Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow

Well this last week has been very eventful, 10.5 inches of snow and over 190,000 people without power in central Arkansas and we are expecting freezing rain tonight.  This week has been great, Toni's Heartbeat is in the editing cue and will be getting published next year!  Mollie and I have several things going so stay tuned!

Merry Christmas!

We want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, may all your wishes come true!!

Holiday Blog Hop Winner!

Kayla S. is our winner, we are sending her copies of our Chase's Love and Allison's Dilemma.

 We appreciate everyone that stopped by and hope you stay tuned for all the new books that are coming up in 2013.

Thank you and Happy Holidays!

HOLIDAY BLOG HOP CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE AGAIN!!

http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/


HO HO HO!!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

It's been a year since I started writing books and it has been amazing, I have learned so much it feels like at times that I am back in school.  I have met some amazing writers and couldn't even begin to name them off. For me and my family Christmas means spending Christmas Eve at my Mom's house exchanging gifts with the family so please tell me some of your Christmas traditions.

Make sure you leave a comment to be eligible to win!

Follow the hop to some freaking amazing authors who will inspire you like they have inspired me!

Thank you for visiting and have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that's not all....

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

                                              Now what are those prizes?

 

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

Scene Revelation !!!

WOW, I was just sitting here looking at my works in progress (WIP) and discovered something...

I have to confess I have not written a shower scene, I think I need a smoking hot, steamy shower scene.  Something at along this:

As she stepped into the shower she felt the hot water slucing down her breasts, after such a long, stressful day she was really enjoying how relaxing it was making her.  As the water warmed her on the outside the thoughts of that huge cock belonging to her was making her just as hot and slick on the inside. She slowly slide her hand down her side and to the cleft of her legs, rubbing her curls with her fingertips she reminded herself that she needed to get them waxed.  That was a long time wish of hers that she kept chickening out of, as her finger tips brushed past the curls to find her folds plump and full with need and desire she move past them to play with her nub of need. It was all she could do to not moan his name, knowing that once she did there would be no denying the extent of her needs.  As she flicked her nub the need to be filled grew as she inserted one finger in her hot, wet channel feeling the spasms growing and rippling. Leaning back against the side of the shower she stroked her finger in and out but still needed more. Closing her eyes she visioned him with her moving her hands from her folds and replacing them with his own, pinching her nub and pulling it firmly sending shockwaves throughout her body. As he turned her to face the wall he spread her legs and ran his hands down the crack of her ass making her rosette pucker as he pressed against it, as she started panting with need...

Ok now that I have your attention I guess I need to finish it stay tuned to see what happens next, any ideas or suggestions?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Hey everyone I just wanted to say Happy Thanksgiving and let you know a few things that I am very Thankful for:

My Family:

My Mother is my lifeline and she is also my biggest supporter of all that I do
My Boys - well they are the breath I breathe and super crazy proud of them
My Husband - what more could I say expect I am fortunate to have the best man, he loves me supports me and is my biggest fan
My Sisters and family - they have always been there for me and I appreciate that

Now my best friend and co-author Mollie Fiegel - not sure what to say here but THANK YOU GOD for bringing such a wonderful person in my life.  You know you have a true friend when no matter what you say they still love you for being you. Support you when you need it and well kick your ass when you need that too.

I am fortuate to have many friends that have supported me over the years, Dawnn well she started all of the books and even though we don't talk as much as I want I am thankful that she is in my life.  She has made me laugh, cry and love her dearly.

So for all that you have and all that you want keep in mind that love is a two way street so next time someone you love pisses you off just think what it would be like if you didn't have them to piss you off anymore. 

Now all of those that follow this post please comment below and tell me what your thankful for and be entered for a free gift card!

Introducing Bethany Cross & Madison Montgomery Talk Romance

Author's Bethany Cross and Madison Montgomery Talk Romance

authorstalkromance.blogspot.com

Check out their new website!!!

Just checking in

Just thought I would check in we are making some great progress on Toni's Heartbeat with the editing hopefully Mollie has that done soon.  I am working on our first paranormal book, it's been a mental challenge but the characters are sooo amazing I can't wait for everyone to get to know them.  Please be patient we are coming out with new books soon!!

