Available NOW!

Title: Tea for Three

ISBN: 978-1-59632-476-3

Author: Anne Douglas
Cover Artist: Croco Designs
Price: $5.99

Genre: Nontraditional Erotic Contemporary, BBW Heroine
Length: Novel

Straight, gay or in between, turning thirty is never easy.

Craig wonders just where his life's heading. His relationship with Jack is satisfying, to say the least. But deep down, he sometimes still craves the soft touches of a woman.

Something's bugging Craig, and Jack knows it. Some sort of pre midlife crisis that he just can't understand. The sex is hot and demanding. Their home life is comfortable without being too familiar. But he just can't help feeling he might be about to lose the love of his life.

Then they meet lovely, loyal and slightly broken Wren Browne. It doesn't take long to realize, they might have just have found the solution to both of their problems.

Love isn't tidy or simple; it doesn't come packaged in neat little boxes. And sometimes you have to set the table with tea for three.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: m/m sex practices, m/m/f menage.

Counting down, and a giveway. . .

Final proofreader edits went back early this morning (in ePublishing deadlines tend to be a lot closer to publication than in print), so I can put the cap back on the Tums and party like it's my Birthday ... oh, wait! It is! Well, on Friday that is. I'll be the ripe old age of 34.

So in honor of my birthday I'm giving away Tea for Three mouse pad and some goodies of the chocolaty persuasion. Perfect for sitting down and reading your favorite eBooks with!

Email me, using the address in my profile, with the names of the names of the three lead characters of Tea for Three (hint: you don't have to look far, or hit my main website) by Sunday 27th May, midday, and my 7yr old will scientifically choose a winner from the entrants.

Since y'all have been so good with helping me out...

Here's a little unedited excerpt:

McCabes2 (c) Anne Douglas 2007

Striding down the steps he turned toward the side lot, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets as he went, trying to ward off the chill. Half way to the corner he heard an out of place noise coming from the direction of the car parked away from every one else.
Well, hell -- warm bed or investigate? Curiosity won out. Walking over to the car, he wondered just what he was getting himself in for. After all, this is what all those internet scam spams were all about -- strange sounds in parking lots just before you get smashed round the head with a two-by-four, or chloroformed and kidnapped by Zimbabwean billionaires wanting to give you 25% if you will only pretty please give them your bank account details.
“Huh, must have been a cat.” Hi voice sounded eerie in the nearly empty parking lot and sent a shiver down his spine. Satisfied that he must have heard a stray animal he turned to leave, but heard the noise again -- a voice, definitely not an animal yowling.
“Please… help me…my baby girl.” The voice faded, becoming faint and hard to hear.
Shit. Had a woman been trying to get to the house but collapsed? Coming around the front of the car his question was answered -- rather unpleasantly.
“Holy shit!” A woman lay crumpled on the ground. A he rushed over he could see she had been badly beaten. Her face was a mass of cuts, her arm was at an odd angle -- she was doing her best to cradled it with her torso.
Kneeling down beside her broken body David reached out to her, pulling back when she drew back in fear.
“I’m not going to hurt you. But I'm going to have to... Oh Hell!” She had slumped into a faint. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed 911 while trying to find a pulse in the woman’s neck. It beat strongly despite her weak condition.
Feeling sleazy for having to touch her so intimately after all that she had already been through, he ran his hands over her stomach. She had talked about a baby, but with her bulky clothes and generous shape he couldn’t see any obvious signs of pregnancy. David hoped that if she was only in the first few months the beating was not going to cause a miscarriage.
“I’m sorry to do this to you, lady, but while you’re out I'm going to take you inside until the paramedics get here.” David wondered why he was talking to himself -- the woman was out of it, it wasn’t like she could hear him.
The woman seemed average in height from what he could tell with her crumpled on the ground, and she looked like she might be of mixed blood, Hispanic at a guess. Her clothing was bulky, but even though she looked to carry more weight than she should she wore it well. Still, she would look small beside his bulk. Alarm bells were ringing, as he felt strangely protective of the beaten woman -- since he didn’t even know her name, let alone anything else, the sentiment was confusing.
Running an arm under her shoulders and another under her knees, leaving her damaged arm cradled to her chest, he lifted her into his arms. Her head fit just nicely under his chin, and somehow despite the sickening reality of the situation, felt like it was a perfect fit. A wayward part of his anatomy stirred that shouldn’t considering the situation. Jesus you are a sick bastard McCabe, your Jonesing over a woman half beaten to death -- you really need to get out more and get laid.
Trying not to jostle her too much, David strode to the house and banged on the door, ringing the bell, trying to get someone’s attention.
“Josie!” Anxiety tinted his voice and it annoyed him. He was always the calm and collected one. “Josie! It’s David. I need you to open up, I found a woman in the parking lot, and she’s been beaten.”
Josie pulled the door open with a crash, horror on her face as she saw the broken body in his arms. “Damn! Bring her in here, David. There’s a bed in the first room on the right.” Josie relocked the door so quickly it sounded like the sharp staccato of gunshots. She followed him into the room, watching him as he gently laid the woman on the bed.
“I called the paramedics from the parking lot, they should be here soon. Her arm’s definitely broken. She was awake for a few moments but blacked out again just after I found her.” He didn’t want to say how close he’d come to walking away and not finding her. David knew he had to let Josie look at the woman’s injuries, but couldn’t bring himself to step aside. Despite the damage, a gentle beauty shone through. She looked so fragile, like she had been broken and thrown away like a useless toy. Something inside ached at the thought of someone treating anyone so callously.
Elbowing David out of the way Josie got her first real glimpse of the woman.
“Sweet Jesus!” Josie’s cry and gasp of breath brought his head up. “Oh my God, it’s Kate.” Josie turned to David, face blanched white with fear. “Where’s Ginny?”

