Interviewing Red Rose Author, Eve Summers

Interviewing Red Rose Author, Eve Summers

Q: Hello and welcome. Can you please tell us who Eve Summers is?

A: I am a writer who believes that words are the greatest aphrodisiac, and the best lover is the one who will play with your mind. Of course, it doesn’t hurt if he’s tall, dark in the expensive-chocolate way and extremely handsome.

Q: That sounds exactly like David, the hero in "Slave of my own desire", released today by Red Rose Publishing. Can you tell me more about him?

A: I love bad boys, so I knew from the beginning that he would be Bad, Trouble and Danger all in one. The theme of "Slave of my own desire" is "He will force you to do EVERYTHING you've ever wanted to do" so when writing the book, I had that sentence on a post-it by my computer. I also decided pretty early on to make it an interracial romance because of the potential for conflict that a mix of cultures usually provides.

Q: "Slave of my own desire" is a Halloween Romance. What does Halloween mean to David?

A: It reminds him that he's been hurt in love before and he's not going there ever again. Sex, yes. Love, no.

Q: What about the heroine?

A: She's bored with politically correct men who treat her with respect in the bedroom without bothering to get to know the real her. You know the old saying: treat me like a lady outside the bedroom, and not like a lady inside? That's what Clare from "Slave of my own desire" wants.

Q: What is Clare's secret passion... ok, no, I can't print that in a public forum. I'll rephrase that. What is Clare's secret passion outside the bedroom?

A: She loves playing poker: the risk, the bluffing, the bad boys. But, lol, I actually found a way of bringing Clare's passion for poker into the bedroom! (See excerpt for details.)

Q: Where can we buy the book?

A: It's an e-book and you can buy it at Red Rose Publishing, http://redrosepublishing.com/bookstore/product_info.php?products_id=245. If you buy 4 books there, you go into the draw to win real diamond earrings. Wendi Felter, the owner of Red Rose, has this to say about the generous prize: "What says Romance better than diamonds?"

Q: DO not think about diamond earrings, do NOT think about diamond earrings.... Tell me what you think about e-books.

A: They are fabulous. Good for the trees, cheaper than paperback and you get them as soon as you pay for them. What can I say, I like instant gratification!

Q: So so our readers, and we've already delayed theirs, so without further distractions, let's have the poker excerpt.

A:

EXCERPT (PG rated)

He’s gorgeous, but he doesn’t know the first thing about poker. Study your opponent, not your hand, my first boyfriend always told me. In poker, your cards are largely irrelevant: it’s the psychology of the bluff that matters.

Mr. Danger folds a few times, gets lucky with three sevens, then I make him fold. The heap of chips on his end of the bed is beginning to shrink, but he evens it out with a full house on which he bids hopelessly too low.

That’s when I get my four hearts, straight up. I discard the single spade and the replacement brings me the fifth to suit.

Excitement barely allows me to register that he’s thrown out one card too. His shoulders stoop when he inspects his new card. I’m guessing he must have been trying for a flush or a straight, and failed.

Now, as I said, in poker a good hand means nothing if your partner has rubbish, especially if he suspects that you have something better. So I stoop my shoulders too, just a fraction, and bite on my lip.

“I’m in,” he says cautiously. So he’s going for a bluff. Yes!

The betting is a slow affair, but eventually all the chips are in the game.

“I will see you,” I say as I lay down my hand. “I can’t wait to hear the name that comes before Danger.”

“I’m afraid you will have to wait for that,” says he, brandishing four tens.

I’m speechless. He bluffed me into thinking that he was bluffing. He had good cards all along.

“In poker, whether it’s Texas Hold’em, Omaha Hi or Seven Card Stud, the most important rule to remember is Do Not Underestimate Your Opponent,” he says as he moves the pot to his side and stacks up the chips with a practiced hand. “Now, take off your stockings.”

“What -”

“Off.”

BOOK INFO

A SLAVE OF MY OWN DESIRE

by Eve Summers

Red Rose Publishing

Erotic Romance: Interracial - Halloween

ISBN: 978-1-60435-110-1

BUY HERE

From Edits to Editorials

Valentine's Here, Valentine's There -
Our Valentine's Day was yesterday and we had heaps of fun. Dinner out last night, movies and candy afterwards. I seem to be content as long as I have something exciting to watch and something sweet between my lips. Love candy and ice cream and pie...

And cake frosting.

I finished my ghost story this week, and decided to name it "A Spirited Encounter". This is my first finished book for 2008, and I'm quite happy about it. I also finished a novella and want to get it re-written fairly quickly, so I can submit it to Nocturne's open submissions call. Definitely worth looking into if you're a writer, aspiring or established.

