Monday, December 15, 2014

Purely Professional Interview with Elia Winters #BDSM #EroticRomance


Today we have erotic romance author Elia Winters in the spotlight, chatting about what's in her nightstand (which is by far more interesting than her lack of a desk) and her spicy BDSM release, Purely Professional. Elia will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Interview questions for Elia Winters… .

Quick round:
Coffee, tea or…what’s your vice?
I’ve been a tea drinker all my life, but over the last few months I’ve finally developed a taste for coffee, and it’s a dangerous road. I asked for a Chemex for Christmas and I’m so excited to try it.

Favorite Movie:
I have a special place in my heart for Contact. It’s part of why I was an astronomy minor in college. (Advanced physics is why I didn’t keep an astronomy major in college.)

Favorite Color:
Pink. Really. I’ve been in denial about it but it’s true.

Favorite book/author:
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant.

How do you feel about bacon?
I love it. There is no food that cannot be improved by the addition of either bacon or chocolate. Chocolate-covered bacon is the perfect food.


The REAL questions…
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a sex-positive feminist geek girl. I love gaming, especially tabletop games, and my husband and I host Dungeons and Dragons every week for our friends. I also love animals: we have a cat and a rescued mourning dove (who are never in the same room together). I can’t imagine my home without animals, although our Christmas tree would be in better shape if it weren’t for the cat.

What’s under your bed?
The fuzzy socks I kick off in the middle of the night. Some people might say “sex toys,” but those are too valuable to keep under the bed, and instead my entire nightstand is dedicated to them.

What comes first, plot or characters?
I come up with a very broad concept first, then develop characters. The detailed plot arises from the characters.

Pantser, plotter, or hybrid? Tell us about your writing process.
I’m a NaNoWriMo veteran of 14 years, and my writing process has changed quite a bit. I’m more productive as a plotter, and that’s how I still tend to work. Sometimes, like last month, my story goes off the rails and turns (for instance) from a police officer overcoming his social hangups to a doctor getting involved with an underground boxing circuit, and in those cases I just pants my way through it and revise it much, much later when I have some distance.

Oddest thing on your desk?
The oddest thing is that I don’t have a desk. I have a laptop and write on the couch. I’m a teacher, though, and on my desk at work I have a selection of miniatures including Castiel from Supernatural and the Alien from Alien.

What’s your most interesting writing quirk?
I put together a writing playlist and listen to it on repeat the entire time I’m writing a book. It’s not even usually songs that are related to the book, just songs I’m digging at the time. For this past November, I spent the whole month listening to my Appoggiatura playlist.

What’s your favorite thing about the genre you write in?
I love reading and writing hot sex. I’m amazed at how sex can be new every time, and how even though biologically it’s a limited number of moves, it can be written so many different ways.

What is the hardest thing about being an author?
Learning which feedback to ignore and which to listen to. Also, believing in yourself enough to pour endless hours of work into something and knowing it will eventually come together.

What’s the easiest thing about being an author?
I’m a little stumped by this question, because none of it ever feels easy. Okay, some days the writing is easy, but most of the time it feels like putting an octopus into a snowsuit. However, it’s so rewarding. There’s nothing like starting with a raw idea and taking it all the way through to a published novel. That makes everything worth it. So very little of the process is easy, but all of it is rewarding.

What do you wish someone had asked you for an interview question? 
I wish someone asked me about my hot-button issues! I’m passionate about feminism and sex-positivity. I hate woman-on-woman hate, this idea that we’re all in competition for men, and that we have to hate our guys’ exes and gossip behind each other’s backs. That stuff needs to stop, in literature and in life. Support each other. Stop the internalized misogyny. Stop writing bitchy women.

Tell us about your latest release!

Purely Professional started on a lark - I decided to write the BDSM erotic romance that I always wanted to read. I love reading BDSM, but lifestyle BDSM isn’t my favorite. I wanted to read about the casual practitioners, those who enjoy their kinky sex but don’t live as D/s partners all the time. The book grew from that idea. I’m excited to see people enjoying the book and hope they continue to do so!


