Visit to Isle of Skye

Today I want to take you on a visit to Isle of Skye, Scotland, one of the most beautiful places on earth. You can see the breathtaking scenery from the air and learn a bit of the history.

Thanks Giving

As Thanksgiving nears and I sit here sipping my morning coffee, I realize there are many people and things for which I’m truly grateful. With the good times come the bad, but when all is said and done, the following precious items on my list increase in value with the passage of time.


PARENTS – my greatest gift for their love, caring, guidance and steadfast support







FRIENDS – without whom the world would be a lonelier and less enjoyable place






GOOD HEALTH – two words that say it all






LIFE –






JOBS – one of which employs my left brain, the other which indulges my right










BOOKS – especially my latest release at Ellora's Cave. Turning their paper and e-pages has brought me so much happiness since childhood




LOVE – good for the heart, mind and soul





NATURE’S BEAUTY – takes my breath away much as would a lover’s kiss






BELIEF SYSTEM AND FAITH – instilled at a young age and continuously nurtured to remain strong






FOND MEMORIES - of seasons past




KISSES – guaranteed to warm me on the coldest winter day








GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP - to recharge and renew





TIME – for spending with every item on my list




SHOES - these feet of mine were made for walking and being covered for all occasions




IMAGINATION – without which I couldn’t create my characters and their fantasy worlds






CHOCOLATE – decadent, delightful and a must-have in my daily routine









SEXY MEN – my favorite example is the cover of my Exotika release, ROUGHRIDER. Eye candy that feeds me in the most delicious way






ENDLESS PAMPERING POSSIBILITIES – working hard means relaxing in special ways





I’m sure if I mulled my list long enough, it would exponentially expand. But these are the ones that quickly come to mind. Readers, share some of the things for which you’re thankful.


Wishing you all blessings and bounty,

Shawna Moore
TORMENTED – Available now at Ellora’s Cave
ROUGHRIDER – Ellora’s Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS – Ellora’s Cave Exotika
Shawna’s Myspace
Helle’s Myspace

Settings for Erotic Romance

Some other Red Sage authors and I are working on a connected series of menage stories, starring the same character who's destined to float through time reconciling couples. My story is a contemporary romance/adventure, of course, because that's what I mostly write. However, our stories take place in different times and places, which got me thinking about how settings affect the different attributes of erotic romance.

I think futuristic or paranormal stories give a writer a lot of freedom in writing erotic romance. You can let your imagination run a little wild and let the sex run a little wilder (after all, it's all fantasy, right?).

Historicals can lead to certain restrictions, but if the premise works (i.e. Leigh Court's The Disciplinarian) historical erotica is delicious.

There's nothing like a good dose of laughter with your sex, which is why I also enjoy erotic romance with elements of comedy (Kate St. James' Good Vibrations). I think the most humorous erotic romance I've written is Virgin of the Amazon - even had some fun with the title.

And finally, contemporaries are harder than they might seem because you really have to give the story a twist to make it stand out. You almost have to build the eroticism into the premise of the story to make it more than just a love story with a lot of sex.

The very first erotica (definitely erotica, not erotic romance) I got published was a novella titled Wager of Desire. It's a historical - and not terribly well written, has lots of head-hopping and it's very kinky ;) - but I absolutely loved the cover (see above) and I just got another royalty check for it (three years after the publication date).

So what's your favorite setting - time or place - for erotic romance? And does the setting affect the story?

HIGHLAND REBEL is FINISHED!

Greetings Fierce Friends!

Well, I got the good word from my editor last week that Highland Rebel is a better, stronger, book and that she liked all the rewrites! Whew!! It's very strange to me that after writing romance novels for fifteen years I'm still paralyzed with fear when waiting for my editor to approve or disapprove my writing! But I think most writers have experienced some variety of this, whether published or not. The inner dialogue in our heads goes something like this : "My book is terrible." "Why did I ever think I could do this?" "What if this is the time she sends it back and says 'No way!'" and the inevitable "I don't think I can take one more rejection!"

