Everything Old is New Again...Yippee!

 We had a touch of snow down our way recently, and, although it melted right away, it reminded me that December is almost here, which reminded me that it will be six years ago on 12/6 that my first purely erotica piece was published. It was my first foray into getting published in the genre, and I've continued to write in the area ever since. As the seasons change, though, and the continuation of life comes full circle, so does a writer's career, and mine has done just that recently.

Over the last few months, I've requested and gotten the rights back to most of my books. I have plans for each of them, whether it be placing them with another publisher or trying to produce them myself, and I am really, really excited to get the chance to work with them again. It feels like getting a first contract on each book all over again, which is really sort of cool. I mean, who expects to feel the ecstasy of a first kiss more than once?

It also sort of feels like a rebirth, because I'll be going through each book and editing it, updating it and, in some cases, putting in what I had to take out. For example, one editor I had, who left the company soon after my book was published, raved about my "romantic comedy" and then proceeded to have me remove anything remotely amusing in it. All that's going back in, even though trying to figure how much and what I revised is going to be somewhat of a tough task after all these years.

I also have some new stories I will be combining with some of the older ones in collections, and a couple of never-before-seen pieces that need a chance to leave the literary nest that is my computer hard drive. I still have two books and a story in an anthology available--Second Nature, Seducing Gracie, and Going Somewhere (Firestorm Anthology)--until the others debut all shiny and renewed.

I just wanted to share my endeavor with readers because I've been getting inquiries about my next book, but also because you've have been incredibly supportive and wonderful about my books though the years. I can't thank you enough...or can I? Should I have a special promotion for the anniversary of my writing career in December? Hmmm, that's a thought. What kind of promo do you like the best? Any ideas? Please do share!

In the Dark

I sometimes wonder if I haven’t read too many books. But how can one read too much? How can that be a bad thing?

Well, the other morning I started to wonder if it was, and I’m sure my hubby was thinking the same thing, because he had to sort of rescue me. I started out to my car, which is parked in a garage, and halted at the door. Something wasn’t quite right. It seemed very dark for some reason, and it took me a moment to figure out what was missing. Then it registered…

The light was out.

Now, a normal person would simply pull out her cell phone, the glow of which could be seen on Mars, and head out, darkness be damned. I, however, hesitated, my zoetrope of scenarios whirring away in my adrenaline-fueled imagination. Every book I’ve ever read where a person starts to go somewhere and a light is out, yet the person continues forward, has ended badly for the person. Naturally, then, my mind spun with the possibilities. The most logical was that the light bulb to the garage door light had gone out—plain, simple, boring. However, logic has never been my strong suit, so I immediately veered from “logical” to “What if?” and finally to “better safe than sorry.”

In other words, because I wasn’t sure that someone or something with murderous intentions wasn’t hiding in my garage and hadn’t unscrewed the light bulb in my garage’s overhead light, my husband ended up standing at the door to make sure I made it twenty feet to the safety of my little car (that, if a fly farted in it the right way, would fly into pieces on the highway).

This is how I think, but I can’t be the only one. How many times have you read a book in which the lights had been knocked out on purpose so some nefarious bad-doer could engage in a variety of bad doings? And what happens then? That’s right—some dorky secondary (or thirdary) character like the expendable, red-shirted Star Trek guys blunders across a serial killer or a mob hit man or a mummy or a mutant hedgehog with revenge on its mind, and that’s the last time he’s ever seen with all his body parts in one location.

So, with my imagination working in overdrive, I woke my hubby up to watch me to my car, just in case something sinister was at hand. To his credit, he stumbled to the door with me without question, the only statement he made being, “No one could get in our garage. It’s secure.” To which I replied, “What if some alien life-form transformed itself into something that could slither under the wall or through the window into the garage and wait for me?”

Still patient, he sighed and threw his man logic at me: “If the alien life form had the skills to transform itself to slither into the garage, it certainly wouldn’t need to have it pitch dark to attack you.”

Touchè.

But this is how I think and Hubby knows it, so he watched me safely to my car before locking up and ambling off back to sleepyland, probably wondering why his flake-o-meter hadn’t picked up on my peculiarities before the wedding.

