Still Fine at Forty

By:

Dakota Madison

·       

Print Length: 203 pages.

Publisher: Short on Time Books (April 7, 2013)

Blurb:

It all started with a Girl’s Getaway Weekend in Sedona, Arizona…

It’s been a year since Jennifer Ellis’s ex-husband left her for a much younger woman and Jennifer still hasn’t dated. Now turning 40, Jennifer wonders if she’ll ever find love again. So Jennifer’s best-friend, Melanie Malone, books them on a Girl’s Getaway in picturesque Sedona, Arizona in hopes of inspiring Jennifer to have a vacation fling.

Jennifer gets more than she bargained for when she meets the ruggedly handsome 29-year old tour Jeep guide, Cody Miller, and the two begin a passionate romance. What Jennifer doesn’t know is that Cody has a secret past that not only threatens to destroy their new love but also expose a tragic event from Jennifer’s past that she has tried desperately to forget.

Excerpt:

I stood in the circular drive right outside the hotel waiting for the Jeep guy to arrive. Mel told me his name was Cody. What kind of name was that, anyway? I imagined some kind of cowboy. Not something I ever found remotely attractive.

I was starting to get a little nervous. I had never actually ridden in a Jeep before. My ex thought vehicles like that were dangerous. He was probably right. What was I doing here? The things I let Mel talk me into.

A few minutes later, a black Jeep pulled up next to me. On the side of it in gold lettering were the words Jim Miller Jeep Tours. A young man hopped out of the driver’s side and walked up to me.

He was tall, about six feet, and had wonderful wavy brown hair bleached slightly by the sun. Dark sunglasses covered his eyes.

When he came to a stop in front of me, he crossed his muscular arms over his chest. When I glanced up, I thought I saw the sides of his mouth curl into a slight grin.

“Waiting for a tour?” he asked, still looking down at me.

With his arms crossed, the black tee shirt he was wearing drew tightly across his broad shoulders. As I glanced down, I noticed he was wearing slightly faded but nicely fitting black jeans. Very nicely fitting. Wow, I thought. How was I going to spend an entire day with this guy? He exuded pure masculinity and sexuality. I could barely take standing next to him. He made me extremely nervous. Or maybe I was getting turned on? It had been so long since my “on” button was flipped, I had forgotten what it felt like.

“Are you Mel?” he asked trying to draw my attention away from his—jeans.

I looked up, now a bit embarrassed. “No, Mel can’t make it. It’s just me today.”

“Okay,” he said. “She prepaid for two.”

“Don’t worry. She knows she’ll lose the extra fee she paid.”

He was still looking down at me. “Do I look worried?” I wished he wasn’t wearing those damn sunglasses because I couldn’t read his eyes.

I tried to speak, but no words came out. What was wrong with me? This man, this very young, absolutely gorgeous and incredibly sexy man, left me, an English teacher, without words.

I shook my head.

He held out a hand. “I’m Cody Miller,” he said.

I took his hand and there was a palpable energy exchange between us. A shiver ran down my spine. We held each other’s grip a bit too long.

“Jennifer Ellis,” I said, then quickly removed my hand from his. 

His expression changed very slightly and I swore he glanced down at my left hand. Was he trying to figure out if I was wearing a wedding ring? That’s ridiculous, I thought. Why would this gorgeous and very young man care if I was married? I was…forty.

He had a strange look on his face. It was as if he was trying to figure something out. I pointed to the name on the side of the Jeep. “Any relation to Jim Miller?” I asked.

“You could say that,” he replied. 

As he turned, I couldn’t help but look at his assets in those tight-fitting jeans. It was not like me at all to ogle any man’s backside, but what an incredible backside it was. He walked back over to the driver’s side of the Jeep and hopped in.

I stood on the curb, immobilized. I couldn’t believe how ridiculous I was being. I felt like a fourteen-year-old girl with a crush. A crush? How was that even possible? The guy was definitely too young for me. He looked younger than thirty. He was probably ten years younger than me…at least. I couldn’t have feelings for a man that young. I wasn’t a cougar. Was I?

He glanced my way. “Are you coming?” he asked.

I willed my feet to move and made it to the passenger side of the Jeep.

“Be careful climbing in,” he said.

I cautiously stepped up and into the passenger seat. That’s not too bad, I thought.

When I looked over at Cody, I noticed he was looking in my direction. Was he staring at me? It was hard to tell with those damn sunglasses.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“It’s hard to see you with those sunglasses on,” I admitted and was immediately embarrassed.

He flipped the sunglasses up so they rested on the top of his head. He had the most incredible brown eyes I had ever seen. They were deep and dark, almost like espresso. When our eyes met, it sent shivers down my entire body. Like tiny earthquakes. I had never felt anything like it before. Not even with Rob.

“You’ll need to buckle up. There’s some pretty rough terrain out there. I don’t want you to fall out of the Jeep.”

I stared at the seatbelt nearly immobilized. I couldn’t take my eyes off of Cody. There was something so completely magnetic about him. But it was more than that. I felt overwhelmingly drawn to him and I couldn’t figure out why.

