Holding Out For a Hero Worth His Spit

Today is a writers blog. It can apply to readers, too. But it's about the writing process. I mentioned here a couple of weeks ago that I'm taking an online class in Screenwriting structure from Alex Sokoloff, who is a fabulous writer (The Harrowing, The Price, and the upcoming The Unseen) and a wonderful teacher. And one of the excercises she had us do was to make a list of our ten favorite heroes and analyze what we liked about each one. Then, we were to find the commonalities, because there invariably would be some. And those common heroic characteristics are what we should incorporate into our heroes. If you like your hero, chances are so will everyone else. Hmm, what a great idea. I haven't done it yet, but I thought it would be fun to do it together.


First, my heroes, in no particular order. Oh, a note on that. These are heroes taken from books, movies, and TV.

1. Jack Reacher--series by Lee Child
(This is me and Lee. TOTAL Lee Child fan girl.)


2. Angel--Joss Whedon's vampire hero from Buffy and Angel


3. Doyle--LKH's Merry Gentry series


4. Harry Niles--December 6 Martin Cruz Smith


5. James Whitcox--Scandalous Lovers Robin Schone


6. James T. Kirk--duh
(Bill, I love you!)


7. Sam Spade (movie)--also duh. Oh, the Humphrey Bogart one


8. John McClane--Die Hard


9. Jack West--All U Can Eat Emma Holly


10. Randy Bragg--Alas, Babylon Pat Frank


What I like about them:

1. Jack Reacher is stoic and taciturn to the point of extremes. He always does what he thinks is right, regardless of whether or not it breaks the rules. He's anti-social and judgemental, and the ultimate loner. But underneath it all is a pure sense of justice and fairness, with a healthy dose of compassion and empathy. He's brutally intelligent, and studies violence like a philosopher or a scholar, always staying a step ahead of his enemies.

2. Angel's early years as a vampire were spent earning his reputation as a cold-blooded, merciless killer. But then he is cursed, gets his soul back, and spends the next few hundred years trying to redeem himself by championing the underdog and protecting the helpless, fighting a losing battle against evil. He can't love because to do so will make him lose his soul. Since he can't love one person, he instead cares for and protects everyone. He also gives second chances.

3. Doyle is a fairy executioner who has spent a thousand years as the enforcer of the evil fairie queen. He's ruthless and brutal, but also unflinchingly loyal and brave. He hasn't been allowed to love or care for anyone, and when given the opportunity he is tender and compassionate. He is also unforgiving of those who hurt the ones he cares for. He's clever, manipulative, and incredibly intelligent, a step ahead of everyone else.

4. Harry Niles is an expatriot American conman/saloon-keeper in Tokyo in 1941. The day before Pearl Harbor he is racing around reluctantly trying to prevent the attack while he's being hunted by an old enemy. Harry is manipulative, brilliant, cynical, jaded, secretive, loyal, and brave. But we slowly find out about the last two because he spends so much time denying that part of himself. He's closed himself off from friends and lovers until it's too late.

(Hmmm, I may already be sensing some themes here.)

5. James Whitcox is a Victorian, English, upper-class barrister who has recently been widowed. In his late 40's he's suddenly confronted with the emptiness of his life and and the knowledge that he never loved his wife. He's consumed with guilt over it and sets out to learn about himself and to learn about women and what pleases them, something he never bothered to do when his wife was alive. He is an incredibly flawed character, closed off and cold until he meets Frances and begins to unravel the mysteries of sex and men and women, and finally allows himself to feel and to care. His whole world is precarious, ready to topple down around him. He's so vulnerable and yet so strong. I love that combination.

6. James T. Kirk just rocks. He's volatile, intelligent, manipulative, aggressive, loyal, brave, arrogant, self-deprecating and sexy. Rrrrrrowwwrr.

7. Sam Spade is another loner. He uses women, has very few moral boundaries, he's a liar, a cheat, and a manipulator. He's also savvy, smart, vindictive, and a wiseass. And when it comes right down to it, he puts the bad guys in jail, even if it's reluctantly.

(Yes, yes, I'm beginning to see the big picture.)




8. John McClane is a cop who's not afraid to break the rules. He's also a reluctant hero forced into a position of rescuing a bunch of innocent bystanders, including his estranged ex-wife (with whom he split up because he was jealous of her success). He's a complete and total wiseass, taunts the bad guys, and refuses to give up. He's relentless, resourceful and ruthless, and one step ahead of the bad guys the whole time. Well, almost the whole time.



9. Jack West is also a cop, and he pushes the boundaries but for totally selfish reasons. What I like about Jack is his private acknowlegment of his personal kinks and his eventual acceptance of himself and who he is. At the beginning of the book he hates himself and hates what he wants. By the end of the book he's catching bad guys and getting his rocks off. But he does it all with a sense of vulnerability that is sooooo appealing. He's also bald. Again, big Rrrrroooowwwrrr. (Btw, Bruce Willis would make a great Jack West.)

10. Randy Bragg is a misfit loner in a small Florida town, the errant son of the local Southern aristocracy. The book was written in 1959, about the aftermath of a nuclear war. Randy is forced (reluctant hero again) to take charge in his small town when they become isolated after the bombs destroy the civilization they knew. He has to become what he used to hate: a virtual despot, ruling with an iron fist. But he does it out of love and compassion, and the people support him and follow him. A loner before the war, he survives by surrounding himself with others: his sister, nephew, girlfriend/wife, best friend, and the poor black family who lives behind him and helps he and his family survive in the first few awful weeks after the bombs drop. He's irreverant, philosophical, logical, loyal, brave, resourceful and intelligent.



