AuthorIsland Tiki Hut

Friday, March 5, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Five - ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr

Seven of the wildest women of erotic romance pull out all the stops in a series about women who dare to take the challenge and experience the delights of sex with a younger man. Women who cast off their cloaks of conventionality and indulge their inner wild woman.

Call it fate or coincidence, but when Autumn Kelley, Rachel Bridges, Camille Stockton, Monica Allen, Elizabeth Winters, and Stevie Jones meet at Romanticon™, an Erotic Romance convention, an instant bond is formed. Not only do they share a love of Erotic Romance, but their lives are traveling remarkably parallel paths. All single due to quirks of fate (or unfaithful men), each of them longs for the kind of sexual adventure and romance they read about in the erotic romance books they so love. And each one is terrified at the idea of trying to pursue that dream.

When the convention ends, the friendship grows. They chat online and by phone and even blog on a private blog Camille sets up. They discuss their fantasies and tease one another about not having the courage to have a “real” Cougar experience. Soon they are joined by an unlikely new member, Edie Howard, unbeknownst to them an ex-supermodel.

One of the women gets a bit tired of “all talk and no action” or as she refers to it “the Elvis song” (a little less conversation a little more action) and challenges everyone to get out there and see what’s available.

And so they do.

Each woman finds her own brand of sexual adventure and perhaps sexual reawakening. And she blogs about it to her friends. They cheer one another on, laugh at the “oops” moments and tease each other good naturedly as their stories unfold.

Books in the Cougar Challenge Series:
1. PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane
2. BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly
3. WINTER’S THAW by Dalton Diaz
4. HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt
5. ASSUME THE POSITIONS by Mari Carr
6. SIN ON SKIN by Mari Freeman
7. CAM’S HOLIDAY by Ciana Stone

Come meet the ladies of Cougar Challenge at Romantic Times Booklovers convention. The Cougar Growl on Thursday, April 29 2:30-3:30 will have the authors in person and feature lots of prizes and giveaways. Visit their blog for yummy pictures, posts and details!

ASSUME THE POSTIONS By: Mari Carr

Book five of the Cougar Challenge series.

Damn Cougar Challenge!

Rachel’s thankful for the new friends she met while attending an erotica-book convention. They instantly connected and began sharing the relationship woes unique to older single women on their Tempt the Cougar blog. Then Monica issues that challenge… How is Rachel going to convince a younger man to have sex with her? Hell, even she doesn’t want to look at herself naked. To control her growing angst, she makes a list of eligible men then… Nothing. It’s been too long and her divorce was too painful. She’ll never be able to do this.

Ethan, one of Rachel’s physical therapy patients, is pissed when he learns of the challenge. Not because he finds it silly—because he’s not on Rachel’s list! So he does what any self-assured young stud would do. The luscious police officer gives her a copy of the Kama Sutra then asks her to make a new list.

And assume the positions…

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Thursday, March 4, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Four - HOT TO TROT by Desiree Holt

HOT TO TROT By: Desiree Holt

Book four of the Cougar Challenge series.

Buying a ranch on eBay was the wildest thing Autumn Kelley had ever done. Past forty, she’d pretty much written excitement out of her life. But then she discovers the ranch comes with a foreman who makes her pulse pound and could give her an orgasm just by looking at her. As if that isn’t enough, he has a friend equally as mouthwatering—and the two of them take Autumn on an erotic trip that outdoes any fantasy she could ever have imagined.

If sex with one hot boy toy is fantastic, sex with two at the same time is a whole new level of amazing. But what happens when Autumn inevitably has to come down from the orgasmic high

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Three - WINTER'S THAW by Dalton Diaz

Book three of the Cougar Challenge series.

OR nurse Elizabeth Winters is forty-one, divorced and determined to figure out what all the fuss is about sex. Her ex spent over twenty years crushing her sensuality and it is long past time for release. Literally, dammit! In her quest, she befriends a group of women her age who admit having a passion for younger men—and thus begins a challenge…

Thirty-year-old engineer Kevin Springer loves solving puzzles and “Elle” has him aching to fit the pieces. The more he gets to know her, the more intrigued he becomes, especially in bed. He quickly realizes he wants more than her offered no-strings-attached, wild sex, but convincing her to take a chance on a relationship isn’t going to be easy.

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book Two - BEAUTY OF SUNSET by Lynne Connolly

When Edie Howard meets cosmetic surgeon John Sung, she can’t think of anything except getting the younger man naked. Her friends on the Tempt the Cougar blog remind Edie of her promise—to seduce a younger man. It’s time for Edie to take action.

Dr. John Sung takes one look at Edie and knows he can’t operate on her. He signs off as her doctor and makes her a bet—if he can make her love her body as it is, she won’t have any surgery.

John’s bet involves close examinations—and torrid, sleepless nights. Their passion is far more than either expects, and John begins to wonder if he’ll ever get enough of this woman. Edie just counts her blessings and hopes their

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Cougar Challenge - Book One - PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM by Samantha Kane

PLAY IT AGAIN, SAM By: Samantha Kane
Book One of the Cougar Challenge series.

Monica Allen has always been attracted to younger men. She even married one. But after the divorce, she thought she was through with them for good. Then she meets a group of ladies at RomantiCon, and they form a blog celebrating younger men, Tempt the Cougar.

After another lonely Friday night, Monica challenges her friends to each find a younger man to make their fantasies come true. She doesn’t have to marry him—been there, done that, threw away the t-shirt. But for a night of hot sex? Hell yes.

