September With Kristal

Dear Sweet and Sexy Divas Readers,

This month I released the first Episode of the wrestling erotica short stories with Fanzine. Out now on callingspots.com for just $3.

But, I released a deeper truth that I wondered if all of you felt or noticed. Creative writing, even Romance is about drawing emotions out of your reader and taking them on a journey.

We as a group of people are a hybrid. We have to know the trends, to communicate with audiences and how to market our products. In this day and age it's not an easy feat.

Through our stories, novels and books we bare our souls to the world. We give them the outreach we all need sometimes, even if we don't realise it. Our lives ate between those pages. The lives we wished we have.

Many of us are the unseen masters of other worlds and we as authors, writers and readers should take pride in this. Stand by this and help each other.

If you want to help those you admire. Tweet them on twitter. Rt book plugs, leave HELPFUL reviews on Amazon and other book selling sites. Believe in each other as we are making the world a better place.

We inspire and help mold the minds Of the future. The independent book scenes just started to get noticed and it's our job to get it notice.

Believe in our streams of readers and lets work together to help keep the independent book world alive.

Kristal McKerrington

A Little BDSM Psychology

Some people say BDSM play helps both Doms and subs cope with various traumatic experiences in their pasts. Many believe that submission in BDSM power exchange helps the sub overcome an inferiority complex and social phobias. This is especially true in the first and last books in my popular BDSM western series, HEART OF THE WEST.

To me, one of the most attractive beliefs about the psychology behind BDSM is that the Dominant partner is driven by his/her desire to please his or her partner(s). This is true in most erotic romances with a male Dom, in that he creates settings where the participants can explore the submissives' fantasies. As a matter of fact, it's also true in most cases when the Domme is a woman. I like to think my Dominant characters have exhibited this desire in all of my BDSM romances.

 

It seems to me that the reason so many women readers love the male-dominant BDSM fantasy is that, while the Dominant controls a BDSM relationship on the surface, the actual dynamics of the relationship are controlled by the submissive. The sub sets limits as to what can and can't be explored, and he/she has the power to call a halt to a scene at any time by using a pre-established safe word. There are hard limits--things the sub absolutely will not allow--and soft ones, which may be off limits but may sometimes, in the heat of passion, be permitted. Limits, both hard ones and soft ones, change over time, as the partners become more attuned to one another.

While not many people in the vanilla fantasize over being hurt as a form of sexual play, it is very true that when a person is sexually aroused, all kinds of sexual stimulation can produce pleasure...up to a point, of course. That's why many BDSM practitioners follow "three sacred rules" about their play: it must be safe, sane and consensual. I try hard to make all my stories follow these rules, and to reveal more than just the mechanics of BDSM play when I write scenes that match each character's personality, hangups, and so on.

I just finished writing LOVERS' FEUD the first book in my new western series for Ellora's Cave. Each of the three novels goes more deeply than I've gone before into the characters' motivation to choose BDSM play, either acting out their kinky fantasies as Bye and Karen do in LOVERS' FEUD, living a 24/7 loving Dominant/submissive relationship in SHOTGUN RELATIONS, or learning not everybody who seems vanilla is vanilla in WILD CHILD, which will be book three. 

Check my blog (ann-jacobs.blogspot.com) and Facebook pages in the coming weeks for outtakes and excerpts from these hot, heartwarming novels! I'll be announcing some contests closer to the release of LOVERS' FEUD.

Happy reading!

Ann Jacobs
http://annjacobs.net
https://facebook.com/AnnJacobsAuthor
MOUNTAIN HEAT, a Blush Romance coming soon from Ellora's Cave

Is it All Worth It?

“My husband tells me I write porn and asks what example am I setting for my kids…”

“You must not be selling well because your checks are so low.”

I’m not saying who these quotes come from. They’re paraphrased anyway. Who says these things? These are things erotica and/or romance writers hear from their loved ones; family and friends whether it be spouses, siblings or bff’s.

Pardon me but loved ones means someone who's supposed to love you and support you in all your endeavors especially if it hurts no one. You’ve seen parents and spouses stick by their family members when they did do something horrible like commit murder or even when they’ve committed adultery but wow, you write erotica or smut hetero or gay and you’re setting a bad example. You’re SCUM!

Hmph…

I have to wonder about the family of writers like Stephen King. No doubt, the man is a horror master and has built a fanbase that will carry on way after he’s gone. Stories about chopping people up and demonic beings who murder for fun and yet he’s lauded by millions. However, as erotica or romance writers we are the scum of the earth. Oh no, you can’t possibly write about something like falling in love and having sex! No way. You’re not setting a good example for the children! You’re not a real writer, etc, etc. HATERS!

