August 2013 – Behind Closed Doors

@HouseofTaboo Author Lia Michaels Reveals Her Brand New Cover #shortstory #erotica #LGBT

Hello my friends and welcome to Behind Closed Doors. Today is a special day around here. One of my alter egos is about to release her very first short story. It’s due out one week from today, September 6, 2013. This week is the fun cover reveal along with a bit of information about the short story and the full novel it’s a companion to, sort of a teaser if you will.

Author Lia Michaels has spent the last year developing the story of two Native American men who just so happen to be eagle shifters. Of course that’s not all. One of them is the legendary Great Thunderbird and the other is his Chosen Mate. Together, it’s foretold they’ll save their people. Unfortunately, it takes quite some time for the soul mates to find each other and when they do, they’re plagued with old prejudices that just may keep them apart. While one is accepted by his tribe for who and what he is, the other must hide his true nature for fear of being ostracized by his own family.

Here’s a bit about their story

Ethan Quaderer is the Great Thunderbird, the creature of Native American legend. He grew up knowing exactly who and what he was thanks to his grandfather. At a very young age, Ethan could merge with the bald eagles and soar with them high across the land. Eventually he would learn to shift completely from human to one of them…only larger and more powerful. His destiny as the Great Thunderbird was to find his soul mate and together they would save their people.

Abraham Tuttle didn’t grow up in a household where being different was acceptable. For years he hid the fact he was “berach” or Two Spirit. For many Native American tribes, being Two Spirit is considered a blessing. It’s actually a third gender classification, not male or female, but both. Two Spirits are often honored and revered, considered to be highly spiritual and often take on leadership roles within their tribes as healers.

Where Ethan’s spirituality and Two Spirit nature were embraced by his family, Abraham learned early on his would be shunned by his family and many others within his tribe. He kept his true self hidden and did his best to fit in, all the while dreaming of the Great Warrior who would someday rescue him from all of it. He dreamed of courting eagles night after night. Their majestic free fall toward the ground took his breath away each and every time. It was in those dreams the Warrior would come to him as the Great Thunderbird and claim him as his mate.

Forbidden Destiny is the companion short story that gives you a glimpse into Abraham and Ethan’s dreams and a bit of their future after they finally meet while in Army Ranger School. While their entire story will be told in Call of the Thunderbird (Fearless Love), this portion of their tale is only shown here in the short story. The characters will mention it from time to time, eluding to their vivid dreams of each other and the courtship rituals they experience with the other raptors. Lia wanted to give readers the opportunity to meet Abraham and Ethan now so that by the time December rolls around, they’ll want to know more.

Let’s start things off with that and reveal the cover for Forbidden Destiny…

Available September 6th from ARe, Amazon, Smashwords and other major outlets.

REVISITING Common Sense Etiquette Rules for Guest Appearances on Blogs

As you can guess from the title of today’s post, I’ve run across even more instances where authors are behaving badly. In some cases it’s not intentional. Life definitely does get in the way at times and destroys our carefully plotted out schedules, but other times…well, there is just no excuse for rude, inconsiderate behavior. One of my biggest pet peeves since I’ve entered into the publishing world and the vast blogosphere is how some folks handle guest appearances on another blog.

One would think that if an author requests a spot they would have visited the blog/website and see if they would be a good fit there BEFORE they request and secure a date. Well, this has become a HUGE problem as of late with a few of my adult blogs and even my PG rated ones. It looks like what’s happening is that a potential guest sees a posting somewhere that another author/blogger has openings for guest spots. Instead of checking out the site first, they immediately sign up for their preferred dates only to check out the site much later. This is usually around the time the the deadline for turning in their materials is at hand. NOW they decide they are uncomfortable with the rest of the subject matter on the blog in question.

