I’ve been unbelievably busy doing not-writing stuff for the past week. I have, however, set aside an hour a day starting yesterday to edit St. James’ Day, the third novel in the Pagan Spirits series, with Tit Elingtin. I finished writing the first draft all the way back in 2010, but we set it aside to work on Eminent Domain.

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/W4DF7IlbREw/WIP+Wednesday+Zombie+Survivor+Tale

Read Mary Hart Perry’s previous WIP Wednesday guest post here.

Mary Hart Perry: As of today I’m diving back into Seducing the Princess, the second book of my new Victorian thriller series that features the daughters of Queen Victoria. The first, The Wild Princess, comes out  August 1 of this year, and I don’t have a release date for the second. But I’m hoping to have it ready for 2013 publication…maybe. 


I’m nearly halfway through with this novel, not as far along as I’d have liked, due to interruptions such as an increased teaching schedule at The Writer’s Center in DC and a multitude of writer’s conferences. But the good thing about being among other writers is you get recharged. So I’m throwing myself into an aggressive writing binge. 

Queen Victoria painted by Franz Xavier Winterhalter, 1843.  Public domain imageBy the end of May I hope to have my draft done, leaving the summer for fine tuning. The first novel is about Princess Louise, the fourth daughter of Victoria and Albert, who dreamt of becoming an artist at a time when women weren’t allowed the same training in art as men. The second is about Beatrice, whose fate was to be the aging queen’s caretaker. Victoria wanted Beatrice to remain unmarried and “pure”. (Read that: a virgin.) Beatrice wasn’t too thrilled with that idea. Anyway, back to work now. I’m in the middle of a very exciting chapter! Hugs to all as you write and read…


Mary Hart Perry on Goodreads, Twitter and Facebook

Read an excerpt from The Wild Princess on Mary Hart Perry’s website

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/SV3iMWnY0rK/WIP+Wednesday+Mary+Hart+Perry+Update

I’m also trying to finish up the next chapter of my collaboration with Ken Charles, Billy’s Color Palette. Here’s a taste of what I’ve written so far.

Imagemanagement05, Creative Commons license          “Us either,” Melody said, nodding. “We both enjoy the classes, though. Grace especially; she’s gotten ripped from the workouts. She could be quite the little champion, if only she had a little more self-discipline.” 

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/9R1_5zoaHXD/WIP+Wednesday+Authors+Needed

On the note. all that I have lost, the time that I can’t get back. The mental abuse that I have endure over many, many years. I am one pissed off woman. I am thankful for what I have at this present time.I am 38 years old. I should NOT be in the situation I am in, I have lost a lot and I am drowning still. I can’t win for losing because of these sick and twisted bastards. It’s time for me to blow this shit out of the water. I will come out on top, just watch me. I got this, hands down!

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/sn7gIT3Ivjm/A+BOOK+I+think+so+it+s+TIME

BTW, my Homicide/Scooby Doo crossover doesn’t sound so – um, whimsical – when you consider THIS, in which Harold Finch is a young wizard at Hogwarts, being sorted by the sorting hat. Spoiler alert! – Ravenclaw. (I’m a Ravenclaw, too.) I wonder if the hat puts Reese in Slytherin? Dude capped so many people, he could make, like, 1,000 horcruxes and never die. But you know the expression:

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/E_pPANYjSZE/WIP+Wednesday+Erin+further+explores+fanfic

This week I’m editing “Sheep Shifter” for the Breathless Press anthology Ravaged, an all-shifter anthology. The short story is accepted, but just on the first round of edits. I just went through this with my story for the Breathless anthology Ad-dick-tion Vol. 2 – there are four or five rounds of edits.

Over the weekend, I kept running with the Person of Interest
fanfic I started on Friday (see …in which the term 13-inch is thrown about shamelessly). Yes, my level of obsession with a Thursday-night network TV show is a little bit sad at the moment. Yes, one does not count fanfics as “real” writing, because one receives pre-created characters from someone else’s imagination. They’re lazy writing, and I thought I’d given up on them forever when I became a professional in 2007.

