{Photo attribution: By CEphoto, Uwe Aranas (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons}

I want to first thank Delilah for having me on the blog today. I’ve been a long-time fan of hers and this is a very cool experience to be here.

Now about the post. Odd title, eh? I thought it was, but I’m often asked what I’m listening to when I write. I’ve written many different stories with all sorts of themes. So do I use a particular playlist for each book? Or am I a quiet writer?

Neither. Honest.

I used to be the type of writer who needed specific songs for the story for flow. That’s still true to a degree. If I want a certain feel for the story, like tense, then I’ll pick loud music or something that makes me feel tense. If I want romance stuff, then more soft rock.

But as I said, that’s not always the case.

Sometimes I listen to a movie when I write. I can’t see the movie—usually because it’s on my laptop and the document is over top of it—but that doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention. Something about the talking and the white noise soothes me and helps me get into the zone. The Avengers, Captain America, The X-Men, The Beatles’ Help!, and the Goodbye Girl are all ones I’ve used frequently. Something about the movies makes it easier for me to write.

Then there are times when I need music. You’ll never guess the main thing I’ve been listening to lately—instrumental music. Like? Like the music played in the movies. Soundtracks. The tension, romance, action and so forth are all in those songs. I get lost in them. Another thing I love to listen to right now is instrumental big band music from the 1940’s. I guess it’s because those types of songs aren’t played now or maybe because they remind me of my grandparents. I’m not sure, but I do love them. Right now, while I type this blog post, I’m listening to old Glenn Miller songs. J

Now I have a question for you. What gets you in the mood to read? Do you have to have music while you’re reading? (I do.) Or complete silence? What are some of your favorite songs? Let me know. I’d love to chatter music with you.

Here’s a little bit about my latest release, Stealing Home.

Stealing Home by Wendi Zwaduk
Book 3 in the Complicated Series
M/F, New Adult Romance, Contemporary
Novella
From Resplendence Publishing

The last person she expected to fall for her just might be the one she’s been looking for all along.

Bliss McMahon isn’t looking for love. She’s got a degree to complete and a life she wants to live. Besides, love isn’t looking for her. The last and only time she’d tried dating, the whole situation had ended in disaster. Being twenty-one and never going beyond second base doesn’t exactly endear her to the guys, but the one guy she never expected to notice her has. Will she give him a shot or run the other way?

Evan Phillips has a way with the ladies. He can charm them just as easily as he hits homeruns, but this ballplayer has a problem. He won’t be able to pass art history without help. Enter Bliss. Sure, he’s dated her roommate, and yes, Bliss can’t stand him, but he’s not about to back down from the challenge of getting her help. She’s spunky, out of his league and just who he wants. Can the ballplayer convince Bliss he’s up for more than one inning or will she forfeit before the game begins?

He’s ready to steal home in order to win the woman of his dreams.

Warning: Contains a dangerous combination of fragile new love, bone-deep angst and desperate rivalry that will consume you with throbbing, out-of-control passion.

Available from Resplendence Publishing: http://www.resplendencepublishing.com/m8/740-978-1-60735-861-9–stealing-home-complicated-book-three-by-wendi-zwaduk.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stealing-Home-Complicated-Book-3-ebook/dp/B00UW1VCDQ/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1427238260&sr=8-7&keywords=stealing+home
AllRomance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-stealinghome-1765610-149.html

Excerpt:

©Wendi Zwaduk, 2015, All Rights Reserved

Evan steered her to the building’s courtyard. The space, filled with various plants and trees, was meant to encourage the students and to provide a welcoming place to study. With the LED lights draped from the small fruit trees and fake snow surrounding the plants, the space looked festive. The play of light and shadow set a certain mood, especially after hours of activity in the building.

He glanced over at Bliss. A smile curled on her lips.

“What’s on your mind?” Evan slowed to a leisurely pace. “You ran away from me yesterday.”

