Welcome Trinity Blacio

This week, I've got the pleasure of sharing my blog with the lovely and talented Trinity Blacio, who also, it seems, goes by the moniker Maria MoonStar, which I find very sexy. Please give Trinity a warm welcome and let her know you've check out her 'stuff'.

1.  How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

My writing really started while doing genealogy research and taking some college classes. I have been published in genealogy magazines, local newspapers, and of course, college papers of which one was published in our local paper. But to write fiction, the idea was brought up by my mother when she actually read my autobiography I wrote for a college class; hence some of the things she read she had no idea had happened to me. That was over nine years ago ,now and I haven’t stopped writing since.

2.  What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?

My first fiction story was a sweet romance. I learned of the call on a help group that Faith

Bicknell-Brown was running on Yahoo; she was also editing the anthology, so One Touch, One Glance A Collection of Sweet Romance Stories was born. My story, Tuesday’s Affair, was the hardest and most challenging story I have ever written to date, which is published at Freya’s Bower. Faith worked with a number of us that were first timers, and she had the huge, rolled-up newspaper she always threatened to whack us with! I’m smiling here, because she still throws things at me when she helps me with editing. I can just hear her now, cussing from across the state. An amazing woman and talented, just don’t get on her bad side because she has a wicked right hook.

3. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?

I have two that I would love to try: historical and cowboys! I love cowboys, even though we did do Cowboy Rubies I want to explore the wild west further, and I would love to write a few stories back in time when rakes where plentiful—boy would I have fun.

4.  Most people envision an author’s life as being really glamorous. What’s your take on this? Can you tell us something unglamorous you did within the last week or so?

I have to laugh at this question. About a week ago, I had a gentlemen ask me why I did so much work promoting my work. He said, “Didn’t you get your advance?” I asked him what he thought my advance was. He thought most authors got a nice check, a couple thousand each book. I laughed my butt off and proceeded to tell him all the things authors have to do to get paid. He was flabbergasted and said I just dashed his ideas of writing again. As far as something unglamorous right now, I’m sitting here in a rocking chair my mother bought me from a garage sale, my furniture all comes from garage sales or family members. I drive a van that has over a hundred and forty-seven thousand miles on it that I know of. You see the dash board went kaput in it, so I don’t know how fast I drive, the odometer stopped turning, and the gas needle…,well let’s just say I don’t dare go under a quarter tank of gas. I’m hoping with October royalties I will have enough for a down payment for a new car, but we’ll see. Since husband had a major heart attack two weeks ago, (he’s fine now) leaving us without any money.  So if you want glamorous, you would have to go to the big-name authors, Christine Feehen, Sherryln Kenyon, and so on.

5. If you could be a character in any of your books who would it be and why?

Suzanne in Dragon’s Den. As a matter of fact, I put a lot of myself in that one story. She even carries my real name, Suzanne. Do I have a dream of having two me?, What woman wouldn’t? I’m not ashamed to admit it, but will it come true? Most likely not, so I keep dreaming and writing. Suzanne is strong, goes for what she wants, and will not back down.

6.  What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

Join my group The Publishing Trove. If you have a question and I don’t know the answer, someone will. NEVER give up on your dream; it might take a while, but one day it will come true, so believe.

7. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

Meeting Lori Perkins at Lori Foster’s convention. I have never met a wonderful woman with so much energy and ideas. I don’t know how she does it; she worksg non-stop every minute of the day.  Smart, funny ,and she believes in me. Love you, Lori!

8. If you could invite any famous person, dead or alive, for dinner, who would it be and what would you eat?

Hmm, this is a hard one, but one that sticks in my head right now is Mark Twain. My mom just introduced me to his later writings. Where many thought of him as insane in reality he was way ahead of his time. I see a dinner, maybe on a steamboat on the Mississippi in the spring time. Just picking his brain would be so fun.

9. If you had one wish, would you give away? Why or why not and to whom would you give it?

I guess I would give it to my best friend, Faith. Of all the people I’ve met moving from state to state with my mom, Faith would have to be one of the most giving people I’ve met. I would give her my wish, because I know she would not only use the wish to help herself, but others also, and if anyone a break in life it would be her.

