Special Guest Sunday- Aurelia B Rowl & Allie A Burrow

Hello everyone,

Please help me welcome Aurelia B Rowl & Allie A Burrow to my blog this week for Special Guest Sunday!  (Pssst... they are actually the same person) As she talks about pen names.

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What’s in a name?

I've come across a few blogs and 'expert' opinions since I started writing which suggest using a pen name is more hassle than it's worth and, quite frankly, a bit of a waste of time. They (that invisible group that have an opinion on everything) recommend you use your real name, or at least a form of it, because using a pen means you're more afraid of failure. Or something like that anyway... 

So why do I use a pen name? Is it because I am trying to hide my real identity?

No, not at all, I'd say a large percentage of followers on both Facebook and my main blog could tell you my real name. I'm not ashamed of writing romance, I'm not embarrassed or desperate to keep it at arm's length, it just works better for me.

Why then?

It's for a few reasons really...

One reason is to add an extra screen, a layer of privacy, to keep my writing persona one step removed from my real life persona. If somebody Google's my real name to find out more about my role as a school governor, or in relation to any other aspect of my life, for example, my political affiliation or religious beliefs (or any other potentially contentious stuff usually banned from the dinner table), I don't want them to come face to face with an excerpt from one of my steamier romance novels.

Another reason is to protect my young children. I have my private profile on Facebook where I can happily post photos and talk about them. Yes, I can apply privacy settings (and do!) but even so, other users can see the pages I like or places I check into amongst other things, so it made sense for me to create a profile for my Facebook alter-ego. On the flipside, it also gives my children the option to distance themselves from the writer 'me'. They can choose to acknowledge what I do or deny all knowledge because it's not my 'mummy' name printed on the covers of my novels, which could be embarrassing for them when they're older, especially now Allie is on the scene.

If you have been following me on Facebook for a while, you may have been one of the many voters who helped me choose an alternate pen name – yes, another one! – so that I can keep the more erotic stories away from the contemporary romance and young adult stories. It added an extra division between the two personas so that I don't have to make my 'Aurelia' Page over 18, which would be counter-productive when I am in the throes of writing a Young Adult romance.

And then there's the issue with my actual name being unisex. Seeing as I'm a romance author, I don't really want to be mistaken for a man. Not that I think men can't write romance, it's just that many will adopt a female pen name to do it.

But don't I want to see MY name on the cover of a book?

This will sound crazy, but it is my name being published. Huh?

Have you seen those pictures where there's a printed message and you're supposed to be super brainy if you can read it because of how your brain interprets the right words even though the letters are mixed up? Well, it's just like that. In fact, when I first adopted it, friends didn't even realise they weren't seeing my actual name because their brain saw the letters they were expecting to see, even though they were out of order, and rearranged them automatically. Yes, my pen name is an anagram of my real name so it is my name on the cover, it just so happens the letters are a bit jumbled up.

Isn't it hard work keeping two Facebook profiles going?

Nope, not really, especially since a friend suggested using two different browsers to have Facebook open, one for each persona so I can log into Facebook as BOTH profiles at once. I'm just kicking myself for not thinking of it sooner. It works a charm for Goodreads and Twitter too.

I had the foresight to create my alter ego as soon as I decided to try my hand as a writer so it's been there right from day one and it's like a uniform I put on when it's time to work. Similarly, I can take the hat off when it's time to be 'mummy'.

I've encouraged all of my real-life friends befriend my alter ego but if they don't want to, that's fine, and by having a separate profile for my professional stuff, I'm not ramming my writing updates down their throats all the time. The visibility is still set to ‘friends’ only – which is generally family, friends and fellow writers – and I try to steer readers and fans to like my Facebook pages instead, where I can control the content and who can sees it (e.g. Allie is set that you can’t see it unless you are over 19).

All the silly anecdotes of my life are there for public consumption, but I use codenames for my children instead of their real names. I am still me on my alter-ego Pages, I behave exactly the same and saying the same kind of things I'd say with my real hat on, so there's not much difference.

What are the drawbacks?

