Join the Fight: Tell Congress That Being an Artist/Author IS a Business!

Like most people, I barely understand most of the legalese involved in tax law.  In fact, until recently, I blindly believed that, as an Author, since I considered myself engaged in business, and everything I read told me I had to file a Schedule C as a sole proprietorship, when I had royalty income, I was engaged in a For-Profit business.  Well, imagine my surprise when the State of Arizona tried to tell me, just before Christmas, last year (Thanks alot Arizona Scrooge!), that because I couldn’t prove a profit (ie, more income than expenses) in three out of five years as an author, I was not, in fact, engaged in a For-Profit Business.

Apparently, being an Artist/Author is one of those areas for which you are supposed to be punished, in the good ol’ US of A (or, at least, in Arizona), thanks to one of a set of “tests” to determine whether or not a business meets the criteria for “For Profit.”  Unfortunately, one of those tests requires a showing of profit — something few authors or artists are familiar with, when it comes to their art.  And, equally apparent is the ridiculous notion that an author or artist should ONLY be engaged in writing/art in order to be classed as pursuing that For-Profit status without proof of said profit margin.  Apparently, we really ARE supposed to starve and end up in the poor-house/bankrupt in order to be taken seriously by the tax laws.

Well, if you’re an author/artist, or family or friends of such, you know how driven a profession this is.  We dedicate every spare moment we can squeeze out of our day for the creation of our creative minds.  And there’s not a one of us who doesn’t intend to someday be able to do nothing but write, paint, etc, etc  full-time.  But we’re also realistic enough to realize that with millions of books printed every day, and hundreds of thousands of artists out there, most of us aren’t likely to ever see our names on or far enough up the bestsellers list or on gallery listing, etc, to make that kind of money.  We hold down other jobs, to pay the bills, and our families suffer as much as we do, for our art.

It’s time to take a stand… So if you’re an artist or author, a friend or family of one, or a fan who wants to see your favorite author/artist/etc continue to create, we need your help.  Follow the link below, sign the petition, and let’s tell the US Congress that being an artist/author IS a business, and we deserve protection and fair regard, as such, under the tax laws.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/arts-irc-186-amendment/ (yes, I know the link has a mistake… I hit a “6″ instead of a “3″ when typing in the title, and can’t figure out how to change it).

Guest Spot: Desiree Holt’s WHERE DANGER HIDES

Also from Desiree Holt – WHERE DANGER HIDES

Blurb:

After a night of wild sex with a total stranger, Taylor Scott never expected to see the man again. What a shock when he walked into her office weeks later as the representative of the father she never knew she had, a man who’d left her his entire empire. With her father’s killers still at large and vultures hovering to pick apart his massive corporation, Noah Cantrell soon becomes the only person she can trust. He’s also the man who teaches her the pleasures of erotic love, demanding her body even as he sets barriers to any kind of personal relationship — because Noah has a dark secret he never shares, one that prevents him from ever opening himself up to anyone again except in bed.

As the two follow a treacherous path through the world of corporate intrigue, a path that takes them from the corporate boardroom to the jungles of Mexico, with the sex growing hotter by the night, can Taylor find a way break through that wall he’s built around himself?

Excerpt:

Taylor felt shock ripple through him and she clutched harder at the fabric of his jacket to keep him from pulling back. She wanted this man in ways she’d never wanted anyone else. Ways that startled her as her body reacted in an unfamiliar manner. She almost pulled back, frightened at the explosion of desire streaking through her, but determination overrode trepidation. For all the things she’d lost and the ones she’d never had, she deserved this. She pressed her tongue hard against his mouth, and whether from shock or desire he opened and she tasted him. Whiskey and coffee and mint combined to produce a heady flavor that tantalized her sense of taste. She sucked at his tongue, drawing him into her mouth in a kiss more sensuous than she’d ever permitted herself. Or ever wanted.

His hand gripped her upper arms tightly as if to push her away but she had a death grip on his lapels. She was so damned tired of being strait-laced and obedient. The past week had stripped away all the steel bands restricting her life, with today finishing the job. All that obedience had been for nothing. Now she wanted wild, a night that would help her blot out all the dark feelings rampaging through her.

With a groan the man pulled her closer. His own tongue responded to hers, sweeping into her mouth, leaving no inch of the dark wetness untouched. The slight roughness of it scraped across the sensitive tissues, calling each hidden nerve into play. His lips fused to hers, pressing down on them, devouring them, as his fingers dug into her shoulders.

