Meghan March Reading Kick!
I’ve been on a Meghan March kick for a while. 🙂 It took me a long time to warm up to first-person romance, and there are still only certain authors I feel do it fantastically. But I really love Meghan’s voice. I’ve read the Beneath series, and recently Take Me Back. I have the entire Mount Trilogy waiting as my reward for finishing my next book, and believe me, I can’t wait!
Have you ever read Meghan’s books? You can check them out at her website http://meghanmarch.com. She even has a couple of free books available if you want to try her out. (I highly recommend it!)
🍾 🍾 🍾 It’s that time! 🍾 🍾 🍾
ONLY FOR THE MOMENT will be here on JUNE 11th!!! This month I’m giving away ***two*** signed paperback sets of the entire IF ONLY trilogy. Comment on my Facebook page with your favorite rock-star book boyfriend (and show your authors some love by including a link to their book if possible!).
I’ll choose TWO winners on FRIDAY, JUNE 29th. Don’t miss out!
(Likes and shares with your romance-loving friends appreciated but not required!)
📖📖📖
ONLY FOR THE MOMENT
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2J00QrX
iBooks: https://apple.co/2H3Vfiy
Kobo: http://bit.ly/kobo_oftm
Google Play: http://bit.ly/gp_oftm
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/Gdreads_oftm
He can tie up all her objections, but what about her heart?
Kennedy O’Connell’s life is perfect—a great job, plenty of friends, a brother who loves her. The chaos that ruled her childhood is gone, and she couldn’t be happier. Unfortunately, her mischievous streak tends to get her in trouble, and when she walks into her favorite spa to find a sexy Australian rock star taking her place, she can’t resist a little fun.
Isaac Anschau has spent five years chasing his dream. His rock royalty status can’t be denied, but his demons are catching up with him—he’s burned out, his creativity decimated. Until a redheaded vixen decides she wants to play, and he discovers a way to leave his nightmares behind. There’s just one problem: Kennedy is dead-set against submitting, despite the way she melts when his Dom side comes out.
They’ve got nothing to lose by walking away, and everything to gain if they give in to the raging hunger between them. Baring their bodies would only take a moment. Baring their souls could take a lifetime.
Inspiration
I admit, with all the concentration on ASSASSIN’S MARK, I’ve struggled to keep my head in Kennedy and Isaac’s world as well. I needed some fresh inspiration, so I went back through my world-building file for ONLY FOR THE MOMENT and did some digging. Turns out I had the perfect inspiration just waiting for me.
These two images. Mind. Blown.
MOMENT is a book about baring your soul more than baring your scars. Slowly unfurling the shadows that you hide behind to reveal that most secret part of you to someone else. Recognizing your desires and needs and accepting them—for you, most of all, not to please someone else. I can’t wait to share this journey with you later this spring. It’s a different pace of erotic romance, but I think you’ll love it as much as I do.
Head on over to my Facebook page for a peek at these images!
Inspiration!
Friday Inspiration
I’m thinking about a nightclub scene in the next IF ONLY book, something sexy and sensual and definitely leading to…well, you know. ;) I’ve been garnering “inspiration” from the couple in this video.
Whew! I think I need a drink!
Binge Reads!
So what about you — series or not? What’s your favorite? (I need to add to my TBR! :P )
Want to check out Eden and Scarlett’s books? You can, right here:
I love reading a romance series. There’s nothing better to me than being able to visit couples from previous books again and again and again, seeing little glimpses of their lives while learning all new things about characters I’m just getting to know. The past couple of months, I’ve binged on two fantastic series that my assistant introduced me to: Eden Summers’s RECKLESS BEAT series and Scarlett Cole’s SECOND CIRCLE TATTOOS series. I’ve loved them both! And Scarlett’s series even has a followup, PRELOAD, that I now get to start on. I can’t tell you how excited I am. 😃
Splish-Splash Page Hop!
It's time, everyone!! HAPPY
! To celebrate, your
are joining together for the SPLISH-SPLASH PAGE HOP, taking place from FRIDAY MORNING (1/8/16) to SUNDAY EVENING (1/10/16). There's 13 of us, all donating a different prize every time you hop to someone's page!
It's time, everyone!! HAPPY
! To celebrate, your
are joining together for the SPLISH-SPLASH PAGE HOP, taking place from FRIDAY MORNING (1/8/16) to SUNDAY EVENING (1/10/16). There's 13 of us, all donating a different prize every time you hop to someone's page!
INSTRUCTIONS:
Just click to someone's page to start--yes, you can start ANYWHERE, because when you're done having fun with that author, she'll guide you to the next author on the list--and keep going so that you are qualified for her prize drawing.
GRAND PRIZE for the whole hop, selected from everyone who plays with us on any page (so you don't have to hit all 13 to be eligible) is a plush spa robe and matching fluffy towel!
ARE YOU READY? SET? Here are all the authors particiapting, along with their pages. HAVE FUN SPLISH-SPLASHIN' AND HOPPIN'!
A. CATHERINE NOON: https://www.facebook.com/noonandwilder/ ANGEL PAYNE: https://www.facebook.com/authorangelpayne/ DAKOTA TRACE: http://alittlebitofnaughty.blogspot.com/ DANI WADE: https://www.facebook.com/dani.wade.1 DARAH LACE: https://www.facebook.com/darahlace ELLA SHERIDAN: https://www.facebook.com/ellasheridanauthor/ LARA ARCHER: https://www.facebook.com/laraarcherromance/ LEELA LOU DAHLIN: https://www.facebook.com/LeelaLou2/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel NESE LANE: https://www.facebook.com/NeseLane/?ref=hl NONA RAINES: http://www.facebook.com/NonaRaines.author MIA DOWNING: https://www.facebook.com/MiaDowningAuthor ROBYN BACHAR: http://therobyn.blogspot.com/ TAIGE CRENSHAW: http://taigecrenshaw.com/blog/ TINA CHRISTOPHER: http://wp.me/p22zpW-nh ZOEY DERRICK: http://zoeyderrick.net/
Another Year, A New Year
About eighteen months ago, I was in one of my favorite places ever, a small town in Michigan where I take my kids to visit with their uncle and his family every other summer. It was the year my health had finally started going haywire enough that I was able to find a couple of solutions (and even more questions). It was a time when I was heading into self-publishing and taking control of my career, and also the time when my ability to write was beginning to break down.