10.  What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?

To me success would be my kids in college and doing well with their lives, enough money where I could travel to the places I would love to write about in my stories, and to at least live out one of my many fantasies. If I have all three of these then I know my life has been a success. It does not matter how I would get there as long as I got there. If it takes me writing non-stop at least my kids will have a future, they will not have to worry about where the next meal will come from, and they will have a loving partner by their sides and treasure her or him as I wish I had had in my life.

And here's a little more information about this intriguing woman:

Trinity Blacio has been writing now professionally for over nine years. Currently, she has titles available from Freya’s Bower and Ravenous Romance, with more to come. She is always excited to be writing, hearing from readers, and helping fellow authors.

One of Trinity’s strongest beliefs is that no matter how small or big an author is, he or she should always support others in the profession. With this idea in mind, she has created a place where authors, editors, publishers, and anyone in the publishing business can come together to help each other.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/publishingtrove/

She has two children Cheyenne and Rudy. When Trinity has time, you can find her reading all sorts of romance novels. But as you have probably figured out, her favorites are dark fantasy, erotica, ménage, and erotic horror.

And now to the sexy fun stuff. The book Trinity has chosen to share with us is called Summer of the Beast. Sends shivers up my spine! Read on:

Summer of the Beast

which includes the stories:

Independence Day Union 

& 

Surrender to Frankenstein

by Trinity Blancio

Publisher: Ravenous Romance

BUY HERE

Blurb:

When they say summer is hot, they aren't kidding, but it's sizzling as far as Violet Vanworth and Whitnee Rae are concerned. Especially when the men around them have enough testosterone to melt the North Pole!

All Whitnee Rae wanted was one night of hot sex. Instead, she ends up bitten by a werewolf on the run! And her rescuer happens to be the one and only Frankenstein. Could her summer fling get any weirder?

Violet Vanworth has just buried her mother, and for the first time in her life, she's free. There are no guards and no one telling her what to do. Packing her stuff, she moves far from New York to begin a new life, but fate intercedes. Once more, Violet is surrounded by people who place her in bubble wrap and set her on a shelf - until she is informed that the four breathtaking, built and alpha men were her mates and now they just want her in their bed!


Excerpt from, Independence Day Union:

“Well, then, you must have fools for men in New York,” he teased and stepped back.

Violet laughed. “Creeps, more like.” She turned to Kelvin, who moved in front of her and kissed both of her cheeks. “I have to agree with Salvador. You are a beauty. It’s New York’s loss and our gain to have you here.”

She fanned her face. “You guys sure know how to make a girl’s head spin. Let me go grab my jacket and purse.” Violet nodded to the bikes. “I take it we’re going for a ride?” She laughed and moved to the porch, glancing over her shoulder at the three hunks.

All three of them stared at her, their gazes traveling up and down her body. “Oh, we’ll be going for a ride many times,” Landon said.

“You are very bad, Mr. Drews.” Violet shook her head and grabbed her jacket and purse, taking a deep breath. Violet had a feeling that when she got home tonight, her small toy was going to get a nice workout.

You can find Trinity on Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo, and of course at her website: http://trinityblacio.com

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/trinityblacio

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/trinityblaciosfantasy

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/trinityblacio

Google +: https://plus.google.com/107748069776881497564/posts?hl=en

Maria MoonStar: http://mariamoonstar.com

What to read

Today, I thought I'd share a few bits from books of mine I hope you'll check out. Some of these will be new, some older, but on the internet, that doesn't really matter. Books will remain for sale as long as the publisher is satisfied with sales, and I'll keep my books out for as long as you all like them.

Here Puss ISBN: 978-1-55487-927-4 Categories: GLBT, Ménage a Trois/Quatre, Romance Publisher: eXtasy Books Jack Burns and Samuel Dresser are a young gay couple who love their cabin by the lake. On this occasion, Jack arrives at their secluded retreat a day before Samuel and prepares for his lover's arrival. Excitement turns to terror when a big cat appears as the couple make love in the great outdoors. Will the big cat cause more trouble than the lover's can handle? Or will a twist of fate and nature add some spice to the lover's weekend?

