Tracey H. Kitts Blog

What could be better than 2 sexy vampires?

2012-01-31T18:46:00.001-08:00

How about getting them for 30% off? I don't know about everybody else, but I LOVE a good sale. And I also love to read. So, a sale on books is right up my alley. LOL

To help celebrate the release of my latest book, Diary of an Incubus, I'm offering it for a limited time at 30% off. All you've got to do is enter this code when you purchase the book at Smashwords.

Coupon Code: TB56G

The coupon expires: February 29, 2012

So, this discount is good for the next month!

Here's the link to purchase the book on Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/126569

And here are the details on the book:

Jewel Mathers needed a good story for her next novel. She turned to the ancient journals in desperation. But fame and fortune comes with a price … and a couple of hot vampires.

WARNING: This story contains violence, lots of sex, and some frightening creatures. No werewolves were harmed in the making of this book.

NOTE: This book was previously published elsewhere. It has been re-edited, revised, and expanded.

Sweet N Sexy Divas: Guest blog with Tracey Kitts

2012-01-31T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sweet N Sexy Divas: Guest blog with Tracey Kitts: Put a little umph in it I get asked fairly often, as I’m sure other authors do, “Why do you write about that stuff?” Meaning one of a few ...

It's always awkward when...

2012-01-30T10:33:00.000-08:00

Someone says they bought one of my books for their kid. Or they intend to buy one for their kid. Seriously? Why do people assume that I write children's stories? Have they never even looked at the cover art?

No matter how many times I tell people that no one under 18 should read my books, someone is bound to not believe me. There is graphic sex and graphic violence in my stories, and often graphic language.

Though I'm sure most kids have seen worse on HBO by now, I don't want to be to blame for anything. Know what I mean?

Every time I explain this to a parent I feel like they should know better. But, it still happens. Don't get me wrong, it's up to each individual what they allow their kids to see or read. Still, if someone says to me, "I downloaded your book for my 15-year-old." I'm going to tell them, "Please, don't let a 15-year-old read my books."

In my opinion it would be grossly inappropriate. I'm not trying to tell people how to raise their kids; I'm saying I think children should NOT read my work.

I'm not sure how this misconception started, but I DO NOT write children's books.

Self publishing, writing, and life in general

2012-01-26T15:52:00.000-08:00

Boy is that ever a random post title. But, it's the best way I could sum things up. I've been busy. I have a new book out. It's not new to everyone, but it will be new to lots of people. The rights to Diary of an Incubus have recently reverted to me. The contract was up and I chose not to renew. This was not for any malicious reasons. I'm saying this now because I don't want any rumors to get started.

My reasoning was simple. The book wasn't selling. Period. Naturally, I examined all the reasons this might be. I also took a good hard look at the story itself, let several people (who aren't my closest friends) read it. I believed in it, but was that good enough? I looked at the book as a product rather than "my baby."

Much to my relief and delight, everyone who read it at my request, loved it. With that in mind I (and my writing partner) re-edited the book. I revised some scenes and added in a few thousand words of new content.

Plus, I designed my very own, smokin' hot new cover, and re-worded the blurb. I feel like I've done the best I can to make this book appealing. I haven't dressed up crap and tried to make it smell good. I've enhanced a good story that I believe in. It is my hope that everyone will find it as entertaining as I do.

On a side note, I decided to upload this story to both Smashwords and Amazon. The reason I did this (besides trying to gain the most exposure possible) is that I've seen no benefit in listing exclusively with Amazon. That's what I did with Frank and The Werewolf Tamer. As soon as my KDP 90 day agreement is up, I'll be listing that book on Smashwords as well. However, Frank and The Werewolf Tamer has remained in the to 25,000 at Amazon for most of the past month (several times it went higher, even in the top 2,000). So, sales aren't bad by any means.

I figured my fellow authors who are considering self-publishing might like to know all this. :)

Now, without further ado, here is a peek at my latest release. On a side note, thank you to all of my loyal readers. If you can't purchase the book right now, but want to show your support. Please, stop by the page and click "like." Thanks:)

Jewel Mathers needed a good story for her next novel. She turned to the ancient journals in desperation. But fame and fortune comes with a price … and a couple of hot vampires.

WARNING: This story contains violence, lots of sex, and some frightening creatures. No werewolves were harmed in the making of this book.

NOTE: This book was previously published elsewhere. It has been re-edited, revised, and expanded.
Purchase Link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/126569

Life doesn't get in the way

2012-01-25T13:10:00.000-08:00

I’ve never had writer’s block. I’ve had annoying things happen that kept me from writing when I wanted to. I used to say that I had “life block” or that my life was getting in the way. Then I realized something, my life was the reason I could write. All those pain in the ass incidents sparked my creativity … eventually. It is because of my life that I have anything worth saying.

So, I’m not going to say anymore that life gets in the way of my writing. You either make a choice to live your life or let it pass you by. For a writer, letting it pass you by is (in my opinion) a grave mistake. After all, if you haven’t lived, how could you possibly write about other people’s lives?

So what if I don’t write a book in a month like I used to? I’m taking more time for myself, getting in better shape. And you know what? I feel great. For the first time in years I spend more time feeling good than bad. And my writing is better for it. Now when I do find a few minutes to write I have more to put into it.

People will ask sometimes how long until my next book. (I love those letters, by the way.) Now the answer is most likely when I have something else to say. When I have something inside of me worth letting out. When my latest vision of vampire perfection can no longer be denied. LOL

Seriously, take the time to live your life. You won’t regret it. But if you put all your love into your work (whatever it is) there will come a time when you regret that decision. Save a little love for something else, like yourself. (This includes spending time with your family. To me, spending time with people you love is loving yourself. It’s a good investment.) You deserve it.

A dream is a wish your heart makes

2012-01-22T00:27:00.000-08:00

I’m inspired to do a lot of things by my dreams. I've created characters and even written entire stories based on dreams. Dreams can lift your spirits or remind you of something you forgot was important.

Just like Jiminy Cricket said, “A dream is a wish your heart makes.” I know it’s a cartoon, but take a minute to think about that. To me (when I awoke from a dream a few days ago with this song on my mind), it was profound. Sometimes dreams are just dreams, but other times, they are the desires of our heart, played out like a movie in our sleep.

“A dream is a wish your heart makes, when you’re fast asleep.” I haven’t heard this song since I was a child, yet somehow I remembered the words. In my dream I was watching what appeared to be hundreds of falling stars. It wasn’t apocalyptic or anything like that. They were drifting to earth like glitter. Naturally, I made a wish. As soon as I made my wish, I could hear the song. After not having watched Jiminy or heard his song in over 20 years, I take this as a sign. Good things are coming my way. So, go ahead, be inspired by your dreams. I think it’s important for everyone to have a dream. Maybe even more than one.

Paranormal Bad Boy Blurb Fest!

2012-01-20T21:40:00.001-08:00

It's SMOKING SATURDAY where Bad Boys of paranormal romance come out to play!

Any paranormal romance (erotica) author is welcome to join in the fun. How to participate...
Just grab the graphic above & post the event details and graphic on your blog inviting paranormal authors to post blurbs/buy links on your blog post through midnight, January 21, 2011.

Don't forget to include the blurb and buy links to your romantic paranormal bad boy tale in the post.

Finally, leave your blurb and buy link to your story here (NO EXCERPTS please) & the url to the event at your blog so all the participating authors can post their blurbs and buy links there as well! SMOKING SATURDAY ends at midnight, January 21, 2011!

And now, please allow me to share with you the man I consider bad in a good way. LOL

Honestly, he's the hero I'm crushing on at the moment. He's my own sexy version of Frankenstein from ...

FRANK AND THE WEREWOLF TAMER

Blurb: Katherine has had a hard time finding work, mostly because she’s a vampire. Turns out, people aren’t clamoring to work with the undead. She goes to the massive theme park, Notte Oscura, as a last resort. What Katherine doesn’t realize is, there’s a lot more waiting for her than just a job.

Genre: Erotic paranormal romance

Length: Mid-novel

Purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Werewolf-Tamer-ebook/dp/B006PU2JBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327124098&sr=8-1

Thanks again to Skhye Moncrief for getting this started!

Well, I've been called the devil before

2012-01-19T07:42:00.000-08:00

But this is ridiculous. I laughed so hard at this blog post.

http://threewickedwriters.blogspot.com/2011/07/romance-writers-wreck-homes-promote.html

Please, take a minute or two to read it when you have a chance. It's making fun of a study/article written by a psychiatrist who claims that romance novels lead women to have unrealistic expectations. Because we all think six-foot-five men with rock hard bodies (who are incredibly well-endowed) grow on trees. Oh, it also blames romance for weight gain, adultery, and unprotected sex. Get real.

First of all, that's stupid. So much so that it's hilarious! I can see the fan letters now, "Yeah, I'm sure my neighbor is a werewolf, but no matter how much silver I stick him with, he won't shift form!"

Or "I've been sitting outside waiting for the fairies to show up, because I planted the flowers they like."

"My best friend says her neighbor is really pale and works at night. We're planning to sneak into his house during the day and see if he's allergic to sunlight."

"My boyfriend has back hair ... is he turning into a werewolf?"

HAHAHAHAHA

I could go on, but I won't. Nobody is that stupid. Except the psychiatrist who wrote the article. I've never met anyone who read romance or any other type of fiction and expected these stories to come true. Even when I read Lord of the Rings in elementary school, I didn't expect to see elves and hobbits in my back yard. Of course, I fantasized about how cool it would be. :)

Just like I fantasize about hot vampires, sexy werewolves, and all the other things that to bump in the night. It's called imagination and it keeps us young. :)

But, I totally wanted to fly after reading Harry Potter.

How much do reviews matter to you?

2012-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

I've often wondered how important reviews actually are. I try to look at it objectively and not just from the perspective of an author. So, I'll answer the question as honestly as I can from both perspectives.

As an author, it's wonderful to know when someone loved my book. However, it's also more likely that people who HATE it will leave a review. I'm not sure why this is true, but it seems to be. People who love the story seem more likely to send me an email. Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciate this. Kind words do wonders for encouraging me and keeping me motivated to do what I love. I suppose the people who leave bad reviews do so because they just want to "hate and run." LOL Sending an email might actually open up *gasp* a dialogue between them and the author.

Constructive criticism is often difficult to hear, but totally understandable. Everyone sees things differently and has different opinions. However, bashing an author on a personal level is horrible and should never be considered a review. As a rule, I don't respond to reviews. I have broken that rule once when someone actually called me names. That's right, they attacked ME, not THE BOOK. Still, I was professional and to the point. And I only responded ONCE. (By the way, that review was removed by the site for violating policy. Yes, it was that bad.)

Also, it seems that many bad reviews are planted delibrately by others who seek only to make the author and their work look bad. Why anyone would put such effort into bashing someone else is beyond me, but it happens.

I've read in several blog posts and online discussions that reviewers are uncomfortable when an author responds, even if it's to say "thank you." So, unless someone draws my attention to a review they posted, I don't even do that.

I sincerely appreciate someone taking the time to read and review my work. I read a post yesterday in which the individual said they thought it was tacky for an author to post links to "great reviews." Seriously? We aren't allowed to gush when someone totally gets us and what we were trying to say?

Anyway, as an author, I think that reviews only matter to me when they are in reference to my books. (Sorry, didn't mean to go into a rant.)

As a reader, which I've been all my life, I tend to overlook reviews for the most part. Most of the time, I've already made up my mind to purchase the book based on a few factors.

1. The cover art must catch my attention. I'm sorry to say, but I really do judge books by their cover.

2. Price is the next thing I look at. I'm most likely to purchase the book if it's under $5. The cheaper it is, the more likely I am to buy it.

3. The blurb. I read the book's description. If it sounds like something I might like, the cover looks good, and the price is right, I'll buy it.

Beyond that, I might glance at the reviews, but they have only once changed my mind. That was because I saw a book had rape in it, which I have no desire to read about. (Or see in a movie for that matter.)

Even before I was published, I only glanced at reviews if I was bored or had a spare minute. And they still didn't matter to me. In particular the really bad, ranting and raving reviews (in my opinion) only made the reviewer look bad, not the author.

So, that's my 2 cents on the subject. How much do reviews matter to you?

What do your characters do for a living?

2012-01-16T14:09:00.000-08:00

Is it a part of who they are? Or just something they do to pay the bills? That's the question I'm asking myself right now. As I make notes on a new story, I'm trying to figure out what my heroine will do for a living.

Sometimes the main character's job is important to the story. For example if they're a werewolf hunter and they start dating a werewolf, it adds to the conflict. Other times, it's not important to the story, but it is important to who they are as people.

The characters in my stories have done a little bit of everything, so coming up with something new is a bit of a challenge. I don't want them to sound boring. Ha. Ha. But there's nothing wrong with having one "ordinary" aspect to their lives. Especially, considering I write paranormal. A little bit of the ordinary is a good thing.

I try to balance how many characters have fantastical jobs vs how many do something "normal." My characters have been bounty hunters, werewolf hunters, club owners, bar owners, florists, decorators, one was a fiction writer (before that she had other jobs) and one wrote the little blurbs that appear beside pictures in adult magaizines. My latest heroine (Katherine in Frank and The Werewolf Tamer) is a vampire who ends up being hired as a Werewolf Tamer in a theme park.

Oh, plus I've got an upcoming release with Ellora's Cave, Constant Cravings, in which the leading lady is a fortune teller.

After all that, I'm thinking it might be nice for this heroine to do something "normal." Right now I'm toying with a few ideas, but can't settle on anything that suits her personality.

She is outgoing, friendly, tough but not a bitch (LOL). I am TOTALLY open to suggestions.

Is there anything you haven't seen that you think would be interesting for a leading lady to do for a living? It may not play a big part in the story, but it's still important.

Ideas anyone?

10 things you might not know about me

2012-01-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun if I blogged about something ... well, FUN. You know, just for the heck of it? Just because I take writing seriously doesn't mean that's all I ever talk about or blog about. Let's face it, there's more to the world and to life than one topic. On my blog you will encounter all sorts of randomness. LOL

Now, here's 10 things you might not know about me. (In no particular order.)

1. I tried to fly once when I was 8 yrs. old. Epic Fail.

2. I have always loved to read and write about vampires and werewolves. It's not something I did to be "popular," or to stick with any trend.

3. I used to have a coffee cup that said "I'm saving myself for Tom Selleck." LOL Don't know what happened to it. I should get a new one made:)

4. I can think of few things more peaceful than a clear, cool night with the full moon shining down.

5. I was one stripe from a black belt in Krav Maga (and another mixed style) when I stopped taking classes. If I'd finished my last stripe, I'd be registered as a weapon.

6. I think Chuck Norris' beard is sexy.

7. Hulk Hogan told me to take my vitamins once when I was a kid. Seriously. He patted me on the head and everything. LOL

8. I don't have a foot fetish or anything, but I DO notice feet. If someone takes care of their feet, it's a good sign they take care of the rest of themselves. The sight of freaky unkempt toes will make me scream. It's so nasty!

9. Beauty and The Beast is my favorite fairy tale, followed closely by Red Riding Hood.

10. I love drama, the theatrical kind. Not stupid bitches who talk trash. LOL

Now, you know a few more random things about me. Wasn't that fun? Talk of drama makes me feel the urge to practice my bitch slap. Well, off to take care of that.

Welcome to Notte Oscura

2012-01-11T08:44:00.000-08:00

One of the most fun parts of writing Frank and The Werewolf Tamer was coming up with the idea for the theme park Notte Oscura. I knew the type of atmosphere I wanted to create, but I didn't want it to be a circus. Not exactly anyway.

So, I asked myself, "What would be the ideal place for vampires, werewolves and other creatures of the night to work?"

"What would make a great setting/location?"

I let the idea rest for a couple of days. Then, as I was trying to cook dinner one night, Notte Oscura came to me. I took out my notes and while attempting to not burn dinner, the plan began to form.

One of the most relaxing places in the world to me is the beach at night. Thinking of this naturally brought to mind the closest beach to me, Panama City. In the blink of an eye, I thought of all those little "mini-carnival" type places as you get near the beach and BANG, I had my idea.

I knew I wanted a theme part and not a circus, like I'd said. I'm not crazy about the circus. I also needed a place where a man like Frank would feel at home. Notte Oscura (the name came easily enough after that. It means Dark Night in Italian.) was born!

In less than 5 minutes, I had enough details in my head to make the park come alive on paper. I was thrilled. Now, I could finally begin work on the story. Because Frank had been in my head for over a year. It was getting crowded in there. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Why did I keep him to myself for so long? I was working on other projects at the time and Frank was simply on the back burner in my mind. Ever so often I'd pull the thought of him out of my mental file and take another look. "Hmmm. I'm not ready for him yet," I'd think. And so it went until one day everything just clicked.

I never know how to answer (though I do my best) when people ask me if I'm a plotter or a panster. I don't make an "outline." I make notes that may or may not be in the order they need to occur in the story. Sometimes all my notes will make it into the book. Other times the story is complete without them. And once in a while I decide that an idea or phrase or whatever it is will work better in another book entirely.

So, I don't sit down and just fly by the seat of my pants entirely. But I don't over organize either as I believe that stifles creativity. If I had to give myself a title I'd say I'm a dreamer. It is my greatest desire to bring my dreams to life.

Details for Frank and The Werewolf Tamer:

Katherine has had a hard time finding work, mostly because she’s a vampire. Turns out, people aren’t clamoring to work with the undead. She goes to the massive theme park, Notte Oscura, as a last resort. What Katherine doesn’t realize is, there’s a lot more waiting for her than just a job.

Purchase Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Werewolf-Tamer-ebook/dp/B006PU2JBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326301637&sr=8-1

We should build each other up, not tear each other down

2012-01-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

I do not understand the need some people seem to have. We've all met or in some way encountered them, people who thrive on negativity. Regardless of your religious beliefs (because this is NOT a post about religion), most people will agree that we shape our own reality to some extent.

By that I mean if you are a cruel, mean-spirited, abusive person, you will inevitably draw others of like disposition to yourself. You get back what you give out. I for one don't want to plant that kind of seed.

I've seen it too many times in my own life to not believe. Naturally, random things will happen. People will say cruel things you didn't deserve. Why? I don't know. But what I do know is that they are probably miserable. Those who lash out most, do so because of their deep levels of depression, jealousy and/or despair. That's not my speculation, it's a proven fact. Misery it seems, really does love company.

But you know what? If you're a positive person, they won't be sharing your company for long. Them or their misery.

Positivity counts! It really does. I firmly believe that you get what you expect to get out of life. Believe every day (and say it out loud) that good things are coming your way. Declare boldly that you are a success. You deserve nothing less.

Those people who lash out for no reason and deliver cruelty to others are digging their own hole. Years from now when you are prosperous and successful, they will still be miserable.

The way to success is not to tear others down, it's to lift them up. I treat others the way I would want to be treated. No, I'm not perfect, but I support my fellow authors. I speak kind words to those who need to hear them and unless severely provoked, I'm not an asshole.

The best way to get what you want out of life (like say kindness from others as an example) is to give it to someone else. I feel sorry for those who feel compelled to give out nothing but bitterness and spite.

Life is too short to waste time being miserable or trying to make others that way. I want to be happy. I choose to be happy. And I refuse to let anyone ruin my happiness.

A day in the life of a full time writer

2012-01-06T08:54:00.000-08:00

Before I get started with this, let me say again that I love what I do. However, I'm often put-off and sometimes entertained by what most people think a writer does all day. Some (like my relatives) think I do nothing at all. In this post, I will be brutally honest and share what my life was like just a few days ago.

Currently, I'm working on editing/polishing a book I plan to release through Amazon at the end of the month. (I feel I need to work quickly on this project, because I never know when my editor might get back to me on my new release with Ellora's Cave.) My goal for the day was to edit 2 chapters and possibly put in some additional description in a few places.

5:30 a.m. - My husband leaves for work. Though I don't hear him, he wakes up our dog, Roscoe (a little black wiener/chahuahua mix) who then proceeds to lick me in the face for 5 minutes while I insist, "No, Roscoe, I don't need any sugar!" In the back of my mind, I know I should get up and get started on the book. But, I'm exhausted. Roscoe and I go back to sleep.

6:00 a.m. - I awake to the sound of a gunshot. Ah, the joys of living in the country during hunting season. While cussing the idiot who fires shots before dawn, I fall back asleep.

9:00 a.m. - Oh, shit! I overslept. Roscoe is asleep under the covers, snoring. I leave him and go into the room across the hall to turn on my computer. While the computer boots up, I start some coffee and get out my notes on the story I'm working on.

9:30 a.m. - I've approved all the posts in my tribe on Triberr, started a load of laundry and still haven't opened my book. So, I open it and scroll to the page where I left off yesterday. I decide it's about damn time I get a cup of coffee.

12:30 p.m. - I've edited about 7 pages, the beds are made and half the laundry is finished. I've also had three cups of coffee and I'm wired. I should take the time now to workout, but I really need to have this book ready by the end of the month. I decide it's time to wake up the dog.

1:30 p.m. - While I eat lunch (heat and eat ramen noodles) I search online for the perfect pictures that I will use to create the cover art. I do this and the rest of the household chores for the next few hours.

3:30 p.m. - My mom drops off my son after picking him up from school. (He spent the night with her.) He is eager to see me, play the Xbox, and get a snack. So much for editing for a while, but at least I found the right pics for the cover art. We proceed to blow shit up (in the game) at a phenominal rate. LOL

6:30 p.m. - After a long, hot shower, I have dinner cooking while I at last get back to my book. Ahhh, Mr. Tall, dark, and sexy is right where I left him. At least some things can always be counted on. The house is surprisingly quiet. My son and dog are both in his room, watching a movie. I actually get to edit a chapter and a half!

8:15 p.m. - My husband is home. This means I won't get another opportunity to write/edit unless I want to piss him off. (Because he thinks he's being ignored) I go in to turn off the computer while everyone else eats dinner.

I've gotten sidetracked by some idiot on Facebook. For some reason he seems to think it's appropriate to discuss my religious beliefs (or what he thinks I believe) in public. After being very pissed off for about 20 minutes, I delete his posts and get on with my life. I really hate assholes.

Now, I scan the book, make a note of the page I'm on and turn the computer off. I did accomplish my goal and clean my house. But somehow I don't feel like I've done much. I go back to face my most hated chore, washing dishes.

While I wash the dishes I wonder if any of my promotional efforts for my latest book have paid off and whether I should try the same techniques for this new book. My mind is buzzing with the possibilities.

