Guest - Cassandra Carr - Strange Things Writers Do

Writers have some awfully odd methods and rituals. Some use big white boards to plot their stories. Some put on special “writing gear” – a favorite sweatshirt, a specific pair of socks; and still others have to listen to a certain band or drink a certain beverage out of a specific mug.

Me? I have nothing like this. I’m not really the type to begin with, but at this point in my writing career, I can’t really afford to anyway. I write when I can. If I can listen to music, that’s fine. If I can’t, that’s okay too. I wear whatever I happen to have on that day, I write in whatever location I can find at the moment.

But I do know writers who absolutely cannot write without their little quirks and rituals. Hey – we’re all as different as our books, and that’s what makes the world go ‘round, so I’m all for it. If it works for you, by all means, do it!

Do you have any little things you like to do to get yourself through a day?



The elevator doors opened, and Drew hurried to unlock his apartment and punch his code into the security pad before continuing straight to his bedroom. He spun and picked Jamie up as she neared the door, and she let out a squeak of protest.

“Drew!”

“What? I’m trying to be romantic. Efficient too.” He grinned at her when she struggled to get out of his grip. The way she fought against him both amused and aroused him. “Not so fast,” he warned her. “I’m not planning to let you get away until I’m good and finished with you.”

Jamie cocked an eyebrow. “Good and finished? Be still my heart! Such dreamy talk from a man like you! I had no idea.”

Drew laughed and dropped Jamie on the king-size bed with enough force to make her bounce, then climbed on top of her. Before she could protest again, he’d taken her lips in another deep kiss. Jamie melted beneath him, snaking her hands around his neck while his found her hips, pulling her closer. “You need to get naked,” he declared, rolling off her.

“Just me? That’s hardly fair. If I’m getting naked, then this time, so are you.” Her beautiful, full lips pouted at him.

He stood up, and in seconds, his pants and boxer briefs landed in a heap on the floor. He pulled his shirt over his head and added it to the pile. “Your turn.”
Jamie rose up on her elbows and stared at him in disbelief. “How did you do that so fast? And may I add, very nice.” She smiled and waggled her eyebrows, giving him a quick once-over.

“When I want something, I don’t waste time. And I want you naked. Now.”

He reached over and started yanking her top over her head, but she batted his hands away.

“Hey -- stop that. You’re going to dislocate my shoulder with your beastlike strength.”

Drew laughed but allowed Jamie to gently pull her blouse over her head. He took it and tossed it on the chair near the window. Next she tugged her jeans off, leaving her in only her bra and panties, which Drew made short work of.

He groaned when she was fully nude. “God, you’re gorgeous, you know that? And I’m gonna put my hands everywhere on your beautiful body, so you better be ready.”

Jamie shivered, and he covered her body with his, kissing her briefly before moving down her jawline, sucking and licking. This is gonna be good.

Cassandra Carr lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on Twitter. Her debut novel, Talk to Me, was released by Loose Id on March 22, 2011. For more information about Cassandra, check out her website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com, "like" her Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr or follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr.

Guest Blog: April Morelock

Join me in welcoming a friend of mine, April Morelock, as she introduces us to her debut release from Loose Id, Best Little Spin Wash in Texas. I can't wait to read tit!

Contest and New Release

Timid, geeky quantum physicist Molly Timmons lives in a man’s world of metaphysics when she meets a handsome John St. James at a Spin Wash and Go. One dark night trapped in the Spin Wash isn’t enough. Even as their relationship deepens, they learn of a dark secret the Spin Wash is hiding… a secret that could tear John’s world apart or could save his daugther‘s life.

Molly’s the key.

Time is running out. Will they figure out the Spin Wash’s secret or will they both be lost in time?

Excerpt:

His arms flexed as he slid the basket under his arm and walked around the washers. This was ridiculous; she needed to get laid if the simple pleasure of watching a man cross the floor had her flushed with sexual need.

Laundry detergent, White Rain shampoo, and something indefinable invaded her space and filled her senses as he walked past her.

It was hard to stay put.

She closed her eyes, took in another deep breath, and repressed a moan. This was why women loved sweaty men. Pheromones trumped common sense every time.

Forcing her eyes open, she watched him move; the hard muscles flexing and bending to his will A shift of his basket and his eyes clashed with hers, darkening. With a slow perusal, he took in her lightly muscled legs, encased in short blue shorts. She mentally slapped herself, thinking of how opaque her white T-shirt must look. Her mama had told her that, even with small breasts, she should always wear a bra.
Nipples peaked, pebbling through her shirt, as he continued his inspection, gray eyes almost black. She breathed shallowly, trying to ignore the ache blooming deep inside.

Molly was past shielding herself; she wanted those eyes on her. Her lack of propriety would have had her mother screaming a blue streak. Taunting a man like that, walking out of the house looking like a slut.

God, he had to stop looking at her.

He finally jerked his gaze away from her body and leaned down to drop his basket, then pulled the detergent and softener from it, those lovely muscles moving deliciously under his tan.

He was so close, and those jeans hit him in all the right places. She had to watch every movement, mesmerized by the bending and flexing of his thighs as he placed the detergent into the washer.