About eighteen months ago, I was in one of my favorite places ever, a small town in Michigan where I take my kids to visit with their uncle and his family every other summer. It was the year my health had finally started going haywire enough that I was able to find a couple of solutions (and even more questions). It was a time when I was heading into self-publishing and taking control of my career, and also the time when my ability to write was beginning to break down. It was a scary and happy and not-always-clear time for me. When I saw this mug, it was a reminder that I just had to be strong, to believe in myself. The irony is that, here I am, eighteen months later, sitting beside my Christmas tree sipping wassail from the same mug and remembering how much courage the intervening time has taken. I'm recovering from a surgery I never imagined I'd need. I have seven books under my belt. I'm still figuring out the whole self-publishing thing and how to balance my life and career. And frankly, parts of the past year have scared the hell outta me. But I'm still here.
And now I'm finding the courage for another year ahead. More challenges, personally and professionally, more accomplishments, definitely more ups and downs -- it's life, so that's a given! And yet, it's not all about courage, really. Getting up every day and facing the day ahead is sometimes just managing to put one foot in front of the other. And sometimes it's about trust, even when you can't see what the future holds.
I'll be honest: the past eighteen months have not been the journey I expected. It's hard to trust the process, whether it's writing a book or getting through life, when previous experience tells you it might not be good. Many of us hold back on trust for that reason, don't we?
But in order to have the life we want, we have to look forward, not back, not all the time. We have to face the journey and trust that it will teach us what we need to learn.
I have a friend who recently moved across the country. No plan, not even a place to live. My friend was alone, without any responsibilities to others, and decided that a clean slate, a fresh start was exactly what this phase of their life called for. And despite it being scary, they have decided to trust the journey to take them where they need to go. I wish I had that kind of courage. I think I do, somewhere inside me; I think we all do if we decide it's there.
This New Year, it's time to shed everything but the lessons the past has taught us and step forward into a new year's journey. I plan to trust the process, good or bad, but I'm pushing for good. :)
What about you? Where is your journey taking you this year?
~ Ella
What I've Been Reading: Writer's Doubt
So I took a little detour with my reading this month. I've been doing a lot of nonfiction reading lately. One day my sis, Dani Wade, sent me a text: "Go get this book!" The book? Writer's Doubt: The #1 Enemy of Writing (and What You Can Do About It) by Bryan Hutchinson. And you know what? She was 100% right.
So I took a little detour with my reading this month. I've been doing a lot of nonfiction reading lately. One day my sis, Dani Wade, sent me a text: "Go get this book!" The book? Writer's Doubt: The #1 Enemy of Writing (and What You Can Do About It) by Bryan Hutchinson. And you know what? She was 100% right.
I've been talking a little bit more openly about the struggles I've had with writer's block. I think the prevalence of so many writers who poo-poo the idea of writer's block only serves to make those of us who have experienced doubt ourselves more. And that doubt only serves to compound the probem. We who struggle in this area have to learn not only to tune out the naysayers and root out the sources of our blocks, but we also have to combat the doubt that can creep in.
Writer's Doubt begins with Bryan's story of how he came to be a writer. One of the things I love is that Bryan says something in the beginning of the book that I've come to realize myself over time:
...if we keep our stories, our feelings and our experiences hidden inside of us, it is much more difficult to heal and find answers. So many people remain secretive, so secretive that they’re never able to actually seek help for their internal conflicts. If you want to be honest with your readers and yourself, put everything on the page and leave your comfort zone behind.
Now, this is probably targeted toward nonfiction writers, but as a romance writer, I've found that a lot of the emotions I've experienced over time tend to come out on the page. Not as exact experiences, and not as a one-to-one translation, but they do come out. Take Me began with the idea of a mother who lost her child. I also lost a child, not the way Peyton did -- her child was kidnapped; mine died -- but I found myself thinking of those emotions, drawing them out like you would draw out poison, as I put words to the page. Facing our past helps us heal, and writing can help us do that, whatever form it takes.
Of course, the book isn't just about emotions and memories. It's full of tons of practical advice. Ways to write when you're blocked (notebooks, journals, nonwriting options), where to write. The section on writing rituals and getting into the writing zone reminded me I'd sort of abandoned that part of my early writing career when I got bogged down in a year's worth of edits. Practical advice on not only writing but publishing what you write. There is a lot of meat here, not just fluff.
My favorite piece of advice?
Your first draft is not crap no matter how far from perfect it might be.
There really is a ton of great things not just to learn but to really think about as you read this book. I'm not going to tell you any more. You need to go get it and learn for yourself, explore for yourself, consider things you never really considered about yourself. You'll come out the other side with a whole new outlook. :)
~ Ella
Recipe of the Month: Flourless Chocolate Cake
I've talked a bit in my Hump Day Healthy Writer posts about the food allergies I've developed over the last couple of years. The change in my diet is never felt more keenly than at the holidays, when all the traditional family treats I've made for years are now off limits. So what's a girl with gluten, soy, and dairy allergies supposed to do?
I've talked a bit in my Hump Day Healthy Writer posts about the food allergies I've developed over the last couple of years. The change in my diet is never felt more keenly than at the holidays, when all the traditional family treats I've made for years are now off limits. So what's a girl with gluten, soy, and dairy allergies supposed to do? Find new treats, of course!
