Sunday, December 4, 2011

Monday Author's Spotlight - Joseph Beekman

Today, in the Author’s Spotlight, I am pleased to have author Joseph Beekman.  Joseph has a new book, Little Orphan Anvil, published by and available at World Castle Publishing. 





Buy Links


Stories n' Tales in Spotlights! blog site: http://josephsstoriesandtales.blogspot.com/   




Little Orphan Anvil facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Little-Orphan-Anvil/213455242000232   






Book Blurb


     A tale of an orphaned robot and its journey to help save a realm from the rule of an evil witch. When the Land of Iron and Anvil is brought to ruin by a wicked storm, the robot becomes lost in the wilds of the lands. But after being discovered by a little boy and his dog, the robot is reunited with its creator and together they set off to the Land of Shadows to free a group of orphans from the dark magic of the witch…and save an entire realm from her rule!



Excerpt from Little Orphan Anvil



     Dark clouds danced and swirled in the sky like giant balloons exploding through the rain-soaked air. Far below, the land was filled with rushing water and toppled trees. In the midst was a massive amount of metal and wires, a great flowing, muddy mess.

     In the murky distance, a great crater opened up in the earth, swallowing whole, all of the watery debris and metallic mush. From atop a twisted piece of tree trunk, a round metal object lay. A lone robot-droid. Clutching the tree trunk tightly with long, spidery, metallic limbs, the android shivered in fright. Its large, robotic red eyes glimmered brightly from its rust-rounded surface.

     As the water rushed onward, ever closer to the great swirling hole, the droid let out a long and warbled whistle in distress of its ever growing peril. The crater‘s edge grew ever closer. Suddenly a lightning bolt blasted out of the clouds and struck the droid, lifting it upwards like a magnet. It sailed far across the wide, watery madness into an unknown fate.




Interview


Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, Joseph.  I loved the teaser excerpt and in particular, the magical world you brought to life in the story.  Tell us a little bit more about thebook.  What inspired you to write this story?


Thank you very much, and thanks for the invite!  Well, the story, Little Orphan Anvil, was just something I had been tinkering around with for a bit.  The idea of a robot in a fantasy based realm setting was something I wanted to delve into. I have always loved robots and the whole dungeons and dragons type of deal, so those two things helped my imagination to spur the idea along.  That, and my love for science fiction and fantasy literature and ideas.  The story centers around a robot that becomes lost to the wilds of the land, and after soon being discovered by a little boy and his dog, it is reunited with its creator and off they journey to help save an orphanage, and the realm itself, from the twisted dark magic of a resentful, evil witch.

  
The alternate universe you create in your book is amazingly vivid. It’s so child-like and imaginative. Who was your target audience when you sat down to write it?



Thanks! When I set out to write it down, I wanted the story to appeal to a younger audience - anywhere from 8 or 9 years old and into the teen/young adults.  But, as I continued to write it, I realized it also could very much appeal to an older audience as well. J  I think we all have some child-like innocence forever within us, and a wanting to journey to other places in our imagination,  an escape into magical type realms, such as one would find in Little Orphan Anvil.  So, although its target audience is middle grade to young adult, I’ve found that anyone from 8 years old and all the way on up will find it pleasantly entertaining! J


Where do you get your ideas for writing?



My ideas for writing come from all over.  Childhood is a big one, and how my brothers and I used to love exploring, especially the backwoods of Montana where we spent many summers:  Building forts, fishing, camping, getting into trouble! J  Also, just my fascination with history and art and literature, they all play into the mold of the mind-set.  Dreams are another form of getting ideas… I remember most of my dreams, and they really can get way out there! But, they do help in forming ideas, or supplementing stories in progress.


If you weren’t a writer, what career field would you most likely find yourself?


Some type of creating, I’m sure.  But, teaching is something that always held my interest.  I really had some great teachers and professors throughout school and into college.  I have a great respect for teachers and education.  (Side Note: Annalynne loves this comment - she is a kindergarten teacher in her day job.)


Can you describe the process you go through when starting to write a new story?


