Great Scot!

As we in the USA observe Labor Day, I thought you all might enjoy observing some sexy Scots in their kilts. After all, eye candy is a wonderful thing—no calories but lots of pleasure.

Great Scot but I found some sexy, naughty video bits I could have shared here, but we’ll keep this showing more for a general audience. Leave more to your imagination as to what’s under those panels of wool and other fabric.

Here’s a more modern take on the kilt as runway couture:




And this is a delightfully teasing video a dear friend sent me recently. Handsome models strut their stuff.




This blog wouldn’t be complete without a special shout-out to my dear friends, Terry Spear and Nicole North, two ladies who creatively bring those Highland hunks we love to fictional life in their novellas and novels.


May you and yours enjoy the company of family and friends this holiday weekend. Here’s to many fond memories for everyone!

Wishing you all many joyful reading moments,

Shawna Moore
TORMENTED -- Coming October 8 to Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Will the Move Ever Be Done??

An Update!!! Don't Cry Wolf is scheduled for release March 1, 2009!



I'm in the middle of a nightmare move, so satellite's hooked up at my mother's house, but my network card isn't working. So what's new? I'm using her computer at my house, but nothing much works on it--no Word, so can't write, can't upload lessons to my students...argh. And she doesn't have a cordless mouse. I didn't remember how annoying/cumbersome the corded ones were!

But these covers are the bright spot in my week--What do you think?

Also, I'm shipping autographed copies of The Vampire...In My Dreams so if anyone is interested, email me at tspear@flash.net. Paypal and postal money orders/checks accepted. :)

Also, last chance to sign up for Happy Hookers if you need an online workshop that teaches about engaging the readers from start to finish! Starts Sep 1. http://www.terryspear.com/id14.html

Terry Spear
Heart of the Wolf, The Vampire...In My Dreams

A Real Doctor Nurse Encounter

Little did I know when I wrote A Doctor-Nurse Encounter for Harlequin Intrigue that my husband and I would be having our own encounters with doctors and nurses the month the book was released!

Last April my husband started having some trouble breathing. Since he has some allergies and exercised-induced asthma, both he and his doctor thought it was asthma related. When a few different combos of meds didn't solve his breathing problems, his doc sent him to a pulmonologist, who put him on some strong inhalers. Those didn't work either, so the pulmonologist sent him to a cardiologist. He passed an EKG and the doc scheduled him for a special stress test, called a cardio lite, where he would be injected with dye so they could take 3-D images of his heart. The test was scheduled for last Tuesday and my husband had another appointment on Wed. to review the test results and get an echocardiogram.

After the appointment, my husband called me with the scary news - the test revealed a major blockage in one of his arteries - and he was scheduled for an angiogram and possible angioplasty the next day! Talk about readjusting your priorities in a hurry! We told the kids that night and broke the other bad news that we had to cancel our trip to Maui. Sensing the seriousness of Dad's procedure, they hardly raised a fuss about missing Maui.

When something like this happens, you realize how wonderful your friends are. Two of my friends, who have sons who play soccer with my youngest, immediately offered to take the boys to the beach the next day. When we arrived at the hospital, six or seven guys from my husband's task force were there to offer support.

The procedure went smoothly, and all of his other arteries were clear. He spent one night in ICU and was discharged the next day. His doctors were fabulous and his ICU nurse was the best. When I came to pick up my husband, I brought his nurse, Lisa, an autographed copy of A Doctor-Nurse Encounter!

We found out that the artery was 99.9% blocked. My husband could have had a major heart attack at any time (like when we were tromping up and down the hills in S.F.) So my husband is off this week recovering - can't exercise for a month but will be back at work full-time next week. And I'm left feeling so grateful I have my wonderful husband with me. I told my husband we have a new "our song." It's Rob Thomas's "Little Wonders."

let it go,
let it roll right off your shoulder
don't you know
the hardest part is over
let it in,
let your clarity define you
in the end
we will only just remember
how it feels

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours
still remain

let it slide,
let your troubles fall behind you
let it shine
until you feel it all around you
and i don't mind
if it's me you need to turn to
we'll get by,
it's the heart that really matters in the end

our lives are made
in these small hours
these little wonders,
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away,
but these small hours,
these small hours
still remain

all of my regret
will wash away somehow
but i cannot forget
the way i feel right now

in these small hours
these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
these twists & turns of fate

time falls away
but these small hours
these small hours,
still remain,
still remain

these little wonders
these twists & turns of fate
time falls away
but these small hours
these little wonders
still remain

Fun With The LOLcats!

Hi Fierce Friends!

Life for a full time writer is CRAZY!! So here's some fun for all of us -- more LOL cats! Be back with more profound and serious thoughts on writing next week. Have a great day!!


