“Want some help?” he asked.

I nodded, because I was still having trouble getting any words out. Not. Me. At. All.

“Before I buckle you in, do you have a scrunchie?”

I frowned.

“The thing girls pull their hair back with?”

I hadn’t even thought about bringing a hair tie or even a hat. So much for being prepared. I shook my head.

“I’ve gotcha covered,” he said. “Just open the glove box.”

I did as he said. The right side of his glove box was filled with a rainbow of different colored scrunchies.

“Grab whatever color you’d like,” he offered.

I hesitated. “Are they used?” I asked and wrinkled my nose up a bit.

He laughed. “Of course not. Girls use them and take them home with them. I restock every few weeks.”

I reached over and grabbed a light blue scrunchie and tied my hair back with it.

I could feel Cody’s gaze on me. I glanced over and his was staring at me intently. “I would have pegged you for a pink scrunchie kind of girl.”

“No, I’m definitely blue,” I said, then realized the double meaning in my words.

He nodded as if he understood my underlying meaning.

Then he reached right over me and grabbed the seat belt. Our bodies were so close, I could smell him. He smelled fresh and clean with a hint of cinnamon. I was entranced. As he placed the seatbelt over my chest, another bolt of electricity moved through my entire body. When I looked up, his eyes were glued on me. There was so much sexual tension in the air between us it was almost unbearable. I didn’t realize I had so much want, so much need, so much lust, inside me. This guy had reignited a passion in me that I thought might have been lost for good.

The undercurrent between us finally subsided a bit after he buckled my seatbelt. I wasn’t going anywhere.

“So, does everyone call you Jennifer?” he asked. I was surprised by the question.

“Almost everyone. My friend, Mel, the one who made the reservations for this tour, calls me Jen.”

“No one calls you Jenny?”

I scoffed. “Never.”

“Why not?”

“Do I look like a Jenny to you?”

When I looked over at Cody, he had a childlike glint in his eye.

“Jenny’s are playful and fun-loving. And sexy.”

I laughed. “Then I’m definitely not a Jenny.”

“I think you are. You just don’t know it yet.”

I couldn’t remember the last time I was playful, or fun-loving. Maybe third grade? But wait, did he really call me sexy?

“Okay, Jenny, are you ready for an adventure?”

“You’ve got me strapped into this thing. I guess I’d better be,” I responded.

Cody put his sunglasses back down over his eyes and we were off.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Still-Fine-at-Forty-ebook/dp/B00C9KXLAK/

About the Author:

Dakota Madison

Dakota Madison has been writing since she learned to read and fell in love with books. When she’s not at her computer creating spicy new romances, Dakota is traveling to exotic locales or spending time with her husband and their bloodhounds.

Dakota Madison is published exclusively by Short on Time Books, fast-paced and fun novels for readers on the go!

Author’s Social Media:

http://www.shortontimebooks.com/

Her website:
http://12novels12months.tumblr.com/

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

All five of the first set of paperback copies have already been claimed.

If you’d like an autographed copy I’ll have to order more. Also, it’s more cost effective for me to order it, have it sipped to me so I can sign it, then ship it to you. I’ll need your address, name, and what you want me to say in it. Paypal seems the quickest way to cover the cost. I can send an exact amount quote after I receive your zip code and how you want it mailed {1st class, insured, regular, ect.}

I’m just thrilled they have finally arrived.So far Createspace’s shipping has been very efficient. Both the proof copy {Which my husband claimed immediately} and the first order arrived earlier than expected.

Oh, in  case you’re wondering how thick it is… it’s 438 pages! That’s an inch thick.

The very first official paperback copy goes out to Germany on Tuesday.

Yup, you heard right. A kind woman who has encouraged me since my first day of writing has already claimed and paid for the first copy.

One has been earmarked for my father in law, pending payment.

One went to my mother in law.

One is earmarked for my husband’s YA cousin, who has eagerly awaited it’s arrival. Also pending payment.

And the last stays on me. I bought it with some of my money I’d set aside, because ever since me and my husband started telling people in town I wrote it, they’ve been asking where it is. So, I’ve decided to keep one copy on me at all times.

If you’d rather just buy an unsigned copy. Click here.

Eventually I will set aside one copy each for my sons for when they get older as a sort of keepsake.

I totally need a hair cut. Maybe a shorter style this time? With Summer here, it’s too long for the higher temperatures as you can tell by the frizz {man I hate frizz, lol.} Pinning it up all the time is bugging my husband.

This morning my youngest {he turns 12 the end of this year} found his cat dead. First pet he’s ever lost, so he’s devastated. I’ve spent all day trying to console him. So, what were my great words of comfort?

“I’m sorry, baby. It’s part of life. I know it hurts, but life goes on. There will be more pets, someday. Try to remember all of the good times you two shared.”

*face palm*

Seriously? That’s the best I could do?

When did I become so jaded?

Hell! I know how it happened. The question is when?

