Review of Bonnie Bliss' "Chains and Chocolate"

Author: Bonnie Bliss
Title: Chains and Chocolate
Length: Short story

Author's Blurb

Marie Jones met her husband Neil on the internet 3 years ago. Six months ago, she fulfilled her ultimate dream. She moved to England and they were married. 


Marie has always had a secret desire to be a submissive to her perfect Dom. In their short relationship, Marie coaxed her hubby into her dream and after heavy training. Neil is the perfect Sir to Marie’s kitten. At first Neil was hesitant, he saw BDSM as a depraved activity, a harsh sexual reality that he wanted no part of. After realizing it brought him closer to his wife, he embraced it, the rewards glorious.


Now they are about to begin a journey of discovery. Neil has created the perfect playroom, his ‘Dungeon’. Join them in their first ever true scene together as the BDSM lifestyle takes them into a new beginning together. 


Marie is about to find out just how good her husband is as he takes control for the first full scene and takes her down to his dungeon to chain her to a bench, followed by a covering of melted chocolate for dessert.



What I Thought
The positive points:
The descriptions of the various BDSM implements were thorough. The melted chocolate was particularly well-described, and by the time the short story was over, I wanted to eat some chocolate.


The negative points:
There were run-on sentences and comma splices in nearly every paragraph. The grammar was poor, and the plot was non-existent. The depiction of a husband and wife trying out their new "dungeon" had no tension, no suspense, and no interest. There was nothing about either Marie or Neil to hold the reader's attention even for a single page, let alone for the 20+ pages of this short story. Despite the story's brevity, the repetition of certain phrases, particularly those describing Marie's enormous breasts, caused the already dragging story to stall even further. Though the story was under 30 pages, it felt much longer. Reading about Neil's demands for a "soapy wank" was neither arousing nor erotic. The attempts by the author to give the story verisimilitude by giving the couple a school-age child failed. The mentions of Lucy, the daughter, jarred. That Neil and Marie had to pick Lucy up from school in three hours' time served to end their "scene" and the story in a timely fashion, but that was all. Anything, any sort of appointment, would have done for that, without bringing in the extraneous Lucy. The statement that Marie's decision not to breastfeed had worked "in her favor" by allowing her to keep her perfect (and enormous) breasts was not only factually inaccurate, it shifted the focus of the scene from "Marie as submissive lover" to "Marie as mother", hardly a beneficial alteration. There was no payoff in eroticism for any of these flaws.


Adonis says:

Interview with Renee Silvana

We're so happy to have Renee Silvana, author of new release Waking the Dead, with us here today!

So, what's this story all about?



Blurb 
Guardian of the gate to the spirit world, hellhound Adrian Mason is responsible for apprehending errant necromancers—witches who conjure spirits during divination rituals—and now he has his hands full with a demon on the loose. When all evidence points to Miriam Spencer, she swears she's not to blame. Though she is descendant from a family of powerful witches, Miriam can barely divine answers from a magic eight ball, let alone raise spirits.

But, if she's not the culprit, then who—or what—is wreaking havoc on the small upstate-New York town? Falling for his prime suspect isn’t on Adrian’s agenda. Duty-bound and with time running short, he must bring Miriam to justice, or face his own.



AD: Sounds awesome, Renee! How long have you been writing? Was writing what you always wanted to do, or was it an unexpected turn in your life?


RS: I'm not unique in this matter when I say I've been writing for as long as I could hold a pen. As a young child, I was frustrated by my inability to decipher written words, and was thrilled when I was able to manipulate them into something new and permanent on paper.


AD: What was your inspiration for Waking the Dead?


RS: You know those silly story generator things? I was playing with one of those one day. They never really give me much help because the story ideas are so ridiculous. One of the phrases I came up with during the process began, "What if an inept necromancer...." I laughed out loud. What a silly idea! But then as I thought about it, the sentence completed itself. What if an inept necromancer were accused of raising a demon, when she can't perform any magick at all?


AD: How long did it take you to write?