He was right, of course. There wasn't anything in the garage except me, my car, and my wild imagination. The next day he asked me if I wanted him to accompany me to the garage again, but I declined. I used my cell phone to guide me through the dark, and, once again, I made it to my car just fine.

Or maybe not just fine, because I still wonder if I don't read too much--too many mysteries, too many thrillers, too much horror, too much intrigue. Hmmm...

Nah. lol

Hope your Halloween is happy and safe. If you're looking for a bit of scary erotic romance for this creepy season, please check out Seducing Gracie from Changeling Press. Then you'll understand...muhahahahaha!

Happy Reading!

Them Bones, Them Bones

I can't believe it's almost November. Where did the year go? After Halloween on Monday, we'll all be readying for some kind of Thanksgiving celebration and then Christmas and then it will be 2012 and...

Whew!

I'm getting ahead of myself. All I really wanted to post about was my favorite Halloween symbol. I know that readers probably think I'm into the red devil costumes given that Mayor Sam in Seducing Gracie is a sexy demon; however, the truth is that I'm really more fond of another icon of the season.

I have my moments where I find mummies fun and Frankenstein fantastic, but my overal favorite has got to be skeletons. I love them bones! I think my affinity for lanky creepers comes from a dance we used to do in music class in elementary school. We each had different roles to play, and I got to be the skeleton and sort of jerkily thrash around the room to this bizarre mood music. It was the greatest fun, and not even getting to swish madly about as a ghost, spinning and gliding across the floor like a ballerina, topped it.

I find skeletons fascinating. They can appear scary or thoughtful, sad or happy or even sexy. A skeleton is basically just a bunch of clanking shards of calcium, but depending on one's mood, it can take on the characteristics and emotions of a living organism. Three different people looking at a skull, for example, may perceive the same facial expression as either a scowl, a frown, or a wicked smile.

In Mexico, skeletons and especially skulls play an important role in Dia de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, when the living celebrate the lives of those who've passed from the earth. Tradition has it that they decorate candy skulls and eat them in homage to their departed loved ones, among other celebratory activities. I love going into Mexican restaurants this time of year because the decorations definitely run on the bony side.

So what is your favorite symbol of Halloween? Never thought about it? Well, while you're thinking, I've included some inspiration below to help you focus. Enjoy!

Seven Uncensored Sentences

I don't know about anyone else, but I had a heck of a time pulling seven sentences out of one of my books. Wanna know why?

First, let me say that this topic was one of those that initiated some unexpected self-discovery, in terms of my writer self at least. I discovered that I write very mature, adult material. So mature and adult, as a matter of fact, that I could barely find seven sentences together that wouldn't have had at least one word that needed censored. That's why I had so darn much trouble finding my seven sentences. I still can't believe my books are so densely adult. It makes me smile just to think of it. lol

In my defense, many of the publishers I write for want the sexy stuff right up front and they want it maintained throughout, so the elements of fiction in my stories are integrated into the mature encounters because they have to be. So see, it's not me. It's my publishers. It is. Really! ROFL


Seducing Gracie is not only the first book I found seven sentences in that I could post, but it's one of my favorites. It was one where I really went "out there" and I loved writing it. Oddly, even though it's very dark, it's one of my bestsellers. I guess there's something strangely appealing about a town filled with damned souls, a kidnapped child, an overly logical detective with a tragic past, and a demon mayor who decides upon meeting his next sacrifice--the detective--that she'd make a better mate than a meal.

Without further adieu, here is my contribution to the topic for the week. As the title of the post says, these sentences are uncensored because they didn't have to be, which, after reading and reading through my books today, is a blessing, no pun intended.

A dream. This all had to be a dream, Gracie rationalized. The violence, the weird little creature dancing and squeaking around the dead woman. The three-headed devil dog. The sexy lunatic with the horns and tail whose gaze never left hers. And her libido surging. Yes, definitely a dream.

Happy Reading!

A Halloween Treat

In keeping with the spirit of Halloween, no pun intended, I thought I'd offer a small treat...the lost chapter of Seducing Gracie, my latest novella from Changeling Press. I guess that isn't exactly the best way to describe it--more like "cut during the revision process"--but "lost" sounds so much more mysterious and alluring than "cut." lol

The lost (lol) portion was originally Chapter 1; however, it reads more like erotic horror than pure erotica, so after much deliberation, the publisher and I decided to cut it. What follows is a tidbit and a link to my blog to finish it if you like. I'd post more of it here, but it gets a bit sexy in the middle and a little gory--perfect for the upcoming holiday.