Admittedly life has always been one battle after another for me. I never had any encouragement from my parents or anyone but my grandpa growing up and I rarely got to see him. Long story short: I’m used to doing everything alone. When a kid can’t even depend on their family, said kid learns to depend on his/herself.

But, since when did I let that affect how I respond to my children? My sons are my entire world. The sole reason I even bother trying to make a life for myself anymore. He needed me and that’s the best I could offer him…

That cat was his best friend. They did everything together.

I try hard never to let my past intrude on how I respond to my kids. Demons from my past are my own burdens to deal with. I never let it touch my kids! So, why now?

I’ve lost track of how many teenagers I’ve helped over the years by listening to their problems.Some of them have tracked me down after having their own kids and thanked me for being there for them.

But, my own kid needs me and that was the best I could offer?

What the hell is wrong with me? That’s not what he needed to hear.

I remember when I lost my bird {I was his age then too.} my best friend Byron Simpson helped me bury Baby in a shoebox, in the apartment complex and even said a prayer with me for Baby.

My youngest and I buried his cat and said a prayer, then I held him while he cried. Meanwhile, despite my heart breaking for his pain, my eyes remained dry.

I learned long ago crying doesn’t fix anything and so I stopped crying 98% of the time. I stopped relying on others too. For a long time now. Another wonderful lesson learned the hard way.  If I don’t rely in others they can’t let me down.

I only ever open the real me to a select few people {you know who you are.} Even then I still try to do everything alone.

I never expected to see the day when it affected how I handle my children. God! I’m such a horrible mother.

All I ever asked for during my prayers growing up was to find a good man who love and respected me faults and all and to let me be a good mother to my children. I just want to give my children what I never had. Is that too much to ask?

As writers, we’re told to share ourselves with our readers and our followers. Let them see we are human. So, that’s why I shared this. One of my worst times. I’m human. I make mistakes. Never expected them to be with my kids.

Oh well, live and learn.

Hello everyone. I know I’ve been quiet lately. Been doing some serious heavy thinking and writing. I’m always writing or editing something.

Okay. Straight to the point. I’ve got some changes in mind and I’d love to get your opinions on them.

You all have seen the old cover art for my first novel Dangerous Temptations. For those of you who are knew and haven’t seen it yet. Here it is.

This cover was created for me by my beloved husband. It’s completely 3D graphics  so the shading isn’t as pronounced.

I love the mysterious feeling and the aura of the tiger appearing out of the steam. Those two elements really speak to me and have spoken to several of the people I’ve asked about it.

I also adore that we get a hint of the FMC here by the fact she has a knife strapped to her thigh and a camera in her hand, rather than a gun.

Along with that cover above I will add the blurb I posted with it.

Old Blurb:

Seventeen year-old orphan Kaitlin Sinclair’s world gets turned upside down when she’s forced to move half way around the world to Indonesia with her uncle she never knew existed. Things get worse when the demons she left behind in America follow her to the land of intrigue.

Her uncle forces her to attend a celebration where she meets Cadmon Quinn, a mysterious, captivating stranger, who reveals that he knew her parents. She uncovers secrets that in the wrong hands could destroy his endangered clan of were-tigers.

When Kaitlin dives into a foreign culture, full of mystique and dangers everywhere she turns, keeping her heart safe might prove as impossible as staying alive!

–

I thought it was catchy, but something was still missing. Any thoughts on what is missing here?

Anybody?

After attending yet another fabulous writing, marketing and promoting conference, it dawned on me why something felt so off about the blurb above.

1.} Little to no emotion.

2.} No hints as to what obstacles the characters face aside from the blah normal things.

So I put my thinking cap on and came up with an alternative that kept the main essence of what I tried to convey with the blurb above, but far more punchy.

–

First, allow me to share a new cover art for the same book. I’d love your opinions on this one too. Please don’t be shy. After all I’m here for my readers and their feedback is vital if I’m to become a successful author.

This beautiful cover was recently made for me and is courtesy of The Authors Secret.

Thanks again.

I adore the font shape here and it works well with the upper background, but not so well with the shirt.

Same gist, girl with dark hair and a white tiger in the rain forest. Still has my name, title, and sub title of the book.

So, what do you think? Come on now, don’t be shy. Remember feedback is important.

Okay, I’ve kept you waiting long enough.

Here is the new blurb I’ve come up with.

New Blurb:

Seventeen year old Kaitlin Sinclair’s world crashes when her father, deployed overseas, dies. Forced to move to Indonesia, she resides with an uncle she never knew existed.

Enter Cadmon Quinn, the newly appointed leader of the Caspians, a clan of tiger Shifters. Haunted by his inability to stop his twin sister’s murder, he fears he will fail his clan when they need him the most.

Their lives are irrevocably entwined during an adventure in the rainforest full of mystique and danger. When Kaitlin uncovers her parents’ secrets and confronts her private demons, they soon realize that keeping their hearts safe could prove as impossible as staying alive!

–

The blurb above contains more elements. Most notably more tension. But, it also includes a bit of what both characters struggle with. It’s a bit more revealing than I’d like, but it doesn’t give away all of the surprises and none of the biggest ones.

