Sassy Vixen Publishing – Behind Closed Doors

Inspiration and New Focus for My Career #ecwc2015 #amwriting

Passport to Romance Reader Appreciation Event 2015 — signing books at Passport to Romance Reader Appreciation Event Emerald City Writers Conference

I had a wonderful time at the Emerald City Writers Conference held at the Westin Hotel in Bellevue, Washington. It was the first local gathering I’ve been able to attend since my husband and I moved to this beautiful state. Not only did I get to meet new readers and introduce them to my body of work, I attended several workshops. I came away with a renewed excitement about my writing career and many recommendations to put into practice.

My favorite lectures were given by M.L. Buckman. Series Thinking in a Hybrid World and Managing Your Inner Writer spoke directly to me answering several questions I had been asking myself over the last six months. I’ve been overwhelmed by how to proceed with my career path as a writer and balance that out with getting our fledgling publishing house running smoothly.

By definition, I am what you would call a hybrid author. I have published traditionally with Siren Bookstrand, and Indie/self published. Some take the definition a little further and call a hybrid one who has published with the larger publishing houses as well as smaller presses and self published their own work. No matter how you define the term, being a hybrid can be one of the best things to happen to an author and can be used to our advantage to keep readers coming back for more. Mr. Buckland does this by self publishing short stories and novellas in between the release dates of the larger novels he has traditionally published. Along with that, he offers a free short story on his website each month at the same time it’s for sale for purchase. An additional free short story is provided to his newsletter subscribers.

ALL of the stories are within the SAME SERIES. I kid you not! He has traditionally published books that can take a year in between release dates. The smaller works keep the stories going, in real time, so the readers never lose interest. Of course each can be a stand alone, but in this way all can be connected too. He does this with more than one of his series of books. I know what you’re thinking…

How can he do that when he has a contract with the publisher?

Simple answer is that he negotiated his contract this way. He had it spelled out the word count of the novels the publisher wanted under contract. The short stories and the books less than the contracted book count are his to do as he sees fit. This production model has turned into a win/win for him and the publisher and is simply BRILLIANT!

I now have a fire lit under me to come up with something similar in order to keep the interest up between the main books in my Now and Forever series and the Kayne Legacy Series. I’ll combine the special free short stories for my newsletter along with the limited free shorts on this site and for sale.

His second workshop was all about separating your Publisher side of your brain from the Writer side. This has become a major issue for me lately. Having to wear multiple hats in this career as well as adding in my full time job as a veterinarian has been exhausting to say the least. What happens more often than not is that I stare at an empty page on my computer and get absolutely nothing done. What Mr. Buckman does is set up schedules and deadlines for his Writer to complete which includes time away for the family and other responsibilities. By sticking to this schedule, he can accomplish a lot and have BALANCE.

My biggest problem is my Writer side of my brain jumps up and down with new ideas at least three times a day. With six pen names that can be confusing. Mr. Buckman suggested having Writer submit a book proposal to the Publisher. This is then filed away and offered to the Writer after the current deadline is met.

Yep. Mind. Blown.

I thought I was being smart putting my pen names on “vacation” while one was working. Now to add this into the mix and I think I can accomplish all my goals for the coming year. How fun is that?!

table set up before the doors opened for the readers

One other event that I enjoyed was the Passport to Readers event during this convention. They set it up differently this year so that participating authors were given tables to offer freebies to attending readers. This was an informal meet and greet that ended up a huge success. I’m not going to lie to you. When the doors first opened up, I was a bundle of nerves and afraid my table would be avoided. For most of the readers and authors there, I was an unknown element.

I gave away free signed copies of Meet Me Under the Mistletoe as a way to introduce myself to these new potential fans. I also included a magnet bottle cap with the Sassy Vixen logo on it.

My banners drew people in and I received tons of compliments on them. I was more than happy to tell everyone I got them from BuildASign. They did such a great job with my designs, I couldn’t help but spread the word about their site.

Most of the folks who stopped by asked that I personalize the books as well. I had them pre-signed to save time so I could keep talking to anyone who said hello. The event was two hours long, but I was out of all of my books—including my display books in an hour. I even gave away the mouse pad, key chains and pens. LOL! Next time I’ll have even more fun stuff to give away. If I save up now, and purchase them throughout the year, I can spread out the expenses and make the event even bigger at my table!

Focusing on one book to give away and having a few others on display worked best for me. If they asked about my other pen names I was more than happy to let them know about them too. After I got home, I found some of my fellow attendees online and we are now Facebook friends. Now we can keep in touch and continue to encourage each other throughout the year until the next gathering.

Now I’m off to put all I learned from this convention into action. Catch you later!

Until next time,

~Tammy

#BoundinParadise Is Now Available on All Romance #LesbianErotica

Welcome to Behind Closed Doors! I’m excited to announce Sassy Vixen Publishing LLC has released Bound in Paradise as a stand alone companion to my Now and Forever series. Actually, it can be considered a prequel for The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). As you all know, the main heroine of these two books is still my favorite character I’ve written to date. She started out as one hell of a bitch and then she told me her story. I went from wanting to choke the life out of her to cheering her on through her trial by fire and ultimate redemption. She found her happily ever after with the woman of her dreams. My publisher and I thought it was a great time to release Bound now in light of the US Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality. I wrote about it for Julia and now thousands of couples can experience the joy she did.

