Resources for Writers

Hi everyone,





I'm late writing this. Today started my two week workshop at Savvy Authors.


Since I'm on the topic of author resources I guess I'll carry it on for a bit.





There a number of organizations and groups to meet a variety of writer's needs.





Savvy Authors offers a wonderful variety of workshops, price ranges and lengths. They have a great community as well. This is probably one of the reasons why I continue to teach for them. The site is very well run and I'm impressed with everyone and how all is handled in a professional manner.





Romance Writers of America has chapters located all across the United States. Many of these chapters offer workshops at a very reasonable cost and you don't have to be an RWA member to sign up for the classes. (Unless this has changed. Check to be sure the rules haven't changed.)





If you are serious about writing here are some professional organizations you may be interested in:


Romance Writers of America (RWA)


Romance Writers of Australia



Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors (SFF)


Sisters in Crime

Mystery Writers of America


Author's Guild of America


Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)





There are more I'm sure, but it's late and my brain squooshy at this point. So let's move on.





Writer's Digest Book Club offers wonderful books for writers and research ho's like me.
Writer's Digest also publishes a magazine with informative articles. There used to be another magazine called The Writer as well.





The Internet is exploding with Yahoo groups and blogs for writers. Quite a few literary agents blog. Treasure trove here, folks. Google is your friend, use it to tap into the rich tapestry of resources at your fingertips. Don't forget to make sure you have the most up-to-date information before submitting to a publisher or agent. Do your homework.
Publishing is a smaller industry than you think and word gets around. The publisher you make mad today may be the literary agent you submit to tomorrow.


Social Media is another area where you can meet other writers, authors, agents and readers.
I have noticed that on social media sites, like Facebook, people leave their manners outside and down the street. What kind of impression do you want to make on industry professionals and readers? Remember what you're Mama used to say, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all." The internet has the memory of a herd of elephants. Don't think someone won't dig up some dirt at a later date.

I hope this short list of resources was helpful (and that it made sense!)

Hugs y'all!
Tambra

Ramblings....

Okay it's 10:32 pm on Thursday night and I just realized it's my turn to blog tomorrow! Having to come up with a topic when I'm ready to hit the sack isn't nearly as much fun as one might think, especially since I just got home from my first round of physiotherepay. My leg is sore, and I have a bag of frozen peas sitting on it to try and take the swellling down. My new torturer... er.... physiotherapist said it would be much better than using ice cubes.

As I sit here looking at it, and wincing I realize that my life is actually pretty good compared to some ( broken leg notwithstanding!) Sure it's broken, but compared to what some people are suffering in New Zealand - that's pretty tame. And I got immediate and first rate care - complete with a high tech Air Cast. In most of the world that wouldn't happen. Then, there's physio to help me get back to normal. My extended health covers the cost, which is pretty nice considering it costs $65 and hour and I'm going twice a week.

No, I really don't think I have too much to complain about. Right now I'm feeling pretty grateful for everything in my life - even the broken leg. After all, in a few months even that will be a distant memory, and summer will be back to melt away all this snow!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Anne Kane

www.AnneKane.com

Christchurch Earthquake

Christchurch Earthquake

On Tuesday 22nd February, my parents’ hometown of Christchurch was hit by another earthquake. Although smaller than the September 2010 quake, this one was shallower, and therefore much more devastating. It hit right at lunchtime and resulted in numerous collapsed buildings and extensive loss of life.

Rescue efforts are still ongoing, and the news footage is so heartbreaking, I have to steel myself to turn on the TV. It’s just becoming too hard to hear news of something that makes us hope for a miracle, and to sit there, waiting for an update, only to watch that hope dashed. The expressions on the faces of the announcers, and the rescue workers, and the people who are waiting for news…. It’s gut-wrenching.

I have extended family in Christchurch. My dad, my grandmother, all my uncles and aunties and cousins. Those I've managed to contact sound exhausted and shell-shocked, and I'm too far away to be any help to them. I can only imagine the stress they’re under right now. But I’m thankful they’re alive and uninjured.

There are so many stories I could tell to try convey the enormity of what's happened -- this is a city that was still being rebuilt from the last earthquake -- but I'd only cry all over the place again. I don't want to do that. My kids are due home soon, and they've seen enough of mum's tears these past few days.

So here's a link to Vicki Anderson’s eyewitness account called The Day The Earth Roared. She was at work in the CBD when the quake hit her office building. Vicki, I hope that you’ve been reunited with your daughter and been able to give her that hug!

I just wanted to extend my thanks to everyone who's sent messages of support to us. It helps, it really does.

And to all the various support people who've flown in from various countries around the world -- Australia, United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, United States -- to aid the rescue teams, a huge thank-you. We need all of you right now, and we're more grateful than we can say.

Keep safe everyone.