~*~

BLURB for Purely Professional

Columnist Bridget Hartwell agrees to write about BDSM to impress her new executive editor at Sultry, the “sex-positive magazine for sex-positive women.” Unfortunately, it’s a topic she knows absolutely nothing about…but if she ever wants that promotion, she’ll need to learn the ropes, fast.

English professor Max Harlow is active in the Dom/sub scene, but only for casual play—he’s never found his ideal partner: a woman who is his equal, but sexually submissive. When he’s asked to explain the lifestyle to his cute but obviously inexperienced neighbor, Max is certain it’s best to approach it academically—to keep things purely professional.

Until Bridget’s first article is a huge hit, giving her the perfect excuse to delve deeper into the naturally submissive side of her sexuality. But as their encounters intensify and each of her boundaries is skillfully pushed, Bridget must decide what this all means… for her identity, her career, and, most importantly, her future with Max.

Purely Professional is available from:
and other ebook retailers.

~*~

 Excerpt for Purely Professional

“What about your fantasies?”

Bridget hesitated.

“What? What is it?” Catching her hesitation, Max looked up from the Scrabble board.

“It’s just...” She paused and took a swig of beer. “I’ve had a lot of crushes on men in positions of power. My volleyball coach back in high school, my internship coordinator in college, a few professors...” Realizing he was grinning, she blushed, remembering he was a professor. “Right. Anyway, I never acted on any of them.”

“And yet you complain that you date weak men.” He swirled the beer around in his bottle and held it up to the light, his gaze thoughtful and distant.

“Well, I don’t want some guy to boss me around.” To hide the discomfort she suddenly felt, Bridget looked down at the board. She played reach off the H in hinder and fumbled as she chose four new tiles.

“I think we both know that’s a lie.“ Max said smoothly, and he drank his beer. “I’ll bet you’re just afraid of what kind of woman you would be if you gave in to those urges.” He rubbed a tile between a thumb and forefinger, then set it back on his shelf. “I’ve been doing this a long time, Bridget. You responded today like a natural submissive. You liked more than just the sex. You liked all of it.”

She set down her beer and looked at him. “All right.” She tried not to sound defensive. “So what does that mean?”

“It doesn’t have to mean anything.” Max shrugged. “Maybe this afternoon, I just want to play some Scrabble with you and order a pizza. But when we’re done with all this experimenting, you’re going to have a lot to write about.”

~*~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Elia Winters has always been a New England girl, despite having spent much of her childhood in Florida. She holds a degree in English Literature and teaches at a small rural high school where she runs too many extracurricular activities. She balances her love of the outdoors with a  bottomless well of geekiness.

Elia dabbles in many genres, but erotic romance has been one of her favorites since she first began sneaking her mother’s romance novels. In high school, she kept her friends entertained with a steady stream of naughty stories and somehow never got caught passing them around. Her erotic fiction and poetry have been published online at Clean Sheets and Scarlet Letters under a different name. Elia currently lives in New England with her loving husband and their odd assortment of pets.

Elia’s virtual life is as busy as her real life. In addition to her website, http://eliawinters.com/, you can also find her on:

Twitter  
Tumblr  


~*~

Contest Details 

Elia will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, December 5, 2014

Trained For Seduction #Free For A Limited Time! #TWRP #eroticromance #mfm #menage #bdsm

Hi gang! Not sure how much longer this is free, but Spy Games: Trained for Seduction is free in all e-formats for a limited time on The Wild Rose Press website! This is book one in the Spy Games series and was nominated for a Reader's Choice Award in 2013.

Blurb For Spy Games: Trained for Seduction...
Emma Walters didn't choose to be a spy, but when her crazy father was caught selling bombs to the wrong people, she was given a choice--become a spy or rot in jail. Her exciting new life as agent Kate Wells becomes more so when she discovers her new boss is the agent--undercover and investigating her father at the time--who took her to third base. Emma is already half in love with the dark and dangerous Chase Sanders. Kate wants nothing more than for him to finish what he started, but he's the devil incarnate. And one doesn't make deals or fall in love with the devil.

