Author Interview: Cris Anson

Please welcome erotic romance author Cris Anson to my blog today. Be sure to make her feel at home by leaving comments and asking questions.

Cris was most accomodating in answering my many questions. We had a great chat.


Ashley:  Why do you write erotic romance?

Cris:  Because life doesn’t stop at the bedroom door. And because you’re never too old to experience it vicariously or to dream that it might happen to you.


Ashley: What romance subgenres do you write in? Why?

Cris: I’ve written four contemporaries in my DANCE series plus two “Quickies” for Ellora’s Cave. I also wrote two contemporary romantic suspense novels for Cerridwen Press, their mainstream imprint. Then a character from 1694 Massachusetts Bay Colony wouldn’t let me go, so I had to write her story, even though I knew nothing about that era prior to my research. PUNISHMENT AND MERCY gives a horny young widow two hot men—a blacksmith and his apprentice—who both love her. I’m back to contemporary with my upcoming WHAT SHE NEEDS, which is in edits now. In it, a newly published erotic romance author does some hands-on research about ménages and domination. Oh, and she’s an older woman and he’s twelve years younger. Again, dreaming about what might happen to me?


Ashley: Why do reviewers say your books are “atomic fireball hot” and you keep a fire extinguisher next to your keyboard?

Cris:  The fire extinguisher is literary license, of course, but it’s an indication of the level of sensuality and explicit detail of my writing. I believe that nothing is off limits if the parties involved consent to it in the privacy of their home (or wherever). The sex act, in all its permutations, is an expression of their love and commitment, even though they might not admit said love and commitment until much later.


Ashley:  Are you aware of any themes that run through your stories? If so, what are they?

Cris:  I would say my books explore a woman’s sexual coming of age, no matter what her chronological age.


Ashley: What would you like readers to take away from your stories?

Cris:  That women have the right to be assertive in matters of their own body. That they deserve love. That giving and receiving sexual gratification can be the ultimate expression of that love.


Ashley:  Will you be attending any book or writing conferences this year? If yes, which ones? Where and when?

Cris:  I just returned from the Romantic Times BookLovers Convention in Columbus, which was a blast. I’ll be attending Ellora’s Cave’s RomantiCon the weekend of October 7-10 in Richfield, Ohio. It’s a conference for people who love erotic romance—readers, authors and editors. Find out more at https://www.jasminejade.com/romanticon/index.html.


Ashley:  What is your writing schedule?

Cris:  I tend to write in spurts. I know, I know, many successful authors say you must write every day, and the same time every day. But it doesn’t work that way for me. I’ll go for days with a blank mind, then suddenly I’ll sit down and do 15-20 pages. I’ve learned not to beat myself up over it.


Ashley:  Do you have any other passions besides writing? If yes, what is it? Why?

Cris:  I can’t live without flowers. I have a small army of amaryllis bulbs that bloom in the bleak days of winter (after their dormant period in the basement, I bring them up to a sunny window and nurture them). Outdoors I have a tiny yard that’s crowded with perennials, flowering shrubs, and annuals. The beauty of a peony in full bloom can bring tears to my eyes. I love the smell of rich earth when I yank out an errant weed, the sound of the breeze rustling the leaves, the patchwork color of dahlias on their stakes. A garden enriches my soul and soothes my spirit. Plus it delights the neighbors when I give out handfuls of cut flowers.


Ashley:  What is the best memory of your husband?

Cris:  His excitement about life and nature. He was a semi-pro photographer, and he taught me how to really SEE nature through a macro lens. To him, even a dandelion was a work of art. He would plan our vacations to maximize photo opportunities—Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia; the Swiss Alps; Canyonlands National Park; horse farms in Lexington, Kentucky; the Everglades in Florida. He was drunk on life itself and was always an optimist.


Ashley:  What is your favorite comfort food?

Cris:  Chocolate, mostly in the form of Dove Dark Promises. A close second is my sister’s home-made chicken noodle soup.


Ashley:  What relaxes you?

Cris:  A Chopin etude or a Schubert impromptu. A full-body massage. Reading a great book (and having a good cry at the happy-ever-after). Sitting in my garden when the sunflowers are in full bloom and the bees are feeding.


Ashley:  What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

Cris:  Saying “I’ll do that tomorrow.” Now that I’m retired and have no one but myself to look after, I’m happy to put off things like mowing the lawn or cleaning the bathroom. I’ll even postpone going to the supermarket. As long as I have milk, bread, eggs or peanut butter, I don’t need to make a full meal with meat and potatoes and veggies. Although I deeply appreciate someone else’s culinary efforts.


Ashley:  What decade has been your favorite? Why?

Cris:  My favorite decade is the one coming up. I’m alive and healthy and writing and enjoying life and want to continue doing so until I’m dried up and wrung out and collapse from the sheer joy of living.


Ashley: What a great answer! Me, too.

What is your favorite way to promote?

Cris:  The most fun for me is going to conferences and meeting fans one on one. Social media (FaceBook, Twitter and the like) can suck up all your time. Once I’m on a site, I tend to explore the heck out of it and before I know it, it’s time to call it a night and I haven’t done any writing.


Ashley:  I see we're a lot alike in that way.

Where is your favorite place to write? Why?

Cris:  Since I don’t have a laptop, it’s obviously my office (I’ve commandeered the smallest bedroom). It contains a full-size desk, wall shelves for my research books, filing cabinets, a good radio, a large corkboard and two printers.


Ashley:  What was your favorite vacation?

Cris:  Our trip of a lifetime was an Alaska jaunt. My husband was retired so he took a leisurely month (with many photographic stops along the way) to drive the RV from Pennsylvania to Seattle, where I joined him for three glorious weeks then flew home from Anchorage and back to work while he drove back. We took the 54-hour trek via the Alaska Marine Highway on a HUGE ferry which carried dozens of loaded semis as well as RVs much bigger than ours. Everywhere we looked was more stunning beauty and more glorious scenes of nature to photograph. I’ll never forget our helicopter ride over a glacier to its birth in the Chugach Mountains outside Anchorage, with both of us hanging out the windows to photograph everything as it passed beneath us.


Ashley:  Wow! I'd love to do that. My husband tells me he'd like to take a cruise to Alaska one day. My aunt and uncle used to drive from Ohio to Alaska at least every other summer after they retired. I'm not sure if they plan another trip or not. I don't think they're going this summer.

If you had another career, what was it?

Cris:  I spent most of my working life behind a typewriter, starting as a secretary and working my way up to executive assistant to presidents of several different companies. For many years my duties included fetching coffee for the boss and his guests (and even reconciling the boss’s wife’s checkbook!). It wasn’t until I was in my 50s that I had a boss who was younger than me and got his own coffee, and even longer before I had a female boss.