Maree

Writing Love Scenes That Sizzle

Writing Love Scenes That Sizzle

by Tambra Kendall

What are the elements that make a good love scene?

Writing in deep point of view and using the right combination of words to elicit what the characters feel

physically and emotionally to the reader.

Knowing your character's GMC is vital. GMC stands for goal, motivation and conflict.

If one of your character's grew up alone and had to struggle for everything their outlook will be vastly

different than one who grew up in a house full of brothers and sisters in an atmosphere of love and support.

Suppose it is the heroine who had to struggle for all she had. When she finally opens up to the hero this is a major point in the story and growth in her story arc.

Having a clear understanding of your main characters internal and external GMC's will help you write a love scene that will have your readers running for a glass of ice water.

One of the questions you need to ask yourself when you're writing romance is this: What does he/she have that completes them as no one else ever has before?

In romance you never. ever insert a scene of just sex to fill the pages.

Using the right words to create a visual is another element of writing good love scenes. Descriptive words that are warm, hot, fluid, enticing, decadent, wild, dangerous all give you a picture in your mind.

Cold words push you away such as frigid, icy, brisk, cold hard lump in the stomach. Can you see the difference?

The deep point of view along with descriptive words and adding in the use of the senses, all flow together to

make a love scene come alive.

This is the first meeting of the hero, Morgan Remington and his heroine, Adara Galbreth from Cowboy of the Night, an erotic paranormal romance featuring vampires.

The atmosphere shimmered with an unknown energy. With all the trouble riding his ass, Morgan tightened

his muscles and prepared to fight. It had better be the woman Ray had promised.

A bright red-orange ball whirled in the middle of the room. Growing brighter it flared and formed into the

shape of a pillar. He covered his sensitive eyes, catching the barest glimpse of the radiant form within.

When the brilliance faded Morgan lowered his hands and all the blood he's consumed rushed to his cock.

the sexiest redhead he'd ever seen stood in front of him. This was no ordinary woman; her luscious spicy-sweet

scent skimmed over his body like a light caress, instantly making him hard and ready to play. He'd never

gotten so hard, so fast in all his years as mortal or a vampire.

Well nip and suck, it was a Leanansidhe, an Irish vampire faery. If he wasn't mistaken possibly Boabhan Sith, too.

Everyone believed they'd become extinct in the fifth century.

Where did Ray find her? This fae woman was perfect.

"I'm Adara Galbreth, lead assassin for the Galactic Order of Immortals. Bloodstar Sector, the twenty-fifth century.

I'm here because we have the same problem, The Hunter. I'm here to suggest we join forces. We can help each other

vampire." A bit of fang flashed from a quick smile as she glided the short distance separating them.

Everything about this woman slammed into him, all of his senses exploded as if on overload. Her Irish

brogue was pure sex itself.

I hope you can see how the hero reacts, what he thinks, feels and how he responds to the heroine. The way she looks, her scent, the way she speaks all combines into Morgan's internal and external GMC.

Descriptive words along with action help heat up that love scene. Examples: His calloused hand slowly slid down her arm caused the most delicious friction. Tiny jolts of electricity exploded in her belly then stretched into a sensual burn.

A deep ache fed the burn and she stepped closer.

Can you see how the above paragraph weaves all together to make the scene richer?

I hope these suggestions will help you make your love scenes sizzle and the reader reaching for a cold drink.

Hugs,

Tambra Kendall

A Year of Slacking Dangerously

(Wherein Liane Makes Like a Phoenix and Rises from the Ashes!)


Liane Gentry Skye for Writer's Gone Wild

Last year was one I was more than ready to leave behind. The start of 2010, a year that should have seen me ring in my fourth publication, began with my aspirations going up in flames--literally. A housefire and my son's worsening mental health challenges quickly eclipsed my writing high and left me struggling to put one foot in front of the other, much less string together a coherent sentence.

Inertia became my best friend--it demanded nothing.

Around September, my son started improving. My life situation was turning around. But my drive to create still floundered. Some gracious souls said I was mentally exhausted. God love them for giving me the excuse I needed to avoid the real issue. Truth was, I couldn't bear to have one of my dreams rejected at a time when air raid position seemed the only practical way to begin a day. So in lieu of word count, of actually risking finishing a story, I became very good at slacking.

If not for the support and kicks and nudges from fellow writers and a few die hard fans, I think I'd have quit. Quitting seemed a much simpler endeavor than restarting a dream and facing anew the fear of rejection.

Time moves on. The old year has given way to the new, and with it my vow to live each day as if it was my last. Deep in every artist's soul lurks an insatiable need to create. For me, the vehicle for that drive is the written word. I don't know about you all, but I'd hate to leave this world leaving all those unfinished stories behind.

So here I am, back to the blog, stringing one clunky word in front of the other and thanking God for friends and fans who love me enough to tell me it's time to get off my ass and move on.