It takes time, but I'm finding it can be done. And with Christmas just around the corner, I'm even more determined to make new food memories. And who doesn't love chocolate? That's why this month's recipe is:
Just a couple of things before we get to the recipe. First, this recipe is one I found on the King Arthur Flour website (click on the recipe title to go to their original post). Ironic, isn't it? They have a great gluten-free (GF) flour blend, one of the few I've found that includes no soy or dairy. And their website has great GF recipes as well.
Second, most chocolate contains soy lecithin. Some people with soy allergies can tolerate soy lecithin or even soybean oil, as both contain only trace amounts of soy protein, but I am not one of them -- I'm allergic to the plant itself, not just the protein. I use Enjoy Life brand chocolate, available in many grocery stores in the organic section. (There is a store guide on their website.) You can also substitute cocoa powder: 1 tablespoon of cocoa, 1 teaspoon of oil, and 3.5 teaspoons of sugar = 1 oz. of semisweet chocolate. (1 cup = 8 ozs, so you do the math :) ) Nix the sugar for bittersweet chocolate
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter (I substitute coconut oil to avoid dairy)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Glaze:
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream (I substitute coconout milk)
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a 9" round cake pan. Cut a piece of parchment or wax paper, place in the bottom of the pan, and lightly grease.
Melt the chocolate and butter/oil in the microwave until just melted, then add the sugar, salt, and vanilla, mixing thoroughly with a beater. You can also add 1 to 2 teaspoons of espresso powder if desired. (I haven't tried this yet. :) ) Add the eggs, beating until smooth, and then do the same with the cocoa powder.
Pour the batter into your pan and bake for 25 minutes until the cake's internal temperature is 200 degrees. Take out and cool for 5 minutes. Turn onto a serving platter (the cake is now upside down on your plate, which is fine) and allow to cool completely.
For the glaze: heat the chocolate and cream/milk in the microwave until the liquid is hot. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Pour the glaze over the cake and cool for several hours before cutting.
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Sound yummy? I love this cake. I've never been a huge chocolate cake fan because they tend to be dry, but we have a family recipe that is moist and delicious. This cake is equally so! Let me know if you try it -- I'd love to hear about your results.
Until next month's recipe...
~ Ella
Romance Readers' Movie Night!
Are you a romance reader? Wanna have a girls' night out but too tired to go anywhere? My friends in the Nice Girls Writing Naughty group have the solution! Every month we feature a different event just for romance readers, and this month's event is a GIRLS' NIGHT IN.
Are you a romance reader? Wanna have a girls' night out but too tired to go anywhere? My friends in the Nice Girls Writing Naughty group have the solution! Every month we feature a different event just for romance readers, and this month's event is a GIRLS' NIGHT IN.
The Nice Girls are hosting a Movie Night, a time for all of us to get comfy in our jammies, pop some popcorn, grab a drink or two, and cuddle up with the movie While You Were Sleeping. We'll chat about the movie, laugh until soda comes out our noses, and enjoy some great girl time together with you, our readers. Don't tell anyone, but there's a rumor going around that some of us might show up at the party IN PERSON (via video). How awesome is that?!
If you want to join me and a bunch of awesome romance authors and readers (and we SO hope you do!), rent a copy of While You Were Sleeping from your favorite rental place or grab it off Netflix...or your shelf if you already have it. (I do. :) ) Then go over to the Facebook event and join in -- you're definitely invited. And on DECEMBER 13th from 6:00 to 8:00 PM EST, settle in with your movie, snacks, and Facebook for fun, fun, fun!
Come late if you have to. We'll be talking all night, as well as giving away gift cards to our readers as a thank-you for all your wonderful support this year. I can't wait to see you then!
~ Ella
Teaser Tuesday: Only for the Weekend
This Teaser Tuesday is a brand-new release: ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND is hot off the presses for only 99 cents. Find out how Vincent and Jane start their weekend together, and then grab your copy to read the rest of this short, sexy story!
This Teaser Tuesday is a brand-new release: ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND is hot off the presses for only 99 cents. Find out how Vincent and Jane start their weekend together, and then grab your copy to read the rest of this short, sexy story!
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The quiet snick of the door opening quickened his heartbeat. He knew what Jane saw as she walked in—a dark, still room, a single recessed light illuminating the space before a large seating area. Shadowed corners. Emptiness. She knew she was meeting him here, but not that he was already waiting in the room.
He took the time to look her over, holding back the breath that threatened to escape too loudly as he did so. She was as lovely as he remembered. Shoulder-length blonde hair curled around her head, making his fingers twitch with the need to twine the soft strands around them. Her eyes were dark in the dim light, a contrast to those flirty curls and a reflection of the seriousness of her soul. Full pink lips trembled with nerves, as did the hands currently clasped tightly together in front of her. Anticipation swelled in his chest. He would soothe those nerves, but not yet; sometimes a little fear could go a long way with a sub.
Lovely wasn’t the word to describe her body. Sexy, definitely. Earth-shattering. His heart beat triple time in his throat as his gaze moved over her. A tight-fitting white button-down, top buttons open to reveal the upper swell of her round breasts. A short, curves-skimming black skirt. As she turned to close the door behind her, he glimpsed a thin band of lace through a small slit up the back. Only the briefest hint, but blood pooled in his groin immediately at the sight of her stockings, the old-fashioned kind that attached to garters and a garter belt. So like Jane—shy and yet intensely provocative, all at once. He couldn’t fucking wait to see those pale thighs framed by the sexiest garment a woman could ever put on her body.
With a stern reminder to his anatomy that sex wasn’t in the cards, at least not for him—a reminder his body laughed at—he shifted his weight, bringing him barely into the edge of the light. “Jane.”