Ashley:  Even though I'm a female boss, I can't say that all female bosses are better than male bosses. Some are, some aren't. I like my present male boss better than I liked my last female boss. That said, I'm trying to be a really good boss.

If you didn’t write, what would you do instead?

Cris:  Make music. I’d love to be able to play the piano at a high level instead of just dabbling.


Ashley:  If you could have one wish, what would it be?

Cris:  That no one would go hungry.


Ashley:  What a wonderful wish.

If you could describe yourself in only one word, what would it be?

Cris:  Survivor. I buried two husbands after long illnesses and living through those nightmarish times made me stronger and more determined to love life.


Ashley:  Who is your favorite American Idol contestant this year? Why? (only if you watch the show)

Cris:  The only TV I watch is Dancing with the Stars and then I pull the plug until next week’s show. Oh, how I miss watching the sexy Gilles Marini dancing his way into America’s heart in his form-fitting costumes!


Ashley:  Are you a cat or dog person? Do you have any pets and if so, please tell us about them.

Cris:  I’m allergic to animals, but I’ve desensitized myself enough to enjoy my sister’s Cairn terrier, Miranda. She’s my “god-puppy”—when my sister moved north from Florida, I drove her to the Pocono Mountains farm where the breeder lives and we picked her out of the litter of 6-week-olds. Car-sick, Miranda threw up in the back seat as I drove home. She’s spoiled rotten, with a mind of her own (pulling against the leash, I swear she has the strength of a sled dog). She knows I’m her Alpha and whenever I visit, she brings me her favorite toy then rolls over onto her back waiting to be rough-housed.


Ashley:  Please tell us about your most recent release and where we can purchase it.

Cris:  In PUNISHMENT AND MERCY, a wanton young widow in 1694 Massachusetts Bay Colony is flogged in public for sexual congress outside matrimony. Her irate father forces her marriage to a dominating blacksmith. But the blacksmith's apprentice falls in love with her. Two men loving one woman. How will she find her heart's desire?

It is available as a download from Ellora’s Cave http://www.jasminejade.com/pm-8100-14-punishment-and-mercy.aspx , and online at Amazon (Kindle), Barnes and Noble and other sites.

Ashley:  Please give us your urls and your publisher’s url.

Cris:  Read excerpts of my books at http://www.crisanson.com/.
For photos and more info about me, go to http://www.myspace.com/crisanson.
Ellora’s Cave home page is http://www.jasminejade.com/default.aspx.


Is there anything else you’d like to share with your readers? Please do so here.



Readers are precious to an author. I’d like to thank all those who have read my books. I hope you continue to enjoy what I write and will let me know via the “Contact Cris” button at my website.

Cris, thank you so much for chatting with me. It's been delightful. You're an amazing woman and I'm glad to have met you. I wish you much success and I hope you'll visit again.
 

Excerpt from PUNISHMENT AND MERCY


by Cris Anson ©2010

Available at Ellora’s Cave



1694 Massachusetts Bay Colony



Her father’s dire gaze pinned her to the pine-planked floor. “All you need understand is that as of the morrow, Master Burroughs has agreed to take you to wife in exchange for your dowry of Asa Walcott’s lands, which I have held in trust for you.”

“What! You cannot be—”

“Silence!” His thunderous voice rolled around the large stone-walled room and came to rest heavily on her pounding heart. “You have shamed yourself and me with your promiscuous and devious ways. No God-fearing man is safe from your wiles as long as you remain free to sway your hips through the streets of Dunwood without escort.”

He took a heavy breath. “Being a widow does not give you license to lure the unwary to lecherous thoughts and deeds. You should be filling your days with good works for the poor instead of ensnaring the minds of those susceptible to the Devil’s intentions.”

“I have done no such—”

“You will not run your mouth to me! You have been nothing but a thistle in my boot since your worthy husband left his earthly home, God rest his immortal soul. You have caused me no end of dishonor by your shameless behavior. Today’s blatant display of your…your bosoms did not go unmentioned by the proper ladies of the church.”

With all her fierce will she kept her voice from rising to a screech. “It was the Reverend who stripped me of my gown, the Reverend who flogged me so harshly that I twisted and curled to avoid his vindictive strokes. Do not make it appear as though I deliberately sought to expose myself.” Mercy could feel her face and throat heat as the lie threatened to ensnare her.

Her father shot off his chair and lunged for her. “The Almighty help me, but I cannot wait until I am free of this burden of your insolent tongue! Would that I had been gifted with all sons, for your brothers have never shamed me.” He gripped her shoulders and began shaking her. Mercy’s head bobbed back and forth.

“I will handle the she-cat.” Master Burroughs calmly stepped forward, towering over them to lay a restraining hand on her father’s shoulder. The old man, heaving a deep and relieved breath, released her and, with an oath on his lips, retreated to the table and poured himself another mug of rum.

“Mercy Walcott,” the blacksmith said, gripping her shoulders with a fearsome strength, “you may have been able to ignore your father’s strictures, but I assure you, you will be subservient to me in all things.”

His eyes penetrated deep into hers, making her limbs weak, as did his thumbs lightly caressing her shoulders under the linsey-woolsey of her robe. “Beginning this moment you will obey me in matters large and small. You will walk a step behind me. You will hasten to do my bidding whatsoever it shall be. And I will save you from your wicked ways and protect you from the meddlers and the whisperers and, yes, the weak men who lust after you. Once you have felt the touch of my…dominance, you will wish for no other. This I promise.”

Releasing her, he spun on the heel of his shined leather boot and pinned her father with his stare. “I expect to see her at tomorrow’s church service, Mr. Phips, ready and willing to be wed.” His glance raked her for an instant, scalding her. “And I expect her to be suitably and demurely attired. Henceforth no man shall see any hint of what is mine alone.”

Without another word or glance, Master Burroughs departed her father’s humble home, leaving Mercy speechless and her heart thudding.