That’s a tough one, because each story and each writing experience is so different than the other.  But, when I have an idea, I just let it brew and marinate in my imagination until I really feel I’m ready to start putting it down on paper.  It may take a week or two, or it may take months before anything begins after the idea is sparked.  And during the process, I may write a chapter or two, let it sit for some time, and then come back to it with a fresh start.  A lot of my writing just goes straight from my mind into the pages, no outlines or notes, really, just dive right into the paper and then revise, edit, etc.. from there. 


You have a gift for weaving elaborate imagery throughout your writing, something that is crucial to a well-written romance novel. Have you ever considering taking a stab at writing erotic fiction?


Thanks, it’s something I, too, find is crucial to letting a story really imprint itself into the reader’s mind. I want to let them really feel where they are, or what the temperature may be like in the setting, and so on.  An erotic fiction tale, huh?  Wow, that would be some fun! J  I would consider that, although I tend to get pretty detailed, so the books may have some trouble seeing the light of day! Lol J 


Tell us what you have on your own personal To Be Read list?


I have so many books I want to get into, into -  It’s tough, because I am so busy with writing and promoting and marketing, that to just sit down and really get into a book lately has been a bit constricted.  But, many new authors out there have some great and very appealing titles and stories that I need to get a hold of.   “Bloodlines” by Author Wenona Hulsey is one; “Torment” by Author Lindsay Anne Kendal is another; and there is one out now that looks really cool called, “Unplugged” by Author J.P. Girder.   Oh, and of course cannot resist the irresistible novel by Author Annalynne Russo, “Irresistible Nemesis”!  J

So, that is just a few of the many, many books I have to really sink my fangs into! J


 What can your fans expect to see from you in the near future?


I am currently writing the follow-up to Little Orphan Anvil, which is going to be a bit darker and full of  more magical mayhem and mystical madness!  Also, I have a novella I’m working on that is in the sci-fi/horror based genre.  It’s pretty exciting and fun to write, as well!  Besides those two works, hopefully much, much more to come in the near future!!  J 


Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m definitely a JosephBeekman fan! Can’t wait to get my hands on your next installment.


Thank you so much for having me, Annalynne, and Happy Holidays to you and all the readers!! J 

~ Joseph



Sunday, November 27, 2011

Monday Author's Spotlight - Lilth Duvalier

Today, in the Author’s Spotlight, I am pleased to have author Lilith Duvalier. Lilith has a new book, The Promise of Silk, published by and available at Evernight Publishing. 




You can buy A Promise of Silk by Lilith Duvalier here: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/products/The-Promise-of-Silk-by-Lilith-Duvalier.html



Teaser Excerpt

A small white hand appeared to one side of the tent flap and pulled it aside. The masked woman stood, still and silent, with the red silk of the tent flap draped over her arm. She said nothing.
   

She did look like a demon now, with deep shadows carved into the ruches of her dress by the far off carnival lights, her mask rising over her head like devil’s horns. Buck hesitated under her stony gaze, and then, with a gulp, he stepped out of the light and into the black interior of the tent. 
   

A spicy, sweet smell filled his lungs the instant he stepped inside. He wondered why he hadn’t been able to smell it from the outside but continued in, shuffling carefully in the darkness. The woman walked behind him, the fabric of her dress making a soft sound as it moved over the ground.
   

“Who are you?” he asked. She didn’t answer. There was a light scraping noise and a match flared in the darkness, illuminating her face and throwing the edges of her mask into sharp relief. She lit a candle, shedding light on nothing more than a stretch of red silk and the corner of a table, then stepped forward and lit another candle, bringing a muddled shape of something standing on the table into view. She walked farther into the room, lighting another candle every few steps. Buck stood by the tent opening, heart throbbing as though he were still running. Bit by bit, the room came into view. 
   

A rug was spread out over most of the bare ground, grass peeking around the edges of it. A large wooden box sat on top of it, occupying the entire middle of the tent. A small wooden vanity, with a large round mirror attached, stood against the back wall, directly across from the box. A few trunks were neatly arranged in a corner. The table with the statue of the woman on it, incense burning in front of it like it was an Eastern idol, was near the tent entrance.  
   

The Red Lady stood across from Buck, eyes drilling into him just as they had at the pub. 
   


“Tell me your name.” Her voice was soft, deep, and steady. It was like a river speaking. 
   

“Buck.”
   

She tilted her head, the corners of her mouth tipping upward in contrast to the dripping points of her mask. “Tell me your real name.”
 