Keep Writing!!! Hugs, Tess

Outer Banks: Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Today I want to share some pics from my vacation last week to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The beach here at Kill Devil Hills is less crowded and more natural than other beaches I've visited.
We climbed the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest in the US at 208 feet. The light at the top can be seen 20 nautical miles out at sea and in clear conditions it can be seen from 51 miles away. Years ago, the lighthouse served a vital purpose of warning sailors away from the dangerous Diamond Shoals, sandbars that extend about 14 miles out into the ocean. These caused ships to run aground. To give you an idea of how dangerous this area of the ocean is, about 2000 shipwrecks have been found out there and include ships from the 1500s to the 1900s. It is called the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
Inside the lighthouse, looking down through the center of the spiral steps.

This is the first lighthouse I've visited. It is equal in height to a 12 story building and contains 248 steps. Great exercise! I was sore the next day.

(View from the top to the ground)

The view from the top is spectacular. From here you can see the site where the lighthouse used to sit (below, on the left side of the picture where that big sandy spot remains.) It was moved in 1999 to save it from the encroaching Atlantic and erosion of the shore. As for how this feat was accomplished, I have not researched it. A storm was approaching in this picture.

The view also includes the natural, beautiful and unspoiled Cape Hatteras National Seashore. With so much development and commercialization on most every beach, it was wonderful to see this virtually untouched beach. It stretches for 75 miles from south of Nags Head to Ocracoke Inlet. Amazing! It's home to lots of wildlife.

Here's a great map of the area with all the interesting islands. After you're on the site, click the map to enlarge.
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/national_parks/cape_hatt93.jpg
Since we stayed in Kill Devil Hills, we had to drive over 70 miles along these narrow islands to arrive at the lighthouse. We didn't have time to visit all the places we wanted to. If you've been to the Outer Banks, which is your favorite site?

Vonda

http://www.vondasinclair.com/

Box? What Box?

Writers are readers at heart. We simply love every aspect of the creative process, from bringing ideas from our brains and putting them on paper or other storage media to becoming lost in the wonderful fictional worlds of our favorite authors. I can’t remember a time in my life when someone wasn’t telling me or reading me a fairy tale story. During my earliest years and throughout my childhood, Mom or Dad sat beside my bed or rocked me to sleep while turning the pages of a Little Golden Book. After weekly visits to our local library, Mom and I returned home with several books each. On my seventh birthday, my parents presented me with a beautiful bookcase. A bookcase whose shelves I quickly filled with books I still cherish.

Much as is the case with our reading habits, we authors have our favorite genres and sub-genres when it comes to our writing. My first reading love has always been historical romance. From the sweetest to the tamest tales of days gone by, I delight in those moments of fantasy reading escape. And although I’ve enjoyed writing in more than one sub-genre, recently I stepped outside the proverbial writing box and plotted a new erotica romance that marries the medical with the paranormal. Talk about an exhilarating time. While working on something totally unrelated to writing, an idea sparked inside my skull and that notion soon became a bonfire of an inciting incident, turning points, sexual tension, playful moments, the black moment and even some brief character sketches. Those fantastic visions were streaming past, and I didn't want to miss an opportunity of catching every single one of them. In less than an hour I’d accomplished something comparable to the wedding rehearsal. Once I get my heroine’s and hero’s romance onto the computer screen, the medical-paranormal ceremony will unfold. As it unfolds so will the panels of the writing box. Barriers will vanish. A wide-open creative space will be mine for exploring, more than ever before. I’ve always relished visiting new places and meeting new people. Soon my writing odyssey will begin. Like most journeys, there will be turbulence, rough seas and potholes, but I won’t let those creativity busters get in the way of a romantic story I can’t wait to share with readers.

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
TORMENTED -- Coming October 8 to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Don't Cry Wolf's Cover

I'm in the middle of a hellish move, and in the midst of it received final edits for Don't Cry Wolf and finished them, but best of all, I received the cover!!

Much more colorful than Heart of the Wolf's! What do you all think? I love it!

And I received this wonderful unsolicited review while I was blogging on Between the Lines for Heart of the Wolf:

A comment regarding "Terry Spear - The Trials and Tribulations of Publication...And Those Most Devilish of Heroes—the Vampire", an entry at Between the Lines, was written at 8/22/2008 1:32:35 PM.

Author: Rosemarie Brungard

Home Page: http://romanceatheart.com/
Comment:
I stumbled on Terry's book, Heart of the Wolf recently, and enjoyed every minute of the read. I found her writing fascinating, and very much to my liking. I loved the strong characters, and the way the hero and heroine tried to protect each other. The efforts were bumbling at times, but when it came right down to it, and when the heat was on high, both Bella and Devlyn are there and ready to step up to the plate.

One can easily understand Bella's fear of Volan, and it is a shame she isn't able to trust Devlyn with her secret, but when all the facts are out, the reader truly understands the difficulties Bella would have encountered, and the tremendous danger both she and Devlyn were surrounded by in that time. As young and not yet mature, their strength and cunning could never have been a match for Volan, but at least as adults, and with Devlyn in his full power, they finally have a chance to succeed.