If someone had told Chase he'd fall in love with a certain virgin when he was on his last mission, he would have shot them dead, sniper style. She was nothing more than collateral damage, damn it. But watching the sexy new spy morph into a bombshell killing machine is too much to bear. So when the powers that be command him to train her in the art of seduction for her first--and possibly last--mission, he's scared witless. Making love to Kate means preparing her for sex with another man.

Somehow, Chase has to find a way to get Kate in--and out--of her mission without dying. And without falling in love.

Book 1 in the Spy Games series

This title contains: explicit language, anal sex, ménage a trios (m/f/m), and light bondage. 354 pages.

Check it out! Available in all formats here.

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Red And Her Big Bad Dom Spotlight #TWRP #Eroticromance




Today we have fellow The Wild Rose Press author Sydney St. Claire with a spotlight on Red and Her Big Bad Dom. There's a spicy excerpt to enjoy and Sydney is giving away a sweet swag bag with great things at the end. Enjoy! 


~Mia


RED & HER BIG BAD DOM
by Sydney St. Claire

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Wealthy computer genius Graham Winters is in love with a woman who
won’t join him for a stingy cup of coffee. How can he prove he’s nothing like her jerk of an ex if she won’t give him a chance? Then he spots her at a BDSM club and devises a plan. During the day, he’s “that damn geek.” At night, he’s the masked Dom known as The Wolf.

When it comes to her love life, Lucy Sanchez has one rule—no geeks. Not even rich, good looking geeks. She’s attracted to Graham but rules are rules. Besides, she has her wolf, the mysterious Dom who makes her blood sing. Then she’s invited to a fairytale event at Pleasure Manor and this Little Red Riding Hood plans to enjoy every delicious moment with her big, bad Dom.

Available at Amazon & B&N


~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Excerpt for Red & Her Big Bad Dom

“Red Riding Hood. Your wolf awaits.”

Lucy stepped forward as did her wolf. He pointed to the ground. Lucy knelt, assuming a submissive posture. Her Dom circled her several times, then stopped in front of her.

He snapped his fingers. “Follow me. The woods await.”

His deep, husky voice with just a hint of an accent vibrated through her, warming her belly and heating her core. It amazed her that his voice alone made her throb. She stood, keeping her head bent, her gaze to the ground. When he whipped around to lead the way, she almost stumbled. Not only was his crotch cut out but so was the seat of his pants.

She stared at the G-string. The black set off his nicely tanned buttocks and was more temptation than she could resist. As soon as they exited through a side door into the garden, she cupped his cheeks, finding the flesh warm and firm. The man most definitely worked out.

He stopped suddenly, eyes narrowed to slits behind his mask. “Did I give you permission to touch?”

Head bowed meekly, Lucy licked her lips. “No, Sir. I’m sorry, Sir. I couldn’t resist. Guess you’ll have to punish me. Sir.”

“Ah, my lovely little sub wants to be punished?”

Lucy shivered. “Oh, yes, Sir. I need to be punished.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sydney St. Claire is the pseudonym of Susan Edwards, author of 14 Historical Native American /Western/ Paranormal romances and the author of the popular “White” Series.

Sydney loves writing and sharing stories of love, happiness and dreams come true with her readers. She credits her mother for her writing success.  Encouraged to read as a child, she always preferred happy endings which meant romances were her favorite genre.  Sydney takes her readers into the world of erotica romance where her characters come together in explosive passion as they solve life’s problems and find true love along with the best sex our hero and heroine have ever experienced.

Sydney’s office is quite crowded with three dogs at her feet and five cats to keep her company while she writes. Three cats always insist on beds on her desk, barely leaving enough room for her monitor and keyboard. Life gets fun when all five insist on supervising…

When not writing, she enjoys crafts of all sorts including quilting, sewing, cross-stitch and knitting. She and her husband of 30 + years are avid gardeners. He takes care of the veggies, and Susan is in charge of the ‘pretties’. Her medicine wheel garden is in a contact state of war: flowers vs. weeds. Sadly, right now the weeds are wining…

While writing, she listens to a wide variety of music. Her current favorites are Blackmore’s Night and David Lanz.

