Blog Tours

Many of our authors will be off on blog tours the next couple of months. Be sure to check here for the latest tour schedules and giveaways! :)

Philip Kramer Interview

1. What inspired you to begin writing?



Do you know, I wrote about a hundred pages of a book in my mid-teens. I typed it. On a typewriter. It was entirely inspired by "A Fairytale of New York" by JP Donleavy, a great writer and a great stylist. Unfortunately for me what I wrote was all style and no substance. It was about a fellow (his name was Walter Corner) who, by simple dint of chutzpah, panache and associated good fortune was going to make it 'to the top'. Thing was, I wasn't altogether sure to the top of what. Or which way was up, for that matter. Basically, no structure, no substance, no story. What it did do, though, was set the precedent. I could churn out the words - they just needed some direction. Oh, I lost the manuscript somewhere along the way so I doubt that Walter will ever see the light of day. Poor chap.


To be honest, I was a poseur in those days. Fashion, style, scene. I should have took out an ad. "Substance Wanted!"


Then I turned into a working musician and composer. That certainly instils structure, and a three minute single absolutely demands point and clarity.


So, fast forward a couple of decades. I had a new partner with whom I was, still am, powerfully in love. But we were often apart. So, to be blunt, I think the sublimation of sheer sexual longing inspired me to begin writing erotic essays. At first, they were imagined, designed, written and crafted with the single purpose of turning her on! But after a while a silhouette of a character began to emerge; a talented, clever, powerful and deeply sexual woman who, by increments, developed into my uber heroine, the Princess, a.k.a. The Cum Queen.


2. What was the inspiration behind the characters in your most recent release?

Actually I've only written two books! The first is called The Cum Queen and  the second, the follow up, is called The Second Cumming. As I've illustrated, both feature this marvelous woman who is mostly referred to as "the Princess". She does have a name of course, a rather long and grand one, but you'll have to get the book to find out what it is!


There's a hint of me in one of the male supporting characters, called Tarquin. I'm from a city called Birmingham in the English "Midlands". It's a fairly industrial city and when I was younger I was kind of the posh kid. So I got nicknamed Tarquin - which, it's probably safe to say, is a name mostly confined to the upper classes! Anyway it stuck, not least because two of my best friends who date from that era persist in calling me that to this day. So in creating Tarquin I exaggerated some of my more, how shall I put it, "rarified" characteristics and there he was.


As for Dim Sun - my chief baddie, so far - well, I just wanted to create someone unremittingly vile and evil for whom no one (except possibly Hannibal Lecter) could have any sympathy. That way I was able to leverage a huge sense of redemption in what is a pretty dark ending.


3. Which character did you have the most fun writing in these stories?

I adore the Princess. I loved working through the psychology of a powerful, talented, brave and clever woman who is driven by her curiosity about people and an insatiable desire. I enjoyed considering how, as a strong and dominant ruler, she could balance her constitutional and personal drive for control with her compassion, wisdom and femininity. On the back of that, figuring out how she can seduce and enjoy people in innovative, erotic and sometimes, frankly, outrageous circumstances - while examining her thoughts and responses in doing so - was a joy in itself. 


For what it's worth, writing about Dim Sun was also a pleasure. It was like, how bad can I make him?


4. What would you say the difference is between Erotica and Pornography?

Well, see above. The Princess gets involved in some extraordinarily erotic situations, but you know what's going on behind her eyes, between her ears. Compare that with bucket-shop porn. Look at those glazed eyes. Like dead fish. All you know is what's going on between their legs.


5. What is your biggest inspiration as a writer?

Right now? Still the study of human sexuality. I think it's one of the maddest things on earth. If you can imagine it - actually even if you can't - someone's done it. Bar nothing. Capturing some of that, the right bits, and making it... delicious, seems like a good thing to me.


Apart from that, George Smiley, John le Carre's cold war hero and a fictional British spy. Mild mannered, shy, fiendishly intelligent and utterly ruthless. Why? Because he gives good plot.

