MP-Assumed Calling book five of the Identity series is coming out this summer.  Each book is longer and more fun than the previous one…what can we expect in this book?

LM-Assumed Calling is Allen’s story, who has appeared in book 3, Assumed Identity, as well as book 4, Assumed Master. I knew he was an important character and an integral part of the story lines, but it wasn’t until I was finishing up Assumed Master he really began to talk to me about telling his whole story. Each of the Identity books have dealt with different aspects of the lifestyle and each have explored a different way of living it. Assumed Calling is no different. It will explore role playing and fetish fantasies, something I’ve yet to touch base on in the other books. Allen’s had wives and lovers, but he’s never found someone he actually loved with his whole being. And he’s not entirely certain Nicki, his object of desire, entirely fits the bill, but she’s definitely got his attention. The real issue for him is their age difference. Allen’s identity problems come into play when he figures out he’s getting older and everyone around him seems to be getting younger. And you’re right in that the books started out novella size and have progressed to novel length. I started out with the idea to write one novella. Identity Crisis turned into a series and while trying to keep it to the “prescribed” short story size, it seems my characters had a different idea about things and their stories just progressively grew into full length works, which is my forte to begin with. I’ve never fancied myself a short story gal so the novel length suits me better and I’m happier with the way the latter books turned out than the starter installments. I also thought this series would end with book 3, but we’re now up to five and while I’d like to say this will wrap things up, there’s another character Keegan D’Amato that’s constantly pricking at my mind. It’s not beyond imagining he will be next.

MP-As a wife a soldier you know the heartaches and palpations a soldier’s life can bring to a girl.  Which book do you think you achieved the hardest emotional peak?

LM-Concerning the Identity series, that would have to be during the time period that lapses between book 3 and book 4 when Julie’s Master dies. The first chapter of Assumed Master was pretty emotionally taxing to write. However, from my work overall, I’d have to say the hardest emotional peak came in my second book published, Bound by Trust. That story really hits home as it’s about a war widow and when Madi finally is granted access to her husband’s personal affects—it really hit home. Writing her meltdown and subsequent fit, for lack of better term, was exhausting and I found myself in tears right along with her.

MP-Tell us about Realmantic Moments.

LM-My how’s it grown. I remember when I first opened Realmantic Moments it was called Happily Ever Afters, which I soon learned was a quite popular title for many things and realized I needed something more unique. It wasn’t until I found my tag word and catch phrase, realmantica, that I came up with Realmantic Moments for a blog title and revamped my site. That was during the first year. During that year I stumbled through the motions of blogging and irregularly at that. I was lucky if I was there a couple of times a month. Then I realized there was no blog fairy and had to really buckle down and make my blog a place people wanted to be. I spent some time examining exactly what I wanted for my blog and decided I wanted it to be a place where writers could get a bit of advice about the publishing world occasionally, readers could learn more about me, and I could toss in something entertaining—like a guest every so often. At the beginning of this year I decided a move was in order and with some graphics help opened the new Realmantic Moments on a new platform and launched it with an excerpt festival of sorts and invited dozens of other writers to help me celebrate my re-opening. Since then I’ve hosted another excerpt event, which was very successful, have regular guests, participate in Six Sentence Sundays, join in blog hops and scavenger hunts whenever I can, and when there is a free day I talk about me and give some advice to writers. This fall I plan on tweaking even further and I’ll be hosting Flash Me Fridays, which will be an invitational flash fiction party and I think the readers will be excited and pleased with the other talented people I’ve asked to participate in it. It’ll be a regularly scheduled fun time and I’m looking forward to it very much. When I started out three years ago I had about two followers and I think they were both family. J My following has increased significantly since then and I get plenty of traffic. Comments are also on the rise and I love that! Very nice to be able to interact with the people stopping by. If anyone would like to pop in, please do so at: http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com/

MP-Of all your characters which one would you like to punch in the face?

LM-Oh you make me laugh. Dillon from True Identity. What many people don’t realize is a few of my characters from True Identity that attend the club Steele Image regularly made guest appearances in Force Recon: Somalia, book two in the series, an anthology I co-wrote with BethAnn Buehler, JA Lawson, and JL Oiler. Dillon is a very young Dom and not quite seasoned to say the least. In Force Recon, the Recon Marines become involved with my characters from True Identity and end up visiting Steele Image a couple of times. My character Alli, a female marine who’s been a POW, is a club member at Steele and her second trip back after her rescue, Dillon is tasked with watching her for a few minutes. He fails miserably and as a result, Alli is thrown into a violent flashback. Although I wrote him young on purpose, he turned out to be more immature than I’d bargained for and I would definitely say until I go back to him and make him grow up—yeah, I’d like to punch him in the face. J

MP-Since you write BDSM what’s the funniest ‘safe word’ you’ve dreamed up?

LM-I honestly have to say, I’ve not come up with a truly funny one yet. Not all of my characters use them, as is true to the diversity of the actual members of the lifestyle. Those that do take it very seriously and the safe words they use have some special significance to them so I never really thought of using anything funny. Now you have me thinking and I’ll have to work on that. J

Thanks for having me over, today, Michel!

