This is something I like to do for me. I figure if I put my accomplishments and failures out there, it will give me a kick in the butt to do better as I move forward.

Guess we’ll see how well I do. 🙄

Psst! The name of the FIRST KNIGHT winner is at the bottom of this posting!

First thanks to everyone for all the support you gave me yesterday. And special thanks to those of you who went out and bought the book. Several of you wrote me later to tell me how much you loved it! That always makes the labor worthwhile!

I saw a really long list of conversation prompts called “Just 4 Things” in an email sometime back and liked the concept so much, I thought it would be fun to use them here—only we will only do three of the questions at at time to get to know each other better. If you’d like to play, post a comment and your answer to these prompts. My answers will be in the comment section too.

1. Four jobs you’ve had in your life:

2. Four jobs you wish you had:

3. Four movies you can watch over and over again:

Okay back to the book release and the winner of the contest. If you read the story, I’d appreciate you posting a review, or just “starring” it on the EC website. Help another reader figure out whether the story is something they’d like. And by random number generator the winner of the handmade, beaded bookmark and the signed book (any book I have in stock) is…Paula! Paula, email me with your choice of story and your snail mail address. Congrats!

Just a quick rundown.

I finished Four Sworn this week and submitted it to my editor at Samhain. Just 16k, but packed with naughtiness. I started to revise another proposal that my agent liked but thought the heroine might not seem redeemable. Then I read it again, liked it just the way it was and shipped it to one of my editors to see what she thought. If she shares his opinion, I’ll listen. If you’ve read me, you know I like taking the person who seems like someone you can’t forgive and making him or her someone you want to cheer for by the end. Or at least make their sins understandable. I’ve read too many trite “mistaken” sins that weren’t really sins and I want to read the grittier, truer version of that premise. Maybe a reader or two does too.

This week, the goal is to get the openings of a couple of new stories started and finish the synopsis for the second big book. I’ve pretty much taken care of the large goals I set for myself for April, so I can slack off a bit.

Today, I’ll be covered up with family again so no writing is happening. But pool’s open! Wheeee!

The winner of the Amazon.com GC is listed at the bottom of this posting!

But first, let’s review your choices for the next installment of Bad Moon Rising. The most votes were cast for Mason bringing DiDi dinner, which they will eat at the end of the dock. Then he will invite her to dance. They’ll share a romantic moment. The next scene will be with DiDi at the Stop ‘n’ Go where she will meet a woman who’ll explain what The Prowl is all about. Now, I just have to figure it out for myself. If you have any suggestions, remember, this is your story, I’m not supposed to be thinking too hard about the plot. You are!

I’m not planning on getting any writing done this weekend. It’s family time. I’ll be in Hot Springs with my daughter’s family today. I’m hoping the weather improves. Last night, I ran out into a hail storm with a thin straw hat on my head to protect me from ice missiles while I moved my car into the garage.

So, while I’m gone, here’s a question for your to ponder…

What is something that most people consider a modern convenience that you, quite frankly, consider a pain in the neck?

The winner of the Cat Tails contest (by random number generator) is…Terri! Terri, email me!

You still have time to enter to win an Amazon.com GC!
Cast your vote in yesterday’s poll!

I took the bubble wrap (thermal blanket) off the pool yesterday afternoon and went for it. 74 degrees and everything was nipple-y! But I’ll do it again today. I missed my daily water adventures (diving for live and dead critters).

Did manage to quick-plot the next big book. It’s complicated. Too many main characters. But I’ll go ahead and write the synopsis today and submit it. Once I begin writing, the focus will (hopefully) settle out. Also brainstormed a short novella with my BFF Sasha White. That one will be short and UNcomplicated. Need some of those. Then I spent the rest of the day, setting up files for May projects and getting them on my desktop so I can hop from one to the other when I get bored with work on the big thing.

Restarted my diet on Monday. After I quit smoking all those lovely curves I discovered last winter under the pudding disappeared as I packed on 15 freaking pounds. Why does the weight pack on so fast and disappear so slowly?