Still a WIP, but I think it’s far more catchy than the first blurb. What do you all think? Is the second one too revealing?

Which blurb do you find more catchy? Which parts of which cover art do you like best? Over all which cover art would you go with? Which parts of which blurb do you enjoy most?

Hi everyone. Today’s subject is simple, yet vital. What can readers do to help support their fave Indie Authors?

Reviews.

Aside from buying Indie books, the best way to support your fave Indie authors is to review their books. If you like something you read take a few minutes to write up a quick review mentioning what you liked and even what you didn’t like about it. It only takes a few minutes and doesn’t have to be detailed. Click yes if a review helped you. Something so simple can make a huge difference to your fave authors.

Word of Mouth is an excellent way to help your fave authors. Feel free to tell your friends about a great book you enjoyed and the author who wrote it. Or if you’re part of group discussions, mention it there. On Goodreads you can even post a rating {1-5 stars} without writing a review.  So, if you can’t find a way to put it into words, at least rate the book.

Add books to your To Be Read pile. Another simple way to support your fave Indie authors on Goodreads. People look at those lists and often times will add a few to theirs.

ReTweets. If you see a fave book or author soundbite on Twitter, take a moment to retweet that post. It’s simple and very effective. Be sure to include the hastags. Same with on Facebook. If you see a fave author or book tidbit on Facebook pass it along.

What are some of your favorite ways to support your fave Indie authors?

TITLE: Only for  A Knight

Author: Michelle Miles

Publisher: Ellora’s Cave Publishing Inc.

Blurb:

After saving her love, Princess Elyne returns to the Otherworld by order of her mother. But it’s not the homecoming she expects. Furious Elyne has meddled with humans, the queen imprisons her and strips away her magic. The only way Elyne can get it back is to perform one selfless act.

When Queen Maeve sends Derron to find the Guardian of the Sword of Light, he can’t leave without releasing Elyne. After all, she altered time to save his life. But freeing the princess comes with a steep price—he must take her with him on this dangerous quest. And the two must deal with feelings of past hurt and the love growing between them.

Their search becomes more than a pursuit for the missing Guardian as Lord Kieran rises to dominate the Unseelie court. He will stop at nothing to gain control of both the Otherworld and the human realm. Even with the help of Elves, dragons and their human friends, the odds are stacked against Derron and Elyne.

Buy links: 

Ellora’s Cave: 
http://www.jasminejade.com/p-10477-only-for-a-knight.aspx

Amazon: 
http://tinyurl.com/98bsl35

Barnes & Noble: 
http://tinyurl.com/9newtes

Author bio:

Michelle Miles is the award-winning author of fast-paced, fun-filled paranormal, fantasy and contemporary romances. Her latest book, Only for a Knight, is set in the Celtic Otherworld and is the second in the Knights In Shining Armor series available from Ellora’s Cave.

She is also the author of the Coffee House Chronicles, a contemporary romance series set in and around a coffee house, as well as an action-adventure series The Adventures of Ransom and Fortune. She is a member of Romance Writers of America®, PAN Liaison of the Dallas Area Romance Authors chapter and member of the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter. Her work has placed in the highly-acclaimed Writer’s Digest Writing Competition and the Stroke of Midnight Contest sponsored by the Passionate Ink chapter. She is also a contributor of the charity paranormal anthology, Entangled, which has donated over $10,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

A Native Texan, she loves hockey, baseball, drinking coffee, cross-stitching and shopping for shoes and handbags. She is a regular contributor to Plotting Princesses and can be found online at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads. Visit her website at 
http://www.michellemiles.net
 to sign up for her monthly newsletter and read her daily blog, Ye Olde Inkwell.

Social media links

Email: michelle@michellemiles.net

Website: 
http://www.michellemiles.net

Blog: 
http://www.michellemiles.net/blog

Twitter: 
http://www.twitter.com/MichelleMiles

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

Goodreads: 
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/477915.Michelle_Miles

Pinterest: 
http://pinterest.com/MilesOfRomance/

PP: 
http://www.plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

Amazon Author Page: 
http://amazon.com/author/michellemiles

Smashwords: 
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MichelleMiles

Title:  Dark Salvation

 Author:  Katie Salidas

Series:  Immortalis (Companion Novel)

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher:  Rising Sign Books

Release Date:   April 1st

Blurb/Synopsis:

A gathering storm of violence is on the horizon. Whispered threats of the Acta Sanctorum’s return have the supernatural world abuzz. Only recently aware of the other world hidden behind our own, Kitara Vanders has barely scratched the surface of what being supernatural truly means. A special woman in her own right, she possesses unique telepathic abilities, gifts that have recently come under the scrutiny of the Acta Sanctorum, a fanatical organization whose mission is to cleanse the world of anything supernatural. Targeted, and marked for death, Kitara’s only hope lies with the lethally seductive yet emotionally scarred warrior, Nicholas.