But Sam Lincoln refuses to be just a fantasy. He’s a graduate student with a yen for older women and he may have just found the one to make his own fantasies come true. With a little help from his roommate Josh, Sam fulfills Monica’s deepest desires. Can he convince this sexy cougar to give him a chance at happily ever after?

BUY THE BOOK *** READ THE EXCERPT

WIN - Seven authors, seven books, seven days...each day this week, we'll talk about one of the books in this hot and sexy series from Ellora's Cave and each day, we'll give away a free download of that book to one of the readers who comments that day! All readers who comment on each of this week's seven posts will get their name in the hat for a beautiful tote bag filled with author goodies and signed by the authors at the 2009 RomantiCon! Please be sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're one of our winners.

Jean Hart Stewart's Tiki Hut Winners

Thanks to everyone who commented this week, the responses were so interesting!

Congrats to the winners are Anna Hogue and TraceyD. Jean will get you out your prizes - enjoy!

Monday, February 22, 2010

This Week At The Tiki Hut - Jean Hart Stewart

This week's special guest at the Tiki Hut is magical romance author Jean Hart Stewart.

Jean feels she’s very much a Californian although she was born in Ohio. California has been home for a good many years. Life changed drastically for her when she was six and her father died incredibly from an errant golf ball. A dishonest insurance agent forced her sheltered mother to seek work, and she became a teacher. Her hours required Jean to be alone in the house in the afternoon, and since she was forbidden to leave till her mother got home, she became an avid reader. The local library supplied most of the books and she developed early her two of main interests, Jane Austen and King Arthur.

Reading is still one of her favorite activities, although she sometimes has to push it aside to make room for her enduring love of writing. Her journalism degree was used infrequently until recently. Marriage and raising two children pleasantly got in the way. After twenty years of being a real estate broker and with the kids raised she finally could devote her time to writing, her first love.

Jean's enchantment with the lore and legends of Druids and, therefore, delving into their history led to fascinating research that inspired her popular Garland of Druids Series for Cerridwen Press. She now enjoys writing stories filled with magic and romance for her Songs of the Mages Series, also for Cerridwen Press.

Few things in her life have been so satisfying, especially when all her books have a happy ending. Wonderful to make happen. It only gets more interesting when a secondary character demands his very own book. Who would want to deny him? Not Jean!

WEBSITE *** MYSPACE

***

Decisions, decisions, decisions !!

Do you remember the decisions that shaped your life? The decisions you yourself made, not the ones fate forced on you? Sometimes they stick in your memory forever, and often you don’t even notice their importance at the time.

I made one when I was sixteen, in high school and thrilled to pieces when a handsome hunk (hereafter known as HH) asked me to a school dance. You don’t really want to know how long ago that was, do you? I’d secretly drooled for weeks over this guy, and could hardly believe my good luck. Then, only a week before the big dance, my very favorite aunt died suddenly. She’d always been the mainstay of our small, fatherless family, coming to visit whenever her teaching job allowed her to help out. I quite simply adored her.

On top of the sorrow of her death, I learned her funeral would be the weekend of the prom. Services were to be in another part of the state, and in order to attend, you guessed it, I would miss the dance. My mother, bless her, left it entirely up to me. So I had to decide on my own what to do.

You can imagine how I was pulled in opposite directions. Finally, after much agonizing, I chose to attend the last services for Aunt Ella. HH took the news with polite acceptance, and you guessed it, I never heard from him again, except to pass him in the school corridors.

Was I surprised? No. Was I devastated? Pretty much. Although even underneath my regret I was proud I’d made the right and hard decision. Ella had changed my life for the better in so many small ways. I do think that decision helped shape me for the better. I’m so glad I didn’t go the selfish route, although at the time it was hard, hard, hard.

Now I’d love to have you tell me if you can remember your first difficult decision. How you responded? How old were you? Did you make the same choice you’d make today?

Come on, I’ve told all, now you tell me about yourself.

WIN - This week, we'll have two winners - leave Jean a comment today about your first difficult decision and your name goes in the hat to win either a free download of GARETH'S GAMBIT or JENNIVERE'S JOURNEY. Be sure to leave your email address, so we can get contact you if you're one of this week's winners!

Heidi Betts' Tiki Hut Winners

A special thanks to Heidi for being such a great guest and for such a fun interview with her characters from her new release, KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP! And thanks to everyone who stopped by to visit Heidi and keep her company last week.

Heidi pulled two winners from the hat....drumroll please....LULU and KAREN!!

Congrats winners, and please email me at AuthorIsland at yahoo.com with your mailing address and your choice from either book one or book two from Heidi's Chicks with Sticks Trilogy.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Getting Knocked for a Loop with Heidi Betts

This week's guest blogger at the AuthorIsland Tiki Hut is bestselling author Heidi Betts!

Bestselling, award-winning author Heidi Betts began her love affair with the romance genre in junior high school, where she used to sneak romance novels into study hall when she should have been doing her homework. It didn't take long to decide she wanted to write a few romances of her own, so she set out to do just that.

Her first book was released by Dorchester Publishing in 2000, with five more to follow. From there, Heidi moved into the contemporary arena by writing numerous category titles for Silhouette Desire, and recently she signed with St. Martin's Press to begin writing funny, sexy single titles.