Whats wrong with colloquial writing?

I've been itching to get a hand on JR Ward's latest Lover Revealed. I managed to get out of the house yesterday and lay my hands on a copy, along with MJD The Royal Pain (for some reason every time I saw it I was $$ strapped - yesterday I wasn't, but hell it was released 2 years ago).

Liked it. Liked it for all the reasons lots of people dislike the Brotherhood series (yet still buy them anyway).

I'm not going to wax on about character growth, or how Marissa really had a voice, or how certain things seemed a bit 'convenient'. Instead I want to congratulate Ms Ward for creating a book for the '00 generation - what are we gen Y or something? For people like me who get the pop culture references, who understand the dialogue, who are part of today’s broad, disposable, technological, and possession orientated society.

I see on many blogs, in how to write books, articles and the rest - don't date your manuscript with current/trendy colloquialism. It's right up there with don't use other people (stars) to describe physical characteristics of your players (which I heartily agree with).

Has no one else ever had to break out the dictionary/encyclopedia/google when reading the classics because you had no clue what the writer was referring to?

Yet, these are classics. We are supposed to come to great realizations about our life and worth from reading them, even though they have very little social relevance to our lives now. Psychological? Sure, but not a hell of a lot of practical reality in this century.

What’s so wrong with creating works for the here and now? Stories that appeal to this generation - the techno-savy, we want it, hip-hop emo rock generation? After all, what is the one thing that all publishers are saying? The younger generation is not buying books in the volume that their older generations do/did. They want their entertainment with the ADHD rapid eye movement speed of Lost and 24 that only to be found on the big or small screen.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but publishing companies aren't expecting mass reprints of most of their books in 50 years time. So what’s wrong with dating ourselves with current terminology and slang if it sells books? After all, in 75 years time I doubt I will be around to enjoy my royalties.

Are we all here to make a great psychological impact to be felt through the next 5 generations, or provide our readers now with quality entertainment?

Some days I feel that I might have the next 'Ohmigawd, you changed my life' epic hidden deep down waiting to be found. And I know some people believe that writing is all about the almost religious, ethereal, dignified nature of literature; that at the end of time literature will be the one thing left standing, that bards and information keepers will rule the world.

And chances are they’re right - no matter what happens, if we have books, we have knowledge.