Assumed Master…

 We may be born to the lifestyle,

Julie Stevens and Dante Larson always knew their tastes were a bit more eccentric than those of the average person, but acknowledgement of their chosen paths came at different times. While their lives have run parallel for the last twenty years, destiny always came knocking at the wrong time. Julie was a closeted edge player and before Dante could pull her free of her fears, Mason came along and dragged her kicking and screaming from her self-inflicted darkness, leaving Dante wanting. Although Dante’s been in love with Julie since the day he first laid eyes on her, he's happily married to Blake. But the tides are turning.

But Lady Fate dictates how it should be lived…

Still mourning the death of the only Master she’s ever known, Julie finds herself forced to live with the one man she’s been terrified of for years, Dante. While she has to admit something between them feels right, just as many things feel very, very wrong, starting with the fact he’s married to her gay best friend. Before she even has time to sort out her current predicament, another man catches Julie's attention. But after losing her mother, her sister, and her husband, can Julie come to grips with the fact that Keegan D’Amate jumps out of perfectly good helicopters for a living, rescue diving for the Coast Guard? And where exactly does that leave Dante, who knows for sure he needs a woman to complete his unconventional marriage? Quite frankly, he's tired of waiting.


Follow Lila at

Website

All Romance Ebooks

Amazon

 

The Frozen is full of little female demons that can rip the head off the body of a member of The Frozen one second then screw your brains out and brand you with their tail.  Gotta love them.  Since I had so much fun with the Flash Fiction challenge last month I thought I'd bring back some writers and introduce you to a few new ones as they tell you what this little Deumos dreaming about.

Cailean is from The Frozen and although her voice isn't heard in the book I'd thought I'd introduce you to the smallest Deumos because I plan to let this little lady have her own book she's so much fun.


Cailean's Lust-By Michel Prince  
            Standing at the end of the hallway I see Damarion leaving the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his hips.  A few stray drops of water are still sprinkled on his tanned skin and I growl wanting to lick him dry as my lips burn.  But I cannot.  Not until he says I can take him.  Not until the bitch Nemesio gets out of my way. 

            Still I stare at his firm chest and broad shoulders tight from the worry of our situation.  I want to go to him and let him free me from the confines of my clothing.  I wish to be naked before him and let him bite at my breasts while he spreads me wide.  My legs wish to wrapped around his neck while he rams me hard with his large cock.  I’ve seen the others wobble as they left his bed chamber and right now I can see he’s ready for those who wait for him.

            “Yahweh,” I whisper hoping he’ll turn if for no other reason then to question if my voice was real or imagined. 

            He doesn’t.  Instead I see Zuma and Nemesio on his bed for him.  While he’s closing his door his towel drops and I see a sliver of his ass and I run to the door.  He will be mine.  I will mark him.  He will satisfy me to the point my tail will barb his neck and his blood will drip onto my waiting tongue.




Time Crunch-Rosanna Leo
“Hmm,” the little devil murmured. “So many men, so little time.” With a satisfied smile, she pondered her options. They were all delicious.
She’d chosen her ensemble with care that evening, being sure to include seductive elements that would appeal to each of her conquests. But who would be her chosen victim tonight?
There was Raphael, the healer. He could never resist an opportunity to try to convert her, and so she’d worn an outfit that displayed her forked tail to advantage. Once he saw that evidence of her unrepentant nature, he’d fall as surely as Lucifer had.
But there was also Gabriel, the messenger. He was a sucker for ornamentation. Thus, she’d worn her beaded bracelets, the ones that draped so enticingly across her evil skin.
And then there was Michael. The strong one. The brave one. He was her personal favorite. So incorruptible. Unfortunately for him, he also had a thing for fishnets. 
Who to choose? Who to seduce? 
Then, shining as brightly as the star emblazoned on her brow, the idea occurred to her.
She’d take them all.

 www.rosannaleo.blogspot.com

Forbidden Rendezvous-Author D. X. Luc 

Desmond's body still tingled from her hot encounter under the Tree of Knowledge. He stood there, waiting in his splendid glory. A gentle breeze rustling the pale red of his wings.

Desi sauntered up and looked him straight in his green eyes before plucking a juicy passion fruit from the tree's branches. With a challenging stare, she took a slow bite. Juice dripped over her lips and chin.

He raised a black brow. “You've made a mess. Let me clean you up.”

Built to be nothing but perfect,  not only did he lick up the fruit's nectar, he lapped up every inch of her exposed skin. Hell was hot but his body was hotter and when he buried his cock deep into her pussy, Desmond saw heaven and beyond.

Each thrust made her quiver and come closer to the edge. He latched his expert mouth on her nipple and bit, the jolt just what she needed to explode in wet euphoria around him. Two, three, and finally four lunges had him groan his own release.

Breathing heavily, he finally pulled back and smiled. “Until we meet again, Desi?”