Whew! So, common traits:

*Intelligent
*Reluctant heroes
*Loners
*Loyal
*Brave
*Resourceful
*Sense of justice
*Ruthless
*Champions of the underdog, the weak, the defenseless
*Manipulative
*Clever
*Vulnerable
*Wiseass


Wow. I really do have a type. I had no idea. But, do I write that kind of hero? I don't think so. After all, most of these guys end up alone, unable or unwilling to love or commit. Ouch. What a conundrum. You'd think I'd write 'em like I like 'em. Or am I not seeing it? Am I not seeing the forest for the trees because I'm too close to my characters? Inquiring minds want to know! I can think of at least one of my heroes who fits that description pretty well, and not surprisingly he's my most popular hero among my readers. Tell me what you think.



And some major muppet flail, Snoopy dance, and shout outs to Mari Freeman, whose book Birthright was released in print this week from Ellora's Cave. Her first print book. Yay Mari!!

Giant Holes...

Plot, characters and setting are among the most important components that make up any story. I know there are many more things that go into the creation of a great tale, but for today’s exercise, let’s narrow it down and agree that these three broad categories are the basic essentials to any story. Just like beginning, middle and end. They must all be there to make for an enjoyable experience. Right?

Maybe not.

I now offer a movie that is missing huge gaps in two of the three categories and I still enjoyed the movie, albeit, I grumbled about the huge gaping plot holes the entire time.

Cloverfield came out in Jan of ’08. (Yes, I’m a little behind on my movie list, just as I am on my to be read list. Forgive me.) It's a monster movie. I love a good monster movie and I'm aware that you have to allow for a certain amount of suspension of belief in any paranormal, monster, magical, etc...story. I know. BUT>>>>

Here’s the trailer to refresh your memory.


Plot - four young people risk life and limb by running into an area that the Army has shut off to protect humans from a monster large enough to push over the Empire Sate Building and the little monster-babettes it is shedding like skin into the streets.

This is a great premise. Where I get lost is over the number of huge plot holes that the filmmakers expect the audience to ignore.

First – The entire move is filmed from the POV (point of view) of one of the guys that has decided to keep his video recorder running throughout an ENTIRE disaster that is far beyond September 11th proportions, “to preserve it for others to see.” He does this even as he is being munched upon by freakish, large toothed monsterettes,. He does this as the group runs through dark tunnels, climbs up collapsed buildings and fights for their lives on numerous occasions. He even kept rolling as his love interest gets killed from being infected by a monsterette bite.

Maybe I’m just a weenie, but I would have dropped that camera and ran like a little girl in the first 10 minutes of the movie. Just saying. And the battery life on that video camera had to be nuclear or something.

Next – the two girls have on high heels throughout the entire movie. Uh, hello? Have you ever tried to run in high heals? For about 30 seconds, sure you can. But, these girls were on the run for hours – in a city that was being destroyed with huge chunks of concrete, broken bricks and twisted steel beams were everywhere. They looted a store for a cell phone battery- why not grab some shoes for the rest of the adventure.

(she is wearing 4 inch wedge heels here)

Lastly - The Army stopped them, killed one of the girls for being contaminated and then let them go. Um…the Army was there to stop people from going into the area. Yet, they let these three go INTO the quarantined area. The same area where the monster had torn down entire city blocks. I think not.

AND - if they did let them into the quarantined area... at this point, the girl in the high heels should have been left behind with the Army dudes to evacuate her. Her character had no compelling reason to go after the lost friend from the beginning. But she goes.

AND - Maybe considering that you’re an the Army encampment, Umm… can you say Army boots? Did she get some decent shoes from them? No. How about any of the abandoned stores or houses along the way? No. She was still in shiny silver high heals when they headed into the bevy of the beast to scale 24 stories of a destroyed building.

I know it was a monster movie and since I have a soft spot for them, they get a large amount of leeway with me, but this one pushed my limits hard. My editor, KK, would have nailed me on every one of these things.

Are there any stories/movies/TV shows have left you wondering who approved that? Whatever ‘that’ is. Or how’d they get ‘that’ all the way through a huge production cycle and not see it?

Whew… Rant over now…
It was a fun movie. Really, I swear.
Occasionally, you can overcome plot holes with good premise.

Kiss Kiss
~Mari

TTT...with Lissa

Hi, all!

I apologize for the late hour of posting, however, I have spent the last two days revising and adding to and tweaking and drop kicking a book into submission. I finally got it done and ready so, before I go to bed, I figured I’d better post something here or Eliza is liable to beat me.

Lately, I have been reading a lot of m/m. J.L Langley to be precise. I believe I’m near the end of her books and from there I will move on to someone else until she comes out with something new. I was asked to read her book, My Fair Captain, and while I’m not generally a fan of gay fiction (where at least one of the men is an effeminate male), I found myself captured by this particular book. This was more than fluff writing as so much gay fiction that I have read is. It had plot, it had incredibly hot hot HOT sex, it had emotion, and the effeminate man didn’t bother me at all because his character was well balanced and offset by the very alpha male hero.

So, in thinking about today’s post, I thought I’d go out and find (with the help of Eliza because she knew how engrossed and determined I was in writing and finishing my book) some m/m videos.

The images…oh my goodness. Most are beyond yummy…well, more than most.
The first one Lone by Rowan McBride doesn’t give much away at all, and the piano is rather haunting, but I am intrigued by some of the quotes given and will consider this book when it comes out.



