Shiloh Walker, writing

A change of scenery

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I had a deadline for April 1, 2009.  The follow-up to Fragile was to be turned in.  Except about mid-February, the book was still fighting me.  I had this idea for the story and about 1/3 of the way through it, I realized the hero needed a different heroine.  Now the one I was giving him…he wanted her.  But she wasn’t right for him.  I started getting these glimpses of this other heroine…now she was right for him.  But I ignored it.

And what happens?  The story bogged down.  The heroine just wasn’t working for the hero, no matter how much he thought he wanted her.  So I trash the story in January and start rewriting.  From the original story, there is exactly one line that is the same in the finished version.  One.

That’s a lot of rewriting, yes?  I had 2 words.  I needed 90,000.  By mid-February, I had…oh, maybe 50k.  I also had edits coming in left and right, and a vacation coming up (the week before my deadline-what was I thinking?).  And the damn story just wouldn’t come.  Even though the new heroine was working for my hero, and for me, the story wasn’t coming.

About two weeks before my vacation, I decided one morning that I wasn’t going to keep writing at home.  For some reason, I decided to go to Panera Bread and write there.  Write, munch on a bagle, write.  And it worked.  There were no distractions-other than other bagle munchers and the lure of wireless internet access.  But there was no laundry.  There was no TV. No toys laying around that I had to pick up.  No mailbox.  No list of errands glaring at me from the corner of my eye.

It was just me, the laptop, the bagle…and the story.  I spent about four or five days writing at Panera Bread and I got the story up from 74k to 95k.

I don’t have a depressing workspace.  I have nice pretty blue walls, I have my iPod close by, I have a big windows, an office full of books, both the kind I read for pleasure and the kind I use for research.  And normally, I can work at home just fine (usually).

For some reason, though, this story needed a change of pace.  And now I’m hungry for another bagle…damn it.

Shiloh

http://shilohwalker.com

Shayla Black, Uncategorized

New Covers – Doomsday Brethren

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I’m so excited, I couldn’t wait to share my new covers and backcover copy!

SEDUCE ME IN SHADOW
Doomsday Brethren Series, Book 2
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: September 29, 2009
ISBN 13: 978-1416578444
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Pre-Order: Amazon | Borders | Simon & Schuster
When a villainous wizard escapes from exile, the devastatingly sexy Doomsday Brethren must defend all magickind in the spellbinding second book in bestselling author Shayla Black’s seductive new paranormal series.

Ex-Marine Caden MacTavish has shunned his magical heritage all his life, but he will do anything to heal his desperately ill brother, a Doomsday Brethren warrior in mourning for his missing mate. Posing as a photographer, Caden must convince firecracker tabloid reporter Sydney Blair to reveal the source of her recent exposé on a supernatural power clash. Unfortunately, keeping his hands off the sizzling redhead proves as hard as getting them onto the potent and mystical Doomsday Diary he discovers at her bedside. A bloody rebellion led by an evil, power-hungry wizard is imminent. If Sydney divulges the book’s existence, she will jeopardize magickind’s most deeply guarded secrets and become the ruthless wizard’s number one target. Caden has never trusted magic’s cruel and dangerous powers, but he will protect Sydney with his life and magic—even if it means risking his heart.

Possess Me At Midnight CoverPOSSESS ME AT MIDNIGHT
Doomsday Brethren Series, Book 3
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release Date: October 27, 2009
ISBN 13: 978-1416578468
Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Romance
Pre-order: Amazon | Borders |Simon & Schuster

An apocalypse approaches in the new novel from bestselling author Shayla Black’s electrifying Doomsday Brethren series, as a magical warrior and a spirited witch ignite a smoldering passion that could destroy them both.

As a mysterious dark cloud drains the life of her beloved brother, Doomsday Brethren leader Bram, Sabelle Rion can think of little else. Still, every time she meets Ice Rykard’s intense green gaze, her body aches with need for the sexy warrior. Their attraction is explosive, incredible—and forbidden. As dangerous as he is unpredictable, Ice is her brother’s sworn enemy. But as Bram weakens, a more sinister force is gaining power. Evil Mathias and his ruthless Anarki army are on a bloodthirsty hunt for the Doomsday Diary. Sabelle must guard the potent book with her life—and Ice vows to protect the beautiful witch with his. Duty demands that Sabelle deny her lover’s fiery call of possession and mate with a man who can sway the magical Council against the impending rebellion. With the fate of magickind hanging in the balance, will she forsake the burning desires she can’t ignore or turn her back on her people for the courageous man she can’t resist?

The covers aren’t absolutely final. The verbiage will be added to and/or changed. But the images are set. I’m really thrilled. What do you think?