She bowed her head. “Always, Michael. My angel lover.”

Follow D.X Luc

     I’M GAME-By Cassandre Dayne

     “What do you mean what am I thinking?” Sabrina asked as she adjusted her ears, devil ears, and gave Channing a soulful gaze. There was no doubt she was hot and bothered tonight and hoped the change in her appearance would give him a hint. She needed to seduce the man who’d filled her every waking dream and was determined not to take no for an answer.

    “I’ve never seen you this way,” Channing said as he inhaled deeply and then gave her more than a once over.

     Sizzling wasn’t the word to describe her sultry outfit and she could tell finally how much her naughty thoughts were getting to him. Licking her lips in anticipation, Sabrina studied his crotch and the way his hard cock pushed against his jeans – tight denim she was going to rip off later. And then she was going to take his shaft into her mouth. The thought made her wet all over. “Get used to it.”

     “And if I don’t?”

     “Let me think.” Swishing her long devil’s tail, she glided around him in a full circle, tapping him with the tip. “If you don’t then I’ll be forced to use my powers.”

     “I’m game.”

WHERE TO FIND ME

http://www.cassandredayne.com

http://cassandredayne.wordpress.com/

Email:  cassandre@cassandredayne.com

http://twitter.com/bethanyhalle

http://pinterest.com/cassandredayne/ 

http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/cassandredayne 



Daddy's Little Angel-Melissa Keir

“Dad…daddy…please, pretty please.”

The whining voice of my teenage spawn was getting on my nerves again.  I’ve given  her so many things because of my manipulation of the world but is it ever enough for her? No. Now today she wants me to give her Chris Hemsworth as a new plaything.

“Please! I’ve only asked for sixteen dozen things this week but nothing as important as Chris.  I want to nibble on his neck, devour his mouth while I seize his hair, and run my tongue along his six-pack abs. I’ll be good.  I won’t hurt him like I did my last toy.  PLEASE!”

“I’m closing my ears.  I don’t want to hear what you’re going to do with that man.” Shoving my headphones over my ears and blasting my IPOD, I try to avoid her pleading, knowing that I can’t withhold things from my daughter for too long. She has me wrapped around her finger just as her mother does. It’s too bad that last plaything didn’t last a week under the ministrations of my darling daughter.  His soul was sold and he was begging to burn in Hell rather than face the loving of my little angel.


Follow Melissa Keir

The Taking by Shaun Graves

Paul’s own eyes lost focus as he felt himself growing weaker.  This was clearly the best piece of pussy he ever had because it seemed to be draining him with his every stroke.  His knees wobbled and he struggled to stay on his feet.  This was not the way it was supposed to happen.  It was Winona whose knees were supposed to wobble and give out on her. 

“Yes...you’re so vibrant,” she murmured, digging her nails into his back.

“Winona...stop...that hurts...”

“Pain...isn’t it beautiful,” she whispered, slipping a forked tongue into his ear.

Unable to see it, Paul writhed in agony.

“Winona!  Stop this shit!”

“Whyyy,” she uttered.  “Don’t you like it baby?  Doesn’t it make you feel like a man?”

Snatching his dick out of her sauna, Paul dropped Winona on her ass and scowled at her, still light-headed.  He was in a great deal of pain but a strong urge still compelled him to dive right back into her sweltering hot box.

“What the fuck is the matter with you?!  I said it hurt!”

“So you’re gonna be a bitch about it?!  You dropped me you bastard!” Winona screamed, angrily.

“Get out!  Get the fuck out, now!  You crazy bitch!”

Gathering her feet underneath her, Winona stood up and grabbed his erection, pulling it back to her to her sultry wetness.

"I own you, Paul...You're mine..."

"Get the fuck off me!  I don't want you, you crazy bitch!"

"Why is your cock still so hard then, babe?  I’m the woman you dream about…I’m your wildest fantasy, baby.  I know you, Paul...better than you could ever imagine...”

“Get out, Winona,” Paul said, swatting her hand away and reaching for his pants.

“You know, you really shouldn’t do me like this, babe.  You’ve fucked me way too many times for me to be receiving this treatment, Pauly…you don’t remember me?  Huh, baby?  Because I never forgot you.  All I try to do is keep it fresh for you…Can’t let this thing we have get stale…You owe me.”

Follow Shaun Graves

Properly Served-J.L. Oiler

Loki lay across her bed watching out her window at the newest batch of demons that’d arrived to join her father’s army. Since her father Allegory and Uncle Stardom declared war over the right to rule, there’d been an endless stream of demons arriving at the castle. They were definitely interesting. Coming in all shapes sizes and colors imaginable, they were something to see. A roaring voice shouting at the newest arrivals caught her attention, making her leave her leisure perch to stare out her open window into the rocky grounds of the underworld she called home.


“I said get into line your filthy sorry bastards!”  The largest and most muscular demon Loki had ever seen shouted as he swung a long whip which cracked at the feet of what she now realized were prisoners instead of recruits. Now that was a form she would gladly sacrifice her virtue to.