Sending an email to the blog owner a day or two before your post is to go live after you’ve had TWO MONTHS to figure it all out really doesn’t put you in a very good light. I’m not upset that you don’t want to be associated with erotica or erotic romances. I’m a bit miffed that you waited so long to figure it out when all the guidelines are clearly posted on the blogs and the email sent to you clarifying the dates explained in great detail what is expected of a guest on my blogs. One of my adult sites is booked two to three months in advance, with a list of those willing to take any spot that suddenly opens. It’s not only a little rude to me and my fellow blog owners to take a spot that you really shouldn’t have, but it’s disrespectful to the others waiting patiently for their turn.

As one of my fellow Siren authors has said on many occasions, “You are not a special snowflake.” ~Tyber Dalton

None of us are. We all have real life intruding on our writing schedules, juggle evil day jobs, families, and households to run and still have to find time to put together our own blog posts before setting up the guest spots. That’s why we write the guidelines to help all parties involved put out the best post we can together. The whole point of offering our blogs up to other authors is to HELP them promote themselves and their work. An added bonus is that it brings more traffic to our pages and both of us gain new fans and friends.

So why on earth would you want to mess that up by not doing your homework first?

I’m not picking on those authors who don’t write erotica or erotic romance by any means. I’ve had problems with those in the “non erotic” genres actually request to be on my adult blogs because a) they liked the names of those blogs better than the PG ones, b) they want to appeal to a more adult crowd even though their books are clearly for the young adult crowd, or c) they WANT to be associated with the “cool” crowd and say their books are erotic and really they aren’t even close. As you can guess, the last excuse really burns my britches.

If you want to write erotica an erotic romance then Do. It. Stop trying to turn your book with one or two barely sensual scenes into something it’s not. If you want the label, you better add the heat or you will be laughed at by readers who are looking for the explicit details you’ve left to the imagination. The same can be said for readers who want to feel all risque and tell folks they are reading erotica when in actuality they wouldn’t be able to finish the first chapters of many of the best selling erotic romance authors out there…the REAL ones who have many, many books under their belts. Those who’ve earned those labels and didn’t have them handed to them by the media.

Back to the topic at hand…

Do yourself a favor. The next time you see a posting somewhere about available guest spots, take the few extra moments to visit the blog and read through it. Take a look at several of the posts there to get an idea what is expected of you. If the guidelines say “No straight promo,” then by golly be sure you send them more than just promotional materials for your new release. If you’re unclear of what you need to do, ASK before you finalize any dates. If you can’t figure it out from the guidelines, the posts of other guests and repeated emails from the blog host, then you should graciously back out and give the spot up to someone who can figure it out.

Meet all deadlines. If you have a problem and are unable to get your post to the host on time, then let them know. You can be rescheduled for a more convenient time for both of you. Don’t leave the blog owner with an empty spot when they were counting on you to fill it.

Don’t be a DIVA! You are the one who asked for a spot on the blog. It doesn’t matter to me or anyone else that you have 17 books published since 1985 if you can’t follow simple, detailed instructions. We are not forcing you to be a guest on our sites. If you don’t wish to be, then don’t ask in the first place. You are not doing anyone any favors by acting as if you are the one being inconvenienced. Oh and you might not want to slam your perspective host’s genre by calling it “blatant porn.” That’s just a tad tacky. LOL!

Lighten up! Have fun with guest spots on other blogs and in turn invite them to be guests on yours. We need to bond together more instead of tear each other down. I’m guilty of it from time to time as well. Let’s all promise to move forward and lift each other up instead of tear each other down.

Who’s with me?

~Tammy

I Did It! @dochappycamper Is Now a Best Selling Author! #vampires #poetry

Hello my friends! Welcome back to Behind Closed Doors. I come to you today waist deep in the edits for The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3) in order to share some fabulous news. Today, while I was at work at the veterinary hospital one of my poetry books climbed the charts at All Romance ebooks affiliate Omnilit. The Courtship of the Vampyre is now a BEST SELLER!!! It’s ranked number four of thirty-seven and it’s earned the coveted silver star. I had to stop myself from putting more exclamation points after the last few sentences. I’m just absolutely beside myself happy with this news.