Excerpt:

      Samuel took a deep breath and hitched up his pack. The last couple of dozen meters he wanted to make it look as if he'd simply breezed in, rather than struggled under the weight of bringing too much gear. He knew he had. His short brown hair was damp with sweat, but Jack would hopefully assume it was from the heat, not the strain. His shirt clung to his chest and back. His cut-offs chafed and tugged, and not at all in a nice way. Only his hiking boots seemed somehow cool and they were the most substantial thing he wore.

       Peering at the lake, Samuel saw their canoe tied to the makeshift wharf. No sign of his partner though, and he started across the grass towards the cabin. "Ja…" His breath caught, the word froze half-spoken.

       Jack, much as he'd imagined, strode out of the water--naked, a towel in one hand, he stopped only when he'd reached a thick patch of grass next to the chopping block. The blade of an axe lay buried in the block, its handle thrust up, apparently a convenient place to hang the towel once he'd dried his shoulder-length, brown hair. He watched appreciatively, while Jack's thick cock swung from thigh to thigh every time he moved.

To buy, go HERE

Sam, the Man Publisher Total E-Bound ISBN: 978-0-85715-639-6 Genre: m/m, contemporary, mild BDSM When Gregg Jackson’s wife passes away after a prolonged illness, can the care giving, flamboyantly gay, Sam Nicholson, convince him that being a bad boy is a good thing?

 Excerpt:

Chapter Two

Opening the front door, he was thrilled to see Greg approaching him and said, "Get out of those clothes and kneel." He swished passed his lover, tossed his coat on the chair and headed for the kitchen. Behind him, he heard Greg's soft curse and then a thump. Turning, he stifled the chuckle that threatened. He'd pushed his jeans down to the tops of his boots then tried to get out of the boots. Again. He'd toppled over. The curse had been when he realised he'd lost his balance, the thump was when his butt hit the floor, or so Sammy assumed. He'd have a bruise for sure.

Placing his hand on his hip, he pointed out, "If you'd just take the damn boots off first…"

Greg looked at him, scowled, then lowered his eyes. "Yeah, I know. I'm just in a hurry."

"Sir?" He waggled his eyebrows.

Greg smiled, adding, "Sir."

"Get naked, boy." The words sent a shiver of pleasure running up his spine. He loved the feeling of power his control over Greg gave him.

"Yes, Sir," Greg said, in that deep sexy voice he used only when they the two of them were going into a scene. Jeans and boots finally formed a small pile beside him on the door mat. His shirt followed, a crumpled pile of white cotton. Finally, he wriggled out of his underpants and tossed them on the heap. He turned to face Sammy. "Here, Sir?"

Before he answered, he went into the kitchen and got a glass of white wine. Standing in the doorway, he said, "In front of the couch. Face away from it." He watched and sipped, as the lovely man crawled to the specified spot. Greg knelt, turned away from the couch, making sure his back was straight and his knees spread wide apart. With his hands behind his back, his thickening cock was in full view.

To buy, go HERE

Of Death and Desire - re-released  Publisher BWLPP ISBN: 9781926965697 Genre: historical, m/m, mild BDSM, romance Dear diary, that's how you're supposed to begin these things, or so I assume.  I never in a million years thought I'd write in one, let alone under these circumstances.  This was Jonathan's doing.  When he asked me to make this entry, it was something I had to do, for him.  He's given up so much. The beginning.  Yes, that's where I should begin and then let his accounting tell the tale.

Jonathan Strand—artist, author, wealthy due to an inheritance from his parents who'd died years ago. My Jonathan—tall, slender, dark-haired, and dark-eyed—has a Mediterranean look about him that drives me wild. Yes, we're lovers, and have been since I turned twenty-four.