No. More. Slacking.

I love you all, I've missed you much.

It's Raining Men!

It's Raining Men by Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

I was (am, for a few more hours!) over at author friend Kylie Griffin's blog doing a promo piece and a giveaway for my Feb release, Scent Of A Man.

Now this story is e-rom fantasy with a historical flavor. So my question to the commenters was: Who's your favorite fictional historical figure -- hero or heroine, book, movie or TV series?

The answers have been interesting enough that I thought I'd revisit the question here on Writers Gone Wild.

And to get you in the mood, I have the perfect video for y'all *VBG*

It's raining men -- of the historical persuasion, oh yeah!



So, now that you've dried yourselves off ;-) who's your favorite fictional historical figure -- hero or heroine, from a book, movie or TV series?

Cheers
(insatiably curious) Maree

Note: was in a tearing hurry so forgot to specify "historical" on the original post. Whoops! Sorry, ladies.

M

Being a Writer: Katie Reus

KC: Hey gang, look who I brought out to say hello! Our very own former Wild Writer, Katie Reus. She's just had a new release from Carina Press, and the first book of her paranormal romance trilogy with NAL will be out next year. She is, in a word, amazing. Without further ado, here she is.

KR: Thanks so much to Kaylea and all the Writers Gone Wild for letting me blog with them today! Since I have a release out this month I’ve been guest blogging and hosting a 30 day party at my own blog and I’ve basically been strapped to my computer chair. Sometimes the other side of writing—promo—can be tiring, but it’s also a lot of fun. And it reminded me why I love being a writer.

1. Research. If I have a question about weapons I usually just ask my husband but if I have a question about police or other governmental procedures, I have a handful of people I can contact. Hanging out with various professionals (and getting out of the house) is always fun! I have a friend who is a Border Patrol agent and even though I haven’t written a character in that profession (yet) he’s a goldmine of information. I just keep filing away all the interesting stuff he tells me and one day I’m definitely going to use it.

2. Reader connection. I’ve met so many readers in the last couple years and it always floors me when someone (NOT related to me) takes time out of their busy schedule to write to let me know they’ve enjoyed something of mine. I’ve met a couple friends that way!

3. I love seeing the expression on people’s faces when they find out I write romance. Usually I’ll just say romantic suspense or paranormal romance but if I’m feeling really feisty, I’ll add in erotic romance. The expressions are priceless.

4. The voices in my head have an outlet. If I wasn’t a writer, I’d probably be locked up somewhere.

5. My work clothes consist of yoga pants and t-shirts.

6. I get to read for fun. Enough said.

7. If I want to take a break in the middle of my work day and take a nap, I can. I never really took advantage of that before but since being pregnant, it’s something I’ve embraced.

8. Since becoming a writer, I’ve met other writers. And they’re awesome. Writers are the nicest, most giving people on the planet.

9. No matter how crappy I’m feeling, once I start typing and immerse myself in a new world, my feelings of rejection and gloom disappear.

10. I can write anywhere!

On that note I’d like to offer a digital copy of Dangerous Secrets, my recent release from Carina Press, to one commenter. Just tell me what you like about your job or what you don’t like about your job. Or tell me why you like reading romance.


Dangerous Secrets:
Isabelle Ballantine has been fighting for independence since she was old enough to walk. Now that she's finally out from under her father's shadow, she won't let anyone stand in her way. It's tough living on her own, working in a bar and keeping her true identity a secret, but things start to look up when a sexy new stranger walks into her life. After working side by side for weeks, Izzy can't figure out why he won't make a move.


To cinch the deal of a lifetime, Adam Marcellus agrees to help Izzy's eccentric father convince his daughter to move home. He'd assumed Izzy would be another spoiled rich princess, but he's surprised to discover his feelings for her are stronger than anything he's ever experienced. When a deranged stalker targets her, Adam finds himself fighting not only an unknown threat—but an unexpected attraction to the one woman he can't have.

Thanks for stopping by today! If you’d like to learn more about me, please visit my website, blog, or find me on twitter.

Guest Blog: Rachael Saltzman

I know, I missed my last blog post. *hangs head in shame*Bad, bad laundryhag. Thirty lashes with a wet noodle and all that jazz.

It's not that I don't care, really. It's not you, it's me. *snicker* Actually I just had nothing to say. Yep, still writing, nope nothing new on the home front, no new releases or zany adventures. People don't believe me when I say my life is boring.With me it's not so much as what I say as how I say it that's where the entertainment lies.

Luckily this week, I've got some real entertainment planned for you. My disgustingly talented friend Rachael Saltzman has a brand new project she's working on. And it's a topic near and dear to my heart.

I'll let Rachael tell you all about it!

Atlanta Nights: The Movie by Rachael Saltzman

The worst book ever written, to become the worst movie ever made!