It’s been one hell of a busy day seeing my patients and mulling over the first editor’s suggestions and corrections to Julia’s story. I have to tell you, I”m not very fond of edits and when I got them last night I was a bit upset with some of the criticism. Then I took a deep breath and read through the comments and suggestions again. Many made sense and I plan to work with those. Some suggestions just aren’t going to make it in the final draft. The reason is quite simple. They’re not the way I write. They’re not MY voice so to speak. Sure, I can take a few of them and make them into something I’d put to paper, but the others…nuh uh. NO WAY.

Does that make the critique wrong? Nope. It just means I choose not to take all the advice given. That’s what edits are all about. Your editors are not there to rewrite your work. They’re the grammar police and content patrol. They help you see the holes in the manuscript where the story isn’t flowing well, or where sections can be rearranged to create a better experience for the readers. You don’t have to take their advice, but if all of the editors on your project make the same suggestions or similar ones, it’s probably best to go with the consensus.

Having published my first two books with Siren, I had the benefit of working with some fabulous editors. They took the time to read through my work and recognize my vision. They helped me bring out the best in my writing and my characters. Was I forced to accept their changes? Nope. When it came to the Siren house rules on punctuation and grammar, the editors ruled the roost. When it came to my characters and cutting scenes because they were “too chatty,” I fought a bit. Most of the time I won out, but there were a few times, I had to concede they were right. The story did run smoother.

With Julia’s story…hmmmm

I’m waiting on my second editor to finish his run through. I’ll compare the two edits, make any changes and then the whole thing goes to a third editor. Is that too much? Not for me. I don’t think one set of eyes is enough. I want bad girl Julia Santos to get her story told. This is the way to do it properly. She’s not a saint and many readers will be a bit pissed off she’s so selfish. Some may even feel she doesn’t deserve her happily ever after because she doesn’t redeem herself soon enough in the story. Redemption can always come at the final hour. When the Gods believe one of their creations is worthy enough to get their happily ever after, who the hell are we to judge?

This brings me back to The Courtship of the Vampyre. In that collection of poems, the reader follows Cain from the moment he becomes the first Guardian of the Night. He wasn’t punished by the Gods for the death of his brother, but instead given the honor of guarding the legacy of man—The Tree of Life. His brother Malachi on the other hand is cursed with the same immortality, but at a cost. He’s cursed with having to walk the night forever because he dared to question the Gods called The Three. Go ahead and watch this video trailer featuring one of the poems in the book.

Thank you everyone for helping make my dreams come true. Now I can officially call myself a Best Selling Author. 🙂

Until next time

~Tammy

#CoverReveal For the Next Book in the Now and Forever Series by @dochappycamper #eroticromance #LGBT

Welcome to Behind Closed Doors and a very special announcement. As you all know, I’ve been working on self publishing The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). It’s in edits now but should be back in my hands soon. Until then, I thought I’d share the blurb and the AMAZING cover designed and created by LMK Graphics. Not only did they listen to me when I talked about the characters, they included me in every step of the process. Now my characters have come ALIVE on this cover and I couldn’t be happier. This is the first cover of the very first novel published with Sassy Vixen Publishing LLC. Since all of you have been there with me from the beginning, it seems only fitting to share another milestone with you.

I don’t have a release date just yet, but let’s just say soon. VERY soon!

BLURB

L.A. artist phenom Julia Santos appeared to have it all. After a nearly two year long dry spell, her creativity was at its peak and she had her muse and model Jacob Hartley to thank for it. He brought the fire and raw sexuality back to her sculptures and into her bedroom, and a sense of security that only one other person in her life had ever given her. At last she had found the perfect balance between her professional and private lives, until the day a single call from someone in her past threatened to tear her world apart.