Even as I try to sleep a few hours later, all I can think about is what I've done right and what I've potentially done wrong. I am a writer 24/7.

It's not glamorous, but it's who I am. Not all days are this bland, but this is typical. It isn't exciting unless you count reading a great review or seeing that your sales have improved.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Does giving away books equal more sales?

2012-01-02T17:06:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I have no idea. I'm still very new to the self-publishing world (although I've been traditionally published for 4 years) and trying my best to figure everything out. Naturally, I want to earn a decent income. But, I also want to give readers something of value for their money. (On a side note, I still filed copyright. I mention this now because I've heard horror stories of people being ripped off. But, back to the subject.)

I believe in my writing. If I thought my stories were crap, I'd never try to sell them to anyone. Actually, if I thought they were crap, I'd be embarassed to even give them away. I wouldn't want my name on it.

That being said, I released my first self-published book Dec. 26, 2011, Frank and The Werewolf Tamer.

I was and still am thrilled about this new release. I set the price at $2.99. That is the minimum where I feel I can earn a decent royalty and survive and still give readers a good price. In its first week, Frank and The Werewolf Tamer sold a whoping 14 copies. I was crushed. I'd heard others say their sales started out slow, but this was depressing.

So, I decided to take advantage of the Kindle Select program I'd signed up for. By the way, I see no benefit to this program other than being able to offer your books as free for 5 days every 90 days. I may not re-enroll after 90 days. That's still up in the air.

Now, want to hear something really sad? Frank and The Werewolf Tamer has been downloaded over 600 times since yesterday morning.

I can't help but wonder if people are just not willing to pay for my work. Which is VERY depressing. Or if everyone is taking a chance on it because it's free.

My hope (and fondest wish) is that new readers will find me this way, love the book, and spread the word. Maybe by the time the promotion runs out, people will be willing to pay $2.99. Seriously, that's still cheap.

I've heard other people speculate that sales go up an average of 30% when a free book is offered. But, I don't think you can count on that. I believe that every situation is different. What works for one book (or author) may not work for another. However, in the on-going effort to pay my bills, I keep trying.

At the moment, I'm viewing this as in investment. That's advertisement that didn't cost me a thing and at least 600 people have heard my name.

If you've already experimented with free books and/or self-publishing, and you wouldn't mind, please share your results with us:) Comments and suggestions are very welcome.

This week only

2012-01-02T11:52:00.000-08:00

Frank and The Werewolf Tamer is FREE. That's right, you heard me, FREE. For this week only you can download my latest book to you Kindle for no charge at all.

Have fun and happy reading!

http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Werewolf-Tamer-ebook/dp/B006PU2JBW/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

Ring in the New Year with a good book

2011-12-29T15:20:00.000-08:00

This is an open promotional opportunity for all authors who are looking to promote their books, regardless of genre. Here's how it works. In the comments, leave a blurb/details for your book and a purchase link. It'd be great if you could return the favor by having a similar post on your blog. If you do, please leave us the link for that as well. This will be open from now through New Years day, all day.

All I ask is that the blurb be PG-13 as this is not an adult rated blog. Even though I write erotic romance, I'd like for most anyone to be able to read my blog.

Okay, I'll go first. My latest book is called Frank and The Werewolf Tamer. It's about a vampire who gets involved with a modern (and sexy) version of Frankenstein.

Here are the details:

Katherine has had a hard time finding work, mostly because she’s a vampire. Turns out, people aren’t clamoring to work with the undead. She goes to the massive theme park, Notte Oscura, as a last resort. However, she soon finds there is more waiting for her than just a job.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Werewolf-Tamer-ebook/dp/B006PU2JBW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325201201&sr=8-1

My Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Tracey-H.-Kitts/e/B006H4U0LW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Looking to review any paranormal romance?

2011-12-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

I'm giving away a limited number of pdf copies of Frank and The Werewolf Tamer to people (professional reviewers and readers) who are willing to post an honest review of the book on Amazon.

If you don't like romance, erotica, or the paranormal, please, skip this book.

It is my sincere hope that everyone will LOVE the book, but I realize this may not happen. When I say "honest" here's what I mean. If you absolutely hate the book, please don't trash it publicly. It's okay to not like something, this is a free country. Just don't call the book names, call me names, or give away details of the plot. Basically, be nice about it is what I'm saying.

However, it is still my hope that you will all LOVE the book. Ha. Ha. Ha. So, those interested in reviewing Frank and The Werewolf Tamer, please send me an email traceyhkitts@yahoo.com

In the subject line have something like Frank and The Werewolf Tamer/Review.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration. I really appreciate it!

Frank and The Werewolf Tamer is out!

2011-12-26T02:25:00.000-08:00

This is my very first self-published book as well as my first experience with Amazon's Kindle exclusive lending library. (Kindle Prime members can read the book for free.) It'll probably be some time yet before I know how this venture will work out. But, I must say once I got the formatting thing down, it wasn't that difficult. With a bit of practice ( like doing this 2 or 3 times) that should be easy.

Designing the cover art was also not a big deal. Actually, I loved it. For the first time I had complete control over what was on the cover of my book. I only hope that my tastes as an artist and a writer are as pleasing to readers as they were to me.

Before my actions can be misunderstood, I have no intentions of leaving the world of traditional publishing. This is an experiment, one that I hope goes very well. I want to be able to offer readers better prices and also be able to pay my bills. It's a simple as that.

Without further rambling (because I'm writing this at 4:30 a.m.) here are the details on my latest book. (Drum roll please)

Katherine has had a hard time finding work, mostly because she’s a vampire. Turns out, people aren’t clamoring to work with the undead. She goes to the massive theme park, Notte Oscura, as a last resort. After she watches his sexy “Frankenstein” act, Frank Eastwick hires her on the spot. They are in need of a new werewolf tamer and he has no doubt that she can do the job. Katherine soon learns that there’s more to this hunk than his gorgeous body and numerous scars. Things are working out for Katherine for the first time in years. That is until the vampire who bit her decides to pay them a visit.

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/Frank-Werewolf-Tamer-ebook/dp/B006PU2JBW/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1324895015&sr=1-3

Happy Holidays

2011-12-23T12:02:00.000-08:00

And to all my fellow work-a-holics, I understand. I never thought I'd be one of those people who worked all the time. Then one day (I always knew I wanted to write) I decided it was time I started writing. I began to follow through with my dream. Next thing you know I work all the time.

Honestly "work" is a dirty word to me. I use it because that's the word I have to use to let people know I'm trying to get something done. Ha. Ha. If I say I'm writing, that doesn't seem to convey the same respect or need for privacy.

The moment I finally gave in to what I always knew would be my career, everything changed. Here it is 2 days till Christmas and I'm still writing. I don't have an "off" switch. I've tried to explain to people that it's like I'm always on call for my muse. As bad as that might sound to some, I love it. I never leave work. Which would be a nightmare if I was still in any of the jobs I've had in the past. But not this. I love writing. I love telling stories and creating new worlds and characters.

I am what I do, so I can't stop being me. With that in mind, as I sit here "working," I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a Happy Holiday. Whether you celebrate Christmas or Winter Solstice, any other holiday, I wish you happiness.

May you be able to avoid the relatives you don't like and spend some time with the ones you do.

Happy Holidays, from me to you.

Who is Solomon Grundy?

2011-12-20T08:14:00.001-08:00

Seriously, does anyone know? Yes, this is off topic from my usual blog subjects. I love comics. Get over it. Ha. Ha. Ha. Batman is my favorite. Yesterday while playing the new Arkham City (which rocks by the way), I encountered Solomon Grundy.

I immediately recognized him from the comics (and a brief appearance on some cartoons), but I still have no idea who he actually is. All he tells you himself is he was "Born on a Monday, christened on a Tuesday, married on Wednesday."

Um...okaaaaay. I found the rest of that bizarre nursery rhyme and it told me nothing, but here it is. There's even a company in the UK named after this nursery rhyme. That's pretty freakin' macabre, even to me.

By James Orchard Halliwell published in 1842 with the lyrics:

Solomon Grundy,
Born on a Monday,
Christened on Tuesday,
Married on Wednesday,
Took ill on Thursday,
Grew worse on Friday,
Died on Saturday,
Buried on Sunday.
That was the end,
Of Solomon Grundy.

Well, that's pretty disturbing. My first impression when looking at Grundy is he looks like a zombie version of Frankenstein's monster. (He's got stitches along his biceps as if they are holding his arms together.) I did find a few references online that say he is in fact a "zombie supervillain." That's nice, but who the crap is he?

According to Penguin (Arkham City) he's immortal. Truthfully, I couldn't kill him. We just got to a point where he was subdued. Zombies, in any other work of fiction, can be killed. So, what the crap is he? Who made him? If you know, tell me. Please. It bugs me.

I also already know he was supposedly murdered in Slaughter Swamp (where ever the hell that is). I couldn't find if that meant something or not. The same article where I found this said that every time he is "killed" in his zombie form he is resurrected with different powers. That's cool and all, BUT WHY? You get what I'm saying?

Oh, and I also found out that Solomon Grundy is the name of a pickled fish dish served on Jamaican Cruises. Bleh! I've been to Jamaica before and nobody ever offered me Solomon Grundy on a cracker. Nasty!

Every site I went to says the same thing. (Not about the pickled fish thing.) He's a zombie supervillain who also fought the Green Lantern and some other people. Not to sound like an ass, but I don't care about that other stuff. I just want to know where he came from/who made him the way he is.

How can you have a badass zombie supervillain and not give him a decent backstory?

Okay, as I was about to hit "send" I decided to look into the Slaughter Swamp thing. Yay! I found some more information. It'd probably be easier to just post a link.

http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Slaughter_Swamp

This is more like it. However, it still doesn't explain how he is at least 20 feet tall. That's my best guess in comparison to Batman who I estimate is about 6' 2".

Grundy was also a sideshow freak over the years. But, I've heard that he has more than one origin story. Anyone else know the rest?

My first cover art design and why I'm doing this

2011-12-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Before I share the next step of my project, I'd like to clear something up. I am not self-publishing this book because I have no other option. Some people seem to have gotten the impression that no one wants my story and that's why it's being self-published.

That's not true at all. I've had 15 novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story, all traditionally published. You know, by a publisher. I submitted my work, they offered me a contract, etc. Everything I've ever finished has been published.

Frank and The Werewolf Tamer has never been submitted to a publisher, anywhere at any time. This story was written specifically for this business venture. Make no mistake, that's exactly what this is.

In the on-going attempt to survive and pay my bills, I've decided to self-publish some of my work. I love what I do and I sincerely enjoy providing entertainment for readers. However, I also want to make more money and be able to offer readers a cheaper price at the same time. People deserve a bargain and I deserve to keep a roof over my head.

These reasons are what led me down this road, not rejection.

Now that that's cleared up, I'd like to share with everyone my very first cover art design. I used a combination of Photoshop, Paint, and Microsoft Picture Manager to create the desired effects. By the way, that's the edge of my back yard in the background.

For those interested in learning how to make their own cover art, there are dozens of "how to" videos on youtube. That's where I've picked up a lot. Until a few weeks ago, I'd never used Photoshop in my life.

My self-publishing adventure is nearing completion

2011-12-13T15:07:00.000-08:00

Well, this part of it anyway. I've been doing tons of reasearch. My book Frank and The Werewolf Tamer is almost complete. I've decided on the perfect images for the cover art (which I'll be making myself). Actually, I seem to have a knack for it. Don't get me wrong, it isn't perect, but with some effort, I think I could be really good at this.

As it stands now, I'm about 15-20 thousand words away from the end of the book. I wrote 5,ooo just this morning. My fingers are tired, but my brain won't stop. Once I finish the book, I'll need to edit it once more (because I've already edited it up to this point 3 times). Then, my writing partner will go over it again for me. Next, I'll work on that smoking hot cover art. And last but not least, I'll learn how to format and upload my book to Amazon Kindle.

I am so excited! At first, when I read that they have a 35% royalty option or a 70% option, I thought it was a no brainer. Then, I looked into the matter further. In case anyone else is wondering, here's what I've learned about Amazon's Kindle program.

- You can only earn 70% royalties on titles priced $2.99 - $9.99
- Anything $2.98 and under automatically earns 35% royalties

That means that for a .99 cent book (which is what I was originally going to offer), I would only earn .35 cents a copy. As much as I want readers to have a bargain, I can't live on that. And I do this for a living.

- 70% royalty books are also charged a small download fee. (0.15 per KB) This mostly hurts those with lots of graphics. The fee is deducted from your royalties and not charged to the author seperately. Honestly, I haven't heard anyone complaining about this. From what I understand, the average fee is only 3-6 cents per book.

After much debate, I've decided that Frank and The Werewolf Tamer will be priced at $2.99. This will still offer readers a good price and allow me to pay my bills. I consider that win/win.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this works out and thought I'd share my experiences/research thus far.

This is about writing, but what if I put porn in the title?

2011-12-11T22:54:00.000-08:00

Okay, you can stop laughing and/or rolling your eyes now. One blog post of mine had the word porn in it, over a year ago. I find it hilarious that this particular post (which wasn't even about porn, but merely used the word) gets so many hits. That's sad.

This post is, like I said, about writing. My writing to be specific. I can't tell you how tired I am of people (mainly relatives) asking me if I "still write about werewolves and stuff." Yes, I do. What part of paranormal romance author are they not understanding? I've worked for 4 years to try and build an audience. I want people to think of paranormal romance when they read my name. Why the hell would I throw 4 years of work down the drain? Wait, that wouldn't be thrown, it'd be flushed. Anyway, you get my point.

That would be stupid! First of all, my loyal readers expect paranormal when they get one of my books. That means, I'd need to come up with a new name to write a different genre. THAT would mean I'd have to do TWICE the marketing. I don't think so! According to my family, contemporary romance is what I should write. Good grief. Obviously, they've never looked at my bookshelf or even paid attention to me as a person.

No offense to those who write contemporary romance and to those who enjoy reading it. I'm just not one of those people. It doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. No matter how great the writing may be, I find it boring. It's just not my thing.

I want to scream every time a relative says, "Why don't you do a regular romance?" Regular meaning contemporary. Um....maybe because it doesn't interest me!

"Well, there's lots of people that don't like that kinda stuff." (Meaning what I write.)

"Then they shouldn't read my books!" Seriously, that's what's great about free will.

I can't seem to make them understand that I cannot write something that doesn't interest me. Before I was ever a writer, I was a reader. I have never liked "regular" anything.

When I was in elementary school, I liked ghost stories. In high school my interests progressed to romance novels (mostly medieval because that came closest to my gothic tastes), and horror. Soon after I discovered sci-fi and as a young adult I finally found some vampire romance books. It was like a light going off in my brain. THIS is what I'd been looking for all along. This thing called paranormal romance combined everything I loved about fiction. It was perfect!

I've known since I was 6 years old that I wanted to tell my own stories someday. Well, someday is now and I love what I do. The sad thing is, it's only a matter of time before someone reads this, takes it completely out of context and starts a whole shitstorm again. (I can't find my umbrella.)

Why can't I just be who I am? And why after 32 years do none of these people know me?

P.S. I have no intentions of ever writing anything "normal," so don't ask. Ever.

How to get your novel started, Conclusion

2011-12-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

Conclusion

By this point, I hope you have started your novel and realized that you can write a book. Here are a few final tips.

You need a basic knowledge of grammar, but writing a novel is much different from writing a paper for class. You don’t have to worry about proper or “professional” grammar. Write as you speak. If you were writing an informal letter to a friend would you use a colon? Probably not.

“That” should not be a major part of your story. Can you use “which” instead or eliminate the word all together?

Don’t forget to write as you speak. If you can’t find the words, think of how you would explain/describe the same thing to a friend.

I hope this information has been helpful to you. I wish you happy writing and many sales!

Character Outline

2011-12-07T11:38:00.000-08:00

Here's the outline I promised in yesterday's post:) I hope it helps you to better understand your characters. Please, don't feel like you have to answer every question. I never do. Actually, I've only used an outline on a few characters. The rest ... I just knew and didn't need to ask.

1. What is the character’s name?

2. How old are they?

3. Who were their parents?

4. Where were they born? Did anything unusual happen?

5. Where do they live?

6. Are they single?

7. Do they have a job? What is it?

8. What was their childhood like? Are there any brothers or sisters? What is the relationship with siblings?

9. What kinds of relationships does the character have? What kinds of friends? Enemies? Why?

10. Does the character have any bad habits? Sexual appetites?

11. Describe the physical appearance of the character. Skin color? Height? Weight? Physique? Tall or short? Fat or thin or muscular?

12. Hair color? Eye color?

13. Do they have an accent? What kind?

14. How do they walk? (strut? swagger? etc)

15. Does the character have any disabilities? Distinguishing marks? Tattoos? Disfigurements? Why? How did they get these scars?

16. What kind of jewelry or ornamentation does the character wear? Rings, earrings, necklace, medallion or piercing?

17. What class of person is this? Wealthy or poor? Honest or rogue? Soldier or leader? Merchant or laborer? Teacher or student? Highborn or lowborn? Educated or ignorant? Rational or superstitious? Religious or skeptical?

18. What kind of clothing does the character wear? Fancy or plain? Expensive or cheap? Elegant or simple? Describe the clothes.

19. What kind of weapons does this character carry? Why? What do these weapons accomplish? How much training has your character had in the use of these weapons?

20. What powers or abilities does this character have?

21. What’s their best quality?

22. What’s their worst quality?

23. What does your character believe? What does he or she know? What does he or she need to know?

24. What is this character’s weakness? Fatal flaw?

25. What are they afraid of?

26. What makes them angry?

27. What do they dislike?

28. What do they like most?

29. What do they want?

30. What do they need?

31. What do they most need to learn? What do they most need to say? To whom?

32. What’s their worst fear?

33. Do they have any regrets?

34. Do they have any special talents or abilities?

35. What do they dream about?

36. If they could do one thing with their life what would it be?

37. What is the problem? Why is it his or her problem? Why does this problem hurt?

38. What is the essential emotional problem that this character must face and resolve?

39. What one word best sums up their personality?

How to get your novel started Part 4

2011-12-07T09:56:00.000-08:00

This is going to be a very long post.

Writing your book

By now you should have your book planned. You should have a working outline and at least some idea of a title. We’ll be discussing:

How to create memorable characters
Setting and description
Transitions

Transitions

Transitions are the key to making your writing flow. They’re what makes your book “readable.” Transitions are words and short phrases which are normally found at the first of a sentence. They are to ensure that the reading experience is smooth and effortless. (Don’t use them too often though, or your editor will kill you. Seriously, they have a dungeon for people who use these words too much.)

Here are some examples:

Furthermore

On the other hand

So

For example

Otherwise

Because

Afterwards

Then

And

But

Basically

Later

While

In the meantime

Nevertheless

Equally

Apart from

Indeed

In fact

In conclusion

While writing, try to use transitions often to help readers follow your train of thought. Notice I used the words “and” and “but”? Forget what you learned in school about never using these words at the start of a sentence. One shows that a further supporting statement is about to be made and another shows that an opposing statement is about to be made. And if anyone doesn’t like it, tell them to see me. Ha. Ha. This goes back to writing like you speak. (As long as every sentence doesn't begin with "and or "but.")

Writing with Flair

Of course, like I’ve already said, the best thing you can do to add flair is to write like you speak. A straight-forward conversational style will ensure that your work reads well. If you’re a good conversationalist, then you’ll probably be a good writer.

Writing this way is also the quickest way to get your book finished. I mean, how many times are you speaking to someone and pause for weeks in between? Never right? If you know what to say, you have less trouble finding how to say it.

Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind as you write:

Try to avoid clichés. These are tired phrases like “he ran like the wind” or “she wiped the floor with him.” They are often seen as lazy writing, simply because they have been used so much. They’re a little bit like the tomatoes you left in the fridge for too long, they’ve lost their freshness. (And could possibly be growing mold.)

Vary the length of your sentences. This is to avoid monotony. You also need to suit the pace and tone of what you’re writing. If you’re writing an action sequence, for example, your sentences should be shorter and more precise. Just like the uppercut your character is about to throw.

In particular avoid long, long, long, long, sentences with lots of commas. Use full stops.

Besides length, vary your sentence construction. Normal sentence structure is subject-verb-object. To maintain pace and readability, it’s best to maintain this most of the time. But sometimes it’s alright to change things around a little.

Avoid repeating a word within a sentence or two. Unless you’re doing this deliberately for effect, it is unpleasant to read. You also don’t want to go overboard trying to avoid using the same word again. For instance, don’t call a cow a bovine quadruped to avoid using the word “cow” again.

Avoid using a long word when you could use a short one instead. Use the longer one if it’s the only one appropriate. This has nothing to do with the intellect of your readers, so don't be offended. Writing simply flows better if it isn't bogged down with lots of loooooong words. I hate to read something where the author obviously threw in a bunch of big words just to make themselves or their point seem more important.

Use adjectives and adverbs sparingly. Adjectives are describing words like hot or cold. Adverbs normally end in “ly” and tell how something is done. (Poorly or splendidly.) For example, instead of saying a vast amount of water, say an ocean. Or instead of she yelled at the top of her lungs, she screamed.

Avoid using old-fashioned words. Even for comic effect. Words like quoth and perchance should only be found in Shakespeare.

Keep punctuation simple. All you should need for the most part are full stops, a few commas, and question marks. When writing for a general audience, most people could give a rip if you know how to properly place a colon or a semi-colon. Some people even find them distracting.

Use figures of speech to bring your writing to life. The best known figures of speech are metaphors and similes. If you can do this with an original flare, it will help the reader to see the character or situation in a whole new light.

With a simile, the comparison should be explicit. No, I don't mean raunchy. A comparison is obviously made.

I like to give unusual similes. Like someone growing on you like a fungus.

Metaphors are used more artfully. They are often referred to as imagery. These figures of speech should evoke vivid images in the reader’s mind.

Here is an example from Red, book one in my Werewolf Hunter Series.

The beautiful summer day had begun to turn as ugly as my mood. Through the doors to the balcony, dark clouds could be seen gathering. Technically, it was still spring, but when the temperature reached nearly eighty degrees every day, I called it summer. That’s the only thing about Florida I wasn’t fond of; I did not deal well with the heat. But, you can’t have everything, and living in the middle of nowhere, with almost no neighbors, I was probably surrounded by some of God’s best art work. As I walked out onto the balcony, surrounded by deep red roses, I marveled at the fact that there were people who did not believe in the existence of a higher power. I watched the storm clouds rumble and swirl, looking like a bruise mingling with the blue of the sky. I had the urge to get a blank canvas and some paint. Yes, God existed, and he was an artist. In my opinion, anyone who doubted that need only watch one sunset. Every day the countryside around me was painted with the same masterful hand in a slightly different portrait.