As time goes on, I hope to be able to get more of Terry's great books. If the rest are as good as Heart of the Wolf, they will be on my keeper shelf for a long time!!!~Rose!~

Thanks so much to Rose, and others like her who make me want to write forever!

Also, I received the new cover for Winning the Highlander's Heart and absolutely love it! What do you think?

Back to moving and working on Allure of the Wolf! Hope everyone's having a great Saturday! :)

Terry Spear

Heart of the Wolf, Don't Cry Wolf (Spr '09)

http://www.terryspear.com/

The Vampire...In My Dreams available today!!! Winner of Joy Nash's contest also!

The winner of Joy Nash's contest is: Dawnm (8/16@4:32 am) Congratulations, Dawn! Just email Joy with your snail mail address at: joy@joynash.com and she'll send you the book. :)

The Vampire...In My Dreams is finally available in print form!!! After selling it to another publisher who then closed their YA line, it is finally available.

I love the exceedingly devilish cover and can't wait to have the book in my hot little hands. :)

But for now, Amazon is offering a 15% discount, so buy one while you can! :)

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599988372/ref=cm_cmu_up_thanks_hdr

It's appropriate for ages 12-adult. They've got the age listed wrong on Amazon so my publisher will have to straighten that out with them. But it's finally available!!! :)

The Vampire...In My Dreams is truly a dream come true! :) Never give up!!!

Have you ever had a dream that you didn't think would ever come true but you kept on trying until it did?

Terry Spear

www.terryspear.com

Olympic Musings

The Olympics have been great this summer—the surprising bronze medal for the men’s gymnastics team; Kerry and Missy May kicking butt in beach volleyball; the fast as lightning Jamaican runners; the inspirational Dara Torres winning silver at 41 years of age and the 38-year old Romanian woman taking the gold in the marathon. And, of course, there’s Michael Phelps, but I have to confess I long for the days of Mark Spitz.

Every time Phelps swam in a race, the announcers mentioned Mark Spitz so my boys asked me who he was. I told them about Spitz winning seven gold medals for swimming in the Munich Olympics—and he did so with longish hair, a moustache, and best of all...a Speedo.

OK, call me shallow, but the men’s swimming events just aren’t the same without those Speedos showcasing those gorgeous swimmer bodies. I don’t like those long, aerodynamic suits the swimmers wear now, even though they’ve been responsible for the swimmers streaking through the water at even faster speeds. Although Phelps wears only the bottom portion, it still isn’t the same. I just can’t envision Phelps adorning a poster in his long jammers with his eight gold medals around his neck.

I remember fondly that poster of Mark Spitz in his Speedo with his seven gold medals hanging from his neck. It was one of the first times, really, that women (and girls like me) had the opportunity to ogle a good-looking, sexy man. Now, of course, all we have to do is pick up a romance novel to enjoy a picture of a sexy hunk!

The swimming events are over now, but we still have men’s diving...and they still wear Sppedos.

Don't Get Me Riled Up, Y'all

Hi Fierce Friends!
Well, last weekend I attended an awesome SF/F literary conference in Austin, Texas, where I sat on two panels, one for Paranormal Romance, and one about Vampires. They were both a lot of fun. What's amazing is that this conference, which started in 1978, has now included Paranormal Romance in their line-up! To be honest, SF/F conferences are a little, shall we say, a little snobbish when it comes to anything related to the romance genre. So I was thrilled to see they were opening their minds a little to this sub-genre (can something this big even be called SUB anymore?) this year. However, on one of the panels a reference was made to romance that I have heard a million times, but that still upsets me. It was the term, "bodice rippers".

Now, back in the 70s, when romances first started taking off as a genre, there really were such things as '"bodice rippers". Some of Kathleen Woodiwiss and Rosemary Rogers are good examples of this kind of "rape fantasy" romance that was so popular at this time. Of course, I have to also say that those books were extraordinary, even if they did feature women who allowed men to dominate their lives, at least sexually. However, tihngs began to change, probably in the early 90s, maybe earlier, when wimpy heroines became a thing of the past, and while Alpha males are still popular, the heroine now gives as good as she takes in rough and tumble relationships. The hero/heroines in romance have definitely changed.

Now if someone has this opinion (that all romances are bodice rippers) and they read romances, then I would have to respect that, (while I would still question it) however, my experience has been that people who say this do NOT read romances, at least not present day romances. It's amazing to me that someone can disparage an entire genre without reading it. I would never make a disparaging remark about a genre I had never read, but it happens all the time with romance.

So did I vent my ire at the con? Nope. I tried to be nice, I hope that I was. This person was entitled to her opinion, even if it was coming from an uninformed position. But I did point out that "bodice rippers"were from the 70s, and not relevant to today's romances. The person insisted that they were still the same. I said, "I disagree." I did say that romances are like any other genre -- there are good authors and not-so-good authors. Some romances are not that great. Some are amazing. It just depends on who you're reading. In my own humble opinion. One thing for sure -- romances make up the largest sales in paperback books of ANY genre! So there! :)

But I did have a great time, and appreciated the people on the panels who DID have open minds. One of them was Cynthia Leitich Smith, a YA author who loves paranormal romances and wrote to tell me so! So thanks, Cyn! Check out her website, ya'll!