“Lord Darklyn, His highness king Allegory welcomes you and ask that I ensure you are properly served during your visit.” the liaison said loud enough for her to hear.

If Loki had anything to say about it, she would be the one to make certain her was properly served.   

Follow J.L Oiler 


I Wanna Be Your Bad Girl  By Leanore Elliott

I’m a good girl, gone bad and it’s all your fault. I’ve been dreaming of you ever since you moved in across the way. Our eyes have met and you’ve given me the sexiest smiles. For months, I have fantasized all kinds of ways to get you into my apartment, but I just never could get the courage up. When you told your buddy in the hall yesterday, that you liked bad girls? I knew then what I needed to do.

I pinned this picture to your door with my apartment key taped to the back. I wanna be your bad girl.

Come over and find out what a bad girl’s mouth really feels like while swallowing you whole. I wish be filled to the brim by all that sexy man you have inside you, as you give me every inch of that glorious cock. I am so wet just now as I dream of that delicious bod of yours, sliding over mine. I can even feel your fingers, caressing and tweaking my aching nipples while you mount me from behind. You’ve never had a good girl who wanted you this badly. Come and find out how good bad can be.

The Link for More Sex

Goddess’ Delight…by Lila Munro

Asmodeus watched as Artemis made her way through the door, her robe hanging open, inches and inches of iridescent skin shimmering in the light of the full moon’s beams easing their way across the room to caress the cold, hard marble floor. It left the impression of warmth, inviting. As her lover appeared to float across the room, Asmodeus turned and, planting both feet firmly on the down mattress, spread her legs and leaned back on her elbows, her tail twitching with anticipation. She flicked her tongue out and along her lower lip, her right hand finding its way up and over her burning abdomen and between her legs, heat rising to meet her fingers as they pushed past the flimsy piece of red silk barely covering her pussy. Artemis let her robe fall completely from her shoulders and as it swished to the floor, Asmodeus ran one finger along her clit, just enough to elicit a twinge of pleasure and it puckered beneath her touch.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” she whispered as that same finger made its way lower and sank into damp, clutching flesh.

“And you shall wait no more,” Artemis said a wicked grin spreading.

http://realmanticmoments.blogspot.com

You know that one wicked friend we all have that we hang around because they are fun and you can live vicariously through them?  Let me introduce you to mine.  Best Selling writer Ms. Cassandre Dayne.


MP-You’re known for hot m/m books.  Have you delved into f/f or is that something you plan to do in the future?

CD-I have written a full f/f book called The Fire of Submission that was very well received. I’ve also incorporated f/f scenes in other books as well.

MP-As a positive BDSM writer that’s done her research in the lifestyle if you and had a playroom (I say if because it’s none of our business) what’s the one necessity?  What the one treat item you would like? 

CD-I don’t mind telling – I don’t have a playroom but I do have some toys. Some were purchased in truth for a conference situation because I have spoken about BDSM. If I had a playroom I’d want an “x” cross.

MP-You have Red, Blue and Yellow fire.  Of the three who would you marry? Hump? or spank?  No reason for dumping any of them. 

CD-Oh my Russian vampire in the middle of all three is very hot and very sexy and I would hump him in a heartbeat. Spanking – he’d be doing the spanking and I would submit easily.

MP-With so many titles to your credit how do you balance your life?

CD-Life? What, are you kidding me? In truth I haven’t been doing a very good job and trying to remind myself there is a life. My dogs and my home life do keep me grounded though.

MP-Have you ever started with what you’d thought was going to be a ‘quickie’ and ended up with full length novel?

CD-Not entirely but I have had one I thought would be shorter and ended up putting about another 15k on it. I have a cadence though if I’m doing a really short piece and I just wait it’s going to be. Dirty Little Lunches is a perfect example.

Like a River-Releasing July 3rd through Rebel Ink Press

Dusty Walker’s country music career came to a screeching halt after the heart-wrenching breakup with the man he thought would be forever. Unfortunately his band was in jeopardy of losing their recording contract. Determined to help break Dusty’s writer’s block one of the band members suggested a change of scenery -- cowboy country. Intrigued, Dusty booked a flight to Missoula Montana and was amazed at the sights and sounds of the stunning snow capped mountains. Hurting for money, fixing up the cabin nestled in the woods seemed like the perfect opportunity to boost his carpentry skills while penning several new songs. Hiding behind a new persona he worked hard to rebuild his career while his demons nipped at his heels.

Damon Shade was a smokejumper by trade. Wounded in Afghanistan he lost not only his innocence to the war but his pride as well. Anger burned within him and he couldn’t control his raging emotions as more than one secret threatened to derail everything he had left. When he met Dusty, he didn’t like the guy but little did he know they both held their past horrors at bay in an effort to begin a new life. As sparks flew and they began to open their hearts another tragedy intervened. Would their respective secrets stymy what was awakened in a secluded cabin in the woods?

