Why the blindfold?” she whispered. “Is he hideous?”

Drago, Lord of Drakkenberg, snorted. Most women found him desirable. So much so, they’d throw themselves into his path, heedless of any dangers. But he was careful to hide his true nature, successful most of the time with suppressing the monster inside. Not so, today. Not on the first day of the full moon.

Guy pulled the leather restraints from beneath the bolster pillow and laid them silently behind the girl in case they were needed. Then he nodded to Drago and faded toward the stone wall of the bedchamber, his duty done. Read the rest of this entry »

A Duke, a Billionaire, and a Superhero Walk into a Bar…

I’m an equal opportunity reader. Give me a traditional Regency, an erotic contemp with a family of super-rich playboy heroes, an urban fantasy where the characters acquire kick-ass superpowers…I’m not picky. As long as the world is well crafted and the characters grab me, I’ll follow them along on all their adventures.

Some people (read: my family) don’t understand how I can bounce around between genres like that, how I can love a rich historical just as much as a fast-paced action romance. But it’s easy. What’s interesting to me about this motley crew of genres is not how dissimilar they are, but how similar they are.

Because no matter which way I figure it, every one of the hero types found in these books is as deliciously unrealistic as the next.

Historicals love to depict dukes. And spies. And really rich landowners who don’t exploit their tenants or the slave trade in the West Indies but have an inexplicable source of income all the same. I’m not saying I won’t read one of these books (on the contrary, magically rich and handsome young men are a staple in my TBR pile), but I am saying that the reality is probably a lot more grim. I mean, I have the Internet. I can look up paintings of the ancient lords of England. I see a lot of weak chins and receding hairlines.

Contemporaries are just as guilty of this. Yes, we’re seeing a larger influx of blue-collar heroes (whom I happen to adore), but the vast majority don’t worry about money. And even when they do worry, it’s always for a noble reason. You don’t see any of these guys agonizing about car payments and paying down their student loan debt. Oh, no. They want to set their female relatives up in style, make a family business successful, give up the shackles of their millions to pursue a higher calling.

Which leaves us with the superheroes and fierce men of the paranormal world. Naturally, we have to take a leap of believability when we pick up one of these books. I know my cute UPS guy probably doesn’t howl at the moon every 28 days. I know that if my husband took up Hawkeye-style archery, he’d only end up shooting himself in the face rather than saving the world. But in my day-to-day life, radioactive spiders are just as realistic as taking up spying for my country or building a million-dollar play room.

Which is to say, not at all.

So when a duke, a billionaire, and a superhero walk into a bar…it’s probably just me, enjoying a mojito and searching through my Kindle to find what I want to read next. You should come say hello. I’ll buy you a drink, and maybe we can talk books.

About Playing with Fire

Fiona Nelson has always been one hot ticket—even before she took the conversion serum that gave her superhuman abilities. Fiona’s powers come at a price: lack of human contact, or she won’t be the only thing burning. When she loses control of her emotions, her fire powers run rampant…and she’s hurt enough people already.

Including herself.

But when the man behind her conversion returns to blackmail her into helping him gain power, the only person she can turn to is Ian Jones, the man who broke her teenage heart. The man determined to expose the criminal known as Fireball, whose explosive escapades are just a little too close to Fiona’s M.O.

Ian is convinced Fiona’s dangerous, convinced she’s Fireball, and convinced he’ll damn himself if he doesn’t resist a heat that’s always drawn him to Fiona like a moth to a flame—but Ian has his own secrets.

And he’ll learn far too soon what happens when you play with fire.

Available at Amazon, Books on Board, and Kobo.

About Tamara Morgan

Tamara Morgan is a romance writer and unabashed lover of historical reenactments—the more elaborate and geeky the costume requirements, the better. In her quest for modern-day history and intrigue, she has taken fencing classes, forced her child into Highland dancing, and, of course, journeyed annually to the local Renaissance Fair. These feats are matched by a universal love of men in tights, of both the superhero and codpiece variety.

You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads.

Hi everyone.  I’m Brenna Zinn, one of the authors from the Sassy Seven, and I’m delighted to be Delilah’s guest blogger today.

I want to let everyone know about a author/reader conference the Sassy Seven Authors are hosting that we’ve dubbed The Naughty Sleepover.  Next year from February 22 through the 24th, erotic authors and readers will have a chance to get together for a weekend filled with decadent events.  This is NOT your average author/reader weekend.  Forget boring panel discussions that put you to sleep or formal conferences that limit the reader’s access to attending authors.  The Naughty Sleepover is about authors and readers getting together and having fun!  Let’s party!

For more information check out our website at http://sassyseven.com/naughty-sleepover.