I have a rule that I will only take ‘Aurelia’ up to a heat level of 2 (borderline 3 in the case of Christmas is Cancelled) but the creation of ‘Allie’ now means that anything with more explicit adult content now has somewhere it can go too. Whereas I had to turn away guests before on my blog because of the nature of the content, I can now welcome them with open arms.

Even though I don’t intend to write as ‘Allie’ very often – being the result of a personal challenge to step outside my comfort zone – my ‘Allie’ blog is just as busy as my ‘Aurelia’ blog, running the same features on alternate weeks. The only major difference is that when posting as ‘Allie’ I will happily shout about ‘Aurelia’ and encourage readers to check out my other persona, but when writing as ‘Aurelia’, I tend to distance myself from ‘Allie’, just to be on the safe side.

Of course, by writing across three (so far!) different genres, I couldn’t help but make things that little harder for myself, and it does mean I now have to maintain two websites, three blogs, two Facebook pages (three if you include Serviced), and two twitter profiles. Not to mention my separate Goodreads profiles, Google+ pages, Pinterest, Amazon etc.

I’d like to think I stay on top of it all though, and because of the YA vs. erotica thing, I do believe it is necessary. I know I’m not the only one who uses two pen names because at least two other author friends instantly spring to mind.

Over to you...

What are your views on pen names?

Would you have done things differently, if you were me?

Do you write under a pen name or do you think they are unnecessary?

If you do have a pen name, how did you choose it and why did you decide to use one?

About the author...

Aurelia B Rowl is a contemporary romance and young adult author, but you can also find her masquerading as Allie A Burrow, her raunchier alter-ego.

Aurelia lives on the edge of the Peak District in the UK with her very understanding husband and their two fantastic children aged 6 and 4, along with their mad rescue mutt who doesn’t mind being used as a sounding post and source of inspiration. They are all used to her getting too caught up with her latest writing project... or five!... and she is guiltily counting down the months until she has both kids at school full-time.

Writing as Aurelia B Rowl, Christmas is Cancelled, was released by Breathless Press on 21 December 2012. Just a few months later, Allie A Burrow debuted with her short story, For One Night Only, featured in the Serviced anthology and released by Breathless Press on 1 March 2013.

 

Christmas is Cancelled by Aurelia B Rowl Matilda 'Tilly' Carter didn't think her day could get any worse, but even Christmas had just been cancelled. The one girl Dean Watson has sworn never to have—never even expected to see again—just flared back into his life and into his home—his sanctuary—like she belonged there. Christmas would certainly be more bearable with Tilly around though… As the chinks in Dean's armor appear, Tilly seizes the chance to win her knight once and for all. She's not about to take no for answer—not this time—but Dean must resist, even as his heart rebels and temptation threatens to undermine his resolve. Win or lose? Love or honor? Which will Dean choose? Assuming he gets a choice…

Available from: Breathless Press Amazon Amazon UK Barnes & Noble All Romance Books Bookstrand Smashwords iTunes – coming soon

Connect with Aurelia at: Website Blog / YA blog Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest YouTube Amazon Goodreads

 

Serviced: Volume One feat. Allie A Burrow All's fair in love and war, they say. Come find out if it's true in these ten stories where soldiers prove that their skills in the field are only rivaled by their skills in the bedroom. For One Night Only Kate Powell only went and fell for the soldier she’d met just once before he had to jet off on a year-long posting overseas. Seven months in, and Kate is hornier than a blue wildebeest in mating season with only her battery-powered friend for relief. Her skills as a pen-pal scale new heights, but then a text message arrives out of the blue. Corporal Mark Butler is back in the country for one night only, and Kate isn’t about to let the opportunity pass her by. After all, who needs a vibrator when the real thing comes calling?

Available from: Breathless Press Amazon Amazon UK All Romance Books Bookstrand Barnes & Noble – coming soon iTunes – coming soon

Connect with Allie at: Website Blog Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest Amazon Goodreads Serviced: Volume 1

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Thank you so much Aurelia/Allie for stopping by!  

If you have any thoughts/comments you would like to add to this discussion, please comment below.  I would love to hear what other people have to say about pen names!