If you compare the covers of the books concerning Julia, you’ll notice a little tie in. That was deliberate. I wanted to include the handcuff concept, but give it my own twist. I hope you like it and the story.

Right now you can get your copy from All Romance in any electronic format you need for your ebook readers. If you wish to have it in print, it is available in the print version of Season of Sun and Sin. I haven’t decided whether or not Bound will be in print yet. We’ll have to wait and see!

BLURB

Up and coming L.A. artist Julia Santos had searched for a Domme strong enough and confident enough in their relationship to allow her to be wild and free while trusting her to give over complete control to them in private. Unfortunately very few meet up with her expectations.

Except one.

Carmen Hall had longed for a partner who would be more than her pet, one who would challenge her skills as Mistress and yet offer themselves to her—heart and soul. She’d all but given up until she laid eyes on the fiery Julia.

Join Julia as she remembers her early days with Carmen and a love that spanned over two decades and would know no bounds.

EXCERPT

Surrounded by adoring men and a few women, Julia did her best to listen to and answer the questions posed to her. Unfortunately, every single one of them bored her—until her eyes found the blonde bombshell admiring the submissive painting on display on the other side of the room.

Would she be the one to see my plea in the piece? Her heart beat faster and her cheeks warmed. The painting had been her way of advertising she needed a dominant who had the ability to bring her full submission out on display. The calm serenity the model had nearly brought Julia to her knees during their first photo session. The scene had been her deepest desire and so far no lover or Master had been able to bring this out of her.

“Jules? Can I get you something from the bar?”

She snapped her head and eyes toward the voice that had addressed her. God, I hate to be called Jules. This man has now moved from interesting to `not in your lifetime, bucko’ category. She waited a beat and raised her scotch on the rocks. “No, thank you. I’m still working on this one.”

“We were discussing hard limits a moment ago. Do you have any or is there anything you have a difficult time performing?” He licked his lips and continued to undress her with his eyes.

She smiled. She knew exactly what he wanted to know. She’d heard the stories of his self-proclaimed monster sized cock and how much he demanded his subs suck him off—without reciprocation. Rita had warned her to keep her guard up around the man known as Viktor. No last name. Apparently he fancied himself famous enough to be known only by his first name. “Honestly, I don’t enjoy blow jobs. It’s not my thing.”

The hairy beast of a man shrugged. “Too bad. With lips and a tongue like yours, I’m sure you would bring me to my knees in a heartbeat.”

You have no idea, Big Boy.

In a flash, the man before her turned into her mother, encouraging her as she sucked her stepfather’s limp dick. “Swirl your tongue around the tip before you take the whole thing in, Jules. Tease him so he gets hard. Men want a woman who can bring them to their knees with their mouth and tongue. Now keep going like I told you…”

Julia blinked several times to clear her mother’s image from her mind. “So I’ve been told. It’s as you say, a hard limit for me. I won’t do them anymore. Ever.”

He tilted his head to the side and appeared to want to ask her more about it, but changed his mind. “A pity. I think you and I could’ve had an amazing experience together tonight. Blow jobs are a big part of my sessions. I desire a slave who’ll go at a cock as if her life depended on it.”

She tugged the end of the necklace from between her breasts and twisted it between her thumb and forefinger. At one time mine did, asshole. That’s why I don’t do them now. She swallowed the retort and smiled again. “I’m sure there are a few of those here tonight—“

“None with your exotic looks and fire. If you ever change your mind…”

“Excuse me, gentlemen. I’d like to steal Julia away for a bit. There’s someone here I promised to introduce her to as soon as they arrived.” Jarrod waited for the others to scatter and then sat down next to her. His companion sat directly opposite from them. Jarrod took her hand, brought it to his lips, and then smiled.

She squeezed his fingers in return and nearly burst into tears. His timing couldn’t have been any better even if she whistled for him to come running. “Thank you for rescuing me. Things had crossed from pleasant to intense.”

Jarrod explained their sudden appearance, but Julia didn’t hear anything he said except the name of his friend. She immediately picked up on their chemistry. They were a couple once—but could Jarrod have actually been Carmen’s sub? I haven’t run into anyone who is more comfortable in his role as Dom than he is. I wonder how he was as a sub?

Carmen moved to sit next to her.

She held her breath and turned her body so they could once again be face to face. The blonde woman’s beauty captivated her. The wild mass of curly hair framed her face perfectly. Her natural womanly curves enticed Julia to the point of complete distraction. Her mind continued to conjure up images of Carmen naked and posing for a painting. The light touch of her skin against her knee sent a jolt of electricity through Julia’s body and brought her out of her fantasy.

She noticed the subtle hitch in Carmen’s breathing and the dilation of her ice blue eyes. She feels it, too!

Julia licked her lips and leaned as far forward as she dared without actually kissing Carmen outright. “I hope you don’t think me too brass, but I haven’t been able to take my eyes off you since you entered the room. I kept sneaking glances while you stood in front of the painting. I’d hoped you would like the piece enough to want to talk to me about it. Now here you are and I don’t know what to do with myself.”