As an aspiring writer myself, I hang around writing forums like AW to learn tips, hints, and techniques; and to hang out with like minded people.

Some things were not so fun to discover.

Before reading the message boards, I didn't even know there was such a thing a literary fraud. How much money can really be conned out of aspiring writers?

As it turns out, quite a bit. Scammers pretending to be agents, editors...even publishers.

My first impression was incredulity. Then disgust. Then, I got mad.

I wrote my own blog posts about what to watch out for. All of my six followers at the time read them. Oh, oh I was one!!!

I shared the information on social networking sites and helped save a dozen more people.

That's a great thing, but it's just not big enough.

Then, I learned about the Atlanta Nights sting manuscript. I laughed, cheered - and realized that unless you travel in well-versed literary circles, people hadn't heard of it.

What could I personally do to make a big enough splash to get the word out to people that might not be familiar with the online resources or the pitfalls?

Well, I work in film. What better way to share this story than a wide spreading, generally accessible medium? So here I go.

1) Can you give us a quick synopsis of the plot? And no, you don't need to reveal the ending.

Hahahahahah! This book doesn't actually have a coherent plot, which was part of the plan when it was written. The writers had no contact with each other. We scratched our heads for a while trying to figure out how to make a coherent movie out of the text, then came up with the brilliant idea of not even trying. Rather than a normal movie, this one will be sliced up into chapters, with each chapter featuring a brief interview with the writer, then a scene visualization of that chapter.

Oh, see, now that's good!
2) You already mentioned that you hope to save other aspiring writers from literary scams. What specifics do you plan to highlight in the movie to underscore this point?

Well, I'm trying to get James MacDonald (head of the Science Fiction Writers of America and mastermind behind the book) to do an opening intro introducing himself and explaining why the book was written in the first place. Each interview will go into a little tidbit of writing and publishing information, and things to watch out for. I'm also going to ask what canon rule of writing each writer thought they violated the most effectively, and try to highlight that in the narrative portion.

3) We all know books tend to get chopped to bits when they are turned into movies, do to time and whatnot. Is there anything you intend to cut right from the start?

Right away, there's one chapter that consists of a couple of blank pages, so I don't think we're going to do much with it (though that might change a little bit - there's just too much funny in ten seconds of some actors just standing and staring at each other). We did have some back and forth regarding the numerous (and often mind numbing) sex scenes that are in the book. We're going to shorten those up considerably, or we'd be making a very different kind of movie. And we just won't have the budget to compensate actors for nudity - plus we want to keep this film in the G-PG 13 area to make it as accessible as possible. There are some ideas being tossed around now that are all pretty kid friendly, and funny to boot!

4) When you do raise enough money to do this what will your first step be?

The very first thing I'll do is stare of into space in wonder. Then, I'll probably run around my apartment screaming in incoherent joy and scare the crap out of my cat. Next, I'll draw up a rough budget based around the available funds, and alert my cohorts that the film is a 'go', so we can start securing locations and stuff.

Sounds like a bitchin' plan!
5) Can you highlight the steps involved in a project like this?

Sure. One of the things that was different about this project than any others I've done was that its based on a book, which meant securing the film rights to said book. This took a while, because nobody had actually thought someone would be crazy enough to want to make a movie out of it. Most books have a boilerplate kind of contract that can be sent out pretty quickly if someone shows interest, this was not the case here. And it took a bit of back and forth to explain that I really was serious about making the project, and wanted to do it right.

Step one is really more deliberation than anything else. I toyed around with the idea for about a year after I discovered the Atlanta Nights book and back story. Some of that was about the target audience and if I could reach them. Some of it was about how to possibly create a coherent narrative. Some of it was wondering if I could handle the scope (huge) and limitations (many) of funding a project of this nature, and could I dedicate this massive amount of time and energy to what would be a 'pure love' project. I spent a year saving every possible dime so I could at least take a month off to shoot the narrative parts.

The right time to start fund raising was quite a bit later than I'd hoped. When you're working from your own stuff, you don't have to worry about contracts. For this project, I didn't feel like I could start until all of the legal stuff was squared away. We did start on a script earlier though. Another consideration is location. My co-writer, Roy C. Booth, lives in Minnesota, and has a great network of creative contacts there. One of the coasts would be easier for my tech guys. The overwhelming enthusiasm and support shown so far by this cool little town pretty much cinched it - we're shooting in MN. That adds some logistics craziness to my end of things - getting my crew and their gear to the middle of the country. But I think it'll be more than worth it - New York is way over-shot, and the smaller town setting has so much to offer.

Just thinking about all involved makes me tired.
6) How long will it take to film?

The narrative portion of the film is currently slated at six weeks - which is pretty standard for a low budget film. The interviews? I'm going to be traveling a lot and working around the schedules of quite a few writers, so that piece of the puzzle may take quite a bit longer.