Delilah Devlin

Have a craving for cowboys?

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You would guess correctly if you said that I do.

I can’t help myself. Thirteen years in the Lonestar State, a working cattle ranch as my back yard…well, it was inevitable. Even average-looking men look dayum hot in Wranglers and a tall hat.

As a writer, I’m the ultimate flip-flopper. I write a paranormal, then have to write a man on horseback. Write a sexy contemporary and immediately have to find that oversized pickup truck and a set of scuffed boots.

Which is good if readers like those slow-talkin’ men. We’ll see.

At the tail-end of last month, TEXAS MEN released. You may have seen it in the stores. The cover’s kinda hard to miss.

 

texas-men_3271

Last fall, as soon as I wrapped up TM, it was on to the next in my DARK REALM books. You know, cowboy—demons/vamps/werewolves—then, it was back to another cowboy, or in the case of SADDLED, two.

Yeah, the only thing better than one cowboy is two. But the good news is you don’t have to wait long to quench your appetite. SADDLED will be out, ready for instant download on the 31st of this month. If you’d like to take a peek inside, just click on that sexy cover!

saddled_3271

Ashleigh Raine, Contests

Only three weeks left…

Only three weeks left until Forsaken Talisman is being released from Samhain Publishing. Lisa and I are bubbling over with excitement that release day is almost here. When we contracted the book with Samhain, we looked at what we’d originally written and were really unhappy with it. We’d grown a lot as authors and the book didn’t reflect where we are now as writers. So we scrapped the book and started over. It’s still Dusty and Skylar’s love story, but rewritten from beginning to end.

So to celebrate the upcoming release of the brand-new version of Forsaken Talisman, we’re having a contest. We love this book and hope you’ll love it too when it comes out on Friday, April 3 at Samhain Publishing. Mark the date! Although, we’ll remind you. 😉

But more about that contest. We’re giving away lots of awesome stuff–seven chances to win! 4 necklaces, a purse and two ebook copies of Lover’s Talisman.

And a little tease of one of the prizes we’re giving away.

And that’s just one of the prizes. You can find all the details on how to enter on our contest page. So go forth and enter the contest. Have fun and good luck!

Shiloh Walker

Oh puh-leeze

cross posted at my blog(s)

So the reason ebooks are taking off so big is because us women can read our ’salacious’ content in private?

According to this guy…yep.  he says:

Well, once again it seems like porn is blazing a path to a new media format. Of the top 10 bestsellers under the “Multiformat” category, nine are tagged “erotica” amd the last is “dark fantasy”. from the ITworld.com blog

First off…we don’t like it when people call our erotic romance porn.  Most die-hard erotic romance readers will tell ya that if the romance isn’t any good, the book’s not worth reading, no matter how well written, how hot the sex scenes are.  Please note…romance doesn’t equate sex scenes.  Romance is that slow slide into love, or that crazy free fall.  It’s the development of a relationship-the sex is just a bonus, because we need that romance.

If all we needed was porn or salicious content, (and felt the need to hide it) we’d buy playgirl and claim we read it for the articles.

From a romance reader, from a romance writer, from an ebook author, here are some reasons why ebooks are taking off.

  1. More and more people are becoming aware of them.  The gadget on that one little site…uh…oh, yeah, Amazon!  is making more and more readers aware of ebooks.  That Sony doo-dad that is in the Books a Million stores, Borders store, Target…many who were unaware of ebooks are now aware.  Once made aware, they are more likely to check things out, rather than when they didn’t know it existed.
  2. Storage.  I’ve got three tall bookcases crammed full.  One is for research.  One case is for keepers.  One case is my yet to be read.  I can only get so many books on those cases.  And I have no room as of yet for more.  Different story with ebooks.  I can store as many as my heart desires.
  3. Instant gratification.  Say I’m cruising an author site and a title catches my eye.  Now I’m impatient.  I could wait until the next day, the weekend, when I have time to go buy the book.  But if it’s in ebook, no need to wait.  Viola, it’s there.
  4. It is a little more earth-friendly.  No paper.  That simple.
  5. Bookaholics can tote a lot more books on an e-reader than they can in their suitcases.  Instead of taking 10 print books and hoping I don’t wish I had something else, I can take my reader, which has upwards of 75+ books on it at all times.
  6. Availability.  Perhaps the guy that wrote the blog post isn’t aware that many ebooks aren’t available in print.  Books from the smaller independent epubs like Ellora’s Cave, Samhain, Loose Id, Changeling, etc put the books out in ebook form only and the print format doesn’t come along until later.  I’m not inclined to wait for print, not if I really want to read it and it’s only in ebook format.