“I think you know exactly what you’re doing and I like it—a lot. Your painting is exquisite. I lost myself in it. It takes great talent to be able to pull that off. Tell me, have you experienced that kind of submission you brought to life in your art?”

She loves my work! Now to find out if she’s interested in taking me on as I am and not expect a meek wallflower. “Yes and no. I’ve come close, but have never quite achieved the bliss. I’ve seen it in others and that’s probably why I’m able to translate that into the artwork, but imagine how much more I could bring to the canvas if I actually experienced it firsthand.”

Carmen sat back and appeared to mull over Julia’s not so veiled invitation. “You’ve not been able to let go and completely trust your dominant before?”

Here’s my chance. Best to be honest, but I don’t want to throw myself at her feet either. She shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong. I never felt as if I wasn’t safe in their hands, but so far I haven’t found that deeper connection, you know?”

Carmen smiled and nodded.

She relaxed. She no longer had the urge to continue to try to impress Carmen. Instead, the desire to get to know her on a more personal level rivaled her obvious sexual attraction. This was exactly what she’s been looking for—not only kindred spirit but someone who could bring out the best in her. Not to say having Carmen as her Mistress wouldn’t make her happy too, but Julia needed more. “Do you prefer men or women as your pets?”

“I adore both. I don’t choose them based on their sexual orientation. If I feel a connection to them, I act on it and see where it goes.”

She smiled and brushed a stray curl from her cheek. “What about now? Do you feel something between us that you can work with?”

“Yes. I’d like it if we spent some time together away from the playrooms and toys to see if there’s more than the obvious sexual attraction between us. So far I’m very intrigued by you.”

“I’d like that. You fascinate me as well.”

Julia shut out everyone and everything around her except for Carmen. Their conversation came easily between them as if they’d known each other for years. She found great comfort simply being in her presence. She’d felt a similar connection with the Mitchells, but the pull between her and Carmen continued to grow as they talked.

Jarrod returned with the champagne and popped the cork with a flourish. He filled their glasses and managed to not spill a drop. He laughed at their surprised expressions. “Sorry. I couldn’t help myself. By the looks of things, the two of you have hit it off as I predicted. Time to celebrate and toast to those new beginnings.”

She reached for the glass Carmen handed to her. Their fingertips briefly touched and her thighs clenched. She’s the one. She’s accepted the challenge. Let the games begin!

Well, there you have it! If you read this and have some time, please leave a review on your favorite retail site. The other vendors should be live within the next few days. I’ll add the links here as soon as I have them. Thank you all for coming along on this journey with me!

~Tammy

UPDATE

I now have additional links for the book. I’ll keep adding them as they go live. Unfortunately, Oyster has decided not to stock it because it’s erotica. That’s not a problem at all but if they’d check their records, they would see they are stocking Season of Sun and Sin which contains this story. LOL! No worries!

Here are the links for Bound in Paradise

All Romance/Omnilit

Kobo

Page Foundary/Inktera

@dochappycamper Rings in the New Year with a New Release! #bisexual #EroticRomance #vampires

Happy New Year! It’s already a great one as 2015 has started off with a bang. SEASON OF SUN AND SIN has finally been released! After all the delays it’s finally out on Amazon. For a limited time, it will be exclusively with them. If you’re a member of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited borrowing program or Kindle Prime, you’ll be able to read this collection for free. For the rest of us it’s still a steal at $2.99. For less than the price of a Starbuck’s cup of coffee you’ll enjoy two erotic tales from me and one form my alter ego Lia Michaels.

Here are the blurbs for my two novellas:

Bound in Paradise

Except one.

Join Julia as she remembers her early days with Carmen and a love that spanned over two decades and would know no bounds.

Curse of the First Born Cain

In the first book of the Kayne Legacy series, we meet reporter Abigail Matthews after she is awarded the interview of a lifetime. She’d been granted no holds barred access to everyone associated with one of the most powerful foundations in the world, including the current CEO Michael Kayne. Sparks fly between them the moment they meet but nothing compared to the jolt she receives when she comes face to face with Michael’s grandfather—the biblical legend Cain.

In hopes she’d accept her destiny as his grandson’s chosen mate, Cain opens up and shares his heartbreaking tale— everything from the tragic fight with his brother Abel to his journey to find Lilith and make her his wife. Together they were to create a family of immortals sworn to protect the Essence of the Tree of Life from the one hell bent on destroying it.

Both of these stories are close to my heart. Bound in Paradise is the answer to all the questions about how Julia and Carmen from The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3) first met. While it’s not an official part of the series, the companion novella fills in some of the blanks in their love story that I thought were important to tell. Julia is such a colorful, heart-wrenching character and many have felt a kinship with her. She fought her way through hell and back again to be with Carmen. This novella gives you another glimpse of her past and what she did to overcome it.

Curse of the First Born Cain is the beginning of my new Kayne Legacy series. Two years ago I started writing this for NaNoWriMo and it took a life all on it’s own. Cain spoke to my soul and I had to tell his story. First I outlined it through poetry in The Courtship of the Vampyre. Through the poetry I became totally immersed in Cain’s world from the loss of all he’d ever known to his life with Lilith. Here is a man who only wanted his father’s love and acceptance. He’d been denied it at every turn. Come to find out, he was the Chosen One to carry out the mission his parents lost. Through him, man’s greatest gift would be protected. When his story came to me, I had to tell it. My editor remarked a few times that she could tell Cain’s story is close to me. It is. I hope as a reader you will see it too.

