Morning everyone! Today I'm bringing you Jennifer Lynne. If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a fantasy buff and covers get me. Jennifer has another cover that I took one look at and said, "Must have her on the blog!" So she's here today talking about her new release, Educating Ethan.







EDUCATING ETHAN

Ida Deloraine intends to build herself a new life and a new career in catering, after a painful divorce. When the much younger Ethan Holt moves in across the street, an innocent flirtation quickly becomes serious when the two realise their age difference is no barrier to all-consuming passion.

But Ethan is the exact opposite of what Ida is looking for in a sexual partner. He is young and vibrant, with his life and his dreams still ahead of him, whereas hers are all in the past. Can Ethan, who is fighting his own demons in the form of a car accident, failed marriage and forced career change, convince Ida to overcome the past and live for the moment?

And just who is educating who in this cougar encounter?






I'm turning over the blog to Jennifer, who's going to talk to about the emotional challenges between her hero and heroine today.

~~~~~~~~~

Thank you to The Muse for having me here today.

One of the things that became clear as I wrote Educating Ethan, my older woman/younger man romance, was that as this story progressed, it became less about an older woman educating a young man in the ways of love, and more about two people falling in love and dealing with the emotional baggage that we all bring to a new relationship. Regardless of our age. A cougar tale with a twist, so to speak.

Like many older women, my heroine Ida has already loved and lost, and when she meets her new young neighbor, Ethan, she finds herself in a situation where she is afraid to love again. Her first marriage failed when she was unable to conceive, so not only has she had to deal with a painful divorce, but also a blow to her sense of self and who she is as a woman. When she meets Ethan she sees a young man with his whole future ahead of him, and she doesn't want to start a relationship if he is going to leave her down the track for someone who can give him the children he might want in his future.

Yet she is not a "one-night-stand" kind of woman, able to seduce a young stud just for fun, and her dilemma leaves her in an impossible position.

Ethan, on the other hand, is not your average young guy. Despite being only 25, he too, is facing past demons in the form of a car accident, failed marriage and a forced career change due to a knee injury. I deliberately gave Ethan more than a young person would normally have to deal with, because I didn't want this to be a typical "cougar" story.

Ethan at times seems the more mature of the two emotionally, recognizing that Ida's issues centre around her past and her lack of self-confidence. However, like most young people he tends to live for the moment rather than worry about the past or a nebulous future, but is that youthful aspect of his personality really what Ida needs?

Educating Ethan is a short novella-length romance, but I didn't hold back in giving my gorgeous hero and heroine a lot to deal with emotionally!

~~~~~~~~~

It sounds absolutely fascinating, Jennifer, and I can't wait to read it!

Readers, Jennifer has a question for all of you, that pertains to the giveaway, below.

Do you think the emotional challenges of an older woman/younger man relationship are unique, or do you think we all face similar issues in our relationships, regardless of age?

Thanks, Jennifer, for stopping by today!

JL: Thank you again for having me here, and I look forward to the cougar/cub discussion.


Giveaway details!

Jennifer is giving away a $20.00 Amazon Gift Card to one randomly drawn commentor throughout the tour. Follow the tour -- the more you comment, the better your chances of winning! For complete tour dates, go here.



Jennifer Lynne is a multi-published author who writes sensual and erotic romance from her home in Melbourne, Australia. She has two novellas published with Red Sage, including Seducing Serena in Secrets Volume 28 Sensual Cravings, and Pandora's Gift. Her first sensual romance with Breathless Press, Educating Ethan, will be out in February. Jen lives in hope that readers will continue to enjoy her novella-length tales of love and lust!

Find Jennifer on the web at:

Her Blog Twitter Facebook Goodreads




Buy Educating Ethan today at Breathless Press!

~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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I was tagged by Heather Long. So here's the excerpt I have to share.


Before I do though--the rules. Lucky Sevens is an excerpt from the 77th page of your book, starting at line 7, and 7 sentences long.


This is taken from the 7th Inherited Damnation book, Enslaved by Fear:


Micah expelled a heavy sigh as he entered the garden. His gaze swept over the overgrown plants, the weeds that rooted in amongst the powerful herbs. In his mind’s eye, he saw another time, another place. A day three years ago when he’d stopped in to pay his neighbor’s a visit, and Brigid was on hands and knees, up to her eyeballs in dirt out here. Tending the one thing that could never harm her, Micah now realized.


Funny how no one had realized her gentleness in all this time.


No one but him.


Now, I'm supposed to tag seven more authors, but I did this last week on my Tori site, and I am out of authors I know who have an active blog.



Remember, book 4, Ensnared by Blood is coming soon!