He kept his voice low, but still she startled. The trembling in her hands increased. She tugged her full bottom lip between her teeth in a way that made him want to bite as well, but not yet. He waited, instead, forcing control so that she could look her fill.
Her gaze took in his half mask first, a piece of soft black fabric covering the top half of his face and head, leaving everything but his eyes and jaw and ears a mystery. Even most of his hair was covered, and what could be seen at the back of his head hopefully didn’t shine too brilliantly red in the shadowed room. She measured the width of his shoulders, his height. Her nostrils flared as if trying to breathe him in, to determine who he was, whether or not she was safe, by scent alone.
She didn’t speak. Good.
“Come in,” he told her.
A hesitant “Yes, Sir” accompanied her steps farther into the light. The yellow glow lit a fire in her hair as she tucked her chin, dropping her gaze to the vicinity of his boots. The Dom in him purred its approval.
“Kneel for me, Jane.”
There was no hesitation this time. With a feminine grace rare in a first-time sub, she sank to her knees. Head still bowed, knees parted just enough to show off the lace atop her stockings, hands at the small of her back.
His gut clenched. She’d been practicing. For him.
Logically he knew it hadn’t been for him personally. She didn’t know the masked Dom before her was the man she’d propositioned as a teenager. She only knew the mask hid a Dom. But telling himself that didn’t stop the flare of possession and satisfaction burning its way through his chest.
Ignoring the dangerous emotions inside him, he walked forward, his steps heavy, deliberate. No leather for him except the boots. He’d chosen black button-fly jeans and a black silk shirt. The fabric cupped him, slid along his skin as he moved, and he imagined it was Jane’s hands on him, molding along his cock, brushing his pierced nipples. He barely held back a groan as he circled Jane’s kneeling body.
She turned her head the slightest amount, probably trying to keep him in sight. He laid a single finger along her jawline. “Eyes down.”
Jane shivered as she obeyed. Oh yes, definitely submissive.
He circled her again, this time allowing his finger to trace her lips, her cheekbone, the delicate curve of her ear. As he moved behind her, he delved into her curls, indulging himself in their soft texture before fisting the thick mass and tugging her head back. Jane kept her eyes lowered, but she couldn’t keep her breath from catching, and as he looked down her body, he could see the tight tips of her breasts forced against the fabric of her shirt.
“You’ve read and signed the contract.” A statement. He knew she had; he’d read every line. But he wanted the acknowledgment between them—and to hear her voice.
A moment’s quiet, then, “Yes, Sir.”
That word on her lips… He bent over her, letting her feel his size, his heat, his power. “And you are certain you wish to proceed, sub?”
No pause. “Yes, Sir. I wish to proceed.”
He stood, trailing his fingers through her hair, showing his pleasure at her response. “And what is your safe word?”
Her voice quivered as she responded. “Weekend, Sir.”
Weekend. The word hit him like a two-by-four to the head. A reference to his band, Weekend Washout, or a reminder that she was only his for the weekend?
She’s not yours, dickhead. You’re an experiment, nothing more.
But would he be if she knew who he was?
If she knew who you were, you’d be out on your ass.
He couldn’t forget that. Jane must never find out the identity of her first Dom. And he… Well, he could never forget her. At least he would have this.
He moved away, taking a position between Jane and the light. His shadow covered her. “‘Weekend’ it is. If you feel overwhelmed, need to pause or talk or just catch your breath, you will use ‘yellow.’ Is that clear?”
“Yes, Sir.”
That breathy voice, ripe with arousal and fear, threw gasoline on the fire of his lust, threatening to burn out of control. He needed to shut that part of himself down, needed to focus completely on his sub. But just like his body had warned him earlier, he couldn’t. All he could give her was every piece of him—lust, dominance…everything.
“Then stand.”
Without a word Jane rocked back onto her heels and came to her feet. Regret ached in his shaft as the hem of her skirt once more covered the delicate bands of lace circling her thighs, but he was about to see so much more.
“Undress for me, sub.”
~ ~ * ~ ~
ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND is available at major e-retailers:
And keep an eye out for If Only Book 2, ONLY FOR THE NIGHT, coming April 2016.
Release Day PARTY!
ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND is here! It's been a long time coming, it seems, though TAKE ME only released at the end of June, a mere five months ago. I think I just got used to having a new book out every other month. :) But...no more waiting! You can read Jane and Vincent's story right now, for only 99 cents.
ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND is here! It's been a long time coming, it seems, though TAKE ME only released at the end of June, a mere five months ago. I think I just got used to having a new book out every other month. :) But...no more waiting! You can read Jane and Vincent's story right now, for only 99 cents. And while you head over to grab your copy, I'm going to be putting on some music, because you know it's not a release day party around here without a book playlist and all the fun details behind the music I chose. So go download your book, and then come back here for some fun behind-the-scenes facts!
*By the way, don't forget to read all the way to the end to find out how to enter my release day giveaway. Two readers will win a heart-lock-and-key necklace from Oddoleather!*
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Each of my books has a "theme song." I can't help it; I write to music, and not the instrumental kind. I'm inspired by sound and emotion, and each book has a song that tends to grab on and not let go. Much to my dismay, Vincent and Jane didn't want to cooperate in this area for quite some time. In fact, the only song that seemed to catch THEIR attention was one I really didn't want to like.