The second one is slow, too slow. The music is period as the book is historical, but is also very haunting. But some of the images are…*fans self* And the premise of the book seems interesting and I believe I’ll be reading it.



The final video is upbeat and entitled More Erotic Man Love from M.L. Rhodes. The images in this video are…*fans self again and takes a swig of ice water*. It is a collage of some of her books and while nothing is revealed about them and I’m not sure I’m going to read them, the trailer is fast paced and I can just imagine hot yummy men on a dance floor in a club…



Hope ya’ll are having a great week.
~lissa

Menage Monday

We hear that a lot of readers love them some menages, so today is your lucky day because we have two new ones and they go both ways.

What I mean by that is some like them M/M/F style and some prefer the M/F/M, although after Friday I think I know which one will be more popular. *g* Here we have one of each, so enjoy!



Welcome to Purgatory! A club for every fetish!

Katie has a fetish for rope and she's had her eye on riggers Leo and Quinn for quite some time. Week after week she goes to the club and watches them tie up women from afar, while she imagines their rough rope against her own skin.

Now the two hunky men have decided to make their move. But is plus-sized Katie ready to turn her fantasies into reality?

To read an excerpt or buy you can go here.



Kasper Griffin is in love with two people: his business partner and lover, Tony and their business manager, Lucy. Kasper and Lucy have been involved in a sexual affair for the past few months and he's decided that it's time to bring Lucy into his relationship with Tony, making them a permanent threesome. Having talked with Tony at length and knowing that the man is eager to explore Lucy himself, Kasper is still uncertain how Lucy will react to his proposition.

During a recent trip to Egypt, Kasper learns of a turquoise stone rumored to lower one's inhibitions. It's the perfect gift for Lucy, a way to introduce her to the idea of a complete partnership with him and Tony. He does not tell Lucy of the charm, but after he gifts the stone to her in a most provocative way, sexual desire besieges her at every turn, opening her to ideas she'd previously not considered.

With some charm and coaxing from Tony and Kasper, and a heart to heart with her brother, Lucy realizes that love and the hot sex to which she's become accustomed is what she desires more than anything and she wants to share it all with both men.

To read an excerpt or buy you can go here.

A Celebration of the Top Ten Male Couples That Never Were But Should Have Been

Today I am celebrating the release of Islands, my first m/m, and WWII, novel. Yippeeeee!!! I love this book. I write the title on little notes all over the house and draw a big heart around it, and then I write, "Mrs. Islands". That's how much I love this book. Um, okay, not really. I'm not that freaky yet. But I do love this book.

Here's the blurb:

Lieutenant Commander Gabriel Conlan, United States Navy Seabees, knows he’s not in Kansas anymore when he steps off the launch at the small island of Ile Dorée and sees gorgeous Frenchman René Dubois waiting for him on the dock. The year is 1943, the place is the Pacific and the world is at war. Free from the censure of the military, Gabe has an explosive affair with René. But when the world intrudes, Gabe denies René and tries to forget the best sex of his life.

The only westerner on his small Pacific island, René is desperately lonely. When the tall, lanky American steps onto his dock, René knows his life will never be the same. He teaches Gabe how to make love to a man and, unexpectedly, falls in love. René will brave prejudice, Japanese Zeros and Gabe’s reluctance to find love at last.

To celebrate this release as only we can, my good friend Lisabea is here with me today and we are going to honor the . . .

TOP TEN MALE COUPLES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN (but weren't). (Damn it.)

1. Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock
Oh come on, you knew they were going to be on this list. I just thought I’d get it out of the way. We all know that James T. could have made that Vulcan howl like a deranged monkey if he set his mind, and not inconsiderable pecs, to it.

LBea~A terrifically tense manloving bf turned lovers set up if ever there was one. What’s great about this pair is how breathless Kirk always is…and how Spock only shows his humanity around Kirk…merow.

If you don’t know the plot of the new Star Trek, apparently it’s a time travel scenario that will COMPLETELY UNDO EVERYTHING THAT CAME BEFORE. Yep. So Kirk and Spock are going to get another opportunity to realize their love.

O_o Well. Hey, you’ve really invested yourself in this pair, Sam. I hope that all your dreams come true. I may have a photo of that, actually. Heh. Do not make fun of Kirk and Spock. Do. Not. (LB gave me the photo)

2. Angel and Spike
Just writing that does it for me. Hold on, I need a moment. When Buffy and Spike got together it was explosive and hot. That fight scene that ended with Spike doing her against the wall. Hottest sex on Buffy, hell, on t.v., imho. But if Angel and Spike had gone at it, holy Toledo. I can’t even find the words to describe how hot that would have been, and I can find some pretty darn hot words, my friends. You know James Marsters, who played Spike, had a mega-watt kiss with Captain Jack on Torchwood. And that was good. Damn good. But if that had been Angel? The EMT’s would have been resuscitating me. Seriously. And the sexual tension was still there when Spike became a character on Angel. That last scene in the series? When all the bad guys are surrounding them and they’re all ready to fight to the end, and Angel and Spike are smiling about it? Should have ended with a kiss. Talk about going out with a bang.

LBea: Shameful…I’ll have to take your word for it because I’m out of the loop. Although I totally buy into that Torchwood Captain Jack moment. G always cries out NOOoOooooOOo from the TV room when ever Captain Jack has one of his man kisses. J

Man. I don’t watch enough TV. I mean Sheldon is pretty hot on Big Bang Theory.
Who is Sheldon and what is Big Bang Theory?