“I’ve got lots on my mind.” She sighed. “I’ve got a couple of finals coming up, I don’t have a place to stay and I refuse to take incompletes because of my living arrangements. Does that work for you?” Read the rest of this entry »

Can you keep a secret? I can. The first novel I wrote, For All to See, I kept secret from everyone—except my husband, mom, and grandmother—until I typed THE END. So, maybe I can’t keep a secret. Darn it.

And here I am again, sharing my secret. You see, I never though this book would see the light of day. Not because the story wasn’t great, but because—even though I’d written one—I knew zilch about writing a novel.

I discovered I had to share my secrets to learn and grow as a writer and person. You know the old adage, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained?” We still use it for a reason. It’s true.

Five years, two writing groups, five classes, hours of research, six novels, eight short stories, one novella, and two re-writes later Madelyn’s story of tribulation and triumph is ready for readers.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” You don’t have to tell me your secrets, but tell someone who can help you on the path to your dreams!

For a chance to win a digital copy from one of my backlist titles…tell me…in a no limits world what would you love to do? If I could do it well, I’d sing all day every day. But this isn’t fiction. If I did, someone would have me arrested for disturbing the peace.

FOR ALL TO SEE

Bureau Novel 1

Pristine waters and purified evil.

Two by two, dark-haired beauties vanish only to reappear as hanging, plundered corpses. The Virgin Islands boast diamond-white beaches, lush green mountains, a rich cultural heritage—and a brutal killer.

Three years on the “Field-Dresser” case and Special Agent Nathan Brewer is days away from catching the bastard—if he can convince a certain brunette to trust him. Only the woman is more likely to take a casual stroll on the surface of the sun.

After fleeing her troubles in the United States for the quiet life of a school teacher on the island of Tortola, Madelyn Garrett never imagined she’d be fixated upon by pure evil.

In a fight for her life—with a dwindling number of friends—she must rely on her cunning and Nathan’s skills for survival.

Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Google Play |B&N | All Romance

Excerpt

The tough-as-titanium woman placed her hand in his as though she were as fragile as fine China. A primal need to shield her from harm thrashed its way to life, annihilating every reserve he’d clung to over the past few days. Some things weren’t worth fighting. Fighting the need to possess Madelyn was like wrestling a hurricane. He battened down and dug in the best he could. When that didn’t work he ran like hell. But one gust knocked him flat on his ass. One wave swept away the world he’d known. And he was done fighting the one woman who could rearrange his priorities.

Hand on the grip of his gun and the other wrapped around something far more dangerous, Nathan led the way to her Jeep. They rode in silence for a while. The echoes of their argument rang in his ears. He’d pushed her, but no further than she could handle. But now her head sagged against the leather rest. “I’m—”

“Don’t you dare say you’re sorry,” she interrupted.

Still tough.

“I was going to say, I’m thinking steak for dinner.”

“I guess it’s a good thing you’re a terrible liar.” Read the rest of this entry »

I hear a lot of complaints from bloggers and reviewers about “cliffhanger endings” and books that don’t work as a standalone. I sympathize, of course. Myself, I’m in a constant state of briny froth about what might happen next on the TV show Vikings. But the other hand, as an author, I know all too well why some books just never end.  Let me tell you a little story to illustrate:

Like a lot of indie authors, I also publish books through traditional publishers. For me, I focus traditional publishing on my YA books. So I published two books from a series a few years ago and I had a third book sort of mapped out in my head. I knew what kind of trouble I was going to get my rather troublesome heroine into, but I hadn’t quite worked out how I would get her out of trouble – that would work itself out in the first draft.

I called my editor at the publisher just wanting to run a few things past her and she gave me the bad news that they didn’t think they would go ahead with a third book in the series. “Marketing, money, sales, format but we’d love to see what else you have…blah blah blah”. All I heard was the plaintive weeping of my heroine. I literally thought “What am I going to tell her?” I had gotten her into a mess and now I would never get her out of it. It was like she was trapped. Days went past where I existed with a kind of constant sense of doom, worrying about her as though she was my own child.