But what’s so wrong about wanting to make a buck today while entertaining the masses? After all, it's one thing to starve for your art and find your muse through self denial, but has anyone forgotten these guys only became famous once they were dead (and their revelations found through the haze of delusion) - you can't bank your royalty cheque when your six feet under.

So I say good on you Ms. Ward, this hip-hop emo pop rock chick enjoyed your book - hell, the whole lot of them - not just because they're damn good, but because they suit the times.

(PS: please dawg, don’t bring out the fo shizzle. That would be taking a Ferragamo shod step too far.)

(PPS: I’m guessing the chances of Butch, Marissa and V getting together are slim? Go on, I dare ya, make it a mmf lover triangle for us m/m ménage fangurls. That would so take my Brotherhood got-to-have-it-right-now factor through the roof! Hell, I’ve said that I hate buying hardback, but if you bring it hardback fashion, I’m so there baby!!)

For the first time

I'm angry with a book.

Not just 'eh, this was a waste of time', or 'good god, this was crap!' angry, I'm 'not going to buy the next book' angry. And considering that Moi is the queen of buying sequels (well, except I gave up on LKH, I'm not buying anymore of that crap, her last was a DNF for me - that whole baby angst, that wasn't - eh) this is a big deal.

I wasn't feeling the book the same way I did the first, but that was okay at that point, despite repetitive dialogue and sex that seemed the same, over and over, I still would have been okay with forking out my money for the next book.

Until the last line.

The last line killed the whole damn book for me. Dead, stick a fork in it, I'm done. Dead. I won't be reading anymore of this storyline - and this from the girl who has every single one of Lora Leigh's Bound Hearts series (not one or two, all of them). I'm not writing off the author, just this series of books.

Hi, my names Anne and I'm a serial reader...

Updated the Read in 2007 Log

Oh. My. God. It's getting scary!

I'm up to 72! And I have one Blaze serial to put on there yet, and 2 other new eBooks.

No wonder my eyes feel like cocktail onions on a toothpick some days. I really need to loose this compulsion to read, it's bankrupting me!

Interview

I was recently contacted for an interview by Ambrose Musiyiwa who writes for Leicester Review of Books, and also Conversations with Writers and Blogcritics.

Please pop over and have a read!

Direct link to my interview at Leicester Reviews

This is the first time I've been interviewed. This is turning into a nice week writing wise, with the P&E poll and this interview coming out!

No Midsummer Heat for me

Oh well, you have to be in to win, right?

I was however encouraged to expand the story and send it back. And they're right. Red Skirt, Cool Fountain really begged to be longer.

So I guess that's what I'll do. You know, I don't seem to be having much luck with shorter length stories. I think I might make a resolution - if its less than 25k, it doesn't go anywhere. (Well, other than the sequel I want to write for PV for next Xmas telling Nick's story, I don't think that's going to be a long one).

My trouble is that I can't plan for shit - well I can, but at the end, it's just not right. Instead, I sit down with a ghost of a story in my head and just start and see where it takes me. I guess that's organic writing, is it? I'm not exactly up with the play with all the writing jargon, I just write and figure it out as I go.

That wasn't what happened with McCabes2 - I planned it all out, and it didn't come off right. And instead of being on McCabes3 by now, I haven't sat back down to pick apart McCabes2 to send it back to B. But I will.

Hell I might do it this weekend while I'm away with the girls. It's supposed to be a scrapbooking weekend, but I usually take a book and the laptop (I'm a tech geek of course it goes with me! I don't do all that journaling by hand - are you kidding me?). But maybe I will conflab with the girls and get some inspiration.

Lucky there is no Internet at the cabin, there could be some wild and wacky blog posts come Sat night if there was - we usually have a daquari or colada or three. LOL, It sounds like I'm a rolling drunk, but seriously I'm not - I just appreciate that sometimes a good glass of wine or something enitely too fruity can be good for you :)

On a different note, I went all PC today and got one of these (it's a (PRODUCT) RED so part of the sales prices goes to fighting Aids in Africa) :

It's just a pity that the reason why I got this new piece of geekery was because of the little shits who stole my purdy green mini out of my bright orange Honda Element (aka The Pumpkin) - hrmm, I might wear black all the time but I like colour in my life, go figure! (the dayglow pink hair clashed a bit though).