6. What literary projects can we expect from you in the future?

Aha. Well the Princess has had two outings, and it's pretty hard to resist a third and make it a trilogy. So I'm not going to. Resist I mean. So I've just started the third book. It'll be great. This time the Princess is in love - truly, madly, deeply - only, being the Princess, it's not quite boy meets girl. Well, not just boy meets girl. To keep it simple let's just say she and her lover have, er... eclectic tastes.
There're also not one but two real hardcore baddies. You won't like them. At all. But that's mostly their point.
All of them, along with a strong supporting cast of well articulated characters old and new, join together in an exciting adventure (faintly reminiscent of Indiana Jones, but with lots of extraordinarily inventive, amazingly erotic and astonishingly descriptive sex!) in which they struggle to gain control over "The Vortex", a strange and mythical force of great power.



7. What advice can you give to new writers trying to get published for the first time?


Hey, I'm pretty wet behind the ears! And at this point I have to offer thanks and pay due respect to Solstice Publishing and their great Erotica division Solstice At Night. After all they first published me. But as to the question, this is what I reckon. Structure, tension, plot. Great characters that just boogie up out of the page. And when that lot's stacked up, yes, some good words, some lyrical flair.


Oh yeah, then stick it out. It rarely comes easy.

Melissa Foster's Random Question Interview

Questions

1. Where can we find you?

My Website: http://www.melissafoster.com

Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterBooks

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melissa-Fosters-Books/212842902076685

The Women’s Nest: http://www.thewomensnest.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/melissa_foster

http://thewomensnest.com/content/coming_soon_womens_literary_cafe

2. What is the link for the best review you have had?

CHASING AMANDA:

Take your pick from these: http://melissafoster.com/content/2011-blog-tour-reviews-chasing-amanda

MEGAN’S WAY:

Take your pick from these:

http://melissafoster.com/content/2011-blog-tour-reviews-megans-way

3 Why did you choose Solstice?

Melissa believed in my work from the moment she read it. She is easy to deal with and has a close relationship with her authors.

4. What’s your favorite cover you have seen recently? (feel free to add a picture but please try to keep it pg 13 lol!)

The cover of Memoirs of An Ex Nun, by Patricia Gibson

5. What catches your attention with other books?

I’m a cover girl. The photo sets the hook, but the summary has to reel me in.

6. Do you treat a book as a book, for the story inside, or do you judge a book by the author and or the way it’s published?

I never pay attention to who the author is until the book has been read, and I couldn’t care less about how someone publishes their work. Writing a book is an enormous accomplishment. For some, giving up the control to a large publisher is simply too much to ask. For others, waiting a year for publication suits them well. I care about the writing, not who made the writing available.

7. Ebooks VS Books (Feel free to explain)

I love the look, feel, weight, and even the smell of a paper book. Ebooks have their place. They’re far more economically viable, they offer larger print and a lighter book for some of the heftier books, like Stephen King’s typical books. I prefer to read paper books, but I’m thankful for Ebooks as well.

8. If you can have anyone read your book and give you feedback who would it be and why?

I’d be crazy not to say Oprah, for the sheer marketing value of her review, but on a personal note, I’d love for Maria Shriver or Virginia Madsen to read Megan’s Way. It’s an important story that can offer hope to many.

9. What is it that addicted you to your genre?

I write in several genres, although they call can be under the Women’s Fiction umbrella. I write about worst fears and real life situations. Life can be seen from so many different angles, and a single situation can be interpreted in many different ways. That is why I’m addicted to writing about real life.

10 Your favorite author.

AA Milne.

11. Favorite color.

Easy, lavender.

12. Something your bio’s won’t tell us.

I am addicted to brownies with mint chocolate chip ice cream, whipped cream from a can, and chocolate jimmies. No nuts, no cherry.

13. Advice to others?

Read often, edit more than you think you have to, and never give up.

