Tammy Dennings Maggy – Page 3 – Behind Closed Doors

#MSS79: My Immortal Valentine #FirstBornCain

Welcome to My Sexy Saturday here at Behind Closed Doors and Happy Valentine’s Day! This week’s post to be dedicated to sexy lovers everywhere. For my contribution, I thought I’d share seven paragraphs/lines of dialogue from Curse of the First Born Cain. In this scene, Michael gets down to the real reason he chose Abigail as the one to interview him and his family for her magazine. Seems that the two of them are fated to be together—because of one person. Even though she’s reluctant to believe she’s been chosen as the bride of the most influential human on the planet, she finds she can’t keep her interest in the Kayne family a secret any longer.

final Reflection for Sun and Sin — Season of Sun and Sin on AMAZON

The jolt flew up Abigail’s spine once again. She realized there was no hiding anything from him, and she didn’t want to do it anyway. For some reason she couldn’t explain, she felt safe enough with him to address the most outlandish rumor about his family heritage. She willed herself to keep her voice calm and neutral. “Is it true? Are you all descendants of the biblical Cain?”

“I’ll do you one better. How’d you like to meet him?”

She rolled her eyes and sighed. Now she had her proof he was pulling her leg all along. “Stop! You can’t be serious. Cain’s alive, in the twenty-first century?”

“He is and right behind you.”

Abigail turned around and looked into another set of steely gray eyes.

The late middle-aged man before her smiled—Michael’s smile—and held her hands in both of his callused ones. There is no way in hell this man is Michael’s grandfather. He looks barely old enough to be his father.

“Abigail? Meet my grandfather, Adam. You may know him better as Cain, the First Born.”

Thank you for stopping by today! Make sure you check out the other authors participating this week. Click on the “click here” link below to take you to the list, or you can click on the banner at the top of the post.

Have a wonderful day!

~Tammy

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Weeding Out the Clutter to Focus on Writing #IGotThis #MyWANA

Hello everyone!

I hope the first month of the new year is turning out to be a great one for you. It’s been one of reflection and re-evaluation for me. I know many folks come up with a list of resolutions and goals for the new year. That’s never worked for me, at least not where I thought I succeeded. More often than not, the pledges and promises made during the first week in January were long forgotten by the end of February…March at the latest.

Moving to Washington has helped me get rid of a lot of the clutter that had filled my life, career choices and my writing/publishing goals. I had been moving along at status quo, not able to break out of my rut and miserable. My health once again took a backseat as I let stress rule and depression take over. My home life suffered. I didn’t feel like I could give my best to my patients and my muses all hid on me and stayed silent.

Within a month of our move, the weight lifted from my shoulders and I found joy in veterinary medicine again. My characters clamored to be heard once more and I finally admitted to myself I need help to get my health back on track. First step on that journey is to eliminate as much stress from my life as I can. One big stressor for me has been finding ways to connect with new readers and socialize with other authors without coming off as spamming.

I had joined support groups in order to find out what worked for others and see if any of it would help me. Some methods did help and decreased my work load, but the majority of it made my stress and anxiety levels soar. Between the review swaps, like for a like, voting on Goodreads lists, tweet teams and promo posts and events, my brain damn near exploded. All of it seemed disingenuous. I wanted REAL reviews from actual readers. Still, I tried a few of the groups. In the end all of it fell flat for me. Members of some of the groups took advantage of the group dynamic but when it was their turn to reciprocate, they bailed…usually when it was time to share/help promote my stuff.

Belonging to some other groups frustrated the hell out of me because I was being lectured to on a daily basis about what I was doing wrong and if I wanted to succeed as an self published author I had to follow their way or hit the highway. Funny thing: these people know even less about what actually works in the publishing world than I did. When confronted with tried and true methods from authors who have made all the mistakes and learned from them in order to reach their success, these same people laugh and go about doing the same annoying spam posts, stacking Goodreads lists and swapping reviews.

Never mind their behavior has attracted the “trolls” who don’t take too kindly to their reader lists being manipulated. When a book by an unknown author RELEASES with over 50 five star reviews, it raises flags…and not the good kind. It also causes a backlash against anyone thought to be friends or associated with the unknown author.

Honestly, I can’t say I blame readers and reviewers from being pissed. I am as well. Why is it “okay” to manipulate the system to give the illusion of being a best seller? Why isn’t it enough to use social media to make connections and friendships that help readers discover your work? Why is it acceptable to hound fellow authors to like your page, buy your books or follow you back on Twitter?

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!

A friend of mine came to the same conclusion and penned a beautiful post about it. Amber Lea Easton is a multi-published author. She’s a hybrid having published on her own and this year she will be with THREE different publishers. Her memoir was voted one of the top ten inspirational reads in 2014. She didn’t even know that poll existed until her book was listed on it. THAT my friends is true success. Click HERE for her post and see why she is one of the people I most admire. She inspires me each and every day to reach for the stars.

Like Amber, I’m continuing to declutter and revamp myself and all of my alter egos. Streamlining is our top priority now. I’m going with the KISS principle: Keep It Simple Stupid. There is no reason that I have to be so wrapped up in promotions, lists, sales, giveaways, blog hops and begging for people to check out my books. I want to WRITE! I want people to enjoy my stories. They can’t do that if I don’t have them down on paper or published electronically. If they’re hidden away in my brain, no one will get attached to the characters I love.

Yes writing and publishing books isn’t easy. It’s not meant to be. It’s a labor of love that takes hard work and dedication to bring everything to fruition. It takes developing a thick skin to take the criticism and guidance of editors, reviewers and readers who really want to see you succeed and won’t coddle you or let you think you’re the best thing since pepper jack cheese. 🙂

As an author, I need the feedback to improve my writing but not change my stories. They’re my tales to tell. They won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but they do appeal to many. I’m grateful for each and every one of them for taking the time to read my work and give me their honest opinions. Sometimes their words sting, but I’ve learned from them and have grown as a writer.

I’ll keep writing and reaching for the stars. I Got This!

Who’s with me?

@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

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.

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

#ThrowbackThursday: Revisiting My Journey Through #Poetry #ARTG

It’s Throwback Thursday and two years ago this week, I was getting ready to publish my first book of poetry…on my own without a publisher. Fear and inexperience threatened to derail my resolve. No matter how scared I was to do it, I knew I needed to get the collection out there of all to see. I wanted to share my journey to find happiness. I had gone through hell and back again and detailed it all through poetry. When I couldn’t find the words to speak, my poetry came through for me. It helped me work through some of the most painful and dark times in my life to the happiest here with my soul mate.

It took many years, a failed marriage and a shattered heart but in the end I found my happily ever after with my husband, Liam. Neither of us were looking for a long-term relationship when we met. Both of us had come through nasty breakups and I was legally separated from the first husband. It was a mess but through it all we were able to find each other and a love that wouldn’t be denied.

Back to the poetry book. Follow Me: Poetry from the Heart and Soul. The first cover was a quick photo I found in some clip art. I didn’t have the money to get a good stock photo at the time, but when I did I updated the cover to what it is now. Some people may still see that old cover out there and when I see it, I smile. Like me, it’s gone through changes to its last edition. I have that original cover framed on my wall above my writing area. When we have the new office set up in the second bedroom, I’ll move it in there and put up all the covers. As with the poems, the covers detail my journey as an author, publisher and cover artist. I’m proud of them all!

As with my covers, the video trailers I’ve made have evolved from my first one. I’ve learned a lot and had tons of fun in the process. Here’s the video for this book. It showcases one of the poems in the collection that encourages the reader to follow their hearts because in the end that’s where your true love will be found.

Follow Me New cover Large

I’d like to share another poem from the book, one that I wrote when Liam and I were in the early stages of our relationship. He was active duty military and could get called away at any time. Both of us were dating others at the time but moving toward becoming each other’s one and only. The more I wanted to pull away from him, afraid I’d be hurt again, the more I had longed to be wrapped in his arms. Come to find out, he felt the same!

* * * *

Safe In Your Arms

Tossing and turning

Restless and burning

Aching to feel your body

Close to mine.

The bed that we once shared

Seems cold and lonely

Without you to hold me tight.

When you are here,

All sadness and pain disappear

And I am safe in your arms

Every night.

Once again tossing and turning

Restless and yearning

For the day you will

Return back to me.

Knowing in my heart of hearts

Your First Love will always call…

Taking you away to the arms

Of the beautiful, cruel and majestic

Lady of the Sea.

Knowing all along

Your heart would not belong

To me alone…

I still chose to share mine

With you.

For the Lady promised

She would keep you safe

And bring you home

When your journey together

Was through.

Tossing and turning.

My heart restless and burning

For your love,

Your touch and your kiss.

Hoping and praying

That the coming dawn would finally bring

The day I will be safe

In your arms…

And once again our hearts joined

In peaceful bliss.

©Tammy Dennings Maggy

3/28/2011

You can find this collection as an ebook for only 99 cents from the following retailers. It’s also available in print.

Sassy Vixen Publishing

Who Do You Trust? #amwriting #MyWANA #ARTG

Welcome back to Behind Closed Doors. I’ve been away for awhile sorting through the projects on my desk and getting ready for my new releases scheduled over the next two months. It’s been a whirlwind of activity with a few set backs with the move, new jobs and my monitor dying on me last night. LOL! Thanks to the Navy Exchange, I have the new one up and running and I’m catching up on everything I wasn’t able to tackle with the Netbook.

I’m sure many of you have heard of the new wave of pirate sites and illegal file sharing groups. It’s disheartening to get Google alerts with my books listed on more sites daily. I took a long hard look at where these places got the files to begin with and my heart broke further. Most of them came from copies I had given out in exchange for reviews and for prizes during blog hops. The other source turns out to be from purchases right from Amazon.

Yes you read that correctly. Amazon’s policy to allow returns of ebooks has enabled these book hoarders to continue to steal from their “favorite” authors. One person purchases the book and copies it to their computer before returning it to Amazon for a refund. Then they take this file and convert it to any other format needed for their share groups before uploading it to those sites. It’s a game to these people. They love the attention they get when people ask them to find a book for them. All the while they make it more and more difficult for the authors of these books to continue with their craft. I mean, who wants to pour your heart and soul into a story only to have it stolen from you over and over again?

Speaking of stealing…

It’s not only the pirates we have to watch out for but the snakes in our own community. That’s right. What’s the old saying? Keep your friends close but your enemies closer? What do you do when the people you thought were your friends and colleagues are the very people stealing from you?

Creating stories similar to each other is bound to happen. We are a close knit group. There are fewer and fewer truly original ideas out there. I’m not talking about that but blatant, full on plagiarism. Oh wait, it’s not really that now but “mixing.” That’s what some snot-nosed 17 year old writer, and I use the term loosely, calls her theft of another author’s published work. What’s even worse is she is getting REWARDED for this horrible behavior instead of tossed out on her ass.

But wait! There’s more.

I posted a question on my Facebook page not too long ago. I asked what was worse: an author who steals from a fellow author or an publisher who steals from one of it’s own authors and then publishes the story under their own pen name. The overwhelming response was while both were heinous, the theft by the publisher made everyone want to vomit.

I agree. It’s the worst kind of betrayal but add in there snakes who disguise themselves as beta readers or critique partners, or those valued members of your street teams. Who the hell is left out there to trust? My original question on Facebook wasn’t a hypothetical. It actually happened. Not to me but to someone in my inner circle. Those of you who know me, know I don’t sit back and take that sort of thing lightly. I may appear all nicey nice on the outside, but if you cross me, my family or my friends then I unleash the Wicked Vixen…and “it ain’t purdy.”

This whole thing has left a sour taste in my mouth and a knot in my stomach. Why should I keep writing and putting myself out there if someone will end up stealing it away from me or my friends? We’re supposed to help and encourage each other in our journeys, not sabotage them before we leave the nest.

So what do we do? We keep going. We continue to write and put our best stuff out there. The more we do, the more people/readers will know we are the real deal. We’re not going anywhere and we will take back what was stolen from us…in spades.

For those of you out there who think you’re getting away with stealing…we’re watching you and we’re not the only ones. Karma never forgets and neither do I.

See you around…

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

My Crazy Writing Style #amwriting #myWANA

I’m in the middle of four works in progress: one is with the editor for the second round of her magic, another is near completion and will be sent for edits next week, the third continues on because the characters have more to tell, and the fourth is all plotted out and over half written. Whew!

People ask me how I can keep all the stories straight in my head. Truth is I can’t. I stopped trying to do that a heck of a long time ago. Instead, I let the characters tell their story, whenever they speak up. They don’t always tell me everything in order. No that would make sense. My characters are like my mind—all over the place.

If I try to force them to tell me their tales from start to finish, they clam up. ALL of them. It’s not until I relax and simply act as their secretary do they open up and share all. It’s like listening to a favorite old relative describe an event from their youth. They don’t start from the moment of their birth, but instead with that particular moment in time. My characters do that. They’ll give me an ending and then abruptly switch to a scene in the middle then back to the end one more time before deciding to share the beginning.

I jot all these notes and scenes down in little spiral notebooks and then organize the scenes in some sort of timeline. Then I set it aside and work on something else using the same process. Back and forth I go until one of stories grabs hold of me and won’t let go until I have the first rough draft. I print this off and then go through it with my red pen. I then go through and make the changes and additions before printing it off again. I repeat the process over and over again until I have the final manuscript to send to my editor.

While she works on that one, I tackle the others until another is complete and ready for her to tear apart…errr…help bring out my best work. Some authors hate edits. I love them. Seriously, I love every single minute of them because I’ve had the best editors. Each one has taught me so much, but none more than Amber. She gets me and my writing style and has the uncanny ability to point out the exact spots that had rubbed me wrong but I didn’t know why or how to fix it. She tells me how the scene works or doesn’t work for her and that alone will open up the flood gates in my head. I can usually rearrange and rewrite and the entire story is better for it.

Of course there are times when I have to mull it over and the first rewrite doesn’t quite accomplish the task, but by the end of the third round, I have it exactly the way I saw it all in my head. None of it would be possible if I didn’t have the help of Amber and the other editors who work with me and all four of my pen names. Without their help, I would have a hell of a time catching the repetitive phrases. Because I write the scenes out of order, there are times when I do repeat myself. Once i put the scenes in order, I have to go through it several times to catch these instances. Even so, there are still some I miss. That happens when you’re too close to the project and why another set (or two) of eyes is needed.

There are some authors out there who feel that self-editing is more than sufficient to make a manuscript ready to publish. They feel they’re well versed in grammar and language and are the best person to judge what they’d intended to convey to the readers. Why should they pay someone to read through their work when it’s perfect as it is.

Bullshit.

Nothing and no one is perfect. All we can do as authors is to put our best work out there. We can’t do that if we’re too blind to see the forest through the trees. In other words, if we believe our own tall tales and refuse to acknowledge there’s ALWAYS room for improvement we might as well keep our stories inside our heads. Why? Readers will see right through it all and call you out on it.

Why not save yourself the embarrassment and have your work professionally edited. While it’s no guarantee your book will be a best seller, at least you can rest assured you’ve given it your best effort. If you do that, readers will find you and tell their friends. When that happens it’s a wonderful feeling—one that never grows old. After ten books now, I still get giddy when a reader tells me they enjoyed one of my stories.

I’m finally living my dream. It may not be the same path as yours, but I’m having the time of my life just the same!

Until next time,

Tammy

#MySexySaturday: @dochappycamper Revisits an #Erotic Limo Ride Through #Vegas

Welcome back to Behind Closed Doors! This is the first time I’m participating in My Sexy Saturday and I can’t wait to share my “seven” with everyone. This week’s theme is sexy carriage rides. The rules state it could be any kind of carriage such as a space ship, taxi, or in my case a LIMO. The scene I decided to share is from my first published novel For the Love of Quinn (Now and Forever). It’s the first time that one of the heroes confesses he’s falling in love with the heroine. I got a lot of flack about this love triangle. Even now there’s a “Team Steve” and a “Team Jake.” The following seven paragraphs are my nod to “Team Steve.”

Let me set this up for you. Quinn and Steve spent the last few hours at the House of Blues. Quinn had performed for the very first time with her brother and his band. Jake Hartley, the other man vying for Quinn’s heart, was at the concert as well. Sparks flew and tension grew between the three, but only took Quinn home with him that night. Enjoy!

“I’m falling in love with you, Quinn.” He stared deeply into her eyes as he unhooked her bra. “I know I said no strings and I meant that at the time. It’s just the more time I spend with you, the more I want. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I want whatever time we have together to be magical. I’m not asking you to feel the same for me. Just let me love you for as long as you need, as long as you want.”

“I want you to love me right here and now. I can’t promise you anything beyond that, but I haven’t felt this close to anyone in such a long time. It’s all because of you, and I don’t want this to end.”

“Does that mean you’ll stay with me whenever you’re in Vegas? Be my lover even if just for one night?” He slipped her shirt and bra off in one motion and nuzzled each of her breasts before looking back up into her eyes.

“Would that be enough for you?” Quinn unbuttoned his shirt, touching his chest and the tattoo of her alter ego with her fingertips as she went. His muscles rippled at her touch, and she could feel the excitement rising in her own body and in his. Quinn wanted this man more than anything at that moment simply because he wanted her.

“No, it isn’t nearly enough, but I won’t ask you to give anything more than you’re able to give to me.” He sat up so Quinn could slip his shirt the rest of the way off him. He held her like that for a moment, cradling her in his lap before he started to shift forward, laying her back on the seat. “You’ve had a hold over me from the moment I saw you get off the elevator, and somewhere between then and now, you’ve stolen my heart.”

“I tell you what, if you let me borrow your heart for a little while, I’ll share mine with you, too, as well as anything else you desire.” Quinn’s hands trailed down between them then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Her eyes never left his. She fell deeper and deeper into them. “You’re all I desire, Quinn. Nothing else matters anymore.” She slid his pants off his hips as he finished unzipping her jeans. His hands slipped inside to slide them off her, taking her thong right along with them.

Now they were both completely naked in the back of his limo, bathed in the lights of Vegas. Quinn guided him down on top of her so she could wrap her legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her as she felt him enter her slowly, touching every part of her inside. “Ohhhh, Steve.” The heat built between them, a smoldering, steady burn that intensified every time they were together. She arched her back and lifted her hips to receive him, each time taking him in deeper than before.

Thank you for stopping by! Make sure you check out the other fabulous participating blogs HERE.

See you next time

~Tammy

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@dochappycamper Joins the #FreedomHop Celebrating Reading Across the Genres

Live. Lov Romance Beckons e. Read.

THE FREEDOM HOP hosted by ROMANCE BECKONS

As a book lover, don’t take for granted your freedom to read. In this era of technology, books are at our fingertips and reading is something we make time for. eBook, audiobooks and good old-fashioned paperbacks give readers of all types the opportunity to enjoy reading.

Which type of books do you enjoy? Is it the fingernail-biting suspense? The thrill of an erotic romance? Or the fantasy of paranormal romance? Do you like your books to take you out of this world? Or is all about the possibilities in a contemporary romance?

Welcome to Behind Closed Doors and the next stop on the Freedom Hop. I’m author Tammy Dennings Maggy and I’m thrilled to take part in this event with thirty-nine others to celebrate our freedom to “live, love, and READ!” Books have always been my best friend. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t have my face buried in a book. There are pictures of me, barely able to sit up on my own holding a book in my chubby little baby fingers. All of those stories opened up so many avenues for me. My love of animals came from reading. My adoration of Science and English came from reading. The shy, introvert became the bold and brassy heroine through the books I read growing up. All of them made me who I am today and help me to tell the tales of my own characters.

When I went through some of life’s toughest challenges, I knew I could always rely on my books to get me through. Those stories encouraged me to make up worlds of my own and share them with other readers. Hopefully, I can give back to them what all those authors have given me over the years. One specific challenge I had to get through, was the loss of my step dad in 2005 to Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This time of year is still a little hard for me to get through. You see, Dad’s birthday was July 4th. Every single year we would use his birthday as an excuse to have a big gathering at our house with BBQ, swimming, volleyball and of course tons of fireworks. Dad loved this time of year not only for his birthday, but because as a Marine he participated in many celebrations honoring the freedoms we hold dear in the United States.

Five years after his death, I made the journey back home after my first marriage fell apart and love from the past shattered my heart beyond repair. I was at my lowest point then and about to find my path to my happily ever after—but I didn’t know it at the time. The following is a poem I wrote on the plane ride from California to Michigan. This is one of several poems I published in Follow Me: Poetry from the Heart and Soul.

Home Again

As soon as the wheels touched down,
The memories came flooding back.
Last time here was to say goodbye to the head of our family,
Our Rock, Provider, Protector.

Could feel him with me today,
As I left yet another plane.
Could feel his hand in mine;
Could hear him whisper
“it’s gonna be okay. You’ll get through this too.”
I am here. Lean on me.
Lean on the family.
That is why you are going home.

Five long years have passed
Since he was laid to rest.
But his guidance remains
Pulling me home again when life became unbearable.

So many emotions run through me as I drive North toward Home:
Shame to have failed yet again in love,
Failed at the marriage he had blessed.
Ashamed to have let another steal my heart and soul
so completely and leave me devastated.

But this time the Fixer of Broken Hearts and Souls
Was not there to pick up the pieces
and give me a reason for going home

This year was supposed to be different
Thought I found another to help me mend.
For three long years I barely existed,
Losing myself with each passing hour and day.

An old friend returned the smile to my face
And the laugh to my soul.
My Heart was nearly mended enough to trust again.
But the love that was promised was not true.
It was not meant to be.
So the heart that could not mend, shattered all the more.

Now I return home to my family and friends.
They will help bring the joy back into my life,
The smile to my face, and the laugh to my heart and soul.
For this is why I return again.
This is why I am going home.

I’ve used my poetry as outlines for a few more series I have underway and have included some poems in books I have out now. My vampire inspired poetry Courtship of the Vampyre details the stories I’m telling in my Kayne Legacy Series. The first of which should be out by the end of this year. In The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3) I used my poetry for wedding vows. Julia’s story is so far my most controversial book and one my dad would have been tickled pink over. He always challenged me to follow my dreams and my heart no matter where the path would lead. I knew Julia’s story had to be told even though others told me I shouldn’t switch to a F/F coupling when the first two books in the series were M/F.

Well, Dad. I did it. I followed my heart and Julia’s story is now out there for everyone to enjoy.

In honor of the hop and my Dad’s memory, I’m giving away FOUR eBook copies of The Surrender of Julia. If you want a copy, all you have to do is leave a comment below with your contact information. I’ll announce the winners on Tuesday July 8th.

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?

Make sure you check out the other blogs in the hop. You’ll have chances to win some fabulous prizes and maybe even find some new authors to add to your “must read” lists.

Have fun!
~Tammy

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#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