  
“Alaric,” Buck admitted. He hadn’t used it since that last day at the factory. Alaric was a clerk and a doormat. Buck had some status, even if it was only among criminals. He had gone out of his way to make sure none of his fellow pirates ever found out he wasn’t called Buck. Not that pirates bothered about a man’s real name.  
   
The Red Lady’s expression returned to blank beneath the mask.    
 
  
“What’s your name?” Alaric asked. 
 
  
“I haven’t decided what you’ll call me yet.”
   
His heart beat picked up again, and a tremor started in his legs.
   
“Why did you follow me here, Alaric?”
   
He shrugged, not sure of the answer. “Well…this is The Row isn’t it?”
   
“It is.”
  
 
“And you’re a woman on the Row right?”
 
  
She didn’t reply. Alaric felt his face heating, a faint prickle starting in his cock despite it. This was worse than in China, when that beautiful girl pretended to react to his clumsy fumbling and then tried not to laugh when he paid her for an hour and only lasted a handful of minutes.
  
 
“Look, my ship’s just back from a long tour. I can pay you.”
“We’ll see,” the Lady said, a small smile quirking her lips up. “You’ve accompanied a prostitute before?”
 
  
“Of course.” He pointed at himself with a touch of bravado. “Pirate.”
 
  
The Red Lady let a silence land there, stretching out before him.
  
 
“Just once.”
  
 
“It didn’t go well.”
  
 
Now she was reading his mind. He should go, simply turn around, leave, and never see a prostitute again. Maybe she really was a demon. Maybe the mask was hiding the demon parts of her face.
   

His mind was trying to move his limbs, turn his feet, push him out the door, but his body was entranced. The tremor in his legs climbed up to his groin, making him very aware of the way the dim candle light moved across her rounded body. 
 
  
“No.”
  
 
“Why didn’t it go well, Alaric?”
  
 
His mouth was starting to go dry. His hands were beginning to shake. 
 
  
“She laughed at me,” he told her, dropping his eyes to the floor.
 
  
“Why?”
 
  
“Because I…I couldn’t,I didn’t…,” He stopped, gulped, wondered again what magic he had run across.
 
  
“Look at me when you speak, Alaric.”
  
 
He lifted his gaze up from the pattern of pomegranates running along the border of the red rug and met her shadowed eyes. 
  
 
“I couldn’t.... I barely got inside her before….”
 
  
The Red Lady didn’t reply. Alaric suffered a terrible moment of fear she would throw him right back out of her tent and let him find a lower class prostitute who would welcome a quick trick like him between the carnival crowd. 
 
  
“Fortunately, that won’t be a problem here,” the Red Lady told him, a smile spreading over her red lips. “Undo your trousers, Alaric."




Interview


Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, Lilith.  I loved the teaser excerpt.  Tell us a little bit more about the book.  What inspired you to write this story?



The Promise of Silk is a Steampunk BDSM femdom story. Part of the inspiration was that I had read a very interesting BDSM story a couple weeks before Evernight’s Master of Mine anthology came out. I wanted to submit, but I was 15 thousand words in and still running strong about a week before the deadline, so I decided to bring it out to novella length. Another thing that inspired me was how hard it is to find decent femdom. I don’t enjoy reading about dominant men, I’m not a fan of alpha males in most fiction (I tend to fall for the Xander Harrises and Simon Tams of fandoms) and I have very little patience for alpha males in real life. I wanted to contribute something to the very small Alpha female selection.


Can you share with the readers how you got your start writing erotic novels?



Absolutely! I was unemployed, as I often am, and with nothing but time and caffeine on my hands in my silent and freezing apartment, I was looking for something free and fun to do for Samhain that year. A couple of google searches brought me to Samhain Publishing, where I learned about e-books and small press erotica publishing. After a year or so I started writing my own and then one day decided that I desperately wanted cover art.



If you weren’t a writer, what career field would you most likely find yourself?



My degree is in theater and English. So I probably would fall back into costuming,which is what I was doing in college.



Can you describe the process you go through when starting to write a new story?