Love and Wishes

We want to wish all well out on the East coast we are fortunate to live in the central United States so we deal with our own type of disasters.  I can tell you from experience that a natural disaster affects everyone, my family lived through the EF5 tornado that hit my home town Joplin, Mo last year with that being said my hometown was completely leveled, my friends and family devasted and found themselves homeless.  We are very fortunate that my family did not lose any family members but we did lose some friends to the tornado.  I love my family and don't know what I would do without them so please reach out to your Facebook friends and let us know if we can be of any assistance.

Love, Kisses, and Prayers

ONE NIGHT OF NEED BY ELLA JADE

One Night of Need Promo

Ella Jade

 I’m excited to announce that my story One Night of Need is available now. The novella is part of the widely popular 1NS Series at Decadent Publishing.

Blurb

Sexy Professor Dominick Alvarez has an infatuation with pretty college girls, but he adheres to his strict policy of never getting involved with his students. The years of tempting women throwing themselves at him have taken a toll on the handsome teacher. He wants to give in, so he requests an evening with a younger woman.

Alexandria Petron has always had a thing for older men, but she has never indulged. After being left at the altar by her high school sweetheart, she decides men her own age aren't for her. She seeks Madame Evangeline's help in making her fantasy come true. She wants the experience and attention a more mature man can show her.

One night of explosive passion ignites a burn that neither one saw coming. Will one encounter be enough to satisfy their secret cravings?

Excerpt

“I’ve been jittery all day, but my aunt helped me overcome those nerves.”

“Your aunt?”

“She referred me to Madame Eve. She said I needed tonight.”

“Well, I’m glad she hooked you up, but why would such a beautiful girl need to use a service?” He didn’t mean to be nosy, but a woman who looked like her shouldn’t have a problem finding a date.

“Oh, well I….” She twisted her finger around the ends of her pigtail. Now he wished he’d put a condom in his pocket. If she kept that up, they’d never make it to the bedroom. “I’ve had a rough time.”

“I didn’t mean to pry. I’m curious.”

“That’s okay. Can I ask you a question?” She chewed on her bottom lip.

“Sure.” He fought the urge to bite her lip.

“How old are you?”

“Does it matter?” He closed the space between them on the small sofa. “You wanted an older man, didn’t you?”

She nodded.

“I’ll be forty-one in two weeks. You’re my birthday present to myself.”

“Oh.” She swallowed hard.

“Am I too old for you?” Please say no.

“No.” She stared into his eyes.

“Are you thirsty?”

“Huh?”

“Would you like some champagne?” As much as he wanted to kiss her, he needed to slow this show down. “You are old enough to drink, I hope.” He brushed her soft cheek, wondering what the rest of her felt like.

“Is that your way of asking me how old I am?”

http://www.decadentpublishing.com

***

I love connecting with readers. You can find me here…

http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ella-Jade-Author/186959391390708?ref=hl

 About Ella…

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.

JUST A LITTLE TEASER!!

JUST A LITTLE TEASER (UNEDITED) FROM TONI'S HEARTBEAT!

“Tequila makes our clothes fall off” sang Allison, Rachel and Toni celebrating Allison’s recent engagement to Mike and Drake. Yep since Rachel was about to pop out a baby any minute she was the designated driver and too much to everyone’s surprise Chase let Rachel go out without an armed escort. Of course they were at the Lion’s Den which Chase, Rachel’s husband, Drake, Mike and Joey all own but at least it was out for the night.

“Ladies I do believe you have had enough, Summer need some help here” smiling at her completely intoxicated best friends an extremely pregnant Rachel reached for her phone.

MORE COMING SOON!!!!

Crazy kinda week!!

This has been a crazy week and kinda hoping tomorrow at the hospital with Louis (he has kidney stones...again) I will get to write a little bit while he is having lithotrispy done to break up the stones.  Wish us luck!