Okay, this was sort of a vent blog, but I guess the real underlying message here is: If you meet me somewhere, please don't call romances bodice rippers! :)

Cheers ! And Keep Writing!

Sexy, Sensual Settings

When people imagine the perfect place for a hot, delicious love scene in a story, they generally visualize a beautiful bedroom with French doors, an incredible view, and a Jacuzzi tub close by. Perhaps the bed is four-poster with gauzy mosquito netting to create a dreamy cocoon. Candlelight glows in the background to give a hint of seductive light, just enough for one person to gaze into the other's eyes or appreciate their physical attributes.

While this is definitely a sensual setting, it is only one (and perhaps the most obvious) of hundreds. What makes a setting sexy is what the author brings to it, how the author presents it. Almost any place is good for a love scene. Since so many love scenes have been written, and readers have read thousands of them, you might want to set some of yours in unique and unusual places.

The only limit is your imagination. Interesting settings include a beach, a garden, a cave, the top of a building, a closet, a bathroom, a store, a dressing room, a tent, a field, a mountaintop, a car, stairs, an elevator, etc. Placing a sex scene in an unusual setting requires more thought and “choreography” on the part of the writer but sometimes you can create such a unique and personalized scene this way, it becomes far more memorable to the reader.

What is your favorite place (or the most unusual) for a love scene? This can be a love scene you've written or read.

I'll cover sexy settings and how to set love scenes in unusual places in my upcoming workshop.

Sept 1 - 30: Writing Hot, Delicious Love Scenes

Thanks for stopping by!
Nicole

Devil in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 27

Beast in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 29

www.nicolenorth.com

Revealed and TORMENTED

As promised, it’s time for the mystery places to be revealed. Thanks to all who posted guesses as to the locations captured in my vacation pictures. Excellent job, ladies! From top to bottom, the sightseeing spots are:

The French Quarter, New Orleans
Charleston, S.C.
Nubble Lighthouse in Cape Neddick, ME
Old Burying Point Cemetery, Salem, MA


Speaking of New Orleans, The Crescent City is the setting for my erotic historical romance novel, TORMENTED, that I’ve recently learned will release at Ellora’s Cave on October 8 of this year.




All writers have one or more books of their heart, and TORMENTED is definitely among mine. One of the things I most enjoy about each trip to New Orleans is a chance to admire and study the city’s breathtaking historical homes in the Garden District. Each clang-clang of the St. Charles streetcar’s bell brings back pleasant memories and sets me pondering what might have happened along that historic route in years past. One such day of pondering started me loosely plotting the romantic story that would become TORMENTED. Perhaps it was the whispering of the grass in one of the lush lawns we passed during one of our afternoon strolls when Eve and Charles urged me to tell their fictional tale? Or one of our more playful moments on Decatur Street when my hero and I kissed powdered sugar off each other’s lips after sampling beignets? Without a doubt, our sunset tour of the city’s historic haunts piqued my interest in the paranormal and persuaded me to make this fictional romance one steeped in the same. My heroine finds herself thrust into and left unaccompanied in world entirely different from the one to which she’s accustomed. A world in which one man, a handsome and brilliant physician, lives and researches. A world incomplete until the possibility of true love arises. Charles Galletieré’s tasks – cure a malady that current medical science cannot and gain the trust of a woman who has been repeatedly wronged by the man in whom she once placed the utmost faith.

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming to Ellora's Cave on October 8
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Joy Nash's The Crossing free giveaway!

1. Joy, welcome to Fierce Romance, and thanks so much for being here with us today! I love your IMMORTALS series. Can you tell our readers how you came up with the idea for the series?

The talented Jennifer Ashley came up with the overall concept for the original four books—Immortals warriors and the human witches that call them back to their roles as the Earths protectors--and pitched it as a series to Dorchester. Robin Popp and I were approached by our editors at Dorchester and invited to participate in the series.

2. Why did you decide to tell Demigod Manannán mac Lir (Mac)’s story this time?

Because Mac, a seven hundred year old Celtic/Sidhe demigod with an eternally young take on life, was such a fun character from Immortals: The Awakening. I received a lot of reader email asking Mac would get his own book. I was really glad to get the opportunity to write Mac’s story, and to create a heroine worthy of him. Artemis Black is a witch who’s both a worthy adversary and a worthy ally for an immortal demigod.

I’ve got an excerpt and a cool new book trailer on my website! I’d love for everyone to stop by and take a look J

3. What inspires you while you’re writing?

I get really wrapped up in my characters and their drama. I think all of us who love to read love that fantastic feeling when you’re in the middle of a good book and you don’t want it to end. When my writing is flowing, I get that fantastic feeling times a thousand. Of course, there are off days, too, but the great ones keep me writing.