I usually start at the climax. The first idea I always get for a story is the biggest fight or the biggest sex scene or the impassioned speech one character gives to another. From that initial idea I sit down and do really detailed character sketches and then an outline of various degrees of detailed. Sometimes I’ll have a really detailed beginning middle and end, and no way to connect them, or I’ll know exactly how it ends, but no idea how it starts. Once I start writing I write whatever the words are flowing for and then go back and cut and paste as needed. So if I just know how the fight at the end goes one day, I sit down and write it, even if I’m still on page four. I wrote a story a few months ago that was about 30 pages of sex scenes and fights, which I’m still quietly edging plot into as I go.



Do you have any advice for new/aspiring romance writers?



 Learn the formula, the tropes, and the stock characters. Read through TV Tropes.com. Get the building blocks down inside and out so that when you sit down to write something you’re able to compose your own picture instead of color insides omeone else’s lines.



Tell us what you have on your own personal To Be Read list?



Oh it grows. Snuff by Terry Pratchett. House of Leaves. The Story of a Marriage.



 Do you have a favorite dirty word or line of text that you seem to gravitate toward in your books?



Oh no. If I point them out everyone will see them! Umm… “ran his hands down his/her back, feeling the muscles cording underneath” I do a lot of variations on that. “tugged his cock”.  “that electric spot within him/her”



What can your fans expect to see from you in the near future?



I’m hoping to submit a very… odd late bloomer story after work tomorrow night, sothey can look out to see what happens with that. I’m finishing up an m/m historical romance about cowboys turned bank robbers in the old west. I’m working on an extremely bloody fairy-tale/horror story. I’ve also got what I’m calling a “gender queer” contemporary and a super-hero short story in the wings. So I’m keeping busy.


I want to wish you all the best with your new book and with your writing career.  Please stop back by my blog anytime.




Read more about Lilith here:  http://lookoninlust.blogspot.com/

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Teaser For My WIP

Hi Everyone,


I hope you are enjoying the Thanksgiving holidays.  I have been busy working on a new novel, tentatively titled, Dueling Desires - A Naughty Rumpelstiltskin Tale.  This scene takes place between the heroine, Katarina, and the evil warlord, Aleksander, who sequestered her in his dungeon until she spins a heap of straw into a pile of gold. I hope you like it! :)



XOXOXOXO


Annalynne



Dueling Desires Teaser


“Betsy, you may be dismissed,” Aleksander said to the governess. As soon as the old woman disappeared out of sight, he advanced on Katarina. He lifted her hand and laid a kiss to her limber wrist. He stepped back, then twirled her around as if on the floor of a ballroom. She pirouetted twice before he stopped her. Aleksander clutched her hip with his unyielding grip and pulled her against his strong, athletic build. His erection flush against her pelvic bone. Katarina’s fingers automatically grasped his broad shoulders to keep from falling at the same time he inclined his head to whisper in her ear. “I make it a habit to treat my guests well. As long as they deliver what is expected.”


            It was obvious Aleksander wasn’t talking about her work on the spinning wheel. Katarina cleared her throat and stepped backward toward the bed. Her captor pursued her, his intent clearly sexual. She picked up the gold fabric she had woven, and whirled around to face him. “Here is the textile you asked me to weave,” she said, anything to distract him from his mission to seduce her.


            He took a brief gander at the material, then turned his attention back to Katarina. This time, so close she could smell the brandy on his breath. “Very nice. But that’s not the only reason I brought you to my estate,” he admitted as he cornered her body between the wall and the bedpost. She had nowhere to run. No place to hide from the onslaught of his desire. “I need to taste you.”


            Suddenly his mouth descended upon her sensitive skin, leaving a trail of kisses behind her earlobe and down the slender column of her throat. His fiery-hot tongue ignited a blazing inferno along her untouched flesh. Katarina moaned and draped her languid arms over his well-defined shoulders to keep her balance. She suddenly felt weak. Light-headed. Ready to pass out. She had to speak up, before she lost her nerve. “Please, Mr. Othman. If you have any respect for my honor. Stop this madness!”


            Aleksander drew back and stared at her, his decisiveness unwavering. His eyes wandered to her breasts for only a moment, before he yanked on the lace fabric of her bodice, revealing her achy, swollen bosom. One cherry-red nipple peaked its head out of her corset. A draft hit her exposed skin and sent a chill up her spine. It was enough to cause her nipple to bead expectantly, begging for his eager caress. Katarina whimpered as his thumb grazed the tip. Heat exploded in her thighs and liquid from her womb drizzled down the inside of her leg.