Regardless of whether you write straight, m/m, bdsm, or whatever, your story’s base is still romance. You write about two people connecting on some level which is what people do every day but for whatever reason, you as the erotica romance writer cannot show your face anywhere. You can’t hold down a job and let people know what you write. Your neighbors treat you like a leper so you have to keep a penname. When your kids ask you, you tell them I write romance and if they tell their friends, they are probably told your mom writes smut or porn.

Oh but it’s okay if you write about murdering people, yeah that’s cool. *laughs*

I keep using Stephen King or horror writers not because I don’t like what he does in fact I respect him as an artist. I’m not a huge fan of his books but I’ve read a couple and seen the movies. However, the reason I use him is because I don’t see a huge uproar over what he's been doing for decades but we as romance writers still draw the most disrespect.

I’m sure there are people who don’t like what he writes. I don’t know his history, maybe he has been shunned by his peers but I can only comment on what I see in the genre I write in. My fellow writers doubting themselves and asking the above question almost to the point of tears. Is it worth it?

Excuse my French but HELL YES!

First and foremost, you as a writer are an artist, a creator, someone that writes stories from the heart. Regardless of what genre or style, what level of sex, etc, you’re still someone writing a story about 2 or more people doing something God gave us the will to do. Love and connect. You might not believe in God which is fine, still you as a human have been given that ability so you write about it. Is there something wrong with this? No. Let’s move on.

Second, the example you’re setting for your kids. Hmm, well I don’t know, you’re doing something that you love doing. Writing. You write for hours, after they are fed and asleep in their beds. You do it tirelessly along with promoting your books, putting your pen name out there to get recognized. With it, comes some good reviews some bad and eventually, someone likes your work, buys it, and you make some money that keeps them clothed and fed. What does that teach them? Determination and the will to succeed. When you shrug off a bad review, it shows them you won’t let anyone stop you from doing what you love. The 5.00 royalty check that might buy a dozen of eggs and a loaf of bread will help along the way and if you keep doing it despite how big or small it might be, it shows that you’re willing to work hard regardless of the money you make from it. All writers have books that don’t sell, some have books that sell thousands. It’s a rollercoaster business and we do it because we love it. I don’t know any better life lessons than that.

Third, the money. I’ve touched on that in the second part but has anyone heard the saying, starving artist? Regardless if you’re a painter, a writer, a sculptor, photographer, movie maker, actor, you are an artist and the work you do takes time to make money. Yes, it is a business and yes we would like to sell a million copies of every book but that’s just unrealistic. Along with the determination and that will to succeed, you have to have luck and patience. I can tell you if you start to write or create just with the sole purpose of selling then in my opinion, you're in it for the wrong reasons. You must love what you do first! You might love that book but only 40 people have bought it.  It hasn’t caught on but soon, you’ll write that book that will sell a thousand or more copies. This takes time and as I said, for some it might not take as long but for others a little longer. This is a huge market, erotica and or romance and the numbers of writers and publishers as well as the indies grows by leaps and bounds every day. Yes, we all want that reader to love us and the good thing about this business is we can all share the same “customers.” Do it for the love first, not the money.

As artists, we all have our ups and downs. I know I’ve had several times where I doubted myself or the story I wrote but I keep at it. Why? Because I love it.

Let me share my own experience with you since it’s the only one I can comment on. I have a husband, 2 kids. One 13, one going on 4. My husband is very supportive of what I do and has stated he’s happy that I’m doing what I love. At the same time, he is also somewhat of a homophobe. He doesn’t want to admit that he isn’t tolerant as he should be. (See my article on Its Raining Men.) Still, as I stated, he has read some of my work, has talked my ideas over with me and gave me a hug and kiss when I have a small bit of success. Really, I’m glad I have at least that from him. Notice I didn’t mention mom or sibling. They know what I write. Mom doesn’t get it or like it. My brother is happy that I’m doing something I love but doesn’t understand the gay angle. Ah well.

My son has made the statement that I write and look at gay porn. Quickly, I pulled him to the side and told him I write romance and the stories about two people falling in love whether gay or straight isn’t porn. Big difference. Yeah I have some porn on my computer and the kid has seen a couple of pictures on accident. Did I freak? Nope. I said, I’m an adult, you’re the kid. Do I know this kid has seen some stuff most likely when he’s not under my watchful eye? Yes. We can’t shelter our kids from everything. I’ve even told my kid and his teachers that I’m a writer and I expect him to explain everything fully in his papers as I do. To give a complete picture. When we take the time to explain, our kids can’t do anything but learn from our experience. They’ll eventually find out anyway.

My friends love what I do. All of them whether my Facebook friends, the peeps I have friended through fanfiction, (mostly Durannies) and my own friends here at home have all been the most supportive. My bff attended GayRomLit with me and she was one of the people who encouraged me to pick up the pen again in 2009. If I didn’t have the hubs support, I’d still do it because my friends have been there to show their love.