The last TV show that I wrote fanfics for was Homicide: Life on the Street, and that was when I was in college, more than a decade ago. Inspired by someone else’s crazy Homicide/Pinky and the Brain crossover called “Timmy and the Frank,” I even wrote a Homicide/Scooby Doo crossover. (It may be lost, or it may be hiding in a box of old diaries from the ’90s.)

Guinevere and Lancelot – Free Art LicenseOne thing keeping me from self-censoring and forcing myself not to write these things that cross my mind is knowing that fanfics are a time-honored literary tradition, dating back at least to the days of the wandering troubadours. They would regale their audiences with tales of Arthurian legend. When the affair between Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot proved to be a crowd-pleaser, the troubadours embellished upon it. At least, this is one theory I read years ago. In more modern times, the fanfic phenom can be blamed largely on – or credited largely to – Star Trek fans.

For an interesting fanfic that takes place right after the end of the The Hunger Games (the first book), go to Mumfection to read Eschelle’s work. The book blog BookishTemptations collects Twilight fanfics.

This is about half of what I wrote between Friday night and Sunday night – the lead-up, the teaser. This is raw, unedited, the first and only draft. WIP Wednesday seems like as a good a place to post this as any. If you’re following along, this would obviously happen before the events of Friday’s fic. I’ll post the second part next Wednesday.

Next I may get inspired to return to working on Billy’s Color Palette, my interracial-erotica literary collaboration with Ken Charles. I suddenly seemed to remember working on another BWWM (Black Woman/White Man) story with Ken.


Joss Carter sighed andlooked down at her drink, which she’d barely touched. As usual, crossing pathswith John had preceded an extremely stressful night at work. They both neededto blow off some steam. He’d taken her up on her suggestion that they hit thebar and was on his second beer, but he’d barely said a word to her the wholetime. Typical.

He accepted her challenge.Damn – talk about weaponry. 

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/0SuszEfWvol/WIP+Wednesday+Sheep+Shifter+BWWM

Hooking up with AllThingsFadra for Stream of Consciousness (SOC) Sunday. (Fadra baked bread after listening to the Hunger Games audiobook.

I am highly susceptible to fiction, whether I’m reading it, watching it or writing it. I did just read The Hunger Games, and I really enjoyed it, but I can’t think of anything that it influenced me to do. I can tell you that when I’m writing fiction, I’ll go miles out of my way to experience something firsthand.

Once I stopped into a gas station for a cup of coffee and I thought the clerk would make a really interesting character. After mulling him over for a few days, I kinda started to stalk that gas station – not a  usual stop for me – to see if he would be there again. I wanted my inspiration fix. After the story was written, I just went back to my usual coffee spot.

True Blood makes me want to drink red wine.

And yes, it’s true that for weeks after I saw the Daniel Radcliffe film The Woman in Black, I was a little worried that the closet adjacent to my master bath was haunted. I got into the habit of flicking on the hallway lights to drive away the ghosts before I got to the bathroom.

Pinterest only encourages my Harry Potter obsessionThere you go…exactly five minutes.

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/JtQR97zYCOH/Highly+Susceptible+Fiction+SOC+Sunday

Although he doesn’t believe in re-encarnation and doesn´t get the connection between his actual reality and these dreams or nightmares, they describe his relationship with his present partner through previous existences. It makes the reader understand that a cycle is being closed and, still more, when he finds out what true love is like with another woman -a journalist in the present.At a posterior present, the woman for whom he has done everyhting to have her is a black male prisioner in an US jail. And, in this way she purges all her mistakes in her past existences – being there is her karma.

Here is a piece of the book -not edited yet.

It was the same man who had gone through many existences and whose soul was now incarnated a one of youthful appearance. His mind would not be consecrated to Art neither would be to politics. But, with a wondrous gift bestowed on him, he would conduct himself through a political world to attain what he most desired.

Seated in a black-leather-upholstered club chair, Marcio lingered in the Hemingway bar. He thought retrospectively about his own device to achieve a position. In fact, he had come from shadow and had pulled the strings behind for his own benefit. He had taken advantage of the others’ indifference to him, to use it wisely to act incognito.

This man upon whom nobody laid wage dared his world and almost defeated everyone. But at the end, the last act was on him.