Contact Links    
Email:       Sydney@sydneystclaire.com
Goodreads:         https://www.goodreads.com/sydneystclaire
Wild Rose Press:  http://wilderroses.com

~*~

Contest Details

Sydney is giving away a Once Upon a Dom Tote Bag: Tote Bag, Mug, Cap and Misc. goodies (US Only - Int'l winners will have a GC substitute) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Spotlight on Shimmy For Me by Deanna Cameron #romance #bellydancing


Today we have a spotlight on DeAnna Cameron's Shimmy for Me. She's also giving away a $25 gift card at the end of the post, so stay tuned. I haven't read this book but the blurb was interesting to me because back in my technical writing days, I co-wrote a book on belly dancing with my partner. So a book about it is way too much fun. It's a definite read for me!

 Enjoy! 

~Mia


BLURB for Shimmy for Me by Deanna Cameron:


Juggling two jobs to keep her belly dance studio afloat keeps Abby Anderson’s mind off her shattered love life—until a reawakened pain sends her into the arms of an anonymous stranger she plucks from the audience of her tribal belly dance show. No names, no strings, no romance. She tells herself it’s a harmless hookup.

Until he turns up at her day job . . .

Derek Collier, the sexy heir to the Collier media dynasty, just landed everything he’s always wanted: the publisher’s seat at the Orange County Herald. Except his first order of business is to sell the newspaper. Reeling from his family’s betrayal, his only comfort is the memory of that mysterious belly dancer and the perfect night they spent together.

He won’t rest until he finds her again.

She’ll lose everything if he does.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT for Shimmy For Me:

Only one thing could divert his thoughts tonight, and she was standing in front of him, just out of reach.

He bridged the distance and touched her porcelain white chin.

“Is this all right?” he asked.

She covered his hand with her own and nuzzled into it.

“We seemed to have skipped the introductions,” he said, his eyes locked on that smooth, soft cheek. “I suppose I have the advantage. I already know who you are, Zenina, so maybe I should tell you I’m—”

She stopped his mouth with a quick finger. “No names,” she said, her chocolate eyes widening. “No numbers. Nothing. All right? Let’s just enjoy tonight.”

She didn’t want to get to know him? Or force him to get to know her? No hoops to jump through, no empty promises to make?

She really was perfect.

She took his hand from her shoulder and guided it down the front of her, over the rise of her breast, the soft slope of her belly, the ridge of her belts and scarves.

His chest thudded at the feel of her. His mind froze.

She stopped his hand and pulled it away.

“Do we have a deal?” she purred.

“Oh yeah,” he said, his heartbeat racing, his breath coming fast. “You can have whatever you want.”
         
A slow, sexy smile crept across her face and she rose on her toes to whisper in his ear. “Just for tonight, handsome. Just one night.”


~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

DeAnna Cameron writes novels featuring feisty heroines transformed by true love and belly dance—the oldest and most exciting dance form in the world. Her novels have been translated into Japanese, Polish, and Serbian, and her work has been praised for its “deft prose, energetic characters and . . . colorful images” by RT Book Reviews and called “most entertaining” by the Historical Novel Review. Before turning to fiction, DeAnna worked as a journalist, writing and editing for several Southern California newspapers and magazines. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as its Orange County chapter. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she can usually be found at her jeweler’s bench, creating new wire-wrap, bead, and multimedia designs. She lives in Orange County, Calif., with her family.





Contest Details

DeAnna is giving away a randomly drawn $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N. Fill out the Rafflecopter gadget below! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, November 10, 2014

JamieLynn Boothe's Nightmares and Dreams #GLBT #FF #romance

Today we have JamieLynn Boothe in the hot seat, discussing her debut novel, Nightmares and Dreams. I hope you'll enjoy! 

~Mia

~*~

Interview questions for JamieLynn Boothe

Quick round:
Coffee, tea or…what’s your vice?  Definitely coffee, I probably drink way too much of it.

Favorite Movie: Wow, this is hard because there’s so many to choose from. As far as horror goes, definitely The Exorcist, romance would have to be Return to Me

Favorite Color: Purple all the way

Favorite book/author: I have a few favorites but I will say The Guardian by Nicholas Sparks

How do you feel about bacon? Ohhhh, I love it J



What comes first, plot or characters? 
For me, I have to say Characters. I enjoy building my story around them and what they go through, good and bad.