In this long rant/ramble, the point is we as authors love what we do. We can’t help what people think and if they shun us for it, then that’s their problem. It’s not a reason to stop writing! It’s not a valid reason to stop doing what you love if you really do love it.

Forget the naysayers! Write about 2 people falling in love and be proud of what you’ve written. Is it worth it? Yes it is because it’s in your heart to continue!

Author Sharita Lira: The Triad, otherwise known as the characters in the head of Sharita Lira are three separate muses that are the driving force behind her small amount of success. Misses Lira sees her own life as one that is very ordinary, so instead of presenting herself out to the world, she created three personalities that continue to haunt her all hours of the night to get several WIP’s done at the speed of light, and push her to the brink of sheer exhaustion, but she loves it and that’s the reason she hasn’t told them to get the hell out her head.

Michael Mandrake, BLMorticia, and Rawiya collectively have written over 30 stories published in e-book and or print through 7 different publishers. Right now as it stands, Mrs. Lira and the muses have 6 sole author books with much more to come in 2012 and beyond.

She is a happily married mother of two that writes m/m, m/f, ménage, paranormals, contemporaries, and for fun some fan fiction. She is a proud member of the Erotica Readers & Writers Association, as well as an advocate for rights of LGBT citizens, and a big fan of 80′s and heavy metal music. She’s also a contributor to the heavy metal ezine Fourteeng.net.

For more information, please visit http://www.thelitriad.com as well as her Facebook fanpage, The Literary Triad.

The Literary Triad - http://www.thelitriad.com/#!

Michael Mandrake – http://tabooindeed.blogspot.com

BLMorticia - http://blrawiyaerotica.blogspot.com

Rawiya - http://rawiyaerotica.wordpress.com

Twitter - http://twitter.com/#!/rawiyamikembl

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/TheLiteraryTriad

Kindlegraph - http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/rawiyamikembl

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Say Something Good-

I’ve been seriously pursuing this writing thing for about six years now. One of the first things I did when I decided to take my notebooks from under the bed, was to join a critique group. I guess I was lucky in that my first experience was positive.

I remember how nervous I was the first time I brought a short story to a meeting. I had no idea what Point of View was, but evidently I had messed it up pretty bad. Someone did say the title was amazing, another person wrote that my sense of place was strong and someone else said my historical detail was woven in very well. At the end of the pages another person recommended a book on POV and even though it stung a bit to hear what I needed to work on, I left feeling pretty happy with my story.

Since then I have heard the horror stories of aspiring authors who have had their stories so torn apart they wanted to throw in the writing towel and never pick up a pen again. Now that I’ve learned a few things about craft, and been asked to critique pages I try to make sure that I am not one of those overzealous writers, who with good intentions, accidentally crush the dreams of any newbie in the group.

I start with something good to say, whether it’s, “Great title!” or “I love Civil War stories!” I draw nice big smiley faces next to the comment. J Then I make sure I put them all through the pages I’ve been given. Even the little things matter, like “Fantastic verb choice!” J next to word like amble.

What is the author looking for from the critique? If they have specific questions, like, “Do you like the characters?” or “What do you think of the plot?” those are the issues I stick to. Unless the author is looking for a clean copy to send to an editor, I don’t worry about every punctuation and misspelled word. In a general critique try to stick to the characters, the plot and the pacing. If I’m reading along and hit a passage I naturally want to skip I might write something like, “This section seemed slow to me.”

Sometimes I might offer a suggestion like, “I had trouble keeping track of the characters in your fight scene. Is it possible to cut the number from five to three?” I’ve also found that phrasing things as a question rather than a statement make them seem less dogmatic. Using phrases like “I wonder…” instead of “You should…” also softens any suggestions I might write. My intention is to make the writer think about why they chose to write their sentence or paragraph the way they did and how they can make it better.

I try to write my comments and suggestions politely, in a friendly tone, that doesn’t come across in an, I’ve-written-X-number-of-books-so-I-know-everything manner. When I write my comments at the end of the pages I try to start and end with the positives so that my suggestions are sandwiched in the middle.

Sometimes it’s easy, especially in a new writer’s work, to see the excessive back story, the POV issues, and the long paragraphs of telling. These larger issues may tend to overshadow an interesting premise or intriguing character.

I try to take what I’ve learned and pay-it-forward. After all the purpose of a critique group is not to mark up everything that’s wrong with the pages you’ve been given, but to give enough feedback to help the author make their writing stronger and to keep them motivated to keep writing. J

Here is an excerpt from the first short story I brought to my critique group.

Blurb: Trying to redeem himself for the death of his fiancee's brother, Wesley Cole has put himself in the front lines of every battle he's fought in the Civil War, until hours before his next major battle when he accidentally meets the one woman who's love and forgiveness can offer him peace.