14. If you have a day job how do you balance everything.

My day job is writing. I also founded and run The Women’s Nest and I’m soon going to be launching the Women’s Literary Café, a venue to bridge the gap between authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, and editors. We’ll be offering free promotions to all the writing related services.

15. What does your writing schedule look like.

It looks beautiful! I write from 9am until 2pm Monday through Friday, from September through June.

16. Do you find that writing keep you sane?

Writing keeps me sane, happy, and allows me to be a much better mom to my children.

17. If you could bring one of your characters to life, would you, and why?

That’s a really difficult question. I would probably bring Amanda to life. I don’t want to supply any spoilers, but you’ll understand why after reading CHASING AMANDA.

18. If you had a magical power what would if be?

Definitely the power to heal.

19. Do you believe in magic?

Absolutely.

20. If we were to play rock paper scissors what would your first choice be?

Scissors.

21. If you could control one of the elements what would it be?

Fire. I’d make the forest fires stop.

22. What annoys you in books?

Unrealistic characters.

23. Have you ever came across a book you don’t know why a publisher published?

Absolutely, but that’s just my opinion.

23. Are you a grammar nazi, or do you find yourself more intertwined with the story to deal with the editing part.

I adore my editor. I’m not a grammar Nazi and I find most people who say they are, are lacking in that area. I also wish the term “Nazi” would be replaced with something else.

24. Do you believe in self publishing?

Absolutely.  I think we’ll see many more authors self-publishing as the world of publishing changes and ebooks take the number one sales spot.

25. Make up a question and have at it J

If you could have anything in life that relates to your books, what would it be?

I would have better access to readers and bookstores.

26. Tell us a joke.

I only know dirty ones.

27. What is the weirdest thing you have come across in your writing career?

People who are nasty for the sake of being nasty.

28. Randomly tell us what you thought as you were reading these questions.

I wish my kids would stop joking around and laughing in the background so I could concentrate.

29. Are you a believer in Karma.

It’s my middle name.

30. Give a shout out to another writer, you can include their links work ect.

If you haven’t read MJ Rose, she’s a tremendous author and an amazing and gracious woman. http://www.mjrose.com

Blogs to read follow and Share!

Be sure you are following this blog, then venture your way down the list and read and follow along :)
Melissa Foster http://melissafoster.com/b​logs/melissa and http://thewomensnest.com/b​logs/thinkhappy
Jeanne Bannon http://beyondwordsblog.blo​gspot.com/
Andrea Buginsky http://andisrealm.webs.com​/apps/blog/
Dianne Hartsock http://diannehartsock.word​press.com/
Felicia Rogers www.feliciarogersauthor.we​bs.com/apps/blog
Danielle Smith www.theangelsgate.blogspot​.com
Denyse Bridger http://fantasy-pages.blogs​pot.com/
Mysty Rayburn http://www.the-top-shelf.c​om/
T. S. Welti http://tswelti.com/wp
Courtney Conant http://courtneyconantreading.blogspot.com/
XchylerConn http://www.mysticthoughts-xc.blogspot.com
Newly added!
Doreen McNicol http://www.rachelwicks.com/-my-blog---seriously-why.html

Commonly Misused Words

1. Allusion, Illusion:

An Allusion is an indirect reference. An illusion is a misconception or false impression. Did you catch my allusion to Shakespeare? Mirrors give the room an illusion of depth.

2. Climactic, Climatic:

Climactic is derived from climax, the point of greatest intensity in a series or progression of events. Climatic is derived from climate; it refers to meteorological conditions. The climactic period in the dinosaurs' reign was reached just before severe climatic conditions brought on the ice age.

3. Than, Then:

Than is a conjunction used in comparisons; then is an adverb denoting time. That pizza is more than I can eat. Tom laughed, and then we recognized him.

Hints:

Than is used to compare; both words have the letter a in them.

Then tells when; both are spelled the same, except for the first letter.

4. There, Their, They're:

There is an adverb specifying place; it is also an expletive. Adverb: Sylvia is lying there unconscious. Expletive: There are two plums left. Their is a possessive pronoun. They're is a contraction of they are. Fred and Jane finally washed their car. They're later than usual today.