They better watch out though, we are heartily sick and tired of the 'gift's' being left on our doorstep and front lawn, and the congregating on our driveway when we are out - we are getting spy cams. You bet your ass we are going to get the little fuckers.

Oops, ranting just a little bit wasn't I? Sorry 'bout that.

One of my sisters is a CP of mine (shes my 'average reader, this shit doesn't work for me' person). I had emailed Accidentally Were? off to her for an opinion. She IM'd me yesterday (or was it the day before, this week is a bit blurry - hence no TT 13 this week) and told me that she liked it - she hadn't finished what I had sent her yet, in fact she was only at chapter 3, but she was laughing so hard she had to stop reading so she didn't go to work looking like a racoon. That bodes well, because AW is supposed to be laugh out loud funny. Tell me what you think:

“Where are we going?” The small voice from the other side of the cab broke Rex from his reverie. “And why are we going there?” He was starting to smell her fear over the pervading scent of the woman’s heat.

“You are kidding me, aren’t you little Bitch. I’m taking you somewhere safe before the pack descends on you and you end up in the middle of a winner takes all orgy.”

It didn’t take any special were senses to feel or see her bristle with indignation.

“What did you just call me?” Her shoulders were back, her spine ramrod straight and there was a furious red flush across her cheeks and Rex was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate on the dirt road as it wound through the forest. “You need your eye’s checked mister! For one, I am obviously not little, and two, I am not a bitch! You can accuse me of being overly prim and proper, because I am, I can’t help it with my parents. But don’t you ever call me a bitch!”

She was winding up good and proper now, to really yell at him. It was a breath taking sight to behold, and Rex was no slouch at appreciating an attractive woman, even if she was more riled than a rattlesnake.

“I let loose for one night, one bloody night in thirty-one years, and wake up alone; ‘cause my one night stand obviously couldn’t leave fast enough, four hickeys; complete with bite marks.” The tall lace collar of her blouse was ripped down to expose two of the fore-mentioned love bites. “Then, every damned stray in town wants to hump my leg, and now, now I have been kidnapped by a huge, sexy, bear of a man, who calls me a bitch instead of asking my actual name.” When Rex took his eyes off the road, he half expected her to be frothing at the mouth with her hair standing on end, and her nails ready to take a fresh strip from his hide.

Rex smiled at the straight laced she devil beside him. She thinks I’m s-e-x-y. Obviously the smarmy grin wasn’t appreciated, as she gritted her teeth and a rumbling growl echoed across the cab. Alpha male or not, you don’t mess with a bitch in heat. Not if you want to find your balls right where you left them. There was no way Rex was going to try stare her into submission; he turned his eyes back to the road.

Well, off to re-download my emo/goth/popchick/newage whale snorts/old rocker playlist - I'm nothing if not eclectic!
(PS keep an eye out for The Wreckers, they were todays download for me...And I might go get the rest of Daughtry's album - he's pretty damn good)

EDIT: What do you know, there are 13 paragraphs of randomness! I did make a TT13 after all!

Reading in 2007

Lots of people have a TBR pile (To be read - for the acronym deprived). To be different I have a HBR pile. I read too much, too fast to worry about having a TBR - you could say the library is my TBR.

So as I said in a post a couple of weeks ago, I am going to be keeping a log of books I have read in 2007. I am missing quite a few off the list so far, but I'm aiming to add a book as soon as I finish it, so I won't miss any.

EBooks are the worst, as once I finish them I put them in my read folder, and with the 100's of files in there already I get a bit lost.

Anyway, here is the start: Read in 2007

FYI, this is going to be really scarey at the end of the year - hell it's going to be scarey at the end of the month!!

Story stuff's

I blurbled on a bit about a short story I was trying to write that just didn't seem to want to...well...write.

Today I decided to bite the big one and give up. It was a tough thing to do, I haven't had to do that before now. It's not deleted gone, but it's off the 'lets write something here today' list.