In honor of the Naughty Sleepover event, the Sassy Seven Authors have composed our next series of books. It is my profound honor to share with you the e-book covers (designed by Nicole Austin) and blurbs for all seven books, which will be available from Decadent Publishing October 8 – 10th. All seven books will also be combined into a print anthology to be released in early 2013.

Coming October 8th…

Say Yes by Regina Carlysle

“I’ll make you famous.”

She’d spoken the words, clicked off a few pictures and then scampered off toward the rodeo arena leaving him more than a little dizzy with lust. J.D. Stone, owner of the Stone’s Throw ranch is in town for business but the sassy woman has him thinking of planting his boots under her bed. Luckily for him, the pretty Melissa Bell is staying at the same hotel!

At first, J.D. Stone looked like a ghost from her past but those long-ago imagines quickly disappear with the first touch of this sexy cowboy’s hands on her sex-starved body. The epitome of a man of the old-west, hard and strong, J.D. is everything she has ever wanted in a man but will a misunderstanding have him turning tail and running with the dawn? Not if she can help it.

Sugar Girl by Nicole Austin

A guy walks into a bar…

And finds the sweet girl he shouldn’t have left behind.

While book smart Candy Dillon went to college and embarked on an engineering career, Jeremiah Lange became a rodeo champion and country music icon. Their differences have kept these childhood friends apart until finally, the twists and turns in their individual paths lead them right back where they belong.

All work and no play has Candy aching for a thrill. Jeremiah is the perfect man to help check a few things off her bucket list. From bungee jumping to making out on a Ferris wheel and an emotional spin beneath bright spotlights, Candy’s having the time of her life.

But in the harsh light of the morning after can she really hold on to a shooting star?

When A Lady Meets A King by Brenna Zinn

Lady Pembrook went to great lengths, traveling thousands of miles and assuming a false identity, to satisfy her fantasy­­ of a one night stand with a real Texas cowboy. But can she fulfill her dream of a naughty sexual encounter after discovering a mysterious stranger in dark sunglasses threatens to expose her scandalous behavior in America?

Though riding bulls and taming wild horses aren’t the only risks Burton King has taken in a lifetime of working on a ranch, nothing scarred him deeper than falling for the wrong woman. When he finds a damsel in distress, will the oath he swore to never get involved with another woman keep him from finding the woman of his dreams?

More Than You Know by Cerise Deland

When a va-va-voom redhead walks into Luke Hurley’s bar, he vows to get to know her. But she escapes him every time, her family besieging her. Luke wants to save her. Hell, he wants to savor her if he can only figure out how to intrigue her…and nail her. Luke has his hands full of the classiest, funniest female he’s ever met for one naughty night. But will she love him tomorrow?

Overnight Sensation by Desiree Holt

Abbie Lawlor only wanted a drink with her friend at the end of a long, hard week. Her feet hurt, her head ached and she just wanted one cosmos then home to soak in the tub. She sure wasn’t looking to hook up with anyone. Her luck with men was worse than bad. Too bad with visitors flooding the town the bar at The Menger Hotel was so jammed a sheet of paper would barely fit between two people. Which was why Sam Burdette ended up pressed against her so she could feel every detail of his body. The heat the flared between them could have set fire to everyone in the bar. The invisible link between a Dom and a sub made her forget all her aches and pains. It was why she let the very sexy Texas Ranger coax her out of the bar and up to his room for some very off the wall sex that turned a casual “Hello” into an overnight sensation.

Blame It On Texas by Allie Standifer

Everything’s supposed to be bigger and better in Texas, right? Sexy plus size model Serena Morgan isn’t convinced and can’t wait to get out of the wild untamed state.

Local boy and country star Kale Winters has wanted Serena from the moment he looked into her eyes. Too bad she won’t have a thing to do with him. Or will she?

Thanks to the soft heart and match-making gene of Serena’s agent and his own swift thinking Kale has one night to prove there’s more to this cowboy than ropin’ and branding.

Together they explore the explosive passion growing between them in the majestic and some say haunted Meneger Hotel.

Come morning will Kale be able to convince Serena he’s the real deal or will the stubborn model Blame It On Texas?

Spank ‘Em Cowboy by Samantha Cayto 

Sensible California gal, Tara, is in San Antonio for her sister’s wedding. Her only hope is to survive the overdone affair without a wardrobe malfunction. Hot, cranky and breathless, she flees the reception only to be rescued by the quintessentially sexy Texas man. In town for the rodeo, Rob spots the voluptuous Tara and is delighted to help this damsel in distress. Maybe it’s her tight dress cutting off the oxygen to her brain, but Tara decides to take a chance and invites him up to her room. She puts herself in his hands and dares to reveal her secret desire to be
spanked and dominated. Happy to oblige, Rob takes her for the ride of her life.

Stay tuned for excerpts and more on this exciting new series.