4. When I asked you to read Heart of the Wolf for an endorsement, you hadn’t yet made USA Today National Best Selling author status, but then it was like only a week later, you were in that phenomenal group! I was so excited for you, but I can just imagine how you felt. How many books had you written before this happened? How did you learn of it? And what was your initial response?

Immortals: The Awakening was my third book with Dorchester. I’d had several small press releases before my first Dorchester mass market. We were all hoping that The Awakening would make the USA Today Top 150, since the two Immortals books preceding it had listed, and the whole series was getting a phenomenal reader response. The day the list came out, my editor got wind of it before it was officially posted and she called me. I was so excited! But it didn’t seem real until I saw it myself on the USA Today website.


5. For writers who are just starting out, or who have been working at this a while and might feel discouraged, what did you do to keep on submitting until you sold?

I got kind of obsessed. I have a somewhat obsessive, detail oriented personality, which I think is common among writers. When the rejections came, I pretty much tried to forget them as soon as possible, after I’d learned whatever I needed to from them. But it was the enjoyment I get from the act of writing itself that really kept me going. If I didn’t love it, I would have given up long before I got The Call. Another common trait of novelists I know is that they write first for themselves.

6. What genres have you written in? What makes this work different from all your others?
I’ve written historical fantasy (my Druids of Avalon series), futuristic fantasy (my novellas with New Concept Publishing), ‘otherworld’ fantasy (my Ellora’s Cave novel), and contemporary urban fantasy (Immortals), all with strong romantic and sensual themes. I have a contemporary romance coming out next year, A Little Light Magic, under a new pen name, Joy Rizza. The Immortals series was different for me mainly for the experience of working so closely with Jennifer and Robin on the series. Immortals: The Crossing was my first book with a hero who cracked jokes the whole way through the book. I love Mac’s sense of humor, but it was a challenge! I had to give him a bit of angst to provide some gravitas to the story, but Mac kept his wry sense of humor intact through some very dark places and events.

7. What is the next project you’re working on?
I turned in my novella in the Immortals: The Reckoning Anthology (March09) at the beginning of the summer. Right now I’m doing the final edits on A Little Light Magic, out in June 09 under the name Joy Rizza. After that, it’s back to the Druids of Avalon. The third book in the series, Silver Silence, will be out in Oct 09.

Does this series have an end? If so, have you got another series in mind?
I think the anthology Immortals: The Reckoning will be the end of the Immortals series, but I could be wrong about that. It’s all up to Dorchester. My Druids of Avalon series is open ended, so there will most likely be more books after Silver Silence. And then, there’s always the next series! As a reader, I love series, so I’m always thinking in terms of continuing stories and characters when I get a new idea.J

9. Can you tell us a little bit about your contest?

Yes! Immortals: The Crossing hits the bookshelves on September 30. But 50 lucky readers will win autographed copies on or before that date!During my 50 Days, 50 Books contest, 50 copies of The Crossing will be given away on 50 participating websites and blogs (including this one!), which means readers will have 50 online chances to win this hot new paranormal romance during the 50 days between August 12 and September 30. Each participating website has its own rules for entry, so readers should read each site’s rules carefully. The winners will be announced continually online as the prizes are awarded, here on my blog and on the participating sites. I’ll ship out the autographed books to the winners as soon as I receive them from the printers, around the middle of September.

Just comment on the Fierce Romance blog and you'll have a chance to win!

Thanks so much for sharing something of your work with us today, Joy! I look forward to your next books as well!

Terry Spear

Heart of the Wolf

The Vampire...In My Dreams (Available now!)http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1599988372/ref=cm_cmu_up_thanks_hdr

Another Winner!

Shannon is the winner of SEX AND THE SINGLE PEARL for her inspiring menage of Gerard Butler and Sawyer from Lost (had to look him up - oh my!). Shannon please contact me with your email address at mia@miavarano.com

Congrats!

Winner...

Holly Greenfield is the winner of my contest. She wins a $15 discount off my Sept. workshop, Writing Hot, Delicious Love Scenes, if she wants to take it.
Thanks, everyone, for playing along! :)
Nicole
Devil in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 27
Beast in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 29
www.nicolenorth.com

Coffee, Tea, or Three

Threesomes are hot right now. Whether or not women are experiencing a ménage in real life, they certainly enjoy reading about them. For erotic romance, the most popular configuration for a threesome is, of course, male/female/male. After all, who wants to share her man with another woman?

Unless the story is pure erotica, most readers prefer a romance with their serving of trois. The emotional impact still needs to be part of the main relationship. Most erotic romance readers aren’t in it just for the sex...but the sex is certainly a yummy side dish.