Ashley

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Interview with author Jeanne St. James

Please welcome my guest today, erotic romance author Jeanne St. James. I'm thrilled to have her with me. Isn't her cover gorgeous? 1) In what genre do you like to read? Write? Why? I like to read a variety of romantic subgenres. I enjoy most erotic romances: paranormals and contemporaries. I even read some urban fantasy. Once I find an author I like I stick with her. I love to write m/f erotic or steamy contemporaries. I’ve just finished a m/m erotic novella and a ménage a trois (m/m/f), both of which are submitted to publishers. 2) What was your favorite fantasy as a child? Has it changed? If so, what is it now? Oh, boy. I guess my favorite fantasy as a child was to own an Arabian horse breeding/showing farm. That fantasy has long disappeared! Now, I’d say my fantasy is to stay home and write full time. I’m working on making that come true. 3) If you could choose what time period you lived in, what would it be? Why? Now. I love computers and the Internet and having running water. J 4) If you could meet anyone in history, who would it be? Why? Queen Elizabeth I. She was a very strong woman who overcame a lot of challenges. 5) What fictional character would you most like to have come to life? Why? Anita Blake. She is a kick-ass character who is not afraid of her sexuality. 6) What is your idea of the perfect man? My perfect man is one who knows what he wants and how to get it (without stepping on other people to obtain it). But I do love a man in uniform (police, fire, football players – LOL!). My fiancé is a State Trooper. He looks great in uniform. 7) What makes you laugh? Cry? What makes me laugh is stupid movies like Super Troopers or movies that Will Ferrell puts out. What makes me cry is sappy romance movies and when animals are abused. 8) If you couldn't be a writer, what else would you want to be? Why? A musician. I play the piano, but would love to play the drums AND I’d love to learn to play the violin. I would have an electric violin and just jam. 9) Do you have a mission in life? What is it? Why? To retire. J To write great books. I want to make people enjoy reading. 10) What are your thoughts on ebooks and epublishing? I think it’s the best thing since the Internet! Epublishing has opened up a whole new world for writers. Epublishers seem to be more open to different types of stories. And makes books more affordable and accessible for readers. I’d love to have an e-reader (soon, soon!). 11) How long have you been on Twitter and what do you think of it? I think about 8 months or so. I love it. It’s fun but can be time consuming. I don’t get on Twitter as often as I’d like. I don’t have a Blackberry so I have to be on the Internet to be on Twitter. 12) Besides Twitter, what else do you do to promote? I have a website at www.jeannestjames.com, a MySpace page at www.myspace.com/jeannestjames, a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/jeannestjames, and a blog at www.jeannestjames.blogspot.com. But you can find me all over the Internet. 13) Do you have any appearances coming soon and if so where and when? I am doing guest spots and interviews all over the Internet. I actually can’t keep track. I have to keep a calendar. Keep an eye on my blog or my Facebook page. I will try to keep my appearances updated there. 14) What is your website? Blog? Publishers' website? My site: www.jeannestjames.com My blog: www.jeannestjames.blogspot.com My publisher: www.liquidsilverbooks.com 15) Tell us about your current book. Banged Up will be releasing on September 21st at Liquid Silver Books. You can read an excerpt on my website, but here’s the blurb: Two scarred souls: one physically, one mentally. Both on the mend, hiding from their pasts… Mace Walker can’t wait to get home. Being buried deep undercover for the past two years, on the most complex case of his career, has torn him down physically and mentally. Now the FBI agent has come home to recover after having his leg badly injured from a gunshot wound. Arriving home late one night, his relief is short-lived as he’s faced with a stranger pointing a gun to his head, acting like he is the one who doesn’t belong there! Colby Parks, a biochemist at the local university, had come to town a year earlier to escape an abusive relationship. She vows never to put herself in that situation again. Then the perfect opportunity comes along: house-sitting for Mace’s sister while making the house she purchased habitable. But she couldn’t anticipate this big snag: the one wearing the tight Levi’s and worn leather jacket, looking like he had just escaped prison. Being forced to share a house creates sparks between them in more ways than one. However, things take a turn when their pasts catch up to them, threatening to pull them apart forever. 16) Do you have more books coming out soon? What are they. Tell us about them. I have two manuscripts in the hands of publishers: my m/m erotic novella titled Rip Cord and my m/m/f ménage a trois erotic romance, Double Dare. Visit my website for more information and excerpts! 17) Is there anything else you'd like to share with us today? I’m a HUGE Steelers fan. Go Steelers! Thanks Jeanne! I'm not really into football but if I was, I'd root for the Begals or Dolphins, my home teams.

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Guest Blogger: Author Emily Bryan

Please give a big, hearty welcome to my guest author today, Emily Bryan. She has a great article for us that all writers should read, IMHO. First, however, is my interview with Emily. At the end is an exciting excerpt from her latest novel.

How much time do you spend writing versus promoting?

It depends. Right now, with my 50day/50 blog marathon AND a looming deadline for my next project, I’m dividing my time pretty evenly. Each morning I start by checking my previous day’s blog, having my DH randomly pick the winner, and then I begin spreading the news about the current day’s blog. Once I’ve done all I can to make the blogtour work, I turn to my current WIP (my Christmas novella—It’s part of an anthology with USA Today Best Seller Jennifer Ashley and Alissa Johnson). I spend a couple hours in Writerland, doing all I can to thwart my hero and heroine before I reward them with love everlasting. If I’ve hit my target page count for my WIP, I spend some time writing ahead for the next week of blogposts, trying very hard not to repeat myself. I have some very loyal blog “touristas” and I don’t want to bore them.

While I’m walking my dogs, I kick around ideas for the next proposal. I run dialogue in my head while I fold the laundry. By the time, my DH calls to say he’s on his way home, I’m ready to leave Writerland and lounge around with him in the real world.

What part of the world is your favorite?

I have two and I can’t choose between them. One is the village of Hana on the windward side of Maui. It’s only accessible by a narrow road that snakes through miles of tropical rainforest, past bamboo thickets and waterfalls and views of the Pacific that are postcard perfect on each turn. I go to Hana in my mind almost every day. My other favorite is an isolated valley in the shadow of the Bear Tooth Range in Montana just outside the northeast entrance to Yellowstone. A creek riots down the mountainside and then wanders through the lowland, backed up with beaver dams into quiet pools. Wildflowers bloom in profusion, Indian paintbrush and Shasta daisies nodding in the tall grass. It’s the only place I’ve ever been that’s more beautiful than I remembered it each time I return.

Where would you like to visit that you haven’t yet? I’d love to go to Rome. The music, the art, the food and my daughter assures me the most handsome men in the world live there!

What is your most dearly held fantasy?

I would love to circumnavigate the globe. I fantasize about taking a world cruise with my DH, visiting exotic ports of call and making love in every time zone.

What would people be surprised to know about you that most are unaware of?

I have ridden an elephant. Is that surprising enough? Not a recommended mode of travel. They have very bony spines.

Where can we find you during the next year? 2009 is going to be a busy one for me. I have 2 releases—Vexing the Viscount on February 24^th and the holiday anthology at the end of October. Check http://www.emilybryan.com/Events.htm for updates on my blog tour and signings. I’ll be speaking at several conferences all over the country. Hope to see you along the way!