The only time salacious content comes into play for me is if the cover is so blatantly erotic, I can’t keep it on my shelves-not because I’m ‘embarassed’ or I need ‘privacy’.  I’m protecting my children.  I have three children.  Three young children.  They don’t need to see a book with some chick caught in a nekkid clinch with three guys. So if the cover of the book crosses my limit, but I want to read it, I will then see if it’s in ebook.  It has nothing to do with me needing:

the privacy they offer, both during purchase and when reading.

I’m an adult. I read what I choose. I don’t care what the opinions of others are when it comes to my reading material. I’m the one reading it…not them. If they don’t like my reading material, that’s fine…nobody is making them read it.

Have I gotten knocked for reading romance or erotic romance? Oh yes, but those knocks don’t leave me inclined to ‘hide’ my reading. It only irritates me or amuses me, and my response tends to be…well, what was the last romance you read? Most people can’t answer the question.

So there’s the opinion of a woman who has been reading and writing romance for years. I’ve been epubbed since 2003 (I think) and I’ve been reading ebooks since 2002 (I think). Shame or some need to hide my reading material didn’t figure into my purchasing choices then, and they certainly don’t now.

Appearances & Events, Beth Williamson

Getting Educated

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The release of my first New York book, The Education of Madeline, on February 24th was more than just a blip on the radar. It was really the culmination of my education too.

You see, I have been published since 2004 with small print and e-pubs, an amazing experience that taught me how to be a better writer. Without my editor at Samhain, Sasha Knight, I would not be published with New York. I truly believe that y’all. She made me into a better writer and for that I will be eternally in her debt.

Last May when I signed with Kensington, it was like reaching the top of the mountain, breathless and sweaty with your muscles screaming. Then shouting “YES!!!!” at the top of your lungs and hearing it echo.

Then of course, I had to climb down the mountain. LOL. I had to learn everything I didn’t know about the business of publishing. My agent, Laura, and the funny, talented Kate Duffy, my editor at Kensington, gave me what I needed to step forward and be a writer as a career.

It’s not going to happen tomorrow, or even next month, but it will happen. I’m learning things every day about publishing, writing and the business of being a novelist. Each kernel of information is being tucked away, like I’m a chipmunk preparing for winter, and eventually I will feast. I promise. 🙂

If you like sexy cowboys, strong women, and lotsa hot, smokin’ sex, pick up a copy of The Education of Madeline. You won’t be disappointed. 😉

I’ll be signing copies at the Barnes & Noble at Tidewater Community College, 300 Monticello Ave. Level 2, Norfolk, VA 23510 on March 14 at 1 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Shayla Black, Uncategorized

BOUND AND DETERMINED

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I’m thrilled that on Tuesday, March 3, one of my favorite books will re-release in trade paperback: BOUND AND DETERMINED. Let me give you the 411…then a little story to go along with it.

Berkley HEAT
ISBN-10: 0425226905
ISBN-13: 978-0425226902
Genre: Sexy Contemporary Romance
Re-release Date: March 3, 2009

WANTED FOR KIDNAPPING: A bubbly blonde with a penchant for trouble. May be armed (with good intentions) and dangerously seductive…

Kerry Sullivan is running out of time-and patience. With her brother wrongfully accused of embezzling millions, she can’t face one more humiliating hang-up from the man she’s begging for help. Rafael Dawson may be one of the top electronic security experts in the country — and the only man who can prove her brother’s innocence — but his phone manners are appalling. Damn Yankee. Too bad kidnapping the man isn’t an option. Or is it?

There’s nothing Kerry wouldn’t do for her brother. There are lots of things she longs to do to Rafe Dawson when he’s lying tied-up and naked in her secret hideaway. Rafe is certainly something to look at, but Kerry’s brother’s life is riding on her pulling off the impossible: getting this man who’s always in control to lose it. But when the tables get turned, Kerry finds herself at Rafe’s mercy. And the only way to get her way is to let him have his way — with her…

Click here to read an excerpt.