The first few rain drops began to fall around me, making the roses look like bobbing little red heads as the rain bounced from their petals. I closed my eyes, tilted back my head and let the rain wash away the bad memories.

No, this book isn’t about religion. Lilith just happens to mention her belief in God during this segment. The question is, could you see the rain bouncing off those roses? Could you picture the storm spreading across the sky?

Another quick note: Don’t work too hard to come up with figures of speech. It isn’t worth it. Besides being a waste of time, if the comparison you make isn’t completely obvious, the result could be unintentionally comical.

Similes and metaphors should be used sparingly. But if you come up with a few good ones along the way, they can help to make your words more easily understood and make your book more fun to read.

Tips specifically for fiction writers

Characterization

Characterization goes hand in hand with conflict. These are probably THE most important parts of the story. After all, you can’t have conflict without characters. The reason people enjoy fiction is because at some level we are able to identify with one or more of the characters. You start to put yourself in their shoes and keep reading to see how they work things out.

And if you had characters without a conflict, you’d have a really boring book. Think back to one of those cheesy old scenes in a black and white movie where two characters run toward each other across a field of wildflowers. Boring right? Who are these idiots and why aren’t they having an allergy attack from all the pollen? If everything worked out right and bad things never happened to good people, it would make an extraordinarily dull read.

Everybody wants and occasionally has strokes of good luck. But we also have setbacks. That’s just part of life. And though readers do read to escape reality, you shouldn’t leave it completely behind. Everything doesn’t always go right and this should be true for your characters.

If everything is always perfect in the lives of your characters, readers won’t be able to identify with them and won’t be the slightest bit interested in what happens to them.

Most truly great fictional characters have been flawed in some way. All of them have problems (conflict) and work to overcome them. For fiction to be successful, it is essential to have characters who have flaws as well as strengths and who experience conflicts and failure as well as success.

Character and conflict interweave to form the plot.

Example: Werewolf Hunter Series – Red

Lilith Mercury is a werewolf Hunter who is not exactly human. Marco Barak is an alpha werewolf looking to change people’s perceptions of his kind, and snag a new alpha female in the process. After a passionate encounter in his club one night, Lilith can no longer deny her attraction to the wolfman. Her job is to kill him, but it breaks her heart to think of causing him harm. Once The Wizard Council agrees to hear Marco’s proposal for the enactment of the werewolf code, things might change, not only for werewolves, but for Lilith. Soon they will both discover that anything worth having is worth fighting for.

PLOT SPRINGS FROM CHARACTER

So, how are you supposed to create these memorable characters from which your plot develops? First, you need to get to know them and I suggest doing so before you start writing. You need to know what makes them tick, their strengths and weaknesses, background, hobbies, etc.

Picture someone in your mind, a character perhaps. Not a celebrity or someone you know, but someone you’ve made up. If you don’t have anyone in mind, then make someone up right now. I’ve found that it’s easier to write in response to a question, so I've got an exercise to help you develop your character.

The exercise will follow this section in the next post.

If you do this exercise, by the time you get to the end, you should feel like you’re getting to know this character. Some of the questions may not apply to your character and that’s fine. This is just to help you get an idea of who they are. You don’t have to know the answer to every question and some of them will even be answered as you write the story.

Now think of a problem this person would want to avoid more than anything. It could be based on their worst fear or their dislikes. Think how the person involved would attempt to resolve the situation. What would they do and what would be the consequences of their actions?

The better you know the characters, the easier the outline and the story will be to write. If you are familiar with your character’s personalities and backgrounds, any one of these can be used to create conflict.

Creating well-rounded life-like characters is important. You might want to complete the questionnaire for all of the characters in your book.

Keep in mind that for your book to be successful, the main character or characters must also be someone readers will find likeable, at least on some level.

Here are some more ideas for creating likeable and memorable characters.

1. Show their softer side – have them do something kind.

2. Make them the underdog – people always root for the underdog, so make the odds stacked against them.

3. Put them in big trouble – the more trouble your character is in, the more the audience will be drawn in.

4. Make them good at what they do – even if they are an assassin, let them take pride in it. (maybe even be the best in the business)

5. Give them a dark past – this could tie into their regrets. We’ve all done things that we regret, having this in a character also makes them easier to identify with.

6. Give them a sense of humor – this not only makes the story easier to read, but makes the characters more believable. They don’t have to be a comedian, they just need to not always take themselves so seriously.

7. Give them flaws – real people cannot identify with perfect people. Give them a drinking problem or a fear of heights … something to overcome.

8. Give them someone to love – it could be a lover or their child, or even their dog. But everyone, no matter how bad they may be, needs someone to love. Yes, this applies even if you’re not writing a love story.

9. Let them have something in common with the reader – this could be a nosy neighbor or a boss who’s a jerk. Just as long as it’s something that a lot of people can identify with.

10. Make them rebels – this goes along with being the underdog, just do it with attitude.

Of course, you don’t need to use all of these for every character, but you should use some to make the characters easy to identify with and realistic.

Show, don’t tell

I didn’t invent this phrase. It’s used in lots of writing classes. And it’s probably the best piece of advice I can give you.

Don’t just tell them what’s going on in a scene. Describe it. Show it to them. Try to think of your novel as a movie. Rather than just telling your audience what happens, show it to them in a few vividly portrayed scenes.

Show scenes through the eyes of a viewpoint character.

Don’t include asides which can only come from the author.

Have as much dialogue and action as possible.

Keep reportage and reminiscence (flash backs) to a minimum.

Write most of your story in the character’s presence.

Avoid having characters tell one another about events – if it’s important show it happening instead.

Why the words you choose are so important

People don’t just want to see your world. They want to hear it, feel it. They want to take in the sights, taste the food, hear the music. They want to be able to feel the changes in temperature and observe the animals.

If you can’t describe the place like you’ve been there, the reader will know the difference. They can only get as deep into the story as you do.

Setting and description

Try to include these in the dialogue. Blend them into the narrative. Avoid a three page description of a dirt road. (Seriously, I read that once.) Rather than stop a story in its tracks to provide a full description of the setting, give a few well chosen details and let the reader fill in the rest for themselves.

The character outline can be found in the next post:) I may have to do that one tomorrow.

Do you ever feel like your head might explode?

2011-12-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

Well, lately I've experienced it more than once. Besides the normal things going on home, family, a yard that desperately needs tending, I'm preparing for a new business venture. Frankly, it's a little bit scary. I'm planning to *gasp* self-publish a book.

I know, I know. When I got my first book published I was offended every time someone asked me, "How much did it cost to get published?" I'd say something to the effect, "Not a damn thing. I submitted my work to a publisher, not a vanity press."

It really pissed me off that they would even ask. (Don't hit me, I'm only being honest.) For many years, I felt that self-publishing was the kiss of death. Basically, I thought it meant you sucked as a writer and couldn't get anyone to publish your work.

Needless to say, things have changed in the publishing industry and so have my opinions. One thing that really began to open my eyes was, I realized that a lot of what's out there in mass market sucks. Ha. Ha. Ha. Seriously, I've read some major crap with big publishing houses.

Not only that, I've read some really good stuff that was self-published. I've done hours of research (and continue to do research) on publishing with Amazon Kindle. I've also discovered that people aren't turning up their noses nearly as much at self-published authors.

Self-publishing used to bring to mind bad cover art and poorly edited books. Now, many authors are hiring artists or doing the work themselves, having writing partners (or a hired editor) look over their work, and releasing the books themselves. Some with raging success.

Do I expect to be a "raging success?" Of course I do! If you're going to dream, dream big. Do I think it will magically happen? No, and I don't want to trade any cows for beans. I work. I work HARD. I spend hours and hours (like 80 a week sometimes) learning how to market my books.

Besides that, I'm good at what I do. I don't say that full of pride or thinking that I'm "the shit." I take editor's opinions to heart and I learn from them. Same goes for readers. I pay attention and continue to improve my craft. Does that mean I'm perfect? Certainly not. But, every book I write gets better and better. Of that I'm certain. I look at my books as a product. It is my goal to reach as many readers as possible with a quality product. As stated above, I've read plenty of crap to recognize it when I see it. And my stuff isn't crap.

With all those things in mind, I'm currently working on a book that I plan to offer on Amazon Kindle very soon. I'm about halfway finished with the story. After that, I plan to thoroughly edit the work myself (I've gotten pretty good at that) before having my lovely and talented editing partner go over it too.

Am I nervous? Sure. But I figure, what have I got to lose? Uploading a book to Amazon Kindle (after it's properly formatted, of course) doesn't cost a thing.

I don't believe that "raging success" will happen over night. I've often heard that persistence trumps talent. Well, I'm hard working and I believe I have talent. I have no doubt that eventually, "success" will follow.

How to get your novel started Part 3

2011-12-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

Ideas for your book.

By now you should have decided what you want to write about. Maybe you even have a title in mind. But if you don’t right now, don’t worry about it.

Let’s get right to it. If you’re going to write a novel, you need a plot. The plot is what keeps us turning the pages. However, you can’t just throw together any series of events and expect it to keep people interested.

A plot must meet two major requirements.

1. The events must be linked in some way. They don’t necessarily have to be predictable, but they should follow a logical order. And of course, they should be significant in some way to the lives of your characters.

2. Readers must care about how the events in the story are going to turn out. If your story doesn’t grab the reader’s attention and make them want to turn the page, they aren’t going to keep reading. A good plot creates characters readers can identify with and care about. It also puts those characters to the test.

There are four basic components to every plot.

Characters

Conflict

Crisis

Change

Well, obviously you need characters. Ideally you should have two or more characters readers can relate to and care about. Otherwise, they won’t keep turning the pages.

Conflict is probably the most important thing in the story. Because without conflict, there is no story. Conflict is the force that drives fiction.

Conflict normally gives rise to crisis. This is the dramatic high point in the story and the point everything else revolves around.

Finally, there has to be change. If your characters are not changed by the experience then why should we read about it and more importantly, why are you writing about it?

Whatever you chose as your conflict should be significant. If this is not the most dangerous or challenging aspect of the character’s life thus far, then why should anyone care?

Simply start with a character, give them a problem and show what happens when they try to solve it.

Brainstorming

Set aside about 15 minutes to work on this. (This is my favorite writing exercise.)

Choose your topic and write it in the middle of the page or you can start in columns if you like. Write down any ideas that are relevant to your subject. My brainstorm for my first book looked like a storm. Ha. Ha. Ha. But from that storm came my first book and many sequels.

This leads to your outline

Why do you need an outline?

1. It will help you to cover all the topics you meant to include. This will keep you from getting to the end and realizing you left out a key point.

2. An outline can also help you determine which order or the best order to cover topics. (Remember what I said in Part 1, this is only a guideline. You don't have to follow it strictly.)

3. By creating an outline, you will save a lot of time in the writing itself.

Outline your book first and write it second.

Decide the number of chapters your book should have. (These numbers are only a rough "average." This is to give you a basic idea of your goal.)

Average

Literary Novel 36-44

Fantasy 35-40

Horror 35-40

Kids 9-12 12-15

Young Adult 18-20

Sci-fi 30-32

Mystery 28-32

Romance 18-24

How many pages per chapter? My chapters are typically 10 pages long. This is mostly just so I can keep up with where I’m at and know when to start a new chapter.

Writing Exercise #2

Freewriting. Close your eyes and point to three random words. Next, write about them for five minutes. Begin writing anything inspired by these three words. Relax and don’t analyze. Just write what comes to mind. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Just keep writing until the time is up.

Rose

Apple

Reindeer

Shark

Spider

Princess

House

Book

Elf

Cheese

Horse

Skull

Witch

Lingerie

Candle

Fish

Dead Body

Forrest

Black hat

Severed Head

Star

Wrinkles

Flowers

Baby

Acid

Moon

Vampire

Done? Put down your pen and read what you’ve written. This is just to show you that you can write. I’m sure you’ll notice some grammar and punctuation errors, but how many people are impressed with their ideas? This is a good exercise to get your creative juices flowing.

I don’t believe in writer’s block. There is no such thing. But life does happen. This can help you focus on your writing again instead of whatever else you might have on your mind.

Now, take these random thoughts from our brainstorming activity and start putting together your outline.

Your outline doesn’t have to be long. It can be only one page or it can fill up a whole notepad. It all depends on what you want to cover.

In between now and the next section, continue to work on your outline. Within one week you should have your book pretty much planned.

Viewpoint - What it is and how to use it

2011-11-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

Viewpoint - This is the point of view from which the story is told. Some people intuitively understand how to do this and others don’t. If you don't, there's no reason to panic. Anything can be learned. With the exception of flying like Superman. I don't recommend that. But writing from different perspectives? Totally do-able. Here are a few examples.

Omniscient viewpoint

While Jane dreamed of Luis, Shawn was back at the university looking for his secret stash of marijuana. - From Necromancer by Tracey H. Kitts

When writing in omniscient viewpoint, the author can go from character to character. Omniscient viewpoint was popular among 19th century writers and is often associated with literary fiction. You can go into the minds of any or all of the characters if you choose to. It’s not often used in modern fiction because the style is normally slow and doesn’t aid in reader identification with the characters. However, if done properly it can be very effective.

First person

I was looking forward to the end of another hot, miserable summer night as I drove home that evening. Hopefully, the local police would be able to cover up the night’s work without too much difficulty. God forbid they should be inconvenienced. I was only called out at eleven thirty at night to hunt down a rouge werewolf, but hey, why should anyone else lose sleep? - From Red, Lilith Mercury Werewolf Hunter, Book One

First person is a limited viewpoint. The story is described through the eyes of the main character. This has the advantage of encouraging readers to identify with the character concerned, and become emotionally involved in the story. It also helps create atmosphere and suspense.

In first person viewpoint, readers are shown the thoughts and feelings of the “I” character, and nobody else’s. There also can’t be any narration by the author.

First person is very good at getting the reader to identify with the character. It’s also good for humor and irony. One of the drawbacks, however, is that you can only show events which directly involve one character. This might limit some of your plot ideas.

Another drawback is that a single narrative voice could get old by the end of a long novel. But, good writers can do this and pull it off.

First person is becoming increasingly popular in modern fiction.

Third person limited

This is probably the most commonly used point of view. Harry Potter was told from this perspective. No one is referred to as “I” everyone is either “he” or “she.” The writer has greater flexibility with this style. You can skip from a scene in New York to one in Florida. However, every scene is still shown from the perspective of a viewpoint character.

Multiple viewpoints

This is a variation of limited viewpoint. In a multiple viewpoint story, each scene is still shown from a limited viewpoint – usually third person. Different chapters and sometimes scenes use different viewpoint characters.

If you use this approach, you will have to work hard to ensure that regular viewpoint changes don’t cause readers to lose interest. Also, look out for accidental "head popping." No, that's not a kung-fu move. It's when a writer switches too quickly from one character's thoughts to the next. When I say quickly, I mean from one sentence to the next, without warning. There are many examples of this online if you really want to look for it. However, as you read over your story, head popping can be easy to spot. When you suddenly don't know who's telling the story (whose viewpoint you are using) then you've most likely head popped.

Now is the time to decide which viewpoint you want to use in your novel and use it consistently in every scene.

How to get your novel started Part 2

2011-11-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

As promised in the last post, today we're going to go over several reasons why many people think they can't write a book. We'll also go over some questions I feel it's important to ask yourself. It's always good to have a clear idea where you want to go with both your book and your future. I'll also discuss a couple of writing myths and finally, we'll get to your first writing exercise.

In case you missed the first post, here's the link:

http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-get-your-novel-started-part-1.html

Why do you want to write a book?

For a lot of people the answer is money. It’s true that some people can make a lot of money in this business. Like J.K. Rowling for example, author of the Harry Potter books. But did you know that when Rowling wrote her first book she was a single mom living on welfare? If that’s not inspiring I don’t know what is.

Do you want to eventually do this for a living or just on the side?

If you’re looking to make a living at writing, no matter how good your work is, you need to be able to write quickly. Say you earn only a few thousand dollars from the royalties off one book. If you could write four books a year, and market them well, you’re potentially talking about a good chunk of change.

But don’t overlook the fact that writing a book will (hopefully) bring with it the prestige of being called a published author. If you write a book about your profession, people will take you seriously. If you (for example) are an artist and write a book about painting, people will look to you as an expert in the field.

Don’t underestimate the satisfaction of writing your own book.

There’s certainly not a shortage of ideas out there. And a lot of people are intimated by that fact. No, the world doesn’t need another epic sci-fi novel or another story about vampires. It needs your epic sci-fi novel or your story about vampires.

Putting your unique spin on a story is what makes it yours and not just a copy of what’s already been done. Sure, if you’re going to write high fantasy there is a certain formula you’re expected to follow. You’ll probably need some elves, dwarves, and a hero on a quest. But aside from that, the story can be completely and uniquely your own.

If you’re thinking of writing a romance then you’ll need to plan on a happy ending. That doesn’t mean that everything is perfect by the end of the book, but you should end it on a positive or upward note. I also want to add that the main characters (hero and heroine) should have roughly the same life span by the end if you're writing a paranormal. The thought of one dying while the other is immortal is depressing and unappealing. If you're writing a series, at least end the books with hope for a HEA (Happily Ever After) in the future. That is of course, if we're talking about romance.

Right now I want everyone to write down the reason you haven’t written a novel before now.

I'm serious. Take a minute, and do this for yourself. Think it over and continue when you've finished.

The biggest mistake that people make is thinking that writers aren’t people just like everyone else. I know writers of all ages, races, and religions, in all parts of the world. And they’re just as human as you and me.

Hopefully, by the time you’ve finished this course you’ll understand that almost anyone who is willing to put forth the time and effort can write a book.

A lot of people think they don’t have anything to write about.

Sure you do. We’ve all experienced different things in life and those different things have influenced us well … differently. You could write about anything. It doesn’t have to be fiction. You could write about: Getting married, having a baby, volunteer work, how to get a date, how to survive being a broke college student, buying a house, buying a car, painting a picture, photography, grooming your dog. The list is endless.

Another excuse to not write is that everything has already been done.

That’s true. But it hasn’t been done by you.

How many of you said you don’t have time to write?

Most people do have busy lives, I’m one of them. You probably have a full-time job and a family to take care of. Maybe you could write early in the morning while everyone else is asleep or late at night? Some people even take a note pad to work and scribble down ideas on their lunch break. (I've done that in the past.)

If you want to write a book badly enough, you can make the time for it. They say that the average adult watches 7 hours of television a day. Couldn’t you spare just one for writing? Seven hours a day adds up to 49 hours a week! If you spent that much time on your writing there’s no telling what you could accomplish.

You also never know when you’ll get an idea. I keep note pads and pens everywhere.

Determine your best time to write and stick to it as much as possible. A schedule works well for many people. However, don't get upset when your plans get messed up. This happens almost every day with me, but I keep on writing.

The next excuse I hear a lot is “I’m no good at writing.”

You don’t have to make straight A’s in English to be an effective writer. Yes, you need to be literate and there’s nothing wrong with having several grammar and/or reference books handy. But the one thing you need to remember most is to write like you speak.

People enjoy books that they can really get into. And they can get into something that is on their own terms. Unless you’re trying to write something along the lines of literary classics, this will work for you.

(I’ll give examples of my work, first person vs. third and so on. I'll post this information tomorrow.)

I wouldn’t know where to start.

Many people are scared off of the project just by the size of the work ahead. A typical novel is 70,000 words or more. The key to writing a book is to break it down into manageable sections. This is where creating an outline will come into play.

Please, don't freak out when you hear the word "outline." I am not talking about one your English teacher would approve of. Ha. Ha. My outline often consists of post-it notes slapped into a manila folder. Seriously. When I say I'm not a planner, I mean I'm not obsessive about my plan. Sure, I do obsess, just not over the outline. My obsession is with the finished product.

Maybe you know what you’d like for each chapter to cover, maybe you don’t. It doesn’t matter. I never know what each chapter will be about. I have a list of points I want to cover within the book and I do so. I may add to those as I go, but the basic points are what forms my plot and that’s what I put on my outline.

Think of your outline as a guideline. If you think of something else you’d like to include, then change your outline to reflect it. (Slap another note in the folder.) The story will eventually start to tell itself. Don’t stifle that creativity. Just be sure it all makes sense.

People wouldn’t take me seriously.

The best thing you can do is don’t tell people what you’re doing. That way they can’t put you down or discourage your ideas. That might sound harsh, but it’s true. You’ve got to believe in yourself and very few other people will, at first. Maybe wait until after you’ve written the book to tell people.

When I started writing I told my husband and one close friend. The two people I knew would understand and encourage me. I told the more difficult people in my life after the fact. And the even more difficult people after I’d landed a contract.

I’m too young/too old to write a book.

Don't be silly. If you're an adult, you're not too young. If you're still breathing, you're not too old. Simple as that. Although, I'm sure there are many teens who could write a book, this is just a general answer to a question/complaint I've heard often. I'd like to add I think it's cool when someone who has lived a long life writes a book. Even if the book isn't about their life, they have so much experience to share. Actually, sharing it as fiction protects the guilty. Ha. Ha. Ha.

I’ve got a short attention span.

Well, good news, you’re not expected to write a book in one sitting. If you can stay focused for a few minutes or a few hours at a time, that’s all it takes.

I can’t get motivated.

If you keep thinking like that, you’ll never even start. Set small goals, like a page or two a day or even less if you need to. Once you see that you can accomplish smaller goals, you’ll not only feel better about your abilities, but it will take your mind off of the big goal: Writing a full-length novel.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd like to mention a few writing "myths." I call them myths because even though many people believe in these things, they are not a proven fact.

Myths debunked

There is no such thing as writer’s block.

But, life does happen. That's right, I went there. For more of my thoughts on the subject, check out my post Writer's Block? All you need is a good hammer.

http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2011/11/writers-block-all-you-need-is-good.html

Getting published by an epublisher is easy.

Seriously? Who started this one? It is just as difficult to be published by an epublisher as it is a traditional NY publisher. Standards are not lower, despite popular belief. However, new epubs do spring up all the time and many do not turn out good quality books. What I'm referring to here are the tried and true, legit epublishers that work hard and are good at what they do. If they are legit, they have standards.