The actual shooting of a film is the shortest part of the process, believe it or not. Pre and post production take quite a bit longer.

7) What kind of marketing plan do you have in place to spread the word?

Bugging my writer friends for help, of course. Seriously though, I've set up a FaceBook page and a Kickstarter page talking about the project. The FB page will have shorter updates, while Kickstarter is friendlier about video hosting and has an 'updates' tab that functions as a blog. We'll link the two. As we get into post production, there'll be more attention. We're working on setting up an IMDB page for the project as well. Honestly, I'm a complete luddite when it comes to promotion, all this stuff is completely new to me. It'll be an experience, and I'll be doing a lot of experimenting to see what works and what doesn't. When we get closer to production, I'll most definitely start Twittering about it.

More than happy to help a girl out!
8) Where can our readers learn more/ donate to this uber awesome project? (I'll set the link in here.)

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1603898280/atlanta-nights-the-movie

9)And of course, the Wild Card question. Boxers, briefs or commando, what's your personal preference?

Boxer briefs. There's just something about the way they frame the leg...


Rachel, thanks oh so much for stopping by! As soon as I receive my next paycheck I'm pledging $100.00 to your awesome project, since I was once a young and innocent writerly type!

And you can be sure that Rachel will be the first person I'll call to turn one of my books into a movie!

Love is in the Air! Or is it just down and dirty sex...

Love is in the Air! Or is it just down and dirty sex...

by Tambra Kendall

Happy Valentine's Day to all. I hope each of you have scorching, hot rendevous with the love of your life.

This post will focus on writing hot, erotic love scenes. Pushing past the boundaries and into areas you might or might not be comfortable with as a writer. I loved reading the racier romances but never dreamed I could write hotter than traditional publishing at the time.

If you want to learn to turn up the heat level of your writing you have to want to learn, not do it because that's the way the current is flowing at the moment.

Read the master's of erotic romance like Angela Knight, Diane Whiteside, Morgan Hawke or Lora Leigh. Go to Ellora's Cave and browse their titles. Yes, this is research. Consider purchasing the book Passionate Ink, A Guide to Writing Erotic Romance by Angela Knight. I love Angela Knight's books for so many reasons and once you read her, I hope you'll understand why. Her Time Warriors are cybergenetic warriors from the future and that doesn't hurt either.

Action and passion! She never writes a love scene just to fill space. As in all romance you should only add the love scene if it should be there.

You don't sacrifice characterization and plot when you write an erotic romance. And before we go any further, erotic romance is not porn. There's a huge difference. When writing erotic romance you must have all the story elements in place as you would for any other genre fiction novel.

Research, research, research! With any sub-genre you must learn what is acceptable and what is not. Even in erotic romance there is a list of no-no's. The goal is to entice the reader, not turn her or him off.

Men make up over 10% over romance readership. Go guys! In a romance novel the hero struggles but in the end through his honesty and efforts gets it all.

I can't think of anything I'd rather write than romance.

Most of my stories are paranormal romance so my heroes are either fanged, furred or both. But hey, they need love, too!

Reading a romance makes you feel good, at least it should, when you reach the end. Many authors have created characters and series that when we buy the next installment its like visiting with friends.

Some of favorite series are: Love at Stake by Kerrelyn Sparks

The Dark-Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Time Warriors by Angela Knight

Mageverse by Angela Knight

Parallel and Gods of Midnight series by Deidre Knight

I hope this Valentine's Day for all of you is romantic and filled with precious memories to share.

Hugs,

Tambra Kendall

New Release - Enchanted by Anne Kane

Some days I wonder how I manage to keep up with my life. I keep promising myself I will learn how to say "No!" But then some evil person comes up with a really neat story idea, and all my good intentions go the way of the dinosaur. So, I have a release in January, February and March, not to mention May, June and July. At least I'm never bored!

Series: Mirror, Mirror
Title: Enchanted
ISBN : 978-1-60521-569-3
Genres: Paranormal, Hot Flash
Themes: Magic and Mayhem
Release Date: February 10,
Author: Anne Kane

http://www.annekane.com

Publisher URL Changeling Press - Erotic Fiction

BUY NOW!

BLURB:

Kaylee goes to the famous singles resort looking for love, and is disappointed when all she finds are men with egos the size of her shoe closet. But when she gets into an elevator and finds a sexy hunk trapped in an enchanted mirror, she is sucked into a whole other dimension where true love is the key to happiness.

EXCERPT:

Jackson watched the enticing sway of the woman’s hips as she preceded him into his room. Kaylee. He savored the feel of her name on his tongue. Sassy. Sexy. Enticing. His exile into the land beyond the mirror was starting to look up.