So how can threesomes be romantic, emotional, and essential to the plot? In my story, SEX AND THE SINGLE PEARL, available from eRed Sage this month, the heroine’s subconscious desire for a ménage a trois stems from her insecurities about herself as a woman and her difficulty in giving up control. The hero, being the unselfish guy he is, wants to give the heroine the opportunity to let go, to hand over the reins of her sexuality to not one, but two gorgeous hunks, including him. How’s that for generosity?

I enjoyed writing the ménage scene in SEX AND THE SINGLE PEARL so much, I included another one in my story, APHRODITE’S FIRE, available from eRed Sage in the spring of ’09.

So what aspects of a threesome do you enjoy most? Don’t be shy. If it’s just the hot sex, that’s a definite plus to these stories! Finally, what would be your dream ménage? You and ??? and ???

The poster who comes up with the most delicious threesome, will win a free download of SEX AND THE SINGLE PEARL.

Win a Download of Sex and the Single Pearl

Join me for my blog on Thursday and leave a comment about your perfect menage a trois for a chance to win a download of my August Red Sage Presents story, Sex and the Single Pearl.

How Do You Create a Hot, Delicious Hero?

I’ll be teaching a workshop in September called Writing Hot, Delicious Love Scenes, and today I want talk about one important ingredient in those sizzling scenes—the hero. You have a chance to win a $15 discount off my love scene workshop by commenting below. (Yes, that means the winner will only need to pay $5 if they want to take my workshop.) Comment any time between now and Friday at noon Eastern, at which time I’ll draw one name and announce it here soon after that.

To write hot, delicious love scenes, first you need a hot, delicious hero. His yumminess factor needs to be established early, in his first scene. And in every scene that follows, build his appeal even higher. He should be physically attractive, preferably on a larger-than-life scale. That means he isn’t your average guy next door. But he doesn’t need to be model material either. The heroine (and your reader) simply needs to find him incredibly attractive. If you saw him on the street, your jaw would drop and you’d stare longer than you should. You’d be like, OMG; I want to lick him. He’s tall, he’s muscular, he’s extremely masculine. He has those really good genes. And of course he looks hot in a pair of jeans… or in a kilt, or in nothing at all. ;-)

He’s strong physically and tough mentally, but he isn’t perfect.

After this, add another layer of appeal in his personality, his attitude, his outlook. Is he a bad boy who likes to tempt and tease the good girls to do naughty things? Is he dark and angsty and hungry for the heroine? Is he charming and playful in bed? Deep down, this guy is intensely sensual. He loves sex and he loves a lot of sex. Sexuality oozes from his pores. He smells so yummy (natural pheromones mixed with a tiny bit of cologne), if a woman is standing near him in line at Target, she will get lightheaded from trying to inhale him. He doesn’t have to say anything; he shows his sex appeal in his body language, in that focused dark look in his eyes, in his decisive actions.

To create a hot but lovable hero, add something else early in your story, something you might find surprising—a problem he has, a big flaw, or his vulnerability. Why? Because no one likes a perfect person. And this makes a woman think, oh, poor baby. He needs a hug! He needs the love of a good woman. He needs a good woman in bed to take his mind off his problems. In other words, he instantly becomes sympathetic. Your reader will start falling in love with him then and there. This vulnerability or problem could be hidden from the heroine or barely visible, but she suspects something is wrong—something she needs to uncover so she can nurture and help him heal.

Another trait that makes a hero incredibly appealing to the reader or the heroine is compassion. He cares. Certain things are important to him and matter to him. He isn’t just an alpha warrior robot. Even if he hides all his emotions, he still has them. Exactly what and who he cares deeply about will vary depending on the hero and the story. It also means he pays attention to the heroine and those around him that he protects. If he sees they need something, he provides it for them. This shows he has heart, as well as his human side and why he is deserving of love.

What is it about a hero you find appealing and delicious? Which trait makes you gaga or weak in the knees? If you want to name your favorite delicious hero, please do. He can be from a book, movie or real life. Please comment before noon Friday to be in the contest drawing.

Click here to learn more about my September workshop:

Writing Hot, Delicious Love Scenes

Thanks for stopping by!

Nicole

Devil in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 27

Beast in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 29

www.nicolenorth.com

Where Am I?

Happy Sunday!

Today while sightseeing, I pondered the topic of this blog. One of the reasons I enjoy reading fiction so much is the wonderful way a well-described setting transports me to the same area where a story's characters are working, playing, living or vacationing.

Traveling is among my passions. Each time I visit a new place, or make a stopover in an old favorite, I make countless mental notes to flip through in the future. Then there are the tablets I fill with details of flora, fauna, cuisine, and bits regarding local color and culture. Next week I'll explore this traveling passion and explain how it fits into my writing world. But this evening I want to share some pictures of past travels with you all. I won't divulge the location but, instead, would like for you all to guess the place where I digitally captured the scenery. You are all welcome to post your answers, and next week I will reveal the actual areas.







May you all have a fantastic evening and upcoming week!