Contact Info

http://www.cassandredayne.com

http://cassandredayne.wordpress.com/

Email: 

Twitter

Kindlegraph

Pinterest

http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/cassandredayne 

ARe

            Distraction can be a blessing or a curse.  We’re supposed to be writing and editing.  We have the necessary distractions of social media requirements for marketing, familial distractions necessary for a supportive and peaceful home and then the distractions of sleep so when we write we’re not making punch drunk mistakes. 

            All of which are baring down on me as we hit the one month mark for the countdown for The Frozen’s release.  Yes I said one month and technically I’ve already passed that while I was dealing with the familial distraction of summer camp with the boy.

            See every year since 2007 I’ve been at some sort of summer camp.  Sure initially the Boy Scouts lure you in with a day camp or two or a nice two day over night camp.  Then as the boys get older you spend just one more night for outpost so the boys can get used to longer sessions at camp.

            Now I take on myself the fact that I choose to be a leader in the Boy Scouts of America.  I also choose to have this be the time I get to spend with my boy.  Although as a Boy Scout once you step foot on the reservation you have no child at camp you have troop of kids and we are their models for behavior.  (Warning to all who have me as a model there are other leaders too.)

            This distraction comes with responsibilities that when you have less than thirty days to your book release date seems strange to give up twelve days to Boy Scouts.  Two of those are travel days because I take my son to my father’s camp, which is in another council two states away.  It’s a good thing though because my son is the third generation to enjoy the camp and learn it’s ways. 

            I’ll have to now decide if I want to distract myself for another seven days at his troop’s camp too.  See how those day camps seem like not a big deal.  But we are in the age of technology and we as leaders may melt down if we had to do it the old way and not check our email, facebook and twitter accounts regularly so even though we can’t get a phone signal we still can Wi-fi so I’m able to tell you how I’m counting down the days to release.

            I’ll be doing KP and in between I’ll be editing The Frozen and hopefully getting it off and back from my editor.  The one nice thing is I have the distraction of campfire programs, tribal duties (a story for another time) and the fact that I’m so hot sleep seems like something I should be doing every second of everyday if only I wasn’t singing, dancing and acting stupid so the boys will give me a strange look but secretly that’s why they come to camp.  It’s fun, it’s a test of your endurance and most of all it’s a great distraction in the middle of the summer.

MP-What’s your favorite fairytale of all time?

DL-The Princess Bride is the best told fairytale/love story ever written!

MP-Pick your three favorite characters.  Who would you like to Marry?  Spank? Or Hump?

From my books, my heroes: Toto, Carl, and Hephaestus.

Marry: Hephaestus

Spank: Carl

Hump: Toto

MP-What’s the most original character you feel you’ve written?

DL-Hephaestus. I felt so much with him, when writing. When he was angry, I was angry. My heart broke when his did. I truly believed in everything that I wrote for him.

MP-Are there any fairytales you wouldn’t touch?

DL-I've never been a fan of Peter Pan for some reason. I don't think some little flying woman sprinkling stuff on me so I can fly is too odd.

MP-Since you home school your children how are you able to balance your writing and home life?

DL-I gave up on sleep! That's only part of it really, but mostly, I use my mornings for teaching and by afternoon, we're done. The kids go off to do what they want, the baby watches Disney channel and I try to get some promotions, blogging, and writing done. It doesn't always work out the way I want because my muse is never on the same page, but when that happens, I just stay up a little later waiting for the baby to go to sleep.


Bio:

An avid reader since I was a child, I never found a book I disliked. Mostly, you could find me lost in Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, or Ernest Hemingway, and my most favorite, Ancient Greek literature. Taking my love of books, I started writing poetry, short stories, and even helped with screen writes for my drama club.

By the time I was in my teens, my older sister introduced me to my first romance novel, The Hawk and the Dove by Virginia Henley. The moment I fell into the world of love, I was hooked, and my addiction for more grew until I found myself delving deeper into the erotic.

After being convinced that I had the skills to try my hand at writing, I went to work on my first story Down the Yellow Brick Road: Finding Home. And since being published, I've not looked back.

Now, as a busy mom of three, that homeschools, drives to activities, and manages to find time to just cuddle with my husband of ten years, I have to say, I love being naughty when I get the chance. It's freeing and I wouldn't want it any other way!

Blurb:

When love and war makes a little wager, what could possibly go wrong?

I am Hephaestus. God of inventions, blacksmiths, and volcanoes. Sounds like I'm awesome right? Well, I'm not. In fact, I'm the loser of Olympus and a new bachelor to boot. Living the single life is great until a decade passed. Honestly if my divorce from the Goddess of Love wasn't bad enough, I am still being rejected by the other women of my home.

Because of an incessant need to make me a pawn in his game, my brother, Ares convinces Eros to make a little bet. A wager that puts my lack of love life to the test. Sent to Earth, I'm skeptical, when suddenly I lose myself in the sensual scent and beauty of the full bodied Vanessa. She is my everything, my perfection.

