I’ll keep it simple today. I’m off for a few hours with the ladies of the family. We’re going “antiquing”—just a nice word for lookin’ at a bunch of junk. It’s an excuse to get out of the house for a few hours, and some of us (me!) are a little restless after being chained to a desk for a week. I promise I won’t be away from my keyboard for long. And I’ll be sure to keep my eyes out for something fun or odd for a giveaway. 🙂

In the meantime, I’ll leave you with a question…

If you could have 50 pounds of anything other than money, what would you want?

Psst! Remember, the Bored Fairy and a Signed Book contest continues!
Post a comment to win! ~DD

One Reviewer’s Take

I want to thank Delilah for having me on her blog today. It’s really an honor. Most people don’t want a reviewer on their blog much less having them talk about reviews.

Okay, right to it…a little background about myself. I live in East Texas, raised in Dallas, married with one son in 1st grade and I work an EDJ. I review for Night Owl Reviews, The Romance Studio and The Forbidden Bookshelf. I also have a review blog that I update semi-regularly. Why the information about me? To let you know, that I’m a real person, with a real life and real everyday issues. I’m not a god, a fairy, or an ogre. I bleed just like you do. Why the dramatics about me? I have some things that I want to talk to you about reviewing and what goes through my mind when I’m reading a book for review.

1. I get to pick the books that I review. Bet you didn’t know that? Well, I do and I choose books/authors/publishers that I normally don’t read or know much about. I pick books that are way out of my comfort zone. When I decided to review, I decided that I wouldn’t read books or authors that I was comfortable with. In the year that I began reviewing, I have found authors, genres and publishers that I seek out on a regular basis. I have been given books to review from authors for my blog and again, I follow the same guidelines if I was reviewing it for one of the sites that I review for.

2. When I review a book, I look for the following: plot (does it hold my interest?), characters (do I even like them?), flow (am I having to start and stop all the time?) and lastly, did the characters connect emotionally and was it believable?

3. When writing a review, I don’t give out spoilers, the ending, the conflict, nor do I give out plot points. I will however, talk about what I did like about the book and what I didn’t. I hate when book review blogs from individuals give you a dissertation on the book. I mean, why buy the book in the first place? The blog already told you everything that you needed to now and more. This is becoming more and more commonplace with so many people reviewing books on their blogs and it really pisses me off. I have books on my Nook that I bought that sadly, I’ll probably never read because of it. Grrr…

4. Also, if you get a bad review, just remember, its only ONE reviewer’s opinion. Some people are going to love your stuff and some won’t love it. Reviewing is subjective and therefore, should be taken with a grain of salt. That said, if the review is snarky and/or down right rude and mean, please, please let the review coordinator/owner know. That should not be tolerated at all. That does happen and it puts all reviewers in a bad light.

5. Lastly, why do I review? I review because I love to read. Period. Some reviewers crave the power they have over an author but for me that’s the wrong reason to review. I review for the simple pleasure of reading and then telling people why I liked it.

If you’re an author, tell me some of your experiences good or bad with reviewers. No names, please. If you’re a reader, what do you look for in a review? I’ve listed below links to where I review to check me out. I look forward to hearing from you.

https://harliebooks.blogspot.com—personal review blog
www.nightowlreviews.com—Marika is my review name
www.theromancestudio.com—Marika is my review name
www.theforbiddenbookshelf.com—Kate is my review name

One last thing, contest…to one commentator a GC of $10 to either B&N or Amazon. And you thought reviewers were stuffy and not human?

It’s making the film festival circuit now, but when I can I get my hands on the DVD? And how timely! My story “Dr. Mullaley’s Cure” from Carnal Machines covered just this topic!

Does anyone know when the film is set to release?

When Inspiration Strikes

Taige Crenshaw

I was thinking of inspiration. As an author ideas come from a variety of things. Anything can spark an idea that can be put into a novel. Let me share with you the inner working of what is behind two ideas I came up with for books I am working on that are both part of the same series.

Idea Spark 1- Candy Craving

One day I had this huge craving. A strong craving for candy. I’m not a big candy eater. I can go years without eating any. Also I’m not into chocolate. Shocking. I do eat chocolate ever so often but when I crave it is for something else. I know you chocoholics out there are wondering what candy I am craving if not the all-wonderful chocolate.

Okay I will admit it. I am a caramelolic. Yes caramel is one of my fav candy. That nice sweet caramel is calling me. It is a siren call that I have been resisting but I am longing. Badly. Of course because of how much I am craving I have an idea come to me. A candy idea. An idea of someone who makes sweets for a candy shop and what happens when their craving takes on the sweetest temptation. LOL.

My craving morphed into a story idea.