Also, on October 31st, I'll be posting a free short story on my blog for erotic horror buffs to enjoy. Until then, here's a bit of Seducing Gracie to satisfy your not-so-sweet tooth. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

He watched her breasts rise and fall, pressing against the clingy peach cloth of her filthy tank top, their motion smooth even though her breathing increased to steady, shallow gasps as he approached. She pressed her face between her white-knuckled grip on the iron bars and peered into the hallway, squinting. The woman sensed him, felt his presence. Too bad for her.

His imagination revved up when he caught her scent. Fresh and human, laced with a hint of fear or excitement. Maybe a blend of both. Her kind thrived on either. He pictured torturing her nipples with his sharp teeth until she moaned, and nipping his way up the tan skin of her calves to her soft thighs and further on.

Read more at Cameo Brown's Erotica.

Seducing Gracie is Here!

Today's post is a short one because...

It's all about me! LOL

Seriously, I just wanted to shout out that my latest novella, Seducing Gracie, is now available from Changeling Press. The description is below...

NYC detective Gracie Usher sets out to find a lost child and ends up in the arms of a demon whose bloodlust can only be satisfied by a sacrifice every five years -- or by a woman whose desire is as insatiable as his.

When Detective Usher stumbles into Wayland, New York, looking for a prominent business owner's young daughter, she finds instead a horrible beast who wants not only her blood, but her soul. Giving in to his desire would be much easier if she were a mere mortal, but Gracie's a different kind of human. Logic is her best friend and leading with her head, not her heart, is what she does best, at least until she meets a demon who decides he won't be complete until he makes her his... for eternity.

I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago, but now it's available. It's darker than I normally write. However, it is, at it's core, a story about two people, er, creatures, needing each other. They come together by accident, but discover they both have something the other needs or wants.

Isn't that how love is sometimes?

I wanted to write Gracie's story because I liked the idea of someone who depends on logic being faced with the ultimate in illogical. How would she react? What would she do? What would YOU do? What if everything you've ever known to be true suddenly seemed to be upside down?

I'm now into the sequel to Seducing Gracie and loving it. Taming Lucy is the story of Gracie's partner, Rick, and Sam's sister, Lucy, who is a succubus. New York City should be her playground, but when she joins her brother in the human world, she's a fish out of water. Satisfying a man's desires, she discovers, won't endear her to the one mortal she's grown to tolerate, even care about. Rick, try as he might to be a scoundrel and live up to his hard-earned reputation as a ladies' man, just can't pull it off with Lucy. The truth is, he really likes her and realizes that to win the woman he loves, he's going to have to tame a hellcat.

Could anything be more perfect? Sigh...

Happy Reading!

How Do You Like to be Seduced?

That's quite a question, isn't it?

However, before I address it, I must apologize for my late blog entry. I've been offline for hours, and only finally got back up and running just a few minutes ago. I've decided the contract post (IT'S CONTRACT THURSDAY!) I wanted to put up today should wait until next time so I can post it early. Plus, I wanted to share the latest on Seducing Gracie.

Seducing Gracie was set to be published earlier this year but had to be delayed. However, I just got word that Gracie and her demon, Mayor Sam, are back on track and ready to welcome you into their, um, unusual world mid-May. I'm so excited!

So that's why I asked how you like to be seduced. Logical detective Gracie Lynbrook discovers more about herself and her desires than she expects when she stumbles into a village that appears only every five years. Waybrook's citizens have one goal--find a suitable sacrifice for Mayor Sam so their souls aren't sent straight to Hell. Gracie is supposed to be that sacrifice, but Mayor Sam has other plans for her...other plans that include convincing her he can fulfill her darkest fantasies for all eternity.

Writing this story got me to thinking about seduction and how it varies from person to person (otherwise, all erotica would read exactly the same, wouldn't it?). Care to share how you like to be seduced? A nice dinner? Days of flirting? Surprise bubble baths? Or perhaps you'd like to give readers tips about how you like to seduce your significant other--we're all ears!

Happy Reading!