REVIEWS:

***Top Pick***
“Shelley Bradley has outdone herself with this highly entertaining read. Falling in love should be so much fun!” — Romantic Times Magazine

“BOUND AND DETERMINED is steamier than a Florida night, with characters who will keep you laughing and have you panting for more!”
— New York Times Bestselling Author Susan Johnson

“A searing, frolicking adventure of suspense, love and passion…A must read!”
— New York Times Bestselling author Lora Leigh

“Plenty of chick-lit wit… In BOUND AND DETERMINED, much sexy fun is had by all.”
— New York Times Bestselling Author Angela Knight

“BOUND AND DETERMINED is a flawless story that grips a reader from page one and doesn’t let up… Ms. Bradley’s imaginative storylines and irresistible characters keep her readers coming back for more… Don’t miss it!”
— Road to Romance

“BOUND AND DETERMINED had me laughing out loud one minute and reaching for a glass of ice water the next… a definite Perfect 10.”
— Romance Reviews Today

“This fast paced romantic adventure will take you on the hottest ride of your life.”
— Coffee Time Romance Reviews

“You simply won’t want to put BOUND AND DETERMINED down once you turn over the first page. Ms. Bradley simply shines… A fabulous book I’m not likely to forget in a hurry.”
— Aggie, Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Okay, so now for the story I promised. Notice I said re-release… The new cover and the review quotes above should give you some idea that this book is sexy, maybe even erotic. Definitely not your grandmother’s Harlequin. (And must say here, I’m not dissing Harlequin at all, but this isn’t something they would have published back in the day…) So imagine my horror when the book was first released in 2006 with this cover:

What????

Nothing about this says sexy suspense with a wicked edge of humor. Not one thing. When I pointed this out to my editor at the time, she said, “We think this is very sexy.” Really? Have you been living under a rock?

I unaffectionately began calling this cover “Virgin Barbie and Guido go to the Prom”. *sigh* I’ve heard complaints that this heroine looked 12, but I pictured her much this way. No, my major complaint is him and his…attire. That guy isn’t bad looking, but he’s not Rafe. And Rafe would NEVER, EVER wear that shirt or the “pimp chain” many others pointed out.

This time, when Berkley decided to re-release the book…I got to pick the cover. Thank goodness. So, just like the book itself, its cover has a story that finally ends happily. Oh, and part deux, as my husband likes to call it, STRIP SEARCH re-releases, again with a MUCH improved cover, in July. I can’t wait.

Contests, Covers, Lauren

Relentless ARC Contest!

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Video thumbnail. Click to play
Click to Play
Book Video for Lauren Dane’s upcoming Berkley Heat title RELENTLESS releasing May 5

You can read excerpts and advance reviews at my website.

In this erotic universe, passion knows no rank…

Since the first settlers came through the portals from Earth, fifteen Families have held the rule of the Federated Universes in their hands. There’s never been a better time than now to throw out the old and usher in a new order. Give voice to the unranked. Abbie Haws has spent her life battling the system. A fighter, she’s always been too busy and driven to pay much attention to finding love. But when she’s granted audience with Roman Lyons, the head of House Lyons, who stands for everything she hates, her instant attraction catches Abbie off-guard…

It’s common knowledge that the Known Universe revolves around Ravena—and that Ravena revolves around Roman Lyons, bred to lead since birth. Roman dreads his meeting with a defiant—if stunning—rabble-rouser. But, sometimes, headstrong personalities in the conference room make for hot-and-heavy, guilty trysts in private….

Now, Abbie will show Roman the parts of her world he wouldn’t otherwise get to see. And he’ll give her a glimpse of the Families’ age old tradition and unleash a sexuality he’d never given rein to before.

Now On To The Contest Details!!

This is an ARC contest for my upcoming Heat release, Relentless. The intent of an ARC is to get readers and reviewers talking about the book – so essentially what I’m asking people to do is talk about the book – review it at your blog or at your reader group or review site between April and May 5, when the book releases.

The winners just send the link with their review and agree let me quote it at my blog and website (with proper attribution, natch). I don’t require that you like the book although I hope you do!

THE RULES (please read carefully) All you need to do to enter is reply to this post and tell me where you’d be talking about the book if you win (urls are always helpful if you mean your blog!). I’ve got a limited amount of ARCS so I’ll choose winners based on that supply. I also have a limited number of electronic ARCs so if you’d be willing to read and review an electronic ARC, say so in the comments

I’ll announce the winners by Noon March 1 at my main blog and contact winners off list – please include an email so I can notify you and get your mailing address!

Good Luck!!

(BTW, I’ve received two new covers for upcoming books – you can check em out at my main blog!)