With each new book, Heidi asks herself how she can bring to life endearing heroes and heroines whom readers will believe are meant for each other. And with each new novel to hit the stands, readers and reviewers alike declare she knows how to create a story that sizzles, charms, and delights from the first page to the last. Her first title for Silhouette Desire landed at #1 on the Waldenbooks/Borders Series Romance Bestseller List, where her books have continued to make an appearance ever since.

Heidi loves to read, write, watch movies (and just a little too much television), and surround herself with furry, four-legged friends in her home in the beautiful hills of Central Pennsylvania.

WEBSITE *** BLOG *** MYSPACE *** FACEBOOK *** NEWSLETTER

Getting Knocked for a Loop with Heidi Betts

Good morning, everyone! Thank you so much for joining me today at AuthorIsland.

After a very long, not-so-patient wait (at least on my part *g*), I am happy to report that the third book in my sexy, funny “Chicks with Sticks” knitting trilogy is finally be here! And although it wasn’t easy to get the hero and heroine of KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP into the same room together—those of you who have read TANGLED UP IN LOVE and LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT know what I’m talking about ;)—I managed to arrange a short interview with the stars of our story.

First, a little background information:

Grace Fisher is the lovely and talented host of one of Cleveland's most popular daytime talk shows, Amazing Grace. And judging by her accomplishments both on and off the air, she truly is amazing. From (allegedly) knitting her own wedding gown to changing the spark plugs in her former fiance's Hummer, Grace can do it all...and wants to show you how to do it all, too.

Zack "Hot Legs" Hoolihan is one of the NHL's most popular hockey stars. As goalie for the Cleveland Rockets, Zack has let his team to the Playoffs and helped to bring home the Stanley Cup for the past three years in a row, proving beyond a doubt that legs are not the only thing about this guy that are hot, hot, hot!

Bruiser Hoolihan is Zack's beloved Saint Bernard. Rescued from a local animal shelter, he's been living the good life ever since. He's got his own corner in Zack's spacious apartment, complete with a blue and red Rockets blanket, and more chew toys than he can find the time to...well, chew. (Of course, he kind of prefers his daddy's big, leather couch, but he pretends to like the blanket best.) And he can eat whatever he wants...pizza, spaghetti, Cheetos, even the occasional beer.

Yes, life was good. Until daddy got in trouble with Bruiser's almost-mommy, and she took him from his daddy's big, messy apartment with its basketball hoop on the door and foosball table in the middle of the room to her own much neater apartment with its white carpeting and furniture he wasn't allowed to sleep on. Then she took him to the vet. And put him on a diet. And started dressing him in fuzzy pink sweaters she knit just for him. And, yes, painting his nails. Now, Bruiser just kind of wishes his daddy and almost-mommy would patch things up so he could get back to lying around on that leather sofa and snitching pizza straight from the box.

Together, Grace Fisher and Zack Hoolihan are one of the East Coast's most talked-about couples.

Apart... Well, you'll have to read the book to find out about that. ;)

And now for the interview:

What's your favorite pastime?

Grace: Knitting.

Zack: Hockey, of course.

Grace: [with a snort] Yeah, because you're obviously so very good at it.

Zack: [scowling] Hey, I am good at it. Star goalie, remember? Stanley Cup three years in a row, thankyouverymuch.

Grace: Well, now that you've messed up your knee, the only cup you'll be scoring this season is a Big Gulp from the local Seven-Eleven.

Favorite sport?

Zack: [still scowling] Hockey.

Grace: [smirking] Baseball.

Favorite song?

Grace: "He Had it Comin'" from the Broadway musical Chicago. "The Thunder Rolls" by Garth Brooks—the long version, of course. "My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)" by Funky Divas. Oh, and "Before He Cheats" by Carrie Underwood.

Zack: [crossing his arms over his chest and slumping in his seat, muttering] “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne.

Tell us about Bruiser, the adorable Saint Bernard you rescued from a local animal shelter.

Grace: Actually, it's Muffin now.

Zack: Oh, no, it's not. His name is Bruiser.

Grace: [with a smile] It's Muffin. Really.

Zack: His name is Bruiser, not Muffin. No male dog of mine is going to walk around with a name like Muffin, for God's sake.

Grace: Good thing he's not your dog anymore, then, hm?

Okay, okay, I see that's a touchy subject. Let's move on.

Grace, you mentioned that you like to knit. When did you learn, and what are you working on at the moment?

Grace: My grandmother taught me after I came to live with her. I was probably eleven or twelve. And I'm not working on much of anything at the moment. More like... [shifts uncomfortably] unraveling a project I started a while back.

Zack, we hear a couple of your male friends have recently learned to knit. Have you ever given the yarn and needles a shot?

Zack: No.

Really? Not even—

Zack: No. Next question.

I know this is another sensitive topic, but after a very public and longstanding romance, the two of you recently broke up. Can you tell us why?

Zack: It's kind of personal and complicated, but—

Grace: It's not complicated. It's actually quite simple. He's a cheating bastard who couldn't keep it in his pants, but did think I'd never find out as long as he stuck to screwing puck bunnies while the Rockets were on the road.

Zack: [grinding his teeth] I've told you a million times, I did not sleep with that woman.

Grace: Right. She was naked in your bed because that's what hotels leave on the pillows these days instead of mints.

Um... Is there any chance you'll be getting back together?

Zack and Grace: [together, emphatically] No.

All right. Well. That was very...enlightening. Will you stick around for a while to answer some questions from readers?

Grace: Of course.

Zack: [with a shrug] Whatever.