Thus far everything I have written has been pretty good straight off the hoof, so to speak (Okay, except for Position Vacant's first draft, which sucked arse - but its really good now!). Maybe needing a little added extra here and there to help bring things together or show extra depth since my stories aren't big 'otherworld' builders being mainly contemporary set. Essentially I started, I wrote the story, and I finished. Now good is of course subjective - I mean it flowed, I didn't have to stare at the screen for hours waiting for the brain fart that was going to tell me where my story was going etc. I wrote and wrote, pondered a bit, and wrote. It was all there and ready to go in my head.

This one just wouldn't do that. I would sit and stare; I would write a sentence and go get a coke. Write another and go get a cookie; a word and do the washing (not the folding mind you just the putting it in the machine then the dryer). I sat in front of the TV and instead of knocking out 1500 words I managed 150 and discovered all over again the shock and awe trainwreck of American Idol auditions. I haven't even gone back to see if they were 150 usable words!

Instead, I found a notebook this morning that I had written in with a couple of other ideas for the same submission, and realised one of the half page, half formed, hand-written synopsis/storylines I had started was 100 times better than what I had been struggling with.

So I sat down, did a little naming research because one of the characters is going to be part Indian (India Indian here not American Indian - think smooth skinned , cafe coloured bollywood hotty here folks), figured out my main players, and about 3pm today I sat down and started writing. In the mean time, hubby came home from gym and needed me to rub down a muscle he had pinged, kiddo came home from school so there went another half hour, we needed to eat so we went to do that - another hour or so down the drain. Now it's 9.20, I have been blogging here and elsewhere for a good 30mins and I still have 2400words done, on what was a clean slate at 3.30 this afternoon.

OMG! No fissing, no fuddling, the scenes just bloomed in my head, the people know where they are going (well, they soon will once this first confrontation gets out of the way), it's descriptive, it doesn't sound like 80's porn (well we haven't got to the sex yet, but it doesn't sound like the prologue movie scenes to 80's porn). WTF did I sit round so long trying to make the other work. In roughly four hours I have done more than I did in the last five days on the other!

Eh, figuring this writing gig out can sometimes be...um how can I put this remotely politely? A Pain In My Ass!

But I now have Alison Kent's "Complete idiots guide to being a Romance Writer" ( FYI, Alison, if you happen to see this: I had to wait and order it online, as not one single damn seller in all of Jacksonville stocked this book!). It came in the mail today, and I've even learnt something - I bet I was the only one who had no clue what the favoured little term "Deus ex Machina" meant. It was worth 12bucks for that alone - though why I didn't think to Google it before now I don't know - vagaries of the mind and all that.

So maybe I will learn something about the great challenge of being a writer courtesy of Ms Kent. Here's hoping...here's hoping.

Books, glorious books!

I having been browsing blogs (got to love feedburner!) and spied a little section on Racy Li's blog about planning to keep a track of what she has read this year, and I thought to myself that might just be an interesting idea.

So Racy, I am shamelessly stealing your little idea, with a few twists. I enjoy a few snark blogs, and although I think I could snark with the best of them, I would rather spend my time creating manuscripts for others to snark. So I am going to simplify my snark.

There will be three lists: Books I have finished, Books I read half way through, then skipped to the last two chapters, and finally Books that were such a trainwreck that I probably finished them and wish I hadn't, and now want my money back.

Now, I'm not an author snob, you might find an author in all three piles. I will generally give a well published author a second try, although I have encountered a few I won't touch again with a barge poll.

The sad thing? This will be the first time I have actually kept a tally of books and I am really not looking forward to seeing how much a really do read.

The Meme of Four

Courtesy of Racy Li tagging me...

Four jobs I’ve had:

Dispensing Optician - I started this just out of Art school as a receptionist. Who would have figured a number of years (and a few other jobs in between)later I would qualify as a Dispensing Optician and eventually open my own Locum Dispenser business. I believe I was the first Dispenser to offer an advertised business of this nature in New Zealand, although many practices might have a person they call on when staff are sick or on leave.