Until next time,

~Tammy

Two New Tales from @dochappycamper to be Included in a New #Erotic Anthology

Hello my friends! It’s great to be back here at Behind Closed Doors. It’s been a long time but I had to bury myself in packing and purging for the last two months. Now we’re safely relocated to our new home in Washington, I’ve started working with a whole new group of veterinary hospitals and I can finally get back to writing. Yay!

I want to take a moment to thank all of you for hanging in there with me during this rough patch. Your well wishes have meant the world to me and kept me going when I wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep for a week. The stress was enough to cause me to drop fourteen pounds. I like it, but not how it happened. Not eating or sleeping well over the last two months were the culprits, but now I’m back on track and determined to keep the weight loss going.

Now for the exciting news…

Season of Sun and Sin

“Bound in Paradise” and “Curse of the First Born Cain” will both be included in the next anthology from Sassy Vixen Publishing, Seasons of Sun and Sin. We’ve had to delay the release of this one because of the move, but now we’re moving forward full steam ahead! Our editor has completed “Bound” and the novelette by my alter ego Lia Michaels. I’ll have “Curse” completed and ready for edits by next weekend. I’m so excited to be back in the groove again. Being away from my characters has been torture.

“Bound in Paradise” is the prequel erotic romance to The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). Here we’ll learn how Julia and Carmen first met and fell for each other and how their Domme/sub relationship blossomed. Julia Santos is one of my favorite characters because on the surface she’s this evil wench. Underneath she’s a lost and tortured soul who uses sex to get what she wants from those around her. Ultimately, it takes near tragedy to get her to see she’s worth having the love of a lifetime. She’s a lot like me in that regard. I lived through a hell of a time where I didn’t think I deserved a happily ever after. Now I have it, and Julia deserved one too.

“Curse of the First Born Cain” is the introduction to my Kayne Legacy series. While there are love matches between the various couples, this isn’t a true romance. It’s more vampire erotica with romantic elements. This first novelette introduces the characters and teases you with the stories yet to unfold in the next installments. I thought the anthology would be the perfect way to introduce the series inspired by the poetry in Courtship of the Vampyre.

While there are many characters in this series who have stories to tell, the first helps to set the tone. In this one we start off in the present day and meet the newest recipients of the Legacy: Abigail and Michael. During their first meeting, we discover Michael is the direct descendant of Cain…the first born of Adam and Eve. We’re shocked right along with Abigail when Cain shows up to tell her his side of the Biblical story. We learn just how much of the story we haven’t been told all these years.

We’re shooting for a November release date either the week before or the week of Thanksgiving. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we’ll be ready to go on time. If life gets in the way again, it will be out in time for Christmas for sure. A few people asked if the name of the anthology would be changed since it was supposed to be “the summer anthology”. The answer is an emphatic NO. The title works for any “season” and who doesn’t think of hot sultry nights in paradise when they’re buried under a blanket of snow? It’s a good time of year to get folks thinking about the warmer weather and the fun that can be had in and out of the bedroom no matter what the temperature is outside.

I hope you enjoy these tales as well as “Sweet Surrender” I’ve written as Lia Michaels. This one is the continuation of the Candy Kisses Gang’s story and continues right where “Have a Naughty, Naughty, Christmas” left off. So stay tuned! I’ll update you on the release date for Season of Sun and Sin and for the other books I have coming out over the next few months.

Until then,

Tammy

#WildCardWednesday: @dochappycamper Reviews Her #RomCon14 and #RomConU Experience #MyWANA

Welcome to Wild Card Wednesday here at Behind Closed Doors!

This week I’d like to share my experience in Denver for RomCon University and Rom Con 1014. This is the second year I’ve attended RomCon and the first for the University and I have to say by far, this is the best convention I’ve ever attended. As you all know, I’m a veterinarian when I’m not writing and publishing. I’ve attended hundreds of conferences and conventions…in Las Vegas too…and RomCon beat them all.

Why? The other attendees (authors and readers) made it extra special for me. Not only did I get to help host four events, I made a heck of a lot of new friends, went all fan girl on a few authors, and was basically put up on a pedestal by my number one fan. My husband schmoozed with everyone and promoted me and my work every single chance he had, even at the hotel bar during the World Cup. That man simply rocks!

Even when a gamer convention overlapped ours, my husband didn’t let that stop him. He proceeded to inform anyone who would listen all about romance authors and how today’s books are nothing like those in the 1980’s. For someone who doesn’t read the genre himself, my husband can outsell any PR person out there when it comes to my poetry and erotic romance in general. His proudest moment was when he sat next to Lexi Blake at the hotel bar while she waited for them to set up her cocktail hour event for the readers. He doesn’t know her from Adam or Eve, and yet he chatted with her as if he was her old friend. He in turn ran up to the room to tell me all about it and how he told her how nervous I was to be on the Erotic Author Chat Panel with her. Come to find out, she’s like me…a Nervous Nelly in front of groups.