What is your best advice for pre-published and newly published writers? Almost everyone says they’d like to write a book. If you’ve finished a manuscript, you are light-years ahead of the writer wanna-be’s. Be proud of yourself. But at the same time, be teachable. Writing is an ocean. I’m still just dabbling my toes in the shallow end. There is always more to learn. Don’t give up.

For newly published writers, I’ll pass on the advice NY Times BestSeller Bobbi Smith gave me.

“Stay published.”

Writers are expected to be prolific. Be prepared to produce. If you let too long lapse between titles you run the risk of losing your readership. Work toward at least one title a year, more if you can manage it without sacrificing quality. Good luck!

Thanks for hosting me today, Ashley! I’d like to give away a copy of Vexing the Viscount to one commenter today, so be sure to leave your questions. My DH will draw the winner first thing tomorrow, so be sure to check back to see if you’re the lucky one!

And now for an excellent article from Emily with advice to heed.

Emily Bryan’s Fool-proof System for Avoiding Publication

Anyone can give you ideas to help you get published. Here's a few helpful hints to make sure you never have to worry about getting The Call.

1. Never finish a manuscript. Surely just your premise scrawled quickly onto the back of a napkin ought to be enough. It's the idea that counts.

2. Don't accept critique from others. It's your story. You should be able to tell it from the heroine’s dog’s points of view if you want. And be sure to ignore the publisher's guidelines. They want your manuscript double-spaced in Courier New 12 pt? Well, isn't that silly? You can fit twice as many words if you single-space. And if you use Ariel 8 pt., I bet you can cram even more on each page.

3. Never be willing to revise. Why mess with perfection? Your mother loves your story just as it is.

4. Agent-schmagent! Who needs another hand in your pocket? Sure, the publisher's guidelines require agented submissions, but that's just for those other less-inspired writers. Besides, if you're a tough negotiator on your advance, that editor will think twice about trying to cross you with pesky revision requests later.

5. Be as nasty as you can to other writers. After all, we're all going for the same finite number of slots. Leave the encouragement and mentoring of other authors to the Mother Theresa's of the writing world.

6. When you pitch, make sure you tell the editor how lucky he/she is to have found the next Nora Roberts. Of course, once she reads your 800,000 word manuscript, she'll realize how brilliant you are. But it never hurts to be cocky . . . er, I mean, confident.

7. Don't join RWA or some other writer's group. If they knew so much, they'd all be published. Besides, one of them might steal your idea for that genre-bending futuristic, erotic, chick-lit western mystery.

8. If you attend a writer's conference, be sure to stalk the editors. They like the attention. If you want to be totally memorable, shove your complete manuscript under the bathroom stall door to them. That'll get your work noticed! And I guarantee they'll remember your name. They might even tell their friends.

9. If you do finish a manuscript, make sure you don't start a second one before the first one sells. Just keep sending the same manuscript out to as many houses as you can, whether they publish your type of story or not. For good measure, if one editor at a publishing house rejects you, make sure you send it to all the other editors at the same house. Won't that first editor feel silly when the fifth editor buys your work? After all, it's not as if they talk to each other or, heaven forbid, consult with each other on their acquisition decisions.

10. Don't give away the ending in your synopsis. What better way to make an editor request the full manuscript than to finish up your outline with a coy, "If you want to know how it all turns out, you have to read the full manuscript!" Besides, they really need to read the whole thing to understand why you decided to kill off the hero on the last page.

If you follow these guidelines, I can virtually guarantee you'll never be bothered by a contract offer. However, if your goal is actually to see your writing in print, you might want to forget these rules or even do the opposite.

Happy Writing! And now an exciting excerpt from Emily's latest book:

Daisy masquerades as a French courtesan, she and Lucian are playing a very naughty card game!

Daisy felt like a plucked string. Her whole body seemed to vibrate in concert with her breasts.

One side of Lucian’s mouth hitched upward as he slowly pulled back his hand.

Daisy bit the inside of her cheek to keep from crying out for him to continue. Who would have thought a woman’s nipples were so sensitive?

“And now, mademoiselle,” Lucian said, “I believe we have a card game to finish.”

Whether by accident or design, Lucian’s luck soured. Daisy found herself fighting to control the tremble in her hands as she undid his breeches buttons. More than once, her fingers brushed his hardened groin in the process.

What’s he got in there? A lead pipe?

He was still covered by his drawers, but only barely and he’d just turned up the losing hand.

He made a ‘tsking’ noise with his tongue and teeth. “Looks like I can’t draw a winning card to save my soul.”

“Oh, my dear Lucian,” she said. “I greatly fear this game is of no benefit to your soul whatsoever.”

“Maybe not, but the rest of me enjoys it immensely.” Lucian stood, the better to present his remaining buttons.

She willed her hands not to tremble as she unfastened one side of his drop-front fly. The thin cotton fell forward and the tip of him was exposed above the cloth.

She’d seen artistic representations of penises in terra cotta. The little Roman lamp sprang to mind. And a few in granite, most notably the one on the nude statue in Lord Wexford’s grotto in the center of his garden maze. There were even one or two displayed in quiescent form in the classical painting in Aunt Isabella’s boudoir.

But this was the first one Daisy had seen in the flesh. Of course, she could only see the head, the dark skin pulled smooth. Already, she could tell the little Roman lamp hadn’t been anywhere near life-sized. Lucian’s penis leaned toward her of its own accord, straining at its cotton prison.

“Remember,” he said, his tone husky, “in this game, what we can see, we can touch.”

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Vexing-the-Viscount/Emily-Bryan/e/9780843961348/?itm=1 http://www.emilybryan.com Thank you, thank you, Emily for being such an awesome guest today. Please stop by often. Ashley You'll also want to see what Amarinda Jones, Anika Hamilton, Anny Cook, Barbara Huffert, Brynn Paulin, Bronwyn Green, Dakota Rebel, Kelly Kirch, Molly Daniels, Sandra Cox, Regina Carlysle, and Cindy Spencer Pape are up to, so make sure to visit them also. :)

Guest Blogger: Author Margay Leah Justice

Please welcome this week's guest author blogger, Margay Leah Justice. Make her feel at home by leaving questions and comments. I wouldn't mind some either. :)

1) What are your best promotion tips for other writers? What works best for you?

Word of Mouth/internet marketing. The internet is probably the best method of promotion at the disposal of writers today because word travels faster over the Internet than in any other form of media, in my opinion.

2) Where do you get your ideas for your stories?