Excerpt:

"Stop right there.” Though she tried to sound tough her southern drawl softened the hard edge of her command. “Put your gun down and leave this house.”
“Ma’am, I mean you no harm. I don’t know why you’re here but it isn’t safe.”
There was a long pause then from behind the door came an incredulous question. “Wes?”
Nonplused he stared. “Who are you?”
Slowly the barrel lowered, and the door swung inward. A young woman stepped out from behind it.
His mouth dropped open in shock. “Abby?”
She wore her wheat blonde hair pulled back into a simple long braid. Her dress was faded and patched, and hung loose on her too thin body. Her eyes were the same soft brown, but a few tiny lines around the corners lent her an aura of maturity he found more appealing than the bright-eyed innocence she’d had at sixteen.
He almost reached out to embrace her, but checked the impulse. Instead he latched onto the memory of Manassas, flogging himself with haunting images of the battle, grinding them like salt into his wounded soul, making certain he would never forget that what he’d done that day had torn their love apart forever.
She took a hesitant step forward, her brown eyes searching his face. “You’ve been well?”
“Disappointed?”
She gasped and stepped back as though he’d struck her. “Oh, Wes, can you ever forgive me for writin’ that hateful letter? We were all so young. We didn’t understand what war was. It was all supposed to be so glorious. Our boys were goin’ to fire their guns and send the Yankees runnin’ back north. No one was supposed to die. It wasn’t your fault. Matthew would have died even if you had been standin’ right beside him.”
“But I wasn’t was I?” Self-loathing laced his words with bitterness. “No, I ran to the rear and hid behind a tree snivelin’ like a Goddamn baby.”
To Purchase: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=176_135&products_id=384

The Birth of a Novel

Every novel is created in a unique way. Even when an author approaches a new novel in the same way -- plots extensively, plots loosely or doesn't plot at all -- that actual art of creation is different. It has to be. Each novel is itself different from any other one. Or it should be. If an author is simply repeating the same novel over and over, then perhaps it's time for that person to retire.

But where does a novel come from? What well do ideas spring from and how do you keep that well fresh and full of new ideas? It's like an artesian well. When the pressure builds up some of what's in there (ideas or water) has to be released. And the water is always replenished and kept fresh by a constant influx of new water.

I never know when an idea will hit me. They often come out of left field. My first completed historical novel came about from watching a History Channel show on their series called Underworld Cities. I turned it on because the blurb said it was about the Manson Family, which I have a deep fascination with. But instead of being about the Mansons, the show was more about how underground tunnels were common all over Los Angeles in the first part of the 20th century. At one point L.A. had a world class subway/train system, which was essentially shut down by a combination of Goodyear, California Oil and a public that was on its way to becoming addicted to cars. But what intrigued me was that in the Prohibition years some of these tunnels became speakeasies. And in Los Angeles the criminal underworld was not run by organized gangsters like the east coast was. Instead it was the LAPD and the mayor's office that ran the gambling, bootleggers and brothels in Los Angeles. 

Following that, I watched the Gangs of New York and again the idea of this dangerous time in this small piece of land in an earlier New York. A time of intense immigration when hundreds of thousands left their homes and came to a place they thought would give them a real chance. Many of those immigrants were Irish. I have Irish ancestors and in the course of researching the era I found out some things about my family I had never known. What surprised me the most was I had a great-great-great Grandfather from hundreds of years ago, who landed at New Amsterdam—now New York. So part of my family came to America a century before it became a country. His side of my family kept moving westward over the centuries until my Grandfather's family reached North Dakota. He was married to an American woman but she died, leaving him a widower with children. He crossed the border into Saskatchewan and met my Grandmother. I a sandwich American. My Grandfather was American and my daughter is an American.

I'd also seen Far and Away years ago and the story began to grow. An Irish man and woman, who didn't know each other, meet on their immigrant ship to New York. Their lives become entangled along with a 10 ten-year-old native boy who's a budding crime king and manages to get the two immigrants into trouble until they are all caught up in a raging blizzard. They can only survive if they work together.

I don't know if other historical authors go to the same lengths I do, but I find the search exciting. Some of the things I've done in the name of research include sending away for a catalog for taxidermists, since a story (Geography of Murder) had taxidermists in it. I bought a stone depiction of a Quetzalcoatl, the feathered god of the Aztec because it was in L.A. Boneyard and an unpublished book. I own two Sears, Roebuck catalogs. One from 1897, the other 1923. I bought four Good Housekeeping magazines from the 20s.

I'm continually learning and in the process expanding my boundaries into unknown territory. Who knows what's next. I don't, but I'm eager to find out. Nothing serves a writer better than boundless curiously.