Idea Spark 2 – Fro Affair

Sometime last year I was on my way home when I passed this woman who was sporting a slamming Afro hairstyle. The woman’s fro was big, high and poufy. I think it was a wig but it was so good I couldn’t tell. She was also sporting the clothing to go with the fro. She looked fierce. People were turning and looking at her. Me included. People were complimenting her on her look. Like any good diva she said thank you graciously and kept strutting. As I watched the woman stepping looking cool and fierce my mind was racing.

That day as I walked home I thought of the Fro. The idea took shape for a book with a woman in a fierce fro and clothes to match.

A fro brought so much more than viewing pleasure. It brought an inspiration.

Making the ideas into a story

The two ideas I had I worked into a series I am working on. In book two of my series there is a candy shop that the hero and heroine of the book frequent. They both have a sweet tooth. The candy shop owner will eventually have his own story and get to fulfill the idea spark I had from craving candy.

In the series I will use the fro idea for a supper club where the main characters go to. The owner of the super club will be getting her own book. I will be writing in a sixties theme night using my afro idea spark. 🙂

Inspirations for ideas are all around. Taking something that happens in the everyday life then using it create a concept is a fun thing to do. The unexpected can lead to so much more. Any little thing can give you an idea spark, which will be your concept for the next book.

Hmmm….now, I’m having a candy craving. Off to get some caramel my favorite candy to fill my craving. Yummy.

Taige Crenshaw is a multi-published author with books available at Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Liquid Silver Books, Loose Id, and Total-E-Bound. Taige has been enthralled with the written word from time she picked up her first book. It wasn’t long before she started to make up her own tales of romance. With novels set in today, in alternate dimensions, or in the future she writes with adventure, fun sassy heroine’s, and sexy hero’s. Always hard at work creating new and exciting places Taige can be found curled up with a hot novel with exciting characters when she is not creating her own. Join her in the fun, frolic, interesting people and far reaches of the world in her novels. You can find out more about Taige at her website: https://www.taigecrenshaw.com or blog: https://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog.

Power of Instinct—A woman does whatever is necessary to protect the man who is hers but once he finds out he goes with his instincts and makes her his.

Buy here at Total-E-Bound.

Psst! Be sure to enter your vote in the poll at the bottom of this post!

I’m back from the land of cowboys! I still have to unpack, wash laundry, download pics and catch up on email, but I’m not going anywhere for a while! Thanks to all my wonderful guests who kept this blog hoppin’ with fun excerpts, contests and snippets of their wisdom.

I have a contest winner to announce today. I’ll do so at the bottom of this post, but just a reminder to you all— Be sure to check tomorrow’s post for the new contest details I’ll post. And if you don’t have a long attention span, I have a one-day-only giveaway happenin’ on the Girls Who Bite website. Be sure to jump over there AFTER you’ve read through the rest of this post!

September will be an extremely busy month for me. I have books coming! Girls Who Bite and A Four-Gone Conclusion. Amazon’s already shipping GWB—so you can order it today! A Four-Gone Conclusion is available for pre-order. Just click on the covers to place your orders.

I also have a story coming from Ellora’s Cave, a vamp story set in New Orleans that’s one part of a two-person anthology with Paisley Smith. I’ll have more details to share later. But Bitten in the Big Easy is the start to a very hot new series!

There will be tons of shiny new excerpts, prizes, etc., because you know I can’t talk about new stories without wanting to make a party of it!

In the meantime, my Little Lizard Boy has found a new master. The winner is…June M! June, congrats, and send me an email with your snail mail address!

So finally, here’s the poll. Place your vote for what you might like to win. This is your contest and I aim to please. It’s in my DNA to please. Ahem.

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I’m thrilled to be a part of Delilah’s Blog. I’ve been a long-time admirer, but I have to admit I had a bit of brain fart about what to talk about. I’m usually quite chatty with people I know and with new people I’m a little bit quiet … unless you get a couple drinks in me.

Most people at RWA in 2008 can attest to this. Can anyone else say they’ve walked through the hotel barefoot, dressed to the nines and carrying an armful of vibrators? *Ahem* I thought not.

Well, that year was my first convention and I thought I’d talk about some firsts.

This year I had a lot of firsts in my writing career this year.

I had my first urban fantasy, Incarnate (written under a new name), release from Samhain Publishing. It was also my first with that publisher.

I wrote my first inter-racial for Ellora’s Cave titled Male Order.

I also wrote my first ever ménage with a male/male scene, which is my third gladiator book, Gladiator’s Seduction coming soon from Ellora’s Cave.

It’s been a lot of year of firsts and a few more, but I can’t divulge any of that information…yet. I know I’m a tease.

One first I can divulge, the one I’m looking forward the most, is my first Romanticon! Woot!

I am super excited to be heading to Ohio (also my first time there) for Romanticon.

I’m super stoked about it. I’m going down with a couple author friends and I’m going to be kicking it with all my favorite peeps, writers and readers alike—also the Cavemen. Can’t forget the Cavemen.