~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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Hi all! I am super-duper excited to bring the notable Sandra Sookoo to the blog today! This is a lady to admire--you love a particular genre, she probably has a book in it that you'll love. She's very talented, full of exciting ideas, and you just can't predict what might be on the shelves next.

Today we're going to be talking about her newest title, A WOLFISH SCANDAL (Whoo boy, can you say gorgeous cover?) And she also has a...


But first, let's meet Sandra and learn a bit about the author, herself.

So, Sandra, briefly take us on the journey with you – when did you start writing, did you start in the genre you’re published in now, what hurdles did you have to overcome, etc.

SS: I’ve been writing since I could hold a pen. In high school I wrote my first “romance” stories. But it wasn’t until I got laid off from my job in 2007 that I started getting “serious” about the writing. And yes, it was always romance. I’m a sucker for a happy ending. The only hurdles were the usual Catch 22 of publishing: can’t get published without experience, can’t gain experience without being published.

Obviously, you write in a multitude of genres, do you have a particular favorite? What about secondary pen names, and what's your favorite genre to read?

SS: My favorite genre to read is cozy mysteries. I really like reading outside my genre because I know I’ll never be able to pen one of those. I don’t use a pen name, but I do write across many sub-genres of romance, from sweet to heat.

Of the books you have published, do you have a favorite? If so, which one and why?

SS: Oh wow, that’s like asking if I have a favorite cookie or funny movie! I did have a lot of fun writing Wedgie Tales and Panty Lines, Dragons at Dawn or even an action-packed sci-fi Ricochet. Why? All of these characters are larger than life, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t mind meeting them in real life—if that were possible.

What are your published titles and please tell us about anything coming down the pipe next.

SS: At the current time I think I have almost 40 published pieces. You can find them on my website (www.sandrasookoo.com). It seems like I’m always busy though. At the time I filled out these interview questions, I’m currently finishing up the sequel to A Wolfish Scandal as well as a short bridge story within that same series for Christmas. After that will be a fast-paced sci-fi romance and more historical pieces.

Okie dokie, since you mentioned it, lets talk about A Wolfish Scandal!















A WOLFISH SCANDAL

He has nothing to live for. She has nothing to lose. Together, they have everything to gain.

Lyndal Carson's life is at a premium. Afflicted with a heart ailment wherein she can drop dead at any time, she makes a pact with herself to create one scandal and to really live before she dies. Tired of being a handmaiden to her family, she writes the letter that will change her destiny.

Grey Rutledge, a werewolf who is hounded by a reporter and haunted by memories, endeavors to provide a diversion large enough that the paper will forget its interest. He invites twelve women to his estate on the premise of choosing one of them for his mate. After the loss of his family, the only thing he wants is heirs and a woman by his side.

As the days go on, both Lyndal and Grey find that elusive piece missing from their lives. When their respective secrets are revealed, they both run the risk of losing everything. Danger catches them unaware during an innocent afternoon but it's what is decided as life hangs in the balance that will change their lives forever.



I'm enchanted with the cover, Sandra. Very much so.

Tell me about your plot development? How did the idea spur, did you have to do much research, any interesting tidbits that we should know?


SS: Well, in A Wolfish Scandal, I did outline the book as I went, chapter by chapter. It started out as a Regency idea but when I fell in love with the Civil War era, I switched time periods. And yes, I did a ton of research regarding this time period, also because I set it in my home state of Indiana. There are a lot of great resources around here.

Let's talk heroes for a bit. What’s one thing about Grey that we wouldn’t necessarily learn in the book? A secret dream, an embarrassing habit, an episode from childhood.

SS: Grey has a tendency to expect everyone around him will fall into step with his ideas. He assumes a lot. I can easily imagine him as a little tyrant as a child LOL

Laugh. Sounds like my adorable demi-demons. But that's another story. All heroes are unforgettable in one way or another. What’s one thing about Grey that makes your heart go pitter-pat?

SS: When he finds a woman he’s interested in, he’ll move heaven and earth to make her happy, even if it’s just for a few days.

Aww! If Grey doesn’t have a pet in your novel, what kind of pet would best suit his personality?

SS: Most likely a dog—a big dog that’ll hold his own in a fight.

No discussion about heroes is complete without their counterpart--heroines. Let's talk about Lyndal.

Everybody has flaws. Sometimes they are endearing, other times they are annoying. What is Lyndal's greatest fault?

SS: Being a pushover or doormat where her family is concerned. She has trouble of standing up for herself.

Without giving away details that might spoil the story for those who have not read it, could you tell us the one strength Lyndal provides to Grey?

SS: The ability to meet his boorish behavior and give it right back to him. After all, she has nothing to lose so why not?