RS: Waking the Dead took a long time to write because it started as a completely different story back in my 100% pantsing days. In its original form, the hellhounds were the villain. The entire process of writing, rewriting, polishing, editing and submitting it took about a year. Now that I plot more I can write a LOT faster than that! Even the sequel to WTD is currently 90% finished and has been for months, but I want to make sure I get the story completely right before I send it off!


AD: Does your location -- you currently live near the Grand Canyon, right? -- affect or inform your writing?


RS: I currently live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, and have for just a couple of months. Unfortunately I've been too distracted by my odd work schedule to really have it influence my writing. This past summer however, I lived in the Grand Canyon. I could literally wake up in the morning and walk up to the Colorado River. It was phenomenal. I had a beautiful view of the Vermillion Cliffs from my window, and I would wake up to it early every morning and just sip my coffee, look out my window, and write. It was so inspiring.


AD: What drew you to writing paranormal romance?


RS: I read a lot of paranormal, speculative fiction and science fiction. I write what I read, and then try and make it a happily-ever-after.


AD: What is something surprising about your heroine? Your hero?


RS: The idea for Adrian came from a song. The character in the song is not a good guy, but as soon as I heard the lyrics, I had my Adrian in mind. Miriam's character initially came to mind when I did that story generator thing, but developed as I began studying Wicca.


AD: The subtitle of your book is The Hounds of Annwyn. Does that mean you have a series in mind? What can you tell us about it?


RS: I do have a series in mind! I have the second book in the series almost done (but I'm probably going to rewrite it because that's just how I roll). The second story follows the lives of the characters a little after WTD ends. I am about 8,000 words into the third installment as well.


AD: Please describe a typical writing session for us.


RS: I used to have one! I'd wake up at 4 a.m., put on a pot of coffee, and write for anywhere from 2-3 hours. Now I really only fit it in when I can, because I'm still adjusting to working evenings.


AD: What author has influenced your writing the most? Who are your favorite romance authors? Authors in other genres?


RS: When I was an angsty teenager, Edgar Allan Poe influenced most of my writing, followed closely by the lyrics from a band, Cradle of Filth. Once I passed that phase in my life (thank goodness), I started developing my own voice. The first eBook I bought was by Mandy Roth, and I've been a huge fan since. I can only hope to be as prolific someday! I'm reading more Evernight Publishing authors now and am a huge fan of Georgia Fox's Conquerors series. Outside of romance I enjoy H.P. Lovecraft, Harlan Ellison, Arthur C. Clarke... I wish I had more time to read, though.


AD: What gets the largest share of your free time?


RS: My job gets the most of my time now, followed closely by sleep. After that, my top priority is exercise. I get cranky if I don't get a run or a hike in.


AD: What is the most surprising thing about you?


RS: That's difficult! I guess it's all relative, really. I belong to several different "circles," and they all look at my other ones kind of funny. My romance writing buddies look at me sideways when I talk about backpacking and sleeping deep in the wilderness. My outdoor recreation friends can't believe I write romance and that I was a public school science teacher for two years. My meat-centric family thought my years of veganism were crazy (I've been vegetarian for a long time now). The only thing that surprises me about me is that I was such a New York City homebody for years, and over the last twelve months I've moved to four different states after living in the same neighborhood for over two decades.


Thank you for having me here today, Adonis!


AD: Thanks for stopping by!


You can pick up Waking the Dead here. Renee is also on Facebook and Twitter.

Review of Lilith Duvalier's "The Promise of Silk"

Author: Lilith Duvalier
Title: The Promise of Silk
Length: Novella

Author's Blurb
An airship pirate who ran away from his soul crushing London life, finds himself at an infamously decadent carnival out in the English countryside. A fellow pirate does his best to convince him to go and sample the lovely women of The Row, but Buck isn’t sure he ever wants a woman again.


That is until a mysterious woman in a red dress and mask sits down across from him, entrancing him instantly. He follows her back to her red silk tent, where she puts him through his paces, whetting his appetite for more erotic delights. Each time he returns, she brings him further beyond his boundaries, while learning that he can help her break her bonds.


