Holidays start today!

I’m on holiday from today! Have a lovely break all those who are on holiday themselves. See you in two and a half weeks.

Jen

Wednesday Writing

Check me out on ARe café blog tomorrow where I have a guest post talking about ‘The Last Werewolf’ which I co-wrote with the lovely Susan Laine. 

The theme is cross-country travel which I read as literally cross countries as our book is set in England and Finland. Find out how hill forts, ungodly lakes and family history come into the story!

Jen

Inspirational Mondays

Sorting out my wardrobe the other day to find a really cool dress to combat the heatwave I found it didn't fit. So I tried another... and then a blouse.... and so on. I now have four dresses, two skirts and two blouses to take to the charity shop!

Therefore I need to restock my wardrobe. Exciting! Thank you heatwave!

Jen

Rabbit Fridays

When I ordered the new sofa I had realised how much it co-ordinated with the rabbit!

Wednesday Writing

I am over on K D Grace’s blog today from lunchtime UK time, following my reading at ‘Smut by the Sea’ last month after which she invited me to do a guest blog!

The blog follows on from my reading from 
‘Friendly Seduction’ where I laugh at my own genre, eg, where the hero always has to be handsome and hunky and can get the clothes off the heroine very easily!

Go find out more and read extracts go to K D's blog!

Enjoy

Jen

Inspirational Mondays

It would have been my late father's birthday today.

He was truly an inspirational person.

Miss you lots, Dad. Happy birthday.

Jen

Rabbit Fridays

Sunshine has arrived at last!

Wednesday Writing

It is nearly the holidays :)

And who wants to write whilst it is hot?! 

Oh, all right. I promise to finish 'Retraining the Dom' by the end of August! 

Watch this space...........

Inspirational Mondays

This is a terrific Monday!

Why? You ask.

Well, because summer has arrived in the UK (at long last!!) and I had a great weekend in the garden (when I wasn't indoors watching TV......)

Because Andy Murray got to the Wimbledon finals (YESSSS!!!! At last. First Brit to win the men's title at Wimbledon for 77 years!) - and it was an amazing match with some INSPIRED shots.

And because I got some of my royalties on Saturday and I have now sold more than 15,000 books!

THANK YOU, LOVELY READERS :)

Rabbit Fridays

I was looking for ‘rabbit’ jokes online and found this extract from a longer article by Rowan Pelling from the Independent September 2006!

There's a much-repeated "statistic" that tells us more people buy Rampant Rabbit vibrators each year than buy washing machines. Mind you, I never see actual numbers quoted and I could say with equally spurious gravitas that a zillion times more people buy Kit-Kats every day than buy sex toys. Does this prove something momentous about lovemaking? It seems to me the important questions in the Rabbit/washing machine debate is: does your bunny come with a five-year warranty, and will it be kind to your delicates? Because they both come with a choice of speeds and you'll feel a bit fruity if you straddle your Zanussi.

Given the choice, I'd go for the washing machine every time. Which is not to diminish the impact of the Rabbit - the most successful sex toy in the history of onanism. The ubiquitous bunny has appeared in Sex and the City, is Ann Summers' best-selling line, and this week stars in a new British film called Rabbit Fever about a group of women addicted to their favourite appliance. Although reviews suggest it's about as amusing as a bath of cold vomit, it's still an astonishing piece of product promotion.

Jen

Wednesday Writing - Erotic Writers' Lunch

Last Saturday I travelled down to Cambridge (England!) to visit some fellow writers who also publish with Evernight Publishing. I had met Morgan King before (see, also, her interview on my blog on Monday), but it was great to meet her again along with Michaela Rhua and Doris O’Connor.

Now, we probably scandalised those sitting near us in the wine bar as we talked about our books …. And sex (naturally!), but Michaela said that we, “Educated them”!!!!

Having just had a spa/sauna day at Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest I told them how magnificent it was and we are seriously considering the next meeting in the Suffolk Center Parcs.

Our writing discussions included talking about writing for different publishers (which can be a minefield. My two, Evernight and Siren, are great). Also about getting books rejected and having to revise and resubmit, sometimes to another publisher. But it is great there are so many independent publishers around these days. The disadvantage of working for different publishers is that they have different methods and requirements, eg, how you do your dialogue tags, when and how often you get paid or find out book sales, etc.

Another line of conversation was about ‘how to get that elusive bestseller’ and how much promotion you have to do yourself. So writing lots and building up a fan base is what writers usually say and once you have that fan base they pass on recommendations via word of mouth. Having a good title is always helpful – my book ‘Submissive Training’ remains my bestselling one and I have always put that down to the title! What you write is important, eg, BDSM sells well as does ménage stories or MM stories (congrats to Morgan having written her first MM which she says she thoroughly enjoyed – I tried one MM short story and didn’t enjoy it. Clearly not my thing!)

I should also point out that these three have all contributed to an anthology, Her Type  of Guy, just out. So I wish you every success, Ladies!

The problem with doing any promotion is that it takes you away from your precious writing time, particularly if, like all us, one has a job and/or a family (in Doris’s case a brood of nine kids!! She says she writes at night and is always pleased when the school holidays come because she doesn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to get them off to school).

The fact that Doris has three books coming out in August, Michaela and Morgan have just had booked accepted and if I remember our conversations correctly also have books coming out makes me feel very guilty that I haven’t worked on my writing for months.

So time to leave my blog and go back to the computer……

Thanks for a great lunch, ladies.

Jen

Monthly Author Interview

This month’s inspirational author is Morgan King who not only has a job and is a single mum, but also writes (I admire anyone who can juggle all those – all I have to contend with is a rabbit!).