Knowing full well the atrocities the Acta Sanctorum is capable of, Nicholas is all too eager for the battle to begin. Fueled by pain and rage from the loss of his mate, he’s itching for a fight, but one thing stands in his way, Kitara: a beautiful dark-haired woman with unique psychic abilities and an unusual link to the Saints. Despite his resolve to remain focused on his mission, a purely physical relationship binds them together in a way neither of them expected. And when her life hangs in the balance, Nicholas finds his own is teetering on the edge too.

 Excerpt:

“You act like you haven’t seen a woman before.” Kitara teased.

“It’s been a long time.”

She must have picked up the hesitation in his voice. “I’m sorry, was that rude of me? I just meant—”

Nicholas silenced her with a finger. “Tonight is for us. No pain. No past. Just this.” He had to remind himself as well. He found himself connecting with her in ways he had not thought possible before. But she was not his. And would never be. Tonight was for fun. Stress relief. Taking their mind off things. Hell, any excuse would work, but the bottom line was, none of this would happen again.

His hand traveled down to the small thatch of curls between her legs. He captured her lips again as his fingers found her clit. She was so wet, so hot, and Nicholas loved the way her body responded to his touch.

Kitara moaned into his mouth as he rolled her nub between his fingers. She reached out and wove her fingers into his soft dark hair, tugging and yanking as he hit just the right spots.

He loved that little tug and pull as she tightened her grip in response to his movements, encouraging him to do more. Nicholas gently pinched and parted her nether lips, then dipped a finger into the heat between.

She was already sopping wet. Kitara whimpered as Nicholas coated his fingers in her sweet juices.

The heady scent of her arousal taunted him. He needed a taste. Nicholas pulled away from her delicious lips and met her lusty eyes. “Lie back.” It was an order, not a request, and one Kitara was more than willing to follow.

She relaxed back onto the mattress and spread her legs out in offering to him.

Nicholas shucked off his clothes and knelt before her reverently, as if praying to the gods for the bountiful feast that lay before him.

He slipped his hands under her thighs and lifted her legs up to pull her closer. He dragged in a long, slow breath, taking in every note of her sweet perfume before giving her a gentle lash of his tongue.

Her body jerked as his velvety tongue swirled across her engorged clit. He nibbled at it and sucked it hard into his mouth. Kitara couldn’t hold back her whimpering sobs, begging with each panting breath for more.

Nicholas continued his exploration. He delved between her folds, lapping up her juice like a cat with cream, savoring her sweet essence.

He could spend all day drinking from her fountain and enjoying the sounds of her pleasure. He traced every inch of her lips with his tongue as if mapping out every delectable inch of her.

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Author Bio:

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkins off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, she still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

Social Media Links

All Romance Ebooks

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Katie+Salidas

Amazon UK

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Katie-Salidas/e/B003APXXWO

Amazon US

http://www.amazon.com/Katie-Salidas/e/B003APXXWO

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/katie-salidas?keyword=katie+salidas&store=allproducts

Blog

http://www.katiesalidas.com/

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

Goodreads

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3395431.Katie_Salidas

LinkedIn

http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro

Publisher

http://www.risingsignbooks.net

Twitter

http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

Smashwords

http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KatieSalidas

Give away:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share code/NTRlOWM0MjVjNzgyNDUyYmI3ZGQ0M2U0MTFiYjAwOjgy/

First big concern I have is that it’s going to draw all the plagiarists who run rampant at places like fanfiction.net to begin with because “Hey, now I can get paid for this.”

We need to discourage plagiarism. Not encourage it.

My second major concern is that I’ve seen harsh feedback turn away so many potential authors already. Most of fanfics writers are new to writing. They’re just starting out. Now we all know that reviews can be down right painful and even mean. In fanfiction circles they are considered “flames”

Bottom line is: Reviewers are picky. Especially on Amazon.

How do you think that will affect these budding writers?

On the plus side they will get some real life experience as writers and a vast amount of exposure. It will certainly get their names out there. That’s something else to consider. Most names I’ve seen in fanfiction circles have “lyte speak” in them. If they want to swim with the sharks, they’re going to need to use a more professional name. Because one way or another this is going to be out there indefinitely. Everything they write and say will be gone through with a fine toothed comb.

Reviewers are likely to slam the authors who have goofy numbers and stuff in their names.  If you wish to step into the ring, be my guest. It’ll be a memorable experience for certain. But, be prepared for flames, because we all get them eventually. And use a serious name. This is the first step to launching your career as an author. Please take it seriously so you’re not fed to the wolves.

Side note: A majority of fanficers have never even heard of a critique group, so when people start reviewing about the “bad writing” and “horrible plots”  especially those who will be furious they paid to read it, I’m worried it will turn these budding writers off writing. It’s happened so many times I’ve already lost count just in the seven years I’ve been there. Some of them will accept the feedback gracefully. But, most will go to bed in tears.

Please remember I started out writing fanfics. So I’m glad they will have a chance for exposure. But, I’m concerned how that exposure will affect them and their writing journeys.