It was weeks before I could even write anything else. I wanted to continue her story. When you spend two books with a character as their author they become part of you. My heroine is only seventeen when the second book ends. What‘s to become of her? Will she get through high school without getting suspended again? Will her relationship succeed? Will she ever make that trip to New York she’s been so looking forward to? If I don’t write her story I might never know. Only in writing things about the characters I love can I fix their destinies. Without my intervention, anything could happen – good things or awful things.

Even when I write books that are neatly tied up at the end with a satisfying and believable happily ever after I find the world I’ve created continues churning along. In Electrify Me, which ended with an HEA for the two leads, there was a small character called Levi. As I read my final draft I thought “He seems a little tightly wound up. Maybe he needs a holiday”. That holiday became Objectify Me. In Objectify Me Levi’s best friend Buck obviously has a slightly worrying drug habit. Buck is going to get himself clean in Purify Me, the next novella in the Fireworks Series. Will it ever end? Maybe not.

Small characters may seem inconsequential to readers, but to authors they often have complete backstories as well as just as many hopes and dreams as the main characters. Unless I kill them off (which is often a temptation) their problems become my problems. And sometimes they get their own whole book. Furthermore despite our best efforts in tying up every loose end even for our main characters, sometimes “happily ever after” is actually “happily until something horrible happens and then we start all over”.

So when you’re getting frustrated about a book that ends on a cliffhanger or a series that never seems to end, spare a thought for the author. If you want to know what happens next to a beloved character all you have to do is buy the book and read it; we have to write the darn thing.

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Thanks for having be back, Delilah! I love visiting your blog to talk about the inspiration for my latest story. This one is the second in my Eden series titled Unexpected Eden.

I write erotic romance inspired by the classics. I know, sounds strange, but it so works. Believe it or not, the Eden series started when I read an Emily Dickinson poem. Yup. Instead of the typical death, nature, or religious subject matter, the poem “Wild Nights. Wild Nights!” was very passionate and that caught my attention because she was known as a recluse and a spinster. What fascinated me was a reference to Eden in a nontraditional way and so I created the planet Eden. There are some basics for every reader to know about Eden.

On Eden only males are born.

No one wears clothes as that would be an insult.

It’s a minimum of two men to every woman.

And each Edenist is born with an ability related to his Kindred which is obvious by his birthmark.

Unexpected Eden was actually inspired by a Dickinson poem titled “Come slowly Eden.” This is another passionate poem that focuses on a bee and a flower but in a rather sexual context. So in my story, the flower is Serena, a pyrotechnic expert who works on sci-fi movies, and the bees are a couple of Edenists, Jahl and Khaos. Though the men would like to go slowly when it comes to convincing Serena to stay and be their beloved, they only have a week, so slow can’t be in their plan. However, Serena is a pretty confident woman with strong ties to her family, so staying on Eden for a vacation is fine but more than that is a problem.

Will there be more to the series? Oh yeah. Dickinson wrote over 2,000 poems, so I’m guessing there’s a good dozen that reveal this inner passion that is so at odds with what we know about the poet. I may just have to explore every one of those particular poems through Eden!

Always, Lexi

For a chance to win the first book in the series, Cruise into Eden, enter the rafflecopter below.

Unexpected Eden Blurb (Coming April 24 – up for pre-order):

Serena Upton wonders if she’s been transported into one of the science fiction movies she works on with her pyrotechnics skill. It certainly seems so when she’s rescued by three hot, naked men from another planet. She’s whisked away to Loraleaf, their home in the jungle of Eden, with the expectation that she will become their beloved. As they cater to her in every way, she begins to understand what it means to be their chosen one.