As Marcio watched some volumes in the long bookcase, he pondered on all the wisdom enclosed them and had also reasoned about the treasure that represented those written lines by privileged minds –from which he learnt so much.

Those ideas –sometimes poisoning ones- had been a powerful influence over him, so he had thought once more of all his stratagem to climb into a high position –from where he could exercise a quote of power.

His deeds had been the fruit of a Machiavellian mind –the end justified the means. He was determined to succeed and have the woman who obsessed him.

(Retrato de la Marquesa de Santa Cruz, de Francisco de Goya y Lucientes, 1805)

Marcio was the most benefited of the political death of the current president in the past. His own mistakes had dug his tomb (there laid the young man’s advantage). Nobody perceived Raul Menendez’s potentiality. He was aware of it, though. So, when time came for him he moulded the failed man into a presidential candidate.

Raul Menendez’s reputation was mudded since he let the government snatched away the votes of the referendum recall which conceded the victory to opposition –which he led. His countenance of defeat shown on the local television was an image seared on the electors’ mind.

His advisors were at sixes and sevens about fitting him into the political scenario again. It would be hard to take this politician out of the grave. And on top of it, he still proceeded wrongly.

So, Marcio outlined a course of action and introduced it to Nuria González –Raul Menendez’s close friend. His first and immediate step was to get rid of his circle of advisors. The old wolves had failed but he would not.

His mind absorbed recalled every detail of his deeds that brought himself to prominence. However all it was in the past. The man was completely aware of disgrace would come along. It was destined so that he had to carry out what had been written previously by the Gods. He could not avoid it.

This man’s proposal was focused on creating a new image of the once electable candidate. So, firstly Raul Menendez would turn his invalidation to the regional elections into martyrdom (such a deliberately ban by the judicial system was advantageous –not running for the elections avoided the electors considering the governor post as the only position which he was apt to). Secondly, his image had to be redefined politically (the new Raul Menendez would be a man of all people of the country. For it, he would call on every corner of the country to perceive its reality. But, above all, he would set an emotional link with all the voters of the nation –and not just with the people who elected in the state in which he had postulated in the past).

As Marcio savoured an exquisite champagne reasoned about the laborious part of the entire plan which had been remoulding the image of Raul Menendez -which was enough lousy and not presentable to the exterior; just not to mention the task of assembling and diversifying his speech -specially for the entrepreneur.

All this man had foreseen was right. The regime wiped out the nation’s old leadership, so no any remaining of the past was left. And, when this collapsed there was no one to present to the electors, neither was there anybody who assumed the direction of the country. So Raul Menendez’s time had come. His leadership was identified with the needs of the poor and his verb soothed the uneasiness of the lower stratum of the Venezuelan society –the major one. Therefore, civil society embraced the candidature of the former governor. And, this was elected president.

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/W4Ag54_tY1X/WIP+Wednesday+author+Oliver+Frances

Kindred Spirits akin to Pagan Spirits? by Rue Allyn

I love the title of this blogsite and thank Erin for having me as a guest blogger so that I may share with you a little of my new erotic romance, Off Limits. When I first visited Pagan Spirits, I asked myself if Kindred and Pagan Spirits shared anything in common? The question might be considered irrelevant to a good story. Pagan or not, when kindred spirits collide passion results. This is the common denominator of all romances regardless of sub-genre.

Off Limits is a story of kindred spirits at war with themselves over passion and duty. My publisher describes the story this way: “The attraction between a hunky Senior Chief and a smoking hot Lieutenant breaks all the rules—his, hers and the US Navy’s. Unable to resist, the couple yields to desire’s command. Both expect their incendiary passion to burn out long before it can endanger their careers. Neither expected the insatiable sex they share to become an enduring love.”

Please take a moment to view an excerpt of Off Limits. If you like what you read, you can find more information at the Rue Allyn website.