As a writer I have threatened to stop writing and 1) take up knitting 2) get a real job 3) give up. Believe me, my life would be much easier if I did any of these choices. Writing is hard, hard work, and the hardest part of it is that Life doesn't cooperate. It doesn't matter that you have the flu when you get your rewrites. They have to be in within a week, or if you're lucky, two. It doesn't matter if your family has a major crisis, or death, and you're still only halfway finished with your book and suddenly feel unable to keep writing. Well, of course it matters, editors are human after all, but they also answer to bosses who are pretty much all about business most of the time. Being able to 'go with the flow' is a big part of being a full-time writer. and the keywords are adapt, persevere, and endure!

So why don't I hang it up? Well, because I'm a writer. It isn't what I do, it's what I am. There are all of these stories knocking around inside my head, demanding to be given life and I have to give them all their chance! There's just this true and earnest need inside of me to create, to weave words into the best story I possibly can. To take the glimmer of an idea and develop it into something fun or poignant or romantic or all of the above.

Sure, there are pitfalls and frustrations and at times I feel like this is going to be the time when I say "I quit!" But then I'll be sitting outside just thinking and suddenly I'll get this incredible idea for a new book and I'm caught up again in the whole crazy process. And what about those ideas I haven't had time to write about yet? I can't just let them languish and die. They're like old friends, just waiting in the wings for their chance to come outside and play.

So I may grouse and groan and complain about the writing life, and especially dealing with the publishing world, but the truth is that I'm a writer, and I can't imagine my life without the joy and challenge of using words to paint the pictures inside my head. And if it hurts sometimes, well, a little pain just comes with the territory. But it's worth it.

Keep Writing Fierce Friends, and Don't Give Up!
hugs,
Tess

Highland Games & Kilt Competition

A special Thanks to all the US Veterans out there!!! I so appreciate your service and all you've done for our country.

Last weekend I went with a friend to a nearby Highland Games in NC. Here we see all the important flags, those of the US and Scotland. One reason I love Highland Games is they inspire story ideas for me and... I love all the kilts of course. Caber tossing is one of my favorite events. I don't see how these guys pick up and throw the equivalent of a small telephone pole.

How is the caber toss done?
"A long tapered pine pole or log is stood upright and hoisted by the competitor who balances it vertically holding the smaller end in his hands (see photo). Then the competitor runs forward attempting to toss it in such a way that it turns end over end with the upper (larger) end striking the ground first. The smaller end that was originally held by the athlete then hits the ground in the 12 o'clock position measured relative to the direction of the run. If successful, the athlete is said to have turned the caber. Cabers vary greatly in length, weight, taper, and balance, all of which affect the degree of difficulty in making a successful toss. Competitors are judged on how closely their throws approximate the ideal 12 o'clock toss on an imaginary clock. "
~Info from Wikipedia.com

This is another event, the Weight over the Bar. "Also known as weight for height. The athletes attempt to toss a 56 pound (4 stone) weight with an attached handle over a horizontal bar using only one hand. Each athlete is allowed three attempts at each height. Successful clearance of the height allows the athlete to advance into the next round at a greater height. The competition is determined by the highest successful toss with fewest misses being used to break tie scores. " Info from Wikipedia.com

Sheep herding or Herding Dog Trials. This shows the trainer's and dog's skills.

Two live bands, dressed in kilts, played a blend of modern rock and traditional Scottish or Celtic music. Coyote Run (pictured) and The Hooligans.

Kilt Competition

You know how I love men in kilts, right? So here I was at the Games snapping pics of all kinds of unsuspecting men in kilts. I keep their faces and identities hidden. But I think they're used to being stared at and, at times, lusted after. :-) They even have a competition at the Highland Games called Bonny Knees, where men enter and judges decide who has the most attractive knees. Wish I could be a judge! We won't call ours Bonny Knees because I see very few knees here.

Which do you think is the best looking kilt?
1.

2.a & 2b(red)

3.

4.

5

6.