Sometimes, my story ideas come in my dreams, as the one for Nora's Soul did. Sometimes they start as random ideas where a turn of phrase catches my attention and I think, "What a great title for a book" - and of course, I have to flesh out the story to match the title. Sometimes, they come from events that have happened in my life or from the news. Story ideas are everywhere.

3) How much time do you spend writing versus promoting?

These days, I'm spending more time promoting than writing, but I usually spend at least five hours a day writing - on a good day.

4) Who is your favorite romantic hero and heroine (movies or books) and why?

Darcy and Elizabeth, the Keira Knightley version for the movie. There is just something so magical about that pairing. I like that she never backs down or apologizes for who she is or what she believes in and won't allow anyone to force her to follow conventions. And I love that he learns to accept her for those very traits and chooses her over society's expectations. Plus, they are just riveting when they are together.

5) What do you do to help other writers?

I pass on whatever information I can to them. When I discover great marketing ideas or tips or discover what works well for me, I pass on the information to my writing buddies so they can use it, too. I'm also open to offering guest spots on my blog and/or interviewing authors. I believe in the pay it forward philosophy.

6) What is your best advice for pre-published and newly published writers?

Network. The internet is your friend - use it. Promote yourself, make your name known. you'll be glad you did.

7) What do you like to do to de-stress? (other than writing) I come from a very creative family, so I knit, crochet, sew. And read. Courtesy of Margay, some helpful hints for writers.

After the Sale

By Margay Leah Justice

When authors first sit down to write, the furthest thing from their mind is how, several months or perhaps years down the line, they are going to sell that writing. In fact, if an author, in those early stages, even considers the idea of selling, he or she is more likely to be thinking about how they are going to sell that writing to a publisher, not the public. So it can come as quite a shock when, after the sale is made, said author discovers that he or she is now in the position of having to sell their writing to another audience – the reader.

Enter the Internet. In this age of digital everything, the Internet is the author’s best friend. If one is to go by the theory that word of mouth is a powerful sales tool, then what better way is there to employ word of mouth than the means by which most Americans connect these days? To pass on the word, you need to go where the people are and familiarize yourself with their modes of communication. Create a presence for yourself on social networking sites such as Gather, Myspace and Facebook, or create your own on Ning. Establish a blog on such sites as Blogger or Wordpress. Or, if that is too intimidating, why not tweet? You can follow or be followed on Twitter and the best part is, each message is only 140 characters long. Not only is that manageable, it’s fun.

The most important thing you can do for yourself as an author is to make your presence known on the Internet. Follow the blogs of other authors, comment on them, ask to do a guest post on their blogs. Find reviewer sites and offer your book for review. Hold a contest and offer your book as a prize. The possibilities are endless. So go out there and sell yourself. You are your own best advertisement.

Here is an excerpt from my debut novel, Nora’s Soul, available soon from Second Wind Publishing, LLC. Hope you enjoy it, Margay Leah Justice.

“I don’t want there to be any misconceptions or hurt feelings between us, Nora.”

The sound of his harsh voice snapped her attention back to him. “Misconceptions?” she repeated, confused. “About what?”

“About what you and my sister expect is going to happen here.”

“I don’t – “ Her protest died on her lips when he placed a fingertip over them, silencing her. She nearly choked on a shallow breath at the fireball of sensation that roared down to the pit of her stomach at that minute touch. Thankfully, he withdrew the finger before she could do anything really damaging to her pride – like suck it into her mouth – but the fiery sensation lingered in her stomach, quietly banking a fire of old sensations into full life.

“I don’t need a social secretary,” he said, seemingly unaware of her reaction to him. “If I did need a secretary, I’d find one through a headhunter, not my sister.”

“Okay.”

“And I certainly wouldn’t take one whose background is in social services.”

“Well, then, it’s a good thing I’m not here to be your secretary.”

“Good. Now that we’ve got that established, let’s move on.”

“Please do.”

Kyle ignored that last comment as he launched into his speech. As he spoke, he made a leisurely circle about Nora, pausing to lean toward her in punctuation of each sentence.

“I’m not looking for a wife or a new mother for my children – “

“I’m not – “

“ – so if that’s the little scheme you’ve got going with my sister, you can just forget about it now.”

“I don’t have any ‘little scheme’ going with Joelle - or anyone else, for that matter!”

“Glad to hear it,” Kyle said, his tone belying his words. “Let’s move on, shall we?”

“Oh, please do.”

“I live alone. I like that.”

His breath skimmed her right ear as he leaned in close to her, front to front. She tried not to shudder at the pleasurable sensation it sent shimmering down her neck and into her stomach, where it joined the fire still banked there. She feared that she failed miserably. She almost didn’t hear his next words in the aftermath of the sensations he aroused in her.

“I throw my clothes on the floor when I undress.” He slipped around her right shoulder, but circled close to it – too close. “I leave the toilet seat up. I squeeze toothpaste from the middle. I sleep in the nude.” He leaned over her shoulder. His lips pressed to her ear, his breath searing a path down the left side of her neck now that, oddly enough, brought chills to her spine. “I like that.”

As the chills rippled through her, Nora swayed, slightly off-balance. Kyle righted her equilibrium with a quick, painless jab of his knees to the backs of hers. Then he pulled back, abruptly, completed his circle as he drilled home his point. “I don’t want anyone picking up my clothes. I don’t want anyone putting down the toilet seat or telling me where to squeeze my toothpaste.” He paused to quirk his lips in what could almost pass for a smile at the suggestive statement. “And I don’t want anyone buying me silk pajamas. I don’t want to be reformed.” He leaned his face so close to Nora’s then that his features filled her entire realm of vision. “Got that?”

Well, of all the arrogant, insufferable – ! Nora was trembling with rage by the conclusion of Kyle’s little speech. Just who the hell did he think he was, anyway, making demands like that?

“That’s what I missed about you all these years, Kyle,” she said with hard-won calm. “That charming personality.”

Kyle smiled then, but it was just a flexing of the muscles; there was no warmth to it. He leaned nearer to Nora, the tip of his nose in a position to touch hers should either of them make the slightest movement. It was an oddly intimate pose; a slight twist to the left, or a slight twist to the right, and their lips would be touching, even if no other parts of their bodies were. But the heat of his body – emanating from his skin in a wonderfully male scent that reminded her of warm summer days at the beach – did touch her; like a brand, searing another impression of him on her heart. The urge to melt into him wasn’t as hard as the urge to pull away; it took all of her strength to resist it. Oh, no, she wouldn’t give him that.

“Oh, I can be very charming.” He dropped the smile. “Or not.” Withdrawing, he stared down his nose at her, pointed a finger toward her collarbone. “Your choice. Just remember this – I don’t want to be seduced.”

“Oh, I don’t think there’s any chance of that,” Nora said, her voice so thick with sarcasm she nearly choked on it. She thought she detected a flicker of something – admiration, perhaps – in his eyes when she stated, “I’m here to take care of your children’s needs, not yours.” But whatever she thought she saw in his eyes was gone before she could name it. Must be my imagination, she decided.

“See that you remember that.”

“Oh, I will.”

They faced off for an eternal moment, two battle-scarred warriors at an emotional impasse. Each waiting for the other to flinch first. When that didn’t happen, they simultaneously relaxed their stances, as if by some silent agreement.

Kyle took a wary step backward. His eyes never left her face. “Good. Then there’s nothing left to discuss. Is there?”

“Just one thing,” she said when he would’ve turned away. She ignored the annoyed look he cast over his shoulder as he paused on his flight up the stairs. She started down the hall toward the sounds of merriment emanating from the kitchen, but paused when she came abreast of Kyle on the stairs. “I take my responsibilities very seriously.” She hesitated, for effect, then drove the statement home with, “All of them.” And then she was gone, leaving Kyle to stare after her in wonder.

Coming Soon from Second Wind Publishing, LLC

http://www.secondwindpublishing.com/

You can find me at http://margayleahjustice.com, http://www.facebook.com/home.php, myspace.com/margay1122, http://margay1122.gather.com/, and I also Twitter at http://twitter.com/Margay.

Thanks Margay! What a great guest you've been and what an awesome excerpt. Many happy sales. Please come again.

Wild Fantasies – Wild Fun (book review)

Here's my very first review for Wild Fantasies by fellow author Jacqueline George.

Thanks Jacqueline! I'm so glad you had fun reading my book.

Wild Fantasies – Wild Fun

Just imagine yourself as a strong, independent woman, professional in every respect. And suppose that through dedication and hard work you had risen to be the Chief Tactical Officer of a starship. Now there’s a job to dream about! What more could a modern woman ask for?

That is the world Ashley Ladd has dreamed up for her heroine Jala, a wonderful place out in space where a woman can be respected for the officer she is. But there is a problem. Jala’s dreams are filled with images of the ship’s captain Adam. And Ashley being the lady that she is, these dreams are very vivid and very, very sexy.

Every starship has its holodec where off-duty crew members can retreat to live briefly in their choice of private fantasy world. And Jala chooses to spend her down time dressed in no more than a micro skirt and heels, taking advantage of a rampant holographic Adam.

The holodec becomes so enticing that Jala spends more and more time indulging in her favourite fantasies, and it becomes increasingly difficult to face the real life Adam. And things get worse when the Captain begins to suspect what is going on.

Wild Fantasies takes us on roller coaster ride through exotic lagoons, girlie bars and Edwardian London as Jala challenges and enjoys Adam, not knowing what is real and what is just her fevered imagination. And at the same time, she is working beside Adam to fight off alien space ships. The lives of the crew and the ship itself depend on them working together as closely in real life as Jala had imagined in her fantasies...

Once again, thanks Jacqueline!

Y'all visit Jacqueline's new website at Jacqueline George and check out her book that will be released soon.

Guest Blogger: Author & Master Promoter Marcia James

Please welcome today's guest author and master promoter, Marcia James. I hope you'll check out her books, her website, and leave plenty of comments for her.
1) You have a very busy promotion schedule this year. Please tell us where your readers can meet you, including Lori Foster’s Readers and Authors Get-together in Cincinnati this summer.

I love meeting readers, so I do as many booksignings and conferences as I can. I have two signings scheduled this month (Feb. 16 and 23) at the Pickerington, OH Barnes & Noble; then two signings in April—one at the Pittsburgh Romantic Times (RT) convention (April 19) and one at Chicago’s Spring Fling conference (April 26). The RT convention is especially campy and fun, with wall-to-wall costume parties, romance cover hunks, and a signing with hundreds of authors. From June 6-8, authors Dianne Castell and Lori Foster host their annual Readers & Authors Get-together in Cincinnati, OH, which includes lots of games and raffles, along with a booksigning. I never miss it! Then July 30, I’ll be one of 400+ authors signing to raise money for literacy at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) national conference in San Francisco. The details for all of these events are on the Schedule page of my Web site: www.MarciaJames.net.

2) You’ve had a lot of eclectic careers. Please tell us about them.

I have an interdisciplinary Masters in Communications and Creative Writing, and my career has included writing scripts for submarine training videos, ads for shoe stores, and press releases for non-profit organizations. I’ve freelanced for over twenty years, writing a wide variety of challenging projects—most with a marketing or promotional aspect. I have to admit, though, that penning romances is a lot more fun that writing a How To Install Neon Signs manual!

3) You’ve got to tell us about Dr. Allegra “Ally” Skye, sex therapist and amateur sleuth’s Sex Q&A. Do a lot of people come to Dr. Ally for help?

My latest manuscript, which is currently under consideration at Avon, Berkley, and Dorchester, is the debut book in a comic romantic mystery series featuring a female amateur sleuth/sex therapist. I enjoy writing about Dr. Ally Skye, who has her own sex advice column on my Web site. People email questions to Dr. Skye’s Sex Q&A, and friends suggest topics of discussion. The good doctor’s answers are meant to be entertaining, but they can also be enlightening! ;-D

4) I also want to hear about your delicious Avocado body paint recipe. How did you come up with that? Have you used it personally and for what occasion?

Lori Foster and her Bookjunkys group came up with the idea for a cookbook of author recipes to raise money to support the U.S. troops. Since I don’t cook, I contributed a recipe for Avocado Body Paint to the cookbook, The Write Ingredients. (Anyone interested in this cookbook, which features recipes from over 90 authors, can check the Home page of my Web site for more information.) My recipe is basically a yummy one for avocado dip, but it can also be used for some tasty fun. I’ve tried it, but just like chocolate body paint, this avocado version works best if you use a new shower curtain liner as a drop cloth!

5) Please tell us about your other career of developing marketing and promotional materials. Tell us about your free promotional download that you offer to authors.

In my nonfiction/business writing career, I develop everything from brochures, articles, and slide shows to TV/radio commercials and newspaper ads. Whether the materials are for information, training, or marketing purposes, there is also a persuasive element to them. As a writer, I need to figure out what will keep the reader or audience interested and what will persuade them to do what the client wants them to do—e.g., understand a concept, learn a skill, or buy a product. I’ve enjoyed applying those persuasive writing skills to author promotion. And in studying the many opportunities for authors to self-promote, I’ve developed a Microsoft WORD file of PR resources and information. I drop new info into the file as I come across it, and I offer the file free to any author who would like it. Just go to the “Contact Me” page on my Web site and send me an email requesting the file. That brings traffic to my Web site, which is always a good thing.

6) Please tell us about your charitable pursuits, which non-profits you help, and what celebrities you’ve met through your efforts. What is your pet charity and why?

I love attending non-profit fundraisers, such as silent auctions and casino nights. And when I lived in the Washington, D.C. area, I was involved in organizing a number of charity movie premieres and volunteered to work film events. The side benefit to this was meeting a host of celebrities, including Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck, Michael York, Paul Newman, and the cast of Northern Exposure. I have a virtual photo album on my Web site with shots of some of the celebrities. Now that I live in Ohio, there aren’t as many celebrities visiting town, but I enjoy making gift baskets to donate to local fundraisers. As for my “pet” charities, they tend to be animal causes, which isn’t surprising since I have a Chinese Crested hairless dog as my author logo. ;-)

7) Please tell us about your honeymoon in Hawaii including your two days of fishing for rainbow trout.

Hmmmm. Just how much detail do you want on my honeymoon? ;-D We had a wonderful trip to Hawaii, spending half the time on Kauai and half on the Big Island. Kauai has a freshwater reservoir that allows guided fishing. We didn’t catch a lot of fish, but it was incredibly relaxing just floating on this beautiful lake waiting for nibbles. Unfortunately, thanks to the guide, my husband and I couldn’t indulge in any personal nibbles, if you catch my drift. ;-)

8) Why did you ride an elephant in California?

Because he was there? ;-D Actually, when I was a child, I wanted to be a zoologist who trained animals for TV and movies—like Ivan Tors, if you’re old enough to remember Flipper, Gentle Ben, and Clarence the Cross-eyed Lion. So when my husband and I visited a CA animal park and had the opportunity to ride an elephant, we did. And last year, we petted a dolphin in Key West. But that’s the extent of our up-close-and-personal encounters with exotic animals, unless you count eating at restaurants that serve kangaroo, ostrich, rattlesnake, and alligator.

9) What was it like to be a movie extra? Please tell us about it.

I volunteered to be an extra in War & Remembrance, parts of which were shot in Washington, D.C. Since the mini-series was set in the 1940s, we were dressed in period outfits and had our make-up and hair done in 40’s styles. Most of the one-day shoot was sitting and waiting to be summoned, and we didn’t get to meet any of the mini-series’ stars. Not a very glamorous experience. I was in a church scene with a hundred other extras, and the pay for the 8-hour day was $50.

10) How did you meet David Niven? How did you get the nerve to ask him what he had on under his kilt? (I’m definitely getting to know you better in Cincinnati this summer). J

In the 1980s, I heard that David Niven was going to be a guest on the then-shot-in-D.C. Charlie Rose Show. Being a huge fan of Niven’s, I dragged my sister to the show and made her sit with me in the front row. When Rose went into the audience for questions, I jumped up and asked Niven what Scots wore under their kilts. He smiled that gorgeous smile and said, “Nothing.” The show went to a commercial, and we exchanged a few more words while Charlie Rose asked my sister for a date! She turned him down, by the way.

11) Do you still rollerblade?

I haven’t rollerbladed much since I broke my leg skating down an incline. I decided it was a lot more fun to snow-ski, since landing on soft snow when I fall beats the heck out of hitting asphalt when I crash in my rollerblades.

12) Please tell us about your online workshops for author promotion. Are any coming up and if so, how can we sign up?

Thanks to my PR/Marketing background, I enjoy giving presentations and writing articles on author promotion. I don’t have any online workshops until February 2009, when I’ll be presenting one that will include lots of “special guest lecturers” in addition to raising money for a deserving charity. (For more information on that, visit http://winecountryromancewriters.com/workshops.htm) In 2008, I’ll be presenting several in-person workshops—the first at Chicago’s Spring Fling conference in April, with co-presenters/authors Jennifer Stevenson and Pat White. Then, at the RWA national conference in July, I’ll be co-presenting (with RWA Librarian of the Year John Charles and Jennifer Stevenson) a promotional workshop for attending librarians. I’m waiting to hear back about several other PR workshops I’ve pitched. I have additional information about these events on my Web site’s Schedule page.

13) What is a snail figurine and how did you start collecting them?

Snail figurines are simply decorative items in the shape of a snail, which are made of porcelain, wood, metal or glass, mostly. I’ve always liked the shape of a snail shell and used to doodle them when I was a kid. So, while my friends were collecting frogs, bears, or unicorns, I collected snails. Since snails are synonymous with “slow”, I don’t use a snail as my logo, however. And the only snail that appears on my Web site is a caricature of one on the “Contact Me” page.

14) What is your average day like?

I get up around 6 a.m. with my husband, and once he’s off to work, I go into my home office and fire up the computer. I handle emails and small jobs until my brain is fully awake. ;-D Then I tackle the more challenging projects, like working on my latest manuscript. In addition to that, I’m writing a PR column for the RWA Kiss of Death chapter newsletter and an author news column for my local RWA chapter, Central Ohio Fiction Writers. I also try to guest-blog at least once a month and post on the blog that’s part of the Ohio Romance Authors’ MySpace page. (This multi-author MySpace page -- http://www.myspace.com/romanceauthors -- is having a great Valentine’s contest with more than 20 prizes, so stop by and comment on the blog to enter.) As for the rest of my average day, I try to keep from checking my emails too often, but I’m addicted to them. And I also make a point to get on my treadmill to exercise something besides my typing fingers!

15) Is there anything else you’d like to share with us?

One of the things I’ve learned since I started writing romance is how important the genre is to its readers. More than 50% of all fiction paperbacks sold in the United States are romances, and its intelligent readers are an impressive demographic. Many more women than men read romances, although I think that would change if males knew how many secrets they could learn from romances to answer to their age-old question: “What do women want?” (I often joke with the guys who come to my book signings that romances are instruction manuals for men!) Romances feature empowered heroines and heroic men, and it’s very unfortunate that some stigmas still exist concerning the genre. At times of great stress, the sales of romances climb, thanks to the optimism and feel-good nature of the books. And Psychology Today said that women who read romances make love 74% more often than women who don’t. There is no downside to reading novels with happily-ever-after endings. And if romance readers would make an effort to introduce at least one friend to the genre, the romance market would grow exponentially. And that would be a wonderful thing for readers and authors alike.