Also, on a side note, I haven't had a chance to read Christmas is Cancelled yet, it's on my TBR (to-be-read) pile, but I have read the Serviced Anthology Volume 1, and it is hot, hot, hot!  Sometimes you may not have time to read a longer story in one sitting, but with an anthology it is easy to read in small slices.  Great for those of us with busy lives, when we don't seem to be able to get a break sometimes.  Taking a few minutes for yourself and indulge in one of these stories featuring those in uniform.  It'll be well worth it.

Special Guest Sunday- Lucy Oliver

Hello everyone!  Please help me welcome my special guest today for Special Guest Sunday-   Lucy Oliver as she discusses the importance of setting.

Hi Lucy, thank you so much for stopping by!

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Bringing a Town to Life

By Lucy Oliver

An important part of writing that can get overlooked amongst the more exciting characters and emotions, is the setting. It doesn’t jump around, rage or swear, it just sits there, looking pretty. Or sometimes, not so pretty. Imagine Lord of the Rings without the powerful setting of Mount Doom, or Jane Eyre minus the brooding moors, or Jamaica Inn missing the dark, grey forbidding tavern. In these books, the setting becomes a person in its own right; influencing the plot and the characters, foreshadowing and adding atmosphere.

To create a strong sense of place, the setting must be woven into the story. But what’s the best way to do this? A single paragraph at the start of the book isn’t enough and several paragraphs will generally lose you the reader—no one wants to trawl through pages and pages of description. The trick is to slot it into the narrative. Have your characters breathing in the salty sea air, hearing the cry of gulls above them, feeling the breeze against their cheeks. Every character has five senses and all of these should be used to bring the setting alive.

It can help to have a picture of the scene you’re describing beside you. When I was writing my medieval romance, I had a photo of a forest on my desk and glanced at it while my computer was switching on to focus my mind. Even if your characters are sitting in the lounge, then I want to know what that room looks like. Drop little hints into the narrative, rather than a big block of text, so I can picture it.

I read a book recently where a ballroom was described as, ‘stunningly beautiful.’ Well, I’ll have to take the writer’s word for that, because she never told me what it looked like. It’s lazy writing and added nothing to the book. Don’t tell me what it looks like; show me.

With Winter Storms, it was the setting that appeared first; a glimpse of wet cobblestones and the sound of a breaker exploding a seawall. From that original image, the town of Haven Bay appeared, nestled at the base of giant black cliff and surrounded by a raging sea that echoed the powerful emotions of Carly and Daniel.

Below, I’ve added an extract of Daniel’s arrival at the Bay after two years away. Read it, and see if you can picture the setting in own mind.

Extract

The powerful sea wind hit Daniel Edwards with the force of a gybing boom. Hissing

between his teeth, he yanked the wet dinghy painter and cursed as it scraped red burns

across his hands. It was tempting to toss the rope away and watch the hated boat bob off

into the ocean, but his teammates would never forgive him; the Olympic racing craft was

worth a fortune. He never should have brought it out in this weather. Seeing the lifeboat

bobbing beside a fishing trawler, waves exploding over the deck, made him realise how

stupid and how lucky he’d been.

The mast had snapped when he reached the jetty, another expense he’d have to pay

for. Not that he cared very much, when his sponsors discovered he’d risked the boat in a

storm, they’d cancel his contract anyway. They already had what they wanted—double

Olympic gold medals—now he was superfluous to requirements.

Hauling on the rope, Daniel tied it fast and straightened. Pulling down his waterproof

hood, he stared across the harbour at the cluster of shops glowing with Christmas lights;

it hadn’t changed much in two years. Turning to look at the black cliffs standing like

gateposts either side of the harbour entrance, he recalled her scream and shuddered.

Should he have come back?

But Haven Bay was where he grew up and he couldn’t stay away forever, paying

expensive hotel bills for his family to visit him. And after the Olympics, his urge to visit

had grown stronger, pictures flashing through his mind like an old-fashioned projector,

images of places and people, of a girl he had known.

Imogen, his ex-fiancée, said she’d suspected for months that something wasn’t right.

Standing in the hallway of their luxury flat, suitcases at her feet, she looked at him, not in

anger, but with something akin to pity.