WIP - Updates

Hey all just wanted to update everyone on the latest and greatest works in progress, so let's start from the top:

Toni's Heartbeat - she is sitting in Mollie's wonderful hands to work her magic on the book before it gets sent to our editor at Rebel Ink Press (www.rebelinkpress.com)

Dylann's Long Road Home - she is sitting in Mollie's wonderful hands to work her magic on the book before it gets sent to our editor at Rebel Ink Press (www.rebelinkpress.com)

Dad's Heartbeat - this is a fun one that I am writing it will be our first paranormal romance so it has been a blast to discover - I am so excited to introduce the Baker Pack to everyone

Teaching Summer - she is sitting in Mollie's wonderful hands to work her magic on the book before it gets sent to our editor at Rebel Ink Press (www.rebelinkpress.com)

Vet's Geek - well not sure what to say about this one, I have restarted this a couple of times and dog-it Samantha is being a pain in the ass and having trouble getting this one to come out of my twisted little mind

Well I think that is about it so I hope everyone has a great weekend!

MIA - Sorry!!

I am so sorry for being missing in action I have no excuses except life is busy right now, hopefully I can get back to posting weekly at least and holding some blog contests to do some give aways.  I am taking a tax class two nights a week and work a full time job so my time to write and do all my fun stuff has been limited.  Thankfully Mollie is still working hard on Toni's Heartbeat to get all the edits finished so we can get it out. 

I am in the process of writing our first paranormal about a wolf pack that has turned out to be a lot of fun to write. I hope that it turns out as wonderful as I hope it will, and to make things better I am breaking ink on Wynter's story.  This will be a hard one to write because it actually has a life of it's own and the topic of a stalker ex is something that I personally had to deal with; one of my ex boyfriends actually had to be arrested to get him to stop.  So, I am putting a lot of detail and emotions into that story.  I just hope that you will give it a chance to touch you because Wynter is a special character thanks to not ony my experience but some of my friends experiences. 

Well I am going to get off here and catch up on some laundry (weee) I know it's a necessary evil we all have to do or we start to smell and people just look at us funny then.

Thanks for hanging in here with us and we promise to do better with communication in the future!

Now go read a book and have some wild, wet dreams!! (may they all come true)

We are going to be at...

Hey check us out on Thursday at:


http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/2012/09/tease-us-thursday_13.html?zx=ab627abe7d8d0799

DEER, MOOSIES, MOOSE - NO ELK

Mollie & I went to Joplin, Missouri this weekend for a family funeral, I am grew up and graduated from Joplin (go Eagles).  We had a blast with my sisters and Mom at the casino's and just visiting, I am so grateful for my family they are wonderful.  I know that all families fight amongst themselves and that is great but it's wonderful to know they are there for you no matter what.  On our way home we detoured through Eureka Springs, AR and had an amazing time looking at the historical buildings and all the little shops.  On our way home we originally decided to go through Harrison, AR but again we detoured down Hwy 21.  Needless to say that was when the fun started as we progressed down this winding hilly road (we were in my husband Camaro that is a freaking blast on that road) we come across some Elk.  Yep Elk in Arkansas but Mollie had us laughing so hard we were crying so here is how it went down:

As we are coming across a flat area we notice people standing off to the right looking into a field of course Mollie & I comment how silly they looked when Mollie looks up

"Deer" sitting up quickly to get a better look "No MOOSIES, Mooses" looking a little more closely as we slow down "Fuck-it those are Elk"

For everyone that knows Mollie will understand how funny she is because I love her dearly her OCD, proper grammer doesn't bother me but for her to start yelling MOOSIES was to funny.

Sorry Mollie had to let this be known!!

Love ya girl

Weekend in Missouri

Mollie finally gets to come to Missouri my home town. We have a memorial service this morning but then we are going to hang out in Sarcoxie. We have a couple of ladies that live our books and we get to meet them. We have finally set up kindle graph so we can autograph our books.

THANK YOU!!

Hey everyone I want to THANK YOU all for the support of the relaunch of our website,  we have had a great 2 weeks and a special thanks to all the guest authors.  Once the holiday weekend has ended I will be announcing the $25 gift card winner from all the comments from the past 2 weeks. 

Thanks!

The Sultry Tamaria Soana

Naughty Little Bedtime Stories by Tamaria Soana

Bedtime stories that will heat up your night.

 

Naughty Little Bedtime Stories contains twelve short stories that will arouse your senses. You will find stories that contain light bondage, food play, ménage (m/m/f), and other erotic events. Each story has a different setting and couple who explore all things naughty in and out of the bedroom.