You know who won that battle, don't you? ;)
So yes, the theme song for ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND is by the one-and-only Taylor Swift: "Style." And it fits Jane and Vincent so damn well.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CmadmM5cOk&w=560&h=315]
*
What else was on the list? Oddly enough, another female artist ended up on repeat: Ellie Goulding with "Love Me Like You Do." That line, "What are you waiting for?" -- that was Jane all the way!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJtDXIazrMo&w=560&h=315]
*
We've got the slow dancing down, obviously. Were there any faster songs on the playlist? There sure were! One in particular got put on repeat quite a bit: "Sugar" by Maroon 5. Yum!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09R8_2nJtjg&w=560&h=315]
*
Okay, one more. :)
Jane's story starts far before her night with V. in Las Vegas -- it starts eight years before, to be exact. The night she took a chance and propositioned her best friend's sexy older brother. That brother, Vincent, turned her down, for reasons she never learns until Vegas, but that doesn't mean the story's over. This song spoke Jane's broken heart to me in ways I might not have gotten otherwise. (Not to mention Gavin DeGraw's voice is di-vine.) "Not Over You."
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDWhfsQHq1o&w=560&h=315]
*
All right, that's today's dance party, but that doesn't mean the dancing has to stop! You can go over to the If Only series page and see a full list of songs for this series, including the upcoming April release of Hank and Sage's book, ONLY FOR THE NIGHT. And don't forget your copy of ONLY FOR THE WEEKEND! You won't regret the two hours it takes to read it, trust me. ;)
I have a release week giveaway going on right now as well! Two readers will win these adorable heart-lock-and-key necklaces from Oddoleather (and yes, those are handmade suede pouches to store your necklace in). I've been drooling over these since they came in the mail, and I can't wait for them to be yours! (Sorry, US only.)
Go on over to the Rafflecopter page and enter the giveaway to win!
Have a great weekend!
~ Ella
Hump Day Healthy Writer: Journaling
The past couple of weeks have been stressful, and the next couple of weeks promise to be more so. See, I'm releasing a book this Friday. I'm also having surgery. Yes, the same day. It was either that or ruin Christmas with my kids, and I would rather miss a release day. I've been scrambling to get everything finished ahead of time, get my ducks in a row, deal with the anxiety of going under the knife, finish my next book's rough draft that is a month overdue
The past couple of weeks have been stressful, and the next couple of weeks promise to be more so. See, I'm releasing a book this Friday. I'm also having surgery. Yes, the same day. It was either that or ruin Christmas with my kids, and I would rather miss a release day. I've been scrambling to get everything finished ahead of time, get my ducks in a row, deal with the anxiety of going under the knife, finish my next book's rough draft that is a month overdue... I know all about STRESS with a capital S (and every other letter, for that matter!). Luckily I've been able to handle it much better than I did last year, when stress just about landed me in the hospital (and not because I needed surgery). I've learned how to deal, and one of the key ways I've dealt with the chaos is through journaling.
I know what you're thinking -- well, mostly. I resisted journaling for a long time. "It just doesn't work for me," I'd say. "I can't remember to journal every day." Or "Journaling is for teenage girls." Or even "I don't have time to write pages about my feelings -- I need to write pages on my next book!" But all the excuses in the world weren't helping me deal with the stress that had taken over my life and the physical effects it was having on my body.
So I gave in.
“Art is born in attention,” Julia Cameron says in The Artist's Way. “The reward for attention is always healing.” What I found in my own life was that the chaos created by my expectations, demands, and limits kept me from paying attention to my creative voice. I had to get rid of all the chaos to find my creative path again -- so I began writing it all down.
Sounds weird, huh? But that's honestly what I did. Nothing fancy. No following the writing rules or even making sense at some points. I just put pen to paper and let whatever come out. Anything and everything that popped into my mind, it went onto the page at the beginning of the day. Cameron calls these "morning pages," but I've found that they help at any time of the day, whenever the chaos overwhelmed me. I even had my daughter journaling at night before bed, when worry would keep her from sleeping. I call it "brain drain," draining out all the emotion and worry and chaos onto the page so I don't have to carry it around with me.
And you know what? Despite all my protesting, it really works. I don't try to solve anything (though I might write down possible solutions as they come to me). I don't try to explain away what I'm feeling. I just put it down on paper. I leave it there, and often it actually stays put. :) Grab a spiral notebook, nothing fancy, and get everything out.
As time goes on, I find myself having to write less. Oh, I still write every day, but not for an hour. Often now my journaling sessions evolve into plotting sessions for my latest project. It's as if the dam has opened up and my creativity now has the ability to flow without the blockage of stress and worry. As the past couple of weeks have devolved into stress, I've journaled a little more, and found relief there. Yes, there is still a lot to do, and yes, I am still going into the hospital, but I'm not carrying the weight of the world around inside my head, trying to solve everything that needs to be solved. I can put it down on paper and leave it there for a little while.
If you're struggling with stress and worry and find it making you sick and stealing your creativity, this is one thing you can explore that just might help. I know it has me. One step at a time, one little positive move forward. Piled one on top of the other, they can be your building blocks to a healthier, more creative life. Just try it.
~ Ella
What I've Been Reading: Dungeon Games
Dungeon Games (Masters & Mercenaries 6.5)Lexi Blake
Obsessed
Derek Brighton has become one of Dallas’s finest detectives through a combination of discipline and obsession. Once he has a target in his sights, nothing can stop him. When he isn’t solving homicides, he applies the same intensity to his playtime at Sanctum, a secretive BDSM club.
Dungeon Games (Masters & Mercenaries 6.5)Lexi Blake
Obsessed
Derek Brighton has become one of Dallas’s finest detectives through a combination of discipline and obsession. Once he has a target in his sights, nothing can stop him. When he isn’t solving homicides, he applies the same intensity to his playtime at Sanctum, a secretive BDSM club. Unfortunately, no amount of beautiful submissives can fill the hole that one woman left in his heart.
Unhinged
Karina Mills has a reputation for being reckless, and her clients appreciate her results. As a private investigator, she pursues her cases with nothing holding her back. In her personal life, Karina yearns for something different. Playing at Sanctum has been a safe way to find peace, but the one Dom who could truly master her heart is out of reach.