The winner (picked by random number generator) of yesterday’s contest is…Sasha H! Sasha, congrats, girl, and email me! ~DD

Contests

Don’t forget! The Hustler Magnets Contest ends this coming Thursday! A comment today counts toward the drawing, and there will be 5 lucky winners! On Thursday, I’ll also announce the new contest, whatever that will be. Have to go through my treasure chest and see what’s left.

Also, don’t forget the Promo Ho Contest is still ongoing. Four Amazon.com gift certificates are at stake—And I’m giving one away this coming Thursday! So if you’ve been slow to get those books read, here’s your nudge!

Sunday Report Card

This is the list of projects I began to tackle back in May. It must be conquered by January 2, 2013! Currently, it looks like this:

4 3 full-length novels (2 1 paranormal suspense, 2 BDSM) — Shattered Souls, done—and scheduled to release January 8th!
5 2 novellas (1 Delta Heat, 1 Triple Horn Brand, 1 Delta Heat, 1 Femme Noir, 1 Triple Horn Brand) — Delta Heat: Fournicopia, Triple Horn Brand: Laying Down the Law, and now Delta Heat: A Perfect Trifecta are done!
4 2 short stories — “Red Dawn”, “Johnny Blaze”, done!
3 2 anthologies I have to edit — Smokin’ Hot Firemen done!
3 novels to extensively edit & expand with my sister (it’s a secret!)
1 novella to extensively edit and publish — Dragon’s Desire, edited! Publishing soon!
1 short story anthology to edit and publish — Licks, done!

I got my mojo back this week and slammed my way through A Perfect Trifecta. It won’t be for everyone, that book. It’s all sex. Couldn’t help that. Characters speak, I’m only here to take dictation. This week, I have to wrap up a project I’m co-writing with Paisly Smith, and I have to begin work on two full-length novels. I’m going to be busy for a long, long time…

Guests

This week, I didn’t book as many guests as usual because I wanted to be free to talk about Laying Down the Law. But here’s the lineup! Be sure to drop by and see what they’re all talkin’ about!

9/12 — Brenna Zinn
9/14 — Tamara Morgan

The Question

From computers to cars, cell phones to TV remote controls… Of all the things you use that have buttons on them, what is your favorite button to push?
[from The Question Guys]

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Look to the left. See the “Subscribe to Blog via Email” notice? I added that in case you’re absent-minded and forget to check out my blog every day for new contests, guests, and events. You won’t be spammed if you subscribe. You’ll just get an email showing you what’s on my blog that day.

JANE LOVERING TAKES AN ALTERNATIVE LOOK AT VAMPIRES

I’ve always wanted to write about vampires.  Partly because there’s something fascinating in a creature that lives off blood, but also because I’ve always wanted to shift the paradigm slightly.  All my novels feature heroes who are less Alpha and more Beta – men who are the heroine’s best friends or quietly in need of saving themselves, so I wanted to change the received wisdom of vampires as being dominant, controlling beasts.  In my latest novel, Vampire State of Mind, they are still in charge, they are gorgeous and glamorous as vampires always have been, but the vampires I have created are fallible, they are stuck in their old-fashioned ways and sometimes in need of saving by the heroine, as much as they, sometimes, attempt to save her.

I’ve also located them firmly in Britain – these are very British vampires.  They believe in filing and order and frock coats, or at least designer jeans.  They don’t bite, unless it’s in special clubs where that sort of thing is allowed, their demons live on thrills and adrenaline so they lead lives where excitement is more important than regularity – and they don’t fall in love.

Vampire State of Mind is a deliberate attempt to subvert the Vampire Genre by taking some of the power away from the vampires and placing it in the hands of the heroine, in this case a council worker called Jessica Grant, who runs the Human/Otherworld Liaison office, acting as PR for the creatures from the Otherworld and keeping them firmly in their places.  Jess is strong, self-deprecating and too chaotic to be allowed in charge of anything more than an electric pencil-sharpener and a sidekick called Liam.

Here’s the blurb.

Jessica Grant knows vampires only too well.  She runs the York Council tracker programme making sure that Otherworlders are all where they should be, keeps the filing in order and drinks far too much coffee.  To Jess, vampires are annoying and arrogant and far too sexy for their own good, particularly her ex-colleague Sil, who’s now in charge of Otherworld York.

But when a demon turns up and threatens not just Jess but the whole world order, she and Sil are forced to work together, and when Jess turns out to be the key to saving the world it puts a very different slant on their relationship.  The stakes are high.  They are also very, very pointy and Jess isn’t afraid to use them, even on the vampire that she’s rather afraid she’s falling in love with …

For more details go to http://www.choc-lit.co.uk/html/vampire_state_of_mind.html
Or http://www.amazon.com/Vampire-State-Mind-Choc-ebook/dp/B008GGBRU2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346587575&sr=1-1&keywords=vampire+state+of+mind

www.janelovering.co.uk
@janelovering on Twitter