 

Content Warning: adult language, graphic sexual situations

 

The idea for Naughty Little Bedtime Stories came from a writing exercise I used to do to sharpen my sexy scene writing skills. I would look for a steamy image and write 1,000 words scene describing it. So I took a few of those flash fictions and lengthened them. Plus, I thought that even adult needed a good bedtime story!

 

There are 12 short stories included in this book. Here are short excerpts from three of the stories.

 

EXCERPT FROM Strawberries and Whipped Cream

We ate dinner, drank some wine, and talked about our week. Maybe tonight I would finally pop the question. After cleaning up, I refilled our glasses.

Did you get something for dessert? Emma asked.

I smiled. "Yes, I did. Why don't you go into the living room and make yourself comfortable while I get it ready."

Okay. Are you sure you don't need help?

I'm sure.

After she left the kitchen, I gathered the bowl of strawberries and can whipped cream from the fridge. I walked in the room to find her on the couch, sipping her wine. I sat down next to her and placed the food on the coffee table.

I love strawberries, but why the can of whipped cream? she asked with a twinkle in her eyes.

Close your eyes. No peeking, I whispered in her ear.

I took a strawberry and traced her bottom lip with it. She opened her mouth slightly, and I allowed her to take a small bite. A low moan escaped her lips, and my dick twitched in response. I began to feed her another piece of fruit. My cock was getting harder by the minute as I watched her lips wrap around the strawberries.

I want to feed you one, she said as she opened her eyes.

I have a better idea. Close your eyes, I said in a deep voice.

Emma sighed and closed her eyes. I picked up a strawberry and touched her bottom lip with it, and she opened her mouth to take it in. I leaned in and bit the other end, letting our lips meet and eliciting a faint squeal from her.

Would you like some whipped cream? I asked her as I grabbed the can and shook it.

Yes, she whimpered.

I squirted some whipped cream on her bottom lip. She seductively licked them while looking at me lustfully. I groaned, shifted to adjust myself, and placed my lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around me and the kiss deepened. Our tongues rubbed against each other. She tasted like whipped cream. Pulling away, I placed kisses down her neck and made my way to her chest. I lifted her shirt over her head. She was wearing a pink lace bra.

Beautiful, I whispered as I reached around her and unhooked her bra. I slid the straps off her arms, placing more kisses on her neck. "Lay back," I told her as I took my shirt off.

I unbuttoned her jeans and slowly unzipped them. She lifted herself up as I slid them down her amazing legs and threw them on the floor. She was a sight to behold in just a pair of pink boy shorts.

Do you trust me? I asked.

EXCERPT FROM Instant Attraction

We walked out of the restaurant and down the hall into the main lobby of the hotel, my eyes scanning for any photographers. I really didn't want my face all over the tabloids tomorrow.

I had a great time meeting you today. So, what now? Slade asked as he looked deep into my eyes.

I don't know, I whispered. I didn't want the afternoon to end.

I don't want to leave you just yet, Jewel, he whispered in a sexy tone.

I bit my bottom lip and started to fidget. "Then don't." I took a deep breath, trying to figure out everything that was racing through my head. "Would you like to come to my suite for a drink, maybe?" I couldn't believe I'd just asked him that, but I knew what I wanted, and at the moment it was him.

I thought you'd never ask.

We stepped in the elevator and the doors closed. We were alone. Before I could process what I was doing I was kissing him. The simple kiss set all the nerves in my body on fire. The elevator stopped and I pulled away as the doors opened.

This is my floor, I said breathlessly.

We walked into the hallway in silence. The tension between us was so strong. We reached my suite and I swiped my card to open the door. I could feel his gaze on me, it was making me nervous and turning me on at the same time. My stomach was in knots as I walked in, but not the bad kind of knots, the I-want-to-jump-him kind of knots. He was making me crazy. I truly just wanted to go with what I was feeling. I was so attracted to him. As soon as the door shut Slade pushed me against the wall and started kissing me.

Jewel, you are so alluring, he said as he kissed my neck.

Slade, I moaned. I could feel how hard he was as he pressed harder into me.

I want you, he said as his hand grazed my breast. "Do you want me?"

Yes! My heart was pounding in my chest as I led him to the bed. His urgent lips were on mine. He unzipped my sundress and it fell to the floor, leaving me in only a black lace bra and thong.

So sexy, he whispered in my ear as he kissed my neck.