If you're seeking an agent, pop over to BookEnds this week, and pop in 100 words in the appropriate category. You never know what will transpire.

Cheers, and Happy, Happy!

WIP: From Haunted Houses to Haunted Mirrors

These are the themes of the two books I wrapped up this week: A Spirited Encounter and A Kiss for Luck. The latter is a novella than a book, but no matter. I wrote it in 4 days, so we'll see what I can do with it.

Other things: interviews and articles. I wrote a tongue-in-cheek article about my writing journal for Shelley Munro's blog, but there's a bit about my research on there, too, in the comments. Today, I participated in my weekly contribution to Tales of the Trade, which is a blog newly christened this week. With Red Rose Publishing, I've been hopping around like a mad thing, participating in promo. This is the most highly motivated group of authors I've ever met, and even though I've met some of them through other publishers, being with RRP works some kind of magic on us all. The action there never stops. I love it!

***

Tempter (I may want to stick this in a book some time): Fusion may be the answer to our energy future, but the issue has always been one of containment. Magnetic fields haven't been sufficient to maintain the fusion reaction in the lab, so even though the reaction can be induced, the energy can't be contained. It was found recently that plasma flows along magnetic field lines and will even fuse when joining with another field line—in space! The reconnection of our Earth's magnetic field lines may provide the key to dealing with fusion down here. To read more, visit: http://www.livescience.com/space/businesstechnology/080206-tw-magnetic-reconnection.html

Save Your World: FAQS about donating blood (I want to thank all of you personally! You saved my life! How many other lives can you save this year?) http://www.givelife2.org/donor/faq.asp

Now, an excerpt from one of my books - Light Play, methinks. Enjoy!

The woman stood quietly at the window, gazing unseeing at the day’s yellow glare. A sudden jolt stirred her from an unnatural stillness, and she turned away with a swift gasp of fear. “What next?” she wondered aloud.

Her dash from the room was halted by the recoiling of the cat, which cowered, hissing, near her feet.

The woman’s lips creased in a self-deprecating smile. “Damned cat,” she whispered, recalling yesterday’s words. “Which of us is damned now?”

The feline slunk away—hiding its tomcat’s boldness beneath spiky hair and flattened ears.

Angry with the cat’s reaction, the woman moved swiftly toward the far wall.

The cat—hidden now beneath a chair—dared a backwards glance, just in time to see the human figure drift through the solid plastered wood partition. He chased her departure with a bold yowl.

The walls echoed his cry, seeming to hold it for just a second too long. When it came back to his ears, the distorted wailing was no longer alone, but held the lonely misery of a human’s despairing sigh.

From Light Play

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook4094.htm

Cheers,

ND Melody

Thanks, www.mikesfreegifs.com,

http://www.wondercliparts.com/holidays/valentines_day/valentines_day_graphics.shtml

and www.wilsoninfo.com, for the animations!

A Visit with Lonnie Cruse, Book News, & Excerpts

This month has been one of the most thrilling in my writing career. Not only was In Flames released on January 1st, but that same day I received a contract offer for both Relic and BoneSong! Now, in the dozen days since, I've also been offered a contract for one of my Melody Knight titles, Of Dragons, and a contract for a short story for All Romance eBooks, Cut and Polish. The only one with a release date so far is Cut and Polish, which will go live March 14th.

I'll wait for all the contracts to arrive before I post the details here. Still...

Yay!

Author Friend: A Few Words from Lonnie Cruse, author of Fifty-Seven Heaven

"I began writing Fifty-Seven Heaven after hubby bought a '57 Chevy to restore and joined a car club. I wondered what would happen if a club member found a dead body in the trunk of a pristine, trophy winning car. Knowing how car club members feel about their babies, writing the book was great fun. I love my character Kitty because she's who I'd like to be when I grow up. Never mind that she's younger. She gets to do a lot of things I'd like to do, and a few I've
already done.

The setting for the first book which just came out in December is Metropolis, IL, the small town where I live. It's a fun place to live and write about. The next book, which is finished but not yet contracted
for, is set at a car show in Pigeon Forge, TN. I love that area and enjoyed spending time there again, even if only inside my head, writing the book. I'd had the idea for a long time, and even took pictures to inspire me on a visit. I'm writing the third book now, set in Metropolis again, where a new character is wreaking havoc on my lead characters, driving them to consider murdering her. Muwhahaha!

For more information, please check out my website:
http://www.lonniecruse.com/ and you'll find links to my blogs and websites where I hang out. http://www.lonniecruse.blogspot.com/ and
http://www.poesdeadlydaughters.com/)"

Thanks for this, Lonnie! Lonnie's one of my fellow Five Star authors.