It goes to show you, even the authors we admire and look up to, are a bundle of nerves at times and have the same fears we do. All of us get devastated by low rated reviews and boosted by the high rated ones. All of us worry we’re not good enough at times, but we have to simply forge ahead and keep writing. Why? Because it’s in our blood. We HAVE to write and get out tales out for others to read.

RomCon University was the portion aimed specifically at authors. So many great lectures available, but I had to keep it tailored to a choice view since I had other events to host/attend. I learned about price points that sell best and not so well. I learned that Ingram Spark will be able to distribute eBooks, paperbacks, and hard covers of any of my future releases AND get them in front of the buyers of brick and mortar bookstores. I confirmed and reinforced many things I already knew about Indie Publishing. I came away refreshed and ready to tackle even more. I’ll definitely attend next year. For a little more of what I learned, check out my article on Writer’s Words of Wisdom HERE.

The first author event I was involved in was my very first chat panel. I had the pleasure of being on the Erotic Authors Chat panel this year with Angel Payne, Amelia James, Lexi Blake, Jayne Rylan, and Virginia Cavanaugh. I was a bundle of nerves but everyone made me feel right at home including those in the audience. Jenna Jacob and her husband Sean sat near my end of the table and helped boost my confidence. I could have sat up there all day chatting with everyone but as soon as it was over, I had to make a mad dash to my next event…

Get Crafty with the Authors turned out to be a very busy event. We had tables for knitters, beaders, scrap bookers and sewing. That’s where folks found me. I’m not a big sewing person anymore, but I couldn’t pass up on the quilted mass market sized book cover. The pattern was easy to do and I had all the prep work done ahead of time. With minimal assembly, folks at our table created their own cover. We also had English Paper Piecing. I got to take a few of those kits to try out for myself!

With a short time for a dinner break and a dress change I was ready for my next event…The Book Signing! Since there wasn’t enough time between the signing and the Dancing with the Decades and Karaoke Party, many of us had to go to the signing in costume. My decade was of course the 70’s. I went as my own version of Elton John. I molted feathers all over the place but no one forgot me!

I trailed feathers from my room all through the convention center until I got to the room for the book signing. There I set up my books and some swag. On a whim, I put out my Tawny Savage book The Bigfoot Chronicles 1 and 2. That’s the one that literally flew off my table! People love that 7 foot hairy beast and want more. It’s coming I promise! Readers and authors alike stopped by my table and picked up one, two or ALL of my books. Whoohoo!

I signed books, swag, autograph books, Kindle covers, Nook covers, book bags and RomCon programs. I signed books over to the people asking for them and for other names they gave me *wink wink*. Your secrets are safe with me, gang! LOL!

One of the folks who befriended my husband and me was Jai C and her daughter Gina. They sought us out every day at meal times, and at the events. I made a special gift to Jai C of copies of all of my books. Some of it is new to her, but I do know she’s really looking forward to reading the menage a quatre in Sweet, Sulty, and Oh So Taboo!

Now on to the Decades party and set up of my games. I had Hungry, Hungry Hippos and Kerplunk for people to enjoy and earn tickets for the raffle of tons of prizes donated by all of the participating authors.

I don’t have a lot of pictures of this event since I was a tad busy playing the games and then enjoying the music. Let’s just say I did get groped/mauled on stage during the costume contest—and enjoyed every minute of it! LOL!

At the end of the night, my hubby and I made it back to our room in one piece and collapsed into bed.

The next day I got to participate more as a fan. I had a lot of fun in the Build A Villain event and I sat in the audience for a few other chat panels. All in all it was a relaxing day. Good thing too since I had one last event…

Chocolate Mangasm!!

I was in charge of the Naughty Bingo games this year. Instead of using regular bingo markers, I printed off tiny covers of the books of all the participating authors. I gave the players a list of Naughty Words to choose from and they filled their cards in as they saw fit. It was a hell of a lot of fun yelling out those words. Some folks blushed, while others made me repeat them over and over again just to see if I would blush. LOL!

While the color in my cheeks wasn’t from any embarrassing moments, I did get a few others to blush with the words in the game and the prizes I handed out. I got the biggest kick out of people asking me what the hell a whip tickler was. LOL! I gave one out as a prize to BDSM newbie. She’s so inspired by my game and that of the other authors, she’s planning on trying out a few of the new toys when she goes back home. That’s what it’s all about. Having fun and learning about new things to put a little more spice and kink in the bedroom. 😉

All in all, I had a wonderful time and will definitely be back again next year to hook up with our new friends and make even more fabulous memories. Of course, I’ll be there with my famous rainbow hair! Thank you RomCon for making it all possible!

~Tammy

REBLOG: Are You a “Real” Writer? #amwriting #MyWANA

Another of my author friends shared a post from another blog today about what it means to be called a real writer. If you’re like me, you’ve had this conversation with your fair share of people when you tell them what genre(s) you write. People feel romance authors…specifically erotic romance authors aren’t real writers. If they haven’t seen us on Oprah’s book of the month club or on the NY Times best sellers list we aren’t real writers. If they have never heard of us before, we aren’t real writers. See where I’m doing with this?

There are no fast and hard rules about what is a real writer. If you write, you are one. Period. People confuse being a writer with being famous. Fame has nothing to do with it although it would be nice! LOL! We write because we have to do it. It’s in our blood. We hope others enjoy our stories, but even if they don’t, we still continue to write. So the next time someone tells you they’re a writer, ask them about their latest works and their writing process. Get to know the person before you turn your nose up at them because they don’t write the kind of stories you would be interested in.