Fearful of losing all she’d worked so hard to accomplish, Julia delved deeper into the hedonistic lifestyle she’d come to rely on to give her an escape from the horrors of her past. Instead of bringing her comfort, her sexual urges lead her down the path of destruction; not only for herself, but those around her. With Jacob fighting for his life after a near fatal motorcycle accident and Julia on the brink of death herself, Fate and her Guardian Angel Daniel intervene and transport her to a safe haven called the Island.

There she’s given a choice: stay on the Island and wait for her next rebirth, or go back and fight to be with the one who has been there for her through every lifetime. Will she take the easy way out and leave all the pain behind, or will she choose the long and hard road reliving the horrors of her childhood in order to have her happily ever after with the Mistress of her dreams?

Coming soon from Sassy Vixen Publishing

#TheVixen Gets Wild and Wicked with Author Tyler Robbins (@Robin_Badillo) #LGBT #eroticromance #military

It’s Wild and Wicked Hump Day and what better way to celebrate than to have the fabulous Tyler Robbins here today. She’s sharing an excerpt from her new release Aftermath: Guts and Glory. This is yet another fabulous M/M erotic romance from this author who just happens to be the alter ego of my friend Robin Badillo. The two of us can have a hell of a party with all our alter egos in one room. Oh the stories we could tell! Enough about our wild parties over at the House of Taboo. Let’s get on to the business at hand.

Blurb

When the brother he idolized is killed in action in Afghanistan, Kyle Barrett is rocked to his core. With his only confidant gone, Kyle struggles to deal with the loss, while fighting to keep his hidden sexuality a secret from his parents.

If only he didn’t have to face them alone.

Army veteran, Ryder Bishop has returned from his final tour in Iraq, when severe PTSD forces him to seek help through a new counseling program back home in Texas.

Just when Ryder thinks he’s reached the end of his rope, he meets Kyle, and their lives take a remarkable turn.

Can the grieving brother and damaged soldier find the peace they so desperately need? Or will they become another statistic when the aftermath of war hits too close to home?

They might have shipped the soldier home, but his demons have come with him.

Alternative PG Excerpt

“Some of these guys come from Liberty County, others from Houston. This is the only center implementing this program, but if it turns out to be successful, they might start popping up everywhere.”

Kyle half-assed listened to Reesa, while trying to come up with an excuse to cut out early, and find somewhere to be alone. He nodded, for no other reason than to appease her.

“If that happens, I plan to be a part of it. That’s why I changed my major to behavioral science.”

Kyle paused. Now she had his attention. “Wait? You’re not going to be a nurse?”

Reesa took a deep breath. “I want to make a difference for Wade.” She looked around the room. “And these people need someone willing to make a difference for them, too.”

“What about what you need?”

She squeezed his hand. “This is what I need, Kyle.”

Kyle searched her green eyes. Her sincerity warmed him somehow, but he still didn’t get how she’d be able to handle all the emotional crap that had to go along with getting too involved. It was hard enough living with Wade’s death. How could she deal with the same kind of emotions coming from so many other people? Complete strangers?

He nodded, not to agree, but to eliminate the concern that now filled her eyes. “I guess if anyone could do something like that, it would be you.”

“Good. I’m glad you think that. It means a lot to me.” Reesa’s attention quickly turned to someone across the room, and her face instantly brightened. “Hey, stranger.” She let go of Kyle’s hand and darted away.

Kyle’s gaze followed her, and he froze the second he saw who she had spoken to. The guy from the basketball court. Ryder.

Kyle’s insides fluttered as Ryder glanced over at him.

Reesa dragged Ryder by the arm. His initial resistance was clearly futile, and the bashful grin did little to hide the pink tinge on Ryder’s cheeks.

“Kyle, this is my new friend, Ryder.”

Kyle’s palms moistened. “Yeah. We’ve already met.”