Two years old than I, Jonathan was twenty-seven, and I, well into my twenty-fifth year, when I became ill. At first, we thought it was just a passing ailment that would take its toll and then fade, as so many disorders do. Unfortunately, that's not what happened.

Consumption doesn't simply go away. There's little treatment for it, and what there is does little good.

Before I became too ill, we traveled to New Orleans—a final vacation together, arranged by him, of course. Friends, good ones, owned a property there, and offered it to us for as long as we wanted to stay. We jumped at the opportunity to get away together, and what better place to spend the last days of one's life.

Little did we know what would transpire while we were there. But, that's for Jonathan to tell.

To buy, go HERE

Welcome Tex

I've got a very special guest this week and I'm sure all you authorly types will be as excited about this as I am. One of the editor for both eXtasy and Devine Destiny, the fellow goes by the name Tex. Please give the man a warm welcome and feel free to ask him whatever questions you'd like.

1. What got you started as an editor?

I love helping writers polish their work. I checked several epubs to see if they needed an editor and Jay Austin, EIC of eXtasy and Devine Destinies, accepted me as one of her editors.

2. Besides reading, what are your favorite hobbies?

Well if you call watching professional sports a hobby then I love watching baseball, football and hockey. I am also a trivia buff and go to local trivia contests. I also enjoy going for walks.

3. What is your favorite genre to read? Your least favorite?

Thrillers, courtroom dramas and, mob and gangster stories. I hate reading Sci Fi, but love watching it in the movies, ex: Star Wars, Star Trek etc.

4. As an editor, do you get to choose the books you edit?

Yes, Jay knows editors prefer certain genres and so tries to match authors and editors in certain categories.

5. Have you ever met any of the authors you’ve edited for? If yes, could you tell us about it?

I haven’t officially met her but I have spoken over the phone to Annie Alvarez, one of my favorite authors to edit for. She has come a long way since I did her first book and I am very proud of her. I have also received Thank You’s via slo-mail from other authors.

6. What clothing makes you feel sexy?

I hate wearing suits and thankfully, my job doesn’t require it. I just love wearing casual clothes. A loose t-shirt and jeans. Not sure if it makes me sexy but I feel comfortable wearing them.

7. From an editor’s point of view, do you have any advice for authors?

Before submitting to an epub or traditional publisher, read and reread your story. eXtasy and DD have standards in the submission policies page and asks authors to make sure their stories are as clean as possible. Unfortunately, I have found more than one author who doesn’t comply with this. Editors are not book doctors. We do not and will not write or rewrite your book. All we do, is polish your book, by telling the author about passive voices, POV shifts, head hopping and/or catching minor grammar or punctuation faux pas, etc. We make suggestions to the author. If I have authors who have a lot of issues, more than once I have sent the book back to them to have them fix the rest of the problems themselves. I do it because it is the only way they will learn.

8. If you could invite a famous person to dinner, who would it be and what would you serve them?

My favorite author is James Patterson. I would love to pick his brain while serving him lasagna.  (This from Jude: Um, can I come? I LOOOOVE lasagna!)

9. What’s your favorite comfort food?

Orange sherbet ice cream.

10. Did you receive any special training to edit?

The only training I’ve had is through Jay Austin, whose advice has been invaluable.

11. Are you a dreamer? Why yes or no?

I have a Walter Mitty mind. In case someone doesn’t know Walter Mitty is a character from a James Thurber novel. A movie was made about him starring Danny Kaye. He went through life imagining himself as a hero or famous person. I always dream or dreamt that I kicked the winning field goal in the Super Bowl, being a famous movie star, getting on the NYTimes best seller list.

12. Is there one book you remember and would read again in a heartbeat?

Yes, The Godfather. In fact I have read it several times and will read it again if I come across it.

13. Winter or Summer?

Both actually. I love looking out the window during winter and watching the snow falling down. It is so relaxing. I also love summer, though not the heat wave we had here in the Midwest, but I love the rain, especially hearing it at night while lying in bed.