You are shameful! Because this isn’t even on TV anymore, not even in reruns I don’t think. You’ll have to rent the DVD’s and watch some of it, because the writing is fantastic. As for that Captain Jack kiss? Let’s all enjoy that, shall we?


3. Rand Morgan and Cat
As I’ve mentioned a few times, one of my favorite romance novels is The Windflower by Laura London. And one of the reasons I love it is the sexual tension between the pirate Rand Morgan and the “boy” pirate, Cat. I have lamented the fact that Cat’s story and Rand’s story have never been told. But the truth is it’s the same story. These two could not end up with anyone else. And at the time the book was written, that was not a viable option. Better to leave that love story unwritten than to sully it with unnecessary womenz.

LBea: Missed the tour. Dang it. ::lb, twirling, blowing bubbles, chasing butterflies:: But Sam..is there slash? Fan fic? Something?

There should be fan fic, damn it!! LB, I cannot believe after listening to all of us rave about this book you have not read it. This book came out before it was common practice to spice up a romance with some m/m sexual tension. A book ahead of it’s time. I read it when it first came out, at least twenty years ago.

::hangs head in shame:: Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of Newsweek.
Well, that explains it. ::shaking head in despair::

4. Jean Claude and Richard (Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series)
The head vamp and the dickhead werewolf. If Jean Claude had simply used his vamp powers to persuade Richard to take one for the team, so much angst would have been avoided. And of course we all know that Richard wants Jean Claude in a big way, but he’s too homophobic to get it on. Which makes no sense whatsoever, since everybody and his brother, literally, is doing anything that stands still long enough. And Anita’s thing about her guys only doing her and no one else? Get over it, biotch. Can you spell h-y-p-o-c-r-i-t-e? Richard needs a good vamp shagging, pronto. (The photo is Jean Claude from the graphic novels)

LBea: Carry on. I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about Sam, although I fear this Anita and I would come to blows. I mean, boys will be boys (we can only hope).

It is true that I have almost come to blows with Anita myself. Several times I have cocked my arm back to heave one of her books across the room, but I have resisted the urge. It’s just that she climbs into bed with all these naked guys, together, at the same time, and she WON’T LET THEM PLAY WITH EACH OTHER. They want to. They’ve told her they want to. They really, really, really want to. I want them to!! Hmmm, maybe you shouldn’t read these, after all.

5. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
What was the woman’s name? Sundance’s lover? Emma? Extraneous. We all knew that they were in love with each other. I really think Paul Newman played the role that way. He might never have admitted it, or maybe he did, I don’t actually keep up with that stuff, but that’s what I saw in the movie. He gave it all up for Sundance. When he saw Sundance and Emma together he looked so sad, and audiences were led to believe it was because he loved Emma. But that wasn’t the vibe I got. It was all about the Kid. In real life, I have no idea. But in the movie, Butch and Sundance were meant to be together.

LBea: NO FAIR! I was JUST going to add this one! You know, even if that had been a ménage situation, I’d have tossed that girl out. Forgettable! She detracted from their buddy/buddy love. Those two men have such a delicious attraction, they worked again in The Sting.

Redford? Can you say top? Especially with that ‘tash.

Hee, hee. Somehow I knew you’d love that ‘tash. Yeah, I think Newman and Redford were so good together in those movies because they played that sexual tension between them. It was a fine line I wished they’d crossed. ;-)

It’s officially MY TURN. (So now LB is in black, and Sam is in blue.)

Oh. You know where this is going.

6. Frank and Joe Hardy
Giving a whole new spin to the term "bromance", I give you 70's teen heartthrobs: The Hardy Boys. I know you may find this offensive and, well, I'm not sorry. I tuned in every week back in fifth or seventh grade just to clap eyes on Shawn Cassidy's (oh be still my heart) hair free and twink-like body, sure. But Parker Stevenson...there is a love that has spanned the years. Couldn't they have just, you know, worked the fine line?

Sam~I'm not even sure where to go with this. **Blowing out a cleansing breath** Okay. EWWWWWWWWW. I think I actually shuddered. Let me see the photo again. Yep, shudder. But, total Parker Stevenson fangirl. Did you ever see that made for TV movie where he lived in some haunted house that loved him, and the shower bled all over the girl who came to visit him? Weird. Sheesh, that's a wasted brain cell. Did you read Lanyon’s Ghost of a Chance…I kept thinking Parker/Shawn.

7. Joe Morelli and Ranger
Stephanie has worn the indecision vibe past my tolerance level. I say:shit or get off the pot. No wait. I say: Toss that biotch. Ranger and Joe wrestling for domination could be just the ticket to revitalize a worn and wearing series.

Sam~Oh. My.God. That tussle would leave me GOBSMACKED. (YAY! I mean for the shameless pal plug thing!) And it really would be whoever wins the fight gets to top, wouldn't it? Okay, that was a shiver of delight and not a shudder. Mmmm, mmmm good. Stephanie who?

8. Butch and V.
I've spoken of once or twice before. They kissed. They CAME. They imagined each other. It was a thing of rare and perfect beauty. So wrong. So shameful. Exquisitely drawn tension. We all think V would be top, but he showed us what he really wants and it's Butch at the helm. Me, too! Me, too, V!!

They Should Have Been One.
Sam~Yep. Absolutely. One of romance's great cop outs.

I abjure you, Ms. Ward. ABJURE.
(until the next book comes out)
Sam~Um, I had to look up abjure. So, okay, yeah! Me, too! What LB said. Abjure. Totally. (When does the next one come out? I'm saving my money for the hard cover prices.) ABJURE!!!