All right, guys! Now that we’ve got them on the ice, so to speak, slap shot a few questions our way. We’re all happy to chat about KNOCK ME FOR A LOOP, the other two books/couples in the “Chicks with Sticks” series, or…well, just about anything. :D

Oh, and I’ll happily give away copies TANGLED UP IN LOVE and LOVES ME, LOVES ME KNOT at the end of the week---one each to two different commentors!

Happy chatting!
Heidi
*~*~*
HeidiBetts.com HeidiBetts.com/WIPSandChains HeidiBetts.com/MustLoveYarn

Monday, January 18, 2010

Laura Tolomei's Tiki Hut Winner

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to talk with Laura about her books and the subject of soul mates.

Congrats to Lainey!!! You win a free download of your choice of Laura's TO SEDUCE A SOULMATE or DIVINITAS. Please contact AuthorIsland at yahoo.com with your email address and which ebook you'd like to have so Laura can get you out your prize!

Monday, January 11, 2010

This Week At The Tiki Hut - Laura Tolomei

This week's special guest is eXtasy Books author, Laura Tolomei who stops by to talk about the journey through space and time of souls and soulmates.

Visit Laura's Website *** Visit Laura at Myspace

Souls and soul mates: analysis of a journey through lives, times and space

by Laura Tolomei

My latest release is titled To Seduce A Soulmate, but it’s not the first time I wrote about soul’s journeys or soul mates for that matter. True, the subject fascinates me. Must be those travels in India or my personal beliefs life isn’t a one shot deal. Repetition makes perfect, that’s why souls need more than one journey to get it right…so to speak. The fact is we have so many lessons to learn on our way to true knowledge and awareness, it seems impossible to do it all at once.

These personal beliefs have the bad habit of slipping inside my books and leaving a common thread particularly in my dialogue. But let me start at the beginning.

The first published novel that talks about such issues is Divinitas, released about a year ago, Jan. 1st to be precise. Just to refresh your memory, Divinitas is about two souls chasing one other through several lifetimes in search of a balance. Predictably, the journeys are neither smooth nor easy, at least the ones presented in three stories that make up the novel, one set in Ancient Egypt, the other during the Persian Empire and the third in Celtic Britain.

Divinitas – PG excerpt

“How did you find your way?” Us-Yri asked at last.

“I will tell you my own personal point of view, but don't take any of this as Truth. Unfortunately, in this world we can never understand completely because a veil covers our eyes.” He paused briefly before continuing. “I believe the gods give us three tools to travel the path of Life—Body, Mind and Soul. Only the Soul will live on forever, but like a bird we desperately want to keep with us, the Body locks it in a cage. These limitations are more than enough to make us lose the right way. The Soul holds the key to our life, the past, the present and all the future lives as well—“

“You really believe we have more than one life?”

“Of course, Us-Yri. There are just too many things to learn in one single lifetime alone. We need time to grow, develop, learn about the world and mostly ourselves. Piecing together this information will set our Soul free. But Body and Mind work against it, so we can seldom collect all the right pieces and connect them in just one lifetime.”

“But how many do we need to reach—“

“Awareness?” Heru-Ur shrugged. “Each Soul will take its own time, Us-Yri. There are no fixed rules. Of course, if the Body and Mind’s limitations are strong, a Soul could take forever before it grasps the Truth.”

Now supposing the above to be true, would you want to go through several journeys alone? Or wouldn’t you rather have someone who understands you because you share a bond older than life itself?

Divinitas – PG excerpt

Shaun grinned. It had taken a long training to remind Halifax who he was and now that it was finally time to explain, it felt odd, maybe because their positions seemed reversed if compared to previous lives. Shifting through past scenarios, Shaun briefly analyzed their timeless relationship, searching for answers. Somehow, Halifax had always been the seducer rather than the seduced. Reversing their roles was a necessary shift, the Druid knew it far too well, but he still had to get used to it.

“Please,” the blond missionary begged, “tell me about it.”

Where to begin? From the ancient walls of Egypt or the Persian prince’s golden bed? From our love…or the betrayal that followed? Shaun wondered as images kept playing in the fire.

Us-Yri and Set, Mitra and Varuna, Shaun and Halifax…that in Divinitas the characters change names and shapes makes little difference. They remain essentially the same souls that grow in awareness also thanks to their special relationship…if and when they have one. The problem of recognition is no small one, considering a soul has no face, no tangible trace to jog one’s memory. And in modern times, Martin has none of the Druid’s or Ancient Egyptian’s mystical knowledge to convince Pirate Drake he’s his soul mate. Martin’s only resource is in the words, which must be very powerful if he wants To Seduce A Soulmate.

To Seduce A Soulmate – PG excerpt

Martin was about to reply when the waitress brought their platters. He pulled back to give her room, then leaned forward again. “Listen, I’m not asking you to believe in it, but don’t tell me you didn’t feel it because I read it in your eyes, too.”

“Read what?” Drake asked, suddenly feeling very cold.

“The flicker of recognition. When our eyes met, you knew who I was just as surely as I knew who you were.”

“That’s impossible, Devil,” he argued, biting his cheeseburger. “We’ve never met before in our lives.”

“You wouldn’t believe how many unexplainable things defy rationality, Pirate. When I lived in India, I saw more than my share of them.”

“They’re all visionaries over there.”