They stood suspended in the darkness, sensations from the kiss rocketing through her body and drawing forth reactions from parts of her body long dormant. Her nipples began to tingle and she felt wetness seeping between her thighs. She would give anything to stay this way forever, balanced on a precipice.

He was the first to break away, looking down at her with glittering eyes. “I think you’ve had far too much to drink.”

Taylor was trying to find her breath but all the air seemed to have been sucked out of her lungs. The pulse that beat between her legs was echoing through her core. She knew about “getting hot” and “getting wet” but this was the first time a man had made her feel it.  The drinks had nothing to do with what was happening to her. It was the man, a powerful jungle animal who called to the hidden wildness within her.

“This is my idea, not the whiskey.” She pulled in another breath and tried to drag his face down to hers again.

He tightened his hands on her shoulders, a strangled sound erupting from his throat. “I’m a stranger. You can’t just pick me up and take me to your room like this. Don’t you know things like that aren‘t safe?”

“I don’t think you’ll harm me,” she whispered. “I don’t know why but I trust you.”

And wasn’t that absurd, when she’d hardly trusted anyone all her life. Yet something in him gave her a sense of security, certainly unusual when locked in the darkness with a caged panther. “Please don’t pull away.” With slightly trembling fingers she shifted his tie out of the way and began to unbutton his shirt. She pressed her body against him, rubbing herself against the hard erection the layers of clothing between them couldn’t hide.

“This is insanity.” His voice was hard and edgy, his grip on her tightening almost to the point of pain. “There are things about me you don’t know.”

Taylor licked the bare skin of his chest that she’d exposed and slid her hands inside his shirt. The warmth of his body almost burned her. Beneath the hot male skin he was harder than steel, his muscles like ropes of steel. As her tongue found his soft chest and the tip of it danced over him, his breathing hitched.

She looked up at him, struggling to bring out words. “Are you a wanted criminal? Do you have a deadly disease? No? Then I don’t care about anything else.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I want this. I want you.”

Guest Spot: Desiree Holt’s TROUBLE IN COWBOY BOOTS (Adult)

Upcoming from Desiree Holt – TROUBLE IN COWBOY BOOTS!

Blurb:

Stranded in Mesa Blanco, Texas, with no money and no prospects, Emily Lathrop hires on as the cook at the Lazy Aces Ranch. Two problems—she can’t cook, and owner Wyatt Cavanaugh is so hot she nearly burns herself just standing near him. Trying to keep her hormones under control is a problem when Wyatt seduces her into his bed and teaches her the real meaning of erotic love. Now proper Emily finds herself shockingly addicted to the BDSM games he likes to play, her body craving the bondage and domination that pushes her thermostat past the point of combustion, even as she knows that it’s all going to come crashing down any moment with a big painful thud.

Excerpt -

Emily Proctor slammed the hood of the car and looked at her two friends.

“I don’t have a clue what’s wrong with this clunker, but I jiggled everything I could. See if it starts now.”

They’d set out from Las Vegas, the three of them, refugees from downsizing, with nothing but this whale-sized bucket of bolts, a few possessions, prepaid cell phones for emergencies and the grand total of three hundred dollars between them. West there was only California and LaLa Land so they’d headed east, away from the desert heat. They’d expected the car to break down somewhere, just not on a highway with nothing around them except pastures and cattle. They hadn’t even passed another vehicle in almost an hour. And it was hotter than nine kinds of hell.

She’d pulled her thick mane of sable hair back into a pony tail. Now she lifted it off her neck where it rested limply and used it to fan her skin. If this was a nightmare, she wanted to wake up right this minute.

Lola Lamont wriggled in behind the wheel. One blonde curl from the mass of curls piled haphazardly on her head and held in place with a clip fell forward onto her forehead and she brushed it impatiently away. Stretching out her long, showgirl legs and straightening the t-shirt that barely concealed breasts that were the envy of every other girl in the shows she worked herself into place on the seat. Letting out a long, slow breath, she carefully turned the key. The motor coughed, gurgled, groaned and finally turned over with a sound that set all their teeth on edge.

“At least it started again.” She sighed. The 1966 pink Cadillac convertible was her contribution to their road trip. “This old gal has been very good to me.”

“It may be time to put her to sleep,” Roxie snorted.

“Roxie!” Lola did her best to look affronted.