“There’s a part of you I can’t reach,” she said.

Daniel opened his mouth to protest, but she held her left hand up, showing a white

ring of pale skin around her suntanned finger.

“I hoped our relationship would improve after you got the Olympic golds, but it’s

worse, I never know what’s going through your mind. I keep expecting to come home to

find the wardrobe half-empty and a note on the table telling me you’ve gone.” Putting

hands on her hips, she stared at him. “I’m not the person you’re looking for.”

Daniel gazed now at the lights of Haven Bay. Had Imogen been right? A face, pushed

for years into the back of his mind, was emerging, growing stronger and less blurry each

day. Two years ago, Carly had broken off their relationship with five hard words.

“I do not love you,” she said.

And, refusing to beg, he left town on the next train. Only later did he wish he’d

demanded an explanation, but it was too late by then, his pride wouldn’t let him return.

So what if Carly didn’t want to know him? Many other girls did. Until Imogen showed

him the truth: that he couldn’t love anyone else.

Slinging a rucksack over his shoulder, he stepped across the floating jetty to the sea

wall. A rank odour of dead fish, salt water, and rust hit him, scents he remembered from

his childhood. Boats creaked at their moorings and faint music drifted over from a pub.

Brick steps led up the harbour wall, slippery with rubbery, rotting seaweed and when he

reached the top, he froze, waiting for the bright flash of a camera.

The setting of Haven Bay forms an essential part of the story, in fact several reviewers have said they wished they could visit! I’ve put the blurb below in case anyone would like to see the rest of the plot and please join me on Twitter—Writingoliver or at my blog: http://lucyoliverwrites.blogspot.co.uk/.

Blurb

Two years ago Carly Roberts split from her lover, Daniel Edwards, after he caused a terrible sailing accident that cost her both the use of her right leg and her Olympic dreams. Unable to watch his climb to double Olympic success, she stayed in the Cornish village they grew up in, while he travelled the world.

Racked with guilt, knowing he destroyed her future, Daniel has finally returned home to make amends. But he didn’t expect to fall in love with her again.

However Carly has her own life now and it doesn’t include him. She can’t forgive him for the catastrophic injuries that changed her life. While the storms of a Cornish winter lash their village home, can Daniel persuade her to give him a second chance?

Available from:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

KOBO

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Thank you so much Lucy for stopping by.  I can see why the reviewers would want to visit there.  Amazing.  I want to visit there too!

Special Guest Sunday- Jacqueline Driggers

Hello everyone!  Please help me welcome Jacqueline Driggers to Special Guest Sunday, as she discusses following her dream.

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 Following my dream, 30 years later

I’ve always loved books and reading, going all the way back to my childhood. One of my favorite activities as a kid was going to my grandmother’s house and packing home old books. And during my early years, I was a reading demon. I started writing in high school, and when I graduated from high school in 1979, I wanted to be a writer as a career choice. But breaking into writing back then was quite different than it is now.

Back then, at the beginning of the 80s, the internet was pretty much nonexistent. Desktop computers were brand new. Laptop computers, ipads, ipods, and cell phones were still dreams on some inventors drawing board. Back then, if you wanted to be a writer, you had a limited course to follow. You could write for magazines or newspapers, but if you wanted to do that, then you better have a degree in journalism or something like that. You could go into advertising, writing jingles and ads, yet again, the college thing. You could write books. But ah, to get into this, you needed a lot of luck and probably an agent. It was, put plainly and simply, a hard road to follow.

So after high school, I spent the next two years at home with my parents, and learned to cook really well while I figured out what I wanted to do next. My husband will forever be grateful for these years. What I ended up doing is to go to a local business college, where I graduated with honors with diplomas in secretarial work and computer operations. Turned out to be a great choice. Then I went on to work as a legal secretary and a bookkeeper. During this time I continued to write, more as a hobby. I wrote a Star Trek story for a fanzine put out by a girl I had connected up with somehow. Can’t remember how now.

When I turned 30, I entered a new phase in my life when I got married. During all this, over all these years, I had continued to write as a hobby. It was how I expressed myself best. I wrote one fictional story, poems, and some non-fiction pieces. Which brings us up to now.

