Wednesday, December 28, 2011

A Christmas gift from TEB

Merry Christmas from Total-E-Bound!

A very Merry Christmas from all of us here at Total-E-Bound publishing!

As a gift we have taken 10% off the price of ALL our eBooks until New Year's Day!
So what are you waiting for? Go ahead, fill your stockings (and your eReader) with our fantastic selection of eBooks.
(Titles on pre-order are not part of this promotion.)

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Welcome K M Mahoney

This week, I have the pleasure of hosting the lovely K.M. Mahoney, a fellow Total E-Bound author I'm sure you'll find interesting. Please join me in welcoming K.M..


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've been writing since, like, grade school. Even before that, I was one of those kids always playing dress up (and dragging my sister with me). I've always had characters bouncing around in my head. I had a teacher, though, who was big on creative writing. I credit her with giving me the idea of writing things down (although I'm sure I would have gotten there eventually). I actually still have some of that early stuff...somewhere...in the chaos of my house. Except for the story with talking horses. I think I burned that one in my fireplace :)

2.  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?
Oh God...glamorous? Me? Hardly. You should see the state of my office. I sit there surrounded by clutter (and usually with at least one light bulb out somewhere), buried in papers, quite often muttering to myself. I'm doing good if I remember to clean out the litter box.

3. Plotter or pantzer? 
Oh, pantzer, most definitely :). Half the time I don't even stop to figure out character names in the beginning. I  just get an idea and run with it. I might take a break a chapter or so in and do a quick outline, to get an idea of where I want the story to go, but it's generally extremely bare-bones. And most of the time, the characters disregard my input entirely and go where they want :)

4.  What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?
Usually, I force myself to push through it. I sit down and make myself write, even if the sentences don't make sense, and even if I know what's coming out is utter crap that will hopefully never see the light of day. If that doesn't work? I know it's time to switch projects until the muse decides to cooperate.

5. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?
Hmm...well, I'd have to say anytime I get an email from one of my editors, saying they want one of my books :) It's that first moment of validation, you know? That someone else actually likes what you've written (friends don't count, lol).

6. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time? 
I read. A lot. Fiction, mostly, although lately I've been bogged down in research. I'm working on a degree in Medieval Studies, and that's taking up pretty much every non-writing second of my life right now.

7.  If you could choose one vice, what would it be and why?
Oh, I'm pure as the driven snow :) Seriously, I have a bit of a filthy mouth sometimes. I figure at least with that one, it's not causing any permanent harm, lol. That and the occasional drink...or two...and I'm covered in the vice department!

8.  What are you working on now? Can you tell us a little about it?
Currently, I'm working on a couple projects. I try to settle on one story and finish it, but that never seems to work out so well! I keep getting inspired (which, I suppose, is a good thing). At the top of my list are two: Tristan and Boys Will Be Boys. Tristan is a sequel to my novel released this summer, Lucky, a paranormal/shifter tale. For those who've read it, Tristan is the brother of Michael, one of my main characters. He's a tough guy, a private investigator. And he's about to be brought down by a bouncy werewolf :) Boys Will Be Boys is something I've been working on for quite a while, off and on. It originally started out as a heterosexual romance, until I started actually listening to the Mitch, my main character. I couldn't get the love interests to click because Mitch is, apparently, gay, and the whole girl thing really wasn't working for him. So I'm redoing it, and so far, I'm extremely pleased with how it's coming.

9. Are you in love? Have you ever been?
Um, I'd have to say no. I'm currently single; I've had a few relationships, but no one that really 'clicked', you know? Personally, I'm pretty happy on my own. I get enough romance through my characters to fill any gaps :)

10. What kind of comfort food do you like best?
Chocolate. Chocolate. Coffee. Chocolate. I won't turn down cookies, either :) If it's got cocoa or caffeine, I'm there.