Sentimental Journey to Salem

Windblown leaves skim over the lawn. Pine boughs scratch the sky. Squirrels scamper while hoarding food for the winter. The teakettle whistles and reminds me I’ll soon enjoy a steaming mug of cocoa. With fall in full swing, my thoughts trend toward Thanksgiving. Despite real life and its penchant for delivering bad news and devastations, I’ve many things for which I give thanks. My awesome family. Fantastic friends. Readers of the romance stories I delight in creating. Good health. Waking up each morning and discovering new passions and adventures.

And speaking of adventures, the places to which I’ve traveled are also among those things for which I give thanks. As another golden leaf is tossed into the breeze by the maple tree in my front yard, fond memories of my trips to New England, and especially Salem, swirl in my mind. Today I’ll enjoy sharing some digital snapshots of Salem. Join me on this photographic journey to a magical city where history and many exciting fall events abound.



















As you and yours observe Thanksgiving in the coming days, remember this: Live each day to the fullest; dismiss the self-doubt demons; love your friends and family like never before; dare to dream and make those dreams become reality!

Wishing you many happy reading moments,

Shawna Moore
TORMENTED -- Now available at Ellora's Cave
ROUGHRIDER -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
HELLE IN HEELS -- Ellora's Cave Exotika
Shawna's Myspace
Helle's Myspace

My Soul's Dark Journey into Night -- I mean Rewrites

Hello Fierce Friends,
Bet you thought I had disappeared into the dark void called DEADLINE HELL. Well, you were right. That's exactly where I have been. The thing about writing a book and actually turning it into your publisher is that, well, that's not the end of it.

After 1 - 4 months, your editor calls and tells you everything that's wrong with it and everything you screwed up. Which is good, because no writer worth her salt wants a book to go to press in less than perfect condition, right? This is the time in the process where your editor can tell you what she didn't like about the details over which you have opened a vein nightly.

My editor always has great suggestions and observations, so when she sent me my rewrites, I eagerly read her thoughts. In this case, my editor felt that my characters needed tweaking. After thinking about it, I agreed. They needed a little slapping around by their Creator (me). No problem, I can handle this. And, oh yeah, she doesn’t like the ending. And the rewrites are due back in a week.

Now, let me pause to say that if I had a normal life, this might not be a problem. But I don't. My life is a roller coaster of fast-paced ups and downs, sparks and surprises, the likes of which you have never seen, usually punctuated by sudden crises on the level of a devastating volcanic eruption. So okay, one week.

After informing my editor that there is no way in Hades that I can change the ending in a week, I proceed to spend the next week doing the rewrites. I do not sleep. I do not eat. I do not watch All My Children or The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I write. I agonize. I change my book.

Okay, so the rewrites are finally done, with no loss of life or limb. I send them into my editor. Whew. That's done, right? Ah, not so fast grasshopper. You see, now I must wait with baited breath for the copyedits, which is when my original manuscript is mailed back to me with indescipherable little bits of code written all over the pages in blue or green pencil (as well as suggestions as to how I can make my writing better by implementing some of their word choices and italicized nouns).

I have two weeks to do the copy edits, which is more reasonable, if you have a normal life, which, as I indicated above, I do not. But I plow into it, determined to finish by the deadline. Now, let me pause here and explain that this is only the second book I have written for this publisher, and my previous publisher didn't supply copy edits. At that house, I got rewrites and that was it until the galleys arrived. So, as you can imagine, I was not, shall we say, knowledgeable about how to approach showing the changes in the pages of the manuscript. And unfortunately the MS didn't come back with a manual, just a brief note that said I "could" write on the pages of the manuscript. So I did.

I go without sleep. I go without food. I go without my daily soap. I go without The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Boston Legal, and Big Bang Theory. I am a good girl. 450 pages later, my writing hand is a pretzel, and the copy edits look like the aftermath of Sherman's March to the Sea. (Quick -- how many of you know this historical reference? Who was Sherman? Why did he march? Where was the sea? Why was the sea?) I'm almost finished, and the day before my manuscript is due, I get a call from my editor.