            “No need to worry your pretty little head, Katarina. We’re just having a bit of fun. I plan to leave you fully intact. At least for tonight.” Without warning, he turned her in his arms and pressed her lithe curves flat against the stone wall. He nudged her legs apart, lifted her gown, and delicately removed the matching red panties he’d left for her earlier. Each stroke was purposeful. Each movement precise and deliberate as if unwrapping a gift on Christmas Eve. Then he stepped back and stared. Katarina watched him out of the corner of her eye. His mouth gaped open, saliva forming in the hollows of his mouth in preparation for attack. Katarina could feel his gaze focused on her rear and on the delicate flesh of her womanhood that glistened in the early morning sunlight.


            Aleksander extended his index finger and slid it over her heated nub, down her thigh and over her round bottom, collecting the sweet nectar that pooled in the crevice between the two. Katarina writhed in his arms. Her knees grew weak. Aleksander seemed to relish her enthusiastic response. He lifted his finger to his lips to savor Katarina’s unique flavor. He leaned his forehead against her back and groaned. “Hmm. Just as mouth-watering as I imagined.”


            Katarina leveraged her sweat-soaked body against the cool pavers plastered to the wall. She took in deep inhalations of air to calm her battered nerves. “Why are you doing this, Aleksander?” she asked him.


            “Because I can.” With his forehead still pressed between her shoulder blades, he let out a wicked laugh. His heated breath glided across her prickly skin. A moment later, he slipped her dress and undergarments back into place and stepped away. He snatched up the gold material laid across the foot of the bed and bolted to the door. “Now get back to your work at the spinning wheel. I shall return later this evening to check on your progress. And if you’re a good little slave, I’ll reward you with a night of pleasure the likes of which your virtuous flesh could never imagine. Even in your wildest dreams.”

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Welcome Guest Author Avril Ashton

Today, in the Authors Spotlight, I am pleased to have Author Avril Ashton.  Avril has a new book, Till Abandon, published by and available at Total E Bound.



Till Abandon Teaser

In his apartment over Montez’ bar, Blake Montez lay on his bed, chewing on a toothpick, eyes closed. A psychic disturbance hovered in the air, charged with magic he’d never experienced before. It’d been two days since he’d first felt the soft ripples on his skin, and now it grew stronger, more insistent.

       The other half of him, his wolf, clawed to get out, but Blake ignored the need for the moment. While strange and very powerful, the magic didn’t appear malevolent. These powers didn’t come from the cats trying to stake a claim to his territory. Czion, the jaguar leader, didn’t have access to the kind of power Blake felt in the air. Still, he should warn his pack to be wary, to be on the lookout for any strange goings-on. As Alpha, it was his duty to protect them and if this thing posed a threat, they needed to be prepared.


       He rose off the bed, pulling on a pair of sweat pants and the black T-shirt he’d discarded earlier. A few of his guys remained downstairs, playing pool and hanging out. He’d tell them his suspicions and ask them to spread the word. Then he’d go for a run. His wolf itched to come out and play tonight.

       Halfway down the stairs, he stopped. The unfamiliar magic seemed concentrated in the room below, the bar. He took his time descending the stairs, using his wolf senses to scent out the source. He found it—or rather her—at the bar.


       “Marcus, get everyone out now.” Speaking to his beta and best friend, Blake kept his eyes on the woman. She sat with her back to him, dressed to match the snow white of her hair.


       “What’s going on, Blake?” Bent over a pool table in the corner, cue in hand, Marcus didn’t sound the least bit disturbed.


       “Don’t you feel the ripples in the air?” Blake struggled to quiet the growls rumbling in his throat. The wolf grew ever more restless. His skin tightened and sweat beaded on his forehead as he fought with his wolf for control.


       “What ripples? What are you talking about?” Marcus straightened with the pool cue on his shoulder.


        God damn, am I the only one feeling the interference?


       “Get everybody out. Now.”


       Blake approached the bar as Marcus ushered the few confused patrons outside. His friend tossed him a quizzical look and stopped next to the woman.


       “She stays.”


       “What the hell is going on, B?”