Christine Ashworth posted a wonderful blog about “real” writers. You have to read it. She put into words what many of us try to explain to others every single day. Click HERE to find the article. Leave a comment on her blog to let her know what you think of it.

I’ve been busy working on the prequel to The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). It’s a short novella called “Bound in Paradise” and will be one of the three pieces in Sassy Vixen Publishing’s Season of Sun and Sin anthology. While working on that, it dawned on me that I have nine books out now between all of my pen names. The anthology will be the tenth and will include TWO of my stories. My 11th and 12th books will be out this summer too. I’m not yet up there on the charts like some people are, but I do have my fan base and it’s growing. These folks make me want to keep putting stories out there, but honestly even if they weren’t there, I’d still be writing. I may not put them out for others to read, but I’d write the stories just the same. My characters don’t ever keep quiet. LOL!

To celebrate and to thank those who have supported me on this journey, Sassy Vixen Publishing has agreed to offer The Surrender of Julia for only 99 cents for a very limited time on All Romance ebooks and Amazon. If you haven’t picked up you copy yet, please do so. If you have time, I’d love to hear what you think about the book. Reviews on Amazon and Goodreads help me continue to improve as a writer and storyteller.

Is there Ever A “Good” Time to Have Writer’s Block? #amwriting #MyWANA

Welcome back to Behind Closed Doors, a place where I like to share thoughts and bits about my writing. This week, I’m having a very bad case of the dreaded writer’s block. Honestly, this is really a bad time for this to happen. I have a huge deadline. In less than two weeks I have to turn in two novellas to my editor, finish up my application for my veterinary license in Washington so it will be in place when we move in the fall, finish the final book in my alter ego Tawny Savage’s Bigfoot Chronicles for a June/July release date…and pack up this house to get ready for the move. Oy!

Is it any wonder I’m blocked? LOL

I wish I could just go away somewhere, lock out the rest of the world and just let the muses take me where they want to take me. I’m ready for the journey. I learned a long time ago not to try to direct any of my muses. They speak when they wish and that’s that. No amount of begging, pleading or bribing will get them to open up if they don’t want to do it, and for Goddess sake don’t you dare try to tell them how the story will turn out! Talk about a mutiny…

I didn’t try to take over the story at all. I kept all of my pens and notebooks at the ready, eager to jot down any little tidbit even if it only was a partial scene or snippet of dialogue. Whatever it was, I wrote it down. Unfortunately, all the bits and parts aren’t coming together like they have in the past. What’s a girl to do?

I’ve tried walking away, switching manuscripts to work on a different story, changing scenery, with music, without music, total silence in my office (totally didn’t work), EVERYTHING and it’s still all fuzzy. Maybe my muses need a vacation? Not sure how I can send them on one until I’ve completed these stories but if that’s what they need I’ll have to figure out a way.

Well, I’m off to change things up yet again and see if the Candy Kisses foursome will tell me more about their new adults only pub in the Detroit Metro area. Yes, that’s one of the stories I have to write for the Sassy Vixen Publishing summer anthology Season of Sun and Sin. This particular novella I’m writing as Lia Michaels and follows the Candy Kisses restaurant owners Candice, Alexander, Gabriel and their new partner Darrin. This one finds them six months after they formed their…uh…partnership both in and out of the bedroom in the winter anthology ‘Tis the Season for Seduction. Better get back to it!

Until next time,

~Tammy

OhMy! @dochappycamper Asks: What’s in a Name? Our Summer Anthology Needs a Title. #eroticromance #menage #vampires

Help! Sassy Vixen Publishing is putting out another anthology under the Four Seduced Muses Imprint. This one is all about summer lovin’ and all that goes on between two…or more lovers in the night. Once again I’ll be joined by my alter ego Lia Michaels, Maya DeLeina, and Nicole Morgan. This time I’m so happy to say the fabulous Bonnie Bliss will be joining the group to add her smokin’ hot tale of love and lust.

Some of the story lines are already underway. In fact, they are continuations of the stories in the Christmas/winter anthology, ‘Tis the Season for Seduction. Lia’s tale will follow the Candy Kisses menage a quatre we were introduced to in “Have a Naughty Naughty Christmas.” This time they continue their escapades back home in the heat of the summer in Michigan. The love between the pairs in the group grows and the heat between all four ignites to a raging inferno. You’ll want to see the fireworks fly in this one. Trust me!

Maya’s contribution follows her couple from ‘A Winter’s Ecstasy. This time we get to see how a vampire handles the sun in the Florida Keys. I bet you didn’t think you’d see that one coming now did you? Who would think a creature of the night would enjoy the sun and sin in the Gator State?

Bonnie is still narrowing her story choices down. She has so many she’d like to share and so little time. Stay tuned for more when she lets us know what she decides to concentrate on for this project.

Nicole is like Bonnie and working hard to narrow things down. I’ll clue you all in when she picks a hot couple’s tale to share with us.

As for me, I’ve decided to delve into Julia and Carmen’s back story and give you their first vacation together in the island paradise of Maui. So for both Lia and me it will be bondage and submission between our lovers. Now what more could a reader ask for?