And now a bit from her brand new release!
In Teddy's Arms
by K.M. Mahoney
Publisher: Total E-Bound
ISBN: 978-0-85715-840-6
Genre: Contemporary

Teddy should really know better than to agree to one of Pierce’s “great ideas,” but he’s never found it easy to say no to his best friend. Which is why he finds himself on the middle of a snow-covered road, heading into the mountains to spend the Christmas holiday in a rental cabin. And, like always, Pierce’s great plan backfires. The cabin is a dump, it’s freezing outside – and then comes the snowstorm.
Pierce isn’t sure how he’s going to handle an entire weekend trapped with Teddy. Sure, the guy is his best friend, but tell that to Pierce’s body. It’s getting harder and hard to keep his hands to himself.
Teddy doesn’t think Pierce is interested in his nerdy best friend. Pierce doesn’t think he’s good enough for Teddy. Everything Teddy has ever wanted is right in front of him, if only he can find the courage to reach out and take it.

Excerpt:
“Are you sure about this?”
“Teddy, ask me that again, and I’m going to pull this car over and toss you into a snow drift.”
Teddy sat back, crossed his arms over his chest, and huffed. “Sheesh, cranky much?”
Pierce rolled his eyes. For a second, he entertained the lovely image that the steering wheel he was gripping so tightly was, in fact, Teddy’s neck. “The first three times you asked that question, I answered. The next six times, I ignored you. You’ve now moved beyond that and are into obnoxiously irritating. Stow it.”
Silence enveloped the interior of the car for several long moments. Then Teddy mumbled, “Sorry.”
Pierce grinned. That was his Teddy. He never could stay at odds with anyone for very long.
“Turn right in one-point-two miles,” the GPS system stated in a dull, broken monotone.
“Thank God.” Pierce nearly whooped. “I think we’re getting close.” He turned where the small navigation map on his dashboard indicated. The bottom of their battered sedan scraped ominously over the snow-covered gravel.
All right, so maybe Teddy had a point. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea Pierce had ever had. But it was a little bit too late to back out now. No way in hell was Pierce driving back down this mountain in the dark.
“I don’t see anything,” Teddy said, sounding doubtful. He chewed on his fingernail, expression nervous, eyes fastened on the darkening woods surrounding the small road.
“It’s up here. Somewhere.” Damn. That hadn’t come out as reassuring as Pierce had hoped.
The GPS remained unhelpfully silent as the car bumped its way along. Twilight was quickly turning into night. The looming pines closing in on all sides didn’t help, deepening the gloom. They were truly in the middle of nowhere, no streetlights, no sidewalks, the roads rough. Hell, there wasn’t even a McDonald’s. Civilisation was most definitely far behind them.
At the moment, Pierce would have gladly traded his stupid GPS system for just one tacky strand of twinkling Christmas lights. Anything to suggest they weren’t lost in the mountains. And why the hell was it so dark out here?
The cabin practically jumped out at them. Pierce rounded a curve and slammed on the brakes. His heart thumped madly as he studied the battered porch steps, dangerously close to his front bumper. Beside him, Teddy let out a belated squeak of alarm.
“Destination in five hundred feet,” the GPS chimed.



K.M. Mahoney's Bio:

K.M. lives in the Midwest surrounded by cornfields. To compensate for the lack of scenery at home, she spends her time visiting exotic locations with gorgeous men.

All right, so the men are mostly fictional. So are the locations. Everyone needs a hobby.

In reality, K.M. lives a fairly unexciting life with her cat. She writes mainly m/m romance, usually with paranormal or fantasy elements. K.M. loves to follow her characters wherever they decide to go. She maintains that any naughty behavior is all their doing. Honest.

Contact information:
Twitter: authorkmmahoney


Thursday, December 08, 2011

Win a Kindle eReader Contest



Win a Kindle eReader!

Total-E-Bound
Yuletide Yearnings Contest




We're giving away a Kindle eReader for the release
of our new
'Yuletide Yearnings' collection.
Simply enter your name and
email address at our coompetition page and
we'll enter you into our contest to win!

GOOD LUCK!
Total-E-Bound Publishing All Rights Reserved

Wednesday, December 07, 2011

Welcome Naomi Bellina

This week, I'm thrilled to have the adorable, and very sexy author, Naomi Bellina with me here on my blog. Some of her answers to my interview questions made me smile and wish I was right there with her. Please give Naomi a warm welcome!