I used to be a big reader, but had gotten away from it over the years. With the advent of ebooks, I got back to my enjoyment of reading again. I also had been reading about the new self-publishing trend. With facebook, and computers, and the internet, and self-publishing; I kept thinking about how I wished I had all of this when I graduated from high school wanting to be a writer.

Then in April of 2012, I opened up my word processing program and started writing a fictional novel. And so began the process of my finally pursuing my high school dream of being a writer. That novel I started back in April is up to 4 chapters now, and I know what I want to do with it. I also have a cookbook in the works, as well as a poetry and short stories book too. Besides this, I have the ideas for over 40 separate books.

But before that, when I first got online, I started writing. First on the gather website, then in my blog. I still have that first blog, which was just about me sharing my opinions on stuff. I simply call it ‘Sharing About’ now.

-- http://jdshare.blogspot.com/ --

Now I have 8 facebook pages and a total of 6 blogs. Also, I have several groups as well. See my facebook note for the links for all of these. -- https://www.facebook.com/notes/jacqueline-driggers/links-for-my-blogs-facebook-pages-and-groups/10150947645299887

Plus I now have a website as well - http://emforjd.wix.com/jdwrite --

I have started doing book reviews. And I have started doing editing work as well. To learn more about my editing and what I charge, check out my website.

So yeah, some 32 years later, I am finally pursuing my dream of being a writer. And I’m staying quite busy these days. Anyone needing an editor, just get in touch with me. I would love to work with you.

Want to get in touch with me? You can do so via my website (link given above), or my writer page on facebook --

http://www.facebook.com/jdswrpg

--jd--

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Thank you so much for stopping by Jacqueline!

Special Guest Sunday- Gayl Taylor

 Hi everyone,

Please help me welcome Gayl Taylor as she shares her best advice for aspiring authors.

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Hello Readers! And thank you so much Sally for having me today. Admittedly, I had a hard time coming up with an interesting topic. I am still a very new author despite the fact that I have been writing a very long time. My first book was published nearly a year ago. I am still finding my way, and discovering what drives a story.

The best advice I could give aspiring authors is write something every day whether it is 500 words or 5000. Don't get too caught up in the mechanics, it can distract you from reaching the end, and tell the story that's in your heart. Stay true to who you are. I adore and immerse myself in many romance genres, especially paranormal or Regency. I love them, hands down. What draws me to the genre is the fantasy aspect, the way I am transported to another time or place. Yet, I couldn't write a Regency or paranormal to save my life.

So…

I write what I know and I infuse bits of me in everything I write. Each of my characters can be a reflection of me and my experiences. My books are contemporary erotic romance with an emphasis on the romantic and sensual aspects. My characters are not perfect; in fact, they are far from it. This is what I hope makes them and their story believable to readers. My characters are flawed, stubborn, willful, sexy, and loving.

My current release, The Hero Sandwich, was co-written with a good friend and critique partner, Karyn Gerrard. This story is a f/m/f cougar erotic romance about three people who have endured loss. This story is close to my heart for many reasons.

Links:

Breathless Press

All Romance eBooks

Amazon

Blurb:

A wild night of meaningless sex is all best friends Connie Hollingsway and Nicci Sullivan have in mind when they approach a beyond handsome, younger man in the Cougar Cave bar. They soon realize they have taken on more than they bargained for.

Barrett Michaels just found out he was cut from the Double A baseball team he played for. To drown his sorrows and ease his pain, he goes to the Cougar Cave looking for a one-night stand with an experienced, older woman. Imagine his surprise when not one, but two women suggest a night of mind-blowing sensual pleasure with no strings attached.

Can three lonely people keep pain, bitterness, and grief at bay or will emotional fireworks tear down the walls surrounding their hearts?

Excerpt:

As far as Connie Hollingsway was concerned, she'd just found the meat filling for her hero sandwich. She cast a quick glance to her best friend, Nicole Sullivan, and amended her statement to our hero sandwich.