Ocotober Newsletter

What Jude's  been up to: Happy belated Thanksgiving to all you Canadian readers! I hope you all had as spectacular a day as I did. My son and his family entertained all the in-laws! OMG! What a brave pair. We really had a lovely time and yours truly got into the Sambuka. If you like licorice, it's a liquor you should try. It's wonderful! As you all know, I've been really struggling for the last few months, if not more, with writer's block because of the condition I've developed. Nothing much has changed and I've decided, after a lot of discussion with my husband, and some tearful searching on my own, to simply give myself some time away from the craft. This really has been an enormous decision for me. I have been writing for as long as I can remember, and to not have that spark in my life is enormous. I won't simply walk away, I don't think I could ever do that. But, as of this writing, the last new release, Jazz, will be coming out in January 2012. Doc and Jazz will be put into print later on, and I will definitely be around to yodel about it. I'm also hopeful I'll be able to get out a short story or two, perhaps even more than that in the near future. Sounds ominous there, doesn't it? Let's hope this is just a temporary set back... an extended vacation, or a hiatus that will see me back in a month or so with a myriad of new ideas and the stamina to write them! Yes, I do like that. Having said all that, I plan to make this newsletter a quarterly thing, for now. So, that means, for the next two months, there won't be a Wanton Quill in your mail box, but there will be one in January. I'll continue like that, unless things change. If I do have news, new book, writing picks up or something I'm sure you'll want to know, you'll receive a special notice in your email. I'll also be around in the groups, litergagasm, theeXfactor, my group and a few others I poke around in. Please, don't be shy, if you do catch sight of me, say hi. I'd love to chat with you all. On to what's happening. Jenna Byrnes and I are again working on the next enstallment of our Kindred Spirits series. You may recall my mentioning the title, Frankie's Flame, to you a couple of months ago. Well, it's back in the 'working on' folder, so cross your fingers. LOL  I'm also working on editing a book for her, as well as wading through the pile of stories from Darker Pleasures. Now to my animal friends: The bucks are heading into the rut. Heck, they're pushing at each other and anything that's not nailed down. It's an interesting time for them, and for me. The weather is getting colder, the leaves are changing, and the animals seem to move so easily into their next season. I've got at least 8 raccoons visiting now, and one who seems to have moved in. He spends a couple of hours a day lounging in the yard, then filling his tummy with whatever cat food he can beg from me. Everyone is doing well. Let's hope the winter is kind to them all. New releases: Jesse's Homecoming Publisher: eXtasy Books Genre: f/f, western, romance Genre: f/f, western, romance http://www.extasybooks.com/jesses-homecoming/ Jesse returns to the ranch to find her lover, Meg, in trouble—raped and beaten by her ex. It's up to Jesse to rescue her and to see that justice is done. Peeping Johnny Publisher: Darker Pleasures Genre: Erotica, BDSM, Fetish, F/f BUY LINK http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92030 Life in the city was great. With buildings crushed against each other, his curvy, kinky neighbor lived just a few feet away. Separated only by two windows that gave him a hell of a view, he enjoyed a nightly show of tortured female flesh and masturbation. But on this night, just when his peep show had passed from clamps to needles, another woman walked into view. That's when it really got good. Sam, the Man Publisher Total E-Bound ISBN: 978-0-85715-639-6 Genre: m/m, contemporary, mild BDSM BUY LINK http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1340  When Gregg Jackson’s wife passes away after a prolonged illness, can the care giving, flamboyantly gay, Sam Nicholson, convince him that being a bad boy is a good thing? Contest information: September's contest question was: Which anniversary did my husband and I just celebrate? I have to say, the response was wonderful and the well wishes were even moreso. Thank you all for taking the time. The winner of the contest is: Cheri O cheri.oggy@gmail.com Congratulations Cheri and thank you so much. Would you please email me at Jude_Mason@my-haven2001.com  and let me know which of my backlist of ebooks you'd like.  If you're not sure what's on my backlist, here's where to find it: http://www.my-haven2001.com/Backlist/JudeMasonbacklist.pdf