“I beg to differ, Pirate. They have an age-old tradition, a mix between magic, religion, logic and belief in the unknown. To them, the soul is something alive even when the body dies, with a million journeys behind it and a thousand more ahead, which shape it and mark its path in each successive passage.” He paused to eat a french fry. “And it’s not just an individual affair. I believe there are souls that start out together, soul mates some call them, which inevitably call for each other because alone they’re incomplete. So they go through life seeking their missing half, the essential piece that will restore them to the unity they had started out with.”

“And you think I am—“

“I don’t think, Pirate, I know.” Spoken without any emphasis, the words rang even more forceful despite Drake’s thundering heartbeat clogging his ears. “I’ve been waiting a lifetime to read what I did in your eyes and your reaction was exactly as I’d imagined it a million times in my head. That’s why I behaved like I did that first night.”

“I don’t believe this, Devil.”

“That’s your choice, Pirate. I can’t and certainly won’t force you to believe in this. When you ran away that night at your parent’s house, it became quite obvious that you weren’t ready to accept the truth anyway.”

“What truth?”

The Irish devil stretched across the table. “Just answer me honestly, Pirate. Before you met me, have you ever felt you recognized a complete stranger before in your life? Or felt an electrical current run through your body merely by standing next to someone? Or felt your heart beat so fast you feared it might fall out of your chest?”

With a heavy heart, the pirate realized there was no point in lying so he had to shake his head in denial, long hair flying around.

“But you did the moment you saw me, right?”

Divinitas
AUTHOR: Laura Tolomei
GENRE: Gay, M/M, Lesbian, Menage, Paranormal, Deities, Historical, Dark Fantasy god, gods
ISBN: 978-1-55487-215-2
RELEASEE DATE*: January 1st, 2009
FLAME RATING: 5
PUBLISHER: eXtasy Books
BUY LINK

To Seduce A Soulmate
AUTHOR Laura Tolomei
GENRE: Gay, Holiday, Contemporary, m/f, m/m, m/m/f
ISBN 978-1-55487-440-8
RELEASE DATE: December 1st, 2009
PUBLISHER: eXtasy Books
BUY LINK

WIN - Leave a message or comment for Laura this week at the Tiki Hut and your name goes in the hat for a free download of your choice of TO SEDUCE A SOULMATE or DIVINITAS. Good Luck!

Monday, January 4, 2010

This Week At The Tiki Hut - Jennifer Linforth

This week at the Tiki Hut is author Jennifer Linforth who talks about why she tackled Leroux's Phantom of the Opera in her historical series published by Highland Press.

If one is going to query a publisher, Jennifer Linforth suggests not doing so in pink ink. Her first, written when she was twelve, was nothing if not colorful. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society and the Romance Writers of America in addition to being a writing mentor. Writing historical fiction and historical romance with unusual themes and locations, such as autism and the social mores of the mentally ill in the 19th century, she has a passion for Austrian culture and is often found searching for stories in long forgotten histories.

It was her love of research and classic literature that brought her to expanding Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera.

Writing from a tiny loft office, Jennifer admits to being country mouse with city mouse tastes and is constantly fighting to keep the little critters in line. She can't pronounce pistachio, hates lollipops with gooey centers, and dearly loves to laugh. If asked for her motto in life, she points to the following poem upon her office wall:

Come to the edge. We might fall. Come to the edge. It's too high! COME TO THE EDGE! And they came, and he pushed, and they flew. ~ Christopher Logue Croyez.

Visit Jennifer's Website *** Blog *** Myspace *** Facebook *** Twitter

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Everyone wants to undress Mr. Darcy in one way or another. Whether literally, or by expanding his story, readers yearn to dive deeper between his sheets. So why then did I choose to do so to a Phantom?

The Phantom of the Opera has one of the largest and most devoted fan followings in the world. Choosing to expand such a classic came with an impending sense of doom. Would this idea be embraced like the countless tales of Pemberly after the nuptials? Or would I be tarred and feathered…

I had to find out. The result was a three book series contracted by Highland Press Publishing, and one which has, thus far, left this author thankfully featherless.

Certain stories transcend time leaving more questions than answers. No author made me question as much as Gaston Leroux. My love for The Phantom of the Opera stemmed from a deep respect for a book that was a mystery, horror and romance rolled into one. After revisiting Leroux’s novel for the third time the questions in my head would not fade. Why—as a jurist—did he leave so many unanswered questions in such a fascinating book?

The only way to find out was to devote years of my imagination to living deep below an opera house with a corpse-like madman.

The first challenge? Breaking down the visions created by Andrew Lloyd Webber. His musical and 2004 movie starring Gerald Butler created an iconic image of The Phantom and the story as a whole. Leroux’s original is quite different from the romantic, famous love triangle of Webber’s that millions of fans saw and fell in love with. In Webber’s film and musical we see a mildly deformed man clearly oozing sex appeal who happens to have murdered out of anger. Webber stripped away the unattainable parts of Leroux’s story to leave a basic romance as the focus. In Leroux, Erik (The Phantom), was a murderously vengeful personality… a clear madman, while concurrently being a repressed and ardent gentleman. He was the central character in a Death and the Maiden tale. Hideously deformed and hiding behind a full black mask, he slept in a coffin. He had issues with maternal longings just as Christine had issues with paternal needs. Leroux penned him as a monster for a reason. I did my best to adhere to his original ideas for my series while maintaining there was indeed a man with in the madman. Naturally, certain elements were changed to suit the limits of my imagination and to reach the broader market desired by my publisher.

The second challenge? Weaving enough of Leroux’s original story into the fabric of the series so readers could enjoy it without needing to read Leroux’s book first. Book one in my series, MADRIGAL, (released October 2008) begins four years after Leroux’s original ended.