Wishing you all many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Joy Nash's The Crossing free giveaway!

July 16 Joy Nash will be giving away a copy of The Crossing. So read her interview posted here that day and comment to win a chance at receiving her latest book!


IMMORTALS: THE CROSSING
Joy NashUrban Fantasy RomanceDorchester Love Spell Release: October 2008
ISBN 10 0-505-52767-7
ISBN 13 978-0-505-52767-7
Author’s website http://www.joynash.com/
http://www.immortals-series.com/



USA Today Bestselling Author Joy Nash returns with another installment in Dorchester Publishing’s Nationally Bestselling multi-author series, IMMORTALS.



Demigod Manannán mac Lir (Mac) is on the trail of Artemis Black, a stunningly dangerous woman who’s inexplicably able to intertwine life magic with death magic. For the safety of his people, he should destroy the desperate witch—once he learns her darkest secrets.



Readers of paranormal romance and urban fantasy will enjoy this adventure filled with black magic, nasty demons, hot immortals, dark humor, steamy sex, and a heart-thumping descent into a modern version of Dante’s Hell. Available September 30. 2008.



Terry Spear
Heart of the Wolf, The Vampire...In My Dreams (coming Aug 26), Deadly Liaisons (coming Nov)

What to Do When...???

You ever feel that you are torn everywhich way but loose? Have conflicting goals? Not sure what to do first???

With the 107 degree heat here, I have to do yardwork early, but I need to hide in a cave and finish Allure of the Wolf, but I need to clean out my outer building and keep moving stuff in case I've sold the house, but I have to work on online classes, and write up two new ones.

I pretty much have my days planned first thing in the morning. But what do you do when nothing works like it's supposed to? Yesterday I hung screens in the windows for the supposed buyers of my house, but I found that the other owners left me 5 short. My mower is still in the repair shop---over a week, and so I weedeated, but the weedeater kept hanging up and I didn't have time to mess with it before the potential buyers came to look at the house again.

Then I had to run to town to make a counter offer, but I had to stay home because my internet wouldn't work--phone line staticky...but the phone man said it was fine.... Line busy, usually means my line is full of static. Good news, my line is clear, I didn't get charged, and he bought a copy of Heart of the Wolf. Bad news, my internet wasn't working still and I had to get to town before things closed to take care of other crucial business. So I called my internet provider, got a nice foreign person, and guess what? My wonderful internet provider changed the access number. Why not forewarn us??? I asked. I wouldn't have had to wait 3 days to get a phone repairman out here, spend 9 hours catching up on online class lessons with my students at my son's apt--he had that fast internet stuff--wish we could get it out here--and miss calls for items I had for sale in the paper so I can move!!!

*Sigh* Now I'm back online. It's almost like having a car that doesn't run. It's essential to have working!

The good news is--I sold The Accidental Highland Hero, sequel to Winning the Highlander's Heart. The bad news--I have to finish writing it! :)

So what do you do when you need to be outside doing stuff, inside doing stuff, in town doing stuff, all at once???

I need five of me. :)

Terry Spear
www.terryspear.com
Heart of the Wolf
The Vampire...In My Dreams (coming Aug 26!)

Shannon Robinson shares her hot Goin' Down story

Today we have Shannon Robinson visiting with us. Yay!!

Shannon Robinson is a newcomer to the published romance author’s world, though hopes to become a veteran before too long. When she’s not plugging away at her day-job, enjoying life with her two beautiful children and wonderful husband, you’ll find her curled up with her laptop, creating new worlds for readers to enjoy, or indulging in a new book of her own to enjoy.

Shannon is a lover of the outdoors, fan of scrapbooks, and baking – even though she’s not very good at it. Her favorite pastime is, of course, her writing. Her stories range from sweet to sensual to a bit naughty, as she loves to explore all aspects of romance.

Nicole: Welcome, Shannon! Thanks for being with us today! Please tell us about Fired or Fired Up in Goin' Down Book 1.

Shannon: Thanks again for having me on Fierce Romance, Nicole. Here's the blurb:
What happens when a shy secretary decides to prove to the arrogant hunk of a boss who just fired her that she's more than what he thinks?

One heated encounter in an elevator, of course!

Chirene Matthey is tired of being a secretary. Making coffee and hearing complaints from her boss, Jacob Kennedy, is getting on her nerves. So when Jacob offers her a chance to show that she's able to do more than just filing, Chirene jumps at the opportunity. When the assignment goes south, Jacob unexpectedly fires her, and Chirene decides that it's time he learned exactly how she feels about his pompous attitude.

When her complaints begin to rouse Jacob's desires, Chirene decides to indulge in the pleasures she's only fantasized about before and take advantage of the new opportunity her ex-boss offers.

Nicole: Wow, that sounds HOT!!! I understand these anthologies came about in an interesting way. Can you tell us about that?

