I was featured this weekend at Joleene Naylor’s site, Amaranthine Night. 
Very cool writer. Go check her work out.
And also I’m over at Jackie’s Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories again, this time talking about some history that worked into a minor character in my novel. What history? Well, you know the drill…you have to read to find out! 
Coffee mugs cups by Jon Sullivan
Good morning, all. Do y’all have some good coffee, I hope? I’m just getting mine. Hoping it’s not going to rain much today but it’s looking like it. Well, it will make the plants happy, won’t it? That’s okay. I’m doing a little blog switch today. I’m hosting author Lynda K. Scott (see below), and meanwhile, I’m guesting over at her blog, Starcrossed Romance. So, if you’d like to stop by and see what I came up with this time, you’re always welcome. The post is up here.
I hope you like it. Have a great day!
Hiho, my friends. I’m handing over the blog reins today to a lovely friend of mine. A gal who has a thing for Ghostbusters is always welcome here. Lynda K. Scott‘s her name, and she writes steamy romances and while I go do other things around ye ole castle, here, I’m going to let her tell you a little about how she does her thing. Welcome, Lynda!
The Muse Mews
The sun filtered through my bedroom window as I stretched to get the sleep kinks out. Then I heard the impatient meows from my muse, aka Wookie the Alien Kitten-Queen of the Universe, who waited impatiently for breakfast. The minute I came into sight, she spun in a tight, miffed circle and gave an annoyed squawk which I interpreted to – “Feed me!”
It’s always nice to be recognized for your value and purpose in life.
After breakfast, Wookie and I retired to my, er, our office because my co-author and I have another book to write for Coliloquy, the publisher of our short erotic, pick-your-own-heat-level paranormals. We’ve decided to set the new one at Halloween and have a ghost hunter crew there to investigate the Great Escapes Bed and Breakfast ghosts. It should be an interesting time had by all
Sitting down, I started up my MP3 player with ‘The Ghostbuster’s Theme’ music because…well, it gets me in the mood for this story. Of course, there’s nothing to be afraid of with these ghosts. They’re never spooky or strange…well, okay, maybe a little bit strange, lol. It’s not every day you have a ghost make love to you.
I’m still looking for love songs that signify the POV characters for me so I spent some time on Spotify listening to various songs. Both the female and the male POV character have to have their own music, something maybe a little sad or lonely. So I pulled up a bunch of songs to listen to. That, of course, was when my hubby came to the door of my office and began talking about this, that and the other since I wasn’t actually ‘working’. Sigh.
He doesn’t understand that I use music to help identify the characters, the mood or the story. For example, I expect to have a little fun at the expense of the ghost hunters so the Ghostbuster theme works really well. I’ll use one theme song to put me in the mood for the action part of the story and another for when the hero and heroine are together. If I have fight scenes, I’ll find another piece of music that helps inspire the action.
Wookie thinks that all I need is her pretty little voice to inspire my writing. I don’t have the heart to tell her otherwise so I remind her that she’s often taking a beauty nap or killing a sunbeam or terrorizing a toy mouse. So far, she’s been pretty satisfied with that answer.
Wookie loves to pick names for winners of my contests and I hate to disappoint her by not offering a drawing so…I’ll offer a PDF copy of Altered Destiny to one commenter who leaves a comment and also sends me an email with the words The Muse Mews in the subject line. Send it to me here: Contest@lyndakscott.com by Wednesday, Sept 19. Wookie will select the winner and I’ll notify you on Thursday (it may take that long to get the piece of paper with your name on it from her, lol. She’s very fast and loves the Chase game).
Thanks for having me here!
*g* You’re welcome, Lynda. Thanks for that entertaining story of your day!
About Lynda:
In her family of Kentucky ‘ridge runners’, oral tales were a tradition that even children participated in. She spent many nights with her brother, cousins and friends telling tall tales to excite the imagination. Now she creates award winning science fantasy romance filled with despair, hope, love and courage
Where to find Lynda on the web:
Website http://www.lyndakscott.com.
To join my newsletter, send a blank email to: LyndaKScott-Newsgroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lyndakscott
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LyndaKScott
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-K-Scott/201599553208653
Linked in: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/lynda-scott/3b/4a4/849
Lynda’s kindly shared some excerpts from her books for us folks, so keep reading. These look quite intriguing.
Heartstone
By Lynda K. Scott
Mundania Press
Science Fantasy Romance
Eric d’Ebrur is out of time. He must fine the legendary Heartstone and fulfill the ancient Gar’Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will it cost him the woman he loves?
After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks she’s losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d’Ebrur saves her from the monstrous Gawan, she’s sure of it. But insane or not, she’ll find the Heartstone and, if she’s lucky, a love to last a lifetime.