Short Bio for Rue Allyn:

I wrote my first story around the age of five and read my first romance at the age of eight. I’ve been in love with being in love ever since. I’m happily married to my sweetheart of many, many years. We share the home of two cats, who condescend to allow me to feed them and clean their litter box. They occasionally permit me to pet them but demand my love and attention as their right. I am in awe of their feline ability to dominate with half a glance or a mere twitch of tail. I am insatiably curious, an avid reader and traveler. I love to hear from readers about your favorite books and real life adventures. I also love my work. Seriously, what could be more fun than sharing love and adventure with all your friends. That’s what I do when I write and publish a story. I’m delighted you are here to join me in the love of reading and writing.

Tease Your Senses with a Rue Allyn Romance
http://RueAllyn.com
Off Limits (available April 1, 2012)
The Widow’s Revenge (available now)

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/W4D7y_NaAlr/WIP+Wednesday+with+Rue+Allyn

I got started writing erotica when I submitted a short piece to the now defunct UK magazine, Scarlet, which ran a section called ‘Cliterature’ at the time. I had two pieces published with them, then went on to publish with Black Lace and have never looked back. I got into paranormal probably because of my love for mythology and for the wonderful cross-over novels of authors like Diana Gabaldon and Nora Roberts, in which the paranormal bleeds into an otherwise normal world completely oblivious to the dangerous otherness that threatens destruction while at the same time promises heightened lust. And of course, I had my love affair with Anne Rice and Laurell K. Hamilton.

Basically I love the idea that dangerous, exciting otherness can bleed into our world unbeknownst to the average person. It’s like imaginary friends coming to life. It makes all the ‘what ifs’ more intense and adds a new dimension to the road to HEA without taking it completely out of the everyday world. I like the fact that the two intersect, and when they do, dangerous, amazing, exciting things happen.

What made you decide to write Lakeland Heatwave: Body Temperature and Rising?

It’s a serious bit of magic that Body Temperature and Rising got written at all really. The story evolved out of a personal experience of being caught in the mist in a storm while walking the fells in the Lake District. That experience inspired the opening scene of a novel that was my NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) project three years ago. I knew it would be an erotic novel, and I knew it would be paranormal, neither of which I’d tried my hand at before. After I finished it, it lay untouched for two more years. In the meantime, Xcite Books published my first two contemporary erotic romances, The Initiation of Ms Holly and The Pet Shop. One day, on a lark, I dusted off the original manuscript that was then called Love Spells and decided it had some serious potential. On a lark, I sent Xcite the reworked first three chapters and a synopsis of what would become BTR, and within less than an hour, they responded with a yes!

I was a little taken aback by Xcite’s enthusiasm, and for the first time ever, I found myself with writer’s block. Usually once I set myself a task to write it just happens. The writing flows, the story takes shape, and that’s that. Not this time! I was really beginning to worry that I might not be able to do it after all. Finally, after a long hard walk, I realized the reason it wasn’t coming together for me was that the story was too big for one novel. It needed to be a trilogy. I proposed the Lakeland Heatwave Trilogy to Xcite, they said yes, and from there the book and the changes needed to make it publishable practically exploded onto the page, with the path to the rest of the trilogy clear ahead. I’m still amazed how it all came together as it has, and I have to say it has been an absolute blast to write.

If Hollywood made this book into a movie, who would you imagine playing Anderson, Marie, Tim and Tara?

People always ask that, and it’s one of the hardest questions for me because I never write my characters with anyone in mind. Since the second novel, Riding the Ether, is essentially Anderson’s story, I spent a long walk a couple of weeks ago thinking about who would play him in a film, while trying to get my head around Anderson’s darkness and his lust. Anderson is powerful, dangerous and yet the epitome of old world charm and sophistication. The closest I could come was Hugh Jackman, who seems to embody both in the rolls he’s played. Tim might be Sam Worthington. Marie could possibly be Olivia Wilde. Tara is hard. Tara is really hard, but at the moment I’m leaning toward Anne Hathaway. The last book, Elemental Fire, is ultimately Tara’s tale, so maybe I’ll change my mind by then. Hard to say.

Do you believe that sex magic is real?

I believe that sex is the only kind of magic, actually, and certainly the only kind of magic we all have access to. That’s why I write erotica. That being said, it was the perfect jumping-off place for my foray into paranormal erotica. Sex is the true creative force in the world, so it makes sense that the place where two people become one, the only place where we can actually get inside another person’s skin, the place where life begins with la petite mort would be the place where the magic is most powerful. That’s the premise for all three novels and the reason I chose to write about sex magic.