Sadly, from a single caress upon her silky flesh, I sent our lives into a downward spiral of hell. To save her, I must get beyond my demons of the past. And to save me, she will have to decide if I'm worth giving up everything for.

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0080S7PS4

Blog: http://welcome-to-the-island-of-dxluc.blogspot.com/

             When I was in junior high I first stepped onto a real track.  My fingernails painted with what appeared like random numbers.  Unless you knew which race I was most focused on, then you knew it was the time I was going for.  This tradition continued all the way through college.  It seems like a silly thing to do, but when Flo-Jo ran you couldn’t help but notice every part of her.  Even though Florence Griffin-Joyner was a sprinter and I was a distance runner (something my coach quickly learned was a mistake) there was something about her that I couldn’t help but look to for inspiration.

            Flo-Jo’s sister-in-law Jackie Joyner-Kersee was my idol.  A heptathlete who pushed herself to the limits and seemed to do it with poise and grace.  She was tough as nails and worked hard to achieve her goals.  I had posters, books and even a cat I named Kersee.

            Every four years we get introduced to new batch of athletes who compete as professionals, but are only showcased during the Olympics.  I believe NBC usually does the background stories that send those tiny shivers up and down your spine.  This year we’re already hearing about the man who ran for three days straight to get away from rebels trying to add him to the army at age six.

            Being a former intercollegiate athlete I love the Olympics…well the summer ones.  I love watching gymnastics, swimming, diving, volleyball, and especially track.    There’s a reason my characters tend to be athletes.  Maybe I’m cheating, but I believe the sport or sports you play help determine your personality.  In Chrysalis I have my volleyball playing Ellie and her football-playing boyfriend.  It’s not just the sport, but also the position on the field.  Ellie’s a commander, maybe not to begin with, but for her position she has to step up…much like how she is with the demons that attack her.  Then Oscar self-confident wide receiver, look professionals like Steve Smith from the Panthers.

            In The Frozen I have Kiriana who was a division one sprinter then becomes a coach following an injury and the realization that she couldn’t commit to be an Olympic athlete.  Although Kiriana has the capacity to be singularly focused, much like in love she’s never truly had the motivation.

            This year we have Lolo Jones making a comeback…it should be a repeat.  Four years ago she hit a hurdle when she was on pace to not only win the 100-meter hurdles, but possibly break a record.  She comes from one of those spine tingling childhoods and turned her negative into a positive.  The fact that she’s an interracial child just plays so nicely into my little world too.

            Here’s the kicker with Lolo.  She’s beautiful, strong and has conviction.  There have been overrated stars that sports have paraded out to be the ‘face’ of the sport because of their beauty, but couldn’t back up the hype.  Ala Maria Sharapova the tennis player that gets all TV coverage even though she’s stayed at the bottom of the tennis rankings.

            When Lolo hit the hurdle four years ago it was like I was kicked in the gut, because I understood that a millisecond and a millimeter could end decades of work.  I’d been cheering for her since the trials in Washington.  Because as they say there are some sports that even if you’ve won the title at the world championships, it means nothing if you can’t win at the Olympics. 

            Join me in supporting all the great athletes and learn their stories.  Being an athlete takes hard work, perseverance and a strong sense of self.  I’ll keep my characters up to the high standards set by those who excel in their various sports the right way and maybe once in awhile sprinkle a few of the naughty ones.  Not every athlete needs to come from a hard luck story to make them worthy of your support, but as you learn what they put their body’s through everyday to become the best in the world ask yourself could you?

            Check out Lolo’s story.  Tomorrow I’ll be blogging on Rebel Reasoning about strong women and giving girls someone to look to as a role model.  I’m glad when I was younger I had Jackie Joyner-Kersee to look too.  No hard luck story just a hard working one, but I think now Lolo Jones is someone the young girls need to look to.  When I saw that she had 119,000 twitter followers and Kim Kardashian only had 57,000 I smiled.  Maybe the tide is turning and we are moving back to strong role models for girls…even if it’s only for the Olympics.

I find blog hopping is all about getting know about a writer and their style...but what if instead of writing under a pseudonym I let you see my sweet and dark side.  Because behind every sweet little librarian's skirt is a pair of garters that one day may be lace and another leather.  

My first novel is Chrysalis (now available) it's a sweet young adult paranormal romance that has been said to be what happens when Twilight meets Fifty Shades of Grey...No spankings for my young lovers, sorry, but you will have some warmer scenes.  I digress.  Chrysalis is a sweeter romance that is geared for that first love.

But I have a darker side...and as the heat of July creeps across the heartland passions will rise, but will The Frozen cool it down?

I like my character's hair pulled.  Long tails from a demon to wrap round their neck and barb them to mark the conquests.  And thunderstorms...aren't for snuggling close.  That air pressure seems like an invisible force pulling you toward the one you desire.

Is your desire going to be for good or evil?  And is that line one you see?  We are surrounded by people all day yet walk the world alone.  If you could truly become one with a person, beyond the sexual, would you?  Could you?  The Frozen live among us.  They protect us from unseen dangers.  Alone, yet surrounded.  