October 2011 Edition #77 Where's Jude: Website: http://www.my-haven2001.com/ My Blog: http://jude-mason.blogspot.com/ Twitter: http://twitter.com/MasonJude Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.Jude.Mason Google + https://plus.google.com/u/0/101756995898929857907/posts?hl=en_US GLBT Bookshelf: http://bookworld.editme.com/JudeMason The eXfactor on Yahoo http://groups.yahoo.com/group/theexfactor/ Infinite Possibilities: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Infinite_Possibilities/ Books We Love Spice: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BWL_Spice_Readers/ The Romance Studio:  http://theromancestudio.com/fm/jmason.htm The Romance Studio Blue Blog: http://trsblue.blogspot.com/ The Rainbow Studio Blog: http://therainbowstudio.blogspot.com/ Total E-Bound blog: http://totalebound.blogspot.com/  (14th of every month) *frequently felt blog: http://frequentlyfelt.blogspot.com/ Reviews Jacob's Pony, reviewed by Tina of Two Lips Reviews, had this to say: I would love more in this world Ms. Mason created. I think it has potential for many more interesting and thought provoking stories and would love to see where it can go next. To read the rest: http://www.twolipsreviews.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6246&Itemid=36 Sam, the Man, reviewed by Serena Yates of QMO, had this say: This is a story that, I suspect, will polarize people. To read the rest: http://www.queermagazineonline.com/component/content/article/223-book-reviews/book-reviews/33324-sam-the-man-by-jude-mason#56 Sam, the Man, reviewed by Greendragon of Nightowl Reviews, had this to say: For a short story, Sam, the Man by Jude Mason, was very intense and emotional. To read the rest: http://www.nightowlreviews.com/nor/Reviews/Greendragon-reviews-Sam-The-Man-by-Jude-Mason.aspx Website Updates Oh yeah! I've done some updating, cleaning up and also added to my backlist. Also, check the cover art page, I've added a couple of new ones that are simply awesome.   Wednesday Blog Guest Every Wednesday, I have a surprise guest on my blog, and it's turned into quite a show. If yo'd like to check them out, visit my blog: http://jude-mason.blogspot.com/ Sept.7 -Karenna Colcroft Sept.14 -Caitlin West Sept 21 -Marc Jarrod Oct. 5 -Justine Dark Oct.12 -Amy Valenti Oct. 19 - Tex Oct. 26 - Trinity Blacio Nov.2 - Rose Anderson Nov. 9 - Imara Jade My Publishers Total E-Bound http://www.total-e-bound.com/ eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/ BWLPP Spice http://www.bwlpp.com/spice.php Untreed Read http://www.untreedreads.com/ Noble Romance http://www.nobleromance.com/ Logical Lust http://www.logical-lust.com/ Darker Pleasures http://www.darkerpleasures.com/ Sizzler Edition http://shop.renebooks.com

And there you have it, another month gone and one more newsletter put to bed. I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about me and the work I love so much. Take care and be well, and I’ll see you again in a couple of months. Hugs Jude

Coming Oct. 15th, Jesse's Homecoming

	Jesse's Homecoming Publisher: eXtasy Books Genre: f/f, western, romance Jesse returns to the ranch to find her lover, Meg, in trouble—raped and beaten by her ex. It's up to Jesse to rescue her and to see that justice is done.  Coming October 15th, to eXtasy Books

Welcome Amy Valenti

This week, I have the pleasure to bring you, the lovely, sexy, talented, Amy Valenti. I'm sure you'll love finding out what makes this woman tick.

1. How long have you been writing? What inspired you to pick the pen up one day and create characters that capture the imagination?

I started writing Muppet Babies fan fiction in about 1988 (I was four!). Seriously… I was a big fan of Miss Piggy – not so much now I’m older, but back then she was my idol!

More on-topic, I started on erotica in about 1999, when I was fifteen. That was fan fiction, too, actually… Buffy and Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, followed by a Buffy/Willow/Faith lesbian threesome! Back then I had no idea what sex was like, so it was terrible, of course, but here we are in 2011, and I’m published, so stuff must have happened in the meantime...