“I’m with Rox,” Emily put in. “You think this hunk of junk will at least get us to the next town?”

Leaning against the car, Roxie fanned herself with her hand. “It better, or we’re gonna burn up like fried chicken.”

“All right.” Emily dusted her hands off on the seat of her jeans shorts. “Rox, get in the car. Lola, you drive. Roll all the windows down to catch some kind of breeze and pray as you never have before that we hit civilization before this thing rolls over for the last time.”

The grand adventure they’d tried to make this was turning into a grand pain in the ass. If they didn’t light somewhere soon they’d be in bigger trouble than they’d had in Vegas.

No one said a word as they rolled down the highway, each mile unwinding beneath them with unbearable slowness. Emily knew they were sending up silent prayers to the gods and the fates and anyone else who would listen.

Please, please, let us land somewhere safe.

Just as the engine was beginning to make threatening noises again, signs of life emerged. Smack in the middle of the highway sat a town. If you could call it that, Emily thought. A far cry from the glitz and glitter of Las Vegas.

But it had a main street, cross streets running into it and, lord have mercy, a cafe, where the car heaved its last and died.

“At least we’ll be able to get something cold to drink,” Roxie sighed.

“You better hope it’s cheap,” Lola warned. “Maybe we could all share one.”

“Maybe we could just go inside and see what’s what.” Emily blew a stray hair away from her face. How in god’s name had she ever thought this would be fun?

“’What’s what’ better be a way to get that hunk of junk fixed,” Roxie said, climbing out of the car.

“As if.” Lola tugged on her very tight white shorts and brushed at her hot pink tank top. “The only way that’s gonna happen is if we rob a bank or win the lottery.”

“Right now we don’t even have money for a lottery ticket,” Emily reminded her and sighed. “Okay. Let’s go see what’s inside. Hopefully they have air conditioning or we might sweat to death.”

The inside of Blue Belle’s looked so cheerful Emily almost threw up. Booths among one wall were upholstered in what she could only call an electric blue and the scattering of tables and chairs had cheap vases of artificial blue flowers on them. Every available space on the wall was filled with more pictures of bluebonnets than she’d ever seen. Not that she’d seen that many.

At three o’clock in the afternoon the place was mostly empty. The first thing Emily noticed was the blast of cool air that greeted them. The second was the three men sitting at a corner table. They all looked up as the women trooped in. If Emily had been in a better mood she’d have checked them out. Right now all she wanted was cold liquid, not a hot man.

The three of them plunked down in chairs at a table near the door. Roxie picked up the menus stuck between the salt and pepper shakers and fanned herself. A woman in jeans and a blouse the loudest blue Emily had ever seen came out from behind the lunch counter.

“Y’all look like you’ve just been dragged through hell,” she commented. “What can I get for you?”

Roxie stopped fanning herself and looked at the plastic-covered menu. “We’ll have the large Coke.”

“All of you?” the waitress asked.

“One coke,” Emily told her. “Three straws.”

The woman stared at them for a long minute then shrugged. “Okay. One Coke. Three straws.”

“Couldn’t we each just get a small one?” Lola whined.

Emily bit back the retort that bubbled up. “Even a small one is more than two dollars,” she hissed. “They probably think they’ll get rich on strangers coming through.”

The woman returned with a huge glass filled with the bubbly soda, plunked it down on the table and slammed three paper-wrapped straws beside it.

“She probably figures she won’t be getting as tip,” Lola giggled.

“She’s right,” Emily said and picked up one of the straws.

They were each taking small sips, savoring the icy cold liquid, when the waitress returned with two more large glasses of coke and set them on the table.

Emily looked up at her. “Um, we didn’t order those.”

“I know.” The woman’s voice could have curdled milk. “Your friends over there did.”

“My friends?” Emily frowned. “I don’t have any friends here.”

“You do now.”

The voice was deep and so smooth it sent shivers of delight dancing along her spine. She was vaguely aware of a chair scraping on the floor next to her and a body folding down into it. When she forced herself to look at the occupant she nearly lost it. A typical cowboy hat sat atop a head with thick sun-streaked brown hair long enough to touch the collar of his chambray shirt. Hazel eyes with flecks of amber and green were watching her with an amused look. Sensuous lips turned up in a slight grin that softened the harsh angles and planes of his very masculine face. Faded jeans covered long legs that he crossed with one ankle resting on the other knee, giving her a good look at dusty, but obviously expensive, cowboy boots. Hand tooled. Emily had seen enough of them on high rollers in Vegas.