EXCERPT FROM The Great Outdoors

 

Once I knew it was safe, I took off on my horse. I looked back to see that Kristen was in hot pursuit. I enjoyed the feeling of an all-out run with this amazing creature under me. I tugged on the reins and slowed as we came to the opening of the meadow. I dismounted and watched Kristen slow her horse to a stop and dismount with ease and grace.

“This place is beautiful,” she said as she looked around the meadow.

"I found it a few years ago. I used to come here for some peace and quiet,” I responded as I laid out the blanket. “Sit, let’s have lunch, then we can walk around and explore,” I said as I gave her one of my panty-dropping smirks. I knew how to push her buttons.

“Explore?” She had a twinkle in her eye. “Why, cowboy, what do you have in mind?” she asked in her best southern drawl.

“Let’s eat first.” I unloaded the picnic basket and laid out the food.

It was a beautiful Texas afternoon. We talked and joked as we lay on the blanket, feeding each other grapes and cheese. I could have stayed there forever with her. We finished our lunch and cleaned up. I pulled her toward me and planted a hard, passionate kiss on her lips. She moaned and I took the moment to slide my tongue in her mouth and against hers. Our hands roamed up and down each other’s bodies.

 

Suddenly, she pulled away and took off running. “Catch me if you can!” she goaded me.

I let her get a head start. I watched as she unbuttoned her shirt, slid it off, and discarded it. My girl was naughty! Her bra came off next and she tossed it to the side. She turned and looked at me, tipped her cowboy hat, smirked, and ran like hell deeper into the meadow.

 

             Naughty Little Bedtime stories is releasing September 17^th

 

Here is the publisher link Beachwalk Press    Click here to watch the Book Trailer

 

Author Bio:






Tamaria Soana is middle aged, but just feels her life has begun.
She writes contemporary romance stories with a higher heat level that always end with a ‘happily ever after’. Growing up she loved to read and make up new places in her head to escape to. In her late teens she began writing short stories and poetry; it wasn’t until her late thirties before she began to spin a full story. She’s married and a stay-at-home-mom of two beautiful young girls, they reside in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw is her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights. Besides writing, she co-owns Shades of Rose Marketing and Shades of Rose YA Marketing, also hosts a talk show on Talkshoe called

Live with Tamaria ~ Giving authors a voice

 

You can find Tamaria on line at these following places:

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Weebly

 

 

Busy Weekend

WOW What a weekend Mollie is moving so we painted her house this weekend and she is getting things moved this week.  I can't wait we will be neighbors now and we have wonderful news we received the contract for Dad's Heartbeat so in conjunction with our new website leave us a note and have a chance for a $10 gift card!!

 Thanks for your support!

THE WONDERFUL AMAZING ANNE HOLLY

On Waiting

A Guest Post by Anne Holly

“Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite.

Or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting perhaps for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil or a better break

or a string of pearls or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls or another chance.

Everyone is just waiting.”

- Dr Seuss

I’ve heard actors describe their jobs as mostly waiting with brief periods of action. I’ve also heard this is the common experience of people in prison, police officers, and even soldiers at war. The action might be strenuous, stressful, and/or traumatic, but 90% of the time requires patience and the skill of waiting.

Writing is a lot like that, too. We do a lot of waiting. Waiting for a book to sell, or a review to come. Waiting for a reader to finish, or a contract to be offered. Waiting for a rejection or an acceptance. Waiting for inspiration, or for energy; waiting, waiting for that break to finally happen. Waiting for a release or edits, or waiting for a cover to come through. There’s a lot of waiting. And worrying.

Writers need patience.

We also need endurance, of course, since writing is a physically taxing and rigorous job. Typing for nine hours straight, sweating blood over phrasing and trying to keep everything clear in your mind until you can get it down, these are not just mentally fatiguing, and are also bodily labour.

But a lot of the time, that endurance is about waiting, and not reacting to the wait. 

Mostly, the waits are horrible. Waiting for a break, the writer can become quite despondent, watching other writers “make it” while your book still languishes. Waiting for an acceptance email after submitting a manuscript can turn you into an obsessive “refresh” clicker. Alternatively, you could be the pessimistic type and wait for rejections, which can be equally agonizing.

So, how does one wait skillfully?