Pantser, plotter, or hybrid?
I create the characters and start with a general idea of what it will be about, but I actually just allow my imagination flow. I never really know exactly how it’s going to go until I’m about half way into it.

Oddest thing on your desk?  A picture of Betty Boop J

What’s your most interesting writing quirk?
Not sure that I have one unless you want to consider the fact that sometimes I have a hard time sitting still for too long.

What’s your favorite thing about the genre you write in?
I love gripping the readers emotions. To me that’s the most important thing. If I can make every emotion come alive, then I did my job well. If I didn’t make them cry, then I didn’t do it well enough.

What is the hardest thing about being an author?
Patience and the horrible times when writers block sets in and sometimes having enough time in a day to meet your goal and do lifes bidding.

What’s under your bed? 
I would have to say shoes. A girl can never have too many shoes J

What’s the easiest thing about being an author? 
For me, when it flows really good, when the story flows from my fingertips and it just keeps going and going and going.

What is one of the best rewards you have gotten so far from your writing? 
I find it extremely rewarding to hear or read from a fan how my story has touched them. How much they loved it and when I have had a few tell me it should be made into a movie.

Tell us about your latest release! 
Nightmares and Dreams is a special book for me. Not only because it’s my first novel, but because of what it’s about. It is something that will grab hold of every emotion you have and more. It’s focused towards the GLBT community and the hatred so many still have for them, but reflects on the deepest kind of love two women have for each other that is more powerful than any obstacle they face.

Blurb for Nightmares and Dreams
Nightmares of being raped as a teenager haunted Christy for years and she had tried to run and hide from them to no avail. The pain over the years took enough of a toll to where she finally had enough and moved back home to her hometown of Moneta, Virginia to be with the woman she loved. After being away for six years from the small country town where she grew up, facing her fears and finally  being in Heathers arms again gave her hope for normality in her life.

Once she realized that running was only getting away from the physical aspect of it and she had to deal with the mental fears as well, everything started to fall into place.  Seeking professional help, being with Heather and doing what she loved most,  teaching, Christy had reason to smile again.

Being home a short while, things are going smoothly and happiness has entered her life once again, until a horrendous hate crime was committed, targeted  specifically  towards homosexuals. The roller coaster ride that Christy and Heather were unwillingly having to experience was nothing like they have ever encountered in their lives before.

 Men nothing short of being monsters continued their rage by kidnapping Christy and taking her off into the hills. Being kept hidden in an old hunting cabin where her earlier  nightmares dwindled in comparison to what they had in store for her, Christy was faced with a life or death situation. With feeling overwhelmed with her fears becoming real life and being helpless in a secluded cabin, could Christy overcome the odds stacked  against her and escape somehow, or would the monsters who tormented her kill her before she was able to get away and back into Heathers loving embrace?

Available at Amazon


~*~

Excerpt for Nightmares and Dreams...
Christy’s body convulsed and her brain was in overdrive as she jerked awake from her nightmare and realized she was lying in a large patch of sand. She sat up on one hand and hip, looking around, trying to peer into the darkness. She saw a swing set with an adjoining slide, too small for adults, a merry-go-round and a surrounding wire fence. Beyond the fence she saw yellow school buses and she knew where she was. She was in the playground behind the elementary school, in her pajamas.

Somewhat nauseated and dizzy, Christy sat still in the cold sand for a few minutes, shivering and hoping to get clearheaded before she stood to begin her journey home. Grateful that she didn’t live too far from the school, she was still a little upset that she had to even worry about it at all. She should be where most others were, wrapped in a warm blanket, in her comfortable bed, safe and with no fear. Shaking, she looked around at her surroundings and her head began to slowly clear little by little. Her breathing slowed down to a more normal pace, so she slowly started the process of rising to her feet. Getting on one knee, then the other and shifting her weight, she slowly stood, trying not to lose her balance because of dizziness.

On her feet, standing straight, she put her hands out in front of her to balance herself as she shivered from the cold sweat and terror still coursing through her. Her fear from the nightmare wasn’t as bad as it had been. The horror was slowly subsiding, but the memories of them were still fresh in her mind. Usually, when a person has a dream they don't remember much, if any of it, but not her, she remembered her nightmares vividly.