Another pro of this adventure is that both the fanfic author and the original copyright holders will be paid. However that’s going to diminish the amount of pay. The proposed rate is 20% of net sales to the author. That’s net sales, not gross sales. If it’s more than 10K words it’ll be as high as 35%

More cons are:

This is for US fanficers only. What about the rest of the world who write fanfics? How is not including them fair?

Amazon sets the price between $0.99 and $3.99. Authors get no say in the price range.

Now here’s the big got ya:

Amazon retains all world publishing rights to all content you create in their worlds program. In layman’s terms: Amazon will own the exclusive publishing rights to all content {including characters and scenes and back ground info, ect} fanficers publish on their worlds program. Meaning you are forbidden from publishing those stories on say ffnet, and other web wide sites like watpadd. That’s a huge no-no! It won’t matter if you posted them on ffnet and places like that first. When you sign the contract with Amazon worlds, they are give exclusivity rights. Meaning only available on Amazon.

Side note: The following is taken directly from amazon’s program.

Content Guidelines for Kindle Worlds

• Pornography: We don’t accept pornography or offensive depictions of graphic sexual acts.
• Offensive Content: We don’t accept offensive content, including but not limited to racial slurs, excessively graphic or violent material, or excessive use of foul language.
• Illegal and Infringing Content: We take violations of laws and proprietary rights very seriously. It is the authors’ responsibility to ensure that their content doesn’t violate laws or copyright, trademark, privacy, publicity, or other rights.
• Poor Customer Experience: We don’t accept books that provide a poor customer experience. Examples include poorly formatted books and books with misleading titles, cover art, or product descriptions. We reserve the right to determine whether content provides a poor customer experience.
• Excessive Use of Brands: We don’t accept the excessive use of brand names or the inclusion of brand names for paid advertising or promotion.
• Crossover: No crossovers from other Worlds are permitted, meaning your work may not include elements of any copyright-protected book, movie, or other property outside of the elements of this World.

Lastly, let me refer you to an article written by my friend who is a fanfic writer on this matter.
http://crystalfriedbrains.wordpress.com/2013/05/23/kindle-worlds-yes-or-no/

So, authors what are your opinions on this subject? Readers how about you? Is this a good idea or a disaster waiting to happen?

Greater Treasures by Karina Fabian

Part of the Dragon Eye series of novels and stories.

Tag line: When Grace’s life is in danger, Vern will do just about anything to find a cure—but will he sacrifice the fate of two worlds for her life? #dragoneye
http://tinyurl.com/greatertreasureskindle

Blurb:  Being a private detective in the border town of the Faerie and Mundane worlds isn’t easy, even for a dragon like Vern.   Still, finding the wayward brother of a teary damsel in distress shouldn’t have gotten so dangerous.  When his partner, Sister Grace, gets poisoned by a dart meant for him, Vern offers to find an artifact in exchange for a cure.  However, this is no ordinary trinket—with a little magic power, it could control all of mankind.  Can Vern find the artifact, and will he sacrifice the fate of two worlds for the life of his best friend?

Pages: 130

ISBN-13: 978-1484848296

ISBN-10: 1484848292

ASIN B00CEH934G

Link:
http://tinyurl.com/greatertreasureskindle
 Will get the print link to you as soon as the book goes live on Amazon.  It should be in a day or two, but you never know.

Trailers:

Video Trailer Link: 

Video Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/tnv4Tp3JUcw

Excerpt:

Given the day I was having, it came as no surprise that when I got home, I found the dogs sprawled in a drugged sleep and the sounds of things being overturned from within the warehouse. I decided not to bother with subtlety, but I did resist the urge to burst in with flames going full-blast. I had questions first.

Naturally, I walked straight in to find an automatic weapon—yep, a bona fide black-market AK-47—and I thought only Faerie lived their clichés—and six other weapons of various types pointed at me. I didn’t stop, just closed the door with my tail while I strolled in slow and placid-like. My visitors had shaved heads, faces painted white with clown paint, and black t-shirts with swastikas in white circles.

“If you’re the housekeeping service, you’re fired.”

“You stay right there, or we gonna fire you!” said one guy from the sidelines as he held his nunchucks at the ready.

What’d he think he would do—whack me on the nose? I turned to the one holding the assault rifle. “Scraping the bottom of the barrel with that one, weren’t you?”

“He’s right. You just stay still while we search the place.”

“The place” was a ten-thousand square foot warehouse with offices on the upper floor. Boxes I still hadn’t opened line the walls and made a maze in the second warehouse room. I settled myself on the floor and rested my head on my crossed arms. “Go ahead. I get half of anything you find.”

They stared at me, unbelieving. I smiled back. Mr. Cooperation, that’s me. Finally, Big Gun snarled for the others to get to work. As he turned his back on me, Nunchucks muttered, “I got your half. Don’t think I don’t.” Guess he learned such witty repartee in Hitler Youth Summer Camp.

I watched and listened and waited. With eight teenage skinheads trashing my place, it was only a matter of time.

“I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” I suggested as Nunchucks made a grab for the doorknob to Grace’s workshop.

“You gonna stop me?” He turned the knob.