Bass from inane techno music reverberated off the wood-paneled walls of the club called the Cougar Cave that she and Nicci were at tonight. Connie's gaze slid back to the man sitting alone in a booth directly across from them and further down the wall. The man, in a word, was perfect. Ascertaining his age was difficult under the flashing strobe lights, plus he sat directly underneath a neon sign for Budweiser, which cast a reddish glow over a stunningly rugged, handsome face. The layered and tousled hair looked as if he had just rolled out of bed. Milk chocolate would be the way she'd describe the color. Like all young guys, he had a scruff of facial hair, but Connie's keen eye could make out the sexy cleft in his perfectly shaped chin. There were six empty beer bottles in front of him, and he'd just waved his arm to the waiter for more. A sly smile curved about Connie's mouth. If man-meat was drunk enough, he may be open and willing to consider her suggestion.

Leaning toward Nicci to talk about her idea, the words died in her throat when man-meat stood, shook off his leather jacket, and hung it on the coat rack attached to the back of the bench seat. He was taller than she first imagined, a few inches over six feet to be sure. A skin tight black T-shirt hugged every valley and plane of his powerful physique. Man-meat was cut, chiseled, honed, and sharpened into hardened precision, enough to rival those marble statues of Greek gods. The T-shirt, tucked into a pair of incredibly tight blue jeans, showed his torso to sculpted perfection. Fabric strained across rock hard thighs, a muscular ass and—Connie's held breath whooshed out in a moan—showed off his impressive package to perfection.

She had to get a closer look.

While his build and his aura evoked a certain maturity, there were no telltale lines fanning out from the eyes to show he may be in his thirties, nor were there heavily cut lines around his mouth. Damn, how young was he? Who cared? He was getting drunk at the Cougar Cave so naturally the man would be interested in an older woman.

Wonder how he would feel about two women?

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I love hearing from readers and you can find me at the following places:

Blog: http://gayl-taylor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/GaylTaylorAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gaylschat

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/gayltaylor

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Thank you so much Gayl for stopping by!

Special Guest Sunday- Dianne Hartsock

Hello everyone!  Please help me welcome Dianne Hartsock as she discusses how to keep the romance alive.

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Keeping the Romance Alive

Hello! As the writer of m/m erotic romance, I'm often asked how I keep the romance in my stories and not let it fall into strict erotica, where it's all action and no passion. It's fairly easy for me to do. I'm a hopeless romantic! I couldn't possibly write a story without my men being very much in love.

For inspiration, I not only turn to my husband, who loves to romance and spoil me (I'm so lucky!). But I have an extensive collection of romance novels from 1880-1920's. Talk about romance with angst! These men go through fire and heartbreak and separation before they reach their HEA with the person they love. I've shed many tears over these sweet, pure love affairs.

I like to approach my stories with this same goal, having my men find true love by the last page. Of course they have to suffer first! I want my readers to feel and relate to their struggles, and cheer with them when they finally hear those beautiful words, I love you. 

I've been reading romances since I was thirteen, Jane Austin, Louisa May Alcott, Charlotte Bronte, all the classics. They write of love as a pure ideal, something to strive and sacrifice for. I like to think I take that romantic fervor and apply it to my own writing.

But I not only read these old classics. I love the m/m romance gender and gobble up every book I can find! They not only help sharpen my own writing skills, but if they can make me laugh and cry, I know I've found an author I can enjoy and who reminds me what love is all about.

In my newest release, WEE WILLIE WINKIE, Willie has fallen in love with a man far below his caste in society. The perfect setting for heartbreak, but also for true love to find a way to bring two lonely men together. Yes, I think being a hopeless romantic has made it possible for me to keep the

romance alive in my stories!

WEE WILLIE WINKIE

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Willie-Winkie-Naughty-Nursery-ebook/dp/B00BD2IQLO/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1360394155&sr=8-6&keywords=dianne+hartsock

ARe Books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-weewilliewinkie-1055301-145.html

For the past three years William Wilkerson has led the life of the privileged rich. Head of his father’s shipping business, Willie indulges in the pleasures of Boston’s fine young men to his heart’s content. That is, until he meets Fredrick,, the one man who has captured his heart , again.