2. What influenced you to get published? How long did it take? Can you tell us the name of your first published work?

I’ve started so many writing projects over the years, and the only ones I seem to be able to finish are the erotica ones! I have no idea why that is. But a couple of years after finishing my first erotica fiction over the usual minimum word count of 10K, I thought, “I could be waiting forever to finish a project I can tell my parents about. I’ll send out a few erotica stories in the meantime and see if I get any acceptances.”

I nearly died when I found out I got one, about three months later! The story in question isn’t in print any more – it was a paranormal, loosely vampire-based short named Shocked, and I have a revised, rewritten version coming out in December.

3. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?

Well, so far I’ve written contemporary vanilla, contemporary kink, kinky crime, paranormal erotica, and I’ve also dabbled in some dystopian erotica, though that’s going to take a while to finish.

For some reason, recently I’ve wanted to write about dragons. A female dragon trainer and a male knight, to be specific… I’ve never really been that into swords and sorcery, so I’m a little surprised, but I plan to give it a go!

4. Plotter or pantzer?

I’m getting a little bit better at plotting, but so much of my stuff has just been me sitting down and letting the characters worry about themselves, and just going scene by scene with a very vague plot in mind. It seems to work for me, though my longer works tend to be the more plotted ones.

5. What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?

As bad as it sounds, I go and walk around my local bookshop. It’s not what it seems like, though – I don’t go and read through other authors’ work to steal their ideas. Just being around a lot of books makes me inspired – in a kind of ‘one day, this could be you’ way. And there’s a lot of pretty cover art around, these days!

6. What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?

If you’re having trouble getting your ideas onto the page, there’s a tool online named Write or Die – it gives you noise prompts whenever you stop writing, and it times you, so you don’t have the time to spare deliberating over whether something sounds good or not. I’d suggest getting your first draft down using Write or Die, and then going back and editing/restructuring later, once you’ve finished. You might surprise yourself with what you’ve written!

7. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?

Finding out that Dominance and Deception was going to be given a print release. I might have actually jumped up and down on the spot. ;D On a more practical level, my editor at Total-E-Bound has been a joy to work with, and I’ve now begun to call her my ‘Freditor’, because she’s a friend as well as an editor. That’s probably the best behind-the-scenes thing to come out of 2011. :)

8. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time? 

Sleeping, definitely! And playing videogames. I’m a proofreader and copy editor as a day job, and I enjoy it even though it’s work. I’m a big reader, too, and there are a few TV shows (most significantly, NCIS and Castle) that I wouldn’t want to miss.

9. If you could change one thing that you have written, what would it be?

I wrote a silly little short for some friends, which parodied the were-shifter genre. It’s named Cursed and Compelled, and it’s one of the free reads on my website. Everywhere I looked, I seemed to see stories about new were-creatures – were-leopards, were-lions, were-panthers, were-tigers, you name it! – so I decided to pick a very silly animal for my oh-so-sexy hero to turn into.

It still makes me laugh, but I wish the ending was better. It’s not a happily-ever-after, and I think it lets the rest down a little, but at the time I wasn’t putting the greatest amount of thought into it.

10. What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?

I’m very excited about my new BDSM series, which is centred around a fetish club named Club Alterna. Each novella in the series will focus on a different girl and the guy or girl who catches her eye, and so far I have the first four stories planned out.

The first is named Floored, dealing with a stubborn switch’s struggle against the urge to submit, and it’s written and contracted for release in March 2012. That’ll be M/F, followed by book two, Suspended, which is F/F and bondage-centric. Book thee, Captured, is M/F and revolves around alternative fashion and fetish photography. Book four, Swayed, is F/F, and is about the club’s vanilla DJ, and the Domme who unexpectedly falls for her.

You can find out more at my series page, here: http://amyvalenti.wordpress.com/club-alterna-series/

11. What do you hope to achieve in life and when will you know that you have been a success?

I’m thinking in baby steps right now. Step one: my first print release, which is Dominance and Deception in January. Step two: finish my first series, Club Alterna, which starts in March. Step three: get a novel published with one of the big publishing houses, so I can one day walk into my local book shop and go, ‘Hey, look! There I am!” That’ll be when I really count myself as a success, I think. 