If Lyndal was your daughter – what advice would you give her upon meeting Grey?

SS: Be very careful. Men don’t necessarily tell the truth, but not because they’re lying to be mean. Sometimes they’ve just gotten in over their heads.

Oooh. If that isn't a teaser, I don't know what is.

If we peek in on your hero and heroine’s lives ten years from now, can you give us a glimpse of what we’d see?

SS: Oh, this is a nice question! I can easily see Grey and Lyndal having three or four kids, a couple of dogs, all running amuck through the apple orchards on the property. They’d have a nice, tight family life.

Well let's take a peek at them now. As I understand it, this is an excerpt related to the scandal that started it all.




~~@~~
EXCERPT
~~@~~




With a tiny sigh, Lyndal proceeded on her journey. She clutched the strings of her reticule in one hand. Feeling a tad parched from the hot May sun and dust, she ducked into a café on the corner of Washington Street. After being led to a table near one of the windows and placing her order for a pot of Earl Grey and a plate of tea cakes, she arranged her full skirts over her crinoline and gazed again at the street traffic.

Somehow, she needed to affect a change in her life. If I want to matter to someone, if I want to make a difference—leave a memory behind—I need to stop waiting around for excitement and find it myself.

Perhaps it was interference from Providence; perhaps fate had one more trick up her sleeve, or perhaps it was merely a careless gust of wind when the front door opened, but a page from the Indianapolis Journal on an empty table nearby fluttered and took flight. It came to rest against her skirts. Lyndal bent slightly and plucked the errant paper from the floor then gaped as a headline from a personal advertisement caught her eye.

Wealthy land owner in Noblesville, Indiana hosting a house party—including Independence Day festivities—for the express purpose of finding a mate. Marriage could be an eventuality but the certainty of that outcome is not a definite. Companionship is the more immediate necessity. Experience in sensual bedroom arts is preferred but not required.

Inquires collected through the 30th of the month. Please indicate physical characteristics, flaws and any special talents. Also include a brief history and a short essay of why you would like to be considered.

Responses should be addressed to Mr. Franklin Garrett care of Rutledge Estates, Route 5. If you are chosen as one of the twelve candidates, further instructions will be sent no later than June 15th. As a footnote, ladies' maids or attendants will not be needed and are definitely not desired. Rutledge Estates boasts more than enough staff.


Shock ricocheted through her insides at the audacity of a man blatantly asking self-respecting women to reply to such an inquiry. Just think of the scandal! What kind of gentleman would proposition one woman let alone ask for a dozen to reside in his house without a proper chaperone? She crumpled the paper in her fists. A man who was not a gentleman. A man who cared not for conventions or rules. A man who wished to live life on his own terms. Her skin prickled. He must be quite powerful to thwart the proprieties and make it a public spectacle—or very daring.

"Is there a problem, miss?" A young woman in a black dress and white frilled apron asked as she set out the items for tea.

"Oh, no, but thank you. This looks lovely." Only when the woman moved on to attend to other diners did Lyndal smooth the paper out on her lap once more.

Experience in the bedroom arts? Surely the person who wrote this missive didn't mean to take the women he selected into his bed. Her cheeks heated at the thought. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. Was it a lark, a practical joke played on the newspaper office to take readers' minds off the war, a political stunt, a personal statement? What arrogance was at play to even pen such a request, what bold confidence that anyone would respond. Searching through the society section, her gaze landed on a grainy black-and-white photograph of the man in question.

Too blurry to do him justice, the one feature that seemed to jump off the page was his eyes. Intense, dark and focused, as if he watched her from the paper, they demanded her attention and subsequent submission. Her heart beat a little faster. Dark hair, heavy brows and a strong jaw that spoke of determination and an unwavering will. Yet her focus returned to his eyes. In her imagination, she could easily invent a tale of wounded vulnerability or maybe basic human need. Would his lips be firm or supple against hers? Was he a man of gentle caresses or did he demand women yield fully to him in the bedroom?

A blush heated her whole body and again, her heart raced with excitement or fear. Nonsense, Lyndal. You would never succumb to such temptation for the express reason you will not respond to this advertisement. Yet she couldn't look away from his eyes. As a whole, the picture portrayed a man of power, a man of magnetism. What would he be like? Was he as terrible as she thought based solely on his advertisement? Would she want to be judged on so little?




~~@~~
YOU HAVE JUST READ AN EXCERPT FROM A WOLFISH SCANDAL
~~@~~





Okay, Sandra, a few more questions about you, then we'll let you get back to your busy writing schedule.

Do you have goals you have yet to meet?