Enflamed
On the hunt for a killer, Derek enters a shadowy underworld only to find the woman he aches for is working the same case. Karina is searching for a missing girl and won’t stop until she finds her. To get close to their prime suspect, they need to pose as a couple. But as their operation goes under the covers, unlikely partners become passionate lovers while the killer prepares to strike.
~ ~ * ~ ~
If you've read any of the Masters and Mercenaries books, you know who Derek is. He's a Dom and police detective with a tough-as-nails exterior. Normally I wouldn't be pointing you toward a book so far into a series because, let's face it, who knows if the six books ahead of this one will be ones you'll enjoy? But this little tasty treat is a perfect introduction into Lexi's M&M world and a great way to decide if you'd like to read more.
I'll admit, I'm not a fan of the 1001 Dark Nights covers. I can't ever figure out which author they belong to because they all look the same, and then I get kinda pissed because I miss an addition to a series I love, which is what happened with this book. But I'm so glad I finally figured it out despite the cover!
Derek is such a gem. As tough as he is, the quirks Lexi adds into his life are interesting. His ex-wife, for instance, is a shark, and the way he thinks about her and interacts with her are funny as hell. He's also a dumbass when it comes to certain things -- yes, you read that right. He has a lot of preconceptions about Karina that put him off on the wrong foot. I'll admit, I kinda enjoyed seeing the big, bad Dom being proven wrong. And when he finally gets it right? Good GOD, he scorches up the pages!
Karina has been described in other books (only peripherally) as "that crazy PI." She's not really crazy. Like many of Lexi's heroines, she's not "put together" and perfect. She's relatable, and her history is heartbreaking. A widow, Karina has held herself back from intimacy because of her past, because she doesn't feel she can ever fully expose herself to someone else. Sharing her secrets with Derek, especially, is impossible, despite the way the two of them sizzle whenever they're in a room together.
I'll let you pick up the book and read all about the way Derek and Karina finally come together, but suffice it to say, they make one helluva couple. You DO NOT have to read any of the other books in this series to understand this one. That's right -- you can waltz right into these pages without a moment of misunderstanding. We get some nice glimpses of the other characters in the series, but only in a peripheral way. I warn you, though...once you start with Masters & Mercenaries, no matter where, you WILL want to read the rest. Trust me!
~ Ella
Hump Day Healthy Writer
I have a secret: for the past year I've worried that I'd lost my mojo. Sometimes I wondered if I wanted to write at all. Every day at the page seemed to be a battle, and I knew deep down it would be easier to give up the fight and just go back to being someone's employee instead of the boss. The responsible one. The creative one. So why didn't I? Because I couldn't.
I have a secret: for the past year I've worried that I'd lost my mojo. Sometimes I wondered if I wanted to write at all. Every day at the page seemed to be a battle, and I knew deep down it would be easier to give up the fight and just go back to being someone's employee instead of the boss. The responsible one. The creative one. So why didn't I? Because I couldn't.
First, I knew without a doubt that writing is what I'm meant to do. I've always known it. I can't forget about it even if I don't actually do it. So there's that.
Second, I knew that the loss of my creativity -- and that's exactly what it was -- had nothing to do with whether or not I was a writer in my heart. Really it was all about chemistry. My body chemistry. My health. There were a lot of health issues, old and many many new, that were pouring down on my head. They were the thieves stealing my mojo. I just couldn't figure out how to steal it back.
Some days I still don't know. But I'm slowly beginning to understand, to find answers for myself and find others who know answers. And I want to share those answers with you.
Readers or writers, we all have minds, and sometimes those minds don't work like they're supposed to. Mine doesn't, not anymore. I'll get into why in later HDHW posts, but suffice it to say my mind, my moods, my ability to write and sometimes even think has been impacted in a way I never expected -- and was totally clueless how to deal with. I've been on a long journey, and I've learned a little here and there along the way. I'm not a medical professional. I'm not a health guru. I'm just an ordinary woman who had to find answers when no one else seemed to have them. I'm a writer who watched her mind slowly dying and knew she had to do something. If you've ever felt the same, or if you've felt the effects of isolation, constant computer use, and the other tolls of this job (and many others in our tech-heavy world), then this blog series is for you.
And hopefully me, because I want to learn from you too.
Check back the first Wednesday of every month for a new Hump Day Healthy Writer, and share your experiences and what works for you. You never know who can be helped by the small piece of wisdom you possess.
~ Ella
Teaser Tuesday: Hank & Sage
Guess what! Hank & Sage's book finally has a title! In April 2016, their book will be released as...ONLY FOR THE NIGHT! Keep checking back for excerpts from their book and the first book in this series, Only for the Weekend, available December 4th. I can't wait!
Guess what! Hank & Sage's book finally has a title! In April 2016, their book will be released as...ONLY FOR THE NIGHT! Keep checking back for excerpts from their book and the first book in this series, Only for the Weekend, available December 4th. I can't wait!
~ Ella
Teaser Tuesday: Trust Me
Available Now At:
And in print at Createspace, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
Available Now At:
And in print at Createspace, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
Teaser Tuesday - Jane
Want a little taste of my heroine, Jane, from Only for the Weekend? She's quirky, sweet, and oh so ready for a change.
Want a little taste of my heroine, Jane, from Only for the Weekend? She's quirky, sweet, and oh so ready for a change.
*
God, it was hot.
The desert wind blasted Jane’s hair back from her face as she walked out of the sliding doors of the Las Vegas airport. Heat soaked through the base of her heels to sear her toes, and she imagined the sudden sweat popping out on her forehead looked nothing like the “glistening” most women claimed they did in the heat. No, she was definitely sweating. And hot. Really hot.
But at least her dress was cool.