Feeling more balanced after standing in place for a couple minutes, she took a deep breath and started walking toward the chain link fence that surrounded the playground, feeling the sand between her toes with every step. Her eyes began to become more focused. The streetlamps in the parking lot helped and she was grateful for their light.

Reaching the fence, Christy placed one hand on it. Being closer to the parking lot where the buses were and where there was more light to see by, she looked herself over. Her feet were bare, and she had nothing on her cold shivering body except her pink flannel Betty Boop pajamas, which were now covered in wet sand. Her entire front, from where she was lying down, was completely covered with sand. She brushed as much of it off of her as she could, hoping they wouldn’t be stained, when she washed them. Christy loved these pajamas, and right now she was very grateful they were flannel, providing some warmth, although not much.

Having no idea what time it was, she told herself she needed to get moving. She was cold, dirty and she wanted a hot shower and some clean clothes. Thankfully, her house was right down the road on Lottie Lane. But being without shoes, it would take a little longer for her to get there. Opening the gate on the fence, she began her trek home. Taking her first step out of the sand onto the hard surface of the parking lot, she felt the pebbles and gravel press into the soft soles of her feet. She accepted the fact that this might not be a really long walk, but it certainly wouldn’t be a pleasurable one.


~*~

More about JamieLynn Boothe

Well, let’s see. I’m a Transgender Woman so I am a southern girl. Born and raised in the small town of Moneta, Virginia. I love writing obviously but I was a late bloomer. I didn’t write my first novel, Nightmares and Dreams until 2012. I am writing the second and third book to it now. I believe for me the best things to write will come from the heart. Either from my experiences or whatever but they will always ring true. I love movies, reading, writing, music, art, cooking, cats and spending time with friends, oh and naps. I love naps.

Connect with JamieLynn on the Web!



~*~

Thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, November 8, 2014

How To Make your Press Kit Media Friendly #AuthorHelp

Every so often I go on a PSA rant about something on FaceBook. Here is today's advice about creating easy and effective Media Kits. I've also included an example for your enjoyment.

~Mia

Michele E Gwynn Chats Exposed: The Education of Sarah Brown #erotic #suspense #newrelease

Today we have erotic suspense author Michele E Gwynn in the hot seat, discussing Exposed: The Education of Sarah Brown, her first release from Beau Coup Publishing and the first book in the Kriminal Erotic Series. She also writes sizzling erotic shorts under the pen name of Xaviera Snow. Book two in the Kriminal Erotic Series, The Evolution of Elsa Kreiss, will be out in December.

Enjoy!

~Mia

~*~

Quick round:
Coffee, tea or…what’s your vice?  Texas Sweet Tea.

Favorite Movie: I don’t have just one. I have many. Forrest Gump, The Notebook, 300, Star Wars, Twilight Saga, Grandma’s Boy, The Harold and Kumar comedies, The Bourne movies, Dirty Dancing, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, …As you can see, they range from serious to silly.

Favorite Color: Green. It’s the dominant color of nature, and I love the outdoors.

Favorite book/author: The Millenium Series by Stieg Larsson, To Kill a Mockingbird-Harper Lee, the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton, The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice, Stephen King’s Colorado Kid, Gerald’s Game, and The Langoliers; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, all the Harry Potter books. The list goes on.

How do you feel about bacon? I tried to be a vegetarian, but bacon wouldn’t let me. I do advocate the humane treatment of animals. I don’t see why we can’t make their lives happy, and healthy, and full of love. I don’t eat meat often anymore, but when I do, bacon is high on the list of wants.