Meandering observations on Critique Groups

Almost all writers join a critique group at some time during their career. I personally have been in five. I’m no expert, but I do have some idea of what kind of group works best for me.

Deciding to find a group should start with what you expect to get from it. A number of new authors will say seek out a group to improve their writing. In reality they come expecting to hear how good their work is. They have trouble listening to criticism, even the softest time. These authors rarely return. In my experience two out of three new members will quit the group—some within the first meeting or two, others later when they find they’re not getting what they want, of they can’t take to see the errors in their work pointed out.

Groups all have their own way of operating. Some have authors hand out copies and read a short piece of work. Then the others comment on it. This type of group can be very good or useless. The good ones look for more than grammar mistakes, they look for story arc, character development and conflict. They can help point out flaws in structure, unlikable or dull characters and dialog that doesn’t move the story along.

A bad one is often inexperienced and not used to examining a manuscript for what works or doesn't work. They will focus on minor things like grammar, spelling and other inconsequential matters—inconsequential for early drafts. A novice misses that what’s being read is raw. It has a lot of errors that the author will find on rewrites. What an author wants—if they’re serious—is a critique that delves into the heart of the story.

Another type of critique group is one that passes out copies of the work, sometimes ahead of time, sometimes at the meeting and everyone goes through it without talking. The readers mark up the manuscript, then they talk about it in a round robin fashion—though some will open the floor to anyone and the critiquing is a back and forth effort. This can work very well, if the participants are good at finding out flass.

Some critiques are strictly online. No physical group exists. Chapters are swapped and critiqued, then sent back. I’ve seen some that have a strict set of rules. There will be a time frame, there can be instructions on what to look for, even sheets that lay out the requirements for every critique. A group I’m in asks for a critque—a full read through, a quick one, a final draft read, etc. In these groups it is often done on credits owed. You earn so many credits depending on what kind of crit it is. When you request a crit, you need X-amount of points. This type of critiquing is usually labor intensive.

There are online critique groups where manuscripts are swapped. Those tend to be more casual.

My favorite type is a one on one. Two authors at a similar level of skill sit and talk. A good group like this will brainstorm ideas and search for the best phrase. These can be fairly intense and the only way for it to work, each author has to be open to accepting what the critiquer is saying. This does not mean you need to do any of it. In the end you are the final decision make on what to change and what to leave alone. And trust me, it is painful.

In a good critique group the author cannot interrupt and explain something. The author has to realize that there will be no one standing over the reader telling them what you meant.

Bad groups can do more than disappoint. Some can be destructive, without any merit. Some can be ignorant. Or insist they’re only one way to write a scene. Others have an even worse character. The one who is nasty in their words and actions. They will attack the writer as opposed to dealing with the work at hand. I quit one group when one member laughed at everything. He was very juvenile and would laugh like a ten-year-old at the most infantile words that ‘sounded like a gay man.

Finding a good group can be rough. It’s best to sit in on a meeting or two and judge what you hear in terms of how it can benefit you. Entering a group whose members all write non-fiction, or fantasy and you write historicals like I do.

I highly recommend checking out some critique groups and give them a try. Some places aren’t big enough to have a regular group. In such a place, you may need to find one online. Or start one. Some people feel strongly that groups should be divided by genre. SF/fantasy, historical, romance, etc. I find I can learn as much from criticizing another author as I learn when they critique me.

Find a good group and it will pay you back four-fold

Web Site

Blog

They say you should write what you know, but my day job isn’t interesting, so who would want to read about it?

I have heard this statement many times, at conferences, on Twitter, Facebook, blogs and speaking with aspiring writers and even readers who want to dip their toe in the writing world.



What may seem mundane and uninteresting in our real lives can be transformed into compelling characters and a page turning storyline. One can do this by exaggerating what they do know into a bigger than life story. For example: Let's say in real life, an office clerk or administrative assistant may feel that what she knows about her career wouldn't make for a gripping read. However, as a writer if she can take what she knows and assign the clerical job to a lead character and giving it an intriguing twist--as in the clerk in her book is unknowingly working for a crime boss. Imagine the possibilities where the writer could take this character.



How about a librarian who lives alone and really doesn't have a lot of adventure in her life, and hasn't really done anything spectacular other than taking a Japanese linguistic night class. This librarian goes to the bank for a routine deposit, and suddenly the bank is held up, and she is a victim of a hostage situation. The bank robbers are speaking Japanese. She can understand what they are saying and what they are planning. Will she let them know she can understand them? Will that help the situation or make it worse? Again, the possibilities are endless.



Are you a hair stylist? How about a hair stylist whose has someone come in to her shop for a cut and dye job, and this person is on America’s most wanted or a famous celebrity?



Taking ordinary things in life things that a writer may perceive as being uninteresting can be turned into a wonderful work of fiction. It's all about taking ordinary characters and putting them in extraordinary situations.