Emily was vaguely aware that the other two men had also joined them but she couldn’t make herself pull her eyes away from the man next to her.

Guest Author: Desiree Holt

A little late with this (mainly because Yours Truly has a brain like a seive, lately…lol), but please welcome my special guest, Desiree Holt, to the Den!  Desiree writes some really hot, hot, hot stuff, which is pretty amazing, since it comes from such a sweet and wonderful lady!

So, without further ado, I give you Desiree Holt!

Desiree Holt has lived a life of excitement that brings the color to her writing. She was a summer fishing guide, a summer field hand where she was one of only three women working, a member of a beginning ski team that skied in competition (and no, no broken bones!). She spent several years in the music business representing every kind of artist from country singer to heavy metal rock bands. For several years she also ran her own public relations agency handling any client that interested her. She is twice a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award, a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as a CAPA Award, winner of two Holt Medallion Awards of Merit, and is published by four different houses. Romance Junkies said of her work: “Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.”

 You can find her at www.desireeholt.com and www.desireeholttellsall.com

Guest Author: Adrianne Brennan’s BLOOD OF THE DARK MOON

This is an excerpt from Blood of the Dark Moon, originally published by Aphrodite’s Apples and now contracted through Freya’s Bower:

Some time after they had left the diner, Amanda could only guess that they were venturing further into Queens and would soon, perhaps, be in Long Island. She kept scrutinizing the roads and the signs, looking for places she recognized. Unfortunately, she hadn’t traveled very much out of Manhattan during her stay at NYU and so nothing looked familiar to her. She settled for chatting with Jesse and enjoying the view from her window.

It was almost midnight when Jesse finally pulled off a major road and stopped at a nearby rest stop. He parked the car off to the side and gestured towards the sky.

“You can’t see this in Manhattan. Damn, it’s beautiful.”

She stared up at the sky and saw all of the individual stars that had been obscured by the pollution from the city. Amanda leaned back against the car, finding herself awed by the majesty of the sky combined with the gentle, clean breezes that swept through her hair. Away from the highway and the noises of the city to distract her, she experienced the outdoors at its fullest. She was spinning away in the galaxy towards the stars.

With a flourish, Jesse opened up the back door of the car.

“Here, sit down with me.” He sat on the seat and pulled her onto his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, they gazed up together at the night sky.

“Gods, it’s beautiful,” she breathed.

As he brushed her hair away from her face he merely commented, “And so are you.”

She turned to smile at him before resting her head onto his chest. They stayed that way for a few moments until Amanda began to feel that something was odd. She racked her brain to figure it out, still bedazzled by the night sky and the feeling of being in his arms, but couldn’t think of it.

Then at last she realized what it was: her ear was up against his chest, but she couldn’t feel nor hear a heartbeat.

Puzzled, Amanda wondered if it was just because his leather jacket muffled the sound, but that couldn’t have been it. At their close proximity, she should still be able to hear or feel something.

Figuring that the late hour and the fatigue were doing strange things to her mind, she dismissed it as her imagination. But in the silence between them, away from the city and the noise, the only breathing she heard was her own.

I must be losing it. But as she stared up into the sky, too many things fell into her mind, persistent in their logic. Amanda had never seen Jesse during the daylight, had never seen him more than perhaps taste food, didn’t know what he did for a living other than “freelance computer work”, and now she couldn’t hear a heartbeat nor him breathing.

“Jesse?” she queried, her hesistency showing in her voice.

Feeling him freeze behind her, she wondered if he knew what was on her mind, and thought to phrase her next words with caution.

“You’re not a normal guy, are you? I mean,” she continued, trying not to rush through her words, let alone sound nervous, “not that I’m…all that normal myself, and all, but….” Her voice trailed off. Amanda did not know what to say, or how to say it.

Many moments passed without a response. With great deliberateness he ran his hands through her hair, and she delighted in the feel of his fingertips as they coursed through the strands, brushing against her neck as soft as silk.

In that moment she remembered their first dinner outing, when Jesse showed her the Latin magickal text which referred to strange allegories, symbols and various arcana. She recalled that the text kept referencing “blood” in some mystical context.

“Jesse?” Her voice was quieter, and she was no longer so certain that she was crazy.

Your time has come.