"Remember we talked about changing the ending?" she reminds me. Yeah, that was the change I couldn't do in a week, I remind her. Well, it's gotta be done. But the four days I'm given to REWRITE HALF MY BOOK is not enough time, for some reason that I can't explain.(Maybe it’s just me, I mean, go figure.)

So like any professional, I do what I must. I calmly, maturely, solemnly, call my agent and FREAK OUT!! After listening to my threats to hold the manuscript at gunpoint until I get more time, my agent (actually an angel on special assignment from Heaven) assures me she will help me. And she does, because, luckily for me, that's what she does. She helps me.

I get another week. And so the marathon begins. The new ending involves rewriting major plot points, which retroactively affects earlier parts of the book, and it is a grueling dissection. I feel very much like Dr. Frankenstein when he tried to stitch together different body parts and still end up with a living, breathing human being. Unfortunately, Dr. F ended up with a living, breathing monster, and as I worked all night, every night, (I did sleep a couple of hours a day) I began to fear that my creation would eventually end up being chased by villagers wielding pitchforks too.

Fortunately, this is not the case. Turns out my editor knew what she was talking about. The changes made the book better, stronger, snappier, sexier, and now with less carbs! Not that the woman at the mail stop would believe that. You see, I found out that I was supposed to "insert" major changes (changes of more than a page) into the actual manuscript. So my 450 page manuscript ended up being about 700 pages with all the changes. (Don’t worry – once they take out everything I crossed out, it’ll be back to 450.)

Quick now, for extra credit, does anyone out there know how much it costs to overnight Fed Ex a 10 pound manuscript to New York? In the immortal words of Danny Kaye in White Christmas, the price lies "Somewhere between 'Ouch' and 'BOING'"

As I slathered the outside of the box containing my precious manuscript with tape, the woman who worked at the mail place assured me that I didn't need to do that. She had placed one strip of tape across the top and one across the bottom, and that, she told me, would hold it "just fine".

I had the sudden mental image of my package being tossed between two husky Fed Ex guys and one of them fumbling the catch. The box hits the ground, bursts, (due to a lack of tape) and the pages of my manuscript are scattered across the floor of the Fed Ex receiving center in St. Louis, Missouri. The two guys are scrambling to pick up all the papers, when suddenly, the huge door at the end of the warehouse-like building begins to open. The two Fed Ex guys freeze as beams of sunlight shoot into their dark little piece of personal hell, and a tiny breath of air touches the edge of one paper. Then another. Then--whoops--it's a Midwest twister, whaddaya know, and it sweeps into the warehouse, picks up the pages of my manuscript (and the Fed Ex guys) and carries them out the doorway and into oblivion.

I turn back to the mail lady with a grim smile. "I'll feel better with a little more tape," I tell her. She smirks. I resist the urge to deck her. Instead, I concentrate on making sure the box containing my masterpiece is more secure than Mona Lisa in the Louvre. It's done. I breathe a sigh of relief, and then bite my lip as the smirky woman takes the package from me and tosses it into a bin where other, lesser taped boxes reside.

I walk out the door and blink. The sun is shining. There's a nice breeze. Not a twister in sight. My book is finished. I can live again. I go home. I begin to breathe, slow, deep breaths that fill my lungs. A tentative smile crosses my face. I open my laptop and check my email, just for fun, you know? Nothing pressing anymore. Oh, look, there's an email from my editor.

"Dear Tess," it reads. "Got the manuscript. Thanks so much. When will you have the next book finished?"

I stare at the computer. Slowly I log out of my email. I shut down my laptop. I close it. I pick up the remote control to the TV. I turn on my Tivo. 5 unwatched episodes of The Sarah Conner Chronicles. I click the remote. Sarah Conner is kicking some Terminator butt. I smile.

**If you would like to make Tess Mallory's Painful Journey Toward The Completion of HIGHLAND REBEL all worthwhile (she does it all for you!) help her become a best-selling author by pre-ordering her newest book at amazon.com **