Happy creating and writing!



About Selena Robins

Witty, humorous, suspenseful, sexy--words used to describe Selena’s writing style. A chocolate guru, in love with her husband, family, friends, books & red wine, she dances with her dog, sings into her hairbrush & writes in her PJ's.



Selena is the author of the contemporary romance, What A Girl Wants, paranormal romantic comedy, Sabrina's Destiny, Romantic Comedy, Short Story, Tempted by an Angel, and a children's novella, Pippy's Wish.



Selena's Website

Selena's Blog

Email Selena

“Where do writers get their ideas?”

What is the one question that people wanted to know from a writer? Where do we get our ideas?

An idea for a story can be sparked at home, neighborhood, grocery store, planes, trains, or even a walk through the park. A logo on a box of cereal can ignite my imagination, if it’s unique and even better if it’s over the top. Overhearing a conversation from a group of teenagers at the mall, observing parents with their children, or watching an elderly couple strolling as they hold hands. Being observant to everything around me and using all my senses at all times gives me limitless ideas for characters and plots.

Like me, I believe most writers are hypersensitive and also will agree that we can’t pinpoint exactly how all the ideas stored in our creative heads will eventually mesh together into a book, they just do.

I attribute the success of creating a plot and characters to the fact that my five senses are on high alert, allowing my imagination to soar and spin a story with life’s simple pleasures. For example, I have an obscene collection of snow globes, I took one of my favorite ones and utilized it in my first novel, Sabrina’s Destiny.

My current book, “What A Girl Wants,” was sparked after I read an article written by Carly Phillips. She talked about how she puts herself through Writing Boot Camp to stay motivated while writing a book. When I saw the words, “Boot Camp,” I thought, how about Sex Boot Camp? (Yes, I know, my mind works in a mystery way that sometimes I can't even fathom). From there, I created my heroine and hero, and their journey in What A Girl Wants.

Our creative minds are like a book of unlit matches and it all it takes is a small strike with a word, a line, a certain look, even a slogan on an old college T-shirt to ignite our creative flame and a roaring fire for a novel.

There is a myth out there that writers will store things that happen to their friends and family to be used in a book later on. Is it fact or fiction? Let’s just say, if you do something outlandish and tell a writer about it. . . .you just never know if one of the many characters residing in a writer’s head will perhaps have the same experience. :)

About the Author:

Witty, humorous, suspenseful, sexy--words used to describe Selena Robins writing. A self-admitted chocolate guru (okay, perhaps a bit obsessed), she dances with her dog, sings into her hairbrush & writes in her PJ's.

You can visit Selena at her website: https://selenarobins.com/
Follow her on her blog: http://selenarobinsmusings.wordpress.com/

I Steal Steve Lynskey Away For A Chat With Us Diva's!

Hello All The Sweet and Sexy Diva's,

Today I would like to welcome one of the British Wrestling Talent Bookers, Steve Lynskey as part of my 'what makes British Wrestling so hot that its my Spin off series home?' He is currently a booker for a few of the Independent Wrestling Companies Promotional Companies in the UK. He has a huge part in making sure that the shows run smoothly and he also a referee. He's a very busy man, along with his interview I'm also posting pictures of the two day adventure that I  had along with some commentary on them. 

 Without a further a do, please welcome..the...sweet and funny.....Steve Lynskey!

Question 1: Mr Lynskey what is the hardest thing about being a Talent booker and tells

Steve In Action Here As The Referee.

us a little bit about what that is like for you?

Hardest thing is drawing the line with talent, i will always see myself as 'one of the boys' ,

but I'm the locker room leader. My job is to make sure everyone knows what there doing, 

and keeps to there orders.

Question 2: Out of all the Wrestling Talent you have worked with, who has had you laughing the most and who has made you want to pull your hair out? 

I have a lot of good times in the locker room, I had so many laughs with Road Dogg and Rhino this past tour......dont really have too many probs.....but Kash is always keeping me on my toes....and he knows he can wind me up!!! 

Question 3: With your job in the Wrestling World, you get to have a close eye on what effects it, do you think that if the Wrestling World was to start to partner up with the Romance World that it would have an effect on you or how you work? 

Wow can only be good for both right? I think mixing Wrestling in with your Romance World

will add a nice dimension for your book's....and it will pull in a new set of fans into the Romance World....win-win As for the way my job would change? Mmmm tough one that....i guess my cute ass will be seen more.lol

Question 4: What would be your personal thoughts on the two joining together?

Doug Williams (TNA Star) and Steve 

Its always good to try something new, I'm all for trying new things....plus it opens me up 

to a new wider audience 

Question 5: In your mind do you think a Wrestling, Romance genre is a good thing for Wrestling or just going to be more hassle?