Dental Assistant at an A & E Dentist - Loved working with this crowd, they asked a lot of their staff, but they treated them well, but saw some scary things, and some very funny things too. Like the girly who lost her two front teeth down the loo as she yakked up her cookies one New Years eve - it was a lesson for all of us...get drunk without your false teeth in, saves you no end in dentist bills!

Santa's Helper - Quite ironic really, all things considered. Yes, one year I worked at the mall as one of the girls taking your kidlets photos. You know, I never knew if that beard of his was real or not!

Photographer for a Women in Action Booklet at Waikato University - No money for this one. Maybe I was heading for the publishing life from an early age?

Four favorite foods: Cruel, cruel question!

Chili's southwestern egg rolls - I can't get enough of those things

Bread - carbs, carbs, give me those glorious carbs!

Licorice - Old Fashioned Black Knights licorice from NZ

I just can't decide of a fourth - and you can't make me!

Four movies I could watch over and over:

You know, I enjoy lots of movies, but I'm not rabid about watching them over and over again.

I do love watching anything by M.Night.Shamalyan - that guy is the master with the 'twist'.

Cheesy - I love cheesy for cheesinesses sake

Four TV shows I enjoy:

House - got to love that dry sarcastic wit!

Bones - David Boreanas...mm mm good!

Scrubs - Zack Braff - genius, pure genius I tell you!

Ugly Betty

By default I watch a lot of stuff like Avatar etc - 6 year old kiddos and their after school tv!

Four Places I’ve Traveled:

Ichihara, Chiba Peninsula, Japan

Iguazu Falls, Argentina

Oahu, Hawaii

The Bahamas

Four websites I go to (almost) daily: (Yay for Feed burner!)

Smart Bitches Trashy Books

Bors Boards (aka GoFistyourself.com - its not porn, the story behind the name is quite funny)

It's not Chick Porn

Designing Minds

Four people I’m tagging to do this too:

Isabella Snow

Lucy

Sharon Maria Bidwell

Celia Kyle

We have a winner!

And no, I'm not saying that in that snarky "winna" tone of voice.

Joyce, come on down...! Hrmm...I don't know I will be adding wheel of fortune to my list of day jobs.

Joyce is the winner of the Lemax Ornament giveaway and a copy of Position Vacant, if she doesn't have one already.

Toni. H. is the surprise recipient of a free copy of either Persuading Jo or Position Vacant. It's Christmas, ya'll, I'm feeling all season'y and stuff! (Season'ee not seasoned!)

Congratulations ladies, and thank you to everyone who was in to win!

Finally!

FB was convinced to read something for me.

Now he has been adamantly refusing to read any of my writing until such time as I could provide him with a lesbian work - just for his reading pleasure (Of course that got my back up, so see if I offer him that manuscript to read if it ever gets written!). So I was most surprised when I asked him to read over a current WIP (no gay sex in this one, he wouldn't touch that with a barge pole), he actually did. Then came back to me and said, "hey, this isn't half bad!". The surprise in his voice was most uncomplimentary, but I decided to be the better person and gracefully said thank you.

I will say that FB does put up with a hell of a lot of my burbling about writing, publishing, and general smack talk about things I want to do, but haven't quite got there yet with. Usually with the same aplomb as I deal with music talk...ahum, yeah, really? wow! that's interesting...so it was quite surprising when FB then says "so now that they have got together, what is going to happen? That is only the start of the story...right?"

Rutt Ro! Only the start of the story? Shit...this was supposed to be halfway through the story. (The original aim had been to submit it for the Amber Heatwave contest, then I thought maybe instead I would submit it for the Elloras 2008 Quickies since the heroine is named Pearl, and wears pearls as she is supposed to be a prissy preppy prude) "Half way through? Oh no, definitely not, there's way more story you can add after this. You need to find a bad guy, or maybe you can give this Grand Dame lady some evil plot - that shes manipulating The Magic somehow because she has secret plans for their offspring or something."