SS: Oh yes. I think if we stop having and meeting goals, we stagnate and that’s never good. I’d love to catch an agent’s eye with one of my pieces. I’d love to see my books in a wider distribution, available to more people, like at the grocery stores. I want to know what it’s like to have people rush to the store to buy my books the second they come out.

What do you find most difficult about your job as an author?

SS: For me, it’s having to stop writing and deal with admin stuff and promo. That stuff takes so much time and it’s often boring and exhausting. In times like those, I wish I had an assistant.

Oh my gosh -- I am so with you there!

If you write in multiple genres, do you find it challenging to shift? Or is it a natural process?

SS: At times it is a challenge to shift gears. I need to go back in and re-read a manuscript to get the “feel” of the new genre. At other times, it’s easy. It just depends on the book I think.

I concur as well.

Okie dokie, readers:



Sandra is giving to one randomly drawn commentor book swag plus a free download of a backlisted book (2012 excluded). So get to commenting!!

Meanwhile, you can find A WOLFISH SCANDAL at the following places:

All Romance E-Books Amazon Liquid Silver Books

To learn more about Sandra and her other books check out these links:

Website Believing Is Seeing Blog Twitter Facebook

Or send her an email ( sandra @ sandrasookoo.com ) and let her know where you'd like to receive a monthly newsletter!

Thanks, Sandra, for stopping by today!


~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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Hi all! I'm here today with author, Jonathan Gould, who's currently on tour with two books: his comic fantasyFLIDDERBUGS and his fantasy satire, DOODLING.





FLIDDERBUGS


As Kriffle the Flidderbug investigates why his fellow 'bugs find it impossible to agree on the pressing issue of how many points there are on the leaves of the tree on which they live, he finds that the truth is more complicated, and ultimately more terrifying, than he ever could have imagined.

Flidderbugs is a political satire, a modern fable, or maybe just a funny little story about a bunch of insects with some very peculiar obsessions.


DOODLING

Neville Lansdowne fell off the world.

Actually, he did not so much fall off as let go. The world had been moving so quickly lately and Neville was finding it almost impossible to keep up.

Doodling is an engaging comic fantasy which relates the events that befall Neville after he finds himself abandoned by the world and adrift in the middle of an asteroid field. Douglas Adams meets Lewis Carroll (with just a touch of Gulliver's Travels) as Neville wanders through his new home, meeting a variety of eccentric characters and experiencing some most unexpected adventures.



I asked Jonathan to tell me a little about the theme in his books. Given one is a political satire, I thought there might be a message he's wanting to convey. What he has to say, I found delightful! So I'm turning the floor over to share his remarks.


~~~~~~~~~


First of all, I’d like to thank Claire for having me here at The Muse. I have to say she’s pretty game, asking me to talk about the themes in my writing. I reckon I could go on and on and on in quite a lot of detail. But I suspect the readers here don’t really want this to be turned into some sort of English Literature lecture, so I’ll try to go easy on you.

In some ways it’s kind of a difficult question to answer – do I have any messages to convey? The simplest way I could respond to that is by saying, “I do and I don’t”. Ultimately, the main reason I write is to tell a story. I want to engage my readers, to make them want to turn the page and find out what happens next. I want to make them care about the characters. And, as a writer who works in the area of humour, I definitely want to make them laugh. So, whenever I’m considering an idea for my next piece of writing, the first question I always consider is “will this make a good story?”

Having said that, I would definitely be lying if I said there wasn’t more to my writing than just the basic storyline. Maybe referring to it in terms of “messages to convey” isn’t quite right – I don’t want to be “educating” my readers or trying to force my opinions on them. But I definitely do have ideas or themes that underline my stories. As a writer, I prefer to keep them in the background. It’s up to the readers to draw them out or not. If they just enjoy them as fun stories, that’s fine. If they end up drawing completely different ideas out of them, that’s fine too. That’s the beauty of writing. Once your story is in a reader’s hands, it becomes their story, and they can read it in any way they choose.

Anyway, that’s enough general blabbing for now. I probably better talk about the books.

I think, because the books were conceived and written in very different ways, the themes come out in different ways as well. Doodling, as the title suggest, was largely unplanned. It was basically me sitting at a computer making things up as I went, at least in the early stages. Given that the story is about a man who falls off the world, I suppose the main theme revolves around the idea that the world we live in seems to move so fast that it can be a challenge to keep up with everything that’s going on.

One thing I feel quite pleased about with the way the story evolved was how the various characters Neville meets after he’s fallen off - the Toaster People, the Party Couple, the Cyclists, and even the Aimless Girl - most of whom evolved in fairly random ways, can all in some way symbolise the absurd things we do to try and “keep up”. But in the end, I think part of the point of Doodling is that there is no point (like the doodling you do on the edge of a piece of paper). It’s something that hopefully can be enjoyed without too much analysis.

Flidderbugs evolved in a very different way. It was very much planned and structured around a number of central themes. Probably the most significant one is “belief”, particularly in the way it impacts on our identity and on the “tribes” we see ourselves as belonging to. Another important one I could mention is “balance”. I like the sound of that – belief and balance – it has a nice alliterative feel. The imbalance between two belief systems is what drives the drama of the story, and a more literal imbalance precipitates the major climactic events.

A third level that the story can be read is as a political satire. I guess given belief and tribalism are both key aspects of politics, the connection is pretty clear. A few of the things that happen in the story were actually inspired by specific events in Australian politics. But I’ve tried to be even-handed. It’s not casting the blame on either side – it’s more about the political process in general.

Anyway, that’s probably enough of that. Hope I haven’t sounded too much like a teacher – because that’s definitely not why I write. My major goal is to create a fun story that people will want to read, and to make them smile and make them laugh. Whether they find more in them than that or not, I really don’t mind.

Thank-you so much for your time and all the best.

Jonathan Gould