Only time will tell....of course it will be easier to infuse Wrestling into the Romance World,

it may be a little more hassle vice versa.

Question 6: Where would you like to see the Wrestling, Romance genre go and why?

Hey I'd love to see my fan base grow....and I'd like to see both genre's grow together

Steve Getting His Grr On At The Gym!

Thank you for answering some of our pressing Wrestling, Romance questions. Now we have some fun questions for you.

Question 7: Have you read a Romance book and if so what was your favourite genre?

I have not read any yet......I have just got some so my cherry is about to be popped ;-)

Question 8: What do you do to relax after a long day working with Wrestling talent?

Well we all chill out, few beers a kebab and feed each others ego's with tales of sex

conquests.

Question 9: Who's your favourite Authors and why?

Steve with Wrestling Superstar Kid Kash.

I'm big on biographys...but I'm about to read some books by an friend, so I'm looking forward to 

reading some romance! 

Question 10: What's your must see or must attend event this year?

WOW there's a few....but looking forward to October and working with WWE hall of famer Shawn Michaels.

Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions and we hope to have you back again 
soon Steve. He would love to talk to all of you if your wanting to check out Steve then you can talk to him on his Facebook page:-  http://www.facebook.com/stevelynskey

Rhino, me and Road Dogg

Me and Ruffneck. 

My adventure with One Pro Wrestling started in Esemore Port where I met one of my ideals from a really long time ago Kid Kash and Road Dogg. I watched him when I was a young Teenager. He was a great laugh at the Hotel along with a Wrestling Legend Rhino.

Me and NEW HEAVYWEIGHT Champion Lionheart.

I had a great chance to meet many of the well season British Wrestlers like my recent guest on my Blog 'Ruffneck', who I grabbed a picture with here after his match with a set of youngsters. 

Me and Partner Danny Rodd of One Pro Wrestling.

Me and Kid Kash. 

If I didn't feel honoured enough then the NEW HEAVYWEIGHT champion 'Lionheart' let me grab a picture with him. He was a great laugh and it was nice to have a fellow Scot at these events. I was starting to go mad, because I hadn't  heard many Scottish accents. He spent quite a bit of time talking to me and we became good friends at the event. 

I made sure that I grabbed a picture with one of the fellow supporters of the Wrestling Romance mergers, no other than Parter of One Pro Wrestling Danny Rodd. He did me the great honour by inviting me down to the events and made me feel like I was apart of the whole thing. I couldn't have felt more honoured. We are pictured below together at 'The Road To Destiny Show'. The DVD is now available on www.oneprowrestling.com 

Being at the Hotel with the Wrestlers and the promoters I got to see an inside into all of the areas of it. I saw the girlfriends of the Wrestlers and promoters themselves interact with each other. I saw how close nit a family they had become and it made me realise that the family atmosphere that I have in my books was spot on. 

Even with the triangle of hearts was something that I saw was more than possible in that environment. Picking the Wrestlers brains was the best part and was grateful that Ruffneck was all too willing for me to do it. I was surprised to see the response that I received for my work in the Wrestling Romance genre. Some of the Wrestlers enjoyed the flyers that I gave out.

However that wasn't to be my most up lifting moment. For years me and a my best friend Victor, who had been with me all the way through the hospital part of my life. Got our dream through me. On May the 27th when I met Kid Kash in the Hotel bar. He was wondering about the restaurant and was just as lost as I was. After our brief meeting I then went on to get an autograph from him that night. 

That was more for Victor than me. I can't believe the influence he had on us when we could only find him on two tapes. We watched those tapes alot though! He inspired me and Victor to fight together. So when Victor passed on and I met Kid Kash I can safely say that it was a dream realised for the pair of us.  A dream only made more special when we had a stare down at the end of his match and he was making his way to the back. Its a moment that I will not forget any time soon.

I don't think a picture would ever mean more to me then this one does. I will be keeping this one for a very long time. After this picture was taken we ended up sharing some drinks in the bar the following night and had several chats. He was definitely the best famous person I have ever met. So I would like to thank him and One Pro Wrestling for making this dream come true for me. 

A quick announcement for you all today. Kristal's Wrestling Fiction is now open for submissions. You can email me at kristal@xoxopublishing.com  for the guidelines. I just ask that you put 'Kristal's Wrestling Ficton' in the subject line. 