Available in print and ebook format
Buy Links: Mundania Press (use MP10 at checkout for 10% discount)
http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Heartstone
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Heartstone-Lynda-K-Scott/dp/1606592335/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3
Altered Destiny
By Lynda K Scott
Science Fantasy Romance
Available in ebook formats
Stranded on an alternate Earth, architect and Jill-of-all-trades, Liane Gautier-MacGregor must find her way back to her homeworld before she’s enslaved…or falls in love with a man who is the exact duplicate of her ex-husband.
Devyn MacGregor’s alter ego as the Reiver Lord is the only way he can fight the Qui’arel and their nefarious Bride Bounty, a tax paid with human females…until he meets the oddly familiar woman who claims he is her husband. And who sets in motion the rebellion that will either free his countrymen or destroy them.
Buy Links:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00579FKFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308920443&sr=8-1
Nook http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Altered-Destiny/Lynda-K-Scott/e/2940012882417
Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79552
Great Escapes – Valentine’s Day
By Lynda K. Scott and Linda Wisdom
Coliloquy
Interactive Adult Paranormal Fiction
The heartbroken and lovelorn come to Great Escapes B&B in search of a relaxing getaway, only to embark on a weekend of sexual self-discovery, courtesy of the inn’s resident ghosts, who bring to life each guest’s deepest desires.
Just as the ghosts transform to meet the needs of each guest, Great Escapes leverages the Kindle platform to deliver what each reader wants. Do you like your erotica steamy or romantic? Your hero to have blue or brown eyes? Anonymously fill out your preferences, and we’ll deliver the best version of hundreds of combinations prepared by the authors.
In Great Escapes: Valentine’s Day, Rose’s best friend gives her a weekend stay, where an invisible lover helps her to rediscover her sexuality. But will she open her eyes enough to see who is right next door?
Buy Link
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Great-Escapes/dp/B007P4365K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1332913900&sr=8-6
Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/great-escapes-linda-wisdom-and-lynda-k-scott/1112616025?ean=2940043916488
Thanks and for being here with a fun read today, Lynda! We hope Wookie goes easy on you this weekend. You deserve it! Folks if you’d like to win a copy of Lynda’s Altered Destiny, remember, send it by September 19th.
S.G. Rogers is a multi-published author whose debut YA fantasy novel “The Last Great Wizard of Yden” was an IBookBuzz nominee as well as the premiere selection of Astraea Press’s Book Club. A recent LASR 5-star review of her novella “Minna & The Valentine” dubbed it “a wonderful concoction of fantasy and romance!”–says Aurora Reviews. She’s stopped by today, so I hope you enjoy this latest in our series of conversations….
Author S.G. Rogers
Hi S.G., tell us a little about yourself, so my readers can get to know you.
S.G. Rogers: I was born with the obstinate notion that life should be about the pursuit of happiness. I conformed by attending law school and passing the California Bar Exam, but then fled to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. My poor husband disliked L.A. but he loved me, so he tagged along. Although I never waited tables, I did work as an audience page for various television shows in the ‘80s, and I worked as a tour guide at Universal Studios. I performed on soap operas, films, and commercials, and stage. I also joined an occasionally brutal writing workshop where I tried writing various genres. I finally settled down to have a child (Robby, now 13), and a little over four years ago I began to write full time.
What or who influenced you to start writing?
S.G. Rogers: Movies and books had a HUGE impact on me growing up. I loved Disney movies of all kinds, and I read any book I could get my hands on. I was such a voracious reader I would even read the non-fiction library books my grandmother had around her house when we went to visit (she favored biographies). When I was a little older, I saw the movie Billy Jack. Tom Laughlin used hapkido in that film, and I thought that was the coolest thing EVER. It made such a big impression on me that when Sharon Stone and Rene Russo used kickboxing techniques in Total Recall and Lethal Weapon 3 respectively, I promptly enrolled in martial arts. Today I hold three black belts, two in taekwondo (U.S. and Korean) and one in hapkido.
Oh, wow! That’s pretty neat! What inspired the story of Minna & The Valentine?
Cover Art Designed by Elaina Lee
S.G. Rogers: The publisher Astraea Press had an open call for Valentine’s Day stories. I write fantasy, and I didn’t want to write some insipid story about Cupid or some other mythological love god. So I tried to come up with a concept that was out of the box. Finally I realized the story could involve someone quite handsome, with the last name Valentine. The rest flowed from there.
You’ve had several new books come out lately. Aside from Minna & The Valentine and The Druid, Clash of Wills, and The Last Great Wizard of Yden, what can curious fans expect from you next?
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S.G. Rogers: I have several titles in the pipeline for publication this year, including two novellas and a full length time travel novel coming out late September (Tournament of Chance). Thereafter, I want to concentrate on longer works of fiction, so I will be writing full-length sequels to many of my novellas—perhaps even a novel about Minna Westerfield and Evan Valentine.