~~~~~~~


Thank you, Jonathan. I for one laugh every time I think of someone falling off the world. I can't wait to check that one out.

Because we're doing a dual promo, I don't have an excerpt to share with all of you today, but maybe we can convince Jonathan to come back on a Tuesday for a Teaser, and share some? Or maybe two Tuesdays if he'd like. (Hint Hint!)

I do have a Giveaway -- well, Jonathan does!


He will be giving a 25.00 Amazon Gift Card to one randomly drawn commenter throughout the tour. Follow his tour -- the more you post, the better your odds of winning! Complete tour dates can be found here.




Jonathan Gould is a Melbourne-based writer and doodler.

He calls his stories "dag-lit" because they're the sort of stories that don't easily fit into the standard genres. Some might think of them as comic fantasies, or modern fairytales for the young and the young-at-heart.

Over the years, his writing has been compared to Douglas Adams, Monty Python, A.A. Milne, Lewis Carroll, the Goons and even Enid Blyton (in a good way).
(Taken from Goodreads)


Learn more about Jonathan at his blog site: Dag-Lit Central!


~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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Oh my gosh -- the covers for Inherited Damnation keep getting better and better!

I received this in my email. It made me misty-eyed.



This is book four in the series.


Ensnared by Blood

Beth Whitley has finally put her life back together after her husband’s betrayal and is determined to piece together the clues to her past. But she never imagines an ancient scroll bearing the name of a Celtic ancestor will plunge her into a world of demonic ritual. Nor does she suspect that a kiss shared with genealogist Fintan McClaine will unveil the secrets of her dreams and a burning desire.

Fintan McClaine wants freedom from the dark curse he’s suffered for centuries. When Beth arrives with evidence that she shares ancestral ties with his Selgovae Celt tribe, he must confront the truth of his inherited damnation. As he struggles to convince Beth the truth within her dreams, she awakens a dangerous and forbidden yearning in his heart.

To save them both, Fintan must convince Beth to believe in herself and her ability to overpower his unholy sire. If he fails, he will remain an eternal slave to his tainted blood and lose Beth forever.






~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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Good Morning Everyone!

Today I'd like to welcome Kenya Wright, author of what looks to be fantastic, Fire Baptized. I confess, I took one look at the cover of this book, read the blurb and though to myself, "I have to have her on the blog!" So I'm really, really excited to be saying, "Check out this smokin' hot book!"

Fire Baptized

Since the 1970’s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans.

Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.

Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend Meshach and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat’s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention.

While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?