Bloody hell...not only have I got to come up with another 30k+ words I need to figure out a sneaky plot when this was supposed to be a short and sweet story? Did we just jump from lesbian porn to legitimate suggestions in one giant, big leap?

Oh, we didn't...FB is still waiting on the lesbian porn...

Christmas Ornament Contest

Position Vacant, my new Christmas themed novella is due out next week. Since it's all about Santa and the Elves, I am running a Christmas themed contest for everyone who is on my mailing list. Look to the side and you can see where you can join up, to join in.

On the 12th of Dec I will make a random drawing from the list for a variety of Santa / Elf themed tree ornaments (approx value $25). I might even be convinced to throw in a free copy of Position Vacant for the winner! I will get everything off via priority mail so it arrives in plenty of time for Christmas.

I'll add in a photo of the ornaments once I get the battery charged up for the camera. Murphys Law, when ever I want to use it, it's deader than a doornail :(

Reading habits

I will admit it, I am an addict.

But recently I am finding an annoying trend. I read three to four chapters then skip ahead to nearly the end to see if what I think is about to happen, happens. This is only with print books. I havent yet started it with e-books, I wonder why?

Maybe it is because "real" books - in so much as they are printed on paper and bound - are right there, its just a matter of moving a finger, where in an e-book i have to click a few times or type in a number of a page to go to?

Or is it that the standard, formulaic, romance books, are becoming just that. Standard and formulaic ie. boring. I have to admit, in e-books, there is such a wide variety in content; not all of it good. While I might not be skipping the pages yet, I have laughed aloud at bad e-books and print books. Bad is bad in every format!

Is it because a number of reputable e-book publishers aren't afraid to step out of the box and give us the low down nitty gritty - of both sex and real life emotions - rather than a little idyllic world for us to daydream about being real? Of course not all e-books are anywhere near to being based in "reality", but still the authors give us interesting angst, rather than the usual "he's the boss, I'm pregnant with my father twice removed cousins baby woe is me!"?

Although I am a closet fan of mystery baby daddy stories, go figure?

A new review for me!

Two Lips Reviews

Heat Level:

Rating:



Jo has been the roommate to couple Matt and Brian for years now. She has been aware of their sexual relationship and it hasn’t seemed to bother her at all. The three are the best of friends and everything is fine, mostly. Jo can’t get to a third date with any of her potential boyfriends, who either run for the hills or turn out to be gay.

Matt and Brian have known all along that Jo is their soul mate, but they’ve been biding their time, wanting her needs to be first and foremost. Now, they’re ready to let her know just how they feel in a carnal explosion that will leave them all breathless.

Persuading Jo is a great relationship-driven story. Jo’s friendship with Matt and Brian is incredibly strong and her interest in their erotic adventures is both realistic and very sexy. Matt and Brian remain strong characters yet show their vulnerability in an endearing way. Their attraction for Jo is obvious and never made me question their sexuality. Annie Douglas is a new name to me, but the way she has portrayed this ménage made a fan out of me. I’m eager to see what she has in store next for her readers.

EPPIE's

Wanting to be a responsible sort, I became an EPIC member. Lots of interesting things for writers (I'm sure publishers as well) flow through their chat groups. One of the yearly 'things' EPIC does is their EPPIE's.
You can submit an electronically published piece of work in any variety of genres - EPIC member or not - and have the chance for one of the prized finalist slots and of course, potentially a nice big pat on the back at EPCon.

Of course, the submissions can't be judged by one person alone. Judging is voluntary, but only open to EPIC members. With hundreds of entries, people volunteer to read/judge from 2 or 3 books right through to 15 (like me) and I believe some might do 20+.

I said I could read/judge a variety of genres - I read all sorts - and all sorts I got!

Obviously some of the erotic genres might prove easier since I write in that genre (you can't judge in the same section you have a entry in, so erotic contemporary is out for me). But I am looking forward to some of the non erotic titles I have waiting to read.

Better pull finger though, I have to get them done by Dec 5th, and the remaining books have 200+pages. I think I might be cuddling up to the laptop under the covers - I don't think the Palm is going to cut it for 1000 pages on the trot!