1. What genre would you like to try that you haven’t yet?
I love to read mysteries, but the thought of writing a full-length one is daunting.  I'm afraid I would give away the ending, or leave out some vital part of the plot. Most of my stories have some sort of surprise ending, because I think life should be full of surprises, but I admire anyone who can put together an intricate mystery.

2.  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?
Oh, the life of glamour! Yes, let's see, this week I had to rearrange my schedule to let the termite inspector inside the house. When you're the half of the partnership that works from home during the day, you get to be the one who takes care of household chores and maintenance. Oh, and I cleaned up a gigantic hairball the cat yakked up, because, yes, I was the one home. Now that was a real glitzy event! Would it be considered more glamorous if I did it in a negligee wearing high heels?

3.  What do you do when you’re suffering writers block?
Start moving!  Much as I hate to do house cleaning, some of my best ideas come when my body is moving and my mind is going La-la-la, this is such a bore, where did all these dust bunnies come from, why can't he hit the toilet bowl…Eureka! There's a great idea!

4.  What would you like to share with new writers? Any suggestions or advice?
Just keep going! I sent my first erotic story to eight publishers over a course of twelve months before it found the perfect home. Don't be afraid. The worst that's going to happen is they will say no. I've received polite rejections, helpful rejections, snooty rejections, but never once has anyone come to my doorstep, slammed my manuscript at my feet and slapped me with their glove. Persevere! Also, stay organized. Have a good system so you can keep track of what you send. When it's time to send a follow-up inquiry, be ready. Digging through files and emails is a colossal waste of time.  Be patient. While you're waiting to hear from one publisher, start writing the next story, and the next. Then you won't be sitting at your computer hitting that Send/Receive button on your email over and over, waiting for good news.

5. Looking over the past year, what has been the best moment for you in your writing career?
It's so hard to pick a best. Each one seems better than the last. Every time I get an acceptance email, I feel that little jolt of joy run through me and I do the happy dance. I try not to check my email in church for that very reason. I love the thrill of seeing my name on the Internet or in print, and I'm always delighted when I get feedback from readers.

6. What do you enjoy doing with your spare time, your non-writing time? 
Safe to say, it's not housework. Right now I’m learning to hula hoop dance, I love to drum on my hand drum, I try to get out and attend unusual events and festivals whenever possible, and my inner art child comes out to play every so often. My current project-in-waiting is to paint several electrical outlet wall plates for my office. Plain white ones are so dull.

7. If you could change one thing that you have written, what would it be?
My signature on that marriage certificate. Just kidding! Even though the marriage ended, it was a good learning experience. I learned not to do THAT again! Okay, I'm still kidding. I'm actually joyfully engaged and ready to tie the knot soon.

8.  If you found that, for one reason or another, you couldn’t write anymore, what would you like to do instead? 
 Let's also assume, just for fun, that I have a lot of money. I would open a huge animal shelter, something like Best Friends in Utah. We would work hard to put an end to animal suffering by finding ways to reduce the number of homeless animals. Then, with my hefty income, I would hire someone else to write about animals for me!

9.  When you wake up in the morning, what celebrity do you most resemble?
 Sarah Jessica Parker. Then I put my glasses on, and it's more like a cross between Scooby Doo and the Tasmanian Devil. Regardless, there's a light in my true love's eyes when he sees me emerge from the bedroom on Sunday morning, so I know I'm a hottie.

10. What kind of comfort food do you like best?
Depends on why I need to be comforted. Dove chocolate will usually do the trick, but sometimes, if the problem is especially gruesome, I need birthday cake with butter cream icing. I've been known to order one from the bakery and have them put "Happy Birthday Naomi" on it, just to make me feel special.

Thank you very much, Jude, for letting me talk to you and your readers. For those celebrating holidays this winter, I wish you peace, joy, and remember to take time for yourself with a lovely story or two from your favorite romance authors. 

Now, on to the sneak peek of Naomi's book and here there's a new adventure. Total E-Bound has given Naomi the cover suited for what they call a Lust Bite. It's a lovely cover, but it is generic:

 
When Irish Eyes Are Evil
by Naomi Bellina
ISBN:  978-0-85715-719-5
Genre: Vampire, paranormal, action/adventure
Published:  October 2011
Publisher:  Total-E-Bound
Word count:  10,576
Buy Link: 






The adventure? Well, Ms Bellina has come up with a lovely cover for the book herself. She thinks it fits, gasp! What do you think?

