Thanks for having me as a guest, Delilah, I’m excited to be here. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Lauren Fraser and I write contemporary romance, generally my books tend to be on the hotter side so you’ve been warned.

I admit I enjoy reading and writing ménage type stories but there are times when a HEA for the group just doesn’t make sense, my latest book Rode Hard was one of those times.

When I was writing Rode Hard I spent a lot of time thinking about the various ways a couple can explore their fantasies. Part of the fun in creating a sexually adventurous couple is exploring limits; what works and what doesn’t work for each person and also examining any potential ramifications. I mean let’s be real when you throw extra people into the mix things can potentially get troublesome. And I love all the emotion and angst that can bring up. The whole falling in love process should be a little messy. *grin*

Giving Kat her fantasy made me curious about how many is too many? Being with three guys isn’t necessarily a typical fantasy or at least not one most people would admit to. So I’m wondering for you as a reader how many is too many? I think we probably all have a line that makes our eyes bug out and think holy crap there’s no way. LOL

I know for me as a reader, when I’m looking at multiple partner books I have to factor in the end result as well. At the end of the day was this a couple who explored a fantasy or are they all supposed to live happily ever after? Because I have to admit that changes things for me too.

So I’m curious for all you ménage fans out there. How many is too many for you?

Blurb

Six weeks surrounded by hot, rugged cowboys doesn’t sound like hard work at all. In fact, writer Kat McCray is going to enjoy this assignment. One look at sexy ranch owner Justin Shaw and she knows exactly how she plans to spend her downtime. In his bed.

Justin works hard and has the body to prove it. And he plays even harder—him and his two best friends. He’s more than happy to help Kat explore her darkest fantasies…especially the ones that involve all four of them.

Kat’s walk on the wild side is only temporary—Arizona is a lifetime away from her real life in New York. But she can’t deny she’s starting to fall for Justin. He’s sexy as hell and sweet as sin. And their sexual experiences with his two friends are nothing short of scorching. That doesn’t change the fact she’s going home at the end of her stay. Unless she can somehow turn this fantasy into reality.

Ellora’s Cave
Amazon
Barnes & Nobles

~Lauren Fraser
http://www.laurenfraser.com
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On May 29th, the next Lone Star Lovers book releases! This will be the conclusion of the Logan brothers’ story. And I think by now you know what to expect: sexy rascals, naughty sex and enough emotion to tug at your heart and make you smile. Here’s a snippet…

Two bad boy cowboys need a little tutoring to learn how to love…

Fathers know to keep their daughters close whenever Sam Logan’s twin sons come to town. Those two hell-raisers have a bad rep in Two Mule, Texas. All of it earned. When it becomes clear his youngest sons won’t settle down without another nudge, Sam reissues his challenge. Find a wife…

There’s only been one woman who could hold their attention for more than one night, but she’s been out of reach. Their former teacher’s a little too worried about a pesky morals clause to let them close. But they’re older now and ready to prove to her that sometimes rules are meant to be broken…

Molly Pritchet thinks her path is predetermined: to always be a child’s teacher, never a mother or a wife. Until the two boys who tempted her way back when crash back into her life. Overwhelmed by yearnings she’s long suppressed, she’s swept along on a tide of forbidden desires.

Warning: Hot-as-sin twins romance their former high school teacher. Things are bound to get down and dirty quick as two bad boys tag team to sweep one curvy, sexy woman off her feet.

Pre-order NOW at Samhain

Molly has just finished a cold shower and is now searching for her vibrator in the back of her bedroom closet…

When she was on her tiptoes atop the cushioned seat, reaching to the farthest corner, she heard a sound coming from her backyard. A metallic chink, then a soft masculine curse.

Curious, she leaned back and tugged her lace curtains to open them just a couple inches and peered down through the branches of the mimosa tree, into her yard. The sight that greeted her caused her breath to hitch.

The twins stood in her backyard, in the center of the area she’d neatly staked and tied with twine to define the place she intended to put her koi pond. And they’d made a mess. Clumps of turf lay beside the big hole they’d dug. Water ran freely from a hose into the middle of a muddy pit. The black pool liner she’d bought and left leaning against the garage had been dragged beside the hole.

Anger flushed another kind of heat through her veins, and she climbed off the stool, hurried to the bathroom for her robe, and then she was stomping down her stairs to the sliding glass door, which she slammed open with all her righteous anger.

Two begrimed faces turned her way. Before she let herself think better of her plan, she was standing in front of them with her sheer bathrobe flapping in a breeze and staring at two broad, naked muddy chests. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked, trying to temper her voice, because she didn’t want neighbors hearing her screeching like a banshee.