The Marilyn Monroe lookalike was intended to give her confidence, and it certainly did that. The halter top left her shoulders bare, the nipped-in waist made her feel incredibly sexy, and the filmy skirt flitted teasingly in the air, reminding her of the scene in The Seven Year Itch where Marilyn stopped over the subway grate. Vegas didn’t have subway grates, but at least if the skirt hit the air in similar fashion, her new lacy underwear wouldn’t leave her embarrassed—much. Since she wasn’t in the habit of showing strangers her underwear, some embarrassment was inevitable, but not the ratty-panties kind.
You’re about to show a guy a lot more than your panties, Jane. Remember that.
The sudden flush in her cheeks had nothing to do with the air temperature. She wasn’t letting it stop her, though. She planned to do a lot in Las Vegas that would have her blushing; she might as well get used to it now.
*
Jane and Vincent's story will release on December 4th, but you can preorder now for only 99 cents. I can't wait for you to dig in and really get to know them both. :)
And don't forget to sign up for my newsletter. It's the only way to join my Advance Review Team and get a chance to read and review my books before they release!
~ Ella
Only for the Weekend UPDATE!
We have a cover -- and it's gorgeous! What do you think?
I've also set up preorders. You can go ahead and order your copy of Only for the Weekend on Amazon right now for 99 cents. I'll have the book up on other retailers within the next couple of weeks, and will add the links to the Bookshelf page as they go live. The links will also be in my monthly newsletter.
So when will your copy arrive on your e-reader? DECEMBER 4TH! As I announced in my newsletter, I've had some health issues this summer that pushed my schedule off, and I wanted V. and Jane's story to come out a little closer to the other book in this mini-series, Hank and Sage's story (out the first week of April, 2016). Since the books go together, I figured a little delay now was better than a bigger delay between them. But this novella is definitely hot enough to wait for! I think you'll love Vincent and Jane--their chemistry is explosive. I had to take a few breathers between scenes, let me tell ya.
Oh, you want to see? Hmm...Okay, I guess I can share. ;) How about an excerpt?
* * *
Straightening her shoulders, his sister met his gaze. "I got a call from Jane last week."
Vincent's gut tightened. "Jane?"
"Yes, Jane," she said impatiently. "My best friend, Jane? You are so hopeless."
"I hope not, considering you brought me here to do you a favor. I know which Jane you're talking about." As if he could ever forget. He rubbed his thumb and forefinger over his eyes, hoping to hide exactly how much he remembered from his too-observant sis. "Get on with it."
"She's been...unhappy with her current relationship for a while. Actually, she hasn't been happy with her last couple of boyfriends, but I didn't really understand why until she called to tell me she and Lane had broken up." Kennedy's mouth twisted into something not quite a smile, not quite a frown. "We got to talking about what, specifically, was the problem--"
V. put his hand up to ward off the rest. Jane's relationships were the last thing he wanted to discuss. The history between him and Jane--history his sister knew absolutely nothing about, he was pretty sure--might be water under the bridge, but that didn't mean he wanted to think about her with anyone else.
Kennedy wouldn't be denied, though. "No, Vinny, this is important. See, we were talking, and I started to realize that some of their...compatibility issues are because Jane is...uh...submissive."
Fuck. Now he was starting to get the picture. His fingers started a steady beat on his thigh as he struggled to bring his racing thoughts under control. "And you want me to talk to her about BDSM."
There weren't many secrets between him and his sister. When she'd read 50 Shades and started questioning things, he'd openly discussed his natural need to dominate and what that might look like in a hypothetical relationship. Though ultimately not drawn to the D/s dynamic herself, Kennedy was well-educated enough to recognize the tendency in her best friend.
"Not exactly."
"Then what exactly?" He couldn't keep a bit of bite out of his words.
Kennedy took a deep breath as if steeling herself against something. Not a good sign. His gut tightened again.
"Jane actually asked about hiring an...escort that could dominate her." V. thought the top of his head might just fly off. "She didn't. You didn't," he growled.
"No, idiot," she insisted, her words as loud as his were low, "I didn't." She stared into his eyes, but she wasn't really seeing him, he could tell. "She wants to learn but doesn't know anyone in the lifestyle. She didn't know what to look for if she went to a club, and didn't feel safe with a stranger."
V. wasn't quite ready to give an inch. The thought of Jane with a stranger--okay, with anyone, but especially a stranger--made him feel like his blood was boiling in his veins. "She wouldn't know an escort either."
"But I would." Kennedy shrugged. "That was it. She thought, this being Vegas, that I might've met someone in the lifestyle that she could trust. A personal recommendation, so to speak."
"You told her no, obviously."
This time her stare connected, but she didn't speak. She just waited, her determination ticking like a clock between them, until the truth finally smacked him between the eyes.
"You're hiring me?"
"She's my best friend, Vinny. I'm not gonna hand her over to have sex with just anybody!"
"And you're not handing her over to have sex with me either." Frustration drove him to his feet to pace across the room until the floor-to-ceiling windows stopped him. If only Kennedy knew. Jane would probably prefer to castrate him, even now, ten years later. She certainly wouldn't want to be vulnerable to him, not the way a sub was vulnerable with their Dom. Even considering it was an enormous mistake. He scrambled for anything that might deter her.
"Jane's just a kid." Ten years his junior, like Kennedy was.
"She's not a kid. She's my age, and I have sex all the time."
He shot his sister a withering look. "Now stop that shit right now."
Kennedy's eyebrow cocked up. "The sex?"
"Telling me about it." He shuddered. "It may or may not happen, but I do not need to know."
Kennedy's smirk was salt in the wound. "My brother the perv is freaked out by his baby sister's vanilla sex life."
"Yes. Very."