Yes, there's a lot of info in this post. Now, we're going to move on to something very important. You need to be clear (at least in your own mind) when it comes to what exactly your book is about.

What do you want to write about?

Determining genre is crucial. Remember what I said in Part 1 about why a sci-fi, paranormal, comedy, romance might not be a good thing? Why is genre so important?

For one, you need to know who your audience is. Who do you think will likely purchase this book? Are you offering a valuable service or advice (self-help) or are you providing entertainment (fiction)?

Also, the bookstore needs to know which shelf to put you on and an editor or representative who communicates with distributors needs to have an easy way of telling them what you write. (Example, if I say horror or Stephen King, everyone knows what I’m talking about.)

Another quick note on romance. This isn't just because I write romance, but because the rules for this genre are different in many ways. And believe it or not, it is harder to write. I mention this here because as you determine genre (and begin to plan your story) you should have some general idea of how it will end.

If you write romance, you cannot kill off the hero or heroine – You will be crucified. Think once more about what I mentioned before. Are you willing to write a HEA?

Writing Exercise #1

Think of a topic. Any topic. Now list ten questions you’d like to ask about the topic. Once you’ve picked your topic and written your questions, try to arrange them in a way that would logically form an article, if you were going to write one.

Time yourself. You’ve got 20 minutes.

Asking questions and arranging them in some sort of order can be very effective in outlining your ideas. The same technique can be used with fiction. Which leads to brainstorming.
More on brainstorming later.

In between now and next week I want you to think about what you want to write. What genre will your story be?

Next we’ll start generating ideas for your book and work on our outline.

As the bacon sizzles

2011-11-27T10:02:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't that make a fabulous name for a soap opera? HAHAHA Seriously, I'm writing this post as bacon sizzles in my kitchen. When many people think of writing full time they have visions of sitting at a computer in silence or in an office undisturbed. I understand, I used to have those visions myself.

As I sat (long ago in a far away hell) in my office I used to dream of the day that I could write full time. Don't get me wrong, I love my life and I love writing. BUT, it's nothing like I imagined.

I'm cooking while I do my final edit on Shaman's Touch before sending it to my editor. Yes, this is a self-edit, not one requested by my editor. That's something else a lot of people don't realize, in order for your work to look good and catch the attention of the right people, it needs to be as close to perfection as possible when you turn it in. Sure, editing is the editor's job, but cleaning up your mess isn't. Those are two different things. The fact that I've always polished my work is one thing I believe helped me to find a publisher so quickly.

But, back to the topic. I'm polishing this book up while I cook. I've got laundry in the machine, and the bed is waiting to be made. My son is out of school, so he's walking the dog today. Thank God. I love Roscoe, but he needs attention and exercise every day too:)

Let us not forget that so many people in my life think that because I'm at home, I'm not doing anything. Ugh. "Tracey is at home, get her to do it." Whatever it may be. Unless they also write, most people don't seem to get that books don't magically appear on the page. Or that just because you've got an hour to yourself doesn't mean you can turn out 10 pages. Although, I've certainly done this many times. If I'm tired, frustrated, or otherwise annoyed, I'll be doing good to calm down/relax and manage 3 pages in that time. It all depends on how the day has gone.

My point is, writing full time is a full time job. I have to fight for the moments alone, stealing away to my computer like it's a secret lover. Maybe it is. I do often fantasize about my fingers sliding over those keys. *sigh* But I digress.

Now that I'm here all the time, all the duties of the house fall on me. I don't mind except that no one seems to realize how much I do, but that's just a part of life. I'm not bitching exactly, so much as I want to give people a real look at a full time writer's life. This is me all day, every day. I never switch it off. I'm constantly working on something new, even when I just finished a book.

New ideas are always in my head. I make notes while I cook dinner and hurry from the laundry to write something down. You either are a writer or you're not. And if you are, you'll find a way to manage it.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my bacon is burning.

How to get your novel started - Part 1

2011-11-25T13:47:00.000-08:00

You have to make a commitment to put time and effort into creating a written work. But that doesn’t mean you have to be a slave to your keyboard. The best writers are the ones who also have experienced life and you can’t do that behind a computer. At the very least, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you completed a novel, and at best, your life may be changed forever.
Please don’t let the prospect of writing a work of novel-length fiction scare you. If you dwell on it, you can talk yourself right out of your dream. I will guide you step by step through the process of forming your ideas. I’ll share some of my own tips and techniques which anyone can learn and apply.

So, who am I to tell you all this? My name is Tracey H. Kitts. I have been writing stories pretty much since I could write. My first novel was published in August, 2007 with New Concepts Publishing. Since then I have had 15 full-length novels, 3 novellas, and 1 short story published. My books were released first as ebooks. The majority of my stories have also been released in print form as well.

Now 2007 may sound very recent to you for me to be teaching a writing class. The truth is I’m not new to writing; it's something I've always done for my own entertainment. However when I decided to write my first novel I completed books one and two in my werewolf hunter series in 3 months. That includes the time it took me to self-edit the work. What’s more, it only took me five months to find a publisher. I may not be a household name yet, but I’m doing what I love.

The purpose of these posts (or class if you want to call it that) is to help you achieve similar or maybe even greater results. However, you can’t get there until you learn to organize your ideas. That’s what I’ll help you do. For a complete bio on me and information about my books, you can check me out at http://www.traceyhkitts.com/.

You can find my books through my website, http://www.ellorascave.com/, http://www.newconceptspublishing,com/, Amazon, or many other ebook retailers.

I’ll start by giving you a brief overview of what you can expect from this class.

 I’ll share with you some of the direct and indirect benefits of writing a book.

 I’ll debunk some common myths about writing and show you how you can write a book.

 You’ll learn how to create an outline for your ideas.

 You’ll learn how to brainstorm effectively to generate new ideas.

 By the end of this course, you should have all you need to start writing your novel!

Also, don't worry about the fact that I write romance. This course is for everybody. It's not about how to write romance; it's about how to get your novel started, no matter what your book is about.

We'll discuss genre later on and why a clear determination of genre is so important. You may think that a sci-fi, paranormal, comedy, romance is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But trust me, your editor will not.

This post is to give you all a general overview of what will be covered. Naturally, I'm bound to add more as we go:) It's what I do. Ha. Ha. Ha.

If you have questions, please feel free to leave them in the comments.

In the next installment we'll discuss (among other things) why so many people think they can't write a novel. I'll also give you your first writing exercise. Doesn't that sound exciting?

Writer's Block? All you need is a good hammer.

2011-11-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

First, I'd like to say that I don't believe in writer's block. Really. I believe that life happens. We've all got bills to pay. Most of us have children to take care of, pets, and God knows what else. Thinking about all of those things often leaves little time for creativity.

In this post, I'll share a few tips that have never failed to help me when I'm having trouble concentrating. These are just a few short "tricks" that work for me. In the next few weeks, I'll be offering a writing class here on my blog. I'll answer questions that are posted in the comments, so help me spread the word:)

This class will be all about How To Get Your Novel Started! So many people have asked me how to start that I actually put together a class from all my emails. I figured, why not share that information with everyone else? So, get ready. There will be more to come.

In the meantime, here are a few ideas to help spark your creativity.

This is my favorite. Take out a dictionary. Close your eyes and point to 3 words. Write them down. Now, give yourself 5 minutes to write a paragraph that includes all 3 words. I've started novels this way! (And actually sold them to publishers where they went on to sale very well.)

Something else really simple, listen to music. Beethoven and R&B are my favorites, but everyone has their own "sound" of inspiration.

The third thing that helps me most often is a Baby Name Dictionary. I'll read through (or point at random) and then read the meaning of the name. Often times I can come up with a character's whole personality just by knowing their name.

I hope these tips were helpful! Tune in for more in a few days. I'm hoping to start the writing class after Thanksgiving!

Do headless chickens really run?

2011-11-22T21:52:00.000-08:00

I don't know, but considering how busy I've been this month, I've wondered more than once. Ha. Ha. I've had a lot going on. Besides the holidays quickly approaching, I've been working on several new projects. Plus, I've been trying desperately to keep up with a new workout program. The workout program had to be put on pause due to a stomach flu. I'm all better now and ready to give it another shot after Thanksgiving.

As for the writing stuff (cause I hate to call something I love work), allow me to catch you up.

I'm thrilled to say that I finally finished Shaman's Touch. Very soon now, I'll be finished with my final read-through and sending it off to my editor. Ah, that's a great feeling.

Plus (and even more exciting) my editor at Ellora's Cave, Raelene Gorlinsky mentioned me in a post on USA Today's new HEA (Happily Ever After) blog! I was so shocked and pleased to see she recommended Raven's Destiny.

Here's a link to the article. http://books.usatoday.com/happyeverafter/post/2011-11-19/erotica-recs-from-elloras-cave-publisher-raelene-gorlinsky/569105/1?fb_comment_id=fbc_10150485632491788_21708568_10150486668076788&cmntid=10150486668076788&ref=notif&notif_t=comment_mention#f272dd5198130c

As for other news, I've had a new release this month, Touch of an Incubus, and I'm still trying to spread the word.

Like I said, I've often wondered if chickens really do run around with their heads cut off. It feels as if I cannot catch my breath these past few weeks. If I can only finish cleaning my house, I think I'll call it good enough.

Is it just me or do other writers have difficulty catching their breath some months? Actually, I think most people in general have difficulty this time of year. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Have a great Thanksgiving! I'll stop rambling now. I promise. Hey, the top of this blog does warn about the occasional ramblings.

Are you afraid of the Big Bad Turkey?

2011-11-22T11:51:00.000-08:00

I know a lot of people are. The thought of having to do the turkey is enough to scare an unseasoned cook. (Get it? HAHAHA) But fear not! For I shall show thee how to cook that bird!

Okay, all joking aside, this is a really good recipe for turkey. Don't be intimidated by the length of the article, I'll break it down. Oh, and remember this recipe is for after the turkey has been thawed. Directions for how to do this properly should be on the turkey. And you should start on thawing at least one day ahead. Maybe more depending on the size of your bird.

Traditional Stuffed Turkey

12 to 14 pound turkey with the giblets reserved (You also don't have to use giblets, but can instead use some cooked turkey meat. I'll explain later. I also never use the liver. Gives me the wiggins. LOL)

1 lemon, halved

salt and pepper

butter, melted

Meat Stuffing:

4 to 6 Tablespoons butter

2 onions, finely chopped

6 ounce lean ground turkey

Reserved turkey heart and liver (or cooked turkey meat) finely chopped (The easiest thing to do is purchase a few slices of turkey from the deli and chop them finely. You could also make this without the meat.)

1 pound fresh chestnuts

2 cups strained turkey broth

1/2 cup raw unprocessed rice

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped (Cooking apples can be any kind of apples you think taste good. Red Delicious is a great variety for this.)

Take fresh chestnuts and slit the base of each shell crosswise, boil for 5 minutes, peel and break into small pieces.

To make broth: simmer the reserved turkey neck and gizzard (or chopped cooked turkey) in 3 cups water for 45 minutes, then strain turkey broth.

Wash the turkey in cold water, pat it dry inside and out, and leave it for 30 minutes while you cook your stuffing.

For the stuffing, heat the butter in a skillet and fry the onions until they begin to change color, then add the ground turkey and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Add the turkey heart and liver, (or chopped cooked turkey) the chestnuts, and pine nuts and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Add the broth and bring this to a boil.

Add the rice and cook quickly for 10 minutes, then add the bread crumbs, and apples.

Stir well.

To stuff the turkey, slit the skin at the back of the neck and cut off the neck down to the turkey's shoulders if the neck has not already been removed.

Lightly fill the cavity, remembering that the stuffing always swells and too much swelling might cause the neck skin to burst.

Sew or pin with a skewer the neck flap to the back of the turkey.

Just as lightly, fill the body cavity, and sew or skewer this together.

Tie the legs to the tail and fix the wings snugly to the body.

Do not bring the cord across the breast lest it mark the skin.

Rub the turkey cut with lemon, salt, pepper and melted butter and place it in a large, shallow pan in a moderate oven (preheat to 350 degrees, then lower temperature to 325 degrees).

Roast it according to its weight when stuffed, allowing 25 to 30 minutes per pound.

Extra stuffing can be roasted in a pan for 45 minutes or so and served with the turkey. Or it can be made into rissoles by shaping it into small balls, dipping them into beaten egg and bread crumbs, and then frying them in butter, to be served as a garnish.

Cook the turkey until temperature reaches 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Cooking times are for planning purposes only - always use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Now, that wasn't so terrible, was it? Don't forget to serve it with a pretty garnish. Parsley and cherry tomatoes are always good:)

If you need a break while your turkey is cooking, why not check out my latest release? Touch of an Incubus is short (so you can read it during a break) and it's only .69 cents.

Purchase Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9680-touch-of-an-incubus.aspx

My NaNoWriMo project is finished!

2011-11-14T21:33:00.000-08:00

Already? Yep. And the month isn't even over yet! I'm so proud. Tonight I finished Shaman's Touch. I've been working on this book off and on (between other projects) for over a year. Now, I can honestly say I believe this is the best book I've written so far and I can't wait for my fans to read it.

I put lots of time, research and much of my knowledge of the fairy world into this book. Not to mention some hilarious moments. These characters wouldn't shut up, so there's lots of dialogue. But, according to all my reviewers and readers, dialogue is something I'm good at. *big grin*

I'm gonna do another thorough self-edit, maybe embellish a bit here and there, but the project is basically done. Once I add a bit more polish, it's off it my editor. I hope she loves it like I do :)

By the way, I've written 19,022 words in the past 5 days. I'm gonna rest my fingers now. Wait ... where the hell is that smoke coming from?

New Release - Touch of an Incubus

2011-11-12T09:27:00.000-08:00

I've got a brand, spanking new release with Ellora's Cave! The best part? It's only .69 cents!

Here are the details:

From the moment they met, Claire wanted Leon. The tall, dark incubus has more than his share of sex appeal. The thing is, Claire isn’t looking for the best night of her life; she’s looking for a relationship. Leon is more than willing to provide the best sex ever, but what about the rest?

Claire finally gives in to her desires. The only thing that’s held her back this long is that whole issue of “forever”—Leon is an immortal incubus. Even though she has doubts, Claire doesn’t want to miss her chance to experience a sex demon’s desire. Besides, he just might be thinking of forever too.

Purchase Link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9680-touch-of-an-incubus.aspx

And while I'm thinking about it, you know you want to become an official fan. HAHAHA

Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/traceyhkitts?ref=tn_tinyman#!/pages/Tracey-H-Kitts/73968579374?sk=wall

Hope everyone enjoys the story!

Sex Symbol - Official Trailer

2011-11-07T15:11:00.000-08:00

I've done my own book trailers from the beginning, but haven't had the chance to make one in a while. First, royalty free music can be difficult to find. Especially, if you want it to fit the mood correctly. Not to mention, Microsoft Office changed the software I loved so much, the original Movie Maker.

Beyond that, I had my doubts as to whether or not book trailers actually led to more sales or were just pretty to look at.

Regardless, I couldn't resist making a trailer for Sex Symbol. And (drum roll please) here it is. TADA!!!

NaNoWriMo? Not exactly

2011-11-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

While I know many people who are trying to write an entire novel this month, I'm not one of them. Ha. Ha. Ha. I do, however, have a goal. Oh yes. I want to finish the book I'm working on!

I think that's a perfectly good goal for NaNoWriMo. This story will probably be around 75,000 words. I've got 28,066 to go:)

I started this book (which I'm calling Shaman's Touch) in July 2010! Sure, I've finished several projects since then. However, I think it's high time I finished THIS project.

My house is clean, the dog has been fed, the laundry is done, and I've got a fresh pot of coffee brewing. I can't think of a better time to get to work.

My muse is fired up:)

2011-10-20T13:54:00.001-07:00

The weather is cooler which means as usual my muse is getting hot. I have more ideas and end up writing more stories from fall-winter than any other time of year. I think that once the heat lifts my brain fog clears up.

I just finished a short story that's coming soon with Ellora's Cave. It's called Touch of an Incubus.

Plus, I couldn't put one of my novel-length projects on hold any longer. (I'd paused to let my mind rest when school started back.) I'm now working again on Shaman's Touch. It got a sexy shaman, a club full of hot werewolves, and an elf that's to die for. Oh, and did I mention a sexy demi-god that asks for carnal favors in return for answering questions?

Oh yeah. It's complicated. AND it's about halfway finished. Hopefully, my editor (and eventually my readers) will have as much fun reading it as I've had writing it.

Just wanted to give everyone a short update. Oh, almost forgot, my pumpkins are looking great!

Feature Author - Naomi Bellina

2011-10-15T23:20:00.001-07:00

Here's a look at her latest releast, When Iris Eyes are Evil

A sexy vampire with evil on his mind has Rachel playing detective to find a way to subdue him before he can destroy her.

Sent to the space station in lieu of prison, Rachel longs to escape and return to Earth. An encounter with a charming bartender, Brody, makes her reconsider, until she realises that he is not what he seems. Racing against time, Rachel must find a way to permanently eliminate Brody before she falls prey to his evil plot and is killed in the process.

With the help of a sexy crew member, a friend back home and another of Brody’s victims, Rachel devises a dangerous plan to kill the fiend and save herself and other potential victims.

Sounds like a smokin' hot read! Congrats, Naomi on your latest release:) I wish you lots of sales!

Purchase Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1378

For more info on Naomi: http://www.naomibellina.com/

Get your werewolf on this Halloween

2011-10-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

Promo Opp for authors and Freebies for readers

This is for anyone who purchases a copy of Sex Symbol (print or ebook) from Amazon between now and midnight Halloween night.

Sex Symbol Kindle Edition: http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Symbol-ebook/dp/B0048EJUK0/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318546770&sr=1-10

Sex Symbol Print Edition: http://www.amazon.com/Sex-Symbol-Elloras-Tracey-Kitts/dp/1419964178/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1318546834&sr=1-15

Forward a copy of your receipt (which should NOT have your credit card info listed. I promise I am NOT harvesting your info.) to tracey h kitts @ yahoo.com (minus the spaces).

I'll send you a PDF of my short story Eaten by The Wolf and the first 5 chapters of my bestselling paranormal romance Bitten for FREE!

Authors -If you pass this along to your readers (on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, ANYWHERE) send me an email letting me know (tracey h kitts @ yahoo.com) and you'll get featured on my blog (which also goes out on my Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace pages). First come first serve for the promo opp.

So, help me spread the word and get your werewolf on with Sex Symbol this Halloween!

Still loving October:)

2011-10-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm back at work on a book called Shaman's Touch. Doesn't that just sound hot? Well, so far I believe it is. I'm about halfway finished with this work in progress (after a few weeks of a much needed brain break).

I've also started back with one of my great loves, kickboxing. I'm doing what I call a hybrid kickboxing/dancing fitness program called Turbo Fire. I'm in my 4th week and I have visible results. VISIBLE RESULTS. Ahem. Just in case you didn't hear me in the back row. lol I'm very excited.

October is always a busy month for me, but that's by choice. I love to decorate for fall and of course I LOVE Halloween. I've got ghosts hanging from the trees (and a few inside my house) and my pumpkin garden is looking GREAT. This is the first time I've grown pumpkins since I was about 8 years old. And back then my dad did all the work. Ha. Ha.

Now he scans the field and says, "Your pumpkins are looking good." I'm doing all the work and borrowing his field. :)

I've got a new short story coming soon with Ellora's Cave called Touch of an Incubus. It's sexy and short enough to read on a lunch break. It would seem by my titles that I'm very much wanting to touch things this month. HAHAHAHA

Oh, and before I forget, I wanted to thank everyone for the recent spike in sales on Fictionwise. Several of my books that have been out for a while made it back into the top 30 for NCP! Bitten made it into the top 20! Thank you so much to my readers:) And thanks to God for helping new people to find me!

Here's a listing of all my books at Fictionwise: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/a30989/Tracey-H-Kitts/?

And I'm rambling. That concludes the update on me:)

New Release: Raven's Destiny

2011-10-05T09:46:00.000-07:00

Lenore’s evenings don’t usually end with helping a stranger bury a werewolf’s body in her woods. But he did rescue her from the beast’s attack, and he does claim to be a sorcerer. Corbin is a raven-shifter, the last of his clan, and he needs her help. There’s an evil wizard intent on wiping his kind from the face of the earth.

The connection between Corbin and Lenore is strong and instant. But they can’t exactly defend themselves with love or hot sex. They have to come up with something fast, because the evil wizard has already sent his familiar to track them and if he has his way, no one will survive to fulfill the prophecy he fears.

Purchase link: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9616-ravens-destiny.aspx

Stay positive

2011-09-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

I have trouble with this sometimes myself. So, it occurred to me that writers (and many others) might be going through the same thing. You can't please everyone no matter how hard you try. This goes for the stories you write and the dinner you made last night. People will always find something to complain about. If you serve the dish to enough people, eventually someone is going to complain about the flavor.

Forget it. That's right, wash those old dishes (so to speak) and start cooking something new. Yes, I'm talking in metaphors and I've had too much coffee, but you know what I mean. Everyone cannot be pleased, it's not possible.

Someone will always think the story was too long, or too short, had too little plot, or too much plot, blah, blah, blah. The list goes on. It also depends on which day they read the story. Maybe they had a bad day or were too tired to follow the story, etc.

Now, if everyone has the same complaints about your book, then you may have a genuine problem. However, if random people crop up with random complaints (and they’re bound to), just forget it. I would say do your best to focus on your next project and move on. But, there is no such thing as try. Yes, Yoda would be proud. There is only do and do not.

DO NOT let negative comments get you down. DO move on to your next project with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. Remember, you've got something valuable to contribute that no one else has, YOUR words.

No one in the world can tell a story the same way you can, and people are waiting to hear what you've got to say.

I'm a guest today on Romance at Random

2011-09-07T10:04:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited to be a guest today on the Random House blog, Romance at Random. Thrilled, I tell you!

Stop by and leave a comment for a chance to win a "Grab life by the fangs" t-shirt. The winner will be announced in 2 weeks on my website's News page.

www.traceyhkitts.com

Here's a link to the aritcle:)

http://www.romanceatrandom.com/are-romance-novels-to-blame-for-problems-like-weight-gain-and-unhappy-marriages-giveaway/#comment-21416

We're discussing a topic I just couldn't resist. How has romance positively impacted your life? Because I don't buy all that crapola about it making you gain weight and commit adultery.