Mace’s gaze raked over her body. “Wishin’ I had x-ray vision,” he drawled. Read the rest of this entry »

Writing a book is sometimes like watching a movie. You don’t know which direction it’s going to go. Sometimes characters do that. Take the first book in my Eternal series. When I orginally started that book it was supposed to be a stand alone when all of a sudden, another vampire that Dimitri (the hero) had spoken several chapters before just made an appearance out of the blue. I had no idea it was going to happen. It surprised me and when he (Jacque – the friend Dimitri spoke of) was immedately taken with Kelly (heroine’s friend) book two was born.

Characters take on a life of their own. Right now I’m in the middle of Eternal Salvation. Those characters fought me every step of the way until finally on the fourth try I got it right and they are cooperating perfectly now.

Do writers have multiple personalities lurking around? Yes. Of course we do. Sometimes the voices are really loud, and others are subtle. but in the end they will be heard and they will have their way. Scary movie moment? Possibly…”The Attack of the Pcitzo!” Awww…just give ’em a laptop and let ’em go.

Marrying the enemy can be the sweetest torture…

Hannah Dawson never expected to be attacked by Yankee deserter’s where she lives in the Tennessee Smokey Mountains…but she never imagined she’d be forced to marry the Yankee officer that saves her either.

When Lieutenant Lane Peterson, of the Union Army rescues a Tennessee belle and is injured in the process he is surprised when Hannah takes him in and nurses him back to health. Unable to keep his hands from exploring her tempting body, Lane finds himself in a compromising position and before he knows it he is standing as a reluctant groom for a shot-gun wedding. As soon as his wounds heal, Lane plans to head north, find the first Union Army camp he comes to and get his marriage to the Southerner annulled. But mother-nature and fate have plans of their own. Snowed in for the winter, Lane and Hannah find a passion that will not be denied North and South of the Mason Dixon Line.

But when the weather clears Lane must return to the war. After several months of fighting, Lane keeps his promise and comes back for his Southern wife, but soon they find it isn’t the struggles on the battlefield that will test their love, but the acceptance of family and a nation’s wounded spirit and scorn. Will Lane and Hannah find the strength to fight for each other? Or will they be lost to the differences that lie between them and lose the battle they’ve fought so hard to win….

Website: www.annlory.com
Blog: www.annlory.blogspot.com

Yaaawwwwn! I slept to nearly 9 AM this morning! That’s a very late start for me. But I feel so refreshed—a good thing since I have to plow into my next Samhain book this week, the next Delta Heat story! While I’m writing that story, I’ll be firming up plans for the Montlake book so I can tear into it soon. So much work and only me to do it. I wouldn’t want it any way else.

So, before I tell you about my new contest, let’s wrap up the last one!

The winner of the Texas Two-Step Grab Bag is…Mary Preston! Mary, email me to arrange delivery of your prize—and congrats!

The Glass Art Pendant Contest

What can you win?
This lovely fused glass art pendant. I’m not sure the photo does it justice, because it darkens it, but it’s a deep blood red with an iridescent peacock inset and a small flower-like inset above it. It measures approx. 1 1/2 ” long and 1″ wide. An artist friend of mine makes them, and I have been collecting. Start your collection now!

How can you win it?
Post a comment on any blog posting from today until the contest ends. Each entry counts as another chance to win!

This contest ends in two weeks, May 15th!!

Just to give you something to talk about today—here’s a question…

If you could get back one thing that was either lost or destroyed, what would it be?

The Mansions and the Mills

Thank you, Delilah, for having me as a guest blogger.

After finishing The Oath, a historical romance about a woman doctor in 1890’sNew York City, I began searching for inspiration for another book about a Victorian career woman.  We tend to think of Victorian women as primarily wives and mothers, but often these same women created opportunities for themselves in a variety of occupations.  Now I had to decide which one my heroine would pursue.

One day, I was driving to Manchester, CT, to brainstorm with my critique partner when I passed three stately Victorian mansions sitting high atop a hill that crowned a luxurious sweeping lawn, not far from a group of brick mill buildings.  My friend told me the mansions and mills had been owned by a large, prominent family named Cheney, and silk fabric made there.

Silk?  In Connecticut?  That was news to me.  Like all native New Englanders, I knew about the region’s once-thriving textile industry, but I’d never known anything about silk manufacturing except that it involved temperamental silkworms and mulberry leaves to feed them.  Sensing a novel, I began researching the subject.  Soon, many tantalizing dramatic possibilities emerged.

I started playing my favorite game of, “What if..?”  What if my spirited heroine Hannah found herself in a marriage of convenience to a man who loved his silk mill and another woman more?  What if she tries to win her husband’s love by learning everything she can about running his beloved mill and making it prosper?  And what if she’s swept away by a forbidden love for Samuel, her husband’s artist brother?  Add the theme of how one woman’s choices define and shape her life, and The Vow was born.