What project are you working on right now?

I’m working on the second and third novels of the trilogy right now. I’ve just finished the first draft of Riding the Ether, book two, and will go right into Elemental Fire. It’s easier for me to write the two books together because the events in the books lend themselves to it, and because I actually have the time to do it that way. I think the writing of the two, almost as one, will make for a much more powerful climax to the trilogy. It’ll also make the whole experience psychologically easier on me if I can just stay in the story.

Would you say your work has been influenced by any other erotica writers? Do you have a favorite erotica writer?

I actually started writing erotica on a lark before I’d ever read anything by anyone in the genre. It was only after I’d had a few works published that I started seriously reading other writers. I really don’t want to be influenced by anyone else too much because I want my voice to stay as unique as possible. However, I’m a great admirer of Charlotte Stein and Justine Elyot. There are lots I really enjoy, but these two wonderful writers consistently awe me with their work. I admire them deeply.

Do you have a favorite paranormal writer?

As I mentioned earlier, I’m a real fan of the paranormal crossover, for lack of a better word. I like the bleed-through into the real world to be subtle and therefore more dangerous because it can lend itself to denial. I love Diana Gabaldon’s mix of historical novel and time travel. I like the way Nora Roberts mixes romance with paranormal. I suppose her mix of witches and magic probably influenced me most. And the Lakeland setting so easily lends itself to witches and ghosts that it was perfect.

Where do you stand on the vampire issue: should they sparkle, not sparkle, or no opinion?

I’m definitely in the sparkle-free camp.

Other than sex and love, what subject most fascinates you?

I’m an avid long-distance walker. I love nature and being outside. My husband and I did the Wainwright Coast-to-Coast walk across England last summer, and have another stonking good walk planned for this summer. I walk most of my stories, and if I ever get stuck in the plot, a good walk solves the problem and offers the best inspiration for new tales. I’m a firm believer that a good walk will solve almost anything.

And if the walking doesn’t, vegetable gardening will. We grow our own vegetables, and getting my hands in the earth, then eating what I’ve grown myself, well, that’s a different kind of magic. I also find veg gardening inspirational. I have a reputation for writing garden porn.

*****

American transplant to the Lake District, MARIE WARREN, didn’t know she could unleash demons and enflesh ghosts until a voyeuristic encounter on the fells ends in sex with the charming ghost, ANDERSON, and night visits from a demon. To help her cope with her embarrassing and dangerous new abilities, Anderson brings her to the ELEMENTALS, a coven of witches who practice rare sex magic that temporarily allows needy ghosts access to the pleasures of the flesh.

DEACON, the demon Marie has unleashed, holds an ancient grudge against TARA STONE, coven high priestess, and will stop at nothing to destroy all she holds dear. Marie and her landlord, the reluctant young farmer, TIM MERIWETHER, are at the top of his list. Marie and Tim must learn to wield coven magic and the numinous power of their lust to stop Deacon’s bloody rampage before the coven is torn apart and more innocent people die.

More info buy links: http://kdgrace.co.uk/books/lakeland-heatwave-book-i/

*****

K D Grace was born with a writing obsession. It got worse once she actually learned HOW to write. There’s no treatment for it. It’s progressive and chronic and quite often interferes with normal, everyday functioning. She might actually be concerned if it wasn’t so damned much fun most of the time.

K D’s erotic romance novels, The Initiation of Ms Holly, The Pet Shop and Lakeland Heatwave Book 1: Body Temperature and Rising are published by Xcite Books and are available from all good paperback and eBook retailers.

Her erotica has been published with Xcite Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Erotic Review, Ravenous Romance, Sweetmeats Press and Scarlet Magazine.

Find out more about K D Grace on her website, http://kdgrace.co.uk. She’s also on Facebook and Twitter.

Article source: http://www.zimbio.com/Writers+Blogs+on+Writing/articles/fmsnRATrRUe/K+Grace+Pagan+Spirits+Interview