Full Moon Web Hunt – chance to win a Kindle

2011-09-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Everyone who loves to read will enjoy this easy contest hosted by Night Owl Romance. There are over 100 prizes available, including a free ebook from yours truly, Tracey H. Kitts, Sex Symbol.

Contest details can be found at

http://www.nightowlromance.com/nor/Pages/FullMoonDetails.aspx

The Full Moon Hunt begins Sept. 1, 2011 and runs through Halloween night at midnight.

Well, this is what I would have done

2011-08-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

We've all heard it at some point. Whether you're a reader or writer you've heard someone say what they think should have happened in a story or series. I recently saw a post by another author talking about this and it has continued to bother me.

While I've only received one letter of this nature, it did bother me. I had someone proceed to tell me what the heroine should not do and she should be "better than that," etc. First of all, I don't think the reader fully understood the character's powers or the fact that she was not in a committed relationship. Dating someone who knows about your needs (as they are clearly told in the story) is much different than cheating. If everyone knows the score, it isn't cheating. And on a slightly different note, please do not write to tell me who she should never date again.

But all that aside, this is my series. I have planned what will happen to these characters and the choices they will make in order to become who they are supposed to be. I have done this for years. After reading the post I mentioned I re-read the letter I received and realized how much it rankled.

I have certainly read books over the years where I didn't like what happened. But I would never write to the author and tell them what "should" happen. If they wrote what I thought was supposed to happen then it wouldn't be their story anymore, it would be mine. Same goes for this person here. If the heroine was supposed to be with who they think, the series would have ended after three books. As it is I'm working on the sixth.

Here's a heads up to any who might not be expecting it: The Lilith Mercury series will not have Lilith end up with ONLY ONE MAN. It isn't her destiny. Personally, I think that's hot, and so do a lot of other people. I won't reveal more, but this is not a one man, one woman kind of story. However, I write plenty of stories with only one hero and only one heroine.

Someone saying they didn't care for a story is one thing, but telling me how it should be written is another. All I can say is, "I'm sorry you didn't like it." Seriously. What more could be expected? The story will be told as it was always meant to be: in MY words.

On the positive side, everyone else has so far understood and enjoyed the direction the story has taken. Thank you to everyone who has written to me about this series. Many have expressed opinions and I am grateful. Only one thought I should re-write the story. Please, don't take my opinion here personally. After all, I do have feelings and I certainly do have opinions, just like everybody else.

I'm working on it:)

2011-08-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd give an update of what's going on with me. I've been getting lots of emails about the next Lilith Mercury book. First of all, thank you for writing to me:) I'm so glad to know this series is being enjoyed by so many. I promise I haven't forgotten about Lilith and certainly not Marco or Dracula. *sigh*

I am planning to have the next book in to my editor by October. I'm working on several other projects at the moment. I'm about halfway finished with two novel-length books. One is about a woman named Luna who has her whole world turned upside down in one night. Her best friend gets eaten by an unidentified creature and a fairy shaman slips something in her coffee that "lifts the veil," suddenly making the magical world visible to her.

The other book is (at least in appearance) a modern, sexy Frankenstein. Of course, there's more to it than that and it has nothing to do with the actual Mary Shelley story. Or Dean Koontz, or anyone else who has done their spin:) Koontz is brilliant, by the way, but I'm rambling.

Oh, I almost forgot, I sold a new story! I'll be mailing the contract shortly for a new story with Ellora's Cave called Raven's Destiny. It's a little longer than a short story around 13,000 words. I suppose it's a short novella, if there is such a thing. LOL

Anyway, more to come on Raven's Destiny and other updates as I get them. I'm also working on converting my website to a new format which is driving me crazy. God bless my friend Stacey for his help or I would have to start completely from scratch.

I've been working in the yard today and I think I'm dehydrated. I'm seeing spots and I feel dizzy. HAHAHAHA I'm going to stop typing now.

The simple joy of growing things

2011-08-14T15:02:00.000-07:00

I've had a lot on my mind lately. I'm working on a new short story, trying to come up with a good name for a completed story, and writing a novel length work. Plus, I need to re-vamp my website (thanks to Microsoft and GoDaddy), and I'm tired. HAHAHA

Which brings me back to the title of this post. I'm sure there are other people (especially writers) out there who are just as busy and overworked at times as I am. I love what I do, but trying to find the time to write when you run your own website, do your own marketing, and have a family is difficult.

So, why the hell would you want to try and squeeze in gardening? Because it is excellent therapy. Seriously. I blogged before about starting my pumpkin garden. It's done wonders for me and all I've got so far are itty-bitty seedlings. I love fall, and the color orange, so pumpkins are probably the most therapeutic thing I could plant. But anything you enjoy (that's in season) will work.

There is something profoundly relaxing about making something grown. To bring life instead of tearing something down. It's simple and complex at the same time. Gardening is one of life's simple pleasures and I highly recommend it.

If you are stressed out, plant something. I got a puppy too, but that may be more work than everyone is looking for. Ha. Ha. Still very rewarding as well.

Some plants (like pumpkins) only require a seasonal commitment. Others, like my roses need a little care year round.

My point is, spend a little time with nature. It sounds cheesy, but you might be surprised by the effect it can have on your ability to relax. It's totally worth it. Everything you need to work on will still be there when you get back. Trust me.

Why are some reviewers so cruel?

2011-08-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

We've all read them, nasty reviews. Whether they were about a book we wrote or not, everyone has read at least one scathing review and cringed. The reason I'm writing about this is because it's been on my mind.

First let me say I don't expect everyone to like everything I write. Of course, that would be wonderful, but nothing is perfect. I've read plenty of books I didn't like. But, even before I was a published author it never occurred to me to write a rude review or reveal the plot in a public forum.

I cannot imagine why someone would behave this way. Most professional reviewers are just that professional. Let me make it clear that these are NOT the folks I'm talking about. I'm talking about someone who decides to half pay attention to the book, then quote it incorrectly, and give away every single plot twist in a "review." There are also those who call the author names. Or use words to describe the story like "stupid." That's just plain rude.

I had this happen to me recently and was caught between shock and horror. I still am. I keep asking, "Why would anyone do this?" Why not just say, "I didn't like the book because the plot didn't work for me, etc." Why be a jerk?

Anyway, I'm still baffled by this behavior. I suppose it falls into the confusing category along with why some people think a 3 star rating is good.

It's not just that I've been insulted. I've been published for 4 years this month and believe me my hide has gotten pretty thick. For some reason this reviewer's rude remarks really got to me.

Everyone who wants to improve their craft does want feedback, but there's a way to offer it: minus name calling and in a professional manner. Otherwise it's just hostile and while the author may read it and have their feelings hurt, that's likely all it will accomplish.

It's hard not to take things like that personally when you put so much time and effort into a story. It makes me wonder if I've done something to the reviewer (unintentionally since I do not speak to people that way) to make them treat me like that. I say me and not my book, because the review in question was so insulting it was personal.

I suppose my point is, if you review books and you come across one you don't like, at least be kind in your remarks and thoughtful of how you say you didn't enjoy the book. Think how you might feel if someone scanned 3 months of your life/work in 3 hours and called it crap.

It's perfectly all right to not like everything. Hell, it's a free country. All I'm saying is, there's no reason to be mean. The author didn't write that book just to piss you off/ruin your day/week, or whatever. I swear.

I can't wait for Fall

2011-08-01T08:49:00.001-07:00

My Facebook status right now reads, "I await the morning I wake up to that first taste of Fall just as eagerly as a first kiss."

It's true. I love Fall. I know a lot of people get depressed during that time of year. (Some even more near the holidays.) But I've always had a hard time imagining why. I suppose it all depends on where you live as well. In Florida, I can tell you I am glad to see the weather cool off. Summer time is horrible.

I overheard someone complaining recently that they were dreading Fall because "everything dies."

I thought, "But I come alive."

It's as if Mother Nature decides to wake up her color palate. Bright, fresh oranges and tones of gold and red spread over the landscape looking anything but dead. That's wonderful, but what really gets me is the change in the air. For just an instant while cleaning last week I "caught a whiff" of Fall and my mood brightened. I wasn't feeling bad, but I still found a way to feel better. I felt lighter.

There's a certain clarity of thought that I welcome when the wind is cool and the mornings are crisp. I love the smell of pine logs burning and the crackling of a warm fire. I love to bake. The smells of cinnamon, apples, and pears is soothing. And I LOVE pumpkins! I can't wait to buy my seeds this week and start planting.

October is my favorite month and I await it each year like a kid looking forward to Christmas. In October the weather starts to change, leaves begin to turn and there are tons of bright orange pumpkins:) It just makes my day each and every day.

I write more during the month of October than any other month because it's pretty obvious that the change in weather inspires me. More of my stories take place in the Fall-Winter months as well, simply because I like the cold.

If I lived some place where everything was always frozen and there was no color except for "snow white," I'm sure I would feel differently. But as it stands now ... I can't wait for my pumpkins to grow. And I can't wait for that first taste of Fall.

Sexual Healing

2011-07-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

I just realized how long it's been since I shared one of Dracula's Drink recipes. Wow. The good news is I've been busy writing. The bad news is, I haven't been as active here as I'd like.

So, in an effort to make up for my absence, how about a little Sexual Healing?

Before someone reads this and starts thinking I'm an alcoholic (because someone is bound to do just that) these drinks are not enjoyed by yours truly very often. Why? Well, because they'd ruin my otherwise healthy diet. HA. HA. HA. Having said that, I'm a grown woman and every now and then, I like a good drink.

As usual all ingredients are to taste. I use more rum than anything else. HA. HA. HA. But that's just my preference. (I can't recommend Captain Morgan enough.) I also go very light on the cream or skip it entirely because I'm lactose intollerant.

So, if you're wondering, it's just as good without the cream, but I've got friends who swear the cream is what makes the drink.

Sexual Healing: Kahlua, Amaretto, Peppermint Schnapps, Rum, Cream

Enjoy!

I love your ****

2011-07-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

This post is about something that's been on my mind for a while. It's about more than just bad language. In my opinion it's more about bad behavior. In real life I have a potty mouth. However, I know when it is and is not appropriate to "let it all hang out." For example, most people wouldn't drop the f-bomb while visiting their dear old 75 year old aunt. It's just not polite. So, why would you speak to fellow authors like dirty hookers during a chat? Beats the hell out of me.

It amazes me how many people think it's okay to use raunchy language when they speak (or write) to me just because I write erotic romance. Sure, I have no problems writing those naughty words, or reading them to my writing partner, or even saying them to a friend. But when I show up for a chat, or booksigning, etc., I am a professional. That doesn't mean I'm suddenly dried up and boring. It means I know when to discuss the hero's package and when to use milder language so I don't look/sound like trash in public.

Writers are part of the entertainment industry, no doubt about it. We may not have our faces on billboards but we are public figures nonetheless. To me (as a reader) if I showed up for a chat and my favorite author was using language best suited for a porno I'd be very put-off. No matter how salascious her novels might be, I'd expect HER to be professional. Like I said, that doesn't mean boring. It means being polite and still fun.

It also (as an author) is very off-putting to show up for a chat and find the other authors are too busy trying to carry on a raunchy conversation with each other to actually discuss their books. Or worse yet, interrupt you trying to discuss your books with their same raunchy conversation. Repeatedly. It's so far beyond rude I don't think there is a word to describe it.

I do use bad language in real life and anyone who knows me is used to it. That doesn't mean I think it's okay to walk up to a fellow author (or favorite author) and say, "Hey, I loved the cock on page 69!"

New Release: Necromancer

2011-07-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Jane Masters has no idea she’s a necromancer. Luis and Henri are the vampires responsible for the power mingled in her blood. Though her love life improves dramatically after meeting them, Jane faces a more urgent situation than dating a vampire or two. As Luis and Henri reveal the details of her past life and the source of her power, they learn there’s a killer on the loose and Jane is next on the list. As for her newly discovered past with the vampires, her heart remembers them. But will she survive to love them this time?

Necromancer is a reissue that has been revised, expanded, and re-edited. Originally published by NCP as Brain Dead.

Length: Full Novel
Genre: Paranormal
Rating: Carnal/erotica---multiple partners, menage

http://newconceptspublishing.com/tracey-h.-kitts/necromancer/

A Necessary Evil

2011-07-09T10:07:00.000-07:00

A villain is known by many names, such as blackguard, scoundrel, knave, rascal, rogue, badman, or evildoer. Who among us has never heard these terms before? Do you ever stop to wonder what a story would be like without them? These residents of E-Ville do have their purpose. Without a villain, there is no conflict, and without a conflict, there is no story.

A hero is all of the things within us, we wish that we could be. They are the ones who stand up for what is right, regardless of the consequences, our knights in shinning armor. A hero gives us hope that there is some good left in humanity, and perhaps some good left within ourselves.

The world loves a hero, but without the villain, he would be just like everyone else. We love to read a story where good triumphs over evil, proving once more that there is good in the world. People are moved by the moment in a story when someone is bold enough to fight for what they believe in, to protect the innocent, and defend the defenseless.

Without a villain, there would be no reason to do any of these things. Beowulf, for example, measured his self –worth by his reputation. “They themselves looked on when, bloody from my foes, I came from the fight where I had bound five, destroyed a family of giants, and at night the waves slain water-monsters …”

If there were no monsters to defeat, he would not have this reputation. Where would that leave him? If there were no villains to provoke such noble qualities within our hero, he would be no different than the average person. Sure, Beowulf was a big, strong man. However, without monsters such as Grendel to prove the heroic worth of his abnormal strength, what is he good for? If not for an enemy to overcome, men like Beowulf might have lived life quietly and uneventfully as a peaceful, though somewhat oversized, farmer.

The purpose of establishing a villain’s reputation is to build up the hero. For example, if Grendel were not so evil, Beowulf would not sound so righteous. “Then from the moor under the mist-hills Grendel came walking, wearing God’s anger … From his eyes came a light not fair, most like a flame.” Every hideous expression, every claw, and every scale the evildoer possesses makes our hero seem all the more handsome. Everything that is told about Grendel is to make him pale in comparison to the goodness, and bravery of Beowulf.

The poet repeatedly refers to the darkness and evil of Grendel and his mother, as well as their surroundings. “It is not far from here, measured in miles, that the mere stands … [t]here each night may be seen fire on the flood, a fearful wonder.” If the mere were not so frightening, Beowulf would not appear to be brave for facing it. It takes no great bravery to approach a normal pool of water, but to approach a lake that boils with fire is not for the faint of heart.

It is also mentioned several times that Grendel and his mother are the descendants of Cain. “Then Cain went as an outlaw to flee the cheerful life of men, marked for his murder, held to the wasteland. From him sprang many a devil sent by fate.” Cain was thought to be the ancestor of all monsters. He is also the first recorded murderer. Whether or not he is the first person to actually commit murder remains to be seen, but the vileness involved in the act of killing ones own brother is great. This evil seems to be reflected in the physical appearance of his descendants.

One would think that a warrior fierce enough to defeat such evil must be favored by God. “Holy God of His grace has sent him to us West-Danes, as I hope, against the terror of Grendel.” This further builds the reputation of Beowulf.

Yes, the world would be more peaceful if there were no villains. Nevertheless, most news programs would have nothing to report, if not for crime. Authors would have no story to write without a conflict. How would we know what constitutes good, without evil as a comparison? Somewhere in the mix, there is a balance. Every truly great literary work has managed to achieve this balance. Beowulf’s story proves that although good may ultimately triumph, it needs evil to achieve its status.

It has nothing to do with sandpaper underwear

2011-06-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

It's been a rough month and not just because I decided to try on some sandpaper underwear. Ha. Ha. Ha. Everything in the world has gone wrong. Thank God I still have my health. Seriously, I am very thankful to have my body (at least that works) fully functioning and still capable of exercise and hopefully losing weight.

It’s been a while since I was able to blog, so I thought you all might find it entertaining to hear why I’ve been absent. At the very least it’s worth a laugh. Or maybe you can relate?

First of all, I’ve had some financial issues. (Anyone who has experienced this knows the stress I'm talking about.) Obviously, I’m not going to get into all that in public, but I can say it’s been a trial. And for the record, I am not rich. So many people think that because you’re a published writer that makes you rich. NOT. (Wow, I’m having a 90’s flashback) My royalties add up to about a part-time income. I’m hoping to change that with hard work and more stories, but I digress.

Aside from the financial stuff, my fridge is leaking, the air in my SUV is broken and it’s ball boiling hot here in Florida right now. We’re talking highs in the 100’s and a humidity level of about 80%. Bleh.

My poor little dog Roscoe is having allergy issues (as am I) because of the drought we’re experiencing. All the dust has us worked up. So, he’s having to wear one of those goofy looking collars to keep from scratching his ears so hard. I include this not only because he looks funny, but because I have to baby him more because of it. He gives me that little face that seems to say, “Mommy, why do I have to wear this damn thing?” And before you know it, I’ve spent an hour watching TV and petting him. HA.

Sooo, where was I? Oh, yeah. To top it all off, my computer (Dell piece of CRAP) crashed for the second time since January. I’ve been out of commission for almost a month. Just as I was beginning a new story too. As it turns out, the motherboard (yeah, it’s a MOTHER all right) keeps going out. This time, they replaced the entire hard drive.

During this time I had a new release that I couldn’t even promote. If you’d like to check it out, the title is Fate’s Embrace and I’m very proud of my second book with Ellora’s Cave.
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9422-fates-embrace.aspx

Now the good news! As of last week, (thanks to my husband who is handy, has a nice tan, and a cute goatee) the air in the SUV is fixed. Hallelujah!

And as of last night, thanks to God, the repair man, and ME, the computer and all my files are finally restored. As of right now, I am getting back to work on that story. And making a point to avoid sandpaper underwear.

Why did I write that book?

2011-06-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

So, why did I write RED?

When I first started thinking of this article I wondered how I would ever pick which book to talk about. A lot of my ideas come from dreams. I keep a dream journal just in case I ever need some good material. Ha. Ha. Seriously, I had a hard time narrowing it down. Finally, I decided to talk about Red, the first book in my Lilith Mercury series.

I chose Red not only because it was the first novel I’d ever written, but because I put an awful lot of myself into it. I wrote Red in response to many things and each character means something different to me. I’ll start with Lilith.

Lilith (as some of you may have already heard me say) is my dark side. I have always had a love of comic books. I invented Lilith during study hall when I was in the 8th grade. I sketched her picture and knew her name the instant she was finished. Lilith: Werewolf Hunter. I came up with the last name and tweaked the outfit years later. I say she is my dark side, because she is. She says the things that I think, but am too polite to say. (Most of the time.) She does the things that I would, if I could get away with them. And like all girls who sketch their own superhero, she started out looking like me and I never changed that. However, she is (despite popular myth) the only female character deliberately modeled after myself. I figured that would be the easiest way to keep writing her story. Shouldn’t we know ourselves better than anyone else? I invented Lilith in response to a need to kick ass.

Marco, the alpha werewolf in the series, was supposed to be the bad guy. However, the instant he walked onto the page I fell in love with him and that was no longer possible. He is everything I think a hero should be. (Though he’s not the only man in Lilith’s life.) Strong, kind, and always compassionate. BUT, he knows when it’s time for action and doesn’t back down from a fight. I wrote Marco in response to all the wimpy alphas I’d read over the years. Never again. Ha. Ha.
And since this post can’t include everyone in the Lilith universe, I’ll finish the introduction of characters with Dracula, who makes his appearance in book three. I have dreamed of him all my life. Literally. Since I can first remember writing down some of my dreams, I remember this tall, dark, handsome figure. Maybe it was a glimpse of my destiny, since he would one day be a part of my stories. I’ve always known what he would look like, how he would act, and the smell of his cologne. Seeing him finally walk onto the page felt familiar and I loved it.

As for the rest of the story, I let my imagination run wild. I wanted to write my own werewolf mythology. I wanted to tell where the first vampire came from, according to me. So, I did. These characters were too special to me to just put them in any old world. They needed their own unique universe. I think this clip from Red gives a hint of what’s to come well enough without me breaking it all down. I don’t want to give too much away.

“Lycanthropy was created during the only world war the planet Terra has ever known. It’s a man-made disease, born of nightmares. It was engineered as a biological weapon by Lionel Ferdinand, a scientist with radical ideas of what should be done with individuals who disagreed with his own political views. The idea was that people contaminated with the disease would transform and annihilate everyone else. Not everyone is capable of contracting lycanthropy, however. Just as some people have immunity to certain diseases they have been immunized against, others have a natural resistance. It was from these people that a vaccine was developed. Many hoped it would be ‘the cure’ for what was at the time known as the animal virus.

Unfortunately, such was not the case. The virus ran rampant. The only person rumored to have developed a successful vaccine was Ferdinand himself, who had at this point already been killed, slaughtered by a monster of his own making. Only pieces of his research were ever found. The complete formula, it would appear, was in his head. And most unfortunately, that had been lopped off by a werewolf."

I have always loved mythology and anything macabre. Vampires, werewolves, you name it and I’ve probably read something about it. I get asked often what books I like to read. I don’t read anything (not for years now) in the same genre I write because I don’t want to be influenced. I want my ideas (however crazy) to be my own. If they sound like someone else’s, that just goes to show that great minds think alike. Ha. Ha.

So, I wrote Red and started the Lilith Mercury series because these characters wouldn’t stop talking to me. They nagged me day and night until I finished the first two books straight through in three months and submitted the first. I’ve always said that I write what I like and I hoped that since I enjoyed the story so much, other people might feel the same. Their story needed to be told, and as I’ve often said about Dracula, “The world would be worse off for having missed this vision.”

By the way, if you like the Lilith series, there are hints of her world carried over into my other stories. For example, she makes an appearance in Bitten, though just briefly. I wanted my world to meld seamlessly with the real so much that it began to seem possible.

Funny story and an update on projects

2011-06-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

As soon as I stop my maniacal laughter, I'll start with the story. *clears throat* Okay. I'm ready.

I had the unfortunate displeasure to run into someone who does not think highly of romance or those who write it. This happens often, but this time was really funny. I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and I don't care. (I'm not that old.) Or maybe I'm just tired of people forcing their narrow minded opinions on me when I didn't ask.

Anyway, this person goes on to say how romance is an escape for people who "never get laid." Well, whether it is or not, that's offensive. They then said, "people who write it are just living out their sick fantasies."