It took a moment, but eventually he was able to join a smirk with Kennedy's laughter. His sister's amusement eased some of the tension stringing his body tight, enough that he could return to the couch. Kennedy patted his leg when he sat beside her.
"She's always had a bit of a crush on you, ya know."
He kept his sigh inside. Damn right, he knew. What Kennedy and especially Jane didn't know was that the feeling had always been mutual. Which spelled certain disaster if he gave in to what his sister wanted.
He didn't say it aloud; instead he deflected. "Jane isn't a one-night-stand kind of girl." He knew that much--all too well.
"She's not looking for forever, just a quickie intro to BDSM." She tilted her head, seeming to consider her words. An impish grin tugged at her lips. "Well, not a quickie, really, but you get the idea."
His frown probably made him seem like a stuffy old geezer, but what the hell... "Yeah, I get it." All too well. Perversely, the assumption that he was available to be used for the night bothered him. "Thanks, Sis. I'm good enough to stud out but not good enough for more than one night?"
He mentally kicked his own ass. Why was he even arguing about this? He didn't want more than one night. He'd always said so, a fact Kennedy quickly reminded him of.
"'Commitment takes time,'" she quoted.
He'd said those three words so many times, and never regretted them. His band had been all the commitment he had room for besides Kennedy. It had always been true, but now Weekend Washout was on hiatus for who knew how long--at least until Chad came back from gallivanting around Europe with his latest lover. V. and Hank were exploring a new solo project, true, but even then, he had way too much time on his hands.
But not time for a commitment, V. You're not commitment material. If you were, you'd have taken Jane up on her offer ten years ago, whether she was sixteen or not.
No... Okay, maybe. He really didn't know. He'd like to think he was a better man than to take advantage of a sixteen-year-old girl's infatuation, but this was Jane they were talking about. And whether it was ten years ago or now, the thought of having her for far longer than a single night reverberated in his chest with more force than the echo of his bass drum.
"Vinny." Kennedy closed her eyes, probably praying for patience. When she opened them again, determination shone through. "Jane is a sweet person who's just trying to find her way through this." She sat forward. "You're my brother. I trust you, and most of all, I trust you with her. Please, just... Please help her."
V. thought about her words for a long moment, thought about his first faltering forays into a nonvanilla sex life, how much easier it would've been if he'd had a guiding hand. He considered the pleading in Kennedy's eyes, and the fact that she might hand him his balls if he said no. And finally, he let himself picture Jane, the pretty sixteen-year-old he'd rejected and the quietly beautiful woman he'd seen in Kennedy's frequent pictures. Could he really let Jane make herself vulnerable that way with anyone else? Could he turn his back knowing she wouldn't be safe? Because she would continue to explore; that much he knew. He wouldn't have been able to stop his own search, safety or not. Jane needed to find her answers, but no way in hell could he allow her to do it alone.
His sigh was pure capitulation. Kennedy heard it and smiled.
"All right," he told her, "I'll do it--but on one condition." He thought about that a moment. "Two, actually."
Kennedy's triumph dimmed a bit. "Okay."
"Anonymity. I don't want her knowing who I am. No, Kenn," he said firmly before she could interrupt. "This could affect your friendship later. She could feel awkward, avoiding you if she thinks I'll be there." He normally had no issue with having sex with a woman he'd just met, if they both knew the score, but not Kennedy's best friend. It wasn't the only reason for the caveat, but it was a good one. The other... Well, Jane would never knowingly let him near her, much less trust him if she knew he was the one with her, not after what had happened between them. "Anonymity is a must."
Emotion warred in Kennedy's eyes, but she finally gave in. "You're the right person for this job," she told him, conviction shining in her eyes. "I guess what she doesn't know won't hurt her. She'd never see any other guy I picked again, right?"
"Right." He said the word she wanted to hear even though he didn't think it was necessarily true. If they hit it off, Jane would probably see another Dom again. Not him, though. She wouldn't see him the first time if she knew.
Kennedy reluctantly nodded. "And?"
He squared his shoulders. "And no sex."
"But--"
V. shook his head. "I can teach her what she needs to know without it. Hell, some subs get more of a release from the submission than they do an orgasm." For him D/s was all about the sex, but that wasn't the case across the board. "Jane is vulnerable, and I won't take advantage of that. I can't."
"So...you won't touch her at all?"
"Oh, I'll touch her." A lot, probably. More than was good for his sanity. "But no full-on sex."
Kennedy agreed, but the uncertainty wrinkling the corners of her eyes said what she wouldn't say aloud. No sex meant Jane's fantasy might go unfulfilled. But he'd rather give her something and leave them both unscarred than indulge himself in something he'd dreamed about for longer than had been appropriate and hurt Jane in the process. If Kennedy knew the whole story, she wouldn't have any doubts. All V. had doubts about was his ability not to go too far. This was Jane, after all. The woman he'd fantasized about dominating since she was sixteen years old.
Heaven help him.
* * *
Don't forget, you can go ahead and reserve your copy of Only for the Weekend now on Amazon. And don't worry--I'll remind you when it's almost here. :)
*
Jane Jacobs is ready for a change. She’s determined that a history of lackluster relationships and even more lackluster pleasure will end this weekend, when she meets the Dom her best friend has set her up with. Exploring dominance and submission with her blind “date” could answer all her questions—and help her forget the one man she wants to master her.
With his band on hiatus, Vincent O’Connell grabs the chance to visit his sister in Vegas, but she wants a favor more than a family reunion. V.’s not above indulging himself with a willing sub, but when he realizes the sub is his sister’s best friend, Jane, all his instincts scream at him to back out—and fast.
V knows Jane; she’s young, pretty, sweet. Definitely sub material—for someone else. But one look at her on her knees and all the reasons to avoid her disappear. She needs a Dom to guide her, and he needs to indulge himself with just a taste. After all, it's only for the weekend.