Maybe not Michele's EXACT sentiments...
But it's hard not to love Homer and bacon.
The REAL questions…
Tell us a little about yourself. 
I am a journalist from San Antonio, Texas. I’ve been writing for newspaper locally since 2006. Prior to that, I worked in medical administration doing referrals, then billing, billing management, and finally, office management. One day I realized I wasn’t happy doing that anymore, so I went back to school and earned my degree in Radio, Television, and Film Broadcast at San Antonio College. This brought me back to writing. I missed writing. It was something I used to do when I was a kid. I made the transition to newspaper, and then to online contribution for magazines and websites. I’ve interviewed a wide range of celebrities from actors like Rudolf Martin, to sports figures like former Spurs Center, David Robinson. To date, my most cherished interview was with former UN Ambassador, Sichan Siv, who served our country working for both the Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. administrations. He also authored his own biography, The Golden Bones. It was the most intense thirty minutes of my life. From online contribution, I segued into writing books. My first was a children’s fiction titled The Cat Who Wanted to be a Reindeer. I wrote it to work through the grief of losing my beloved cat, Sam. I even drew all the illustrations. I had no idea exactly what I was doing, but it’s still out there, and it’s nice knowing kids are reading it and experiencing just a little of my Sam. After that, I wrote Harvest, a short story horror/sci-fi that I finished in a creative writing class (which was inspired by a true UFO sighting, by the way, and described in the book). My professor urged me to publish, so I did. The second book in the Harvest Trilogy, Celluloss, is due out in December as well. I’m well on my way to completing two series and beginning a third.

Connect with Michele E. Gwynn on the Web...




Blog, The Write of Way:  http://michelegwynn.blogspot.com/


What’s under your bed? Hmmn. Well, probably a cat. I have four.

What comes first, plot or characters? 
For me, it’s the plot. The idea of the story comes to me first. Then, I begin thinking about characters.

Pantser, plotter, or hybrid?
Hybrid.

Oddest thing on your desk? 
 I have a birthday card pinned to the wall above my monitor. It’s a bulldog farting on a dandelion. It makes me laugh to this day. It was from my best friend, Tony.

What’s your most interesting writing quirk? 
I need to be alone to write. It has to be quiet, so it’s usually the wee hours of the morning when I write.

What’s your favorite thing about the genre you write in?
I love the details. When writing suspense, no matter whether it’s erotic or not, the details matter. I love creating the mystery, and then unraveling it clue by clue.

What is the hardest thing about being an author?
I’d say the hardest part is just getting yourself out there. Writers are generally private and solitary creatures. I am. Having to market myself is not easy. I’d rather be writing.

What’s the easiest thing about being an author?
For me, it’s the ideas. I have several, and they usually come to me in really strange dreams, so I write them down. I’m not short on ideas at all!

What do you wish someone had asked you for an interview question?
I suppose whether or not I include my own personal values in a story. The answer is…sometimes, yes. I’ll point out issues in the plot or use the characters to make a point. I also like to weave in a lot of facts. The more factual, the more believable. Mostly, my stories all, so far, shine a spotlight on an issue I wish more people would pay attention to. In Harvest, it’s the humane treatment of animals. In The Cat Who Wanted to be a Reindeer, it’s about liking and accepting who you are, and being thankful for what you have. In Exposed, I highlight the global problem of sex trafficking of women and children, and that theme continues in book two.

Tell us about your latest release! 
Exposed: The Education of Sarah Brown is about the sexual self-discovery of a young woman who has lived her life so far caring for her terminally ill mother, isolated from venturing out into the world. It’s also about how her journey to discovering who she really is leads to finding love, and also experiencing pain; the pain of loss, the pain of guilt, and physical pain. She grows as an individual, but in the process, finds herself caught between two men; one who wants her body, but not her love, and another who decides her body is not enough. He wants more. One of the two men has a past that threatens Sarah’s future. And while she indulges her sexual appetite in Berlin, a predator sets his sights on her and the younger brother of her new friend, Elsa Kreiss. Enter Detective Joseph Heinz; a man who is hanging on by a thread after failing to find the missing daughter of close friends five years before. Unable to solve the case, and to forgive himself, he resorts to drinking which results in divorce; losing his wife, his daughter, and very nearly, his job. The story is about redemption for each character, and how their lives change after meeting Sarah. Will she survive, or will the pursuit of pleasure be the death of her?