“Nope,” I said as I closed my ears and my eyes. Even so, I saw the otherworldly light and heard the harmonious roar of Divine Vengeance followed by Mundane screams.

“The Heavenly Host on the other hand…”

I waited until the screams died down to whimpers before opening my eyes and rising.

Four of the skinheads were unconscious. Three may as well have been; they were curled up in the fetal position, whimpering. Nunchucks was actually crying for his mommy. Big Guns had collapsed to the floor as well, the gun thrown away from him. He was sitting and rocking and making high-pitched keening through the roof of his mouth.

I’d tell Grace to tone down her wards some, except that the effect is directly proportional to the evilness of the intent. Suddenly, I was feeling a little shaky about my earlier entrance.

Knights out of the armor now. I went around, collecting weapons in the office trash can and poking through pockets. I found the usual stuff—driver’s licenses, credit cards, petty cash… One kid had a condom; wishful thinking on his part, I knew. Another had a report card. MLK High. Wonder if he was the one beating up Faerie kids? Honor roll grades, too. Of all the years I’ve battled evil, there were still some things I didn’t understand.

As I was returning Big Guns’ (aka Rick Matherston’s) wallet back into his jacket pocket, he blinked and focused on me.

“What was that?”

“Angels, kid.” Actually a kind of magical shadow of the real thing, but close enough.
“But I thought angels were—”

“There’s a reason why their first words are usually ‘Fear not!’ whenever they meet a human.”

His eyes returned to their unfocused stare. I almost felt sorry for him. Then I noticed the letters FARISLAR tattooed on his knuckles. Faerie slayer.

About Greater Treasures:  Most people associate the Dragon Eye stories with high humor ranging from puns to slapstick, and in fact, the first stories and the novels have certainly been crazy fun.  But the life of a cynical dragon PI isn’t all laughs, and Vern has had a few chilling stories to tell me.  Some of these, I’ve sold to anthologies, but some are too long for that.  Thus, I’ve decided to start publishing them on my own. 

One thing I like to do for Dragon Eye stories is watch old noir films.  Greater Treasures came to me while watching the Maltese Falcon.  If you’ve never seen it, I recommend it.  (Then, reread the story to see if you catch the in jokes.)  I needed something with more “oomph” than a bird statue, and since Vern has some history with the Lance of Longinus, it made a good fit.  I enjoyed looking up all the conspiracy theories about the use of the Lance by Hitler, which is where the neo-Nazi angle came in.  To say more would be spoilers, so please, enjoy the story.

And if you do, be sure to check out Vern’s other tales at
http://dragoneyepi.net
. 

My Review:

Karina Fabian did an excellent job of showcasing her fertile imagination with this collection of short stories. Weaving so many short stories into a novella length couldn’t have been easy. They don’t seem pieced together either, they meld smoothly. 

Vern, a dragon detective, is an awesome character with a lively personality. Besides being charming and witty, he has a wicked sense of humor and an enormous heart with a soft spot for his fairy human partner Grace who is a nun. 

I enjoyed the mixture of religious aspects and fantasy elements. Adding the particular story twists she used was a fitting touch. I found the story entertaining and easy to lose myself in. My only complaint is that it ended far too soon.

Author Bio:

Winner of the 2010 INDIE for best Fantasy (Magic, Mensa and Mayhem), Karina Fabian has imagination that takes quirky twists that keep her–and her fans–amused. Nuns working in space, a down-and-out Faerie dragon working off a geas from St. George, zombie exterminators—there’s always a surprise in Fabian’s worlds. Mrs. Fabian teaches writing and book marketing seminars, but mostly is concerned with supporting her husband, Rob Fabian as he makes the exciting leap from military officer to civilian executive, getting her kids through high school and college, and surviving daily circuit torture…er, circuit training.  Read about her adventures at
http://fabianspace.com
.   

Social Medias:

Website:
http://fabianspace.com
,
http://dragoneyepi.net

Blog: 
http://fabianspace.blogspot.com

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/karina.fabian

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

Google +: 
https://plus.google.com/103660024891826015212

Lance of Longinus:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Lance

Maltese Falcon:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033870/

Live and Let Fly:
http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/p/live-and-let-fly.html

Magic, Mensa and Mayhem:
http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/p/magic-mensa-and-mayhem.html

Book tour link with all the stops:
http://dragoneyepi.blogspot.com/2013/04/greater-treasures-book-tour.html

Give-Away Verbage:

E-book:  Here’s your chance to win a free electronic copy of Greater Treasures.  Leave a comment or question for Karina, Vern, or Sister Grace.

Grab bag:Vern gripes about the junk in his warehouse in Greater Treasures, but he and Grace have started going through boxes, and they’ve agreed to send something to one of my readers.  Leave a comment or question for Karina, Vern, or Sister Grace.