I cut them off. "You're wrong. I'm actually writing to share my experiences. The most plausible way to do that is to present it as fiction. After all, if I wrote it as a memoir, I might get arrested. Some of this shit is illegal in Alabama and I don't live far from the state line."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

Sorry, I can't stop laughing. The point is, not another word was said. HA! Take that.

Now for the update:

I'm working on several projects at the moment. As a lot of you know, I'm published with more than one house. I'm working two projects for Ellora's Cave and one for New Concepts Publishing. The one for NCP is the long awaited continuation of the Lilith Mercury series. I had to take a break from Lilith before giving it one last go-over, just to be sure I haven't missed anything I meant to include. Thank you so much to everyone who has written to me to ask about the next book. It means a lot to know you like the series so much:) I hope to have book six in the series turned in to my editor by October.

As for the other two, one is at present almost halfway finished. So is the other. The second I'm keeping more under my hat until I see how my editor reacts to it. It will be my first erotic horror and is something I've wanted to do for years. If I don't take my time with it (even if it doesn't fly with the line I'm submitting it to) I'd be cheating myself out of something I'm thoroughly loving.

You might have guessed what it's about if you know me well. Once it's complete, I'll tell you the name:)

DIY - Body Wrap Spa Treatment

2011-05-23T21:40:00.000-07:00

If you're a woman, chances are you've heard of those body wrap spa treatments that are supposed to melt away everything from inches to cellulite. I always thought they were bull until I researched it a little bit. Having need to shed a few inches and improve my skin tone I thought, "What the hell?"

I've got some scars I wouldn't mind fading and three dimples in my left thigh that just "magically" showed up at my last birthday. Ugh. What have I got to lose, right?

So, I reasearched all the common (and not so common) ingredients that might be used in such a wrap and tonight I made my own.

AND I LOST AN INCH IN MY WAIST! In only 45 minutes, I lost an inch!

Here is the recipe I used. Most of this stuff, I already had, like the herbs. I take lots of vitamins and herbs, so I didn't have to buy much:) If you don't see a particular measurement for an ingredient, that's because I didn't measure it. Ha. Ha. Ha.

You'll need:

Ace bandages - the large kind - can be purchased at most any pharmacy and Wal-Mart. As a matter of fact, you can get all this stuff at Wal-Mart.

Exfoliating mit

Plastic wrap

And the following ingredients:

Palmer's Body Oil
Witch Hazel
Sleepytime Tea - 1 individual serving bag
Evening Prim Rose Oil - 1 gel. cap.
Black Cohosh - 1 cap.
Milk Thistle - 1 cap.
Grapeseed Extract - 1 cap.
Cayenne - 3 caps.

2 sheets of seaweed - I found this in the Asian cooking section.

Epsom Salt - 1 cup

Warning: This will soak into your body, if you are allergic to any of the above ingredients, even putting it on your skin could be BAD.

Black Cohosh and Evening Prim Rose Oil can interfere with the effectiveness of some forms of birth control as these are for balancing hormone levels and regulating menstrual cycles. If you are taking the pill or shot or using anything that has to work by being in your system constantly, DO NOT use the Black Cohosh or Evening Prim Rose Oil. You can still do the wrap, but leave that part out.

For those with varicose veins: Grapeseed Extract is great for veins! You can put extra of this if you like and wrap your legs with it:)

Also, don't forget to sip some water or green tea both before and after as this will dehydrate you slightly.

Now, on to the wrap:

I mixed all the ingredients EXCEPT THE SEAWEED and let it come to a boil. If it's in a capsule, break it open and pour the ingredients into the mixture. If it's a gel cap, just let it melt. Oh, and don't forget to add about a cup of water.

Once everything boils, let it cool just a little. Only enough that it doesn't burn your skin. Now, you can do this part however you like, but this is what I did. I put some potholders on my bathroom counter and moved the still hot pot in there. Then, I dunked my bandages and let them soak for about 3 minutes.

While your bandages are soaking, use the exfoliating mit to gently buff the area where you're about to put the wrap.

Next, (of course you should be naked for this, if someone helps you with it, you can wear underwear, it will soak through) I held the 2 sheets of seaweed (still dry) over what I consider to be the worst looking areas of my stomach while my husband started to wrap the warm bandages around me. I only did my midsection from lower hips to just underneath my breasts. If you're only going to do a small area like this, one bandage might be enough.

Next, we wrapped this area with plastic wrap to hold in the warmth. I followed this with a beach towel and a thick bathrobe. Then, I piled up on the couch (underneath 2 blankets because you're supposed to stay warm) and watched about 45 minutes of Blazing Saddles. (This part is optional. LOL)

Thanks to the cayenne, after about 20 minutes or so you will start to notice a warming sensation. It doesn't burn and if you aren't allergic to peppers, it should not harm your skin in any way. It will eventually get hot enough to feel like you're wrapped in an electric blanket. Also, after I showered, my skin continued to feel warm in this area for about 3 hours. This is normal. Cayenne is commonly used to speed the metabolism (with continued use) and my hope is that it sped up the metabolism in this area.

Once you're done, just wrinse in the shower and apply some good lotion. Something with collegen elastin is preffered:)

Oh, and don't forget to measure before and after!

Farewell Macho Man

2011-05-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have already heard the news, “Macho Man” Randy Savage is dead. His life was claimed by a car accident early this morning in Tampa, Florida. Reports say he suffered a heart attack behind the wheel; he was only 58 years old. I for one, will miss him. Even though I haven’t watched wrestling in years, some of my best memories as a kid are from watching him. Me and my dad (much to my mother’s dislike Ha Ha) would get in front of the TV and watch wrestling every week. I loved Macho Man’s bright outfits and to this day cannot hear someone say “Oh, Yeah!” without thinking of him.

Yes, I know there was much more to him than this. He was a real man with a real life. But what he represents to me is good memories of time spent with my dad, and funny impersonations by my older cousins. My point is … his performances mattered. And thanks to him I have some great memories to look back on.

I offer my sincere condolences to his friends and family. Please don’t think of this post as irreverent. I’m remembering him for doing what he loved. Isn’t that what most people would want after they pass on?

Hallmark should expand their business

2011-05-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

Warning: You will find much sarcasm (and possibly hostility) in the post ahead. No names or specific incidences will be mentioned, but I do let go just a little with how I feel. If sarcasm offends you, turn back now.

I was just sitting here, repainting my toenails and trying to collect my thoughts for my current work in progress. I finally have a moment (or two) of silence to reflect and realized that I am still irritated by something that happened last week.

This incident, which I'm not going to gossip about made me realize that there simply are no words to say (not politely anyway) some things that you may need to at some point say to friends or acquaintances.

If Hallmark could find a sweet, mushy way to say these things, they would certainly get my business.

Let me give you some examples. "I'd rather you not come over any more because you're loud, rude, and obnoxious. You make me nervous and you give my dog diarrhea." LOL See what I mean?

Or how about ... "We don't hang out because you're a drunk and have no desire to change." Could also be worked in with, "I don't like to hang out in bars, but I wish you well."

Or ... "Just because our husbands are friends doesn't mean I want to be yours, but I wish you all the best." That one may sound a bit harsh, but trust me on this one. The person I'm referencing should probably be in a mental institute. Every time our husbands do something together I get put in a very awkward position.

Last but not least, why don't they make a card that says, "It's not you, it's your kid." This one is probably the most irritating. I don't think there is anything more rude than to bring your child to someone's house and let them tear the place apart. Especially like in my case where I am a very nervous person to begin with. How inconsiderate. There is someone that I actually liked very much, but haven't seen in years because she refused to discipline her child. It really is a pet peeve of mine. If anything, I expect my child to behave better at someone else's house just out of respect for those I care about. I would never go to someone's home and expect them to just deal with an out of control kid. I could go on about this, but I won't.

Like I said, sarcasm. (And that darned hostility that is provoked with these subjects.) The point is (besides me needing to vent) if you have loved ones that you visit, please don't treat them like this. If you do, you might put them in an awkward position like me ... not knowing what to say or how to say it and knowing that none of them will read this and just get the point.

Guest Blogger - Wynter Daniels

2011-05-13T11:47:00.000-07:00

My Writing Buds

When I left my day job five years ago to pursue my dream of writing romance, I never realized that I was taking two special friends on the journey with me. Not only have they been at my side (or at least, at my feet) every step of the way, but they’ve commiserated with me when I stumbled and celebrated with me when I achieved.

Tinker is the female and she’s reminded me that even when my heroines must kick some butt, they still have a feminine side. She’ll hunt down a lizard then take up a dainty position on the rug. Check out her ladylike pose.

And just like most of my heroines, she often finds herself in a jam. As evidence, see the next photo.

Bloo, my other companion, can be domineering and bullish, but he has his sensitive side. Just look at him exposing his soft underbelly!

In fact, he shows that feminine side a lot. His favorite toy is a pink beanie baby bear that he carries all through the house then wrestles with. And check out his bed.

Okay, so maybe he wants me to write M/M romances, but I’m resisting. He’s very different from Tinker. He is a purebred Russian Blue and we suspect he was abused or at least neglected before we adopted him from a pet rescue association. He was three or four years old and no one could tell us exactly what he’d been through. He’s lived with us for six years and he spent the first two years learning to trust us.

Tinker, on the other hand, also came to us by way of a pet rescue person, but the difference was she was born there. She was still a kitten when we got her and she’d been cared for from birth. I must admit, in the ten years she’s been with us, she’s been a totally pampered puss.

My two cats come from completely different worlds, but they now live together in relative peace. Will and Megan, the hero and heroine from Protective Custody also come different worlds. Will’s family is wealthy, the country club set. Megan was raised by her working class grandmother after her father ran out on her and her mother died. Will they get their happy ever after? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

Do you have a special pet or pets that help you do your job in some way?
Thanks so much to Tracey for having me here today!

Protective Custody – Available from Carina Press
Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

Wynter Daniels lives in Central Florida with her husband of more than twenty years and their two nearly grown children. They are all the slaves of two very demanding cats. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. She writes for several publishers including Carina Press, Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id and Red Sage.

Join her Facebook fan page HERE and her Yahoo! Group HERE. She loves to hear from readers, but only if it’s good.

Find Wynter on the web at http://www.wynterdaniels.com/

Visit her blog at http://wynterdaniels.blogspot.com/

Text Copyright © 2011 by Wynter Daniels
Cover Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited
Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Judy Mays is not alone

2011-04-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

I’m sure you’ve already heard about the story of Judy Mays, an English teacher meeting with much prejudice because she writes erotic romance. And yes, I'm simplifying.

Since her story has sparked much interest and support, I thought people might be interested to know that prejudice toward erotic romance writers is not that rare.

I have been denied employment more than once and even lost jobs because they found out I wrote romance novels. People might be surprised to learn the prejudice a romance novelist faces in small communities. I love where I’m from, but they do not support me.

Naturally, I'm not about to name names or start a fuss. I don’t want to mud-sling, but to expose attitudes toward myself and other writers.

For example, I've got a neighbor that I've mentioned before who really seems to believe I and my writing are evil because I graphically describe sex. She prevented me from getting a job at one local business (she works there also, a fact I did not know at the time) by telling the owner I wrote smut.

I worked at a local university for 2 years before getting my first book published. I was so excited that I told someone (whom I thought was a friend) about getting my first contract. She worked in the IT department. A few weeks later my computer was hacked and made to look like I was looking up porn. A coincidence? I think not.

After that I was working in a different business when the owner found out that I wrote erotic romance. He made a point of mentioning that his wife did NOT like him looking at my website. Three weeks later he fired me for no reason at all.

I was interviewed at one place where the interviewer had found out about my writing. She asked what kind of books I wrote. When I said romance she (I kid you not) snorted rudely and laughed until I finally asked, "Is that a problem?"

Needless to say, she did not hire me.

I am truly sorry for what Ms. Jays is going through, but I'm here to say she is not alone.

Guest Blogger - Cindy Spencer Pape

2011-04-24T21:23:00.001-07:00

Please help me welcome my guest today, Cindy Spencer Pape.

THK: Tell me about yourself.

CSP: Geep. I think of myself as pretty average, but then people laugh. I guess average people don’t have voices talking in their heads, or hear their kids say something and reply, “that is SO going in a book.” Let’s see: I’m short, fluffy, and kind of snarky. That’s a survival skill when you live with a bunch of males. I’ve been married over 25 years and have two sons in college who still live at home. Since my desk is in the family room and so is the X-box, much of my writing is done to the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and profanity in the background.

THK: Tell me about your current and upcoming releases. Please include a blurb and a link to where the book can be purchased.

CSP: With pleasure! Photographs & Phantoms is a novella connected to my Gaslight Chronicles series at Carina Press. It’s available as a FREE download to celebrate this week being steampunk week at Carina. You can find it here http://bit.ly/f4Y09s.

I had loads of fun writing it, and hope you enjoy the blurb and snippet below. Also, if you’re interested in my steampunk/fantasy/romance world, the full length novel Steam & Sorcery is also available from Carina Press. http://bit.ly/e8E6Lt

THK: What genre do you write it? What drew you to write in that genre? If you mix genres talk about that too.

CSP: I write whatever appeals to me at the time. I blame my genre-hopping on a short attention span, but part of it is also me challenging myself to try new things. Most of my books are paranormal romances, because I really love the mix of a happy ending and fantasy elements. With the Gaslight Chronicles, I’ve branched into steampunk-ishness because I find the mixture of historical and SF/fantasy utterly irresistible. The clothes and jewelry are really cool too. (wink)

THK: How many books have you written? How many have been published?

CSP: Counting short stories, well over 40. I have two fulls out on submission with my agent, one horrible first novel buried at the back of my hard drive, and all the rest have been published, or are in edits at the moment.

THK: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

CSP: Probably the humor that runs through even the most serious moments. I don’t mean to write funny, but somehow it ends up there, even when I think I’m being serious. I think I just have a quirky outlook on life and it ends up as funny in my writing.

THK: What is the hardest part of writing?

CSP: Not letting the bad reviews, rejections, or difficult chapters get you down. I’m kind of thin-skinned by nature, so that’s something I’ve really had to work on to survive in this business.

THK: What do you read for fun when you’re not writing?

CSP: Romance, all types except sweet or inspirational. Some fantasy or SF or mystery, especially if they’re also funny. I cried when Douglas Adams died.

THK: Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

CSP: See #6. You have to develop a tough hide and you have to KEEP GOING, even when you think it’s hopeless. I came so close to quitting right before I sold that it scares me. Don’t give up. Always send that puppy out to just one more house, and write just one more book.

And a few just for fun questions.

THK: Chocolate or vanilla?

CSP: Oddly, vanilla. Though milk chocolate is still a major food group.

THK: Vampire or werewolf?

CSP: Totally werewolves, all the way.

THK: Night or day?

CSP: Given the choice, I think I’d be entirely nocturnal, except I love sunshine.

THK: Assuming you already had food and water, what one item could you not live without on a deserted island?

CSP: Someone to talk to. I’d be making up games out of sticks and rocks, and scribbling stories on palm leaves with blood if necessary.

THK: If you could have one super power, what would it be?

CSP: Healers crop up a lot in my books, so maybe that. Mostly I’d settle for a super metabolism.

THK: And probably the most interesting question: Master or slave?

CSP: Errrmmm-I don’t like to be bossed around in real life, but am pretty submissive when it’s on a more… intimate level.

Blurb & Excerpt:
Photographs & Phantoms
A Gaslight Chronicles Novella
By Cindy Spencer Pape
Available as a Free Download from Carina Press

Blurb: Brighton, 1855

As a member of the Order of the Round Table, Kendall Lake is overqualified to be investigating strange phenomena at a seaside photography studio. But since the photographer is related to the Order’s most powerful sorcerer, Kendall reluctantly boards a dirigible to Brighton.

Amy Deland is haunted by a shadow that appears in some of her recent portraits. In each case, the subject died within days of the sitting. Does she have her grandmother’s gift of foresight, or has she somehow caused the deaths?

As Kendall and Amy search for answers, their investigation draws them together in a most improper way. But it seems the evil presence in the studio is determined to keep them apart…

Excerpt: (PG)

They wove among the tourists and barrows and tents. “Sergeant Peterson built me a steam barrow to carry my equipment and a small canopy. It even has feet rather than wheels to accommodate the steps.”

“Very thoughtful of him.” Kendall’s tone was utterly neutral. “Are you and the sergeant…an item, perhaps?”

“What? No, of course not.” While Michael Peterson was a nice enough young man, and relatively attractive despite his missing arm, he was far too…traditional for Amy’s taste. He’d hinted in that direction a time or two, but she knew he’d never tolerate a wife or even a lady friend with a profession of her own. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

“Just something in his demeanor. Whether you believe so or not, the man has a definite interest in you, Amy.”

“I’ve never given him any reason to. I’m not looking for a husband—or a lover, for that matter. Certainly not unless I find one who understands my need to work.”

“Your photography is a part of you—not just the way you make your living—is that what you mean?” He spoke as if he actually understood. “I’ve a cousin who’s a concert pianist. She feels much the same way. Her husband has learned to cope, so I imagine there are other males out there who can adapt.”

“If you happen across one, send him to Brighton,” she replied. “But I’m not going to hold my breath. I’m happy with my life the way it is.” Except—in the last few hours, she’d realized there were parts of the male-female relationship she wouldn’t mind exploring further. Kendall Lake did something funny to her insides in a way no other man ever had. He made her think of things, wish for things, that could certainly never be. He was a marquess, for heaven’s sake, and the heir to a dukedom. No good could come of imagining herself in his arms, his lips upon hers.

You can find out more about Cindy and her books at the following links.

Website: http://www.cindyspencerpape.com/
Blog: http://cindyspencerpape.blogspot.com/
Newsletter group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cspapenewsgroup/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CindySPape

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cindy-Spencer-Pape-Books/102207923194253
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/cindyspencerpape

Thanks so much to Tracey for having me here today!

Thank you, Cindy, for being my guest;) It sounds like you and I have several things in common. I've almost finished my latest book to the sounds of Dragon Age on PS3. Ha. Ha. Ha. I'm totally adicted to that game myself, by the way.

Your books sound great and I love the cover art. I wish you lots of sales and many more books:)

Sex Symbol is out in print!

2011-04-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Lucy Harper always thought of herself as an ordinary woman, but she suddenly finds herself in extraordinary circumstances. Her sleepy hometown of Peace, Mississippi, turns out to be far from peaceful, what with shapeshifters, vampires and other departures from the “good ol’ Southern boy” stereotype cropping up. Her best friends are all hiding devastating secrets. Her ex-boyfriend is suddenly interested in making up. Her sexy new boyfriend is not only the hottest guy she’s ever met, he’s got some pretty big secrets himself, including what he really is and what he does—besides providing the best sex she’s ever had, that is.

And her new tattoo might be more than a picture of her favorite flower—according to the local werewolf pack, it’s a “sex symbol”. There may be a fight to the death over who gets to claim her as mate.

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8698-sex-symbol.aspx

Guest Blogger - Tina Donahue

2011-04-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

THK: Tell me about yourself. Anything you would like readers know about you?

TD:I began writing when I was eight or nine. I wrote and illustrated my ‘books’, made copies, and like the little trouper I was (I had guts) went around the neighborhood and sold them to my friends’ parents. Did very well. Most people can’t resist a kid with that kind of spunk. As a kid, when I wasn’t writing, I was modeling. My face was plastered on billboards across the country. I modeled for Ralston-Purina, Keds (the shoe company), numerous major stores (most of them now owned by Macy’s).

I was also in all those kiddie contests you see on TV (Toddlers and Tiaras), only when I was little we didn’t have makeup and fake teeth and $500 dresses. I still don’t own a $500 dress. I don’t think my car is worth $500. :)

THK: Tell me about your current and upcoming releases. Please include a blurb and a link to where the book can be purchased.

TD: My most recent release is The Yearning, my first erotic paranormal and a Top Ten Bestseller. It was up for Book of the Week at Whipped Cream Reviews and received a Recommended Read and Five Lips from TwoLips Reviews.

Here’s the blurb and the link: To break this curse, they’ll have to turn the heat up. Way up. Jasmine Dante prowls Key West’s nightlife, fighting a losing battle against a jealous rival’s curse that forces her to seek carnal pleasure, no matter the danger. Weakened from lack of sleep, driven by insatiable lust, she spots a man who stirs her desperate craving, and begins yet another dance of seduction. Except the dark stranger who returns her direct stare is no ordinary lover. Inside his powerful body lies a raw sexuality that just might be enough to break her curse.

There’s only one way to find out: imprison him in her bed and feed on his passion. Former U.S. Marshal Mike Stearn is many things, but he’s no woman’s sex slave. The deadly telekinetic power he ruthlessly suppresses comes alive again at Jasmine’s touch. Beneath her bold, potent sensuality he senses vulnerability and desperation.

He may be in handcuffs, but she’s the one who’s enslaved. As Mike resurrects his power to free himself so he can find the curse’s source and defeat it, Jasmine revels in his masterful rule. Her ravenous yearning evolves into rapture as she surrenders to his hunger, her darkest needs—and the emotional connection that lies beyond. Unless the curse takes her life first… Warning: Tons of steamy sex, smoldering passion and a to-die-for love story with a hot Alpha hero who finds himself imprisoned by one sultry and desperate babe.

Buy Link: http://store.samhainpublishing.com/the-yearning-p-6248.html

For upcoming releases, my next paranormal Unending Desire will be released by Samhain on October 17. It has an unusual take on vampires and an Alpha hero to die for. I’ve also just sold my next contemporary erotic romance Take Me Away to Ellora’s Cave. Pub date to come.

THK: What genre do you write in? What drew you to write in that genre?

TD: I write in many genres. I began with romantic comedies for Kensington, then moved into historical, contemporary erotic, and now paranormal erotic. I like to try new genres as it keeps my writing fresh.

THK: How many books have you written? How many have been published?

TD: I’ve written 24 – 20 have been pubbed.

THK: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

TD: I don’t know if I’d call it a quirk – maybe compulsion is a better word. I have to write every day. If I didn’t, I’d be antsy.

THK: What is the hardest part of writing?

TD: When the novels are finished. I really miss my characters. Don’t want to leave them.

THK: What do you read for fun when you’re not writing?

TD: I read works by Dean Koontz, Hilma Wolitzer, Cormac McCarthy and others.

THK: Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

TD: If you hang in there long enough, treat writing as a serious endeavor – not a hobby or a whim – learn your craft and never give up, you’ll make it.

And a few just for fun questions. THK: Chocolate or vanilla?

TD: Chocolate

THK: Vampire or werewolf?