Kaylee turned, her luscious lips curving into a smile that invited him to taste it. He stepped forward, taking her hand to draw her into his embrace. Her scent teased his nostrils, a sensual mix of flowers and herbs. He’d never smelt anything quite like it before and he inhaled deeply, drawing the mixture into his lungs. Everything about her fascinated him, and he spared a quick second to thank whatever capricious god had decided to trap her here with him.

She melted against him, her lush body yielding to his harder one, and Jackson felt a familiar fire begin to smolder in the pit of his stomach. She fit so perfectly, as if she’d been born just for him. He lowered his head slowly, giving her time to object, to let him know if she didn’t want his attentions.

Instead, she titled her head back and opened her lips to welcome him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Lust sparkled in the green centers of her eyes, daring him to make her scream with passion. Jackson responded at once, wrapping his arms around her to hold her against him while he crushed her lips with his own. He stabbed his tongue deep, sliding it along hers in an erotic duel that sent heat racing through his veins.

She tasted of sin and sex and sensual temptations. His cock jerked in anticipation. This was no simpering virgin or teasing coquette. This was the kiss of a woman in her prime, a woman seeking passion and fulfillment from her man. He intended to be that man.

The kiss deepened, changed, and became an exploration of each other’s secret desires. She slid her hands between them, her fingers splaying across his chest, and his breath caught in his throat. He felt his control slipping. He wanted to rip the clothes from her and claim her right there on the floor.
Trapped behind the rough denim of his jeans, his cock was painfully engorged. He gritted his teeth, forcing his libido under control. If he ever wanted to be free from the half-life on this side of the mirror, he needed to convince Kaylee that he was her one true love.

He’d known she was the only woman for him ever since the mirror had revealed her to him when she’d checked into the singles resort last week. He ‘d been watching her for days now, his frustration growing every time she’d dressed up and boarded the elevator to keep yet another wasted assignation. It wasn’t until she’d admitted to herself she wanted more than the males at the resort were willing to offer, that the mirror allowed Jackson to make himself visible.

So far everything had gone according to plan, but the most critical part was yet to come. Jackson needed to seduce Kaylee into falling madly in love with him, and he only had one night to do it.




BUY NOW!

The Name's Bond. Sam Bond.

THE NAME'S BOND. SAM BOND By Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

You may know him as "Atlas" from the UK TV series Gladiator.

You may recognize him from one UK bodybuilding contest or another.

If you're an avid e-Book reader, he might look very familiar for some reason.

And if you've been following my posts then you'll be having an "Aha!" moment right about now *g*

Yes, I've been lucky enough to score an interview with accidental cover model Sam Bond....

SQUEEEEE!

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sam's photo epitomized the essence of my alien hero Asher. And when I saw the final cover version of From The Ashes, I was thrilled to bits and beyond and my editor got chills up and down her spine. He was just soooo right!

Anyway, enough of me rabbiting on 'cause I'm sure you're all wanting to read about Sam, right?

Right.

Unfortunately, the interview is too long and detailed to post here, so I've selected a few choice bits and pieces for your reading pleasure.

INTERVIEW WITH SAM BOND
by Maree Anderson
February 2011

Sam, thank you so much for letting me invade your privacy interview you. It’s not often that an author even discovers the name of the gorgeous, totally hot, bare-chested guy hero who features on one of her book covers, let alone gets the chance to ask him a heap of personal questions.

And just so you know, I had a little bit of a fan-girl moment at the mere thought of this interview and I kinda blanked. I mean, OMG, what if all I can come up with are a big bunch of boring, dumbass questions? Nightmare! *hyperventilates, searches frantically for a paper bag*

So I had a rare moment of complete brilliance and posted the link to your official website all over my writers loops, told a bunch of writer and author friends a bit about you, and begged them to help me out. You’re not gonna believe the question that came up the most (but then again, you are a totally hot-looking guy, so maybe you will)....

Are you available???

Followed closely by:

Do you like older women???

BTW, please don’t feel obliged to answer those two questions. But if you do, you might help put a bunch of us out of our misery ;-)

Sam: I am seeing a girl called Emily. She is smart and sweet and makes me laugh. If I were single and someone else matched that criteria, age would not necessarily be an issue.

OK, so now we’ve got the personal stuff out of the way (Bwah hah hah! Yeah, riiight!) let’s start with questions of a professional nature.

Your bare-chested self features on the cover of my December release From The Ashes and I know for a fact that there was no tinkering with the photo to buff you up, slim you down, or anything else. You obviously work very hard to take care of yourself.

How do you stay motivated?

Sam: That’s a good question. Just recently I have realised that I don’t actually stay motivated. I’ve played all sorts of mind games in the past to keep myself motivated for a competition and I’ve tried all sorts of tricks to get me up early in the mornings. After backpacking for three months though, and not training at all in that time, I can see that I only do well in my training and achieve the best results when I am enjoying it. I do enjoy weight training so from now on my focus will always be about having fun. The aesthetics will come hand in hand by default when playing around with iron plates.