I asked Kenya if she'd talk about her setting -- what made her choose the 1970s, and so forth. I'm going to give the floor over to her now, and let her entertain us.



~~~~~

Historical Possibilities: The importance of creating an urban fantasy world’s history.



Before an urban fantasy story can be formed the world’s history should be known. In this genre, supernaturals tend to either secretly or knowingly exist among humans. If the magical species secretly lives around humans, then you must know why the supernaturals have chosen to hide? If this species is powerful, why haven’t they just taken control of the world?

Additionally, if the supernaturals knowingly exist among humans, when did the humans discover this? What happened to bring this about? Regardless of either direction, you should have a clear history formed in order to make the world believable for the reader. Asking yourself what happened, before you create this history is a great method.

Supernaturals Secretly Exist Among Humans

The urban fantasy genre has increased and expanded in the last years. Story explanations for why supernaturals hide their identities from humans have been recycled in hundreds of novels. Therefore, new authors should seek to create a richer history for their world that isn’t cliché. Perhaps some supernaturals publicly announced their existence and were killed. Now the other magical species fear they will be killed too and so they conceal their powers. Anything is possible when developing a fantasy world’s history.

Additionally, it is always a good idea to read other writers that have successfully explained why there supes hide. In Patricia Brigg’s Mercedes series, her fairies publicly revealed themselves, but the other supernaturals remained hidden, waiting to see the humans’ reactions. In Regan Hastings’s Awakening series, the witches have historically been hunted, there are government probes for people who have powers, and some women don’t even know they are witches.

Supernaturals Knowingly Exist Among Humans

If your humans know about supernaturals then you definitely need to develop a history that explains the humans’ awareness. Perhaps, the supernaturals were revealed by accident or through an epidemic. In Kim Harrison’s Hollows series, there was a major disease that spread in the world. All of her magical creatures were immune to the disease. Most of the humans died, leaving a large supernatural population.

Perhaps, humans and supernaturals have always existed together. You should still develop a history for your world. Were their wars among the supernaturals and humans? Do they coexist together or are they segregated in their own countries? Was there oppression or slavery by or in either group? Answering these questions will set your mind on its way to developing an amazing history that will make your world more believable.

How I Created My World’s History

I believe that if supernaturals were revealed the government would shift into fear mode and then kill, imprison, and test the magical species. When I decided to write Fire Baptized, I toyed with that belief. I considered various possibilities for containing supernaturals, but a caged city continued to pop in my mind. I was pretty nervous about executing a believable story. I mean how could powerful beings allow humans to force them to live in such restricted surroundings? Therefore, although my story begins within the caged city, I spent several months creating the history of my world.

I asked myself several questions: When were the supernaturals exposed? What happened once they were revealed? Who decided to put them in cages? Why did the supernaturals allow themselves to be caged?

When were the supernaturals exposed?

I am currently in law school and have a degree in sociology. Civil injustice is a fun topic for me. I believe the 70s was full of brave people organizing and fighting inequality. African Americans, women, and homosexual groups all organized against discrimination. Additionally college students held anti- Vietnam War demonstrations all over the country. So for me, the 70s was a perfect period to begin my world’s history.

In Fire Baptized, supernaturals existed within all those social groups. They marched, protested, and rioted while keeping their species identity a secret. The magical species are revealed from the government’s video monitoring of the Black Panther Party, which happened to be a large group of black fur-coated shapeshifters. Tapes are exposed displaying many of the party members shifting into animal form.

What happened once they were revealed?

I created a timeline from the revelation of shapeshifters to the present day status of caged supernatural cities. I imagined several Supernatural-Human wars, magical refugee camps sprouting all across the world, concentration camps where humans tested on magical creatures, and groups like PETA protesting the government’s treatment of these beings.

Who decided to put them in cages?

Why did the supernaturals allow themselves to be caged? In the end, the humans won. Governments had conducted massive illegal testing on supernaturals to discover their weaknesses. With this knowledge they designed weapons that eventually caused many deaths. The supernaturals that weren’t already restricted to concentration camps gave up their fighting or hid. A World Summit was held where the most powerful countries decided to build supernatural caged cities all over the world. A large part of the countries’ reasoning was to ease pressure from PETA, United Species (a group I made up), and many citizens who believed that the war was inhumane.

At the end of creating my history, my story actually reshaped and expanded into a new plot line. My characters became more developed. Cool additions like Supe-Human Memorial Day and making some of my characters veterans from the wars were just some of the interesting results from spending time on my world’s history. Due to this, I definitely believe that forming a world’s history is a significant step in the novel writing process.



~~~~~



Kenya Wright always knew she would be famous since the ripe old age of six when she sung the Michael Jackson thriller song in her bathroom mirror. She has tried her hand at many things from enlisting in the Navy for six years as a Persian-Farsi linguist to being a nude model at an art university.

However, writing has been the only constant love in her life.

Now Kenya is publishing her first book, Fire Baptized, the urban fantasy novel she always wanted to read. This novel is the first book in a series.

Will she succeed? Of course.

For she has been coined The Urban Fantasy Queen, the Super Iconic Writer of this Age, The Lyrical Genius of Our Generation. Granted, these are all terms coined by her, within the private walls of her bathroom as she still sings the Michael Jackson thriller song.

Kenya Wright currently resides in Miami with her three amazing, overactive children, a supportive, gorgeous husband, and three cool black cats that refuse to stop sleeping on Kenya’s head at night.

Website: http://www.kenyawright.com
Book Video: http://youtu.be/a28T5HzpGJ4




Kenya will be giving away a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour. The more you comment the better your chances of winning! Click here for complete tour dates.


~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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Well, I just came back from the Fantasy on the Bayou Conference in New Orleans (okay, actually last night, but we're close enough, I think) and I have so much to say about it!!