So you’ll be busy for a while. We’ll be looking forward to them all!
Now then, a fun question for you: With all the dragons in your stories, have you ever thought how you might really react if you saw a dragon swooping into your yard? Sounds like you could “take ‘em” quite easily what with those black belts.
S.G. Rogers: I’m quite a sensible person, so I’d run as if my life depended on it. I love the idea of tame dragons, but one can never be certain of dragons one has not met.
That’s very true. Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My blog is at www.childofyden.wordpress.com, and my Twitter handle is @suzannegrogers. Come visit and follow!
Thanks again for your time, S.G.! We enjoyed chatting with you–and good luck with Minna & The Valentine, The Druid, The Last Great Wizard of Yden, Clash of Wills, Tournament of Chance–and all you do! Folks if you’d like to find out more about S.G. Rogers, check out the links above.
Welcome back. The Mistress hasn’t broken out of bonds yet, so the castle’s sort of kicking back on a long spring break. Never fear, we’ve been at work behind the scenes and have another special guest for you. So, settle down, grab some iced tea and say hi to our newest victim–erm, guest. Romance author Casey Wyatt.
Hi Casey, thanks for being with us today. Please feel free to tell us a little about yourself so my readers can get to know you.
Casey Wyatt: Can I be honest? This is my least favorite question in the world. I’m not sure why. It may be that I’m pretty much like everyone else. Nothing remotely interesting happens to me in daily life (not that I’m complaining!). I always think it’s funny when writers are given the advice – write what you know – because I don’t know any Greek Gods, elves, vampires or shape-shifters. At least none have made their presence known to me.
I’m married, have two teenage boys, some adorable cats, and a full time day job. On the side, I like to write paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels! I love to read. And I also enjoy knitting, crocheting, The History Channel (really H2) and visiting historic sites. This year I became media director for my local RWA chapter, so I’m never without something to do.
Sounds like a fun post, congrats! So tell us who were your influences, literarly speaking?
Casey: My writing influences are many. As a kid, the two books that had the biggest influence on me were The Lord of the Rings and Interview with the Vampire (I was eleven when I read Anne Rice!). Later, as an adult, I was thrilled to discover paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I love Rob Thurman, Jim Butcher, J.R. Ward. Jeaniene Frost, and Simon Green.
Ah, I see a favorite among our staff too. So, what inspired your new book, Mystic Ink?
Casey Wyatt: The short answer – a baby name book.
I was looking up names for a different story and I stumbled across – Eudora: one of the fifty daughters of Nereus. I immediately stopped what I was doing and looked up Nereus. A short time later, I was struck with a scene of Nix and Cal arguing in an alley (the scene in the excerpt below.) I was very lucky with Mystic Ink. Once I had the initial idea, the rest kind of fell into place.
Don’t you love it when that happens? So now that Mystic Ink is officially out in the world, what can curious fans expect from you next?
Casey Wyatt: My next book is called The Undead Space Initiative (Pink Petal Books). Here is a teaser:
Cherry Cordial, vampire stripper extraordinaire, spectacularly messes up her life with a single act of kindness. How could she have known when she rescued gorgeous rogue, Ian McDevitt, that she would be implicated in the vampire queen’s murder? Soon, she faces the wrath of the entire vampire community. To escape retribution, she joins a settlement program to colonize Mars. Her choices are grim: possibly die on the red planet or stay on Earth and face certain annihilation.
Ooh, sounds interesting!
Casey Wyatt: I’ll be honest, I never thought in million years anyone would buy a story about a vampire stripper who goes to Mars. I banged the story out last July in about a month. Then, I sat on it, avoiding doing clean-up until I saw Pink Petal’s call for pitches on Facebook. I thought – what the heck? I pitched it. They liked it and bought it. So you never know. I say to writers: write the story and worry about what to do with it after!
Good advice. If you weren’t a writer, what career might you have pursued instead?
Casey Wyatt: If I had access to a time machine, I’d go get a job at Pixar. Or I’d be working in a museum as a curator. I do have a full-time job. Sadly, it’s not writing, but it pays the bills.
Working for Pixar would be a fun job! Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Casey Wyatt: Only this – pursue your dreams as best you can. For a long time, I had this fantasy that I’d be able to quit the “necessary day job” so I could write full-time. I put all this pressure on myself to succeed as a writer. Instead, it made writing a lot harder. Once I realized that I could do both, it took a lot of pressure off of me and I was able to write more productively. If, someday, I can quit the day job – great! But if not, I still have books I can write and I’m still a published author. And I can’t beat that!