 And now for a teaser from Amy's book:

Dominance and Deception

Author: Amy Valenti

Genre: Crime/Thriller, BDSM

Publisher: Total-E-Bound Publishing

Buy Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1389

Blurb:

Submission is a dangerous game…

Faye Tate is a police forensic scientist, a switch, and secretly in love with a police detective. Detective Zach Pierce has made many enemies, but his attraction to Faye is too strong to be denied.

Can Pierce protect his submissive from those who seek to use her against him, or will her devotion to her Dom cost Faye her life?

Excerpt:

Faye looked down at the red mark rising on her flesh, then up at me. “That the best you can do, Sir?”

I raised the crop, never letting my pissed-off façade slip. “I haven’t even started—”

Faye’s phone rang, the unexpected sound disorientating us both. She groaned, scowling at the offending object as if it was sentient.

“Damn it! Not now!” She tugged expectantly at her handcuffs. “Okay, let me out of these.”

I stood there, impassive, and she rolled her eyes.

“Zach, seriously. Someone’s probably dead and we’ll have to go to work.”

I knew she was right, but that didn’t mean I had to like it. Dropping the crop and stepping over the tangle of our clothing, I crossed to the dresser and checked the caller ID. Sure enough, it was Santoro. For a brief moment, I entertained the irrational thought of firing him, but it passed.

Without releasing Faye from her bonds, I hit the speakerphone button to answer the call.

Taking a deep breath to steady her breathing, she spoke. “Santoro, this better be good. I’m a little tied up right now.”

As I stifled a chuckle, Santoro replied, “I know, it’s really late and I’m sorry. But we have a problem. There’s been a triple homicide, and Pierce isn’t answering his cell. His home phone’s off the hook.”

I didn’t remember taking my home phone off the hook, but I’d left my cell phone switched off in the car, which was parked outside Faye’s place.

“He probably let the battery run down again,” she told Santoro. “I’ll stop by his place on the way into work, okay?”

“Are you sure? It’s not out of your way?”

“I’m sure. You get going, and I will handle Pierce.” She winked at me.

“You’re risking an awful lot, here,” I murmured, quietly enough that the cell phone wouldn’t pick it up.

“Relax,” she mouthed back.

“That’d really help,” Santoro said wearily. “Thanks.”

“So what do I tell Pierce when I see him?” Faye asked.

Silently, I sat on the edge of the bed. Faye’s eyes widened, and she shook her head at me, though I could tell her heart wasn’t really in the denial.

As Santoro began to outline the case, his tinny voice just barely audible in the quiet of Faye’s bedroom, I trailed light kisses over her breasts and stomach. When I glanced up, I could see she wasn’t taking in anything Santoro was saying. Her eyes were closed, and a tiny smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

“…Faye?” Santoro’s voice brought us both down to earth.

“Hmmm?” she replied languorously, before shaking herself out of it. “Sorry, what?”

Santoro laughed. “Oh, Jeez… When you say you’re tied up, you really mean that literally, don’t you?”

Faye and I stared at one another for an instant before she cracked up. “I knew there was a reason you’re Pierce’s right-hand man, Santoro. Nothin’ gets past you.”

Buy Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1389

And now, for a little more info about Amy!

Bio: Amy Valenti is a tarnished tease, and her mind has lived in the gutter since the day she realised what sex was. She hails from England, which she doesn’t find quite as exotic and sexy as the average US citizen seems to, but if people want to compliment her on her accent, that’s all fine with her! Her muses are many, fickle and very demanding.

She has a degree in creative writing and currently works as a proofreader/copy editor. In her free time, she reads, writes and plays videogames. On the rare occasions she doesn’t have a laptop on her knee, she loves to curl up with friends and pets – and chocolate – for TV show and movie marathons.

Contact links

http://amyvalenti.wordpress.com

http://www.twitter.com/AmyValenti

http://www.facebook.com/AmyValentiErotica