What I Thought
The positive points:
The writing was smooth and rich, as silken as the title promises. The first scene between the hero and the heroine is intriguing, particularly as it comes out of nowhere, illustrating the magnetic attraction between the two. Jane/Anisette is, mostly, consistent, and her behavior mysterious and alluring. The hero's sweetness is a good counterpoint to her sour. The steam-punk Victorian setting is also deftly sketched. Alaric's doubts about submitting to Jane/Anisette, too, are well-done. The ending was ... happy.


The negative points:
I understand that in writing a romance between a dominatrix and her sub there are many difficulties which must be resolved, but still, the resolution was incomplete. Jane's attitude toward the hero is insufficiently detailed, insufficiently explored. Even up until the last she is thinking of herself rather than Alaric, of how his (supposed) departure will affect her future plans for herself. This led to the ending feeling hollow, unsatisfactory, and unbelievable in that Jane is suddenly being kind to Alaric. In addition, her previous experiences in pretending to be a widow apparently led only to her being considered a "whore" by the neighborhood because of her lack of a husband. This attitude clashed with the otherwise well-done steam-punk Victorian setting. In a Victorian setting a widow without a man would be considered an object of pity perhaps but no one would automatically assume she was a loose woman. This aspect of Jane's background seemed contrived, and it clashed with the overall smoothness of the book.


Adonis says:

Get it here!

Interview with Amanda Rose & Jennifer May

We're pleased to have authors Amanda Rose and Jennifer May with us here today! They wrote Branded Seductions together, and we wanted to get to know them better. Before we get started, let's take a peek at the book!

Shep was the military alpha for a band of brothers sent to control the outside paranormal population. Now they focus their cause on one thing―blending in, in the one place they've helped the military destroy. The para community.

With the General on his heels, and a crazy ex girlfriend close behind, will Shep have the training he needs to elude them both and finally find his mate, or will he soon realize that even in the para community, things aren't always as they appear?

Excerpt

Anya watched, amazed, as his body began to contort. It wasn’t more than a few seconds before his human body sagged to the floor. His arms seemed to shake as he tried to lift himself from the cold, damp stone.

“Are you all right?” Anya asked as she moved to the end of the makeshift bed.

She placed her fingertips on the back of his shoulder. The look he gave her as he slowly began to rise caused her to draw herself back. Holy hell. He might not have been in wolf form anymore, but the animalistic look clouding his face was still there. With the way he was moving toward her, he wasn’t coming over to just say hello.

“You want me.” His head bent down to the ground as he took in another deep breath. “I can smell it on you.” His eyes lifted and locked with hers. “Come to me, Anya.” Shep’s last words were deeper than the others. Her name came out as if he was calling her through a release.

She became frantic with indecision. Did she run or submit to him? The pull of the moon outside the dark cave had her wanting to give herself to Shep. But should she? Hell, she wanted to. But what then? Would tomorrow come and he’d be the same cold, nasty person she knew lurked behind the wolf façade? Too many questions pummeled her at once.

A hand grasped around her ankle and gently pulled at her. Anya could feel herself sliding down onto her back. She knew she should fight it, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop the curiosity of what he would be like. Did she let the beast in him dominate her like she’d wanted since the first time he licked her neck.

The grip loosened while Shep’s head lowered and trailed the length of her leg. The feel of his hot breath against her moist private area only increased her need to feel him touch her more. An aching pain throbbed in her lower stomach as she waited for him to make some sort of move.

“Shep?” Her voice came out sounding fragile, almost unsure.

“No words tonight, Anya. Just feel.” He spoke to her thigh without breaking his focus on her flesh.

Large hands separated her legs wide while his face lowered. At the first contact of his tongue against her upper, inner thigh, she nearly screamed. Her fingers weaved into his hair, driving him closer to where she wanted him.

“Don’t rush this, darlin’. Let me savor your taste.”