9. Batman…and Robin
This is a sticky wicket because technically Robin is Bruce’s ward. Can you say standard romance trope? The old Lord and his Ward bromance? Oh…so…yum. In the old Batman comic books, Batman and Robin shared a room! And I swear it seemed like they shared a bed too. Batman was so stern and knowing, teaching Robin all sorts of lessons while wearing those tights and underpants. It’s clear to me that there were some things he was teaching Robin off screen as well.

Sam~I just got the kids Scooby Doo Meets Batman or some such thing for Valentine's Day (only educational videos in the Kane household), and my kids were like, "Mom, how come Robin runs around in such a tiny pair of underwear?" My husband and I determined the movie was based on the Batman cartoon of our youth, and holy Calvin Klein, Batman, my kids are right. Those are the tiniest pair of red bikinis I ever saw. If he was wearing those to bed . . . Well, let's just say the Batman was no saint.

Now. I know I know…you expect a big finish here. A grand finale of Fourth of July proportion and, after thoughtful consideration (and ditching the Pro’s guys, Harry Potter, and Fred and Barney) I’ve opted for:

10. That Elf Guy and Aragorn.

Fey and the King? Everytime I see Legolas with his feathers and braids and tremulous beauty, I want Strider to sit on a log and let that slim elf climb on his lap and teach him a thing or two about how its done in Rivendale. But it has to be Viggo and Bloom. Dirt covered, sweat soaked, greasy haired, commanding, manly, massively endowed, all powerful and sex on a stick, Viggo ::purrs:: can toss Tyler to the Orc, because once Elf Boy has his evil way with the King Strider Aragorn Mortensen? I say all is right with the world.

Big. Gooey. Sigh.

Sam~Mmm, yeah. Okay. Let me think about that for one more minute. All right, I'm back. Whew! Good one. But, based on the relationships in the film, Legolas would have been riding that little dwarf dude. And that just doesn't work on the same level as Aragorn. That picture is scary.

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen! Our TOP TEN MALE COUPLES THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. So who's in your top ten list?

And, just one more shameless plug for my new book, Islands, and also for LB Gregg's debut novel, Gobsmacked: Men of Smithfield. Buy 'em. They're good.

A Pacific Island Sounds Really Good Right Now

I’m on fire! And I don’t mean my office this time. I’m actually making good progress on my current WIP, which is the sequel to Beware of the Cowboy. For those of you that are interested, Becky’s story is on it’s way. To keep my momentum going, I’m going to be very brief today.

But - I do have the honor of making a very special announcement on today’s Wednesday with Mari.

** drum roll please**

I get to ‘out’ Sam’s new cover and tell you about her newest book. Yay!

Islands is the latest Samantha Kane creation. This short novel is set in the 40’s on a beautiful island in the Pacific. You know how hot Sam’s men are and Naval Seebee, Gabe and a fabulous Frenchman, Rene’ are two more men that will melt your heart and heat up these late winter doldrums.

Two men and a beach - How can you go wrong with that???

Here’s the gorgeous cover! You get it before anyone else!

And the Blurb:

Lieutenant Commander Gabriel Conlan, United States Navy Seabees, knows he’s not in Kansas anymore when he steps off the launch at the small island of Ile Dorée and sees gorgeous Frenchman René Dubois waiting for him on the dock. The year is 1943, the place is the Pacific and the world is at war. Free from the censure of the military, Gabe has an explosive affair with René. But when the world intrudes, Gabe denies René and tries to forget the best sex of his life.

The only westerner on his small Pacific island, René is desperately lonely. When the tall, lanky American steps onto his dock, René knows his life will never be the same. He teaches Gabe how to make love to a man and, unexpectedly, falls in love. René will brave prejudice, Japanese Zeros and Gabe’s reluctance to find love at last.

Congratz, Sam. HAWT Cover!

I’ve also heard that Friday, Sam will be sharing her blog with a surprise guest. Can’t wait for that.
Happy reading…
~Mari

Sexy Beasts

It's Trailer Tuesday here at Kiss and Tell, and it's my turn. Yay!!!! Well, today for your delectation I have chosen a perennial favorite, adored by many, many, many, mucho readers and other writers. Ladies and gentlemen it is none other than (drum roll, please) Kate Douglas! **Fans cheering madly in the background** I have not one, not two, but three, count them, three tasty videos for your perusing pleasure. These videos were done by Circle of Seven productions for Kate's Wolf Tales series. There may be a few people who visit this blog who haven't read at least one Wolf Tales book, but I'm guessing only a few. So let's get started and let those sad few in on the world of the Chanku.







I like the colors, sort of dark and mysterious, in this first one and I think they made excellent use of her book covers. The script is nicely done, descriptive and informative and sexy. It's a good video for a series, as opposed to promoting one book. But the spinning trees made me a little dizzy. And the flashing book covers at the end pushed it a little too long.




The second one here is actually the most recent, and my least favorite. Actually, I don't like it that much as a book video. I included it here because I wanted you all to see these together, but more on that at the end. They overuse the cover image here, and it's confusing. Is the woman on the cover the mysterious Eve? Or is she Mei Chen? She doesn't look much like a Mei Chen. And whose book is it, Oliver or Adam's? It looks like Oliver's, but then why is Adam mentioned? The font is awful. It looks messy and it's hard to read. There's just too much red going on here all over the place. Red is a wonderful contrast color, and can give punch to your words, but too much red is just too much. And, this is a small thing--but then again it's not. At the end, it doesn't read right. There should be an "and" between "Erotic pleasure" and "Deadly passion." Without the "and" the video just seems to end without any definite closure. You're waiting for more, but it never comes.