Good examples of how not to wait can be found all over Twitter and Facebook, with writers swinging back and forth between tantrums and whining. Some can get quite bitter. I’m not talking about a few “man, I wish they’d get back to me” status lines, but all-out rants and bursts of awkward unprofessionalism. Writers are human, and I don’t doubt most of us do these same things once in a while, but some things are best done in private.

Instead, most writers learn how to wait patiently, given time, once we realize this is our lot in life. When the dreams of interviews with Oprah and fawning book signings fade away, and we embrace the less showy and dreamy realities of our work, we tend to learn the art of waiting.

Some writers will tell you to fill the waiting times with promoting. But, I’ve learned this is the way to madness. Promo is the least fun part of the job, and isn’t always fruitful.

For me, learning to use the waiting times productively has been essential. Mostly, I read and I write. I gorge myself on books for a period after a submission, and enjoy refreshing my mind with other peoples’ worlds and words. Reading is a rather rare treat during the writing process, for me, since I’m kind of pressed for time. So, in between works, I indulge myself. I also write while waiting, often things that I have no intention of publishing. Fun things, strange things, things that let my mind wander free.

And, then, one day when my mind has been fed on books and relaxed with unfettered creativity, I return to the next project. 

I have dealt with waiting by realizing that a finished book is no longer my concern. Certainly, I am pleased to hear from it now and again, through acceptances, reviews and sales reports and so on, but it’s done. It’s gone. It has left the nest. Now, there is only the Next Book. Waiting for the previous book to move no longer makes sense once you understand this.

So, on to the next book, because a truth remains in this business: you’re only as good as your next project.

Happy reading, writing, and living!

- AH

 

 

Anne Holly is a Canadian writer and author of the novels Strings Attached and Textbook Romance. Anne has published four romance titles, five erotic-romances and one paranormal erotic story, and has been published by Wild Horse Press, Decadent Publishing, Rebel Ink Press, and Pink Petal Books. She is looking forward to releasing her Rebel Ink shorts in a paperback and ebook anthology called All I Want: The Anne Holly-Day Collection in October 2012, and, as always, is working on something new. She is a teacher and mother, and currently resides in Ontario. You can find her on Facebook, Twitter (@anneholly2010) and GoodReads, and visit her blog at http://anneholly.blogspot.ca.

 

            More Info:

            Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anne-Holly/140519945969686

            Blog: http://anneholly.blogspot.ca/

            GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4509212.Anne_Holly

            Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004GR1CGY

            Strings Attached: http://annehollystringsattached.weebly.com/index.html

            Textbook Romance: http://textbookromance.webs.com/

            All I Want: http://annehollyholiday.webs.com/thehollydaycollection.htm



 

WOW IT'S HOLLEY TRENT!!

Hi, folks! I’m happy to visit today. I’m Holley Trent. I write quirky romances that are sometimes hot, sometimes sweet, but always a little bit ridiculous. I gotta ask: do you ever wonder what a writer goes through to name characters in their stories?

(Well, if you’re a writer you already know that answer. Bear with me, anyway.)

I try to be very intentional with my character naming. Most of my stories, including my newest Rebel Ink Press romantic comedy novelette All Shook Up are set in Chowan County, North Carolina. The demographics there are very specific because there’s not a lot population turnover. Most of the surnames are going to be English but there’s a small spattering of Spanish surnames there.

So, what do I do?

I use phone directories and yearbooks to pick out common surnames in the area beyond the typical “Smith” and “Jones.” First names I can be a little more creative with, but nicknames are the most fun to play with.

In All Shook Up, my heroine Nicolette goes by the name “Nikki.” Her beau Charles goes by “Charlie” (whereas his father Charles goes by “Chuck”). You can safely assume if I call a character by their full name, they’re probably in deep doo-doo.

The novel-length spin-off to All Shook Up will be available next month, but I’m already cooking up ideas for the next story set in that little world.

I need your help naming a character for that novel. So, in the comments to this post tell me what your idea of an “old-fashioned” name is and I will randomly pick one from all my blog tour stops this week and use it in the next book. The winner will also get a mention in the acknowledgements and I’ll make sure you get a copy of the book (whenever it comes out).