Shannon: Absolutely! It all began with the members of the Erotic Romance Workshop yahoo group. One of the ladies emailed a phrase about "going down in elevators" and the owner / moderator of the group, Marie A. Roy (aka Collette Thomas), asked if anyone would be interested in creating stories for an anthology sharing that theme. I gave it some thought and decided ‘what the heck’. So after a couple of months, we all had our stories ready to go and Marie submitted the idea to Aspen. Less than a week later, we had an email back from them saying they wanted the stories!

Nicole: That was fast! I think a lot of people are drawn to hot elevator stories. What is your story behind the story? Or how did this idea come to you?

Shannon: When the theme was decided, I began thinking about the likely places where an elevator would be located. Of course, an office atmostphere came to mind. As I'm sure many others may admit to - or may not :) - a fantasy I've heard about is being with one's boss. Well, I brought the two scenarios together and out came Fired Or Fired Up.

Nicole: Very cool! Who is your favorite character in the story?

Shannon: As this is a short story, it's written in the heroine's POV alone. Even so, Chirene is my favorite character. She's like a shy mouse in the beginning, hiding her true self, afraid to let her potential really show. Then she changes - realizes she has to take what she wants and decides to prove that she's more than what people assume her to be. She discovers her independence and grasps it with both hands. I admire those who take control of their lives, even if it takes them a while to do so.

Nicole: She does sound very admirable. Did this story present any difficult challenges and if so what were they?

Shannon: One area I struggled with at first was writing the **Ahem** (sex) scene. Yeah, I'm blushing. This was my first attempt at writing erotica, so it was different. But once I took a few workshops on it and began to lift the curtain to let my characters enjoy themselves - LOL!! Sorry I can't help it! - the writing really flew!

Nicole: Sounds like fun! Would you like to ask blog readers a question?

Shannon: I always like to hear what readers look for in a story – is it the hunky hero, the independent heroines, or does the setting really make you turn the page? I’d love to hear what it is about your favorite stories that make you come back for more.

Nicole: Thanks again for being with us today, Shannon! It's been fun!

Shannon invites everyone to visit her website to read more about her, new books coming soon, and other projects she’s working on.

Important Links:

Shannon's website: http://www.shannonrobinson.com/

Publisher: http://www.aspenmountainpress.com/

Blog: http://www.authorsstudio.blogspot.com/

Book Buy link: Goin' Down 1

***

Interview by Nicole North

Devil in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 27

Beast in a Kilt, Red Sage Secrets Vol. 29

www.nicolenorth.com

Young Love

As promised, the conclusion of last week’s story blurb follows.

The young couple involved in the spilled soda saga had their happy ending. After helping the hero sop up the beverage and stray ice cubes, the heroine and he headed out to her 1979 Mustang. She shared her chocolate shake and straw with the high-school heartthrob. But she found his kiss tasted far better than any frozen drink. They pulled out of the parking lot, headed to the local park and made plans for that Saturday night. Not only did they have a fantastic time on their date night—and he gifted her with roses and a sky-written message—but they also learned the heroine’s moment of clumsiness saved the hero’s life. If he’d caved in to his appetite, remained at the restaurant, gone back to the fast-food counter and placed a burger-and-fries order, he would have been killed. But because his young masculine pride was a bit wounded over the drink mess—and his mind reeling over the fact the heroine wore her skirt a bit shorter than usual—he wasn’t in the mood to remain in that place a moment longer.

Since posting this bit I’m considering writing a young-adult romance and will use the comic and dramatic moments in my story. With that said, I’ll keep you guessing as to the incident that might have robbed the story of a hero had the milkshake-sharing heroine not saved the day and his life.

Speaking of young love, my all-time favorite tale of young love (and loss) is Shakespeare’s classic, ROMEO AND JULIET. Despite the sad-yet-still-romantic ending, each time I read this literary masterpiece, I find another reason to keep it among my favorites on the bookshelf. What a tragic hero who lost his heart and life for love—but at least he didn’t dash out and woo the first comely maiden who crossed his path once Juliet succumbed. This eternal dedication to his ladylove is one of the reasons I love re-reading R&J.

What is your favorite young-adult-romance story, readers?

Wishing you many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave
TORMENTED -- Coming soon to Ellora's Cave
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

Shapeshifters!!!

As I'm writing Allure of the Wolf, I look for pictures about Arctic wolves to get me in the mood. Sitting in the 104 degree heat in the south makes it hard to envision cold Arctic weather. So here, my hero has dropped his glove and has shifted into a werewolf. Neat, huh? See the wolf track??? And here he is, protecting the camp in his wolf form.

And then, back in civilization, he's shifted again and getting cleaned up. Hmm, now I can see the story more clearly. Sometimes so many things distract me--things that have to get done, it's hard getting back in the story. So sometimes, creating a photo album of the story can help. :)

What do you do when you're trying to work on a project and nothing seems to be working?

Terry Spear

Heart of the Wolf, Allure of the Wolf

The Vampire...In My Dreams

www.terryspear.com