He was done too soon. His strong hands worked efficiently, the muscles underneath moving like strings on a piano. Strong. Graceful. Just the idea of those strong digits strumming her body, gliding across her skin, made her hold her breath.

She needed to get ahold of herself -- and quick -- if she was going to look him in the eye. Her face was tight, the skin undoubtedly flushed and almost feverish and not just from the heat and stickiness of the Spin Wash. She was letting her imagination get away with her.


Email me at april.morelock@gmail.com today to receive great free reads; you’ll also be entered into a contest for a copy of my new book Best Little Spin Wash in Texas. Or visit www.loose-id.com for you copy of Best Little Spin Wash in Texas today!

Amber Green takes us on a Backtrack

I'm happy to say Red Sage and Loose Id author Amber Green is here with us today to talk about her newest release.

Nicole North: Welcome, Amber! Congratulations and please tell us about your book.

Amber Green: Today is the debut of my new Huntsmen story, BACKTRACK, which takes place in 1984...remember 1984? Big hair; Bocephus; the awesome Commodore 64; self-correcting typewriters; shoe-sized car phones; and huntsmen losing their training grounds to the explosion of beachfront condominiums? Well, um, yeah...whether you remember it that way or not.

Three years ago, Sugar made the mistake of volunteering to testify against a druglord, Glenn Digger. Now she’s on the run, her kid is hidden in foster care, and the guy she has the hots for is supposedly only seventeen. When she finally finds out Cassio is no overgrown teenager, she wants one bed-busting, rollicking screw before she moves on to the next city, the next fake name. Cassio comes in a double helping? Bring it on!

Fort feels weighed down with responsibility. Only 22, he and his twin Cassio have been raising a dozen younger brothers, nephews, and cousins--none entirely human. As a huntsman, Fort needs to get laid regularly to maintain his humanity. He’s not charming, so he leaves the seductions to his twin, Cassio. But this time Cassio falling in love has nothing to do with heartfelt sighs or bad poetry, and everything to do with finding out who this woman really is, and why she’s using someone else’s identity. Sugar enchants Fort, but she makes him feel playful--and he can’t afford to be a clown.

When Fort learns Sugar’s secret, he has to help. Because Sugar’s young son isn’t hidden any more. Digger has him.

Sugar makes a decision. Even if the twin detectives can rescue her kid this time, she will always be running, always be hiding, until Digger is dead. The solution is obvious: First rescue Joe; then kill Digger. Then, maybe, join the twins for a lingering, sizzling affair. But they won’t want her forever. They’ll want someone their own age. Someone who doesn’t carry her scars.

Nicole: Sounds hot and full of action! Is this your first book? If not, how many other books have you had published and what type of stories are they?

Amber: With Loose Id:

The Huntsmen: Lights Out!

In a time of spies and saboteurs, the shadows hold something worse.

In a world at war, Lorie discovers an inhuman terror prowling the blacked-out nights of New York City. She joins twin huntsmen, Jack and Tommy, feeding them the sexual energies they need to hold onto their humanity while they fight to rid the night of the horrific hydes. And then Tommy disappears...


The Huntsmen: Bareback

Joe's life is perfect, except for the mysterious twins, the serial killers, and his new love being a guy...who needs sex to stay human!

Joe’s a cop, a good one. Brian’s a jinx, a bareback, an untwinned huntsman nobody in his right mind would trust. When the dark side of the cops--vigilantes gone outlaw--teams up with the dark side of the huntsmen--hydes feeding on terror in the night--Sugar’s son and Lorie’s grandson lead a strike against the root of the evil.


+++

With Red Sage Publishing:

Hawkmoor in Secrets Volume 13

MA thought she was human, and crazy. Darien thought she would readily accept her place in the shapeshifters’ world. Lia thought she could be controlled. They were all wrong.

The Subject in Secrets Volume 20

One week, Tyler is the hottest game designer in North America, in sight of her first million and ready to sign the deal of her life. The next week, she's on the run for her life. Who can she trust? Certainly not the uber-sexy don’t-call-me-werewolf Esau, who keeps showing up right after the hoo-hah hits the fan!

Nicole: Wow, that's a lot of books, Amber! What element of story creation is your favorite and why?

Amber: Working out the characters--who they are and how they came to be like that--is the most fascinating part of the writing process. Every other detail depends on the nuances of what a character would or would not do, and why.

Nicole: I agree. I love it when characters come to life. What was the most important thing you learned (the thing that made all the difference) just before you made your first sale?

Amber: To make a story worth reading, I have to stop agonizing over what’s supposed to happen next, and how it’s supposed to work out, or even how it’s supposed to sound. I had to learn to let the story flow, in its own words and at its own pace. Editing is best left to those days when nothing wants to flow on its own.

Nicole: So true! What’s next for you?

Amber: Good question. A few stories (sf, straight historical, contemp m/m) are elbowing one another in the back of my head, but none has stepped forward to commandeer the keyboard. Yet.

Nicole: I'm sure they will very soon! Thanks for being our guest today, Amber! Everyone please visit Amber Green's website at
http://www.shapeshiftersinlust.com/

Click here to buy Backtrack.