Despite all of the above, Erik was a simply seeking the most basic of human emotions--love. Yet how can one when love society sees you as nothing more than a deviant of the underground?

You fake your death and start anew…

Sharing the back cover blurb for MADRIGAL:
Years ago he faked his death and vowed the Phantom would never again haunt the Opera Garnier. But strange packages left by Anna, an unwanted Samaritan turned unlikely friend, causes Erik to desire the unattainable—love.

When Anna’s haunted past puts Christine Daaé in danger, Erik is falsely accused of the vicious crime. The Phantom is reborn as Erik, forced to the brink of insanity, revisits his passion for Christine—the woman he once swore to possess. Fighting the injustice against Erik, Anna struggles to prove his innocence. Standing in the way is her past that cannot be transcended, and years of prejudice labeling Erik more monster than man.

Battling the nobleman determined to lock him away, Erik must save Christine, control his demons, and tame a heart unexpectedly beating for two opposite women. Christine, who he longs to love, and Anna: the woman who saw beyond his bitter soul to the man beneath the mask.

In the midst of a brutal manhunt, can he be loved for himself or is he condemned to be The Phantom of the Opera?

Murderer, Maestro, Magician, Mastermind.

ABENDLIED, book two of The Madrigals releases January 2010 and continues to expose more of Erik and the manhunt to bring him to justice. ABENDLIED can be read prior to MADRIGAL even though it continues the first book. It follows all characters as they endure the manhunt and introduces an often forgotten part of Leroux’s plot:

Desiring normalcy is difficult enough with a price on his head, but when Erik is falsely accused of killing Philippe de Chagny, brother of his nemesis Raoul, he is launched toward madness.

Anna is an unlikely companion, sharing Erik's heart and the bounty on his head. As the manhunt heats, Erik's mysterious relationship with Philippe spurs the campaign against them forward, and exposes her darkest secret: defending her honor ended in murder.

Plagued by his past as The Phantom of the Opera, Erik's memories enslave his heart to Raoul’s wife Christine, whose shocking confession brings a ruthless bounty hunter into the fray and blackmail to the Chagny bloodline. Blackmail from a hunter who cares little about the Phantom or Philippe, and everything about the one he has lusted for: Anna.

With the past weeping like an open wound, can love endure or will it take memories of one unlikely man to heal them all?

Memories of Philippe Georges Marie, Comte de Chagny...

Philippe de Chagny was a vital secondary character in Leroux’s original story and my favorite of all classic literature. It was his story that sparked the creation of this series. A series I hope readers will continue to embrace long after I put down my quill. For those who are more adventurous, once I am done writing stories that expand classic literature I can loan them some feathers… I leave it to them to find the tar!

Enjoy!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Diane Craver's Tiki Hut Winner

Thanks to all who stopped by to celebrate Diane Craver's new release with her and congrats to s7anna - Diane's daughter drew your name and Diane will get your prize out to you soon.

Monday, November 23, 2009

This Week's Special Guest Is Diane Craver

As the youngest in the family growing up on a farm outside of Findlay, Ohio, Diane Craver often acted out characters from her own stories in the backyard. In high school she was the student sitting in class with a novel hidden in front of her propped up textbook. Her passion for reading novels had to be put on hold during her college years at Ohio State University with working part-time on campus and being a full-time student. Before embarking on her writing career, she was a school teacher and play director.

Diane is a member of Romance Writers of America. Several non-fiction articles have been published in Woman’s World Weekly, The Catholic Telegraph, Virtue, Down Syndrome Today, WritersWeekly.com, and several other publications. Her book, The Christmas of 1957, received 5 stars from the Midwest Book Review. She writes contemporary romance, inspirational mainstream, chick-lit mystery, and non-fiction books.

After watching the original movie, Cheaper by the Dozen, young Diane decided then and there, she someday wanted a large family. By the time she married Tom, the love of her life, she decided maybe six children was a better number than twelve. She enjoys her life in southwestern Ohio with her husband and six children. Two daughters, Christina and April, live away from home with successful careers. Another two children, Bartholomew and Emily, are attending college. Life is never boring with two daughters, Sara and Amanda, born with Down syndrome living at home. Diane’s husband of thirty-one years is very supportive of her writing career, as well as her awesome children.

Visit Diane's Website *** Visit Diane's Blog

Welcome to the Tiki Hut, Diane!

***

Using Life Experiences in My Writing

As a writer, I have to admit that my stories are influenced by my many life experiences. Hey, I've lived life fully! LOL Even though I might use some real-life situations and interesting features from actual people for my characters, I create fictional stories for the reader's enjoyment.

When I wrote my newest release, WHITNEY IN CHARGE, I wanted to write a story about sisters and their family bond. The focus had to be on the youngest sister, Whitney, since I'm the little sis in my family. I could easily write how the older sisters like to mother the youngest. In Whitney's case, her sisters Shannon and Regan want Whitney to get back into dating after her husband's death. Unfortunately, they think they know best and sign her up for skydiving so that she can meet hot guys. Whitney hates heights and flying! I also enjoyed writing about Whitney falling in love again.

In my chick-lit mystery, book, A FIERY SECRET, the main character is a feisty investigative reporter, Catherine Steel. The inspiration for her came from my daughter Christina. I stole a few of her amusing dating stories for a bit of the storyline. There's a secondary character Miranda born with Down syndrome. She was fun to write. I think it's important to show people with disabilities in a positive light. Miranda is actually based on my youngest daughter Amanda. She is a vivacious 19-year-old and brings great joy to our family.