***

Tempter (I may want to stick this in a book some time): CT scans are being used to study ancient tumours in dinosaur bones. Palaeontologists and med students are working together to gain a better understanding of tumour origins and growth patterns. Amazing!

Save Your World Stuff: If you're looking to give world-saving a "personal touch", why not your bone marrow to someone who needs it? Check to see whether you're compatible with a simple blood test. More info is available at The American Bone Marrow Donor Registry.

Now, an excerpt from one of mine - ErRatic, methinks. Enjoy!

Emma glanced blearily at the clock. Three a.m., and Studley obviously needed to go out. He was whimpering, deep in his throat, and his cold nose kept nudging her arm.

Damn dog! She reached out and gave the silky coat a pat. Zombie-like, she stumbled across the room, to the front door, and unfastened the lock. “Out!” she commanded, punctuating it with a squeaky yawn.

When she opened her eyes again, the man was standing on the grass, just off the porch.

It was a very small porch.

She slammed the door and locked it, then raced through the house. She kept picturing Him running, trying to beat her to the back door.

It’s locked. It’s got to be locked.

It was, but she didn’t feel any better. No one had any business standing there, on her property, at three in the morning. He was up to no good.

She ran for the kitchen and picked up a knife in one hand and the phone in the other. The knife shook in her frozen fingers. Not a good thing. He’ll use it on me.

He damn well better not try. Her shadowy reflection in the window glass was that of a madwoman, brandishing a blade. Her staccato movements glinted across the toaster face, and she jumped, slashing the air.

Hysteria burbled up, like an unwanted belch, before sense clunked in with a nearly audible jolt. Window. Nightlight. He’ll see me. Frantic, she dropped onto the floor, and punched in a fumbling “911”.

If he saw me, I hope he saw the knife, too.

She shouted into the phone, “There was—!”, realized she was shouting, and quickly hissed, “There was a man!”

Why the hell hadn’t Studley barked?! The damned dog had practically dumped her in the killer’s lap!

The Police Operator was offering instructions now, and Emma listened to them blankly. She’d just recalled something very pertinent to her case.

“N-Never mind,” she said, replacing the receiver with shaking hands.

A dream. It had to be a dream.

But it wasn’t and she knew it. It was what she’d tell them, though, when they asked.

She sat there, huddled, too scared to challenge the near-dark. Her eyes were already scrunched closed, but now she drew up her knees and buried her face in her arms.

Shielded. Safer.

Not really.

She couldn’t afford to move now, even if it meant lighting the house. She was too afraid of what she might see.

She nestled her head deeper, to block her ears.

Too afraid of what she might hear.

She hummed a little whimper, deep in her throat the way Studley had. Just enough noise to challenge any other whimpers in the room.

When they came with the squad car to check out her call, she’d have to get up—but not till then. Then, it’d be okay—maybe even safe.

Why hadn’t Studley barked? That one was easy—now that she’d remembered.

About Studley.

He’d been dead—for almost a week.

From ErRatic

Cheers,

NDMelody

Exciting news! GlassWorks signed by Red Rose!

Red Rose Publishing has signed my paranormal romance novel, GlassWorks. RRP is a new publisher for me, and from what I've heard, a very exciting one. They work hard on promotion, and have developed a good reputation. They are holding onto Of Dragons at the moment. I'm hopeful they'll be considering it soon. I'm still anxious to fulfill my 2007 resolution: get as many of my manuscripts contracted as possible! At this point, the only uncontracted novels are Of Dragons, Relic, BloodWorks, BoneSong, and Art & Soul (click on them for links to an excerpt). All are out with publishers, so cross your fingers that I hear about them soon.

That's all at the moment, save for an excerpt: this one's from In Trysts
Any fears Sophie’d had of ghosts and specters vanished in that instant. There was no time to feed the chain back out through the gate—no time for anything. Demon was taking a shortcut, across graves and stones. He was no respecter of persons, living or dead. “He’s coming—!” Sophie shouted. Silence was no longer an issue. Her ex couldn’t have heard her over his untuned bike.
But Peri did, and it penetrated. “He” was coming, and in her brain, in this place, it could mean only one person—Jake.
And he was going to catch her—here, robbing the dead. His dead—stealing from his family. All the protestations in the world and all the good intentions wouldn’t fix this if he found her here.
Peri stuffed the piece of bent iron she’d brought for the purpose into the bronze doors’ elaborate lock, and twisted it with a harsh grinding clatter. The light from the motorcycle was coming at an angle now, and they were very nearly exposed. Already, a lion’s head next to Sophie’s was pooling black and glaring white.
Sense clicked back in, it seemed, with the clicking of the lock. Peri heaved open the right-hand door, booted the packs inside, then shoved Sophie in after them. She darted inside, as the light cleared the corner. As she closed it firmly behind them, the straying light was slit, then glimmer, and finally, a ghostlike memory in the muffled darkness.