Ryder gave Kyle a quick nod. “Are you hoping for a rematch?”

“Rematch?” The inflexion of Reesa’s inquisitive tone rivaled the look of intrigue highlighting her green eyes.

“Yeah, we played a game of one on one at the courts by my apartment the other night.” Ryder’s nostrils flared, and he appeared a bit smug. “I believe I won. Right?”

Kyle’s mouth watered at the memory of Ryder’s glistening abs when he’d lifted his shirt to wipe the perspiration from his brow. “He barely won. And that was only because it was right after—” The words caught in the back of Kyle’s throat, and a sudden feeling of nausea swept over him. He fidgeted and glanced down at Reesa, his mood darkening right on the spot. “Um, it was Tuesday evening.” He swallowed hard, doing his best not to throw up as an acidic burn now scorched the back of his throat.

Reesa’s auburn brow arched, and her lips turned up into shaky smile. “Oh. Okay.” The thought of that day had understandably struck a nerve for her, too.

“Yeah, well maybe we can have that rematch after you’ve rested up or something. Maybe a nap would help.”

Was that a jab at Kyle’s baby-faced looks?

Ryder’s boyish smirk remained plastered across his face, easing Kyle’s angst immediately.

“Whatever, man.” Kyle managed a chuckle. “You just got lucky, that’s all.”

“Oh, is that your story?” Ryder seemed to physically gravitate toward Kyle, or was it Kyle’s imagination—or wishful thinking?

Ryder’s cologne wafted toward him, a scent Kyle could spot anywhere. “I guess we’ll just have to see.”

“Okay, boys.” Reesa took them both by the arm, and walked between them. “I say we go to lunch and discuss this little rematch further.”

Kyle glanced at Ryder over the top of Reesa’s head. The instant he found Ryder already looking in his direction, Kyle’s face warmed, and he quickly looked away.

There was something about the other man’s gaze, something sincere and exciting, and the more Kyle thought about it, the more he liked it.

Where to Find Tyler and Her Work

Evernight Author Page

Amazon Author Page

Facebook Author Page

Twitter

About the Author

Tyler Robbins is the pen name of author Robin Badillo, who lives in a small Texas town and is the mother of four nearly grown kids, two boys and two girls.

Tyler enjoys stepping out of her comfort zone and pushes the envelope on the stories she writes every chance she gets. She hopes her readers are just as thrilled as she is with the chances she’s taking.
Always the optimist, Tyler is a firm believer that gray hair is merely God’s graffiti!!

#OhMy! It’s A #BookBlitz from Author R.L. Kirk #paranormal #romance #adult

Oh My Mondays just got a bit hotter! This week is the book blitz for R.L. Kirk’s new paranormal adult romance Blackwood Lily (Blackwood Wolves 1). Several blogs are participating to help get the word out about this fabulous read. If you love wolves/wolf shifter stories, you won’t want to miss this one. The author has a lot of tales to tell in this series and Lily’s story is just the beginning. As an added treat, there is a Rafflecopter at the end of the post so you can get entries in the giveaway of handmade Shepherd’s hook book marks. These are beautiful, so make sure you get those entries!

Now for the good stuff…

Blurb

Amidst a war of attrition and a struggle for power

Lily Blackwood is torn between two strong men…

One, Wallace is her perfect idea of a partner, loving, loyal and handsome. The second, Bryn, is her true mate, the man chosen for her by nature and her family. Denial and naivety for nature’s choice, sends her into a rage of independence against the laws of her own destiny, family and her own father.

Wallace Kirk is assigned to protect the beautiful Lily since her birth…

His loyalties are tearing him apart. His own mate, dead, taken from him, fills his thoughts as Lily begs for his attention. She needs him, but not as much as the wolf that prowls in her flesh.

Bryn Kemp’s nature and need fill his flesh…

Yet his true mate, the woman chosen for him, denies her destiny. His battle for her and his own pride must overcome her feisty rebellious streak.