Hints:

If you are using there to tell the reader where, both words have h-e-r-e. Here is also a place.

If you are using their as a possessive pronoun, you are telling the reader what
"they own. Their has h-e-i-r, which also means heir, as in someone who inherits something. Both words have to do with ownership.

They're is a contraction of they are. Sound out they are in the sentence and see if it works. If it does not, it must be one of the previous versions.

5. Lie, Lay:

Lie is an intransitive verb meaning to recline or rest on a surface. Its principal parts are lie, lay, lain. Lay is a transitive verb meaning to put or place. Its principal parts are lay, laid.

Hint: Chickens lay eggs. I lie down when I am tired.

Did you know?

1. A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

 

2. The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

3. A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and
down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

4. A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2" by 3-1/2".

5. Sherlock Holmes NEVER said, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

6. There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange,
purple and silver.

7. The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book
most often stolen from public libraries.

8.The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

9. Men can read smaller print then women can; women can hear better.

10. 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

Random Question Interview with Brigit

Questions

1. Where can we find you? http://www.brigitsworld.com http://www.facebook.com/brigitaine http://brigitsjournals.blogspot.com http://www.twitter.com/brigitsworld

3 Why did you choose Solstice? Solstice sort of chose me.  A friend sent my manuscript in to them when I mentioned needing a new publisher and they liked it… so here I am.  I am very glad for it,

5. What catches your attention with other books? All sorts of things.  Author names, blurb on the back, cover picture, recommendations from other people

6. Do you treat a book as a book, for the story inside, or do you judge a book by the author and or the way it’s published? Sometimes by the author if I have read 4 or 5 books and none of them grabbed at me, but usually I treat a book like a book.

7. Ebooks VS Books (Feel free to explain) – I love both and will often buy a book twice.  I love to take my iPad and go and be able to read and read and get more books and not have them get heavy on my arm. However I love a bookstore and to feel paper in my hands.  To curl up in the tub or on the couch with a blanket and lose myself in a book.

9. What is it that addicted you to your genre? OH…. The magic of being something other…something beyond the normal.  I love paranormal and I love love… so the two together make me shiver.

10 Your favorite author. Couldn’t choose just one.  Honestly.  I read all the time a ton of people. 

11. Favorite color. Mint Green…soothing and cool.

12. Something your bio’s won’t tell us. My belly button is pierced.

13. Advice to others? Keep writing, keep trying.  Be sure you send your story to at least two people to read and critique before you submit… trust me… it helps.

14. If you have a day job how do you balance everything. Balance?  There is supposed to be balance?  It is tough.  I find that my writing is what most often has to give in order to work and spend time with my family.  I wish I was one of those people who didn’t need sleep.  But I do.  I write on weekends, and during holidays and breaks.  If I get a free evening I will write then as well.

16. Do you find that writing keep you sane? Sane?  Ummm… well… I suppose if sane is the right word.  I don’t know if I’m ever sane.  I do find that the voices in my head are less when I am putting them down on paper.

19. Do you believe in magic? I do believe in magic.  I think that there is magic waiting to be tapped to in everyone and everything we do.

20. If we were to play rock paper scissors what would your first choice be? Scissors, I love to cut things up.

21. If you could control one of the elements what would it be? Only one?  Geez… that isn’t fair at all.  Nope.

23. Have you ever came across a book you don’t know why a publisher published?

23. Are you a grammar nazi, or do you find yourself more intertwined with the story to deal with the editing part. I get totally entwined when I am writing a story… and when I am reading I love the stories, but if there are glaring grammar errors it will catch my attention.  I do try to ignore them though.

29. Are you a believer in Karma. Oh I am a huge believer in Karma… it is by far the thing I believe in the most.  What you put out there you get back threefold.

30. Give a shout out to another writer, you can include their links work ect. Denyse Bridger… she is the best of the best… http://www.denysebridger.com