Guest Author: Adrianne Brennan

I’m very pleased to present Paranormal Author Adrianne Brennan, whose erotic vampire novel, Blood of the Dark Moon, has garnered so much critical acclaim!  Please give her a warm reception please, and feel free to ask questions (if you don’t see them right away, give me a little bit to approve them – the spam guard on this blog is a little wonky). Now, sit back, relax, and get ready to meet Adrianne!

EM:  It’s great to have you here, Adrianne!  I’m sure most of my readers will be very interested in knowing something more about your books – I know I am!  Can you tell us a bit about what you write?

AB:   Blood of the Dark Moon, a vampire/paranormal erotic romance/dark urban fantasy novel in the Dark Moon series, recently had a print release. It’s about a young woman named Amanda who meets who she thinks is the perfect man…but he turns out to be a vampire. The story is about their relationship and how she comes to terms with her new life. It came out in ebook first back in ’07 with Aphrodite’s Apples. When the publisher closed the following year, Freya’s Bower accepted it and has since released it and other books in the series.

Dawn of the Seraphs, a m/m scifi/paranormal erotic romance, just had a print release in the Immortal Fire anthology in addition to its original release in ebook and Kindle. It’s about two very different men and the political and paranormal intrigue which brings them together. It’s published with Love You Divine.

My Big Fat Greek Pagan Lesbian Wedding, a f/f sweet romance in the To Love and To Cherish anthology of lesbian wedding stories, was recently released by Love You Divine. It’s a story about two pagan women about to get married, and the trials and tribulations they face along the way.

The Oath series is about an initiation a young woman undergoes in order to enter into a secret magickal order devoted to the study and practice of sex magick. Along the way she learns a great deal about herself and what drives her passions.

EM:  I love books – and particularly paranormal fiction.  Most authors usually have trouble pinpointing exactly when they first fell in love with writing.  Anything stick out for you?

AB:  I’ve been an avid reader since I was very, very young. The idea of creating my own stories never occurred to me, and the notion that people would actually want to read them was even stranger. The fun I had writing that sci-fi comedy and the support I received was what did it. I had a fantastic English teacher in high school who went out of his way to encourage me. He even took my fantasy novel home with him to critique it over the summer, and drove it to my house with the suggestions and corrections. I think were it not for him, I never would’ve kept up the dream of being published. It’s teachers like him whom I remember and am thankful for. 

EM:  Wow, what a great story!  A lot of authors don’t get that kind of early support.  So, on that note, would you say that a lot of your life ends up in your books?  Art imitating life?

AB:  More than I care to let on. Mwahahah!

EM:  *laughing* Cute!  If you won’t tell us about your sources of inspiration, can you tell us one thing about writing that’s been a challenge for you?

AB:  Time. As in, never enough of it! I have a full time job and it takes a lot out of me sometimes.

EM:  Yeah, I know that feeling. So, with the lack of time, have you found any time to work on new things?  What can we expect next from you?

AB:  Blood of the Dark Moon and Blood and Mint Chocolates. I also have a few other series in the works.

EM:  How wonderful!  I’ll be looking forward to that!  So, one last question for you.  If you had to pick one character from any of your books that you’d most like to see come to life, who would it be?

AB:  I absolutely adore Merideth. She’s a quirky, shy vampire librarian with a love for mint chocolates. She has her own story in Blood and Mint Chocolates, a spinoff of the original Dark Moon series. I think she’d be the one I’d love to have a chat over tea with!

 

EM:  Sounds like that would be quite a chat, to me! J  Hey, thanks for being here, today,  Adrianne!  Anyone wanting to find out more about Adrianne Brennan or her books can find her at http://www.adriannebrennan.com

Adrianne’s books can be found at any of these locations:

http://www.freyasbower.com - Freya’s Bower

http://www.loveyoudivine.com  - Love You Divine

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?_encoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Adrianne%20Brennan - Amazon.com

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Adrianne+Brennan - ARe

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/a47008/Adrianne-Brennan/? - FictionWise

http://www.ebookwise.com/ebooks/a47008/Adrianne-Brennan/?si=43 - eBookwise

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/adriannebrennan/ - Bookstrand

Guest Spot Excerpt: Gail Delaney’s The Phoenix Rebellion

Blurb:

Victor turned his back on everything he knew — Everything he thought he was — to help Michael Tanner be free. 

Something dark haunts Victor, threatening to steal his sanity — even his life. He doesn’t understand it, has no name for it; he only knows the malicious darkness in his mind wants him dead for his treachery in helping the humans. 