I have been so excited about this trip because I get to meet some more awesome staff at EC. I’ve met Val, Jeannie and Raelene already, but I haven’t met my editor, so I’m stoked about that. Also because when I go to the States and say I write for Ellora’s Cave people actually know the publisher, more than they do up here in Canada. So for me that’s an absolute thrill.

Ellora’s Cave is also my first publisher. They took a chance on me back in 2007 and made my dream come true and I’ve had a lot of firsts with them. First publisher, first editor, first book, first royalty cheque, first book signing, and first book signing at a Sex Show. Yeah, I did say that.

And believe me that sex show was a real eye-opener! It was the first time I signed books for Klingons.

Yes, honest to God Klingons and they were surprisingly delightful.

Okay, so maybe not real Klingons, but they let me sign their books in their human names and tried to recruit me to join the Klingon side. I told them I was strictly Federation.

Anyways, I am super excited to be attending my first Romanticon and to be visiting the Akron area for the first time.

Last week also I had my first bad panic dream about Romanticon. I was there and I brought nothing and I was super MAD.

I have an amazing dress for the Prehistoric night with matching shoes (I’m quite excited about it) and I have an amazing Steampunk outfit for the Futuristic night. I even made my own fascinator for it, but in my dream I forgot it all.

So I’ve started to make my first lists, so I don’t forget anything. I’m pretty anal about that.

The nightmare won’t be my last of the panic Romanticon dreams.

As you can see I’ve had a lot of firsts this year. Granted nothing exciting as the first time (though one of my heroines is going through that right now with a very hunky hero in my current WIP) or first kiss (which I always LOVE to write), but still a lot of fun stuff to look forward to.

So do you have any memorable firsts? If so I’d love to hear from you.

Amy Ruttan started writing at a very young age. Life and responsibility got in the way and writing was put on hold. It wasn’t until the birth of her second child and spending countless hours in a NICU she realized that life is precious and it shouldn’t be wasted.

Amy loves to hear from readers. You can learn more about Amy at her website www.amyruttan.com or her darker alter ego www.acruttan.com, or Twitter.

The oddest, most random things can inspire a story. In the case of my upcoming release, Go Deep, the spark came from a rejected cover for an earlier book. The cover was absolutely stunning, but wrong for the book—it suggested BDSM, which would have been misleading. We went with a different, equally stunning cover, but the first one kept haunting me. It was based on a striking black and white photo of a woman, her hands cuffed behind her back, a collar fastened around her neck. I’ve actually seen the photo used for other covers, which doesn’t surprise me.

A well-done photograph can be so powerful. It draws you into another world and makes you wonder. What’s going on in this scene? What’s going to happen next? Who are these people and how did they come to be here? What’s it like to be them?

I love the photo of this couple because it feels so intimate. But a more “posed” photo can be fun too.

Photographs don’t have to be graphic to pull you in. Some are more about the mood the artist creates with lighting and exposure and little details such as how she’s resting her head on the wall.

I’ve seen so many photos that I wished had a story attached because I wanted to know more. If only all great photographs were actually book covers! If only you could open them up and read about what happened before that frozen moment and after it.

Maybe that’s why my almost-cover photo popped into my mind when I wanted to write about a married couple hiding their true sexual desires from each other. What if the wife came across a photo that haunted her, and the husband saw her reaction? What if that provided the vehicle for them to start really talking to each other and sharing their most intimate needs and desires…

Of course, I had to change the photo to suit my characters. I added a man, then a second one. I changed a few other little details. But the mood of the photo—mysterious, erotic—stayed with me and the story reflects it. Amazingly, the cover artist, Dar Albert, captured a similar mood in her cover—with no prompting from me.

Go Deep is coming out September 7 from Ellora’s Cave. Here’s the final cover and the blurb. You can read an excerpt here.

In honor of my Go Deep release, I’m offering a $5 Amazon gift certificate.
All you have to do is tell me which of the above photos is your favorite!

A standalone sequel to Go Wild.

Beth is the shy, dreamy type. No one guesses at the wild sexual thoughts she hides behind that quiet façade. She doesn’t even share her secret longings with her husband.

Gavin loves his wife, but he’s tired of living in a marriage in which neither he nor Beth reveal their true desires. When Gavin sees Beth’s response to an erotic bondage photo in her framing shop, he jumps at the opportunity to break through her barriers.

He accepts an invitation to a showcase match for the amateur hockey team he coaches during Wild Nights, the infamous winter festival during which “anything goes, nothing counts.” But he’s opened a sensual Pandora’s box—Beth has some surprises of her own. When she meets Eagle, a free-spirited Wild resident, she knows he’s the perfect man to help enact her erotic fantasies. And once they go deep, there’s no going back.