I can't find one thing about this video that I didn't love. The images are just amazing, particularly the humans. That is one astoundingly sexy Chanku bit-, um, I mean woman. The blue forest is sexy, mysterious, a little scary, but alluring all the same. It's a great image to use for this series in connection with this secret shifter society. But my favorite image is the one of the guy's ass with a leg wrapped around the guy's waist. You only see half the picture. It's overtly sexual and suggestive and just naughty enough to get the engine revving a little. The font is great, too. See, I loved everything, I told you. The pacing is excellent. It was the perfect length. Suck me in, and then slam the door and make me want more. Very well done video. Kudos

About having all three together: I wonder if I didn't dislike the second just a tad more than I might have if the last one, and even the first one in comparison, weren't so darn good? Really the last one here is by far one of my favorite book videos I've showcased here on Trailer Tuesday. I think it is a fantastic book trailer. But then to follow that video by the most recent one, you can't help making comparisons.

Welcome to Purgatory

Oops I really hate when I get busy and forget to blog, so i'll try to make this short and sweet since it's technically not my day and Sam will be here shortly with Trailer Trash Tuesday. (sorry for intruding Sam)

Next week I have a new book coming out and it is the kick off for a new series of short and kinky stories from Phaze Books. The series is called Purgatory and is a direct tribute to my favorite local fetish show by the same name that will be shutting down in April.

I only just discovered Purgatory a couple of years ago and am so sad to see it go. It's been a fabulous source of inspiration as well of a lot of fun to go to. I've seen things from the sexy side of Kink to the outrageous and sometimes shocking world of the alternative and honestly, loved every minute of it. I've learned a lot and have a healthy respect for a place that allows people to be who they need to be without having to hide it.



I needed some inspiration for writing this week and Purg offered it up in spades. So after a week of no writing at all, Sunday I began writing a new naughty little story and it's coming along rather quickly. No idea what I am going to do with it yet but it's fun to write and right now that is all that really matters.

The story coming out next week is a rope bondage story and was inspired by this photo:



While I had a general idea of the next couple of stories in this series, I sought details along with my fun and the play stations in the VIP area are VERY educational. Nothing I hadn't already seen before but watching others emotions and reactions is in a word priceless. And yep over the years I have discovered that I can be a big ole voyeur. LOL

I waited most of the night for my favorite dancer because I knew I wanted to use him as inspiration for my next story and he didn't disappoint. I affectionately call him the boy toy and can't wait to write the story I envision for him.



One of the last things I did before I left the club was hit the vendors. You see Lissa and I both have new releases next week with Phaze and we are brewing up a fun little contest and what's a contest without great prizes.

So I bought a beautiful purple suede flogger that some lucky reader can win next week. Hope you'll stay tuned for that one because I like it so much i'd like to keep it but I wont. *g*


So now the well is refilled, i'm writing again and I might even tackle a couple of sets of revisions that are waiting on me.

How about you? What did you do this weekend?

Eliza

This is not about Valentine's Day. Well, not really.

I wish I had something witty and brilliant to say today, but I got nothin'. I've been running around like that famous chicken who lived for eighteen months after they cut his head off. They fed him with an eyedropper. I've just been mainlining coffee. The last week has been non-stop go, go, go. But just routine stuff, on top of holiday stuff. As you all know, tomorrow is Valentine's Day (thanks for yet another opportunity to buy the wrong gift, Hallmark), and then Sunday is my husband's birthday. So I've been preparing for both.

Around here Valentine's Day has become much more about the kids than about Mom and Dad. Last night after we put them to bed I realized that we'd never filled out the Valentine's they bought for their classes last week. So I had to haul them out of bed and we made a Valentine production line. Nothing says holiday of love like having your eight-year old picking a space valentine out of the bunch for the girl in his class everyone calls an alien. Ah, romance, I can smell it in the air. And when we were done with that, I had to stay up until all hours baking Valentine's Day cupcakes for my baby girl's preschool class. Actually, those turned out pretty good. Good one on me, I guess.

As Mari told you on Wednesday, I'll be at a book signing tomorrow in Norfolk, VA. Here's the info:

1:00-4:00

Barnes & Noble at Tidewater Community College
MacArthur Center Mall
300 Monticello Ave
Norfolk, VA 23510

Mari is graciously driving up there with me because I'm a terrible long distance driver, and I hate to go to these things alone. Not that I do them very often. So come and see me.

And this is for Mari and Clyde.

I Don't Like Valentine's Day. There, I said it.

The wrong Valentine’s Day gifts ended my marriage. Really.
I know. I know. I should love this holiday. I write romances. I believe in love. I believe in happily ever after. I love a romantic man. Why, pray tell, do I have a deep dislike for this holiday that celebrates all these wonderful things? Well, today I share with you the night that created a Valentine’s-Day-hater.

It was 1996.
My marriage of 6 years had turned into a commuter marriage that meagerly existed on weekends and work holidays. He (we’ll call him “Joe”) was coming home less and less. It was looking pretty bad. But I had one night to look forward to. One night that would warm that little spark and send it surging back to life. One last chance to fan those flames and save the love that seemed to be hopelessly fading from us. Valentine’s Day.

No pressure, “Joe”. You have one holiday and it’s heart covered accouterments to save a failing marriage.