Once again, its been a great honour to be here and will see you all next month,

Kristal McKerrington 

My Writing Space

My writing space, the area of the house which I call my office, is on the back porch. The porch is enclosed with seven windows and is heated, although a space heater is necessary in the winter time so my fingers don't freeze to the mouse. Behind me, placed along the wall, are the freezer, a vacuum cleaner, a rack of coats and a pile of shoes. The porch also includes the back door, which makes it the busiest room in the house.
I share my office with two German Shepherds and five cats. The dogs lay behind my chair, keeping me a virtual prisoner in front of my computer, for fear that if I move my chair I'll roll over someone's tail. The cats sprawl across my printers or lay on my bookcase absorbing the sun, that is, when they aren't walking across my desk, leaving muddy footprints on my calendar or knocking one of my many piles of research notes onto the floor.
But what the porch does give me is an expansive view of our back yard and acres of surrounding farm land. When the windows are open I feel like I'm actually working outside and haven’t wasted the day. I can inhale the aroma of fresh cut hay, listen to the birds chirping in the trees, and feel the summer breeze as it blows all my research notes onto the floor; which I try to catch by instinctively shoving my chair backward. The poor dog yelps, (you'd think he'd learn not to lay there), as I shoot my chair forward to grab the cat, who has decided to tear through the screen to get to the robin hopping through the grass.
This chaotic little corner of the back porch is where I spend my day. And when everything is quiet and the phone doesn’t ring, (which causes Max to howl), I am actually able to type words on my computer screen.
What is your writing space like? Is it calm or chaotic? Do you have any furry assistants?

Writing Under Pseudonyms...

Hello SNSD and welcome to another post by me, the woman with three pseudos, Rawiya aka Michael Mandrake, BLMorticia and in real life, Sharita Lira.

Seriously, things have been busier in my life as of recently. I’m having work done on our house, my 3 year old is even busier than ever, I’m looking for an EDJ (evil day job) because the multi million dollar contract has not come yet, and as per usual, I have various promotions and writing projects going on all at once.

This has sent me into a small state of panic and so, I asked our lovely lady in charge, Sarah, what I should do since I’m also at Robin Badillo’s this whole week. In her wisdom, she suggested I do a blog about why I keep three names which was a fabulous idea that I thought I’d use later but, with all the big mess surrounding Miss Judy Mayes, it became more of a necessity.

Why do I write under other names other Sharita Lira?

In all truthfulness, I do it because Sharita Lira is somewhat of a boring name. It doesn’t encompass all the facets of my personality or what I’m trying to convey in my writing. With my pseudonyms, I’m more than just the married mom of two bratty kids from Chicago:

I’m the badgirl that wishes she could travel the world with her favorite bands. BlMorticia

I’m the gay man who loves writing about the love shared between a male and his partner despite the troubles and trials they have ahead of them. Michael Mandrake

Or the one closest to myself, the woman that puts her passions and wildest fantasies onto paper while still keeping a sense of reality. Rawiya

Through these characters I’ve created, I’m able to transform myself into all these people and hopefully use the imaginations and my storytelling ability to entertain readers in the most titillating and concise way I can.

Have I perfected this yet? No way! Not even close *laughs*

I’ve found that they are more similar than different and only a few things separate the way they are in my head. A couple of times, especially in the beginning, I wrote the wrong story under the wrong pseudonym.

Case in point: The Delicacies of Lust Liquor and Cannabis should have been BLMorticia. No way is Michael that cynical and snarky. That’s totally BL’s deal. You ask, why does it matter? Well, in my opinion, when an author takes on a persona, it’s something that the reader gets used to seeing. Not saying that Michael can’t be humorous, but his is more of a dry sense whereas BL is more of the tongue in cheek, out there kind of lewd humor you might find on Family Guy or South Park.

Of course, nothing can be done about this now but, it’s all part of my maturity as a writer and how I grow to become better at it since I’m not really that great of one yet. Do I have a better handle on it? Certainly, and I hope to build a fanbase around all three in the coming years.

Back to the original point. Why do we use pseudonyms? People do it for protection of themselves in the real world. Do you want the world to know Sharita Lira writes erotic fiction? Honestly, I’m not in that kind of position that I had to care. Back when I was working regularly, I’d told several of my close friends that I did it as a hobby. Most of these same people have become my fans or are still in contact with me on Facebook primarily, asking me about my latest projects or celebrating a new release.

I guess I would consider myself pretty lucky but in the case of Judy Mayes, not so. They found out about her erotica writings and they called her in for it. All because of parents who are prudes! UNBELIEVABLE

What does it hurt for a woman to write erotic fiction? I wonder did Stephen King or Zane have this problem before they became millionaires. Did someone shun them for what they wrote? Were they discharged? What about Anne Rice or one of my old favorites, Jackie Collins?

Is that what writers will have to do? Keep their writing lives totally separate? Most do because we might have kids and truthfully, that is a small part of my concern as well but I wonder will this be the norm. Will people start a witch hunt looking for us?

In my opinion, this is just another example of people sticking their nose in where it doesn’t belong. Why would Miss Mayes writing hurt anyone?

In reality, it wasn’t her real self that did the writing, it was her alternate personality…her pseudonym.

*grins*