Jahl and Khaos risked everything, even the brother of their heart, to bring Serena home, but grief and self-doubt, etched in stone by their own families, seems insurmountable. Their only hope is that she can fill the void in their lives. They succeed in sweeping her up in their erotic passion, but they are unable to capture her heart.

Though Serena cares for Jahl and Khaos, she’s convinced she’s not the answer to their damaged souls. It’s better that she return to her family on Earth before she cares too much. That is, if she doesn’t already.

Pre-order Link

Unexpected Eden Excerpt:

Jahl stood there, his face and body hard but his heart a scarred mess. She wanted to comfort him, tell him he was worth so much more, but his pain was so old. What made her think she could make a difference. “I don’t know what to say.”

“There’s nothing to say. It’s history. You are the future.”

“Me, why me?” She backed up another step, Jahl’s gaze too focused on her.

He moved covering the space between them in two strides. His hands grasped her shoulders, but not roughly. “Because you are our chosen one. We want you for our beloved.” Read the rest of this entry »

POSSESSING THE WITCH is my Harlequin Nocturne releasing April 1st! What a great book to release on April Fool’s Day. The second in my Dark Lord Series following THE WITCH’S INITIATION.

This story is another twist on Beauty and the Beast. Did you watch the television show Beauty and the Beast back in the late 80’s with Ron Pearlman and Linda Hamilton? I loved it! It was dark, edgy and full of romantic tension. I’ve given a different take on this story with the Chicago underground tunnels that were built back in the early 1900’s to deliver goods to merchants in the downtown area. It was not all they’d hoped it would be and soon the tunnels fell into disrepair and were shut off to the public.

 Or were they?

In my world, the misfits and mutants found their way into the tunnels and made them home. My hero, Gryph Leone, is a shifter, raised in below Chicago. Given the best education by his adopted father, he learned to make a very good living despite his location.

Selene Chattox is one of five sisters who live in Chicago and help fight paranormal crime because they are gifted witches. Dive into their world and take a walk along the dangerous tunnels beneath the city of Chicago. You never know who or what you will find!

****For a chance to win a $5 Gift card***

Join my newsletter and come post a comment here letting me know you did and tell me about your favorite paranormal show, series or movie.

Possessing the Witch
Amazon | Nook | Kobo
IBooks

A spirit witch and a recluse unite to save their city 

Gryph Leone keeps a low profile because he considers himself a freak of nature. But when his powerful senses detect a woman in distress, his lion takes over. Before he knows it, he’s in a losing battle with a wolf shifter. And then a beautiful woman with bewitching eyes and her own secrets finds him.

Selene Chattox didn’t know what—or who—she’d find when she followed her premonition to the river’s edge. When she discovers Gryph, the spirit witch brings the injured stranger home, determined to resist the intense desire he evokes in her. But as he heals, they know fate has brought them together as they track a ruthless killer through the tunnels of Chicago. And as their passion ignites, so does the danger…

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author ELLE JAMES also writing as MYLA JACKSON is a former IT professional and retired Army and Air Force Reservist. She writes romantic suspense, mysteries and paranormal romance that keeps her readers on the edges of their seats to the very end of every book. When she’s not at her computer, she’s traveling to exotic and wonderful places, snow-skiing, boating, or riding her four-wheeler, dreaming up new stories.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Newsletter | Amazon Author Page

There are a lot of unseen pressures on a writer. We have to pick the right characters, come up with a great plot, find our ‘voice’, put words on the page, and get to ‘the end’. Once we’ve done that, there’s the whole process of polishing, submitting, and waiting for approval or rejection. If you’re lucky, you sign a contract and have the awesome pleasure of ripping your story apart to please editors. Don’t get me started on the delight that is promotion, or the vast, unexplored sea of self-publishing.