Only in Beverly Surimoto’s tender touch does he find some fraction of peace. But how much can he take from her before it’s too much? How much before she realizes the demon he is and turns him away?

Excerpt From The Phoenix Rebellion Book Two:  Outcasts

Available February 1, 2010 from Desert Breeze Publishing

Victor’s sorrow was smothering, sucking the air from the room and squeezing Beverly’s chest until she had to take a step back and re-gather her defenses.  Swallowing against the onslaught, Beverly walked into the dark room.

Victor sat on the floor with his back against the wall and his knees drawn up, his head buried in the bend of his folded arms.  Hot tears burned Beverly’s eyes as she knelt beside him, his sadness was so tangible.  It raised the hairs on her arms and made her heart ache.  She had to fight the urge to reach out and touch his hair, smooth her fingers through it, and comfort him.  If the intensity of his emotion was this great just by proximity, Beverly was afraid what she would feel if she touched him.  Instead, she knelt as close as she dared without making contact and clenched her hands in her lap.

Before she could say his name, he raised his head, his black eyes seeking her out in the dim light.  The soft glow of hydrogen gel from the hallway lit his features, highlighting the damp streaks on his cheeks.

“Beverly,” he said, his lips moist from his tears.

She nodded.

His body shook and his expression twisted with agony as new tears filled his eyes and he looked towards the ceiling.  Victor laid a hand across his brow, bracing his head as another wave of anguish slammed through him, and through her.  Beverly curled her fists, her nails digging into her palms, and she felt her own tears fall.

“Victor, please.  Tell me.  What is breaking your heart?”

She could barely read his lips, but his repeated words finally registered.  “I killed her.”

“Who?” she asked.

He shook his head, rolling it against the grayed padding behind him.  Like a creeping shadow, Beverly felt the cold presence slide over Victor and push against her.  Not like the day before when ‘Victor’ had snapped out of sleep to attack Michael.  Then, she had only felt the other mind that was not Victor.  Now, she felt them both; the tormented sadness that smothered Victor, and the cold, calculated darkness that reinforced it.

Victor shook his head more violently, pressing the heels of his hands against his temples.  “No!”  A violent tremor shook his body.  “No!”

He started to roll away, and before she could tell herself to stop, Beverly reached for him and wrapped her fingers around his wrists.  She gasped at the jolt, but it wasn’t the drowning wave she had expected.  An echoing scream resounded through her mind, and she felt the dual entity retreat.  Victor stiffened and arched, then slumped as his gaze shifted to her again, wide and confused.

Beverly panted several breaths, trying to push past the shock and uncertainty that collided in her mind.  If she had been confused before by the mysteries of Victor’s haunting, that confusion multiplied exponentially.  Victor turned his hands to loosen them from her grasp, but didn’t move from her touch.  He ran his fingers along her skin and the back of her knuckles, deep lines furrowing his brow as his gaze followed the point of contact.  Beverly smiled and did what she had wanted to do since she came into the small cell; stroking her fingers through his short, black hair and cupping his head in her palm.

Victor’s eyes closed, and the jumbled chaos that had surrounded him since his awakening quieted to a muffled whisper as he released a shuddered breath.  Beverly didn’t resist as his arms wrapped around her and pulled her closer.  She embraced him, rising on her knees to move closer and let him hold her as tightly as he needed.

Guest Author: Gail Delaney

It’s my great pleasure (and after much boneheaded delay on the part of this Blogger) to have multitalented author and Editor-in-Chief of Desert Breeze Publishing Gail Delaney here on my blog!  So give her a warm reception please, and feel free to ask questions (if you don’t see them right away, give me a little bit to approve them – the spam guard on this blog is a little wonky). Now, sit back, relax, and get ready to meet Gail!

EM:  Thanks for stopping by, Gail!  Of course, I’m sure most of my readers will be most interested in knowing something more about your books.  Can you tell us a bit about what you write?

GD:   I actually write in multiple genres:  contemporary romance, romantic suspense and futuristic romance.  But, for the sake of conversation today, I’d love to talk about my futuristic romance series titled The Phoenix Rebelliion.  This 4-book series is set in our not-too-distant but alternate future where the people of earth have formed an alliance with an alien race called the Areth.  The Areth claim they are our true ancestors and Earth is populated by their descendants.  However, over the decades a rebel group who calls themselves Phoenix have formed an underground society with the intent of proving the Areth to be liars.  This series begins with their secret endeavors and ends with a battle to save mankind.