Delilah Devlin

8 Days/8 Reasons to buy it now!

31 Comments

Texas Men

I don’t know about you, but I find this cowboy completely drool-worthy! Texas Men will release in 8 days and I’m celebrating by running a countdown on my blog. To be eligible to win, all you have to do is post a comment. I promise it won’t be a chore. I’ll give you eight juicy reasons why you have to read this book, and will give you glimpses into the stories and the characters you will meet along the way. Post a comment here today for an extra chance to win!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Welcome to Honkytonk, the hottest town in Texas—thanks to its adventurous women, irresistible men, and sizzling sex…

Bound and Determined
Bar owner Tara Toomey is in the mood to serve bad boy Cody Westhofen more than a drink. What better way to capture his attention—and more—than to kidnap him for a wanton weekend? Tied to Tara’s bed, Cody is more than willing to cooperate…

Breezy Ridin’
When Joe Chavez and a sheriff’s deputy pull over a speeding motorcycle, it’s no surprise the county judge’s naughty daughter Sarah Michelson is behind the wheel—naked. And when she bribes them with a threesome, all laws are suspended as the men prepare for the ride of their lives…

Night Watch
Schoolteacher Amy Keating never planned to be a voyeur, but one innocent glance into deputy Logan Ross’s bedroom window has her hooked. Now she’s into a world of sexual play she never knew existed…

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

When the DJ’s speaker set crashed to the floor as the first women to arrive rushed the tables nearest the stage, Tara Toomey scrambled for a replacement and chalked the mishap up to high spirits.

When one of the volunteers carrying a tray of Jell-O shots tripped, and cherry and lime gelatin slid in glistening trails down his face and naked chest, she laughed as eager women offered to lick him clean.

However, it wasn’t until one of her staff whispered in her ear that she knew she was in for a long night. The main attraction had yet to arrive.

She crushed her dog-eared copy of the “Hook-up” program in her fist and headed toward the old-fashioned, double swinging doors, ready to stomp all the way to Redbone Ranch to drag his butt to town.

As she passed excited, tittering women her smile felt strained, and her nerves stretched taut. The “Annual Honkytonk Hook-up” had always been a good time, but this year she wished she hadn’t been so quick to volunteer her bar again. Sure, it was good for business and many of the “blow-ins” from Houston, San Antonio, and San Angelo returned throughout the year because they enjoyed the event and Honkytonk’s authentic western ambience.

But Tara wished she could return home, crawl into bed, and pull the covers over her head. The last thing she felt ready to do was watch one particular cowboy strut his stuff across the stage and land in some other woman’s clutches, even if it was just one night, completely innocent—right—and for a really good cause. The fact he might blow off the auction pissed her off almost as much as the thought of the spectacle he’d cause if he did finally make an entrance.

If anyone thought splintered speaker casings or a little spilled Jell-O were trouble, they hadn’t seen a room full of women erupt in the wake of one seriously sexy cowboy.
Continue reading 8 Days/8 Reasons to buy it now! →

Ashleigh Raine, Covers, This and That

So much

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There’s so much going on right now that I can hardly believe it’s been a month since my last blog post. Lisa and I got and finished our edits on Forsaken Talisman, and now it’s off to the final line editor. Phew! That’s such a great feeling.  This book is so much different–so much better–than the original version that released five years ago. It’s still Dusty and Skylar’s love story, but we really developed the story and their romance beyond the original–developed so much more that we added 20,000 words to the story. It’s coming out April 3 from Samhain Publishing. And I absolutely love, love, love the cover.

Forsaken Talisman by Ashleigh Raine
Forsaken Talisman by Ashleigh Raine

It’s a perfect representation of the heroine and the book, really. I get chills when I look at it.

What else has happened over the last month? Well, it’s been a strange month. Things keep breaking. I’ve had to replace my son’s computer, have my dryer fixed, and just one hour ago my oven died. I’ll be calling a repairman tomorrow–the oven came new with my house, and I’ve only lived here 4 1/2 years, so darn it, that shouldn’t be breaking too.  Do things in the home break in threes, like celebrities die in threes? I hope this is it. I’m waving the white flag of surrender, and offering up prayers to the gods of appliances that this is it. That I will be good to all my appliances in the future, cleaning them properly and offering them appropriate thank yous for taking care of me.

On the writing front, Lisa and I are hard at work on our demon novella. It’s loosely tied to our Talisman Bay series, and we’re having a fantastic time with it. We spent time on the phone today ironing out a few kinks we hadn’t figured out yet, and the story just clicked in that moment. It became real. This is the point where the book usually writes itself–at least until we hit another kink, but for now, I’m enjoying the flow.

Oh, and totally off-topic, but I want to share because I’m totally proud and excited for her, Lisa started her own business making jewelry and purses. If you’re interested in fun and gorgeous handmade goodies–she never makes any two alike–you should check out her two online shops.

http://rinaslayter.etsy.com

http://twilightsfancy.artfire.com

I swear I’m one of her biggest fans. I want every necklace she makes and every purse she sews.

Oh, it’s started snowing again! I’m going to go outside and spend a few minutes enjoying the snow coming down. I’ll catch up with you all next month!