Luke Brunsman, a character in my inspirational romance, NO GREATER LOSS, was inspired by my husband, Tom. I also like my heroines to be strong women with athletic abilities. Psychologist Jennifer Hunter is a great tennis player (I'm not) and Tori Moorhead in my women's fiction, NEVER THE SAME, is awesome in sports. After watching our daughters, April and Emily, excel in sports, I like to include athletic abilities in some of my female characters. I admire athletic talent, especially since I have none in that area. Hey, I started out on the varsity girls' basketball team but was moved to the reserve team.

But I don't just get creative ideas from my own family and life. TV has been a big influence. One idea actually came from a news report about a plane crash. When I heard of a woman walking away from this crash and wanting to change her life, my imagination took this compelling idea to develop the story for NEVER THE SAME. The same thing happened with A FIERY SECRET. On TV they mentioned Prince Charles and Camilla Bowles getting married, and an idea popped into my head how cool it’d be for the main character to have a fantasy related to Buckingham Palace.

I will continue writing some real-life situations for my characters, but I will also use imagination to mold them into unique people.

CONTEST: Leave a comment or question for Diane this week and you're entered in her drawing. The winner will get to choose a free download from her Samhain backlist. The titles are NO GREATER LOSS, A FIERY SECRET, or NEVER THE SAME.

Monday, October 26, 2009

This Week At The Tiki Hut - An X Rated Halloween

Thanks for such a fun post and thanks for sharing you Halloween interview with us!

We had five winners this week - each will receive a free ebook from one this week's talented authors!!!

Andrea - Judy - Joey - Estella - Booklover0226 - if we drew you name, email me at AuthorIsland.com with your info so we can get you out your free ebooks!!

Extasy Book at Halloween - Vampires, Shifters and Sex - A Match Made in Hell itself!

Halloween’s right around the corner and I’ve a great book coming out by eXtasy Books, Bloody Passion, genre M/M, ménage, horror, dark fantasy—The Druid, the hunter, the apprentice: sex, power and transformation…what else?

But this is not the news I wanted to give you. No, the real excitement is I’ve joined forces with 4 other wonderful writers, Courtney Breazile; Angela Caperton, Jamboree Jones and C.R. Moss to promote our upcoming releases. Until Angela launched the idea, few had tried a group promo adventure which is not the cost sharing of an ad, but a collective brainstorming to plan and plot new strategies on a group level, rather the usual individual one. And I must admit what we came up so far is incredible, to say the least. But first a word about our 5 books, which are:

Reincarnated Death Wish by Courtney Breazile – Release date Oct. 15th
Green Flash by Angela Caperton – Release date Oct. 31st
Unseen Path by Jambrea Jones – Release date Oct. 31st
In the Spirit by C.R. Moss – Release date Oct. 15th
Bloody Passion by Laura Tolomei – Release date Oct. 31st

One of our best achievements is a great trailer, available on YouTube:

Another promo idea was to devise a mini-interview where each of us asked and answered 3 questions, concerning Halloween. Here are my questions and the answers I received.

1. What Halloween creature would you bring on a deserted island?

Angela: I think a black cat familiar. A magical one, of course, that can change into a rakish lover.

Courtney: Werewolf, one of my favorite beasts.

CR: A witch so we could manifest things

Jambrea: A werewolf...hoping he would change into a hunky man. heehee

Laura: Frankenstein with John Holmes’s equipment.

2. What Halloween creature would you choose to become?

Angela: An owl! I live in the woods and I see them and hear them this time of year. We have a mating pair of Barred Owls that live on our property and every fall I love listening to them call to each other. I think it would be wonderful to fly and hunt by moonlight.

Courtney: I would be a sexy witch, no green skin and warts.

CR: A witch ;)

Jambrea: I think I'll go with the same answer...werewolf. :)

Laura: Vampire’s wife.

3. What would be the perfect Halloween soundtrack?

Angela: I’m a Loreena McKennitt fan, and her albums are some of the most beautiful and haunting songs and music I have heard. Mysterious, atmospheric, light and dark, she is the slice of frozen time that is Samhain – that is Halloween.

Courtney: Deep breathing.

CR: IMHO the perfect soundtrack for Halloween is the soundtrack from the movie Halloween. The first one, not the remake... Though I do like Rob Zombie's music and his ideas for the remakes...

Jambrea: Wow...this hard. Little Red Ridding Hood. There is a song out by Sam the Sham and the Pharaoh's that would be a great theme. Here is the song... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J1XqEX3VBc

Laura: Howling wolves.

Read the more Q&A on the other author’s blogs:
Angela http://blog.angelacaperton.com/
Courney http://themanyshades.blogspot.com/
CR http://www.brigitsworld.blogspot.com/
Jambrea http://internationalheat.wordpress.com/

Well, what do you know…it’s been great fun and for the future, we’re scheduling chats all across the web. And however things turn out, it has been a great experience, very instructive in learning to cooperate with fellow authors and great ladies like my co-partners have proved to be. So thank you and look for us on the Internet. Ciao from Rome,

Laura Tolomei
Website http://www.lallagatta.com/

WIN - This week, you have FIVE chances to win!!! To get your name in the hat for one of the five free downloads by this week's guests, simply leave a comment or a question here at the Tiki Hut Blog this week, our FIVE winners will be chosen next Monday, so stop by next week to see who our five lucky readers are - you just may be one!