Best wishes,
ND | Melody

Chocolate ice cream for breakfast again!

If you're a novelist, looking for a September challenge, consider the Brava erotic novella contest. I've written 5000 words - only problem is, none of it is erotic (LOL!)! Sorry, but I consider that really funny.

I'm also working on a very chaste story, which I'm liking ever so much better. This is a YA novel in my Elf Chronicles, for a Random competition. If it's considered, great, but if not, I've got the next book in the Chronicles. I promised myself I'd write it this year anyway, so here goes.

I've finished Art & Soul, and it's heading off to a publisher either tomorrow or next week. Then, it's just BoneSong to rewrite, and the usual edits for my publishers. Yay!

Back to work. Fortified with chocolate ice cream, I shall prevail!

Cheers,
ND | Melody
Fictionwise

Finished the painting!

Just finished my painting yesterday! My daughter and I went on holiday first, and had a marvellous time with another daughter, who lives halfway down the North Island (New Zealand, y'know). I'd forgotten how beautiful the trip could be, and we really enjoyed our stops in Te Kuiti and New Plymouth. Te Kuiti is an artsy little town, with interesting shops on the main street, which carry just about anything you could want (on a small scale), plus pieces by local artists. New Plymouth is a fully-developed mini city, because it's rather isolated, but it has a busy commercial centre sandwiched between beautiful beaches and Mt. Ruapehu, a volcano. We had fun wandering in N.P. and decided we wanted to come back for a week's holiday some time.

I didn't think I could paint any more - just haven't done it in so long - and I have a terrible photo on my website, but I wanted to post it there. I'm putting a larger version here. It's actually a scan (5 of them patched together), and you can't really see the brightness or glitter, but you can get the general idea. I'm so pleased to see I can still finish a piece of art! I didn't want to start another painting project, but made myself, and worked half an hour or so on another partially-completed piece.

Writing's my main duty at the moment. I'm rewriting for Five Star, and writing for Linden Bay Romance. Planning on churning out a couple of thousand words for LBR today, and at least a couple of chapters on ErRatic.

Busy...

Cheers -
ND/Melody
A mini excerpt (from Gilded Folly - coming out in paperback this July)
Gilded Folly
Prologue
The woman dug frantically in the rich soil, the earthy scent making her shiver. There was an underlying sourness to the dampness, which spoke of death...

It's here. It has to be. This was where panicky instinct had led her.

More than intuition...

No. A bad dream. That's all it was. Sleepwalking again. Gritting her teeth, Glys forced herself to withdraw her hands—to fight against impulse. She knelt there, rigid with compulsion, and lifted her eyes to the moon.

It nearly choked her. The light was so cold it chilled to the bone, and gooseflesh rode reckless across her skin. Moonshadows gloomed everywhere, leached from the innocent silhouettes of tree and shrub.

One of those silhouettes was moving. Her breath caught, finishing what that frozen moon had begun. All rational thought fled in the face of need.

Her fingers tore at the soil once more, as she dug like a caged animal. Only one way lay freedom....

The next moment her fingers had closed on it and a wash of cold relief cleared her mind.
Then, for an instant only, she could see pursuit clearly, racing across the slope.

It's a dream...only a dream.

A nightmare.

The difference was, in this one, she could run.
***
GILDED FOLLY http://www.cerridwenpress.com/productpage.asp?ISBN=1-4199-0409-4

Busy times on the writing front...

I've been lucky enough to contract ErRatic to Five Star. I'm working on rewrites for them now, along with a rough first draft for Linden Bay Romance. LBR published by novel, In Trysts, 1 December 2006, and the sequel, In Flames, is the one I'm working on now. Phew!

I've begun painting again. I'll have one finished today, and it's really thrilling! I've been 'blocked' at the easel for months now, which may be because I've been too busy writing. One seems to rob the other, so perhaps both things come from the same side of the brain...and my brain gets a little tired sometimes!

I did a book trailer last week for a friend's website (www.janebeckenham.com). I don't know whether Jane has it posted yet, so here's the link: http://flash-movies.toufee.com/mov/36371169692268 . I did one first for In Trysts, which is very dark and mysterious. Other than the fact that they haven't any sound (as yet), I'm rather proud of these first attempts (In Trysts is at http://flash-movies.toufee.com/mov/32861168994619).

I'm not posting excerpts today - too busy. You can always find them at my websites, though. I have over 20 excerpts at www.NDHansen-Hill.com, including a few rough chapters from ErRatic, and In Trysts is over at http://MelodyKnight.com. Be warned that the In Trysts excerpt is R17!

Cheers and best wishes,
ND/Melody