TD: Vampire

THK: Night or day?

TD: Day

THK: Assuming you already had food and water, what one item could you not live without on a deserted island?

TD: Internet

THK: If you could have any super power, what would it be?

TD: To fly

THK: And probably the most interesting question: Master or slave?

TD: Definitely master :)

Thanks so much for being my guest today:) Readers can find out more about Tina and her books at the following links.

Links: Email: tina@tinadonahue.com

Website/blog: http://www.tinadonahue.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/tinadonahue

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000458023097

Sweet ‘N Sexy Divas Blog: http://sweetnsexydivas.blogspot.com/

Awesome Birthday Present

2011-04-13T13:17:00.000-07:00

Well, it wasn't intended as a birthday present, but it's just in time! lol I just found out that Sex Symbol, my first release with Ellora's Cave is going to print April 19th. That's next Tuesday! So, since my birthday is the 26th, I'm gonna go ahead and consider that an early present.

How awesome is this?!

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8698-sex-symbol.aspx

Spring Fling Web Hunt - Lots of Prizes

2011-04-06T09:18:00.000-07:00

The Night Owl Reviews Spring Fling Web Hunt is under way. Over 100 prizes donated by authors, publishers and publishing professionals will be given away. Enter to win Signed Books, Gift Cards and eBooks in the Spring Fling Web Hunt - http://tinyurl.com/springflingwh2011

An excerpt for my work in progress

2011-03-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

I don't want to give too much away, but this project has been a long time coming for me. I've only been working on it since last month, but I've wanted take on this particular story for many years. Here's a short clip. I hope you enjoy it.

The full moon lit the night like dawn. Soft rain and mist reflected the moonlight, looking like diamonds scattered about the grass, dancing from the petals of roses. And in the midst of it all stood my prince, waiting for me. The rain sparkled against his long hair and bare chest. I’ve never seen anything so lovely.

He reached for me and as I moved forward, I looked down to see I was wearing a long black robe. The material felt wonderful against my skin. It was then I knew I was naked underneath. But my prince beckoned me, and I went to him, no longer caring that I wore naught but a robe. It was his robe. I knew this as I looked into his eyes, just as surely as if he’d communicated the thought.

“I envy this robe,” he said as I reached him.

“But why, my prince?”

He pulled me against him and the rain grew harder as if to match his passion. “Because it wraps around you in ways I cannot.”

Coming up next month :)

2011-03-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

I just got the official word from New Concepts Publishing. Here's what we've got going on next month:

For the week of April 4th.

April 4th

Author spotlight— Tracey H. Kitts

Manic Monday Sale— from noon to midnight

30% off of Tracey H. Kitts books

April 6th

Wild Wednesday Freebie and Contest—

Free Book (check with Tracey)

Chat with Tracey H. Kitts—Contest—

Prize— A pdf from my backlist, winner's choice

April 8th

Fun Friday—new releases

Print—Till the Break of Dawn—Tracey H. Kitts (para) 190 pages

See you there:)

Thursday Thirteen - 13 Embarrassing Ways to Die

2011-03-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

Today I felt like doing something kind of stupid. Ha. Ha. So, please allow me to present ... Thirteen Embarrassing Ways to Die. :D (Listed in no particular order) Be warned, these are pretty bad, but they're only listed for a laugh anyway. If you blog the Thursday 13 also, feel free to leave a link in the comments.

1. On the toilet. I've always thought this was particularly embarrassing. I mean, you don't even get to wipe. Eeewww.

2. During sex. I know, I know. Some people might not think this is so bad. But what if you were with a prostitute? LOL

3. While cussing someone out. Nothing says "end of discussion" like dropping dead. lol

4. Suffocated by poop. I read about a guy years ago that died underneath a pile of elephant crap. Apparently, he was going to give the pachyderm a suppository when it "erupted," trapping him under the poop.

5. Reenacting a stunt from any of the "Jackass" movies. Really, do we have to elaborate? lol

6. Snorting a strange white substance you thought was cocaine. lol It could be anything! Borax cleaning powder maybe?

7. An erection lasting longer than four hours. That you failed to seek help for. HAHAHAHHAHA

8. Looking down the barrel of a loaded gun. To see if you remembered to load it.

9. Trying to fly off the roof wearing a Batman costume.

10. Hemorrhage from an atomic wedgie.

11. Blown up in a meth lab. Seriously, this happens way too much.

12. Attacked by a pack of chihuahuas.

13. (For a man) While wearing frilly women's underwear.

Never let it be said that I don't have a sense of humor. HAHAHHA Hopefully, you got a laugh out of this nonsense. Okay, now back to writing.

Hard at work:)

2011-03-06T09:13:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a minute and let everyone know I haven't abandoned my blog. A lot has been going on lately. I'm trying (if I can find the funding) to get ready to go back to school. The fact of the matter is I need a day job if I'm going to survive. The jobs I've been trained to do have basically disappeared in the area where I live. So, it's back to school for me.

I'm working on two new books. One is an erotic paranormal romance. The other is my very first erotic horror. I would say more, but I don't want to jinx it:) The erotic horror project is something very dear to my heart. I've wanted to work on this particular project for a very long time and am so excited that I want to squeal when I think about it. I just hope I do the story justice.

Other than that, I got a new dog;) He's so freaking cute! He's also a handful. lol Everyone else I know is having babies. I got a dog. He poops less, is easier to potty train, and doesn't destroy my house when I'm not looking. HAHAHA. Don't be offended. I'm just joking.

Besides the puppy, I haven't been online that much lately because for the past two weeks something has made me really sick. It seems that no matter what I eat I'm up every morning by 4:30 sick as a hell. No, I'm not pregnant. And yes, I'm certain of that. I can only assume it's one of my food allergies acting up. I've just got to figure out which one:(

Well, I suppose that about covers it. I just finished some interview questions and now I'm off to work on my latest project.

Have you been pirated yet?

2011-02-09T12:25:00.002-08:00

This dicussion was started on She Writes, a group that I'm proud to be a part of. The issue of piracy has troubled me for a long time. Well, ever since I've been published. So, I thought I would share my response to the dicussion here. Feel free to add your own thoughts or answer the same questions I have below.

To sum it up briefly, it hurts. I believe I could be making a living solely from my writing at this moment if my books weren't ripped off so much. I know that everyone who steals a copy wouldn't necessarily purchase one, but some of them would and that would still account for thousands of dollars lost. I've had this discussion many times and it's getting more and more difficult. Especially, when I have to continue seeking out day jobs that I hate. Not to mention work in general is hard to find where I'm located. My financial situation is pretty grim at the moment. To say that I am upset at my work being ripped off, doesn't even come close.

1.) Are you an e-published author, or are all of your books print books?

Most of my books are available in both print and ebook formats.

2.) If a book buyer puts his or her paid-for copy of your e-book on one of the big pirate "sharing" sites, do you believe that is "theft"?

Yes, I do. If they send it to a couple of friends through email, great. I'm glad they liked it enough to share it with their friends. Putting it up where hundreds of people can download it for free is NOT the same thing. It's stealing, period.

3.) If a book buyer scans your print book into pdf files, and shares these on a "sharing" site, do you consider that theft?

Absolutely. I believe most people, if they're honest would feel the same.

4.) Do you consider these "sharing" sites to be good for your book sales on future books?

Not at all. Once in a while there is a rare person who will like your work so much that they purchase some of your backlist. But those people are rare. I beileve that occasionally offering something from free is great for sales. Ocassionally, like free reads or free copies. If you are trying to make a living, you just can't afford for ALL of your books to be free.

5.) Do you agree with the pirates that because we authors are all millionaires, we should not mind giving away a "few" books to those less fortunate?

This makes me see red. I'm such a "millionaire" that I'm filing for bankruptcy. Thank you very much.

I don't mean to be such a killjoy, but that's how I really feel about piracy. If I was a millionaire, trust me, it'd be a different story. But, I'm not. I'm not even "well off." I need the money to live. Okay, that's all I can say and remain polite.

Life has been crazy lately

2011-02-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

My life is completely crazy right now. I've been off-line for a little over a week. My motherboard finally died. Don't buy a Dell. Seriously, it's been nothing but a piece of crap since got it.

I've experienced another horrible day job/night job. I won't get into details, but it's the only thing I've ever run screaming from. Well, not literally, but I screamed in private and certainly wanted to run. Let's just say, it did not work out. So, now I'm looking into going back to school.

I am still working on a new book. By hand, because my computer isn't up yet. Thanks to some friends of mine, sometime tomorrow I'll have a brand new computer with all my old data transferred to it:) Hopefully, I won't have to reset all of my frontpage extensions or that'll be another huge pain in the butt. Not to mention time consuming on my slow connection.

Anyway, the point of this is, I'm under a lot of stress, but I'm still writing. I guess I could have just said that to start with. If you pray ... pray for me. I could use it:)

Guest Blogger - Destiny Blaine

2011-01-07T11:47:00.000-08:00

Just Released Today!

Available Now at Aspen Mountain Press

Revenge is a hot, bitter dish when served up enthusiastically by someone empowered by extra steam.

Blurb:

Heidi Labeidi, a successful Nevada brothel owner, had the world by its tail until her deceptive lover Stan Graves disposed of her. Lost somewhere between life and the afterlife, Heidi materializes in her former home thirty years after her death. She has a second chance and she’s hell bent on solving her own murder.

With a knack for creating pleasure-inducing trinkets and furniture, Edward Brady is an eccentric mad scientist on the verge of greatness. He’s also in desperate need of an assistant and his problems are solved when he discovers a sensual ghost enjoying his sex toys.

Heidi has something to offer Edward but her assistance comes at a price. And when Edward becomes an assassin’s mark, only Heidi can help him. Will Edward barter with a ghost who can save him and if he does, will the former madam become the one woman Edward is unable to resist?

Excerpt:

Heidi squeezed his fingers. “You’re a thoughtful man, Edward, but trust me when I tell you: I’ve ruined many a man’s reputation. You’re considered a genius in this town. You don’t want this city to turn its back on you right now. You’re on the verge of something great and I want to come along for the ride.” She slid her arm under the table and touched his knee. “And I want a lot of rides with you, Edward.”

His damn prick was ready to negotiate the terms.

You do?” Edward asked, engaging himself in what must’ve looked like an odd one-sided conversation. By the time he realized what he was doing, half the restaurant’s customers were now turning around, staring at him with marked curiosity.

Heidi tilted her head toward some of the patrons. “You’re seated at a table for two. You requested a couple of wine glasses. Two meals have been served. This seat is vacant and you’re holding a hand that doesn’t exist.” She looked down at their entwined fingers. “Your thumb is jerking as if you’re massaging my wrist. You don’t think this is newsworthy for the Las Vegas Lifestyle Magazine?”

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Edward admitted. “If I can see you, then they must.”

“No, Edward,” she said, standing.

He stood too as a polite gesture.

“I don’t exist in your world. You’re the only one who can see me.”

“Then I’m one lucky guy.”

Heidi held her shoulders back. A quick tilt of her head sent ringlets tumbling across her shoulders. “That depends on who you ask at the moment. In public situations like this, I recommend that you listen and let me do the talking. Some here are ruthless snakes when it comes to tearing down a man’s reputation, especially one like yours, and they’ll be anxious to poke fun at the crazy man, the man who inevitably will catch the eye of their women because of his deep pockets.”

“What’s that mean, exactly?”

“You’re about to make millions, the kind of money this city hasn’t seen since the days of Howard Hughes, and you’re acting as crazy as Hughes himself.”

“I’m not hungry,” he told her, feeling like he’d known her at another point and time in his life. “I want to take you home and—”

“And what, Edward? Get to know me?”

“Yes.”

She took a deep breath. “Oh for heaven’s sake, sit down and finish your meal and then meet me at the curb. As long as you’re looking at me like I’m dessert, there’s no way you’ll enjoy your dinner. Besides, you’re drawing too much attention.”

“I would think someone in your line of work craves center stage.” he pointed out, snapping at her.

Heidi leaned forward. “Careful, Edward, everyone is staring now.”

Do not read reviews on Amazon

2011-01-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

I should have learned my lesson long ago, but no. I was stupid enough to read reviews of my books today on Amazon. Good grief. The first and most infuriating thing is that any jackass with a keyboard and an Internet connection can go on Amazon and call themselves a "reviewer." That doesn't mean they know crap about you or your books. Or anything else for that matter. It just means that someone thought it was a good idea to be rude to other people and slap the all important title of "reviewer" beside their name.

A review for one of my books said that the dialog for the characters was at times immature. Um ... it's called a sense of humor/sarcasm. None of the characters in my book are immature. The only thing I could come up with that they might be referring to is a vampire using the word dick. Obviously, it was not in a romantic setting. This particular vampire is sarcastic and has a warped sense of humor. It's how he copes with immortality. Get over it. Besides, how many men do we know that use this word all the time? It's not strange or immature. It's just a word guys use, and plenty of women I know too.

Another that really steamed me was referring to one of my bestsellers as "unromantic" because the heroine ends up with three men. What part of "erotic" and "menage" on the cover did she not understand? It's not my fault she can't read well enough to know the basic content of what she's purchasing. When readers stop writing to me and telling me this book is one of the best and MOST romantic they've ever read in the paranormal/menage genre, THEN I'll listen.

Now, to be perfectly honest I believe that most of the reviews on Amazon are written by our competition. By that I mean other authors who are spiteful enough to do this to their fellows. I'm not getting into why I think that and I certainly am not pointing any fingers. I do however, believe this is the case much of the time. I think that people should be allowed to give a rating, but not voice their often ignorant and rude opinions in reviews.

It's difficult to be at all polite about it. Oh, and I'm sick to death of reviewers comparing my work to books I've never even read and sometimes haven't even heard of, and then saying that my work is soooo similar. What are these jerks trying to imply?! I think that upsets me more than anything. Just because there's something similar in another book doesn't mean I read that book to get my idea. People who like the same things think alike!

Okay, I'm gonna go chill out. And I'm going to STOP reading stupid reviews on Amazon.

Guest Blogger - Kate Hill

2010-12-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

THK: Tell me about yourself.

KH: I’m vegetarian New Englander who enjoys reading and writing romance, especially paranormal and science fiction. I also love horror and fantasy and enjoy exercising and listening to most kinds of music.

THK: Tell me about your current and upcoming releases. Please include a blurb and a link to where the book can be purchased.

KH: My latest book is Silky’s Master, which is scheduled to release this month. It’s an erotic science fiction romance and the second book in the Alpha Delicious series. Here’ s a brief summary of the story:

Undercover in the royal palace of Amazurn, Silky, a reporter, tries to gather evidence of abuse suffered by Princess Voluptia's harem boys. Invited to the Princess' secret sanctuary where men are used as sex slaves, she meets the former gladiator Shawn-Dan Dawn who has been imprisoned there.

The passion between Silky and Shawn is stronger than an exploding star, but dangerous to them both. When the Princess abducts the Queen's lover, Silky risks arrest to free Shawn and expose the secret harem.

Silky’s Master is from Changeling Press.
http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1509

THK: What genre do you write? What drew you to write in that genre? If you mix genres tell us about that too.

KH: I write erotic romance in a variety of subgenres, including science fiction, paranormal, fantasy and historical. I’ve also written some traditional romances, both historical and paranormal. These are also my favorite genres to read, which is the reason I enjoy writing them as well.

THK: How many books have you written? How many have been published?

KH: I’m not sure exactly how many stories I’ve written, but I have had around 100 published, including novellas and novels.

THK: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

KH: I like to “live” with the characters I’m writing. For instance, whatever happens throughout the day, I think about how the character would react in the same situation. It’s one of the ways I get to know the characters and develop them for the books.

THK: What is the hardest part of writing?

KH: Meeting deadlines!

THK: What do you read for fun when you’re not writing?

KH: I enjoy romance, horror and fantasy.

THK: Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

KH: I’d say if writing is what you want to do, just keep doing it. I’m not sure if that advice really makes sense because if you love to write, you won’t be able to stop!

Website: http://www.kate-hill.com
Blog: http://www.kate-hill.com/blog
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/katehillromance
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/katehillromance
Yahoogroup: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/katehill/

Thanks again to Kate Hill for being my guest today:)

Get your bird on

2010-11-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

Traditional Stuffed Turkey

12 to 14 pound turkey with the giblets reserved
1 lemon, halved
salt and pepper
butter, melted

Meat Stuffing:
4 to 6 Tablespoons butter
2 onions, finely chopped
6 ounce lean ground lamb
reserved turkey heart and liver, finely chopped
1 pound fresh chestnuts
2 cups strained turkey broth
1/2 cup raw unprocessed rice
1 lamb liver, minced
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

Take fresh chestnuts and slit the base of each shell crosswise, boiled for 5 minutes, peel and break into small pieces.

To make broth: simmering the reserved turkey neck and gizzard in 3 cups water for 45 minutes, then strain turkey broth.

Wash the turkey in cold water, pat it dry inside and out, and leave it for 30 minutes while you cook your stuffing.

For the stuffing, heat the butter in a skillet and fry the onions until they begin to change color, then add the ground lamb and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add the turkey heart and liver, the chestnuts, and pine nuts and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the broth and bring this to a boil. Add the rice and cook quickly for 10 minutes, then add the lamb liver, bread crumbs, and apples. Stir well.

To stuff the turkey, slit the skin at the back of the neck and cut off the neck down to the turkey's shoulders if the neck has not already been removed. Lightly fill the cavity, remembering that the stuffing always swells and too much swelling might cause the neck skin to burst. Sew or pin with a skewer the neck flap to the back of the turkey. Just as lightly, fill the body cavity, and sew or skewer this together.

Tie the legs to the tail and fix the wings snugly to the body. Do not bring the cord across the breast lest it mark the skin. Rub the turkey cut with lemon, salt, pepper and melted butter and place it in a large, shallow pan in a moderate oven (preheat to 350 degrees, then lower temperature to 325 degrees). Roast it according to its weight when stuffed, allowing 25 to 30 minutes per pound.

Extra stuffing can be roasted in a pan for 45 minutes or so and served with the turkey. Or it can be made into rissoles by shaping it into small balls, dipping then into beaten egg and bread crumbs, and then frying them in butter, to be served as a garnish.
Cooking Turkey

Roasting Turkey Cook until temperature reaches 170 degrees F in the breast and 180 degrees F in the thigh. Cooking times are for planning purposes only - always use a meat thermometer to determine doneness.

Turkey Thawing Hints from the National Turkey Federation

Turkeys can be thawed using one of three methods, but the most fool proof is in the refrigerator. The key to this method is to plan ahead and allow approximately 24 hours for every four to five pounds of bird weight for thawing in the refrigerator. This method is the safest and will result in the best finished product. Place the bird, in the original wrapping, on a shallow baking sheet in the refrigerator. The following chart provides good guidelines for thawing times.

Refrigerator Turkey Thawing Time (40 degrees F)

Turkey Weight Days to Allow for Thawing Turkey

8 to 12 pounds 2 to 2.5 days
12 to 16 pounds 2.5 to 4 days
16 to 20 pounds 4 to 5 days
20 to 24 pounds 5 to 6 days

If you need to thaw the turkey more quickly, you may thaw the bird in COLD water, in the original wrapping. The cold water must be changed every 30 minutes. Allow approximately 30 minutes per pound using this method.

COLD Water Turkey Thawing Time

Turkey Weight Hours to Allow for Thawing Turkey

8 to 12 pounds 4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds 10 to 12 hours

The third safe method for thawing a turkey is in the microwave. Follow the manufacturer's directions and roast the turkey immediately after thawing.

Honey-Basted Roast Turkey Recipe

1 small turkey, 10 to 12 pounds

2 T. peanut oil

1/2 t. ground sage

1/2 t. ground allspice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 small bunch green onions

3 to 4 T. honey

Garnish: Decorative string of cranberries and bay leaves or sage leaves (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Remove giblets from turkey (reserve for gravy, recipe follows). Rinse turkey and pat dry. Rub inside and out with oil. Season with sage, allspice, salt and pepper. Stuff neck and body cavities with onions and truss, if desired. Place turkey in roasting pan. Roast, allowing 18 to 20 minutes per pound, until juices run clear with no hint of pink when thigh is pierced.

During the last hour of cooking, baste turkey 2 to 3 times with honey.

Serve with pan gravy and garnish with decorative string of cranberries and bay leaves or sage leaves, if desired.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Giblet Pan Gravy

Turkey neck and giblets

3 C. water

2 celery tops

2 green onions

Pan juices from roasted turkey

4 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place neck and giblets, except the liver, in a saucepan with water, celery tops and green onions.

Chop liver and reserve. Bring water to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat for about 40 minutes or until giblets are tender. Strain broth and reserve.

Chop cooked giblets and combine with chopped liver.

In the same saucepan, bring 2 cups combined pan juices and giblet broth to a boil.

Stir in chopped giblets and cornstarch-water mixture. Cook gravy over medium heat, stirring often, until thickened.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Guest Author, Mary Eason

2010-11-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

Please welcome today's guest, Mary Eason:)

Book Title: In The Arms Of A Stranger

Release Date: September 24, 2010

Authors: Mary Eason

Author websites: http://www.maryeason.com/

Publisher: New Concepts Publishing

Buy Link: http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/maryeasonbooks.html#INTHEARMSOFASTRANGER

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Blurb: Everything Kate Bradshaw believed to be real about her marriage to her husband Alex slowly slipped away from her as the newspaper reports explained the sordid truth in black and white. Their marriage and Alex's seduction had been nothing more than a lie, a means of accomplishing one thing--Alex's revenge against the man he believed responsible for killing his one true love--Kate's own father.

Welcome Mary Eason, thank you for joining me. I hear you have a new book coming out soon?

Yes, in fact, In The Arms Of A Stranger is out now at New Concepts Publishing. It released, September 24th.

Tell me about the heart of your story, "In The Arms Of A Stranger".

In The Arms Of A Stranger is about two people who have been hurt in the past and are afraid to trust in love again. Kate Alexander fell in love with the wrong man when she was in college and since then, she's been on a self-imposed exile from men. Meeting Alex Bradshaw for the first time, Kate believes Alex is too good to be true. By the time, Alex asks her to marry him she's crazy in love and completely unaware of the secrets her husband possesses.

Alex Bradshaw is a man set on revenge. Kate Alexander is the woman who can help him accomplish this plan. But, what Alex hadn't planned on was falling in love with Kate. Now, Alex has to convince Kate that his feelings for her are real and not just part of his plan for revenge before he loses Kate forever.