Blurb for Exposed: The Education of Sarah Brown

The Dangers of Sex

Sarah Brown sets out on a journey to sexual self-discovery and falls face first into danger. In Barcelona, Anthony de Luca, an author and photographer unleashes the full force of his charm that threatens to steal her heart, a prize he openly admits he doesn’t want. Still, she can’t resist him, and finds herself experiencing the heights of ecstasy and the lows of heartbreak as her lover leaves without a word. In Berlin, Paul Christiansen, a handsome Dutch lothario with a sordid past works his wiles to seduce her body; while in the shadows, a predator stalks a young boy close to Sarah determined to get what he wants or kill anyone who gets in his way. One of her two lovers has led a dangerous criminal straight to her door, but which one? And who can she trust? Will Sarah survive or will she lose both her heart and her life to desire?

BUY LINKS: Amazon.com  

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Excerpt for Exposed: The Education of Sarah Brown

Total sexual immersion…in a dungeon on the seedy side of Berlin!

“I won’t let them hurt you, Sarah.  If you say yes, you’ll be helping them out, and I can promise you will truly enjoy the experience.“  Elsa looked her straight in the eye and said this with sincerity.

“But Mr. Christiansen will be watching the entire time?“  Sarah tried not to let the excitement over the idea of being watched, and worked over by three beautiful women show in her voice. 

“Yes.  He will be watching.  We will be watching you, too.“  Nadia smiled knowingly.  Somehow, she sensed that Sarah secretly found the whole idea quite erotic.

She looked at all three women one at a time, hesitating still, then answered “okay“.  Nicolette hugged her tight pressing their breast together and Nadia clapped her hands together proclaiming “Ser gut!“ 

Elsa took Sarah’s hand and disentangled her from Nicolette’s arms.  She led her to the center of the room where silken cords hung from the ceiling.  She looked towards the large window wall mirror and nodded indicating that they would begin. 

Elsa picked up a black scarf from a side table and proceeded to wrap it around Sarah’s head covering her eyes.  She tied it tight.  The blindfold would help her new friend feel less self-conscious.  If she couldn’t see the expressions on everyone’s faces, their reactions, then hers would be more natural, uninhibited.  “Now strip.“ 

Book Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEG_hXAzwqY

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More about Michele E. Gwynn

Michele E. Gwynn is a freelance journalist in San Antonio. She writes for newspapers, magazines, and online websites like Examiner.com (under the categories of Film, Animal Rights, Healthy Food, and Sex and Relationships), Yahoo Voices, Alwayz Therro Magazine, and more. She also edits websites and books - recently editing the debut supernatural romance novel, Lone Wolf Rising, by Indie author Jami Brumfield, her next novel in a new series, The Witch's Vampire - Mystery Springs Unleashed, PBI Files series shorts, and Ghost Connection I and II. Prior to her career in writing, Ms. Gwynn worked first as a referral coordinator, billing manager, then office manager for a dermatology practice. 

Gwynn has published five books; one in the genre of erotic suspense, Exposed: The Education of Sarah Brown (Kriminal Erotic Series Book I); one in the horror genre, Harvest (Book I in the Harvest Trilogy - Book II due out December 2014), and one children's fiction, The Cat Who Wanted to be a Reindeer. She also recently published Camael's Gift (Angelic Host Series Novella I), and Murder in the Vale: The Ghosts of Cardiff published in a Beau Coup LLC Anthology, Haunting). Book II in the Kriminal Erotic Series, The Evolution of Elsa Kreiss is due December 2014, and book II in the Harvest Trilogy, Celluloss also due in December, 2014. In addition, the second book in the Angelic Hosts Series, Camael's Battle, will be out in November, 2014. Whew!

For discriminating bibliophiles, there is also a science fiction short published in a charity book for which all funds raised will help build a new library: Tales and Poems from Universal City, Texas (Synthesis by Michele E. Gwynn)

As if that weren't enough, she has published three adult shorts under the pen name Xaviera Snow. (On Amazon.com)

Much of her career has been spent interviewing all manner of celebrities for Examiner.com, and hometown newspaper and magazines. Life has been kind, and these interviews can be found on her blog (see page). She resides in the small town of Schertz, Texas on the northeast side of San Antonio with her four felines who so graciously allow her to reside in their home.

Connect with Michele E. Gwynn on the Web!








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