How about helping us narrow the list of titles we came up with down to the one that will grace the cover that is being designed by the fabulous Lindsey Kirk of LMK Graphics. You remember her. She’s the artist who did The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). She knows how to capture the essence of the characters in all her covers and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for the anthology!

Take a look at the poll below. Chose the title you like the best. Enter your email address to finalize your vote and hit submit. Once you do that, you’ll automatically be entered to win a free print AND ebook copy of the anthology when it’s released in July. Hurry! You only have until March 15th to get your votes in. Please feel free to share the link to this blog with everyone. The more votes the better. How fun will it be to hold in your hands a book with the title YOU chose?

What do you say? Are you in? Happy voting!

OhMy! Monday: #SB48 Inspired @dochappycamper to Change the Game Plan #amwriting #MyWANA

Welcome to the newly renovated Behind Closed Doors! With the new year, I’ve been going through quite a bit of soul searching in order to figure out just what I wanted out of my writing and publishing career. I’ve been split between four pen names (including this one) and getting a fledgling publishing house up and running (Sassy Vixen Publishing). It’s been a wild ride to say the least and nothing short of a miracle I’ve come this far with my sanity somewhat intact. I can’t keep burning the candle at both ends and the middle. Something had to give and it turned out it was me.

I had to decide what was more important to me right now: my career as an author (four actually), or a publisher.

The game plan has always been to write and get my books out there in front of as many people as possible. I have so many stories to tell about all the characters constantly chattering in my head. There really isn’t enough time in the day to handle all of them and go full throttle running a publishing house. I can’t take on new authors until Sassy Vixen builds up a reputation for quality work. I can’t have that if I don’t put my all into the writing in the first place!

See my dilemma? Two beautiful career goals and both are suffering because I’m spread too thin. Time to go back to basics and enjoy the very reason I got into all of this in the first place. With that in mind, I’d like to announce I’m going to write a novella to be included in a Summer Lovin’ themed anthology with Sassy Vixen Publishing. I’ll be joining five other authors in this project. My piece will delve into the back story of two characters from my last novel.

Julia and Carmen hold a special place in my heart. Their story was a tough one for me to write and it was “rejected” by Siren because it didn’t fit into any of their imprints. They liked the writing style and the characters…BUT since I wrote M/F pairings in the first books of the series, they didn’t think the F/F pairing would go over well with the readership I had up to this point. I refused to believe that and even if it was true, I wanted to tell this story the way Julia and Carmen presented it to me—not to fit in some sort of formula for a specific imprint.

Don’t get me wrong. There’s nothing wrong with writing tales to fit, it just wasn’t for me. Not for this story. Not for the rest of the series either.

The current novella will visit with Julia and Carmen during their first trip together to Maui. It was a time in their lives when they fell in love with each other for the first time. Of course, Julia had a hard time with those feelings once they returned to the mainland. You’ll get to read all about it this summer. Until then, here’s an excerpt to wet your appetite for these lovelies! Enjoy!

Thirteen years ago, Long Beach, California

The hot bath laced with jasmine oil helped her relax. Julia hadn’t realized just how tense her entire body was until she was completely submerged in the large sunken spa tub in Carmen’s master bathroom. She’d forgotten how much she enjoyed just soaking in this tub. It’d been far too long since she stayed here. Julia became determined to change that.

During the drive out of the city toward Long Beach, she knew she finally moved in the right direction in her life for once. All these years, she put her passion into her art and the various muses along the way. Now, she headed toward her heart’s desire. The one person who accepted her for who she was from the start—someone strong enough to take her in hand when she needed it and who’d been right by her side all along. Julia hoped it wasn’t too late to give herself over to her Mistress completely.

She stepped out of the tub and reached for one of the large fluffy towels to dry off her now relaxed body. Her hair sat piled on top of her head, clamped in one of the banana clips she found in the vanity drawer. It looked like it’d been hand crafted by using two pieces of jade and it made Julia smile. It was the very first gift she’d given to Carmen after their trip to Hawaii almost 13 years ago. The color looked beautiful in her blonde hair and actually made several appearances in Julia’s paintings. She always respected Carmen’s wishes to not put her into any of her artwork, but seeing the jade hair clip always made both of them smile and reminisce.

Looking back at her reflection in the mirror she saw the shy gray-eyed little girl who first came to LA, hoping to make it big and prove everyone from her home town in Missouri wrong. She wasn’t a freak or trailer trash like her parents. She was somebody and it was time to reclaim her true self. Julia left the bathroom and walked naked toward the large walk-in closet. She went directly to the chest of drawers on the far corner and opened the top drawer. Inside, she found the boxes of bell clamps Mistress directed her to wear. After choosing one of the boxes, she then turned to peruse the rest of the closet.

She didn’t have far to look for the boots. A shelf of several pairs sat to her left. One pair in particular, spoke to her. Without hesitation, she chose the patent leathers with the five inch heels that laced from the top to toe. Of course there was a zipper on the inside of the boot to make it easier to get them on and off, but Julia never felt sexier than when she slowly laced herself up in those boots.