As a writer, I always keep my eyes and mind open to new sources of inspiration.  So when I see three mansions on a hill, I don’t drive by without a second thought.  Instead, I play, “What if…?” and see where the journey takes m.

Lindsay Chase is the author of The Oath and The Vow, part of Samhain’s Retro Romance line, and Honor, coming in July.  Lindsay’s website is www.LindsayChaseBooks.com, and you can join her on Facebook and Twitter (@lindsaychase10).

Check the comments of yesterday’s post for the winner of the free download!
Oh! And remember The Texas Two-Step Grab Bag contest ends Tuesday! ~DD

Why Attend a Conference?

Rachel and I are attending Spring Fling, the conference of the Chicago North chapter of Romance Writers of America.  A large regional conference, it focuses on workshops and activities for aspiring and published authors, as well as a reader event that includes a book-signing.

Having just gone to the RT Booklovers Convention earlier this month, I am beginning to “get the hang” of how I like to “do” conferences.  I figured I’d pass along some tips that work for me and Rachel:

1.  Plan ahead.  Look up the schedule on the Internet before you go, so you know what you want to attend and where, if any, slack exists so you can relax.

2.  Come early to get the lay of the land, check in, and get your “swags.”  Most conferences give various freebees, from books to pens, mirrors, and even candy in naughty shapes.

3.  Many people use conferences as networking tools, so pay attention to the lounge and lobby areas.  Editors and authors like to just hang out, rather than attend every workshop; impromptu discussions can take place.  You never know who you might meet.

4.  Don’t be afraid to have some fun.  Most conferences offer parties of various kinds, from relatively mild receptions to full-blown extravaganzas with costumes, models, and stage productions.  It’s not all serious, so lighten up and let your inner child play.

5.  Bring business cards.  Collect business cards.  Even if your cards are simply your name and email, you have the opportunity to make connections and put a face to your branding.  Folks are more apt to connect with a real person, which is invaluable as you’re starting out.

6.  Take care of your appearance.  You might want to dress up in order to give a good first impression.  While jeans and a t-shirt are comfortable, you are representing you and your brand.  Dress the part.

7.  Remember to drink plenty of water and bring snacks.  There’s no reason not to spend money at the hotel or convention center if you’ve budgeted for it, but why pay seven dollars for a bottle of water when you can bring it with you?  Plus, you might not want to leave a workshop just because you get the nibbles.

8.  Bring something to take notes with.  Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  People love to talk about their craft.  The more you ask, the more you’ll learn.

9.  If you see an author you like, go up and talk with them.  They’re here to connect with the fans.  Take advantage of that and be a fan.  Just don’t bother them if they’re trying to have a quiet meal or already in conversation with someone.

10.  Be a sponge.  Keep your eyes open.  You never know when you might see the next idea for your novel, idea for a cool promotional concept, or a new friend.  Let the world around you stimulate you.  After all, that’s what you paid for.

A. Catherine Noon and Rachel Wilder
Blog Website
Check out BURNING BRIGHT, available now from Samhain Publishing.
Watch for EMERALD FIRE, coming soon from Torquere Publishing.

Things are humming along regarding the things I can’t tell you about just yet. Negotiations are done. Now I’m waiting for contracts to be finalized. As soon as I sign, I’ll announce. In the meantime, I’m pounding away at my keyboard.

I have the most absurd schedule. Those 12 things I have to write or edit between now and January 2nd have to overlap so that I can finish them all on time and not have my name changed to MUD. 🙂

I’m nearing completion on one short. It’s a futuristic story. I’ll be hunting down beta readers before the day is out. I’m not sure about this one. It’s not my usual burning-up-the-sheets story, but then, the editor wanted sensual as opposed to erotic. There’s a lot of world-building that has to go into very few pages. I hope I’ve succeeded without boring the reader to death!

First thing this morning, I organized a round of critiques for this weekend with my Rose’s Colored Glasses group. Just one more thing off my plate—other then the fact I have to review three sets of authors’ stories myself before the weekend’s out.

I have to complete my review of the final galley for She Shifters. Although I’ve read this manuscript a dozen times, I’m still excited by the stories. I hope readers will feel the same way when they see it in July!

So where am I today? Deep in Storyland. Moving through worlds set in the future on the planet Mars, diving into icy waters with selkies, swimming in warm oceans with dragons, and hopefully, if I don’t run out of time, charging back to Memphis with my cops from Delta Heat. If I’m lucky, I’ll finish up just after dinner time.

And you thought the life of a writer was so easy!