Teeth nibbled higher up her leg until she thought she’d die from the anticipation. A whimpering moan escaped her lips while he sucked her skin into his mouth. He was so close. Just a little more and she’d be in heaven.

Pressure gripped into her hips. His hands clutched to her tightly as he climbed higher. The first brush of his tongue against her slit nearly had her upper body coming off the bedding. Fire erupted through her entire body while he took his time exploring her sensitive area. The scent of him was everywhere, drugging her with every shaky breath she took. Anya buried her face into a piece of torn cloth under her as she tried her best not to scream.

“You have no idea how good you taste.”

Anya turned, reaching for his arms. “Then come up here and show me.”

The corner of his mouth lifted as he gave her the beginnings of a smile. “You want me up there? Are you sure?”

“If I don’t feel you on me soon, I’m going to go crazy.”

Shep’s tongue slid across his lips and Anya lost it. She grasped his biceps trying to pull him more on top of her, when her wrists were suddenly pinned over her head. The adjustment of his hands had him holding them down with the strength of one arm. Just seeing his free hand hover over her chest caused her to arch for contact.

“You want me to touch you here?”

Fingertips traced around the curve of her breast, so nonexistent she wasn’t sure if what she was feeling was actually him or her mind.

“Yes.” The shear desperation in her voice twisted her already tightened stomach.

Shep’s lips parted as he let out a ragged breath. “How about here?”

It felt like air traveled over the flatness of her stomach until it reached the apex of her thighs. Heat rolled off Anya in waves. She’d never wanted anyone as much as she wanted him right now. The need to experience more left her sensitive and yearning.

“Please. No more. I can’t stand the teasing.”

Shep laughed deep in his throat. It took everything in her to fight the heaviness of her eyes from the pleasure. Uncontrollable need made her legs lock around his waist, but she couldn’t budge him.

“I know what you want.”

***

AD: Thanks for joining our blog today. So, tell us: how long have you been writing? 

Amanda: I have been writing for a few years but making up stories I’ve been doing my whole life.
Jennifer: I’ve only been writing for about three years. My whole life I’ve been an avid reader. I have no idea why I didn’t attempt to create a story sooner, but I really wish I would have. 

AD: How long have you two been writing together? 

Amanda: This is our first book together, but we seem to spill the deets on all our works. I just love listening to how her brain works, and I know I can’t wait sometimes to tell her how something turns in my writing. 

Jennnifer: That is so true. We are constantly going back and forth on our ideas for up-and-coming books. Amanda has to be one of the most creative people I've ever met. 

AD: When and how did you meet? 

Amanda: We met on a forum on Goodreads a few years ago and had so much in common that we became friends. 

Jennifer: Yep!

AD: You both have individual pieces. What first drew you to writing as a team? 

Amanda: This story. I called Jen one morning from work and told her about a dream I had that had to be written. I actually woke up and wrote down the first scene in the book before I left for work. From there, Jen and I couldn’t stop gossiping about our characters. It was like they were friends, and their lives just kept expanding. 

Jennifer: Yes! I still remember that morning like yesterday. We couldn’t get enough of talking about the characters. From there, we knew we had something we had to come together and write.

AD: When did you first want to be a writer? 

Amanda: Honestly, I never really thought I’d be a writer. I write because I have something to say. When that runs out and my ideas dry up, I don’t want to force it because it’s ‘my job’. I try to stay focused in the now and not look at it as a career but as a gift. I know, sounds a bit corny. 

Jennifer: I truly never thought I was good enough to attempt to even try. I was reading a historical novel one day and was obsessed. That’s when someone asked me, why don’t I just try to write one. The question kind of set me aback. After a few days of thinking about it, I had to try. It changed my life, and I haven’t looked back since.

AD: Did you always write romance, or did it take you a while to find your niche? 

Amanda: I read as much romance as I can get my hands on, and, come on, who doesn’t love daydreaming about the perfect man? It was only a matter of time before I tried to write my own happily ever after. Romance is the first genre I tried, and though the sub-genres change, I can’t get away from the love stories. 