We writers are all about goal-setting. Finish the damn manuscript. Write the damn synopsis. Don’t be a weenie: Send out the darn query. Deal with rejection. Send out the darn query. Get an agent. Get published. Make some decent money....

Did you set specific goals and envisage the path your career has taken?

Sam: Well I don’t actually consider anything I’ve done thus far (as a result of my physique) a career. I see it as more of a career-break actually – a sabbatical while I pursued the opportunities that presented themselves. But goal setting is part of my life yes.

What’s been the most surprising part of your career so far? And the most rewarding?

Sam: Working on the television show (Gladiators) was a great experience and was what started it all off. Without a doubt the biggest surprise though, was seeing myself on the front of a book. I really had no idea this had happened.

We writers are also well-known for doing some crazy things when we get “the call” to say someone wants to buy our book. And most of these crazy things are accompanied by ear-splitting SQUEEEEs of utter joy.

How did you feel when you got “the call” about being on UK Gladiators? How did you celebrate?

Sam: You know what? I did exactly the same thing. The roar was so loud I had to go back into the office (my place of work at the time) and apologise to everyone.

Indulge us, pleeeease! Run us through a typical day of you doing what you do to maintain your hawt self.

Sam: I’ll try and keep this clean shall I?

Maree: Yeah, considering I don’t have an “R” rating on my website, I guess you should. Rats.

Sam: Sadly my routine is really not very interesting. I only train for about 2 hours, 3-4 times a week. And when I’m not training I’m either spending time with Emily, riding the motorcycle, or of course, working.

Okay, now we’re gonna get to the real good stuff! *rubs hands in glee*

Describe your ideal romantic moment.

Sam: Beer, pizza, bedroom. I’m kidding of course, but then that does sound very appealing.

Maree: I’ll say! Though DH and I always swap the beer for wine ;-)

Sam: I don’t dare get too philosophical about this subject, knowing that the readers of this interview will most likely be female and therefore more qualified than me, but an ideal romantic moment for me is one that catches me off guard. A complete surprise is perhaps more romantic than a planned outing to a fancier restaurant, wouldn’t you think?

If you were a girl (and I hear all the world’s women weeping buckets at the mere thought of such a travesty!) what kind of guys would you date? (SNAGs? Nerds? Jocks? Joe Average?) Would it be looks or personality that would first attract you?

Sam: It would be the same as what I look for in a woman – money ;-) But if I had to give a serious answer it would be whoever charmed me, made me laugh and someone I could see a great future with.

Do you have any pets?

Sam: Emily takes some looking after and she has a pet rabbit which enjoys more affection than me. But I don’t have a pet, no. Besides, my motorbike already takes up a huge amount of my time. How sad is that, hey?

If you had to choose an occupation that didn't involve keeping yourself ultra-fit, what would it be?

Sam: I’d be a doctor. If I could afford to go back to University and retrain, I’d love to study medicine.

What’s your favourite food?

Sam: My mother cooks a mean roast dinner. But I do enjoy pizza, the odd jug of beer, and of course who doesn’t like chocolate?

What’s your most guilty pleasure?

And.....

We'll have to leave it there *VBG*

Hope you enjoyed the sneak peek! For more Sam (and we have videos and links!) please click on An interview with Sam Bond to read the full uncut interview.

(Please note: This interview may not be reproduced, in full or in part, without first requesting permission from author.)

Cheers!
Maree

Writing Wings

WRITING WINGS
by Tambra Kendall


As writers, I think most of us strive to improve and stretch our authorial wings.
This blog post falls in line with my last one.

I played with writing song lyrics back in the late 1980’s/early 1990’s. All these years, I’ve kept the desire to write songs (and do it correctly) in a corner of my writer’s soul. Well, I’ve finally decided to explore this area and have joined a professional songwriter’s group. Now, I need to produce lyrics. My Muse will have something else to choose from should writer’s block hit when I creating novels/novellas/short stories.

If this venture works, I’m thrilled. If not, I’ll look at this as a learning experience and continue with my numerous other projects.
My guess is the lyric writing will be similar to my fiction writing. I’ll write the kind of music I listen to and of course, it’s a wide range. Rock, contemporary country, blues, folk are all areas that I enjoy so it’s very possible I’ll pen something that fits in any of those categories.

Remember, if you fail at something you attempt that doesn’t make you a loser. We learn by trying. It helps us grow.
I want to be the best writer that I can be. A creative person, whose work touches lives, helps heal and makes my readers smile, feel good about themselves and the time they’ve chosen to spend with the characters I’ve created.

Who knows…you might hear one of the songs I’ve penned on the radio one day. This journey of life is exciting and filled with promise.

Go and do something to make your dreams come true!

Hugs,
Tambra

Welcome Back, Ms Muse!