First, let's get this out of the way: If you didn't go this year, go next year.


So... I drove. 14 hours. And while I didn't think my last trip through Arkansas could surprise me more, I evidently thought wrong. Don't get me wrong, all you readers down there, you're great! But your town founders and town councils... maybe you should have a chat with them about the names that make no sense or induce hysteric laughter. And you should definitely tell them that a red fire engine with a life-size Elvis Presley standing at the ladder base... is not the way to get folks to take you seriously.


Ahem.


Moving on. As you know, the conference was in wonderful New Orleans. I had never been to New Orleans, so of course, this was ten times as exciting for me! And I've always wanted to go.


The causeway freaked me out folks. Perhaps its related to claustraphobia effects, as when I drive locally, I have wide open flat spaces to my right and left. I'm thinking it might be. I'm also thinking that if there were more lights on the causeway, and LESS reflective lane markers, it wouldn't have been so bad.


Anywho, I arrived at almost 2am and promptly woke up my roommate for the night. Bells and whistles.... no actually I was trying to be sneaky-quiet but the front desk didn't want to cooperate with that idea. Apologies, roomie!! Again!


I did, however, get up early and help with registration which gave me the opportunity to meet all the fabulous authors, editors and agents as they arrived. There were so many new faces, so many faces I had met before, and even more faces I recognized from afar -- blogs, websites, names, etc. This would have been Friday afternoon and I pretty much worked through to dinner.

Olivier's came highly recommended. And I went with a very entertaining group of authors that included: Terry Spear, Bonnie Gill, Lynn Lorenz, and several other ladies whose names I DO recall, but I don't know if they are public names or to remain private.


Awesome food!!


After, we did a little shopping and I picked up some Mardis Gras beads for my demidemons. And then we sat down for drinks in the lobby. Not long into the first beer (it was so encouraging to see others drinking beer), our Vampire and Ghost tour was to begin.


I really didn't know what to expect from the tour. Part of me thought it might end up a little corny with some staged theatrics. I was super pleased to have the exact opposite experience. It was a walking tour that slanted more historic and local legend than anything else. We saw sites where active hauntings are regularly reported, we saw a place where a woman--er prostitute--fell from the balcony after jumping out the window to escape a vampiric attack (case was filed with the police!).


We were introduced to the LaLaurie house where a surgeon performed horrific, grotesque, alterations to slaves' bodies and then left them alive to deliberately torture them. His wife played a prominant role in the mutalations as well.


We also heard a very creepy legend about two women who died in 1972, who's recorded percentage of blood loss is not possible to accomplish without some sort of substance being injected into the body to keep cappilaries open. They did not struggle, and they were drained completely of blood.


Then left on the steps to a Catholic convent / records center.


My favorite part??


Jean Lefitte's 18th century blacksmith shop that served as a hub for his illegal trade. There is nothing quite like stepping foot into a pirate's world... even if he's physically not present.


And there's nothing quite like having a drink from there as well!


Did I mention our tour guide was cute as a button? Mmm. Yup. Curiously, I observed he had a limp, which fascinated this writer's mind... although I couldn't bring myself to ask.


Anyway -- I have lots to share about the editors, agents, authors, and news coming out of the conference. But I'll close for here today.


~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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Hello, everybody! Today I'm turning the blog over to Dana Littlejohn, who's on tour with her newest book, THE SEVEN YEAR SWITCH. Which looks fantastic, I might add!





Look all -- PENS! YAY!






Dana will be giving away a promotional pen to one randomly drawn tour commenter and a promotional T-shirt to another during the tour.



Leave a comment and you're automatically entered. The more blogs you visit, the more comments you leave, the better your chances of winning!











THE SEVEN YEAR SWITCH






Could you make the switch from dutiful, submissive wife to paddle wielding queen bee to save your marriage?






Sonja Winters was enjoying the good life with a great job and being married to the man of her dreams. As she prepared to celebrate their seven year anniversary she came across a secret that her husband had been keeping from her that would alter the course of their marriage forever.