       “Just get outside.”


       Marcus exited the bar with a shake of his head, closing the door behind him. Blake took a deep breath and strode across to the woman in white.


       “You didn’t have to make them leave on my account.” She swung around on the stool to face him.


       Blake’s breath seized; his wolf roared. His cock, neglected for longer than necessary, stirred. Her smooth skin glowed the palest ivory, making her appear fragile and untouchable. Bone straight, white hair fell to her waist, getting lost in the white of her tight blouse, distressed jeans and floor length coat. The killer heels on her feet were an obscene red, matching her lips.


        I can hear your wolf, she whispered in his head. Why do you suppose he’s fighting so hard to get out?


       Blake flinched and stared into her mismatched eyes, feeling like he was floating. He tried getting into her thoughts but came up against a black wall.


        That’s right. I can read your mind, but alas, she sighed dramatically, you can’t fuck with mine.


       He closed the gap between them on unsteady legs, hands at his sides, heart hammering in his chest. Sweaty skin tightened painfully as his wolf clawed under his skin.


       “Who are you?”


       “Who do you want me to be, Blake?” Sex dripped from her low voice. Husky and silky-smooth. She posed a threat to him, to his wolf, to—


        Now, now. A threat? Li’l ole me? She winked her right eye, the gold one. The left eye sparked a vibrant, violet hue.


       “What are you?” Standing next to her with his teeth clenched, Blake couldn’t decide whether to grab her and spread her legs across the bar, or shoot her between those weird, gorgeous eyes.
       “Um.” She licked her lips. “I vote for the first option.” He narrowed his eyes and she shrugged. “Just saying.”


       “Strange magic surrounds you,” he rasped. “And you bring it here, to my pack.”


       “Well, if you want to get technical, the strange magic doesn’t surround me so much as it lives in me.”


       Blake reached a hand out, but snatched it back at the last second. “Get out now before I kill you.” He couldn’t have her here, distracting him with her strange pull and her particular brand of magic.


       She laughed. Invisible arms wrapped around his waist and jerked him forward. To her.
       “There are many reasons you can’t kill me, but let’s start with the one you refuse to acknowledge.” Rising off the stool, she leaned over and dragged her tongue down his neck.


       His wolf erupted, awakened further by her touch. His cock, aroused before, hardened to painful proportions. Blake growled and grabbed her by the neck. She stared at him with her lips curved, those eyes twinkling.


       The name’s Voltaire, but what do you call me, Blake?


       He tightened his fingers around her neck. Her strange-ass pupils dilated. The wolf scented her arousal and went crazy, ready to mark. To claim.


        Say it, Blake.


       His eyesight dimmed as the wolf grew stronger, his other half already accepting what he fought to deny. Blake jerked her to him, speaking the word before his mouth descended on hers.


       “Mate.”



You can purchase Avril’s book at: http://bit.ly/pyBzg9



Interview with Avril Ashton

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog, Avril. I loved the teaser excerpt. Tell us a little bit more about the book. What inspired you to write this story?

Thanks for having me today. Voltaire, the heroine of Till Abandon, just popped into my head one day. She was cocky, demanding, deadly, and in the middle of slitting someone’s throat. Naturally I had to find out why J

Do you do anything special to get into the zone of writing?

Music gets me in my zone. Something sensual and heartbreaking…in other words R&B.

What genre/genre’s are your favorite, and why?

I like erotic romance, so anything that falls under that umbrella is fine with me: Para/shifter, fantasy, M/M, anything where the conflict is great and the sex is off the charts. 

How would you describe your writing style?

Wow…I’d say my style is crisp, sexy, and quite vulgar.

Do you prefer hot erotica or sweet romance?

Heheh…I like it hot. Sweet just gives me a tooth ache.

Tell us what you have on your own personal To Be Read list?

I’m big on reading M/M so GA Hauser, Cassandre Dayne, Cameron Dane, and Evangeline Anderson are always on my TBR list.  

Who are some of your favorite authors?

The same as above with some JR Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kresly Cole thrown in for good measure.

What can your fans expect to see from you in the near future?

More dirty stories filled with sexy women and delectable men humping (each other too), and expensive heels. My website has all works in progress and coming soon:


You can find out more about Avril Ashton at: