Friday, April 27, 2012

Kerry Adrienne insists, "No, I don’t."


Yay! So happy to host today's guest, Kerry Adrienne. We met at RWA Nationals at the FF&P party in 2011, and discovered that we were kindred spirits. Of course, I appreciate her naughty side. That is, if she'll admit to it!

Well, I didn’t think I did, but apparently, I do. Write erotic romance, that is. Since the release of Senator, Mine this month, I’ve had many nods and smirks from friends saying “Oh, yes, you do.”
But I thought erotic romance was, you know, the non-vanilla stuff. The cool stuff. Things other than just m/f doing regular things. Uh. I guess I was wrong.

Being a classics minor, I know that “erotic” came from “Eros” (I know, I didn’t need a degree to figure that out), and the definition of erotic is “of, devoted to, or tending to arouse sexual love or desire” (Mirriam Webster). Okay, I agree with that, too. So, maybe my problem is not with being told that my story is erotic romance—it is with the giggles and looks that invariably go along with being told that I write “IT”. My new stance: So what?

People read recipe books and grocery store lists and get hungry and no one laughs at them…how is that any different?

Shrug. I’ll wear the label proudly. I had another story that I wanted to write that I definitely considered erotic romance anyway. So there.


Thanks for hosting me, Louisa. I am thrilled to be in such awesome company.

Kerry Adrienne

Senator, Mine is the first 1Night Stand in the “All Mine” series from Decadent Publishing.  Druid, Mine will be out in June.

Senator, Mine
Kerry Adrienne
Blurb:

Eleanor’s dream of a romantic tour of Italy shatters when her long-time boyfriend breaks up with her in Pompeii. Determined to enjoy the once in a lifetime vacation, she enlists the 1NS service. She continues her trip, stopping to buy a small golden signet in a mysterious antiquities shop in Rome.

Darius, a hard-working Senator in Ancient Rome, is puzzled by the Sibyl’s words: You will not find love in your lifetime. Hoping to find a measure of happiness, he agrees to the Sibyl’s quest. In the olive grove, he spots Eleanor, a barbarian wearing his stolen senator’s ring.

A night spent together may be just what they both need to break down the columns of time that stand between them.
  
Excerpt:

 “What is it?” She moved closer to examine the object he held.

“A senator’s ring from the time of Augustus.” He waved the item with a flourish. “A rare and beautiful find, for a deserving young woman.”

The golden circle sparkled in the half-light like the wedding band that shone in her dreams. She tried to control her sharp intake of breath.

“A rather personal memento, wouldn’t you say?”

“It’s beautiful.”

“Indeed.”

“Which senator?” Gorgeous. What a find. Was it legal to take it out of the country? Surely it held historical significance.

“Yes, it can be exported,” the shopkeeper said. “We don’t know who owned the signet, as many records of the Senate at that time were lost, but it has been cleared by the Antiquities Commission.”
She hadn’t mentioned exporting it aloud. Had he read her mind? No, that wasn’t possible. She squirmed. Nothing about the shop or its contents felt normal. One thing was certain. The ring was amazing. And perfect.

“What does the engraving say?” she asked.

“Darius.”

She drew in a quick breath, as a gasp of warm air breezed across her neck, making the hairs stand. She shuddered. I’ve been watching too many old movies.

“As common as the name was at the time, no senators named Darius are on any rolls.” The shopkeeper pushed it closer to her face. “And Madame Eve recommends it. What do you say?”

“How much?” Eleanor whispered.

“Ah.” The shopkeeper grinned. “What price would you pay for a little ring that will change your life forever?”

Find Kerry Online

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Upcoming Workshop: De-Mystifying Ménage

If one lover is good, two has to be better, right?




Well, that’s the common myth at least. When it comes to writing ménage, all a writer needs to do is take a few willing participants and toss them into bed, right? What’s the mystery? Well, it better be a big bed.


Gearing up for another great workshop, and I can't wait to see what the writers come up with through RWA's special interest chapter FF&P (that's Future, Fantasy and Paranormal).



May 14-June 10 


For more information and to register, visit my guest-post on FF&P.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Exploring 'Illicit Magic' with Camilla Chafer


Camilla is giving away an e-book copy of Illicit Magic, so make sure to leave a comment with your email address!

Wow! I can hardly believe I made it to the end of Illicit Magic’s tour to join you on the final date, Louisa! During this past month, I’ve written a lot about what happens in Illicit Magic, but now it seems fitting to tell your readers a little more of what they can expect as the series unfolds.

So far in Illicit Magic, our heroine Stella has discovered she’s a witch, travelled thousands of miles from home, has new friends, a boyfriend she adores and is learning all about how to control her powers. She’s had a rollercoaster few weeks as her life abruptly changes thanks to the creepy Brotherhood.

Stella’s story picks up in the second book Unruly Magic. She’s settled down in a small town with a big secret, in the house her parents’ owned. As befitting witches, the house has been under a stasis spell since her parents left and now the spell is undone, time is starting to catch up with it. That’s not all the catching up there is to do! Stella is on the hunt for a loved one, her friends are about to re-enter her life and she’s made some wonderful new friends, plus a young witch has come to her for help, claiming the Council are out to get her. Of course in Stella’s life none of it is that simple! Who can, and should, she trust and will helping the young witch turn into something darker and deadlier? Plus there’s a new foe in town!

The third book, Devious Magic, sees the aftermath of the events of the second novel bring an old adversary to the quiet little town of Wilding, interrupting Stella’s life once again. When her best friend is kidnapped, Stella must return to England, from where she fled a year ago, to face down the Brotherhood, the witch hunters who drove her away. But do they really want to kill all the witches or is something more sinister afoot?

Right now, I’m working on book four, Magic Rising, where we’ll see a much stronger and more self-assured Stella accused of a crime she may or may not have committed. We’ll also learn more about the weak and inept Witches’ Council as the old guard try to keep it the same while another faction want to drag it into the present and unify the supernatural worlds. All they need is a new leader with a vision. We’ll see a more magically mature Stella really out to fight for herself and her friends – if she can stop herself being excommunicated!

Thanks so much for joining me on the tour!

Illicit Magic
By Camilla Chafer
Blurb:

More than three hundred years after the most terrifying witch hunts the world has ever known, it's happening again.

Racing from attack by the ruthless Brotherhood in London to the powerful witch council in New York, twenty-four-year-old novice witch Stella has to put her faith in strangers just to stay alive but she might not be any safer in their midst than from the danger she is running from.

Sent to an extraordinary safe house by the sea to learn her craft, Stella finds there is more than one dark secret in her new family: Étoile’s sister is spoken of in fear and sadness; Marc is supposed to be a powerful witch but is missing his magic; where does the owner of their safe house vanish to every day and why does Evan have the eyes of someone not quite human?

There is only one secret that someone will do anything to keep quiet, but whose secret is it and will Stella have to pay the price for silence?

Available via:


Excerpt:

The man filling the doorway was at least six foot two with broad shoulders that tapered to a neat waist and long, jeaned legs. Toned arms extended from under a grey t-shirt and his hands didn’t look like strangers to work. As my eyes travelled up from his chest, I noted a tanned, square jaw that hadn’t seen a razor in a day or two, a slim nose and brown eyes so dark I could barely distinguish iris from pupil. His hair was cut short and so dark it could almost have been black. He wasn’t beautiful in the traditional sense but he was captivating, the type of man people automatically turn their heads to have another look at. I couldn’t drag my eyes away and my heart did a little flip.
A fleeting image of being wrapped up in his arms, his lips crushing mine, overtook my mind. He caught my eye and held my gaze. I was glad he couldn’t see inside my mind, but I blushed furiously. His face looked thunderous. And now, come to think of it, Marc didn’t exactly look happy either.
“This is her?” he asked no one in particular, his eyes still fixed on me, his expression fading from thunder to completely impassive.
“Stella,” I spluttered, my cheeks still red as the image in my head seemed to topple over and send us sprawling, limbs entwined. Was I supposed to shake his hand now? Good God. “Hi.”
Étoile looked from me to Evan and coughed lightly, her hand covering a smile and I just had enough time to wonder what she had seen before she said, “Evan will be teaching you.”
“I will not,’ announced Evan, his mouth set in a firm line. “She leaks. Find someone else.”
“David could teach her,” snapped Marc, scowling at Evan. The muscles in his arm had tensed though he was still sitting and I could see the veins bulge. What was with him?
“David is teaching Christy, Clara and Jared,” said Aunt Meg placidly. “Evan will be teaching her. That’s why he’s here.”
The ensuing silence was deafening. Marc scowled at Evan, Evan looked spitefully at me and I gripped my glass as if it were a life rope in a storm. Étoile finished up her second scone and looked around gleefully as if we were the height of entertainment. Meanwhile, my mind was getting increasingly lurid and I could hardly look Evan in the eye for fear that he would know that I’d just had a very exciting mental picture of us doing something that really should not have popped into my head while I was having a scone with civilised company.
“If you don’t want to teach me, fine,” I gasped, daring to look at Evan from under my lashes. Marc had leant back in his seat, arms crossed; Meg and Étoile were still looking at the man expectantly. Étoile coughed, but not before I heard her snicker again.
His jaw shifted and he breathed out. “I’ll teach you,” he said at last, making it sound like the least pleasant chore he could be assigned.
“Okay.”
“Fine.” Evan stepped back out of the doorway and strode back the way he came.
“Whew!” said Étoile. “That was weird. Like he was ever not going to teach you.”
“He’s an ass,” muttered Marc, swallowing the last of his iced tea and banging the glass back down on the table. “I’m sorry you’re stuck with him.”
“Evan Hunter is a very good teacher,” Aunt Meg chided as she gathered up the plates and swatted Étoile’s hand from the cake stand with a napkin before she could reach for another scone. I noticed Aunt Meg hadn’t eaten or drunk anything and hoped she didn’t think I was greedy for gobbling mine as fast as I could.
“What did he mean – I leaked?” I asked, thinking that sounded, well, gross.
“Your magic,” said Étoile. “He can feel it. So can I. You aren’t containing it, so it leaks. Not your fault.”


About the Author:

Hi, I'm Camilla and I'm the author of the Stella Mayweather Series, an urban fantasy/mystery. The series starts with Illicit Magic and a lonely young woman, Stella, who has been caught up in a terrifying witch hunt and is whisked thousands of miles away to what she thinks is safety to learn her craft. The series is a blend of magic, mystery and romance with a splash of humour - and while the girls really do go all out to save themselves, there's always a hunky guy or two on hand to help them out. The series continues with Unruly Magic and Devious Magic, both out now.

I live in London, England, but I try to travel as often as I can – I’ve been all over the US and Europe. In my day job I'm a journalist and editor so I write for magazines, newspapers and websites throughout the world (my favourite assignment was spending a week riding rollercoasters - if you listen carefully you can probably still hear me screaming) but writing fiction has always been my first love.


Web links:

Twitter: @camillawrites 





Sunday, April 22, 2012

Five Things You Didn't Know about Iron Age Greece

What a treat I have for readers today -- M/M author Kayla Jameth, dishing 5 hot facts that you didn't know about the Iron Age Greece. I'm a total geek when it comes to high-brow erotic romance. I had the pleasure of meeting Kayla at the GayRomLit Retreat in New Orleans, and yes, she's just as witty in real life, too.

My story Alexios' Fate takes place in Iron Age Greece. The setting is Thrace, the portion of Greece closest to the ancient Persian Empire, modern day Turkey. Alexios lives during the opening years of the 5th Century BC. He lived in a very different world than we do.

Some of the more interesting differences include:

1. Dildos were common in Greece. They were made of wood or stone. Men frequently gave them as gifts to their wives when they had to be gone for wars or other extended trips. This was viewed as a way to keep her from straying.

2. Pederasty, or the practice of mentoring, was at the core of the Greek homosocial culture. An older aristocrat took a younger man of the same social class under his wing. Most such relationships had a sexual aspect to them; although, the extend of this varied with the social expectations of the polis and the inclination of the partners.

The Greeks did not have a word for homosexual. Men had sex. The gender of their partner did not matter. What did matter was their relative status and penetration. Penetration was for social inferiors (ie women and slaves). Equals were expected to refrain from penetration. Thus intercrural sex was the norm for pederastic relationships.

This was by no means true for lovers; although, the stigma attached to penetration still applied. Men could be lovers, but were still expected to conform to the prevalent cultural expectations of what a man was.

3. The Theban or Sacred Band was made up entirely of men and their male lovers. It was commonly thought that men who were lovers would fight more fiercely in the defense of their home and lovers. For what man could stand to have his lover think him a coward?

4. The Olympian Games were held in honor of Zeus every four years. A PanHellenic truce was declared so all the Greek city-states could compete.

Athletes competed in the nude. One ancient source attributes this to a woman successfully winning the foot race. In an effort to see that women wouldn't be able to impersonate a man and thus compete, all future Olympian Games were held in the nude.

Only uncircumcised/uncut men could compete, as it was considered rude to go uncovered.

5. Beards were considered a sign of virility in ancient Greece. Just look at how much time the men spent on them, preening. They kept their beards carefully trimmed and would oil them and tease them into ringlets for special occasions.


_____



Blurb

The mature King Lykos has a sexy confidence that turns Alexios' head. Seduced by Lykos, Prince Alexios discovers a world of men he's never known before.

Meanwhile his slave Galen has gotten tired of waiting in the wings. He sets out to woo Alexios and win his heart.

Even Apollo can't leave Alexios alone. The young prince finds himself pursued by a god and in danger of a perilous love.

How will Alexios follow his heart when he unwittingly wins the favor of a god? Can Alexios escape the fate of Apollo's past lovers and have the man he wants?

Excerpt
Alexios' father, still red-faced and with fists clenched, followed him into his room and glared at his slave Galen until the young man left. Demetrios twitched the mantle covering Alexios with contempt, almost as if touching the offending garment sullied his hand.
"Explain to me why my son comes back to me in Lykos' care, wearing another man's mantle? I'm sure the other kings want to know as well!" His voice took on a dangerous quality, "Don't play the wanton and act like you're already his."
Alexios jerked his head up, thrumming with restrained anger. "I am a prince of Dicaea! I belong to no one!"
"See that you keep yourself that way. I intend for you to make a marriage alliance. Whichever of those men becomes your father-in-law will have the mentoring of you." His father stalked to the door before turning. "I expect you to compete with the other youths at the games for your coming-of-age."
Feeling like a prize bull being offered to the highest bidder, Alexios tore the mantle from his body. He stood in no more than he would be wearing when he competed. Alexios realized his father not only wanted him to show his prowess, his father also wanted him on exhibit for the other kings.
"The alliance means so much you don't care if you have to put me on display to get what you want?"
"This alliance is more important than your wounded sensibilities. A betrothal will offer us the support we need to expand. A prince's loyalty is to his father. You will obey me in this!"
In spite of his father, his cock filled as he envisioned being on parade before Lykos and the other men. The fantasy of their eyes watching every move his body made gave rise to a shivery feeling at his core. Would they only have eyes for him or would they compare him to the other oiled bodies competing with him for the laurel? Would the victor also become the prize in some fashion?
The blood left Demetrios' face. "That...that man...excites you, doesn't he? Keep away from Lykos!" his father stuttered with a burgeoning air of alarm.
The dismayed man staggered through the doorway. He shoved past the slave standing in the hall, without thought or seeming awareness of his surroundings. Galen bowed to the king and kept an eye on Alexios' father as he stormed down the corridor.
Alexios still stood in openmouthed shock when Galen reentered the room, trying to fathom what his father's outburst had been all about. Bemused, Alexios wondered why his father wanted to keep him away from Lykos. For a moment, he had thought his father was jealous.
"Master..."
"Never mind him. He's not angry at you."
The air cooled his heated skin as he searched for a tunic to cover his nakedness. Galen reached past him to pick up the garment first. His arm brushed against Alexios' sensitive skin and a shudder ran down Alexios' frame.
Alexios turned and caught the look of surprise on his slave's face. Galen's carefully schooled his features to exhibited polite interest, nothing more.
Alexios gazed at the slave with speculation, contemplating what he knew of the man. Galen saw to all his needs, often before he realized he wanted something. The young man served him with such devotion Alexios had never been forced to rebuke him. In fact, Galen went to greater lengths than necessary, certainly more than duty required. He never wondered about the depth of Galen's dedication before. Why was Galen so diligent?
Taking the chiton from Galen's hands, Alexios replaced the garment on the chest at the foot of his bed. He feasted his eyes on the hale and comely slave. He had intended to slake his lust in one of the slave girls, but his own slave stood before him. Maybe he didn't need to go in search of someone else.
"Do you know what to do with this?" He gestured at his engorged cock.
An enigmatic mix of emotions washed across the young man's face. Distaste, hope, and despair jumbled together to distort the handsome features. Without a word, Galen slid to his knees and his hand stretched out to Alexios' cock.
Available via Breathless Press

About Kayla

A knight and a former princess, Kayla Jameth now spends her time writing m/m romance. A true Renaissance woman, she has done everything from cross stitch like a proper lady to welding with the best of them. An eclectic life has left her with a unique understanding of the world inhabited by men and an appreciation for the difficulties faced by men in m/m relationships. It is her devout wish that her experiences translate into a richer telling of such tales. A minor in classical history left her with a special love of ancient history, especially during the classical period.

Friday, April 20, 2012

How to "Tame a Wild Wind" with Cynthia Woolf


How did you get started writing?  I wrote my first story when I was about ten.  It was a romance about me and a little boy I liked.  I also wrote some very depressing poetry.  I decided that poetry was not for me and stuck to romance.

What genre(s) do you write in and why?  I have a historical western romance and a sci-fi romance out now.  The sci-fi is the first in a series.  I write in these genres because they are the ones whose stories reached out to me.  The western was the first book I wrote and was inspired by my parents’ love story.  It’s set on the same ranch that they met on in 1941.  My book is set in 1885, so it’s not their love story.  My dad was a cowboy and trapper but to the best of my knowledge was never a bounty hunter. 

The sci-fi series was done because of dreams I had when I was a teenager.  I knew I was a princess from Alpha Centauri.  There was no way I could belong to the crazy family I had.  Of course, I adore that crazy family now.

What inspired your latest book?  Centauri Twilight is the second book in the Centauri Series.  I used to dream that I was a princess from Alpha Centauri, that was the basis for Centauri Dawn, book 1 in the series. 

Book 2 is much darker.  Lara is the twin sister of Audra in book 1.  Lara has been a sex slave since she was a child.  Having escaped, she’s now an outlaw and working to free the rest of the slaves who are now her people.

Book 3 Centauri Midnight is about two people from Book 1.  Kitari Dolana and Garrick Marcus.  They are chasing the person responsible for the death of her brother and the capture and torture of Anton in the first book.  The person who gave Slavarien, the villain, the  information that allowed the ambush.

What is your favorite part of writing?  My favorite part is what I call the ‘puking’ phase.  Just getting it all down on paper for the first time.  You just let if flow out of you, not caring, for the moment, if it is good or bad.

What is your least favorite part of writing?  Editing is my least favorite.  I’m constantly questioning myself and my work.  Changing it, correcting it, putting it back to what it was and starting it all again.  It’s never good enough for me.

What is your next project and when will it be released?  My current is called CENTAURI MIDNIGHT and is the third book in the Centauri Series.  It was released on January 9, 2012.

What is your typical day like?  I don’t know that I have a typical day.  I’m lucky enough to be able to write full time.  I was laid off in June and am taking advantage of it to write while I look for another job. 

How has your experience with self-publishing been?  My experience has been wonderful.  I highly recommend it for everyone out there who doesn’t want to be constrained by the “big” traditional publisher.  For everyone who wants to write from their heart and not according to the industry rules and constraints, self-publishing is the only way to go.

What advice do you have for other authors wanting to self-publish?  Go for it.  It’s a wild ride but totally worth it.

About Cynthia

Cynthia Woolf
Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in the mountains west of Golden.  She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

Their closest neighbor was one quarter of a mile away, so her little brother was her playmate and her best friend.  That fierce friendship lasted until his death in 2006.

Cynthia was and is an avid reader.  Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week.  This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug.  She wrote her first story at the age of ten.  A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

She worked her way through college and went to work full time straight after graduation and there was little time to write.  Then in 1990 she and two friends started a round robin writing a story about pirates.  She found that she missed the writing and kept on with other stories.  In 1992 she joined Colorado Romance Writers and Romance Writers of America.  Unfortunately, the loss of her job demanded the she not renew her memberships and her writing stagnated for many years.

In 2000, she saw an ad in the paper for a writers conference being put on by CRW and decided she'd attend.  One of her favorite authors, Catherine Coulter, was the keynote speaker.  Cynthia was lucky enough to have a seat at Ms. Coulter's table at the luncheon and after talking with her, decided she needed to get back to her writing.  She rejoined both CRW and RWA that day and hasn't looked back.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and the great friends she's made at CRW for saving her sanity and allowing her to explore her creativity.

TAME A WILD HEART from Amazon http://amzn.to/uEoTO0
CENTAURI DAWN from Amazon http://amzn.to/uwGgHo
CENTAURI TWILIGHT from Amazon http://amzn.to/t3Um6q
CENTAURI MIDNIGHT from Amazon http://amzn.to/wdADsZ
TAME A WILD WIND from Amazon http://amzn.to/HiChCB

EXCERPT FROM TAME A WILD WIND

PROLOGUE

They was about to hang his brother.

Harry’s stomach roiled with nausea.  From the alley next to the saloon, he watched the Ranger, Sam Colter, march Frank up the gallows steps.  Watched the hangman put a noose around his brother’s neck and ask if he had any last words.  Watched, helpless to do a damn thing about it.

It weren’t Frank’s doin’ that Colter’s wife and kids had died in that fire.  They’d only wanted to have a bit of fun with the woman, make a little money, that was all.  They hadn’t wanted to see her and those girls die.  That was never the plan.

Fool woman.  If only she’d waited.  Her father would have paid the ransom.  A bank president could afford it.  Instead, she’d broken loose.  Thrown that lamp at his head, trying to kill him and killed herself instead.

The fire had been fierce.  It moved so fast like the house was made from kindling.  He rubbed the puckering skin on his arm, feeling the sting of the flames all over again as his flesh charred.  He couldn’t have saved them, not and gotten himself out in time.  Harry clenched his fists.  It wasn’t his fault.  And it wasn’t Frank’s either.  It wasn’t.  She was to blame.  Frank shouldn’t have to die for something she’d done to herself.

He had to stop this from happening.  He had to save Frank.

Harry shifted away from the gloom of the alley and his brother looked at him from the gallows; met him square in the eye and shook his head.  He didn’t want Harry to die too, trying to save him.  He’d always been like that.  Always looked out for him.  Even when it could have saved his own life, he hadn’t given his little brother up.  Swallowing hard, Harry slid back into the shadows, his heart pounding.

Time slowed as the hangman stepped up to the lever and gave it a sharp pull.  His brother dropped through the trap door, kicking and struggling, his neck not broke clean.  Fear strangled Harry, like he was on the end of the rope, trying to breathe, trying to live.  Hot tears tracked down his cheeks and bile rose into his throat as his brother’s face turned purple and then his eyes bulged out, legs thrashing wildly at the air.

This weren’t right.  None of it was.  Damn Colter.  Damn him to hell.