Jennifer: I’ve written nothing but romance since I began but recently starting trying my hand at mystery/thriller. I just love to write and am blessed that I can come up with these great stories and characters.

AD: How long did it take you to write Branded Seductions? 

Amanda: From start to publication took us about a year. 

Jennifer: Yep!

AD: What was your inspiration for Branded Seductions?

Amanda: Jen living in Texas and me in NY. We both agreed that knowing our locations so well would be a great advantage for our story. 

Jennifer: We loved that we could bring so much to the story, a NY flare in the country was perfect. 

AD: Is all your work paranormal? What interested you in paranormal romance? 

Amanda: No, I write whatever is the loudest in my head. My first novel, The Vessel, was more fantasy. I absolutely love that genre, but I try not to limit myself to one specific area. 

Jennifer: Aside from the mystery I’m writing now, all mine (under Jennifer Salaiz and Jennifer May) have been paranormal. I actually just wrote my first contemporary under my penname, Alaska Angelini.

AD: What is your method for writing together? 

Amanda: Ha, it was so much fun, between late night calls, texts early in the morning and emails up the wazoo, Jen and I spoke constantly about this story. Right, Jen? LoL 

Jennifer: Right! We were constantly in touch. It didn’t matter the time or the day of the week, we were always informing each other on our new thoughts or ideas.

AD: Please describe a typical writing session for you. Is it any different when you are working on a team piece from when you are writing a solo piece? 

Amanda: Music is a must, and I like a quiet house. It’s really hard for me to write with the dog barking, cat meowing, and baby crying. I tend to write late at night when there’s no noise but my fingers on the keyboard and my iPod cranking. 

Jennifer: For some reason I can’t write that well during the day. My muse stays pretty well hidden until the sun goes down, but once it does reveal itself, my music goes on, and I disappear to another world. 

AD: You are both mothers of young babies. How do you find that having a baby has affected your writing time? Have you mastered one-handed typing yet? (I did a fair bit of writing with a nursing baby, and it is a great skill to have.)

Amanda: Haha, oh my, it’s been a huge change in my life, but I love every minute of it. I am now a stay-at-home mom, so I treat writing like my work. I give baby over to the hubby and have the quiet time to create. Jen and I did finish the book before our babies were born, and, thank God, I had her help with the editing since I was on bed-rest during most of the process and couldn’t really keep my eyes open. No one-handed typing for me. I’d have been there forever or forgotten what I wanted to say.

Jennifer: LOL! I actually have experienced the one-handed typing. I am on occasion interrupted and am glad he is so good sitting on my lap as I write.

AD: What projects are you currently working on? When can we expect to see them? 

Amanda: I’m still working on the second book in the Kingdom series and expect to have that finished by the end of this year. If all goes well, Jen and I will be starting the second book in the Branded Brotherhood series early next year. 

Jennifer: Aside from some anthologies I’m working on for Alaska Angelini, not to mention the new series in the mystery/thriller genre I have coming out under than name, too, I’m also wrapping up some series under Jennifer Salaiz. Whenever Amanda is ready to start on our next story, I’m ready!

AD: What is the most surprising (or interesting) thing about you?

Amanda: That I’m extremely independent. If someone says it can’t be done or it’s too heavy for me, you can bet your sweet bottom I’m going to make it a point to get the job done. I love working with my hands and trying new projects to see what I’m capable of. Since it’s getting cold right now, I’m teaching myself how to crochet. I also love being in school. I take classes sometimes just because I want to know more about the subject. Like for instance, American Sign Language. I can’t wait to teach my son how to sign! 

Jennifer: Surprising…hmmm, let’s see. Other than the everyday life, I think people would be most surprised at how many names I’ve gone through since I started writing. Jennifer Salaiz, Jennifer May, Alaska Angelini (that’s the name I plan on using from now on), but who knows? The more I read, the more the different genres beg to be written.  Jennifer Bradley (my real name) just might end up having one or two more before it’s over with.