Mystick Ink Blurb:
The last thing Nix, a Sea Nymph, wants to see behind the dumpster near her tattoo shop is another dead mortal. She also doesn’t want to hear Hades piss and moan about how the souls of the dead aren’t making it to the Underworld. And Nix certainly doesn’t want to be attracted to supernatural police agent, Calder Quinne when he comes to investigate. All Nix really wants is to run her tattoo shop in peace and quiet. Hey, we don’t always get what we want, now do we?
Excerpt:
Nix, thoughts still swirling in her mind, headed toward the side door. After she unlocked the deadbolt, her eyes automatically went to the dumpster. Nothing. Thank the Gods. Her sigh of relief was quickly sucked back in. A dark shape further down the alley caught her eye. Maybe it was a heap of clothes or a bag of garbage. Whatever it was, it was lying near the entrance of the Underworld Gate. The Gate was invisible to all eyes, except Guardians—like her, Hades, and Charon. Whoever or whatever was back there couldn’t have known how close they were to the Underworld.
“Hell. Now what?” Please, be trash that some rude asshole left in my alley.
Rather than kick it with her foot, she decided to be more prudent and find something long to use as a poker. While grabbing a shop broom inside, she registered how quiet the place was. Of course, Basil wasn’t there. He was still with Jason.
Back in the alley, Nix slowly approached, straining for a better look. The pile was inside the building’s shadow. The closer she got, the more the lump resembled a body. She cursed. “Oh, come on! Why does this keep happening?”
Broom at the ready, she gave it jab. The mass was solid and there was no crinkle of plastic. So much for the garbage bag theory. Man, she did not want to have to call the police. At the rate she was going, they would probably arrest her just on principle.
Stupid mound.
She lifted the broom, ready to strike. An arm sprouted from the pile and shot up, stopping the handle from falling.
Nix barked, “What the hell?”
The broom clattered to the ground.
A dark figure rose up. The set of the shoulders, the short black hair . . . it was awfully familiar. “Cal?”
“Nix,” he said, his voice strained and tired. His arm extended, propping his body against the brick wall.
“If this is your idea of a joke, it’s not funny.” When he didn’t respond, Nix came up behind him and placed her hand on his back. “Are you—”
The words choked off. There was something wrong. Really wrong. His energy, the essence of his life, was out of whack. Like he was missing . . .
She put her hand up to her mouth, swallowing dread as he turned to face her. “Cal, where’s your soul?”
Mystic Ink can be found at:
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Ink-ebook/dp/B0071R3JI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327585790&sr=8-1
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/casey-wyatt?keyword=casey+wyatt&store=ebook
Soul Mate Publishing: http://www.soulmatepublishing.com/mystic-ink/
About Casey:
Casey Wyatt has no personal knowledge of the paranormal, but she hopes someday that may change. If there are ancient Gods, elves or satyrs living nearby, they’re more than welcome to visit. Bring pizza and chocolate please!
Casey’s paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels have won or placed in numerous RWA contests. When not writing, Casey enjoys time with her family, loves to read, and enjoys knitting and crocheting.
She lives in a bustling Connecticut town with her husband, two sons and an assortment of pets (none of which are shape-shifters).
Visit Casey on the web: www.caseywyatt.com or at http://secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com/. You can also find Casey on Facebook and Twitter (@CaseyWyatt1).
Thanks for having me JD!
You’re quite welcome, dear Casey! Folks, Casey’s giving away an e-copy of Mystic Ink to one lucky winner. Please leave her a comment or a question and we’ll pick the winner and announce the name tomorrow.
Thank you for taking the time to visit, Casey. Best of luck to you with Mystic Ink and all you do!
Sorry for the cross-post, folks, but just in case you don’t read the “reading” blog, I wanted to share this for a friend.
Paranormal Romance author Kristen Painter just announced her novella The Perfect Dish is free on Kindle through Sunday.
When Manhattan chef and notorious playboy Kelly Spicer realizes his recently widowed sister needs help, he turns to the most dangerous answer he knows: sorcery. Using the magic cookbook passed down through his family’s generations, Kelly conjures up a recipe of chocolate-laced persuasion to enlist the only woman he thinks can pull his sister out of her grief.
That woman is Mery Black, grief counselor to the stars, who secretly thinks she’s a jinx when it comes to men and love. When she lets that secret slip, her latest book deal gets canceled. Dating Kelly suddenly becomes the antidote to her damaged public persona. She vows she won’t fall in love again, but little does she know she’s about to do even more damage.
To his heart.
If you’d like to check it out, you can get it here.
The EHS issue with my retelling of the Persephone myth came out. I’m really pleased with it, and the way it came out. I call it mythological romance. If you’d like to see it, it’s here:
http://tinyurl.com/7lqn7yj