All Shook Up by Holley Trent is available now for Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, in multiple formats at All Romance eBooks, and also at other fine e-retailer

If you’d like to keep up with news about Nikki and her little universe, check out my website holleytrent.com/blog or see what I’m yakking about on Twitter. Just follow @holleytrent.

**

Tiny Excerpt of All Shook Up:

Mercedes opened the office door, looked out to see if anyone was lurking in the hall, and then pulled her head back in to close it.  “The rumor is that she’s made one of those porno movies—and not even the good ones that you get in the mail in plain brown packages, but one of those shitty internet ones you have to download and then hope nobody finds while they’re on computer printing coupons and shit.”

The right side of my face twitched.  I didn’t even know which part of the statement to address first.  “Do you think it’s true?”

“Wouldn’t be hard to find out.  You want me to find out?”

I imagined Luz stumbling onto the computer her mother had negligently left open on some scandalous link and shuddered.

“Um.  No…um…  Hey, you know what?  I know a hacker-type guy who lives alone in a trailer and who would probably love to do me a favor.  I’ll ask him.”

“You mean that guy who lives out on Yellowhammer who has all his windows painted black?”

I blinked mutely at Mercedes’ knowledge of the county crazies.

**

AND THE WINNERS ARE!!!

drum roll please ....dadadadadadadadadada

 

AND THE WINNERS ARE!!!

As you all know we are celebrating our new website and in doing so we have given away 2 gift cards and Kendall McKenna had a give away as well so here are the winners so far:

$10 gift card to Amazon.com and free ebook - Yvette

Kendall McKenna book credit and free ebook - Josie

$10 gift card - Shadow

 

I can't wait to do the other gift cards!!! Stay tuned!!!

LET'S ALL WELCOME LEEANN SONTHEIMER-MURPHY

    For Love Or Money

            My grandmother, a storyteller in her own right, gave me many old-fashioned phrases along with life advice, love, and some heritage.  She often would use the phrase ‘for love or money’ and it’s one which stuck in my head.  These days, with my lifelong dreams of being an author realized and I find myself chasing to keep up the pace, I’m often asked why do I write? Is it for love of the craft or for the money?

            The honest answer is – both.  I love to write.  I’m blessed or cursed depending on how it’s viewed.  I made up stories in my head as long as I can remember.  I applied early stories to my baby dolls or my Barbies.  I talked siblings and cousins into elaborate scenarios.  We didn’t just play ‘house’.  My version involved wagon trains and westward expansion, a variation I called ‘western days’.  I had another in which our actions happened in the past I dubbed ‘olden days’, easy enough since we all lived in vintage houses at the time.  I made up others like “Story of a Slave Girl” in which I danced with abandon to music on the record player (yes, I’m that old) while at least one male relative reclined to watch my antics in his role as the sheik, king, or prince.

            I probably wasted too much time in school from primary grades through colleges because I often scribbled stories if the classroom activities failed to capture my attention.  Even now, I see inspiration in almost everything – a flock of geese overhead (which I’ve seen two days in a row and it’s very early to see such in August round these parts), an overheard phrase, a lovely sunrise, or anything.  But it’s the mind set I have, a brain which wants to turn everything into a story, long or short.  Although I’ve only entered the world of novels as an author in the past two years, I’ve written for most of my life.  Some of it was published in a variety of magazines, journals, newspapers and online venues and some wasn’t.

            `Would I do it for free? No.  I wouldn’t.  While many folks these days have decided I am bloody, filthy rich because I have books out in the world, I’m not.  I’m actually a long way from it.  Heck, I don’t even have what I consider complete financial security.  How much would it take for me to feel rich or secure? I don’t know – but I would love to determine the answer.  Writing has become my business and it generates income.  I just received royalties this past week and yes, those royalties helped pay for some needed school supplies for my kids, office supplies to keep my cottage industry going and some groceries to keep the family fed.  But rich? Excuse me while I roll on the floor laughing with a pile of bills in my hand.

            So I write both for love of the craft, a love of story and also for money.

            Because after all, authors have to eat, put shoes on their kids feet even in the Ozarks, keep a roof overhead and have a little fun once in awhile.