But, as I said, it’s a romance.  The books are told through the eyes of a cast of characters, the lives of which are intertwined it’s impossible to tell the story of one without telling the others. 

EM:  I’m a SF buff, and The Phoenix Rebellion is one of my favourites, so I’m glad you told us about that!  Most authors usually have trouble pinpointing exactly when they first fell in love with writing.  Anything stick out for you?

GD:  I wrote throughout my childhood.  Sometimes it was short stories, sometimes poems, and I wrote a fantasy novel when I was fifteen. But it was mostly because I felt the need to get the words out, not for the purpose of ‘writing’ for any other reason.

 My mother passed away when I was in my early twenties.  While I helped my father sort through her papers, I found a box my mother had kept for years.  In it was probably everything I’d ever written.  Every short poem, every scribbled note, every book report.  Even every draft of that fantasy novel I wrote at fifteen.  Finding those things made me see what I realized my mother had seen all along.  I was a writer.  Two months after her death, I began the first novel I ever wrote for the purpose of seeking publication.  That book has never been published and needs a lot of work to get to that point, but I intend to publish it someday.  To honor her.

EM:  That’s a very touching and powerful story.  It must be a truly wonderful thing to have such amazing support from your family.  A lot of authors don’t get that.  So, on that note, would you say that a lot of your life ends up in your books?  Art imitating life?

GD:  This is a running joke in my house.  My mother-in-law, an avid reader, couldn’t read my books for a long time.  She said that she ‘saw’ her son in them and that was just wrong.   I’ve assured her more than once – quite frequently – that very little an author writes in a book is from direct life experience.  Yes, sometimes… but I would say very little of my life is in my books.  I’ll say… oh… fifteen percent?  Unless you count character nuances sometimes.  Those often come from people in my life.  The way someone will say something or do something or personality quirks… yes, those come from somewhere in my life.

EM:  *laughing* How funny!  So often, I hear how people do use their relations.  It’s funny that your family thought you were when you weren’t!  So, if not your close friends or relations, where do you get your inspiration from?

GD:  I find inspiration for my storylines from life.  Sometimes it’s a news story or something I’ve heard.  Or a conversation I have with someone will stir up some thoughts.  Recently, I watched a program on the Discovery Channel on the phenomenon of Chimera that planted a seed of an idea.   On the other hand, my character inspiration often comes from television or movies.  When I’m creating the personality and nuances of a character, I often tap into an actor who I could see ‘playing’ my character. 

For instance, Colonel Nick Tanner of The Phoenix Rebellion was absolutely and without a doubt inspired by the character of Colonel Jack O’Neill of Stargate SG-1, played by Richard Dean Anderson.  His son Michael Tanner would be more along the lines of a MacGyver-era RDA.  I am definitely drawn to actors prominent in the science fiction genre, probably because I love science fiction and if I’m going to watch a television show or movie – it’s probably going to be sci fi.  Or drama.

EM:  *chuckles* I can so totally see Anderson in Nick Tanner.  I often wondered if that was deliberate.  So, care to give us a peek into what you’re up to, now?  What’s next from Gail Delaney?

GD:  I’m currently developing and working on the first book of another 4-book futuristic romance series called Phoenix Rising, which is a sequel to The Phoenix Rebellion series.  I’m hoping to begin releasing in late 2011.  Since The Phoenix Rebellion  will be releasing throughout 2010, it will work out well to release the new series next year.  Many of the main characters from The Phoenix Rebellion will play rolls in the new series, but they will become the secondary characters.  Some of the secondary characters from the first series will now take a more forward roll – along with some new characters.

EM:  That’s great!  I’ll be looking forward to that!  So, one last question for you.  If you had to pick one character from any of your books that you’d most like to see come to life, who would it be?

GD:  I would say Michael Tanner from both The Phoenix Rebellion and Phoenix Rising.  He is almost like a phoenix himself.  He rose from the ashes in a sense, having been kept as a slave – little more than a guinea pig – for the first 25 years of his life.  When he is freed, he goes on a journey to discover himself and how he fits into the ever-changing world.  I would love to see that in full 3D.

EM:  Sounds great to me!  Hey, thanks for being here, today, Gail!  Anyone wanting to find out more about Gail Delaney or her books can find her at http://www.GailDelaney.com

And be ready for an excerpt from Gail’s excellent new book, The Phoenix Rebellion Book Two: Outcasts, just released from Desert Breeze Publishing!