As his former tutor, Fredrick has been declared off limits by William’s father. Fredrick also believes he's beneath the attention of Wilkerson’s heir. Willie disagrees, but is he willing to throw away rank and privilege for the man he loves?

Excerpt:

Fredrick held up his glass and stared at the candle's flame through the amber liquid. He took a sip, savored the rich, biting taste on his tongue. He welcomed the burn down his throat. This was the very last drink he could afford, and he had to make it last.

A giggle erupted from the booth in the corner, the one whose curtains were drawn against curious eyes. A smile tugged at Fredrick's lips despite the dire state of his wallet. The laugh had been carefree, joyous, naughty. Fredrick shifted on the cushioned bench. Only a few straggling customers remained in the dining room. He wondered if any of them would notice if he shifted his cramped cock as it throbbed in sympathy with the bright laughter.

Rather than risk it, he watched the fruit vender outside the window beguile a customer. Another giggle and stifled moan swiveled his attention back to the corner. A silk-clad foot and slim calf peeked beneath the curtain. He grinned even as the delectable sight emphasized his own loneliness. It had been far too long since he'd had someone in his bed.

"Excuse me. Sir?"

Fredrick looked up, distracted from his memory of lush lips and white skin and wide, hazel eyes, and blinked at the stout innkeeper at his elbow. "Yes?"

A frown fleeted across the man's homely face at another bout of laughter from the corner. "If they're disturbing you, I can have Wee Willie take his guest upstairs. Excuse me, I mean Mister Wilkerson." The man broke off, flustered by the slip of the tongue.

Fredrick's heart leaped on hearing the name mentioned. Is William really here? How could that be? The innkeeper coughed, and Fredrick frowned at the intrusion into his thoughts. The man was so damned serious about such a minor indiscretion. "They're no bother. In fact, I'm almost done anyway." He lifted his nearly empty glass. Hearing a shout, they looked over in time to see a young man tumble through the curtains onto the floor. Fredrick caught a glimpse of red hair and an embarrassed cheek before the gentleman crammed a hat on his head and strode passed them, face averted. The innkeeper shrugged and followed, likely to be sure he paid for his drinks.

Fredrick stared at the silk-clad foot still protruding from the parted curtains. He loosened his hold on his glass but had no way to stop the wild hammering of his heart. Before he lost his courage, he stood and swallowed the last of his brandy, then walked the short distance to the booth.

A grin tugged the corner of his mouth at his eagerness. It had been three years, after all, and they'd parted in anger. Would William acknowledge him? His hand trembled as he drew aside the heavy curtain and allowed his gaze to travel up the silky hose to bright blue trousers. Blood heated his face when he found the laces undone at the waist and the silk shirt open to expose white skin and rosebud nipples.

A sigh brought his gaze up to the pretty face that stirred his dreams. Rich brown curls surrounded lovely hazel eyes and full, pouting lips. He groaned when a delighted smile revealed the even, white teeth that had nipped his collarbone on more than one glorious occasion. "Freddie, is it you?"

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock

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Thank you so much Dianne for stopping by.  This looks like a really hot read!

Special Guest Sunday- Gerald Hornsby

Hi everyone,

This week, please help me welcome Gerald Hornsby as he discusses how to become a writer.

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HOW TO BECOME A WRITER

Writing is tough work. Don’t let anyone tell you any different. I know, we all have this mental image of being a writer, sitting on a stone balcony overlooking a Tuscan or Provençal vineyard, a parasol protecting us from the harsh midday sun, typing a few words into a laptop every now and again. A couple of weeks later, the novel is finished, and off it gets sent to the publisher to become (yet) another best seller. Ah, the life.
Cue reality stepping in. Jobs, families, children, social media, even sleep do their best to interfere with our writing tasks. The distractions for writers are worse than they have ever been, and it’s so easy to say to ourselves “I’ll write tomorrow. Definitely.” Then tomorrow comes around, and it’s the same old, same old.
But the key thing here is forcing people to write. The habit of writing every day, once learnt, becomes difficult to unlearn. Consider this: a page of a typical paperback book contains around 250 words. Anyone can write a page of a book a day, can’t they? If you did that for a year, you’ll have written a 90,000 word novel. What were you doing a year ago? Pretty much the same as now? If you’d have made a commitment this time last year, you would have written your book. How good does that sound?