From my latest release, a contemporary romance from Rebel Ink Press, Heart of the Ozarks, the blurb and an excerpt:

After St. Louis TV weathercaster Cole Celinksi loses his almost estranged wife and three children in a car crash, his boss orders him to take a leave of absence.  Against his will, Cole leaves the city in late May to find the rest and relaxation everyone else thinks he needs. Without anywhere else to go, Cole heads for Lake Dreams, a resort on the quiet side of Lake Taneycomo in the Ozarks he visited each summer as a child with his grandparents.  Some of his best memories were made in the lakeside vacation haven with his summer friend, Maggie.

Upon his arrival, Cole learns Maggie now runs the place.  Twenty years have passed but from the minute he returns, they reconnect and soon their mutual attraction ignites.  He fishes in the lake, takes Maggie to visit some of the places he remembers and begins to find out who he truly is. Before he can heal, he must learn to deal with his loss and to see if he can create a new family with Maggie and her children. It’s a task he’s not sure he can handle but if he wants to be with Maggie, he must. A near tragedy brings them all together into a close knit unit and afterward, Cole may be able to make his dreams reality.

           

Heart of the Ozarks – Sweet, Emotional Excerpt

Within a half hour, he fried all the fish, took the fries out of the oven and put a bowl of salad at each place.  They sat down at the small, rickety dinette table and before she took a bite, Maggie linked hands with him.  She said a simple grace and they shared the meal, the first one Cole truly enjoyed at the cabin since he arrived.  Supper evoked past memories of gathering around this table with his grandparents.  They’d eaten fish then, too, on many occasions. Cole recalled old times with a rush of nostalgia and joy, filtered through the decades.

The remembered sense of family rested easy on his soul and as he watched Maggie’s expressions shift as she talked and laughed, Cole felt like she was also family. He’d known her for most of his life and they were connected in a deep meaningful way.  A flash of guilt threatened to consume him because he’d never thought of Victoria as family, not in the way he did Maggie.  She’d been his wife but Cole hadn’t felt the same. To prevent self-reproach, he reasoned it wasn’t disloyal, just the way he felt.  He couldn’t change it or help it.

 A spectacular sunset commanded the western sky with a panorama of vivid color.  Most of the earlier clouds and rain moved away to leave behind the beautiful show. The red, orange and pink streaked sky created a stunning image.  Cole saw it through the window and pointed it out to Maggie.  They headed out to the porch for a better view and stood close, his arm draped across her shoulders.

“It’s gorgeous,” she breathed.  A rapt look of wonder lit her face. 

“Oh, yeah,” Cole said. “It’ll be fair tomorrow and sunny.  No more storms for now.”

“Red sky at night, sailor’s delight,” Maggie said and Cole smiled too.  He relished the old weather folklore, the adages and sayings.  At the television station, he kept a collection of them in a special file.  Cole tried to come up with something witty to say back to preserve the moment but instead he noticed the rainbow, vivid and colorful, off to the far right horizon.

“Look, Maggie!” he cried. “Do you see the rainbow? God, it’s pretty.”

“Oh, how beautiful,” she said, looking up into his face. “You know a rainbow is a promise, don’t you?”

 Cole lacked words but not emotion.  He turned her to hold her in his arms and lowered his mouth close to hers.  “So’s this, Maggie.”

He kissed her.  Cole tasted her lips, soft velvet, and relished the taste.  Her mouth yielded to his without protest and her arms curled around his neck until her wrists rested on his shoulders.  He shifted until her body touched his and tightened his embrace.   The shared kiss touched off a fuse and Cole swore he felt the fire move through his body as it ignited every nerve.   Passion roused within but he tempered it with a care and grace, one shifting lust with tenderness.  Cole’s long dormant body revived and revved like a finely tuned race car engine.   Maggie’s flesh relaxed against him, gave over to his arms with open surrender.    If they stopped, he realized, it would be his call but Cole didn’t want to quit.

Back Story:

http://www.rebelinkpress.com/RebelReasoning/?p=1018

Book trailer:  http://youtu.be/ODVN6JBH-Xo

Buy Links:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartoftheozarks-905745-148.html

http://www.amazon.com/Heart-of-the-Ozarks-ebook/dp/B008RXW0TG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343995182&sr=8-1&keywords=heart+of+the+ozarks+lee+ann+sontheimer+murphy

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heart-of-the-ozarks-lee-ann-sontheimer-murphy/1112352033?ean=2940014934503

http://www.bookstrand.com/heart-of-the-ozarks