Author Guest Spot Delay

Due to Blogger error (that would be my mistake), the Author Guest Spot for Gail Delaney won’t be up until this evening… Please check back this evening or tomorrow.

Guest Spot: Getting to Know Lizzie T. Leaf

Please welcome Lizzie T. Leaf back for her final blog spot of the month!  It’s been an unusually sporatic month (my apologies for that), but back at the beginning, I had a chance to ask Lizzie some questions about her books and writing life.  I thought I’d share what she had to say…

Can you tell us a little about your book?

Lizzie:

Barley Legal is the first in the Cougar Club series that deals with relationships between older women/younger men. I created the series for Aspen Mountain Press and other authors will be contributing stories to it, in addition to any others I write.

In this book, Katherine has come to Las Vegas to establish residency in order to file for divorce. She’s ready to get on with her life and knows if she files in California, her movie producer husband will use all of his influence to drag the property settlement out.

She is staying at the condo of her best friend, Monique, who loves younger men. When Monique talks her into going out on the town, Katherine connects with a guy who she things is barely legal and finds herself in a relationship with him that makes her feel alive.

When the divorce papers are served on her ‘can’t keep it in his pants’ husband, he shows up in Vegas and tells her he regrets his past indiscretions and wants to make a go of their marriage. The values instilled in her as a child finds Katherine torn between going back to husband or blowing off twenty-plus years of her life to have a fling with a younger man.

What was your inspiration to begin writing?

Lizzie:

Escape. I started writing in my pre-teens to escape a none too happy childhood. The positive feedback in school encouraged me, plus I could find a happy place without the difficulties of real life.

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

Lizzie:

Letting others deter me from writing. What they thought or wanted carried more weight than my own dreams. It’s safe to say, I’ve gotten over that.

How do you cope with writer’s block?

Lizzie:

The first few of times, I stopped. Now, I’ve discovered it helps to have more than one project on the board. When one locks up, I roll over to the other. By the time I get back to the first one, things are flowing again on it.

How much of your own life ends up in the books you write?

Lizzie:

I’ll show you my neck sometime and let you guess…grin. Seriously, I know some does, especially when I’m building characters. I think about some of the things I’ve done as well as some of the people I’ve know and I’m sure some of that comes into play. In addition, I’ve done a bit of traveling and incorporate a number of those places in my settings.

Do you draw inspiration for books from movies, TV or music? If so, what kinds of each inspire you most?

Lizzie:

I draw inspiration from anything. It can be the things you referenced or I can be walking down the street or sitting in a restaurant or coffee shop and see someone that starts my imagination spinning. For Barely Legal, it was a couple of guys riding up in the elevator during a stay in Las Vegs.

Do you have anything you’re currently working on?

Lizzie:

Oh yeah! There’s about twenty different projects on the ‘to do’ list, but currently, I’m focused on two. One is a short I asked for my rights back on when the contract expired and have been asked by a publisher to expand. The other is what was to have been the follow-up to my award winning book, but with the bankruptcy of the original publisher, I decided to omit the tie-in to that book and have brought in some new characters.

What sub genre of Romance do you most identify with?

Lizzie:

Identify with…probably contemporary ones that deal with today’s issues of family and career. Now what I like is a different story. I get a kick out fun Paranormal (hmmm, do you think that’s why I write some?) and love Urban Fantasy, maybe because I’d like to be one of the ‘kick ass’ heroines like Anna Strong in Jeanne Stein’s books. Instead, I’m old, slow and pudgy and it’s safe to say, not much of an ass kicker…sigh, another dream shot.

Can you give us links to your website, and anywhere readers might find out more about you?

Lizzie:

www.lizzietleaf.com is my website

myspace.com/lizzietleaf where I also blog…haven’t been as good as I should, but working to do better on the blogging.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LizziesTeaRoom/ is my newsletter and also where I hold events like release and pre-release parties.

Also, if you enjoy discussing and reading stories about younger men/older women join us at our new group http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CougarClubReaders/

If you had to pick one character from your book that you’d be most interested in seeing come to life, who would it be, and why?

Lizzie:

Probably one of the ones on the drawing board. Sadie’s feisty, smart mouthed and not afraid to speak her mine…no matter to whom she’s talking. You’ll understand when the book comes out.