Monday, October 19, 2009

This Week's Special Guest Cherish D'Angelo/Cheryl Kaye Tardif

The Birth of Cherish D’Angelo, aka Cheryl Kaye Tardif

Call me Cheryl; I prefer first names. You could also call me Cherish, since that’s the name I’ve adopted as my pseudonym so that I can detour from writing mainly suspense and venture into the romance genre. Cherish D’Angelo is my flowery, romantic pen name. I selected it a few years ago when I started writing my first romance novel. Since my real first name is Cheryl, which means “dear one” or “beloved”, I wanted something similar, and “Cherish” came to mind. Finding a last name to go with it proved to be trickier. After all, when I make it big in romance, I’ll have to sign that name on thousands of books. Hundreds of thousands, hopefully.

I started an angel collection years ago as a memorial for my son, who died at birth. Prior to his birth and death, I’d ordered two angels from a friend who made ceramics. She wasn’t sure if I’d want them after he died, but I did, and this started a collection that grew every year around his birthday and at Christmas. Angels…hmmm…Cherish Angel? No. Cherish D’Angelo. YES! I’d found my new name. It means: “Beloved angel.” Yeah, that’s me.

After Cherish D’Angelo was “born”, she went to work on her first contemporary

romance―Reflections. It was a story of a woman stranded on a tropical island with a reclusive rich guy, who had a deaf daughter. Cherish wrote about half of it, then hid it away on my computer. I’d realized that I had other stories that were demanding my attention―darker, more suspenseful stories. It wasn’t the right time for Cherish. So she slipped into a kind of coma, though every now and then she opened her eyes and said, “What about me?” before slipping back to sleep.

In June, I heard about a contest over at Textnovel.com. Now I’m really not much of a contest person. I love giving them and awarding prizes, but I don’t usually like entering them. I’d been a member on Textnovel ever since the CEO Stan Soper emailed me and invited me to check out the relatively new website.

What drew me to Textnovel’s newest contest was the fact that Dorchester Publishing, the oldest independent mass-market publisher in the US, had paired with Textnovel and was offering a small advance and a book contract. I’m very familiar with Dorchester. I’ve been hooked on their books since I was a teen, and my agent recently submitted my new thriller Children of the Fog to Dorchester. Plus, one of my author friends, thriller author Jeff Buick, is published with them, and I recently connected with one of their romance authors, Colleen Thompson, who is absolutely wonderful and writes awesome romantic suspense. Both told me that being at Dorchester was like being a part of a family. I want that! I want a publishing partner.

The Dorchester/Textnovel “Next Best Celler” contest is looking for the “New Voice in Romance”, and I want to be that voice. Cherish D’Angelo wants to be that voice. She’s ready now! She woke up from that virtual coma and dug out the file for Reflections. The old chapters were used as guidelines, but to date, about 80% of it is new material. Cherish has been on a roll with this novel and it’ll be finished by the end of October.

The Birth of Lancelot’s Lady

Reflections has grown into something far bigger and better than the original. A few days in, I changed the name to Lancelot’s Lady. It’s still the story of Rhianna, a young woman stranded on a tropical island with a rich recluse, but she has far more back story and Jonathan is far angrier, making for a complicated relationship and some humorous scenes. Then there’s Misty, Jonathan’s young, deaf daughter who can’t seem to keep a tutor; not to mention the development of JT Lance, Rhianna’s dying patient, and his butler Higginson, plus the inclusion of the Atkinsons, Jonathan’s caretakers.

As with my other novels, I have come to love these characters. I can picture them, right down to their flaws. And believe, me, they’re all flawed. Rhianna has survived a terrible past filled with horror and death, and Jonathan has cut himself off from family, friends and the world.

Since Lancelot’s Lady is a romantic suspense, both Cherish and Cheryl get to work on this story. I know that sounds weird, and truly, I haven’t lost it. Well, not completely. I think Lancelot’s Lady is a potpourri of sexual chemistry, sizzling tension, spicy passion, illusive danger and triumphant love. But in the end, it doesn’t matter so much what I think. I want to know what YOU think.

This leads me back to the “Next Best Celler” contest and how YOU can be involved. I really need your help to have a chance at winning this contest and to win that publishing contract. Even more, I want to know what YOU think about my newest venture and I’m willing to reward you for your time. For the months of October and November, I’ll be holding Giveaways. Right now you can visit my contest page to see how to enter this month’s Giveaway contest. You’ll have a chance to win signed novels and a $75 Starbucks gift card.

To have a chance at winning Dorchester’s contest, I really need votes and subscribers. I can’t do this without your support. Lancelot’s Lady must stay in the top 10 Most Popular, preferably the top 3. It’ll take about 5 minutes of your time to vote, but I truly hope you’ll check out Lancelot’s Lady and read it for free. And please leave me a comment there. Judges are also reading them. I truly hope you enjoy the debut of Cherish D’Angelo and Lancelot’s Lady.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, aka Cherish D’Angelo

Read & vote for Lancelot’s Lady, a Dorchester “Next Best Celler” entry, at www.Textnovel.com

Enter my October & November Giveaways

Visit my website at http://www.cherylktardif.com and follow me on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cherylktardif

WIN - Special AuthorIsland contest: enter to win a signed copy of Cheryl’s paranormal suspense thriller Divine Intervention. Simply leave a comment here and one lucky winner will be selected. Good luck!