Welcome Back, Ms Muse! by Maree Anderson (for Writers Gone Wild)

Hi ya'll,

The day got away on me yesterday, and I ran out of time to write something and schedule it. But that's usually OK, because with the time difference between NZ & the US, so long as I post something the next morning, I'm sweet. Except... it's now almost 5.pm Friday (10pm Thursday blog time) and I've only just remembered. Whoops! Almost so late it's hardly worth it!

So here's my excuses *VBG*

Wednesday, I got the all-clear from my physio that my ankle injury had finally healed enough that I could get back to karate and dancing. Which is just as well, considering I'd actually snuck in a karate class and a couple of dance classes already *g*. So I decided that on Thursday night, for the first time since July last year, I'd do back-to-back karate and dance classes. In other words, an hour of karate, rush home and grab a 5 minute shower, shove on some clean clothes while munching on a protein bar for dinner, and then jump in the car and head to dance class.

Yeah, I know, I know! I had the whole day to do a post! But I spent the whole day writing up an interview with the delicious Sam Bond, he who graced the cover of my December release, From The Ashes--more on that next week! So I figured I'd write a post for Writers Gone Wild on Friday morning, cause, like, I've got the whole NZ/US time zone thing on my side, right?

I made it through a sweltering karate class, then it was straight off to dance class. I gotta say, I've really really missed the dance classes. It's a social thing, I think. I love catching up with all my friends, learning new dance moves, dancing with different people, and then, once the class is over, cutting loose and just having fun. My ankle's not strong enough to weather a constant 2 hour stint of dancing yet, though. So after the class, I only managed two songs of free-styling in a row before I had to apologize to whoever had asked me up and go sit down and rest it. But hey, it's all good.

After class, a bunch of us headed for Denny's to grab a snack, a drink and generally wind down before heading home. I've found that if I go straight home, I'm so wired I can't sleep -- hence the whole heading out after class habit. So I got in about midnight, tiptoed in so as not to wake DH, and crashed until this morning.

Ah yes. This morning. Felt like I'd been run over by a Mack truck. All those muscles I haven't been using for far to long decided to let me know they existed. Ouch. And I sure could have done with an hour's extra sleep--seems I'm not used to that anymore, either. Yawn.

But on the plus side, both kids were finally back at school and I had a clear day ahead to do whatever I wanted. OMG. That's been another thing I've sooo missed. I mean, I love my kids, but six weeks of having the focus solely on them while they've been on holiday, has sent my Muse into a huge sulk. So I had all the best intentions in the world of writing a post for my weekly Thursday slot, and then getting down to some serious work on my wip. Oh happy joy.

What actually happened was that I'd forgotten daughter had a late start at school. So after I saw her off, I spent an hour or so clearing my inbox and firing emails back and forth. And then I opened my manuscript and that was it: total involvement to the exclusion of all else. Until, horrors, it was 3pm, the kids were due home from school in 20 minutes, and I hadn't even had a shower or made the bed.

Horrors! You kinda lose your leverage in insisting your kids have showers and make their beds if you don't set the same example. I did manage to remember to hang out the washing, but only because the annoying beeping sound the washer makes when its finished a cycle finally filtered into my brain and started to irritate me enough that I couldn't ignore it any longer. And somehow, I didn't think the kids would care as much about the washing if I greeted them in my pjs.

So a quick shower, throw on some clothes, stack the dishwasher, and then the kids were home and the usual dramas ensued. Like daughter moping because her BFF isn't in any of her classes and her first day back wasn't too hot. And son organizing to meet a mate, then realizing he's got a flat bike tire, meaning I had to go knock on neighbors' doors until I found someone at home to lend us a halfway decent bike pump because god only knew where ours had gotten to. (Turned out it was on DH's bike. Where it was supposed to be. But I'd taken DS's word that it was nowhere to be found. Sigh.)

So anyway, that's been my day, for what it's worth. But yanno what? I'm just so darned thrilled to be writing again, that I don't much care about anything else. Not even "almost" forgetting to post something for Writers Gone Wild, which would normally make me feel pretty bad, 'cause I don't like to let people down.

So I hope you'll forgive me for almost forgetting you, but I can't bring myself to feel too guilty because the Muse is back!

Welcome back, Ms Muse. Long time no see.

Cheers
Maree

(Made it! Post published on Thursday with 1 1/2 hours to spare. Phew!)

Happy Groundhog Day!

Whether the furry little creature saw his shadow or not, it seems to me this winter has been pretty harsh for the folks out on the east coast, so I'm certain there will be six more weeks of winter no matter what. To take the chill off, here's something that'll warm you up. Katie Reus's 30 Days of Danger and Secrets began yesterday, and it runs throughout the rest of the month. Cynthia Eden was up yesterday, and all month long there will be a roster of authors giving away prizes and books. Stop by Katie's blog to enter!