The Dom with a Safeword - Coming October 31, 2012

The Dom with a Safeword is now in edits! The book I'm writing with Leia Shaw and Cari Silverwood will be released October 31, 2012. As a new author, I never imagined I'd be lucky enough to work with such talented women.  Each of us have written a character in this M/f/f bdsm romance, and it's turned out to be a fun yet touching story.

I'm giving away an ARC to someone that follows me and leaves a comment with their email address! I'll draw a winner at the end of the week.

A bit about the book:

Late at night, on an amateur ghost hunt, Sabrina and her best friend Q are caught trespassing by the gorgeous, blonde Jude. The embers of attraction between them sizzle when they discover Jude’s kinks match their own. Jude is a Dom on his last summer of freedom before starting the prison sentence that is med school. Q is a badass bi switch who knows what she wants, and for years it’s been her cute, doe-eyed straight friend Sabrina. But the only way for Q to get into Sabrina’s heart and panties may be with Jude’s fist wrapped in her hair.

Domming the bratty Q and mischievous Sabrina isn’t going to be easy but Jude relishes the challenge. At the end of the summer, will they find a way to stay together when everything is tearing them apart?

Here's an excerpt:

In the midst of the evil looking displays, Sabrina resembled a virgin sacrifice. The little white sundress and shiny pink lip gloss marked her as prey. She had even tied her shoulder-length blonde hair back with a big white ribbon. It was Sabrina’s idea of a joke, dressing like this to go to some of the edgier stores in town. Although she’d meant for it to be ironic, it was keeping Q in a constant state of distraction. Visions of Sabrina bound and helpless flashed like an old film in her head.

Q avoided looking at her – it was making her mouth water. From the twinkle in her eyes Q could see it was the reaction Sabrina had been hoping for.

She was so damned confusing. Sabrina swore she was straight, but she was such a tease. She obviously liked Q’s attention, but rejected her on an intellectual level. However, physically she was starting to give Q mixed messages. It gave her reason to hope.

At that very moment Sabrina was leaning over a glass jewelry display, the hem of her little sundress barely covering the bottom of her ass. She gave Q a sassy smile over her shoulder and turned back to shopping.

The big tattooed store attendant cast an admiring glance over Sabrina’s shapely legs and nodded at Q, giving her the thumbs-up. “Yours, Q?”

“I wish, Freddie” she muttered back.


Don't forget to follow me and comment (and leave your email address) for your chance to win an ARC!  Enter until midnight EST, October 5, 2012!

Feeling the Love

Writing a story is like reading the best ever choose your own adventure book.  Anything you’ve ever thought was cool or ever wanted to try, your characters can experience.  But with writing comes great responsibility.

I often joke that when I get to the end of a movie, if the writers haven’t convinced me that I care whether the main characters live or die, they haven’t done their jobs.

As a writer you bring characters from your head into the physical world, in the form of words.  These “people” have “lives” and “importance” to those around them.  For many of these “people” you may be the only real person who cares about them – or even knows about them.  As you write your story, your critique partner might care, too, if you’re doing it right.

Does the main character get the love interest?  Is there a plague of locusts?  Does the planet explode?

When your final revisions are done, have you managed to convince readers that they care, too?

Because that’s what fiction writing is all about, isn’t it?  It’s about whether or not you can get the reader to be emotionally invested in characters born of your imagination.  It’s about whether your characters take up residence in your reader’s head, or are quickly forgotten when the story is done.

Writers have many different ideas about what gets a reader attached.  Connecting with a fictional character shares many commonalities with connecting with people in real life.  There are many things that can help make a reader care about your characters.  This is by no means an exhaustive list:

Realism:  Personally, I have a hard time making friends in the real world with someone who acts like they’re perfect.  If your characters have no flaws, it makes it hard for intelligent readers to relate to them.  Is your character someone that people find believable?  Even if you put them through hell, do they retain their humanity and vulnerability?

Humor:  I have trouble getting close to people that don’t make me laugh at least sometimes.  Does your character have a sense of humor?  They’ll be more interesting if they do and will be easier to relate to.

Challenges:  Having a reason to root for someone often makes people feel more attached – although drama queens can be annoying.  Do your characters have things to overcome during the story?  Do they suffer?  Challenges also give your characters an opportunity to have their sparkling personalities shine through.

Emotion:  Becoming close to someone who you don’t connect with on an emotional level is unlikely.  Is the character someone readers can relate to?  Without complex emotion your characters won’t have life to your reader.  The emotional development of your characters is essential to ensure your story isn’t just a recitation of imaginary chronological events.  “And then... and then... and then...” only goes so far.

As a writer, you’re the only person who stands between your characters and complete oblivion.  They just want people to care about them.  It’s a big responsibility.  Make good choices.

Six Sentence Sunday

Another six from the story I'm currently working on, Ein:

“I think you are forgetting your place, little one,” Sir growled in my ear.  “Just because you win a game does not mean you may disrespect me.”  I wriggled underneath him, trying to get away.  I succeeded only in grinding back against him.  I whimpered.

“Careful,” he breathed in my ear, “one slip and I could ruin you.” 

Six Sentence Sunday

Here are six sentences from my newest story, Ein:

“Good, now I can talk to you without your naughty mouth getting you in trouble.”

I subtly eyed his crotch, which was conveniently face level, and thought of other things I’d prefer to do with my naughty mouth.

Sir barked a laugh.  “Eyes on the floor, girl.  You can have that later.”

Smug bastard.