How do you think “Joe” responded to the call to come home and have a romantic weekend? Do you think he brought me wine and chocolates? Maybe flowers and a sappy card filled with warm declarations of his affection? Hell, even a vacuum cleaner could have passed with the right heart-felt message in the card. “You can’t suck the love from my heart.”
Okay. Maybe not, but you know what I mean.

It was Friday night. He showed up on time and things started well. We ate the home cooked meal I had made for his anticipated arrival. The conversation was decent, if strained. I was happy. He seemed to be attentive and anxious to exchange gifts.

I gave him his. It was a new radio to replace the one in his truck that had been unable to keep a signal well. (this was pre iPod) He thanked me with kisses. He spent a good amount of time on the road so it was a good gift.

Then, it was his turn. He pulled two boxes wrapped in birthday paper, out of a bag. I really didn’t care about the paper at the time. He’d come home, he’d made an effort and we were together. I’m not really that hard to please. I would have been very happy with a new vacuum.

The first one he handed me was heavy. I tore the paper and found a Sauna Suit. Do you have any idea what a Sauna Suit is!!? I very specifically remember reading that information off the back of the box. The Sauna Suit is a vinyl suit that makes you “Sweat off those unwanted inches with ease.” How romantic. This was not even close to lingerie. For crying out loud, it was not even close to a vacuum cleaner! It was a heavy, plastic, neck to toes, jumpsuit intended to make you sweat.

YUCK!

Needless to say, “Joe” was not off to a great start.
The next gift was a book. This was encouraging. I love books.
Things were getting better here. I read the title. Unleashing the Sex Goddess in Every Woman by Olivia St. Claire.

What!?

I flipped through some pages.
The book was tips on how to love ones own body and how to let loose and explore with your partner. Basically, it was how to be a better lover.

I couldn’t speak. As a redhead- not speaking is a very uncommon occurrence. My head was about to explode. I needed to take a moment to breathe. I had put a great deal of pressure on the evening and the man. I wanted to make sure I was not overreacting.

I got up and went and took a bubble bath to calm the explosion that was brewing. From upstairs, I heard him fart and then turn on the TV.

That was it. He was Happy With His choices. Happy with the gifts that said to me “You’re fat” and “You’re not a good lover”.

He brought these to me for Valentine’s day! Ummm…Hello? Earth to “Joe”…

I stewed for a while in the tub as I thumbed through the book.He farted again and I’d had enough. I got out of the tub without even grabbing a towel, and marched my naked soap covered butt downstairs. He turned to gape at me slack jawed. I looked “Joe” straight in the eye and told him that if I learned anything from that damn book, he would not be the one to benefit from it and to GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HOUSE! NOW!

He did and that was it. It was over.

Thus, my dislike for the holiday of love, which has now evolved into ambivalence.

My philosophy now is simple: Love me all the time. Bring me chocolate and flowers because it’s Tuesday and(HB does this all the time) we’ll be fine. I can live without the pre-ordained declaration of love.

Oh, and the book. Turns out, was a great read. I learned a lot and highly recommend it. And, I’m not bitter toward “Joe” at all. He moved on to be a great Dad to a bunch of happy boys. I’ve moved on and have had great loves in my life as well.

I’m just saying... Your Valentine gifts can say far more then you intend for them to.
Ask Teleflora.
I know a bunch of romance writer’s were offended by the Teleflora ad from the Superbowl. I loved it!


I know what it’s like to get gifts that say the wrong thing. A plastic sweat suit and sexual instruction manual on how to be a better lover was the wrong thing to say at Valentines.
Have you had any really bad Valentines Days? Any really great ones?

If you love this holiday, great. Enjoy the hearts and flowers and chocolate.

Me?
I’m driving Samantha to Virginia for a book signing at the Barnes & Noble at Tidewater Community College, MacArthur Center Mall, in Norfolk.

If you’re close, stop by and see us. Well, unless you're “Joe” then we’re gonna be in Beauford, Alabama.

Kiss Kiss
~Mari

Quirky - And I Like It!

Last night I started my video research for this week’s TTT. It was a little late when I hit the computer. I’d had a couple of glasses of vino (no real shock there?). It’s been a long weekend, so I was feeling a little quirky! Again, no real shock there, huh?

I stumbled across a great author made video. I’ve really enjoyed a couple of these simple, fun videos lately. Just a kick, I guess. People are starting to use some real creativity and personality. I see this as something that will become a new tool you need as an author. Unless you have a big promo budget, you’d better learn the basics of video making, marketing and promotion. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to that point, but I’m trying.

This video really illustrates that point. Jody Wallace, who wrote Survival of the Fairest, from Samhain, created this fun little piece.



I have a thing for Gnomes. Any of the 35 of you that have read Birthright knows this. I have my own Gnome characters. Jody’s Gnomes appear are a bit more comical. Maybe not, they do eat cats. This video is a minute and a half long and I was with her all the way through it. I usually give up on a trailer about a minute in. It’s cute, fun and original. I loved it and I’ll be checking this one out.

On another note, Hot Body has asked me on more than one occasion if I would be happier if I lived in a more open, liberal thinking country. So many other places see sexuality and things that celebrate sexuality much more openly.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this country and if there are a large number of individuals here that don’t get my writing, so be it. Amazon sells overseas. This next video is a commercial that was made for a foreign market and banned here. It’s a product that HB uses. Not the same ads that run for this stuff here. It’s soooo funny and yet banned here. I have to wonder if he may be right. How is the weather in Italy this time of year?


This commercial made me tear up laughing. I love it. Also note just how much you can see as he does his ’little turn on the catwalk, baby’.