Both men must fight for her in the throes of oncoming battle and she must make the right choice. A decision that will shape the war.

Excerpt

“Night.” Waiting a few seconds, he waited until she slipped inside and closed the door. The lights were already on. Bryn turned and smiled, feeling warm inside. He sighed and sniffed the air. Despite his youth, he did have thirty odd years of experience, but his reactions just weren’t quick enough.

Before he could move, Wallace was in his face. “So, you decided to bring her home at long last Mr. Kemp, proud of yourself?”

“Wallace Kirk I presume, I expected you to be—”

“Bigger?”

“Better looking.” Bryn felt the heat against his face but didn’t relent, he stood his ground. Wallace was everything he expected and more. He could feel the raw power coming from him. It was so strong he felt he might waver. Bryn was six foot two, yet Wallace towered over him. There was a great deal of confidence too, hitting him in the face like a wave. However, Bryn never stood down, in his short wolf life he knew that to stand firm and strong was as good as any swing of a wayward fist. Wallace wasn’t going to intimidate him, he was determined to give as good as he got.

“Smart ass too, I like smart, but ass…no. I guess I’m going to have to drill some manners into you, boy.”

That particular word pissed Bryn off a little, yet this wolf facing him overwhelmed him. He knew if he used more than harsh words, he’d have harsh wounds to match. “I’m not a boy.”

“Compared to me, you’re a kid in nappies. Hell, you haven’t even reached the twinkle in your Daddy’s eyes yet. You’re thirty. That makes you my pup.”

Bryn’s lip curled at the edge. “There a point to this? I got her home safe.”

Wallace moved forward. “Good job you did. You decide to come back after spending a pitiful five years with her and expect to replace me, just like that.”

Bryn had no choice but to shift back to avoid being touched. “I was just—”

“Following orders pup, yeah sure. Lily is a young woman, she’s impressionable, thinks she’s ready for anything. Then you come along and her fucking hormones and her wolf are in turmoil. I sensed it earlier, she was out of control. You come here when she’s in heat, bringing her mate to the door in that big bold exterior, sending her emotions all over the place.”

“She is my mate, my chosen mate, Wallace. You have to live with it okay? You have to go, you have to move on and let Lily and I become one. Your time is done here. I’m sorry about what happened to you five years ago, I’m sorry your bitch was taken from you, but that’s not my fault or yours.”

Too late, Bryn felt himself hoisted up against the stone, lifted a foot off the floor.

“You don’t get it do yer? That isn’t a question smart ass, it’s a fact. I have protected her since the day she came out of her mother’s womb. I was always there, her big bad wolf, ready to die for her.”

Click on the link below to go to the Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

August 5

Ms. ME28

Tammy Dennings

Crystal’s Many Reviews

Close Encounters of the Night Kind

August 7

Amethyst DayDreams

Sassy Vixen Publishing

August 8

For Whom the Books Toll

August 9

The House of Taboo

About the Author(s)

R.L. Kirk is the brain child of two authors, working together to bring you urban fantasy novels with a kick.

It has been quite a journey to get here, trying to find the right ingredients. A little action here, a bit of flirting there, an intense storyline with characters you want to be with.
Male characters with bite and females not afraid to go that extra mile.

R. L. Kirk a progression. Full length novels are coming, bigger ideas with bigger worlds.

R, a man with a need to get his world in print. A Yorkshire man, an accent to die for. Loves to work and dream, bringing both together. Loves listening to music and watching Game of Thrones and obsesses with Heisenberg.

L, a woman with writing dreams and ambition. Loves her daughter. Loves to read until she falls asleep. Loves Disneyland and making jewelry. Loves swimming and second hand book shops.

R. L. Kirk. Bringing imagination to life. Find them on their Facebook Author Page and their Website Find Blackwood: Lily on AMAZON, AMAZON UK, NOOK, KOBO and ARe