Sunday, October 26, 2014

SATURDAY & SUNDAY RECAP!


Well, it’s been one heck of a weekend after one heck of a week.  Sorry for not posting earlier.  My dear, sweet, prayer partner, a seventy-nine year-old blind man, passed away early last Monday.  It was a shock, and it hurt to lose someone who has been like a dad to me. 

And on Thursday, I had cataract surgery on my left eye. The one that had a retina detachment back in February and caused me to go blind for almost three weeks.  Suffice it to say, I went back to day job, but still have a bit nausea and a headache. I put both those down to stress and too many Ibuprofens. 

Now, yesterday, my younger sister had a ruptured appendix, which required emergency surgery, but she is doing great.  Thank you Lord!

I hope to be back on track next week with my Thursday Pick Me Up.  I know I said I would try to do it and then just have it scheduled to post but that just did not happen.

So, until next time, read a good book.  Try one of mine if you have not already done so, and try buying from the publisher site itself.  It is an awesome way to get better deals and to help out the authors!

Hugs and God Bless!!!!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY RECAP!


Okay, yes, I missed posting my Pick Me Up Thursday blog.  I am so sorry, but it was not a good day for me. I found out I needed a new furnace, my eye drops could not be picked up for upcoming cataract surgery, and I lost my debit card.  Can we say ouch?

Things have now reconciled themselves, so I am ready to tell you what I’ve been doing. Homework, homework, and more homework.  GOTTA love the midterm of the semester. NOT!  On a lighter side, I did get to read a book and then start a new one.

How many of ya’ll like to relax by being taken away from everyday life?

Please stop by and let me know!

Hugs and since I will be having surgery on Thursday, I will try to get my blog finished and ready to be released before I leave home that morning.

Monday, October 13, 2014

PLEASE MAKE WELCOME, THE FABULOUSLY TALENTED AUTHOR ELIZA MARCH!


Let’s make welcome, a wonderful author of multiple genres, and one of my dearest friends. Not to mention a tremendously awesome critique partner. Eliza is a talent to be reckoned with. She can pop out an erotic romance, then switch to contemporary, or do a fascinating paranormal!  Today we are honored to have her with us on this first day of her newest release, “Witch’s Tattoo.”  
 
Hi, Faith and everyone visiting today! I’m ready for your interrogation, but when I saw the questions, I recalled you’re taking a criminology course. So shoot!
 
Faith: Please, tell us a little bit about yourself.
 
Eliza: There is no telling a little bit about me. I’m sixty-seven, and I have lived a very full life. Married to the same man I met when I was twenty, and five children, three grandchildren, and several business later, here I am. I didn’t began writing fiction until after my children were grown. Genealogy sparked my interest in fiction about eighteen years ago—along with years of reading and a lot of red wine. (Darn you, Harlequin Reader Service, those books, bookmarks, and wine glasses almost did me in.)

Faith: Have you always wanted to write, and if so at what age?

Eliza: I always feel so inept answering this question because the answer is “no” not really, but sort of. I always said, “Gee, someday I should write a book,” and rolled my eyes because…well, who doesn’t? And I guess I did actually write all my life, but it was journalistic, educational, and copy writing. When the day came that I did write fiction, it was nothing like what I’d thought about writing in the past.

Faith: Did you fall into writing erotic romance because it was something you've always wanted to do?

Eliza: Heck NO! I never even thought about it. I wrote my stories and my characters were just naughty! I was totally shocked by their behavior, (but apparently, I was good at telling it). While I was writing my first book, I believe I developed a great deal of sexual tension and, as a result, had to get it out of my system with my next several erotic romance novellas. WINK

Faith: What can you tell us about the flavor of your first erotic romance book? I believe that would be Hot Highland Fling? 


Eliza: That was the first book contracted, but was actually the second erotic book I’d written. I wrote it to The Wild Rose Press’ specifications. I had a snarky, American heroine, who was tired of dating the too-busy-climbing-the-ladder-to-success executives. In that novella, when she is assigned to write an article about a Highland lord, she begins imagining her own sexual revolution with some great looking men in kilts. Actually, the first erotic book I wrote was a paranormal ménage. I like the freedom of paranormal stories, but the world building is so much more difficult than contemporary writing where the reader knows all the rules.

Faith: Today is a very special day for you; your newest release, the Witch’s Tattoo is available now.

Eliza: Yes, it’s my first mainstream paranormal romance novella. I’m branching out. I wrote Witch’s Tattoo for The Wild Rose Press to be part of the Halloween in the Garden Anthology. Don’t get me wrong, it’s mainstream, but still hot’n’spicy. I had to learn how to write sexual tension all over again.

Faith: How much research did you do on this book?

Eliza: For such a short book, I found there was a great deal I needed to know about the subject matter. You may not experience the benefits of my research in this book, but you probably haven’t seen the end of my world of witches and warlocks.


Faith: Is there anything in particular that inspires you?

Eliza: Most of my stories are inspired by a singular scene—a flight of fancy. I see a vision and my imagination takes it from there. For instance, Hot Highland Fling was inspired by that age-old question about the kilt. And then the characters take over the story. More Than Stud (the story of a forty-something female executive with her biological clock ticking like a time bomb ready to go off) was inspired by a birthday cake with too many candles. Across a Crowded Room was inspired by two scenes in someone else’s book. One was the library scene in Linda Howard’s, All the Queen’s Men and the other one was the one in the ballroom. The books are completely dissimilar but inspiration only means that one thing stimulates your imagination.

Faith: I understand you have also written mainstream romance before?

Eliza: Yes. The very first book I wrote was Across a Crowded Room, a romantic suspense written under my Elizabeth Marchat pseudonym. It wasn’t published until several years after some of my other books. Also, I’ve been working on a mainstream fantasy series for quite a few years. I have a working title and two books in the series written, but I’d like to complete them all before trying to shop them around. I believe every author has her favorite book concept and this one is mine. I want to get it right. 
 

Faith: Can you tell us a little about your other books?

Eliza: My other erotic romances, published by Siren-Bookstrand are great fun, great sex, and great heroes. Any Way West and Dual Bondage: Roped and Tied are about the world of Hollywood Cowboys—the stuntmen who are the muscle and the brains behind the movie heroes. And The Enchanted Mountain series is a paranormal sexual fantasy ménage trip that takes place near Artic, CO. WereCat Fever was a finalist in the RomCon Reader’s Choice Royal Crown Awards last year and The Moon, The Madness, and The Magic was a Golden Quill Finalist the year before.

Faith: If you could only write one genre, what would that be?

Eliza: That’s easy. Paranormal. No boundaries. I play by the rules so having fewer restrictions suits me.

Faith: Can you tell us what book you’ve written is your favorite and why?

Eliza: That’s like asking me which is my favorite child. I’ll tell you what I tell them. I like each of them the best. Like my children, each of my books has something to commend it, a special feeling, and a certain quality I admire.

Faith:
Your favorite character?

Eliza: That’s impossible. Every one of my heroes is special to me…and I have so many of them. GRIN. So far, one of my favorite characters is a secondary character who keeps showing up in several of my books. Ramon Delavega is an unknown. Who he is and what he is remains a mystery. There are clues in every book, but so far, no one knows for certain. (Ramon, in Defeat the Darkness and Conquer the Highland Beast, will also play a significant role in Damn the Darkness.)

Faith: What are you planning for your next book?
Eliza: Since recently republishing The Leopard, The Lion, and The Wolf and Witch of Air and Fire, I have a commitment to finish the Hearts of Darkness series. I’ve left a few of the guys hanging on for dear life. I should probably wrap up their stories before moving on. I may try to put out one a year as long as the series holds up. I’d also like to write the story of Desmond and Marisa, the fallen angels from Witch’s Tattoo.


Faith: What advice would you give an aspiring author?

Eliza: Write for yourself. Learn your craft. Listen to your heart. Have patience. Don’t let anyone deter you from your dreams. Don’t read your reviews until you understand you can’t please everyone.

Faith: Which particular author has inspired you to write?

Eliza: Well, of course, as I said, Linda Howard. But Nora Roberts was probably the one author who made me believe I could do it.

Faith: Please tell us where we can find you and your books on the web.

Eliza: Please, follow my BLOG. I’ve been talking to myself
there for years. I love interacting with readers though, and we have no limitations like we do at so many of the social media sites. Here are my links:

 
 

Witch's Tattoo
by Eliza March
Rating: Hot
Excerpt:
 
Male heads turned and testosterone levels rose. Hard to miss all that sexual magnetism. Michael’s possessive instincts kicked in, and he had to garner control to force back the jealousy.

The skirt she wore barely covered her sexy ass—like a black leather napkin filled with wicked delights. Damn, the witch 
looked hot enough to melt ice-forged steel. He tortured himself with the image of her wearing just the pendant and the boots—thigh high, black leather cut in lacy patterns, exposing her creamy skin below.

The tips of her long black hair brushed her narrow waist the way it had the night he watched her in the scrying mirror. His fingers twitched with the desire to trace her plunging neckline. A neckline that bared her deep cleavage and the pendant. He marveled at the way the metal settled between 

her pale ivory mounds, and imagined how warm the medallion grew against her soft flesh.

As she planted herself in front of him with one hip cocked defiantly and her hand outstretched, he warred with his inner needs. Michael held back to inspect each lovely inch of her and savor the moment. He couldn’t wait for the inevitable. To touch, to taste, to conquer…and to surrender. But not here. Not now.

 






 

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Sunday, October 12, 2014

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY RECAP!



Good afternoon, everyone!  I hope you’ve all had a good weekend. Mine hasn’t been bad. Still having some trouble with my back, but getting some work done. Yesterday, I became the proud mama of MacGregor Ramsey Smith.  NO, not a mortal child but a furry one. He came from the shelter and is an adorable mix of Schnauzer and. Shih Tzu.



Regardless of playing mama, I did get some homework squared away, and I plan on doing more today.



What I really want to talk about is tomorrow. YES, tomorrow on my blog we have have guest author Eliza March on board. Her newest release “Witch’s Tattoo” will be available also tomorrow.  She is a personal friend, a fantastic author, and a wonderful critique partner.  So please mark your calendar’s and come over and visit!




Thursday, October 9, 2014

THURSDAY PICK ME UP!


On today’s Thursday Pick Me Up, let’s talk about heroes.  What makes them who they are, and what we love about them.  I personally love my own guys!  Zacke, Miles, Gideon, Hawk, Ian, Wulf, Derek, Tiernan, and Gareth.  This group of men came unbidden into my dreams, my life, and dove into my computer.  I pretty much lived, breathed, and worried about their problems, until I finished writing their stories.

Zacke came to me in a dream when I wasn’t expecting it. I wrote the first three chapters of Kensington’s Soul for a contest, but did not place. I got pulled into his lonely but so worthy life as a vampire/detective.  As for Miles, he and Hawk walked right into the pages of the first book in my, Bound By Blood, The Legends series. I never saw them coming.  But once they landed on a roof in Savannah in their kilts they were here to stay.

Miles was always a protector of children and women, and he carried that torch in Dunbar’s Curse.  Gideon, Zacke’s mortal partner knew almost from the beginning his best friend had fangs, but it didn’t matter to him.  He got his own story in Gideon’s Heart. Hawk is waiting on the sidelines. He hasn’t told me quite yet what he is looking for in a woman, and he is carrying a load of guilt over what happened in book three.

I know what I love about these four guys—their hearts, souls, their desperate need to help others while fighting evil, but I want to hear what you like in a hero also. 

Don’t hesitate to drop me a comment or an email, I’m always available to fans!  Next week, we’ll explore how my other men came to be.

Until then, read a book, kiss a loved one, and have a blessed week!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

SATURDAY & SUNDAY RECAP!

I am so sorry.  I am running woefully behind this week. I did not get a chance to post my Thursday Pick Me Up, and now I'm trailing in the dirt on this post.  Please forgive my tardiness. I truly can say it was not procrastination on my part. I have been sick with a sinus infection, and have barely been able to get other things done.  I just now sent in my homework.  

Yesterday, I rested by taking a long nap, and then I found two stinkbugs in my bedroom/office. Oooh, I do not like those things at all. I hit one, thought it was dead, it disappeared, and I looked down and saw it on my wrist. Suffice it to say, I slapped my wrist several times to get it off. 

Today, I watched some old episodes of "Blue Bloods."  Man, I may be telling my age, but I still think Tom Selleck is hot!  Then I took another long nap, took my medicine, and started to work on  homework.  Yeah, sounds pretty boring doesn't it?  Oh well, I can always hope to dream of more exciting things than Criminology and History.  

In the meantime, everyone have a great next few days, and I will be making sure I get my Thursday Pick Me Up completed on time this upcoming week.

Hugs!

Faith