When I embarked upon this work, it wasn’t with some great plan in mind. I had ideas, wrote them down, and with great trepidation let someone else read it. As I delved deeper into the erotic romance genre, I despaired. I didn’t have any vampires or shifters, no BDSM, no motorcycle gangs or heroic SEALs. Heck, I didn’t even use bad language! Those were the things on the market so that’s what people wanted, right? Therefore, if I didn’t write that, there weren’t going to be any readers for my stories. Why bother?

After some metaphorical and literal hand-wringing, I squared my shoulders, cracked my knuckles, and got back to it. Writers write, and that’s what I am. Everything else is secondary. As I worked, I came to realize that there is room for my sorts of tales. My heroes are confident and considerate and my heroines are humble and hard working. They go through experiences that bring them to a place of trust and respect. I can’t think of characters who deserve sexual fulfillment and a happy ending more than they do! My audience might be smaller, but once I find them, I know I can give them an entertaining read. What I’ve come away with is the realization that there’s room for everyone; all sorts of heroes, all kinds of adventures, every sort of kink.

While on a clandestine visit to Earth, Prince Edem of Alpha and his bondmate Mallet by chance meet a humble cook who intrigues them. The impulsive prince feels a brief fling with an exotic human female sounds like the perfect way to conclude their travels, while his more pragmatic bondmate urges caution.

Despite all the reasons to avoid her, the Alphans seek her out, intrigued by her prickly pride and defiant disposition. For her part, Corrine is intimidated by these imposing and mysterious alien men, but finds herself overwhelmed by their determined courtship.

Edem and Mallet convince themselves their deepening feelings for Corrine do not have to include bonding, since such a commitment is forbidden by the King and subjects of Alpha, determined to keep the bloodline pure. But when danger threatens, the three are forced to choose between having the galaxy at their feet or losing each other forever.

Buy Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Ruled-Planet-Alpha-J-J-Lore-ebook/dp/B00U8389HK/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-ruled-1758583-340.html
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/ruled-by-j-j-lore/
http://www.bookstrand.com/ruled-mmf

About J. J. Lore

J. J. Lore needs three things; strong, black coffee, time to write, and…well…you can guess the third. When she isn’t inventing fantastical tales filled with passionate people, she’s shaking sriracha on whatever she’s eating or reading about the Justinian plague. For updates on her bestselling erotic romance releases, visit her at http://mllesnarratif.com/j-j-lore/ or follow on Twitter @JJLore1

Ruled excerpt:

They made her shake. She’d thought it was first with anger, then fear, but as Mal eased his mouth against hers while Edem circled his fingers down her back, she knew she was shaking with lust. How had she gotten here? She’d been so insulted by the gift she’d rushed to them thoughtlessly and had somehow admitted to them she was frightened of sex, but now was barely able to keep on her feet for the heat blooming in her pussy.

Someone’s hands were pulling at the hem of her shirt, and she drew away from Mal to glance down and discover Edem had insinuated his fingertips underneath the material and was now rubbing along her bare waist. Her skin tingled. Mal reached for her buttons and had the front of her shirt open before she realized what was happening. When the cool air reached her nearly exposed breasts, she automatically reached to bring the edges back together, her breath rushing in and out with a mix of desire and caution.

“Let us see and touch. Just here,” Edem said softly as he caressed her lower back. Mal stared at her, his eyes darkening as he gave a slight nod. It was stupid to even consider it, but she seemed to be doing lots of stupid things lately. This could be the test. She could say no and hope they would stop. Would they let her control this? She didn’t want to say no yet, though. She sucked in a breath and urged her stiff fingers to cooperate as she released her grip on the shirt. She was wearing a bra, so she could say no when then tried to remove that final layer and expose her. Read the rest of this entry »

When most of us glance at a picture, we see the main subject we’re looking at: a person we know, ourselves, the new house our friend just bought, the bride and groom at our cousin’s wedding. Most of the time we don’t really examine the full photo. All those details in the background hidden in plain sight. As I’ve embarked on my writing career, I’ve come to see pictures as worlds of their own, crammed full of inspiration. Each piece of the photo can be a story in itself.