The bile in his throat burned all the way to his stomach.  He barely got himself hid behind a pile of old beer barrels before he threw his guts up into the mud.  Minutes later, shaking and sweating, Harry wiped the vile stuff from his chin.  Fury and grief gripped him, making his chest hurt.  His brother was gone.  Dead.  And Sam Colter was to blame for it.

He forced himself to look at Frank’s body, spinning almost lazily now from the end of the rope.  He never wanted to forget what had happened today.  He wanted to hold onto the icy hatred settling over him like armor--let it protect him and keep the awful feeling of helplessness away.  He wanted revenge.
“I’ll get even for you Frank,” he vowed quietly.  “Colter will pay for what he done today.  He’ll pay for hangin’ you.”

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Top Six Ways to Procrastinate as a Writer with Malia Mallory

It's a tricky line we walk. As I post Malia's fun post, I'm wondering if I'm working or procrastinating!

The ABCs of Erotica
Malia Mallory
When you are sitting in front of the empty computer screen, it can be a little hard to get started. Sometimes it seems the thing to do is to work on promotion and sales. After all, authors are supposed to be responsible for their own promotion in this face changing world of publishing. No one else is going to get the word out, right? The internet, lovely thing that it is, presents a plethora of opportunities to procrastinate under the guise of "working" whether it be "promoting" or "business."

1. Twitter

Oh Twitter, you and your fast stream. Having Twitter followers seems important doesn't it? After all, we're all being told repeatedly to take advantage of social media. So I have to check my Twitter feed. Did anyone mention me? Maybe I should try to get people to sign up for my mailing list or tweet something interesting about a new release. Wait, I have to be relevant to my followers so I really need to find some good articles to retweet so people don't unfollow me. That requires of course browsing around various news, writing and publishing sites. Uh oh, where did the morning go?

2. Facebook

I have to maintain my author page. A lot people have signed up and I need to keep them informed of what I'm doing don't I? I have to do this in a non-intrusive way so it takes a bit of thought. I need to include pictures too to make my post interesting.

3.  Blogging

I need to get a good blog post up and promote it. Maybe I should try to do some guest blogs too (like this one, thanks Louisa!) If I write a new blog post, I need to tweet about it . . . better post it on Facebook too.

4.  Triberr

I need to get my blog post on Triberr. This will expand my reach to thousands of people who might, maybe, potentially, come to my site and read my blog. If they like it, maybe they'll check out my work!

5.  KDP/Pub It

After all this promotion, I need to check and see how my sales are doing. Have I sold anything since yesterday?

6. Writer Forums

I'd better check out the latest news in indie publishing. My writing friends can always be counted on to know the latest on changes at Amazon and censorship issues. If Smashwords is down, I need to be the first to know!

These six are just the tip of the iceberg. I haven't even gotten to online shopping, visiting the sites of other writers, checking my bank account balance and updating my web page.

It's no wonder that half the day (or more!) can get frittered away before any "real" writing starts.

How do you waste spend time on the internet? What do you do to try to cut it back?

Mia's Cop Craving
Malia Mallory
Blurb: Mia’s Cop Craving


Mia is just your normal girl next store with a secret fantasy. She can’t resist a man in blue. She’s desperate to find a cop of her own and fulfill all her sexual dreams. When Mia finds sexy police officer Rogan, he takes her on a tour of her own sensuality.

Available via Amazon Author Page, Barnes & Noble, All Romance and other e-retailers.


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Malia Mallory is the author of The ABCs of Erotica series, which includes so far A is for Anal, B is for Beach, C is for C*ck Ring D is for Domination, and now, R is for Revenge. The ABCs of Erotica covers the erotic spectrum from BDSM to ménage and everything in between. More releases in the series are on the way. She has also released Mia's Cop Craving and Santa's Backdoor Baby. She has hit the bestselling erotica lists at both Amazon and iTunes. Her books are available in electronic format at major retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and AllRomance Books.

For a free copy of B is for Beach from The ABCs of Erotica, head to her website and sign up for the newsletter at http://www.maliamallory.com/Join_My_Mailing_List.php.

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