Really, the book sounds fun and exciting, and I asked Dana to talk specifically about what was the most fun aspects of writing. So... Dana... the floor is yours!






~~~~~






Hello everyone!




I am Dana Littlejohn, multi-published author of erotic romance.




When I was asked to write about what I thought were the fun aspects of writing my book was I found myself stuck. After a few minutes a smile came to my face and the answer was clear. Let me explain. My day job isn’t extremely hard work and the people are nice enough. I mean, I haven’t had to slip anything into anyone’s morning coffee so you know…but I live for the five o’clock whistle when I can rush home and hit the computer. I can’t think of anything more fun than being a writer.

Everything about writing a book is fun. I love the whole creative process. Ideas sparking from somewhere colliding with your imagination and after a while forming a full fledge story filled with interesting people, places and things. I think that is the coolest thing ever. Not just because it happens to me, but because it happens! I get inspiration from all over the place. I don’t think I’ve ever just sat down and said, hmm, I think I’ll write about... Motivation has to come from somewhere for me. My brain needs a catalyst. A place, a person, a situation, a song… Conversations and that whole ‘what if’ has kick started many of my stories.

One of my girl friends said in frustration one day, “I wonder what kind of marriage I would have if I ran everything.’ From that whispered wonderment came the book The Seven Year Switch. I loved doing the research and freaking my husband out with all the fetish and bondage books that were laying around. Each time something was delivered he would ask, ‘this is for research, right?’ LOL I pretended to be my main characters and joined countless chats to get the feel of the world the book would take place and interviewed anyone who would share with me.

Once the research part was done I loved building the people with problems and struggles they must conquer to make them better and then creating the solutions so that they can become better for overcoming it. I mostly use fictional places within real cities so the readers can relate to places. I incorporated real street names and made up buildings in real areas so the reader could feel that exhilaration that comes with walking in the footsteps of the character. That part was a blast!

There were times when the dreaded writers block came upon me and my brain came to a screeching halt. When that happens I figure I’m doing too much. I’m trying to take over when the characters are supposed to be the ones telling the story. So I back off for a minute and do something totally off the subject like watch movies, color or go shopping. *grin* Eventually they started talking to me again and the story started to flow. I don’t really consider writers block as a downside because gives me the hand slap I need and the opportunity to shop! LOL

Everything about writing this book was enjoyable. I didn’t know when I started if it was going to be 10k short story or 50k novel. I just jumped in created the world and played. When they told me the story was over I stopped writing and began the editing process.

Thanks for having me. This was fun, too.












Let's take a peek at THE SEVEN YEAR SWITCH, shall we?






~~@~~
EXCERPT
~~@~~






“Yes, I understand.” Bianca sat next to her and openly looked her over. “I see now why he chose you. You are beautiful and strong. You will be able to control him well.”




Sonja scoffed. Her anger at the situation came back, fueled by Bianca’s nonchalant description of her ability to deal with her husband.




“If you’re talking about my husband, I was controlling him just fine until you came along.”
“Hmm, I can appreciate how you must feel, but you do not have all the facts.”




Bianca clapped her hands and two men appeared. They looked similar to the biker guy who led her into the room except they were much younger and more firmly built. They dropped to one knee and bowed their heads.




“Yes, Mistress,” they said in unison.




Sonja’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Bianca’s voice roused her from her stunned state.



“Sonja, would you like a drink?”




“Uh…”




“Coffee, tea, perhaps a glass of wine,” she offered.




“Umm, yes, a glass of wine would be nice.”




“You heard her and bring fruit, too,” she told the men.




Sonja’s emotions teetered between anger, confusion and amazement. These large and strong looking, fully grown men were seemingly at Bianca’s beck and call. They left the room to do her bidding with only a comprehensive nod. She turned a look to Bianca. Sonja was sure her face reflected the surprise and shock wavering inside her over the men’s behavior. It was hard to hide as she looked at her hostess.




“Please, allow me to explain. These men come to me from various places and all walks of life, but they all want the same thing and they pay me to give it to them.”




“Uh-huh, and what’s that?”




“They want to be dominated by a woman.”





~~@~~
YOU HAVE JUST READ AN EXCERPT FROM THE SEVEN YEAR SWITCH
~~@~~









Dana Littlejohn was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but has called Indianapolis, In. her home for over ten years. She has always wanted to write since early childhood, but put that wish on hold to raise her growing family and have a career. With the encouragement of her husband, Dana picked up her pen again in 2003 and has no intention on putting it down. With 3 novels, 8 novellas, 4 stories in anthologies, 42 short stories published to date and a long list of wips (works in progress) she is literally living her dream. Join her on the wild journey through her imagination. It’s a ride you’ll never forget!

Website: http://www.danalittlejohn.net/
Blog: http://www.authordanalittlejohn.blogspot.com/
Facebook: search authordanalittlejohn



Twitter: follow authordanalittlejohn





~Claire
www.claireashgrove.com
www.toristclaire.com

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"Victorians used the term 'limbs' as a euphenism for legs, which were thought to be so sexually exciting to a man, even a glimpse of a table leg could incite him to sexual frenzy. Table skirts were invented to prevent any unnatural unions between men and furniture."
~
(History Channel International)

IMMORTAL TRUST is
AVAILABLE for PRE-ORDER




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