~Mari

The Ultra-Fashionable Urban Sombrero

My husband handed me a catalog the other night and said, "Here, look at this." Now, this is not unusual. I get an avalanche of catalogs in the mail everyday. I am a catalogaholic. But this was the J. Peterman catalog, and I'd never gotten that one before. As soon as I saw what it was I of course asked, "Oh, is the urban sombrero in it?"

Raise your hand if you know what the heck I'm talking about. Yes, the urban sombrero immortalized by Elaine in Seinfeld. The answer was no, it was not in there. Unfortunately the urban sombrero has gone the way of . . . I'm trying to think of something that's out of fashion, but I can't! Everything is back in these days. Except, apparently, the urban sombrero.

But as a first-time J. Peterman peruser I was impressed. Not with the clothes or other items. But with the off-the-scale quirky factor. Holy Toledo, the product descriptions are just like Elaine wrote them on Seinfeld. Totally kooky. And I was hooked. I've been reading it like a book for three days. (It's taking so long because the only time I have to read these days is at night before I go to sleep, but lately that takes about two minutes, and an hour later I wake up drooling on the J. Peterman catalog. No editorial intended there.)

Then I went to http://www.petermanseye.com/ and the quirkiness continued! I can get new quirk everyday to feed my endless hunger for the quirky and unusual (but not gross.) The first time I went the blog was about limericks. People were commenting with their own limericks and I laughed until I cried. I almost put in Jason's limerick from The Courage to Love.

There once was a man from Budapest,
Who loved to nibble a woman's breast.
When he saw a fair flower, he plucked it.
When he saw a fair maid, he fucked it. --

I'm missing the last line. Can you add one? It needs to rhyme with the first two lines. I didn't put it on the Peterman blog because they didn't want profanity. Shucks.

I'm busy taking an online course in screenwriting and the 3 Act / 8 sequence story structure. Alexandra Sokoloff is teaching it. She's fabulous, as a person and a writer, and a teacher. I'm hoping this will help tighten up my writing. I really love to take workshops and online courses in story structure. I just don't have a lot of time to do it. I did a workshop with Bob Mayer last year that was great, and before that one with Deb Dixon. Anyway, for you writers, or writers-in-training, I highly recommend Alex's workshop. I'm sure she'll be offering it again.

My assignment last night was to watch Die Hard and analyze it for the 3 Act / 8 sequence structure. Yeah, it was a hardship considering I'm a huge Bruce Willis fan girl, and this is one of my favorite movies of all time. I kept forgetting I was supposed to be taking notes on it and just getting lost in the movie.



I'm adding this last, short paragraph to say I'm done. I didn't want to end it so abruptly. So I thought I'd just, you know, let you know I was done. I'm done. Go comment, and finish my limerick.

I'd Rather Be...

You’ve seen them. Bumper stickers that proclaim where or what someone would just as soon be doing instead of driving down the road in front of you.

I’d Rather Be Fishing! I’d Rather Be In Boca!

I’d Rather Be Hitting My Ex!

For all I know, this guy is on his way to go fishing. Or better yet, on his way to Boca to going deep sea fishing - And he’s doing it to piss of his ex-wife even further.

Bumper Stickers were really popular in the late 60's and 70’s. Back when cars got small and gas prices skyrocketed. Cars were cheap and paint jobs not that important. I've seen a few of them over the last couple of decades. Most were of a political nature. You rarely saw anything creative. People spent way too much money on their big, shiny vehicles to plaster sticky paper all over the paint job. Heck, Soccer moms even started using magnetic stickers to show their support for their kids and their schools. No stickers on the mini-van, please.

Now, with the trend back to little cars and simpler living, I’m starting to see bumper stickers again. And not just on old, junky cars. The new hybrids people are buying and stickering are even more expensive than their gas burning cousins. The bumper sticker is making a come-back!



I think of them as cultural sticky notes. We use them to make a rolling statement about ourselves, our attitude or our beliefs! I love reading the thoughts and feelings of complete strangers as I drive to the bank. It gives one a miniature peek into the driver’s psyche. I mean, really. You have to have a strong opinion to put something like this on your trunk…

Maybe it’s all part of the Obama movement. Everyone is preaching going back to basic government, simple living, and evidently expressing our feeling through tacky bumper stickers.

So… Here are a few of my favorites. We’ve gotten sexy with our stickers.














And there are the anonymous insult stickers…











So, look for one soon the back of my new Eddie Bauer Explorer? Ummmm… No.

I would Rather Be Writing, or on the Boat, or getting a really good back rub from HB, but I don't feel the compulsion to advertise those things on the back my truck. Although, this one tempts me....




I love differences in people and bumper art illustrates those differences beautifully.
Do you have one... a bumper sticker? Fess up. I know you do.
~Mari

Trailer Trash Tuesday

It's that time again. For one of us to put up a video or two of something we liked so we can discuss what works and what doesn't.

I was already sold on this book by Allyson James when I read the blurb. I haz a thing about hunky winged men. *g* So when I found the video I couldn't resist posting it.



And this one I chose because I know the author and I really liked the song that they used. I get a little nervous when someone creates a video with non royalty free music, but i'll cross my fingers, take the leap and assume that they have gotten permission from the band to use it.



So what are your thoughts? Do you want to buy these books?

And an extra video to grow on...

We've had our fair share of discussions around here about the iTouch/iPhone so I couldn't resist this video demonstration of how to use your iTouch to buy, download and read eBooks from All Romance eBooks.



Eliza