At Her Command

by Marcia James

DEA agent Domino Petracelli is chasing a career-making promotion and nothing will keep her from getting her man. Okay, so she’d rather infiltrate a Columbian drug cartel than go undercover as a dominatrix at D.C.’s Xecutive Branch sex club. But she’s up to the task. As the leather-clad Mistress Bella, Domino investigates the club’s drug ring while juggling a surreal roster of kinky submissives—and resisting one sexy client who’s not what he seems.

Police detective Dalton Cutter is a man with a mission—avenging his partner, who was murdered investigating the Xecutive Branch. Retracing his partner’s steps, he goes undercover as a club client. Dalton’s handled killers, junkies, and pimps, but can the Alpha-male cop act submissive long enough to fool Mistress Bella? And will their sexual chemistry, crackling louder than Bella’s whip, derail Dalton’s investigation?

At Her Command, a comic romantic suspense, pokes fun at the alphabet soup of D.C. law enforcement agencies. When the DEA, the FBI and the DC police unknowingly put operatives undercover at the same club, sexy sparks fly.

Note: Rated R for Risqué

Excerpt: AT HER COMMAND by Marcia James

Detective Dalton "Bull" Cutter sat slumped on the leather couch, drinking his third beer and staring into the eyes of a large Siamese. Chi, the sleek, blue-eyed tom cat, could have been fashioned from marble for all his stillness and unblinking gaze. Despite the open can of cat food Dalton had placed on the kitchen floor, the animal sat on the coffee table directly in front of him as though demanding an explanation.

“Jason’s not coming back, big guy.”

Dalton’s voice sounded rusty so he tried to clear his throat. But there was a lump he just couldn’t wash down with the Budweiser. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, and he wished he could find a way to turn off his brain. One thought kept repeating in his head: Jason Walters, his partner and best friend, was dead.

Twenty-four hours had passed since he’d received the call...heard his captain break the news, but the pain was still fresh and razor-sharp.

Dalton resisted tossing his beer bottle against the wall of Jason’s living room...his living room, he corrected. Jason had named his partner his beneficiary, a fact Dalton had learned from a lawyer today. The cozy Cape Cod home complete with cat now belonged to him. He’d give a billion Cape Cods for the chance to go back in time.

“It should have been me.”

Chi leaned forward as if to make out the muttered words. Instead of continuing the one-sided conversation, Dalton let his head fall back on the couch and his eyes shut. That night two months ago played like a movie behind his closed lids.

*****

“Hey, Dalton , heard about your spanking new assignment.” Laughing, Jason walked into Dalton ’s apartment with a six-pack of beer and two pizza boxes. “Maybe we should change your nickname from ‘Bull’ to ‘Mouse.’”

Several inches shorter than Dalton and leaner, Jason looked more like a college fraternity pledge than a cop. “Very funny. Besides it’s not definite yet,” Dalton grumbled, unwilling to think about the possible undercover job. Assigned to the Metro Police Department’s Special Investigations team, Jason and he worked whenever and wherever needed. They’d been involved in everything from homicide to vice cases.

Recently the Metro PD had received a tip that underage girls were working at the Xecutive Branch sex club. Dalton had heard through the grapevine his name had been suggested for the undercover role of a club client-–a submissive wimp who got off on pain and humiliation.

Damn. Probably retribution for some of the hot-dogging he’d done recently. Maybe he shouldn’t have been quite so disrespectful to the police chief when he was being chewed out for wrecking his third unmarked in a month.

Grabbing two beers, Jason put the rest in the fridge. While Dalton watched, his friend made himself at home, getting out bags of chips and placing them on top of the pizza boxes. Balancing the items, he carried them to Dalton ’s second-hand kitchen table. Unlike Jason’s sunny home, there weren’t many cheery spots in Dalton ’s apartment. The breakfast nook with its bay window was the best bet.

“I hear Captain Bennett thinks you’re the right man for the job.” Jason laughed at his partner’s glare.

Dalton cursed fluently. “Yeah, I’m 6’4” and wear a size 46 jacket, but I’m the perfect choice to go undercover as a bondage and discipline junkie?”

Jason snorted. “Haven’t you heard? Size doesn’t matter. And maybe the captain thinks you need a vacation from always being in charge.”

“If it’s such a cushy assignment, why don’t you volunteer for it?”

“And rob you of the chance to get in touch with your softer side?” Jason dodged Dalton ’s half-hearted punch.

“Maybe we should draw straws on this one,” Dalton suggested.

“No way, José.” Jason shook his head emphatically before taking a long swig of his beer.

“Didn’t I draw the short straw on that homeless shelter job?” Dalton laid on the guilt as he opened the chips and took a handful. “You think it was fun wearing flea-ridden clothes and sitting in the gutter all day?”

Jason rubbed the thumb and forefinger of his right hand together. Dalton frowned. Years ago, his partner had explained the gesture represented the world’s smallest violin playing “My Heart Bleeds For You.” Obviously he was getting nowhere fast with the “who’s had the worst assignments” guilt angle.

Dalton changed tactics. “Of course, if you don’t feel like you owe me for saving your life at the warehouse in October...”

Jason pointed the neck of his bottle toward his partner. “That was payback for saving your sorry ass in that 7-11 on Penn Avenue last June.”

As they fell into their familiar banter, Dalton raised the stakes. “That punk’s gun wasn’t even loaded. Now if you want to talk life-saving debts, what about that bullet I took for you when you were too busy hustling that working girl to watch your back?”

Jason denied the allegation, and the good-natured argument continued until he finally agreed to draw straws over the Xecutive Branch undercover job. The horrified look on his partner’s face when he drew the short straw made Dalton laugh.

“I appreciate your handling this assignment, pal.” Dalton laughed and saluted Jason with his beer bottle.

“Investigating the Xecutive Branch isn’t like busting some massage parlor.” Jason deliberately took the last slice of pepperoni pizza before Dalton could reach for it. “I’m the best damn partner you’ve ever had, so you better hope nothing goes wrong with this case.”

“A bossy woman, black leather, whips,...what could go wrong?” Dalton smirked. “The only thing you might die of is embarrassment.”

*****

The only thing you might die of is embarrassment. Dalton’s words came back now to haunt him as he tried to breathe under the weight of his regret and guilt. Thanks to him, his partner had convinced their captain to give him Dalton ’s Xecutive Branch assignment.

Thanks to him, Jason was dead. And the loss was sharper, deeper than anything Dalton had ever experienced.

Thanks Marcia! It sounds like a great book and I also gleaned a lot from your promotion booklet. I hope you had a great book signing in Cincinnati this past weekend.