The arithmetic is simple. The practicality is difficult. Finding time in our busy lives is hard, especially if you have a full time job, have children at home, or you’re a carer for someone.

I can type at around 1,000 words an hour if I know what I’m going to write. Allow for some thinking time, and you could say that 500 words in an hour should be straightforward. Writing a page of a novel should take me half an hour.

Read any ‘how-to’ on writing, and they will almost invariably say something like “as an author, you need to have a space to work, and a time when you shut yourself off to write.”

I totally disagree with this. Finding a place in a house full of children and toys and clothes and washing and games consoles is difficult at best. So a lot of writers don’t try. “I don’t have a place where I can write, so I can’t be a writer.”

Nonsense. My most productive period as a writer was when I had a full-time job which took me all over the world, especially driving around the UK and Europe. I wrote in hotel rooms, I wrote in lunch hours, I wrote when I got home before I went to bed, I wrote on trains and planes. You must learn to writer wherever you can.

I remember watching one of those “Building a Dream Home” programmes on TV, and one of the main themes of this particular episode was that the man of the house needed a writing room, overlooking a forest and open countryside, where he could be inspired to write his novel.

After completion, the house had a wonderful room, with a desk and a laptop positioned for the cameras, overlooking the forest and the open countryside. “I can now get on and write my novel,” our man said.
In the catchup 2 years later, the house was still beautiful “Have you managed to write your novel?” the presenter asked. “No, not yet,” was the reply.

You don’t need a special room or house or hut to write. You need a laptop or a notebook and pencil. That’s all.

Stage two of my “How to Write” book addresses the when. “When can I write? I don’t have an hour to myself during the day, what with housework / kids / cooking / working / etc / etc / etc.” And if you look at it from the point of view of ‘needing’ at least an hour or free, uninterrupted time to yourself, you won’t do it. It’s impossible to find that chunk of time during the day for most people.

How to address this? Lesson 2 - learn to write in short stints. Put the kettle on for a cup of tea or coffee, pick up your work in progress, and write. Don’t wait for the ‘muse’ to visit you. Don’t sit there dreaming of how great your novel would be, if only you had time to write it. While the kettle is boiling, write a paragraph. If you’re stuck on your novel, write something else. I always have at least 3 works in progress.
If you don’t feel like writing on one WIP, don’t go and mess about on Facebook or Twitter. Write a blog post, or a short story, or put down into an ideas document that brilliant idea you had while you were down the shops or driving to school or sitting in the bath or walking the dog.

Most of us have clever mobile phones. Find out if there’s a way you can make voice recordings. There are a number of apps around for doing just that, and you can talk into your phone for 20 seconds, and that brilliant story idea is stored until you can transcribe it later.

So, to recap, there is one way you can become a writer. Write! And there are two don’ts.
* Don’t try to create a ‘space’ to write in. Learn to write sitting in front of the TV, in the kitchen, in bed, whilst sitting on a train / bus. During your lunch hour.

* Don’t put off writing until you have a ‘proper’ time to write. Learn to write in short stints. During the news on TV. While you’re waiting for the kettle to boil. When you’re waiting outside school to pick the kids up. Set your alarm for 15 minutes early, and write.

You need to actually write something before you can sit on that balcony, overlooking the vineyard. Write a page of your novel today. And the next one tomorrow. This time next year, you’ll have written a novel!
This piece was written over a period of 2 hours, during which time I also walked the dog, prepared and ate lunch, watched a programme on TV, and took the rubbish out to the bin outside. And as I type, this first draft consists of 1058 words. The equivalent of four pages of a novel.

http://geraldhornsby.wordpress.com/


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Wow, Gerald, that is something I'm struggling with right now, is trying to train myself to write in little bits and pieces.  I find the easiest way to do that is to keep doing it.  The more often I do it, the less I have to reread what I wrote, and then pick it up after where I left off.  If I write in little chunks constantly, I already know where I left off.  Very inspirational and practical.

Thank you so much for stopping by!