Enjoy your hopping and remember to enter my contest as well as all the others.  Back to Rebel Forum

MP-Catch us up on the Judgement of Souls series.  

MF-I started at the end. There isn't a person who can tell me why, perhaps I found it easier who knows.  I originally started the novel very differently.  For starters there was no Max, the protagonist was Rachel herself, but I started to feel that it was taking on a wrong direction, so I started the whole thing again.  In the start of this novel we see Rachel watching the mortals and wanting to be part of them.  One night she follows a few of them to a club, it was Halloween so she didn't look out of place.  And there she meets Daniel.   

Book 2 is called JUDGEMENT OF SOULS 2: The Call of the Righteous.  I've already started writing that novel.  It spans over 300 years and sees Rachel befriend a mortal, Marie on the lovely island of Malta where the Righteous have taken the Book of Cain.  Later she moves on to Paris, where she meets a dashing Count, the novel will see her in several adventures as well as Arun in a more demanding role.  The Righteous are strong in this novel, you'll get to see who these people really are and why the vampires hate them.
And of course Max will be up to more evil deeds.

Book 1 is a work in progress.  Every now and again I think of an idea and just write it down as a note.  That book will concentrate more on Rachel's parents and will end at Rachel's birth.  But that's a while off yet. 

MP-How did you feel when a reviewer called you the next Anne Rice?


MF-I was so honoured!  Anne Rice has always been a favourite of mine, I've read all her novels. To be compared to someone as distinguished as Anne Rice is such a buzz.  I smiled all day.   

MP-Is Daniel based on a real person or has he always dwelled in your subconscious?


MF-He's based on few people.  I was at the club one day and saw two men sat near the dance floor, legs stretched out crossed, arms folded looking at the women on the dance floor.  I actually wrote it that way when I introduced Daniel and Tobey.  And the way they looked is transferred to my characters Daniel and Tobey.

MP-Living where you do would you say that the city is your muse?


MF-Definitely!   Cardiff is the best place.   It's modern but it still has that Victorian look too.  On some winter mornings there is a mist that forms in some areas and it gives the whole place an eerie mystical presence.  It's great around Halloween, there are tours and ghostly stories around the central parts of the city and tours at the Castle and the manor houses that are supposed to be haunted.  
We have beaches on one side, hills and mountains on the other, you can find fossils on some of the rocky beach areas if you look hard enough.  In between all that there are castles, ruined cathedrals and churches, lush green fields, it's very inspiring.

MP-Do you still attend the club that helped you write the book?


MF-Yes.  In fact I'm going there this weekend (May 19th).   They've moved since I started writing the novel which is a shame.  But the club was in the middle of a residential area and it got noisy so there were complaints.  Not long after the owners of the building closed it and put a big For Sale sign on the outside, it's quite sad, I loved going to listen to Heavy Metal/Gothic music in an old Gothic church.  The new venue is underground - hence the club name in the novel Underground Palace!  No not really, I'm not that clever, it was called that when they were in the Gothic building too.

Please include blurb, cover art, bio pic if you wish and all links (website buy blog etc)  (Attached)
JUDGEMENT OF SOULS is a Gothic horror in which a naïve pure-blood Vampire is tossed into the mortal world. Rachel meets Daniel, a nightclub owner and his group of friends and after Daniel’s best friend is murdered by Max, becomes embroiled in the search for an ancient vampire artefact. Rachel tries to fight off her feelings for Daniel, even siding with her Vampire friend Arun to think again about Daniel’s involvement, but he’s her love and she’s going to protect him, no matter what.

Buy Links
Amazon-UK
Amazon-US


Follow on Facebook

            With the big six publishing houses cutting back on new authors due to the increase in ebooks indie publishers are catching new authors without having to deal with agents.  So when we look at books like The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy you have to wonder how many no’s the so called experts gave E.L James. Fifty Shades isn’t your typical romance, but then again typical isn’t what’s exploding on the scene.  Who would have ever thought a book about killing children in order to earn food for you town would be a best seller?  But Hunger Games is. 

            You’d think after the success of Harry Potter and Twilight, two books that practically created a new way of looking at their genre you need to ask why anything that isn’t mainstream is immediately dismissed.  Yet it still is.  You’re told as a writer to be original, but then given generic ways of submitting because agents and publishers don’t want to take a chance on new writers.

            Here we find a small indie publisher, The Writers’ Coffee Shop, out of Australia finding a different kind of romance that had been missed and dismissed by the big houses.  Less than a year from its original publication date it has the big houses drooling and clamoring to take over the contract.  Now with Random House taking over the trilogy you can find the formally print on demand books in every major book store and at the top of the New York Times best seller list.

            Will this trend continue?  A good book is a good book.  Even with limited advertising you can become a bestseller because your characters will infect the brain of those who encounter them on the page.  The big six have tried everything from Authonomy, generic calls out authors, and blogs to try to find the authors who can’t find representation to no avail. 