Blurb:

A sexy vampire with evil on his mind has Rachael playing detective to find a way to subdue him before he can destroy her. Sent to the space station in lieu of prison, Rachel longs to escape and return to Earth. An encounter with a charming bartender, Brody, makes her reconsider, until she realizes that he is not what he seems. Racing against time, Rachel must find a way to permanently eliminate Brody before she falls prey to his evil plot and is killed in the process. With the help of a sexy crew member, a friend back home and another of Brody’s victims, Rachel devises a dangerous plan to kill the fiend and save herself and other potential victims. 

Excerpt:

Shawn held very still and looked into Rachel’s eyes. She licked her lips seductively and gently bit the bottom one, a sexy technique that looked oh-so-good on the late movies—but when he suddenly pulled away, she wondered if she had gone too far. It had been a while since she’d used her feminine wiles to seduce a man and who knew what type of behavior was considered normal out here. Maybe there was some kind of unspoken protocol for these things. Hell, maybe weird golden light and strange-tasting post-coital drinks were the standard.
Shawn strode across the room and locked the door, then turned to face Rachel again. She sneaked a glance at the front of his pants and hid a triumphant smile. Her seduction technique appeared to have worked. Shawn’s cock was hard against the front of his pants and his breath was coming fast.
Well, no need to waste any more time, Rachel decided, and peeled off her shirt to reveal her firm little breasts and already hard nipples.
“Wait, let me unwrap you,” he said, his voice ragged
He slowly undid her jeans, slid the zipper down and pulled her pants to her ankles. For a moment, he rested his cheek against her stomach.
“So soft and warm,” he murmured, then gently slid the lacy panties down and buried his face between her legs.
“Your scent is driving me wild,” he groaned, and began to lick her pussy, his tongue first teasing her clit, then moving deeper. Rachel felt her legs begin to buckle and nearly fell. She hadn’t felt these sensations for far too long.
She pulled away slightly, kicked off her jeans and panties, and pulled out a nearby chair. Taking Shawn’s hand, she led him to it and he sat. She spread her legs wide and straddled him, then, looking into his dark eyes gone almost black with desire, she lowered her wet, eager pussy onto his hard cock. Ah…a perfect fit. Sitting still for a moment she caressed Shawn’s face, then ran her hands down his firm chest. He reached up to stroke her breasts, squeezing and pulling her hard nipples. His gentle yet firm touch aroused a deep passion in Rachel. She felt need and desire coming from Shawn but tenderness and warmth as well. He wanted to make love, not just engage in a quick fuck. Holding the back of the chair and standing on her toes she began to tilt her pelvis, slowly at first, enjoying the feel of his cock sliding in and out, then faster and faster until he groaned loudly with pleasure and grabbed her hips tightly, calling our her name as he shot his cum inside her. He bent to kiss her neck, nuzzling it and murmuring sweet nothings.
She lowered herself onto her the flats of her feet, leaned in to him and rubbed her clit against his mound of pubic hair, his cock still hard inside her. The feel of his coarse hair on her sensitive bud soon sent her over the edge.

BuyLink:
http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1378


And here's a little bit more about Naomi!

Naomi lives in beautiful sunny Florida with the love of her life and a magical black cat. She writes for various fiction and non-fiction markets, but finds she is drawn to erotic romance because her characters insist on canoodling, and sometimes even falling madly in love. So she lets them. Occasionally, however, they go to dark and strange places. She lets them do this also. Most of her stories will surprise readers with unexpected twists and turns, because isn't that what makes life exciting?

Her interests include dancing, hula-hooping, drumming, and creating healthy meals. She takes the opportunity to play, have fun, and indulge in the pursuit of passion whenever possible. She hopes you enjoy her stories and would love to hear from you at naomibellina(at)live(dot)com.

Her motto:  Never pass up the opportunity to have an adventure!

Visit Naomi's website at:  www.naomibellina.com
Twitter:  TheGoddessNaomi