The clamps were coated with latex to help them grip to her flesh comfortably and yet hold on tight enough to not slip off during play sessions. The weight of the bells caused the clamps to tug on her nipples each time her breasts moved. Nothing like that sensation ever existed for Julia before and she felt the immediate rush of warmth between her thighs with each jiggle and jingle of her tits. To attach the last two clamps, she needed to sit on the bed and spread her legs wide. Grasping first her right and then her left outer pussy fold between her thumb and forefinger, she fit the clamps into place. There was a separate ring on each of the clamps where Mistress could attach a fine gold chain leash, tugging on it to keep Julia’s attention focused on the tasks at hand, and reminding her not to cum until given permission.

Where to find The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3)

Amazon

All Romance ebooks

Omnilit

Smashwords

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

@dochappycamper Is In Need of #Reviews for THE SURRENDER OF JULIA #erotic #bisexual #bdsm #sextoys

Welcome to Behind Closed Doors and Happy New Year! I’ve kicked it off with a bang with the early release of The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3). It’s been a whirlwind of activity and I had little time to get ARCs out before the book came out. I’ve sent out some requests for reviews, but I thought I’d make another request this way…the the blogger and reader community. If anyone’s interested in receiving a PDF format advanced reading copy of Julia’s story, please either leave a comment here with your contact information, or send me an email directly to tammydenningsmaggyauthor (at) gmail (dot) come.

Of course the email address is all written out to hopefully prevent the bots from finding my email and filling it with spam. LOL!

I also have ARCs from the first two books in the series to give out in exchange for reviews too. Thank you all for your support and help to get the Now and Forever series out there. I’ve been watching the first two books move up some lists on Goodreads and couldn’t be happier about it. Without you, none of this would be happening so THANK YOU!!!

Here’s a the information, blurb and an excerpt from The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3)

Release Date: December 28, 2013

Publisher: Sassy Vixen Publishing LLC

Heat Level: SEXTREME

Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance

Categories: LGBT, bisexual, BDSM, spanking, Fantasy, redemption, erotic, Paranormal elements

Sexual pairings: M/F and F/F

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?

ADULT F/F EXCERPT

Julia’s ass burned from the paddle and yet she craved more. She knew her Mistress would deliver the appropriate punishment. She always knew what to do for her to give them both the greatest amount of pleasure. “Yes, Mistress.” Julia placed her palms flat on the carpet, curled her fingers inward, and gripped the plush fibers as Carmen worked her with the paddle. A few times the edges of the paddle connected with her cunt sending jolts of pleasure and pain through her body, igniting the passion she hadn’t felt in a long time. This was definitely where she belonged, with her Mistress, her true soul mate.

“You’re going to get to know this paddle well, my sweet, but not all tonight. We’ve plenty of time together and I’ve a lot of instruction planned for you.” Carmen slipped her fingers between Julia’s pussy lips. “So wet for me already, kitten. Do you know how much that pleases me?”

“I’ll do anything to please you.” Julia thrust back toward Carmen as her fingers slid over her clit and then quickly withdrew. “Please don’t stop, Mistress.”

Carmen laughed softly as she rubbed soothing cream with her soft hands over Julia’s thighs and bottom. “Don’t you worry, there’s going to be plenty of time for you to come for me, my love. Since it’s been such a long time, your skin isn’t used to being worked, but it will be.”

Shivers flew up and down Julia’s spine. The combination of the heat from the paddle, the coolness of the cream, and the touch of Carmen’s hands became almost too much to take, and yet it was exactly what she needed and longed for from the very start. She felt a tug on her outer lips as the bell clamps were removed and cream worked into the skin where they’d been for the last few hours. Julia moaned again as Carmen spread her ass cheeks and slipped two fingers into her tight opening, coating her with the cream and stretching her with each feathering stroke.

Carmen picked up the crop with the special latex covered handle and bulb at the tip. It resembled a long, thick cock and was in fact, one of Julia’s favorite toys.

Tonight she would be reacquainted with it. Just the sight of it made her body ache with need. The feel of the dildo sliding between her cheeks, sent a flood of her juices down her inner thighs with nothing she could do about it. She couldn’t hold it back any longer and hoped it wouldn’t displease her Mistress too much. A smile slowly formed on her lips thinking about what would happen next if Carmen followed her usual routine.

The bulb of the handle slowly slid passed the initial resistance to embed deep within her. Julia’s clit throbbed in response to the fullness of the crop buried in her ass, and her hips rocked. She ground her pussy into the ottoman, attempting to give her clit some relief.

Carmen wasn’t going to allow it however. “Kneel up, hands behind your back, kitten.” She helped Julia get up and into position before shoving the crop a little deeper into her. “Now, I’m going to enjoy that hot bath you prepared for me. Keep your hands behind your back, legs apart, and that fake cock right where it is until I tell you otherwise. Are you okay with that or do you need a break, my pet?”

Julia swallowed hard and licked her lips. “I could use a drink of water, Mistress.”

Carmen held a bottle of water with a straw while Julia drained nearly half of it in three gulps.

“Thank you.”

Carmen kissed her forehead and then her lips softly. “I won’t be long and then we’ll start again. I was thinking of our last session after you visited me today. We had such a short time together then, not enough to really see what both of us were made of. But this time, oh honey, this time we are going to be able to let everything and everyone else go.”

Thank you all for visiting. Until next time my peeps!

~Tammy