The winner will be announced Saturday. So, be sure to cast your vote,
then post a comment so I know who voted!

My horoscope today reads: Start something new — or do something over — this morning, and it should go quite well for you. Keep pushing through the afternoon, as you want to make things bigger, bolder and better then! Which kinda works because today I’m supposed to be revising a proposal. Looks hopeful, huh? Did I mention that I finished Lone Star Lover-3 yesterday? Yeah, and shipped it. Hope LF likes it and that it will be out quickly. Thanks, Masha, for reading it over before it went!

First, thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions about what should happen next in Cat Tails: Bad Moon Rising. If you haven’t had a chance to read the last installment, you need to do it before you vote.

Everyone who votes (and leaves a comment so I know who voted) will be entered to win a $10.00 Amazon.com eGift certificate. So, you get to choose what happens next and you get a chance to win something. There is no down side here! You can make more than one selection.

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Remember, you have to post to win!

A note from Tina:

I’m offering a scavenger hunt at all three places and my site to celebrate the release of my newest erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. I’ll be posting four questions throughout the day on my blog – answers found on my site – the lucky winner will get her choice of one of the following:

Adored – 4 stars Romantic Times – Second Place Winner NEC RWA contest2
Deep, Dark, Delicious – nominated for Book of the Week Whipped Cream
Reviews
Close to Perfect – 4 stars Romantic Times – “A walk on the wild side for romance readers”
Bad Boys with Red Roses – an erotic anthology with my novella “Tempt Me, Tease Me,
Thrill Me”
Take My Breath Away – 4 ½ stars Romantic Times – an RT Top Pick – Booklist wrote: “Fans of Lori Foster will enjoy Donahue’s light, sexy romp.”

So please join me today at Delilah’s, Book Junkie and at my site!!!

What makes for a satisfying sex scene?

Those who don’t read erotic romances would probably answer by saying the author should create vivid imagery. The passion should be obvious between the hero and heroine. The reader should be able to smell, feel, taste their lust.

While that’s certainly true, it’s not even the beginning of what makes for a satisfying sex scene. Before an author’s characters slip beneath the sheets there needs to be an intense build up of emotions so that the reader is sitting on the edge of her seat murmuring, ‘Now, now, now!! Dammit, now!’

You don’t reach that kind of intensity if your characters barely know each other but succumb to desire because they think their partner is hot. That’s physical attraction. And as we all know, great sex begins in the mind.

In my latest release Lush Velvet Nights, I wanted to draw out the sexual tension of each scene, to build anticipation in the minds of my fans and new readers. Just as importantly, I wanted to give the characters a bit of time to know and like each other, to be playful.

Here’s an excerpt to illustrate what I mean: In this scene, Nathan and Adriana are delaying their return to LA after a three-day erotic weekend at his mountain estate. After some heavy-duty sex scenes, I needed a fresh approach for their next encounter and came upon this. Adriana’s just hurled several snowballs at Nathan, catching him off guard and now he’s after her. . .

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Nathan grabbed her right foot. Shrieking, Adriana kicked at him. Her boot came off in his hand thanks to Hayley having wider feet than she did. She plowed through the snow with no real direction in mind. It wasn’t as if the neighbors were going to help her. Hell, they probably stood at their windows watching, waiting for Nathan to strip her bare and fuck her out here until she turned blue from the cold.

“No!” she cried. He’d grabbed the edge of the ski pants that came above her ankles, thanks to Hayley being several inches shorter than her. Adriana kicked as hard as she could and finally hit something solid.

Nathan bellowed like a gored bull.

Oh shit. Had she hit him in the balls? Rolling onto her back, Adriana gaped at his broad grin. He’d been pretending pain? Jerk. She gave him the finger and seesawed her legs so he couldn’t grab them.

Nathan rolled his eyes and sat back on his heels, away from her flailing feet, waiting until she wore herself out. Didn’t take long. Adriana lay panting in the snow, sweating from her exertions, too weary to swear.
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