Title: Submission Therapy

Authors: Katie Salidas & Willsin Rowe

Series: Consummate Therapy (Book 1)

Genre: Erotica/BDSM/Billionaire

Publisher:  Excessica

Release Date: Oct 31 2012

Synopsis:

Billionaire CEO of Blakely Incorporated, Natasha runs her empire with an eagle eye for every detail. She’s an obsessive, compulsive, micromanaging hard-ass, consumed by the need to control every aspect of her life and her business.

But underneath that seemingly strong façade, Natasha is a swirling mess of anger, anxiety and sexual addiction. Only her therapist, Dr. Benson, knows how close she is to burning out…or exploding. He insists on a radical form of treatment – Submission Therapy – knowing that it’s her only hope.

Skeptical but intrigued, Natasha agrees to attend the first session. What she finds there is an erotically-charged environment that will forgive none of her habitual bad behavior. And a steely-eyed man who seems to read her every desire – even the ones she won’t admit to herself.

Will Natasha learn what it means to submit? Or will she allow her brittle pride to rob her of what she truly needs?

Book Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Excessica

Goodreads

Author Info:

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkins off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons.  She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.

And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…

Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

Social Media Links:

On Her Website Katie Salidas

Katie’s Author Page on Facebook

Katie on Twitter

Katie on Goodreads

Katie’s Other Books:

Immortalis Carpe Noctem  Free Download

Hunter’s and Prey

Pandora’s Box

Soulstone

Moonlight

Dark Salvation

Go Publish Yourself!

Willsin Rowe falls in love with a scent, a playful expression or an act of casual intimacy more easily than with physical beauty. When confronted by any combination of those elements he is a lost cause. He has done many things over and over, done even more things only once, and half-done more things than he cares to admit. He loves to sing and doesn’t let his voice get in the way. He is intelligent but not sensible. He is passionate but fearful. He is not scruffy enough or stylish enough to be cool.

Social Media Links:

Willsin’s Blog

Willsin on Facebook

Willsin on Goodreads

Willsin’s Other Books:

Gritty: Rough Erotic Fiction

Hunger

Lighting

The Three Day Hump

Katie and Willsin’s Other Books Together:

Patience

Slowpoke

Submission Therapy  Free Download

Occupational Therapy

Immersion Therapy

Consummate Therapy Omnibus  Edition

Hello everyone. Welcome to:

Kitty’s Inner Thoughts Interview for Submission Therapy by Katie Salidas & Willsin Rowe.

When/Why/and How they decided to team up to write the series.

Katie: Willsin and I have worked together for years. We started as bloggers at Coffee Fueled Erotica (http://coffeefuelederotica.blogspot.com/), then critiquing partners, and then we moved to partnering up and co-authoring. Submission Therapy was not the first, but I believe it is our best collaboration. It started out with an idea and we both loved it so much it blossomed into so much more.

Willsin: And we’d also worked together on some cover art throughout all that time. It might not sound relevant, but it was another way that our brains could understand each other. Thinking visually, and telling a story with static imagery, can be difficult. By working together on a couple of covers, we’d already explored each other’s lateral thinking capabilities. Writing together came pretty naturally.

How the series came into existence.

Katie: There was this character. She was the biggest hard ass imaginable. Stressed out from micromanaging everything and everyone around her. She was so tightly wound she could snap at any minute. And she needed a story. I remember running the idea past Willsin way before we decided to go with it. And even then, he said it sounded great. What this woman needed was to learn how to let go. And what is the most extreme version of letting go? Submission. The story really just had to be written after that.

Willsin: Absolutely. The idea for Submission Therapy appealed to me straight away. When I read through Katie’s rough four-page draft of the opening scene, I could already picture the story arc. Well roughly, anyway. That’s the beauty of co-writing for us. We each see the journey from a slightly different perspective, and usually those differences actually bolster the work, and elevate the final product. Reviewers certainly seem to think so, anyway!

Why eroticas?

Katie: Why not? Really. It is so much fun to write.

Willsin: Hey, I’m a dude. I’m always thinkin’ about it, after all! But seriously, I love the intensity of desire, and the way lust will make people behave. I’m quite keen on the darker sides of human nature, and erotica is a wonderful genre to explore those shadows.

Why the billionaire BDSM and not another market?

Katie: This is what this particular story needed. We have other works, some Menage, some Office Nookie. Really, it is just what the story dictates. We do not set out to write one specific type of story for one specific market. We write what we love and what we know you love too.

Willsin: Yep, all of what Katie said. And the other reason we tackled Billionaire BDSM was because we wanted to look at it from the other perspective. In our story, we have a female billionaire. She’s in a position of great power and responsibility. That was of paramount importance to us. We wanted to inject a note of realism, and wanted to keep away from the “bullying” nature of an already-powerful man disciplining an already-subordinate woman.

Any plans to write in another genre together?

Katie: We’re always working on new and fun stories. Right now we have a Paranormal erotic story in the works. =)

Willsin: Absolutely. I have a paranormal urban thriller I’m nudging away at. But I can see the day fast approaching where I’ll have to bring Katie in. If there’s anyone who knows vampires, it’s our Katie!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/NTRlOWM0MjVjNzgyNDUyYmI3ZGQ0M2U0MTFiYjA