What is your darkest moment in the novel without giving too much away?

The darkest moment occurs when Kate finally realizes she's been wrong about Alex all along. She's afraid that realization may have come too late and that Alex might have finally given up on making their marriage work.

Why do you write and when did you start?

I started writing as a pre-teen. It was a little after I first started reading romance novels. I loved everything about them. Soon, I wrote my first romance novel, filled with the usual clichés, but I was hooked from that moment on.

What is your process when you write a novel?

I usually start with an idea. It might come to me from something I've seen on TV, read about, or even in a dream, (as crazy as that sounds, I've created lots of stories from dreams). With the premise in mind, I take a few days to let the story develop in my head before putting it down on paper. It never fails, the end result, is nothing like what I believed it would be when I started the story.

What do you want your readers to pull away from your story?

I want my readers to be emotionally satisfied when they read those final words of my story. I believe a romance novel should be like a rollercoaster ride. Crazy, exciting, a thrill ride of emotion. And when it's over, it should leave you with a smile.

Is there someone in your immediate family or a friend that reads your material as you write? A sounding board?

Nope, I'm kinda a lone wolf when it comes to writing. I prefer to work alone.

What is a really romantic evening for you?

Sitting outside watching the stars at night with my hubby. And when its cold out, snuggled together in a blanket with a sky full of stars.

If there were one word to describe you, what would it be?

Sentimental. I'm a very sentimental person. I find, as I get older, that increases.

Tell us about your next project.

I love romantic suspense stories. Both reading and writing them. I'm about halfway through my next romantic suspense novel that is about a woman who is given the heart of a former spy and with that heart, comes the spy's memories of her murder and of the man she loves.

Thank you for stopping by, , we hope to see you again and wish you great success! Anything else you want to tell your readers today?

Only that readers can check out my latest work as well as learn about my latest contest on my website. I'm giving away an e-book copy of In The Arms Of A Stranger there this month. So, stop by and check it out: www.maryeason.com

Thanks so much for letting me drop in this week.

Mary Eason
www.maryeason.com
www.maryeason.blogspot.com

Don't judge me by my myspace

2010-11-20T22:01:00.001-08:00

I'm still around, just not on myspace. lol I've been working really hard to get new books finished and others in the works. If you've sent me a message through myspace, I will answer eventually, I promise. The best way to contact me if you have questions about books and such is through the link on my website www.traceyhkitts.com. I check that usually once a week at least. I'm rarely on myspace simply because it won't load half the time and even when it does at least half of the features don't work. Thanks to these non-working features, I haven't been able to keep my page updated. Hopefully, I'll get to change that soon:)

Anyway, enough complaining about myspace. I just signed another contract with Ellora's Cave:) It's for a book called Fate's Embrace. It's got a sexy wizard and a wicked hot werewolf. And right smack in the middle? Well, we've got a witch who had no idea this is where she'd end up.

After I submitted Fate's Embrace (before I got the new contract) I also submitted a new work to New Concepts Publishing. It's called Three Days of Night. It's a futuristic paranormal. It takes place 300 years in the future when vampires are an endangered species.

Like I said, busy, busy, busy. Once again, I apologize to those of you who have been waiting on a message. Most of the time that feature does not load on myspace no matter how hard I try. But I love hearing from readers and I thank you so much for taking the time to write to me.

Well, I've started to ramble. Guess I'm off to watch some of The Shield. Is it just me or is Vic Mackey kinda sexy? lol

Thursday Thirteen

2010-11-18T10:25:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to participate in the Thursday Thirteen for the very first time:) Since I'm new to this, I wasn't sure if I should post on the same topic as other people or just come up with something else. So, I decided to do my own thing and make it fun. This is a list of thirteen comic book characters that I would have sex with if given the chance. LOL

Yes, I'm a nerd. Go ahead and laugh. Btw, the order they're listed in is not necessarily how I'd pick 'em. hahahaha

1. The Joker - Yes, I know. Go ahead and make fun. He's my own madness magnified and I've always thought that was sexy.

2. Batman - Not sure why, but I gotta have him. I think it might be all the black body armor. Or maybe it's the cape.

3. Wolverine - Hell yeah. All rough and rugged and manly.

4. Mr. Fantastic - I just want to see if everything stretches, okay?

5. Magneto - Yes, he's wicked. But half the time I agree with him. It's not so much his appearance, but his attitude that I find just flat sexy.

6. Iron Man - He's a jerk for sure, but he's a hot one. lol

7. Big Daddy - That's right, I'm talking about the guy from the movie Kick Ass. Besides the fact that he was played by Nicholas Cage, I think the character was kinda hot. I know some would argue that this isn't a real superhero, blah, blah, blah. But, it's my list and I want Big Daddy on it. So, HA!

8. Dare Devil - Loving that tight red suit:)

9. Hell Boy - Seriously, there's just something about him. I love his attitude too.

10. Blade - If he's just like Wesley Snipes, need I say more?

11. Beast - This is the blue guy from X-Men. Once again, it's mostly his mind I'm attracted to. I'd always have someone to talk to. I also don't mind all the hair. lol

12. Night Owl - I know he's from Watchmen and that's a graphic novel, not a comic. Get over it, he goes on the list too. lol

13. Jonah Hex - That's right, the face doesn't bother me. But, he'd have to be the Josh Brolin incarnation:) That man is sexy as hell, even with half a face.

Now that everyone's had a good laugh, care to participate? Blog your own Thursday Thirteen and leave me a link in the comments:)

How about a little Breakfast by the Sea?

2010-11-17T10:32:00.001-08:00

Jekyll Island is on Red Alert: These Tough and Sexy Operatives Will Leave the Island Forever Changed

On rare occasions, a writer will pen something they can’t seem to leave behind after they type out the ending. Breakfast by the Sea is one of those books. Jeff Jacobsen, the lead Alpha-male hero in the novel is forever embedded in my mind. The story, the characters, and the setting will remain in my head for years to come.

When writing a ménage romance with more than two heroes, I tend to lean toward one of these fellows right from the start, but after reviewing my notes for the novel, I never thought this would be an obstacle in this particular novel and for various reasons.

When the characters were developed, I fell in love with each of these men, feeling like they were the boys next door. These operatives were cowboys with plenty of heart. They were willing to take up arms and fight for what they believe in and more than willing to die for the person they were standing beside, especially when one of their own, a brother more than a friend, counted on them for their protection.

As much as I tried to keep Jeff Jacobsen on common ground with the others, he kept pressing his way to the forefront and mainly because there was so much story to tell about his past; too much to reveal and a lot of layers to uncover. The man behind the operative chased the demons he desperately needed to overcome and once Paige revealed her place in his life, I was toast. Jeff was mine.

Even though Jeff Jacobsen emerged as the leading hero, Callan O’Bree won over several beta readers from the start. He was noted as the perfect Irishman—handsome, charming, and full of mischief. Miles is said to be intelligent with a dry sense of humor certain to win over his own crowd. As for Adam, our fearless Super-Ops leader, he has a definite fan club for various reasons. I can’t reveal those without giving away a few spoilers.

In the end, I think readers will be very surprised at the turn of events between Paige Lambert, our heroine, and Connor, one of the heroes who could’ve easily emerged as our leading man. The way the tables turn between Connor and Paige is one of my favorite parts in the story. I think you’ll see the underlying significance of their relationship and agree, the final scene between Paige and Connor lays the groundwork for an incredibly sweet happy ending.

I’m proud of Breakfast by the Sea and hope you’ll consider purchasing this book while it’s on sale at a tremendous 15% savings. I’m anxious to introduce ‘my boys’ to you and hope you’ll love them as much as I do. Breakfast by the Sea is available today at Siren-Bookstrand.

Destiny Blaine/Natalie Acres

http://www.bookstrand.com/destiny-blaine

http://www.bookstrand.com/natalie-acres

Natalie Acres is one of the pseudonyms for Destiny Blaine. Natalie’s books Sex Party, Sex Games, and Cowboy Boots and Untamed Hearts became the #1 Best Selling Erotica and #1 Best Selling Western books on Amazon soon after their initial release dates . Destiny Blaine’s western ménage books Domination Plantation (Aspen Mountain Press) and A Matter Among Four (Siren Publishing) have captured and claimed best selling spots on various third party retailers. Destiny Blaine is also credited for being one of the first authors of sports romance. Her sports romance books are available now at Siren-Bookstrand.

©2010 Destiny Blaine

Blurb for Breakfast by the Sea:

A beautiful woman with a checkered past runs a legitimate bed and breakfast on Jekyll Island. Several young men posing as cowboys move in Breakfast by the Sea and things become chaotic right from the start when the oceanfront B&B turns into a command center for a very determined group of special Super-Op Forces.
Pursuing a man known as the King of Hearts, five tough operatives fall for a woman they’re supposed to eliminate. When the team discovers Paige Lambert is in fact the Queen of Hearts, they can’t ignore their handler’s orders. Is the bed and breakfast owner destined to die for her past crimes or will she end up under the protective custody of the men hired to kill her?

Excerpt:
He felt like he’d just laid eyes on her for the first time. He started at her chin, noticing the way the dark brown hair curved under her jaw, a lock of hair so delicate but there nonetheless, like it was clinging for dear life. Was that what Paige was doing? Was she frightened? Was she running scared?

His gaze traveled down her long, slender neck. He admired how she held her head high, the structure of her slender collarbone leading to a bare chest with plenty for a man to enjoy. Before he indulged too much, Paige knelt down and retrieved her clothes, shrugging into a sports bra, one she had to yank over those full mounds in order to secure them.

Damn. She was right. Snapping that neck of hers would be a terrible waste.
That’s when his mouth watered. Why hadn’t he gawked when she’d been topless? And why did he find her sexy as all fucking hell right then?

Her flat stomach made him itch. He’d love to kiss around her sunken belly button and insinuate a slow sex act, make her arch for him, beg him for more.

Finally, he studied the band of her shorts. What he’d give to lick and tease his way a little lower, strip away those shorts and show her what she’d been missing. Maybe in her body, he’d find what he’d been looking for all along. Perhaps he needed to fuck a woman he wasn’t later expected to kill. Then again, he couldn’t be so sure that order wouldn’t come.

Stop thinking!

“Is something wrong?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.

“No,” he replied, storming ahead of her. Suddenly, he wondered why she followed him then when she hadn’t trailed behind him before. He stopped, turned around, and shook his finger again. “Don’t you dare run. I’d like to have breakfast before we do that again.”

“Okay,” she said, catching up and walking beside him. “Want to answer my question now?”

“Which one?”

“How can you keep up with me?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” he growled.

“I’m asking.”

“I’m in great shape.”

“I can tell.”
Jeff stopped at the bottom of the steps. “Is that you coming on to me?”

She sashayed by him. “No, Jeff. That was me trying to figure out how I can outrun you next time.”

“There won’t be a next time,” he told her, grabbing her from behind and slamming her against the steps, bracing her back with his large hands.

His breath matched hers. The move knocked the wind out of both of them.

“Now what?”

“I’m not going to kiss you,” he said, thinking he wouldn’t put up much of a fight if she laid one on him.

She moistened her lips. “I didn’t think so,” she whispered, arching her neck. “What if I kiss you?”

“Is that what you’re planning to do? You have the rest of these guys by the balls, and since I’m not turning tricks to taste the pudding, what ’cha gonna do, darlin’, offer me a spoon?”

“I don’t understand your riddles,” she stated flatly, licking those full, enticing lips once more.

“Let me give you a warning. I’m the real thing, sweetheart. I’m in Jekyll Island to work. It’s something all of us do very well when we don’t have a distraction. Now, since I’ve been assigned to you for the time being, I’m setting you straight. You’ll do what I tell you, and you’ll do it with a wide smile to boot. Understand?”

“Or you’ll what?”

“I told you what I’d do. If you want to see how much I enjoy skinny-dipping, pull one of your stunts again. I’ll drag you into that ocean and make sure every tourist within ten miles hears you when you scream.”

“I already heard the guys talking. You wouldn’t rape me,” she said, narrowing her gaze and proving then that she wasn’t so sure.

“Rape? Hell, no. You’ll respond to me like a bitch in heat. I have a way about me.”

“Really? Who would’ve thought?” she asked diabolically, moving her lips to his ear. “Who can I ask to verify this? Hmm? Have you left any of your past lovers alive? Because if you have, I’d love to give them a call and invite them to join me for tea.”

Buy Link: http://www.bookstrand.com/breakfast-by-the-sea

Something Wild made it to Roud 2

2010-10-09T13:23:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!! First I'd like to thank everyone who voted for Something Wild in Round 1. It's so awesome to have made it this far. But the contest isn't over yet. Please stop by and cast your vote for Round 2. The 32 finalists have been narrowed down to 16, including me:)

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest.html

New Release: Sex Symbol

2010-10-06T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is my first release with Ellora's Cave:) Woohoo!

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-8698-sex-symbol.aspx

Sex Symbol is the story of Lucy Harper, an ordinary woman who suddenly finds herself in extraordinary circumstances. Not only is her new boyfriend a werewolf, but her new tattoo might be more than a picture of her favorite flower. According to the local werewolf pack, it’s a “sex symbol.”

Just One Bite Contest

2010-10-01T09:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was thrilled to learn that my short story Something Wild has made it to the finals. Something Wild, an erotic paranormal short has been selected by the judges as one of 32 finalists in All Romance Ebooks’ Just One Bite contest.

When I entered, I honestly never expected to make it this far. I’m both shocked and thrilled at the same time, which makes me kinda dizzy. lol When you get a chance, please vote. I’m not going to ask that you vote for me, but please read Something Wild and if you enjoy it, your vote is very much appreciated.

All that is required to vote is that you log into your existing ARe accounts, or open one if you don't already have one. It is free and easy to sign up for an ARe user account. Plus, if I advance forward from round one, you can vote for me again in round two, and round three, etc...

Voting closes for round one Oct. 7th.

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/contest.html

Lilith Mercury Book 5 is on sale at Fictionwise

2010-08-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Right now you can get A Dream Forbidden for 15% off. It is available in any ereader format.
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b112585/Lilith-Mercury-Book-5/Tracey-H-Kitts/?si=0

It is also available for pre-order in print at http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/

Enjoy!

"Real" writing

2010-08-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'll never understand why so many people think that writing romance isn't "real" writing. Is it just that they are uncomfortable writing about feelings maybe? I mean, if you're going to love you have to feel something and what good is a book that doesn't describe what the main character feels?

Any writing (if it's good), regardless of genre requires effort. I respect anyone who puts the time and energy into writing that it deserves. It never ceases to irritate me when someone turns up their nose at my hard work just because it's romance. Or when the "nose turning" is immediately followed by a statement like, "Anyone can write romance."

No, they really can't. But apparently anyone can critique it.

How to get encouraged

2010-08-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

It's very difficult at times to remember that I write because I love it, not because it pays all my bills. Of course it would be wonderful if I could make a living doing what I love. And one day I plan to be able to do just that. In the meantime, it's hard. Sometimes I stare at a page and wonder why I bother. (Espeically when my books keep getting pirated and my royalty checks keep shrinking.) Then I get a note from a reader who likes my books and remember that someone out there is listening. So, I go back to my keyboard with my heart full of encouragement and start again.

Lilith Mercury is not paying my bills

2010-08-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who know the series, I'm sure you'll understand what this post is about by the title. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate the letters asking when the next book will be and letting me know how much you enjoy it. I love Lilith too. My heart has always been in this story, but unfortunately, it isn't paying the bills.

I don't plan to stop writing the series, but there will be a significant delay in the next book. I won't lie to you. I have to make some money. It's not about greed, it's about survival. If I plan to continue writing (and I'd like to) then I have to write what sells. As of now, that is not Lilith Mercury.

I feel like fans of the series deserve to know what's going on. Please understand that I'm not abandoning you. I just don't want to be homeless.

The character I identify with most

2010-07-29T09:23:00.000-07:00

Okay, I know I should let it go and I promise to get over it soon. The review mentioned in the post below just REALLY bothered me. I'm sure if you read the post that my reasons are obvious. The reviewer calls the book a "Mary Sue" saying that I'm the main character Jewel and then goes on to call her "uninteresting."

Gee, thanks a lot. So, in all fairness I took another look at the story. I already knew that I'm nothing like Jewel. But as I re-read the book I remembered how much fun it was to write Alucard. How I never had to second guess what he would do because I already knew ... because he was the character I most identified with in the story. If it is a Mary Sue in any sense then at least cast me as the proper character. I am Alucard. And his shadow that makes vulgar gestures behind his back. lol I'm sarcastic, have a warped sense of humor, and often dress in black. I also like long coats and have a few in my wardrobe. He's ME for crying out loud. Oh, and I've fantasized about being the boogeyman. lol Probably TMI. Sorry.

One more thing I forgot about Vincent, he transforms into a gargoyle. Yeah, nothing like Jean-Claude, like I already said. Just because one vampire in another book was sexy doesn't mean they made sexy famous.

But after reading the story again and seeing so much of myself in Alucard, it does mean I might need therapy. LOL

My rare response to a review

2010-07-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

Normally I take reviews in stride and don't comment on upsetting reviews of my own works. In this case I couldn't stop myself. This is in response to a review (a 5 star, mind you) of Diary of an Incubus, found on Amazon.

Here’s an excerpt of the review:

“Although you can never have enough of the bloodsucking undead, I've come to the realization that I've read way too much vampire literature. Why? Because I recognize two characters in Diary of an Incubus from other works of recent renown I have enjoyed. Vincent brings the heat; the pretty-boy-meets-sex-god-goodness, made famous by Jean-Claude of the Anita Blake series, plus a sprinkling of Louis from Anne Rice's world. Alucard is an undead ringer for the maniacal Alucard of shonen manga, Hellsing. Minus the guns and Nazis, he's still just as scary, well-dressed and possessed of limitless vampire powers. Jewel is the author; in fact, this entire novel is a Mary Sue. That does not mean it was lousy. Au contraire, it was well-written and delightful.”

If she thought the story was "well-written and delightful" then why is she ripping me over the characters? At least, that's how it seemed to me.

I'd just like to say that I have never read Anne Rice's work. I don't read a lot of the same genre because I don't want it to influence my work. I'm only vaguely aware of the Hellsing series existence because I've seen it in magazines. And although I have read some of the Anita Blake series, I haven't picked up one of those books in about eight years. I don't think Vincent is anything like Jean-Claude, whom I also barely remember.

Oh, and I have no idea what a "Mary Sue" is. If she’s trying to say that the Jewel is me just because we write and have red hair, that's really a stretch. This is a work of fiction and one that I thoroughly enjoyed writing. I feel as if I've been accused of plagiarism and that just hurts.

Especially, since I only know a little bit about ONE of the characters mentioned. Alucard is a rather common anagram for Dracula. I wouldn't be surprised if it shows up in a lot of books.

What was I supposed to do, write a vampire with no powers who is a lousy dresser just to make him "original?"

My son is growing up and I can't cope

2010-07-23T22:59:00.000-07:00

My son is growing up and the strangest thing is happening. I can’t cope. I was already having a hard time dealing with the idea of a girlfriend. Then I cleaned house today. In a box I had completely forgotten about were some pictures that I had also forgotten. Among them the smiling three year old face I had almost forgotten too.

How does that happen? It’s simple really. He gets taller and I get used to looking at that. His hair darkens and I get used to that too. The baby fat disappears and somewhere along the way I forgot how much I missed it.

I used to lay awake at night and wonder when he’d stop waking me up because he had a bad dream. Now I lay awake and wonder why he doesn’t do it anymore. He’s starting to look like a young man and it’s killing me.

I can’t tell you how long I’ve been crying now over that little face in those pictures. Or how much my head hurts because of it. I was young when he was born. Hell, I’m still young now. But I feel so old tonight. I’ve worked so many years to make a life and in the process I feel I’ve missed one. His. Like so many women it was necessary for me to work outside the home. Here I am unemployed again (other than my income from writing) and wondering, what’s the use? What has any of it gotten me?

Sure, I helped to pay the bills. But right now as I look at these pictures I can’t remember what it felt like to hold him as a baby. I can’t recall how “little” his voice sounded. We didn’t own a video camera until he was older so my memories are the only way to ever experience those moments again. But my memory tells me how I put work first. How I always needed sleep instead of time to play because I had to go to work early. To a boss who was an asshole while I left my son with my mother.

Maybe every parent feels this way. I don’t know. What I do know is that I would give anything to have those years back.

I guess what it all boils down to is that my son is growing up … and I can’t cope.

Since pirates like to share so much

2010-06-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

Spread this around. I’ve filed for bankruptcy. Based on the number of times my books were downloaded (and this is just what I know about) I lost roughly $10,000 last year. If each of those downloads had been an actual sale (I know that others will argue the point, I’m saying IF) then I would not have lost my car and would most likely not be having to file bankruptcy now to keep from losing my home.

If you like what I do, don’t steal from me. If I’m homeless, I can’t write. Even if you don’t give a damn about me on a personal level, take into account that I need a place to live in order to write.

I know there are a lot of people out there right now thinking they wouldn’t share this information if it were them. I want pirates to know this. I’m going on the idea that deep down people don’t want to hurt each other. Besides, screaming does no good and I don’t know where they live.

For every person, like me, who speaks up … think how many others keep silent.

And the winner is.....

2010-06-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

Violet! I put all the names in a hat and yours was the one I drew:) Congratulations! You've won the bag of swag. lol

Send me an email at tracey h kitts @ yahoo.com (minus the spaces) And let me know where to mail your prize.

Thanks everyone for entering. I'll do another contest soon:)

I'm also participating in the June Jubilee over at Coffee Time Romance. Stop by my Author Corner and take a look at excerpts or Dracula's Drink Recipes.

http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1394

Contest Reminder

2010-05-29T10:25:00.000-07:00

Don't forget, it's still not too late to enter my contest to win a "bag of swag." LOL

Here's the original link:

http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2010/05/because-i-feel-like-it-contest.html

A winner will be drawn in three days:) Good luck!

2010-05-28T01:52:00.001-07:00

Just read an article that said women don't like act/hor movies & prefer stuff like Sex & the City. Screw $800 shoes, I wanna blow sh** up!

2010-05-25T12:18:00.001-07:00

Guess what? I now have my very own group at Coffee Time Romance:)

http://ping.fm/SZcc7

2010-05-25T00:22:00.001-07:00

Couldn't sleep so I'm up watching Beauty and the Beast. For those who think I'm talking about Disney, think again. Vincent rocks:)