My short story, Aboard the Aquitania, is set on the HMS Aquitania in the Roaring Twenties as part of a steamy anthology called Flappers, Jazz, and Valentino. In doing research for the story, I found old pictures of the luxury liner on the internet, and one of the pictures really stuck with me. It is the shot of the main dining room. While my main characters Penny, Mikey, and Johnny sat at one of the tables with their smart tuxedos and black bow ties, the other tables held heartbreak, consternation, joy, you name it. Did Lillian Gish enjoy dinner at that very table on the prior crossing? Did Charlie Chaplin stand on the balcony overlooking the room with his signature cane? Did a waiter get fired for spilling soup on a New York socialite at the second to last table on the left?

The background of a picture can be a fascinating place to look for inspiration. As I examined this photo for details to describe, I thought about the stewards who came in to tidy the room before it opened to the passengers. Maybe one took a drag off a cigarette as he straightened a tablecloth while another of his fellow crew watched from behind a pillar longing to touch him. The artwork on the ceiling had to be painted with scaffolding and a lot of precision. Perhaps the artist had a lover waiting in one of the cabins while he worked. This photo alone holds far more than a thousand words worth of stories, each a potential short story or novel.

So next time you look at a picture, peruse the background. Who is sitting at the back table in the distance smiling happily at the couple in the foreground? Who is the lady on the bench shading her eyes from the sun behind your cousin catching his Frisbee at the park? Find the story lurking behind the main subject and see how many words it’s worth.

****

You can read about Johnny, Mikey, and Penny’s adventure Aboard the Aquitania here in House of Erotica’s Flappers, Jazz, and Valentino edited by Jillian Boyd.

Excerpt:

The three friends strolled along the promenade, and descended the stairs two decks. Entering the First Class Foyer, Johnny noted several couples milling in the spacious room around pillars holding up the artfully painted ceiling.

Mikey looked around. “Terrif.”

Penny nodded. “Indeed.”

Johnny led them though the throng, and opened the door to the Louis XVI Restaurant. Round-backed wooden chairs surrounded small, round tables. Greek pillars supported an upper level balcony overlooking the dining room. The ceilings sported glittering chandeliers and a large, ornate painting over the center of the room.

“Good evening, gentlemen. A table?”

Johnny turned his attention to the maître d’. The middle-aged gentleman standing before them gestured to a table by a window.

“Thank you, yes.”

He pulled out the chair for Johnny. “Your waiter will be with you shortly.”

“Cheers.” Mikey pulled out his own chair while the waiter pushed the chair under Johnny as he sat. He walked away with a backward glance and a smile.

Mikey chuckled. “He’s a bit of a vamp, isn’t he?”

Penny laughed. “Sure enough.”

Johnny cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

The other two men at the table exchanged glances.

“Is nobody home? He’s keen on you.”

Johnny took the menu. “No he’s not.” He studied it, ignoring the taunts of his friends.

A young dark-haired man in a white shirt, bowtie, and black slacks approached them. “May I get you something from the bar?”

Johnny admired his kissable lips and slender form. “Rum and coke.”

Mikey put down his menu. “Screwdriver.”

“Nothing for me.”

Johnny and Mikey turned to Penny. “You what?”

“I’ll have something after dinner.”

Johnny rolled his eyes. “Our friend will have a Highball.”

The waiter nodded and left them. Johnny turned to Penny.

“No drink? What’s eating you?”

“Nothing. I just want a clear head for later.”

Mikey’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

A faint smiled formed on Penny’s lips. “Mind your own beeswax.”

Brent Archer began writing in 2011 at the nudging of his cousins. His first story sold, and he was hooked! Stay tuned for the May 8^th release of his first novel, The Bastard’s Key, the first installment of his Golden Scepter series.

Visit his website to keep up on upcoming releases, and follow him on Twitter: @brentarcherwrit.