Hi, I’m Morgan, well actually it’s a pen name, having a secret identity makes me feel a little like an important spy, which is always a good way to start the day! I picked Morgan King based on first pet followed by first street, supposedly my porn star name. The one thing I didn’t count on was people saying did you deliberately pick a man’s name? No I was thinking Morgana le Fey, as had my parents when they named our female dog and I am very definitely a woman, in case you were wondering. A woman who rambles….(unless Jennifer chooses to cut bits out!)

I’m also a mother to a beautiful five year old, so when the characters aren’t having conversations in my head I’m voicing the character of a witch, dragon, pirate or possibly knight. Yes, I always get to be the bad guy for some reason! (But those are always the best characters to play, Morgan!)

Then there’s the day job, I work as a senior manager for a charity, which is both challenging and rewarding.

And oh yes I’m British, living in rural Norfolk, which is great because I get to meet up with other UK writers like Jennifer.

Surely that’s enough about me, but don’t worry because now we can talk books!

Tell us about your latest book.

Well the absolutely latest is not just mine but an anthology called ‘Her Type of Guy’. A few of us got chatting one night and all got ideas for stories that we wanted to put together. It was so inspiring to work with others.

My two stories are a little bit of naughty fun, including ménage and voyeurism ‘cause those are my kinks (as an author of course).

(see an extract at the end!)

What makes a great hero?

What makes a great person? Someone who is about more than themselves: they care for others, they let their love for others guide and shape them.

 

Do you have anything in common with your characters?

I think a writer puts a bit of themselves into every character, male or female. I don’t think I have too much in common with many of my characters, except thinking about it I have a forthcoming story (4^th July) entitled Moving On: With His Handyman and although this is about two men the motivation for the story was the feelings I had in common with one of the characters… (if you read it and want to know more just e-mail me!)

(hmmm, curious…..)

What’s the strangest (bravest, funniest etc) thing you’ve ever done?

There’s actually a few to pick from, the one I’ve chosen is maybe strange, maybe funny, but only if you have a warped sense of humour like me and in this case two of my friends.

For some reason we decided it would be funny to play a prank on the University Chaplain, so I convinced a security guard that I had left my purse in the Chaplain’s office and when allowed back in to look in for it slipped the catch on his window. That night we spent hours blowing up balloons before carrying them across campus in black bin bags, opening the unlatched window from the outside, and pushing them all through. Okay there weren’t so many that he couldn’t walk in, but there was certainly no floor to be seen. The next day we staked out his office till he arrived. His expression: priceless!!!

(You wicked girl!)

Who are some of your favorite authors?

I read far too much, before I started writing it had got to be a bit of an addiction, seriously, so I could write a very long list, I’ll try to keep it short!

Michel Faber, Ian McEwan, Philippa Gregory, Tracey Chevalier, Jonathon Kellerman, Faye Kellerman, Michael Connolly, Harlen Coben, Jane Austen, Daphne Du Maurier, Lauren Dane, Maya Banks, Christine Feehan, Elizabeth Hoyt, J.R. Ward.

That’s the really short list!

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

Yorkshire Puddings filled with cream cheese and blueberries, especially if they are for breakfast, because I’ve run out of milk and bread! (Yes they are frozen batters, as I’ve run out of milk).

Who did you dedicate your first book to?

A few people, but mainly a teacher that meant a lot to me and a group of women that like to talk sex.

I am now taking requests; my sister very specifically wants me to dedicate my forthcoming naughty fairytale No Rest for the Prince’s Virgin to her.

(I love the idea of taking requests!)

How do you come up with inspiration for your books?

I tend to play the ‘What If’ game in my head all the time and turn the answers into stories.

When did you write your first book (and is it published)?

Not long ago! Duty to Love was my first book and was released with Evernight in February. It’s an erotic regency ménage (and an ARe and

Bookstrand bestseller!)

What’s the hardest part of writing?

Some days just making yourself write, or researching facts, although personally I could never have been a writer before Google and Wikipedia. That and the consequences of writing, waiting to see if anyone likes your stories!

How can fans find you on the internet?

http://www.facebook.com/authormorganking

http://www.facebook.com/morgankingauthor

http://www.authormorganking.wordpress.com

Twitter:  Morgan King @EroticWritings 

Her Type of Guy (Naughty Short Story Collection)

For every desire, there's a man to meet it. Someone's annoyance is another's kink. In this naughty collection of short stories, indulge your fantasies, and follow our heroines as they find just the right type of guy or guys…

From bouncing cocks to virgins, slow coaches, true Scotsmen, and messy play partners, sex toy experts and their mischievous friends—these guys are in need of their ladies. Why is one guy too grumpy to believe, another always too early? And can there ever be a future with a hired killer?

Only one way to find out. You might just meet your ideal guy.

This is my favourite bit from mine…

Do you have matching panties on?” He didn’t wait for her answer; hooking his fingers into the waistband of her skirt he guided it to the floor, and let her rest her hands on his shoulders as she stepped her feet out.

“I forgot, either you didn’t have any on to start with or you took them off for me at the restaurant. No, don’t tell me. I think they got so wet you took them off.” He leaned in to inhale her fragrance, his cheek brushing her curls in an intimate caress.

“Oh shit.” The voice from the doorway made Matt spin round, nearly falling on his arse in his haste.

…especially as I know what happens next.

Thanks, Morgan. Good luck with your writing. Next month’s inspirational author is Mellanie Szereto.

Jen