            Maybe the young indie publishers who take chances on us nonconventional writers are the new slush pile editors.  As long as the indie publishers are getting compensated for having a broader mindset I say good for the big publishing houses.  They can look at the best sellers from indie publisher’s list and try to clamor when it’s too late, because that actually puts the writer in control. 

            The writer at an indie house gets treated differently.  There is no dictatorship they must bow to.  Instead there is a team that works together with the writer to keep their characters true.  Suddenly the writer will have six houses bidding for their publishing rights and no longer will the author have to take the scraps tossed down to the lowly new authors.  They will get the top deals because they proved themselves on their own. 

            Guess now I need to do my Rebel Yell.  I may not have the big houses behind me, but I have real people and real readers.  My books don’t fall into a formula and I’m glad I’m embraced by a publisher who believes in me instead of one trying to fit my round butt in a square hole.

Having enjoyed Kristen's Embers of Hope I searched out Kristen to find out more about her books.   

MP-You have cowboys and firefighters.  You like the rough type.  What’s your favorite part about those professions?

KJ-Cowboys, firefighters, police officers… There is just something sexy and enduring about a tough, brave man who will risk everything for the one he loves. These men are protectors, too. The cowboy is looking out for the ranch, the animals and any employees, and firefighters and police officers protect and rescue people. In The Enemy’s Son, Nick is a lawyer who loves justice, and he stands up to his mob-like family to help Cora.

I also think women also like to “tame” a man, and I don’t mean change him. Rather, women like to have strong man who is tender and loving toward them.

MP-Is The Enemy’s Son your first thriller type novel?

KJ-I began working on The Enemy’s Son first, but I also co-wrote Kauai Spy Games (a spy thriller) and Recovery of Agent M (a Navy Seal thriller) with Jeff Ivanov, and A Miraculous Fate, a mystical thriller with Tommy Garrison.

MP-Let’s play a little game called Marry, Dump or Date.  Chose any three characters from your novels and decide who you’d marry, dump or date.

KJ-Oh boy… The creepy Alexander Pierce from The Enemy’s Son is dump material, along with the spying neighbor in More Than Memories.

I guess I created heroes that I’d consider my dream guy, so I can’t imagine someone dumping any of them! Trent is a once-in-a-life time love that waits for Molly for four years, never giving up hope. She was the only girl he ever kissed, and he planned to keep it that way. So he’s marriage material for sure.

My other male characters all have a point when they’re “dumpable,” when the heroine could have walked away. Brent was cold and irritated at Missy when she showed up on his ranch in A Cowboy For Christmas, but he does warm up to her, whether he liked it or not! In The Enemy’s Son, Nick actually kidnaps Cora and tries to convince her it’s to protect her. She can’t decide if he’s trustworthy or she should steer clear!

MP-What opens your muse’s lips?  Pictures, where you live, a song?

KJ-I often feel inspired by a country song about love, like “Remember When” or one that talks about finding the love of your life. Country songs sometimes tell an entire story in a song, and I love that too. I’ll use the feeling I get from a song to set a mood when I write, so I can think about an enduring love that both people want to fight for.

I know that choosing your favorite book is like choosing your favorite child, but there is always one that digs a little deeper in your heart.  If people could only read one of your books which one would you suggest?

I’ve mentioned Trent and Molly in More Than Memories, and I think they have the most enduring love story. Readers tell me they fall in love with Trent.

I have to include Embers of Hope, Flickers of Passion too. I reached deeper and tried to capture a new level of emotional depth in this story. Savanna has hurts, secrets and baggage, she’s a single mom, her best friend just lost her husband, and she falls for a man who’s been knocked flat on his back. I know these people inside and out, from their insecurities to what their houses look like room to room. I’m working on a sequel right now for Cassie – set at Ocean View Stables from A Cowboy For Christmas. Readers will get to see how Cassie changes, and also how things worked out for Savanna and Jason, and even some couples from other books. I’m having a ton of fun with it and reconnecting with existing characters in a new way.

**Thanks for the fun and different questions!

Kristen James

Follow Kristen on 
Facebook
Her website
On Amazon


The Enemy's Son Cora discovers her father is in trouble… and the only person who can help her is the enemy’s son, Nick Holloway.

Her father couldn’t have stolen a million dollars, so how is he going to replace it? In one week?

Nick claims he wants to help Cora and says he’s deceiving the Hollways to keep her safe…but what if he’s playing both sides? He could be using her attraction to him against her. Nick is ordered to take Cora out into the wilderness to a remote cabin to keep her father in line. Cora can’t allow herself to trust Nick, no matter how sexy he is.

Nick isn’t the only one offering to help. Alexander Pierce could scare the devil but he can also track down anyone in a day. He warns Cora that if she wants to find her father alive, he’s the way.

Soon she’s running from her feelings for Nick, running from creepy Alexander and the rest of the Holloways, and trying to find her father somewhere in the city of Eugene. To make matters worse, everyone thinks she has access to the missing money.

The clock is ticking…