AD: Thanks for joining us, ladies. You two are a riot!

Check out these two at Evernight Publishing. Look them up on Facebook and Facebook, too!

Review of Angelina Rain's "Intimate Healing"

Author: Angelina Rain
Title: Intimate Healing
Length: Novel

Author's Blurb
One by one, household dogs disappear only to come back after senseless abuse. Veterinarian Jordan Powell will stop at nothing to make sure her patients safety. Even if that means seeking help from ex-boyfriend, Police Officer Nate Thrillson, the man whose heart she once broke.

The last thing Nate wants is a relationship. He has an inoperable cancerous tumor in his brain and his days are numbered. Yet, he couldn’t resist Jordan.

It’s a race against time to save the dogs and the man who captured her heart. Can the doctor, who made a life out of helping animals, heal a human?


What I Thought
The positive points:
Angelina Rain begins the story with a memorable opening scene, and the dog aspect is present almost from the first line. The heroine is a veterinarian, and her fondness for animals is her dominant character trait. The heroine's character is consistent first to last, and the hero is appropriately masculine. His character is the most sympathetic in the story, and the happily-ever-after is a pleasure. The best part of the novel is the mystery of what is happening with the dogs, and the resolution to that plot thread brings a sense of justice served.


The negative points:
There were many errors, both typographical and grammatical, and these occurred just often enough to prevent immersion in the story. Many times, as well, the heroine would embark on some errand, and we would read through the entire sequence of events, from her departure to her performing the task to her return -- but nothing came of it. It neither developed her character nor advanced the plot. In the same vein, overwhelming detail bogged down many scenes. When administering an injection to an injured dog, the heroine's every move was described, from swabbing the area with disinfectant to opening the syringe to performing the injection. The most unsatisfactory aspect of the story is the hero's treatment of the heroine. Their previous relationship had lasted a total of four months, fourteen years earlier, and her treatment of him was despicable. Yet he still treasures his time with a girl who plotted throughout their entire relationship to betray him as the memory of his one true love? To the point that, within two days of meeting her again, he is already certain of his love for her? And so certain of her affection for him that he does not tell her of his illness, lest he hurt her? But despite her love, the heroine's distrust of men is still present almost at the very end, even after they have declared their love for each other. There is no resolution to that issue. Though the heroine learns that not all women are perfectly trustworthy, she retains her doubts about men, all men, even the hero, and this is never addressed. Many of these issues ought to have been resolved by the editor, and it is clear that this book did not receive the appropriate attention from its editor.


Adonis says:



Get it here.

Interview with Carolyn Rosewood

Join us in welcoming the inimitable Carolyn Rosewood to our blog today! She's got this fabulous series of smoking-hot seduction stories out that are must-reads! Let's learn more about Carolyn and her work.

AD: Welcome to "Boundless as the Sea"! How long have you been writing? Writing romance?


CR: I'm glad to be here. I've been writing since I could print! When I was little my mother would take in typing to do at home for extra money. Sometimes she'd let me borrow her typewriter, and even though I didn't know how to type I'd hunt and peck out my stories, mostly about animals. I was the geek in high school school who carried around a notebook filled with hand-written stories. I'd never show them to anyone, but I'd sit in class and write when I got bored, which was pretty often. :)

I've been writing romance for about 12 years, but only got serious about it the past two.  


AD: What first inspired you to write your Seduced by a Demon series?


CR: The Last Soul grew out of a challenge thread on Litopia, put there by my editor Emma Shortt. Emma is also a moderator on Litopia. TLS started out as a 1,000 word erotic horror. Emma liked it, and wanted me to expand it for possible publication with a different publisher. In the meantime, I accepted an offer to publish my sexy romantic suspense, Haunted Heart, with this same publisher, but under a different editor. I still wanted to work with Emma, so I approached her about turning TLS into a romance so I could submit it to Evernight. She loved the idea, and The Last Soul was born. 

While writing TLS, Jahi's character popped off the page and I knew she had to have her own book. Her story is Hunted. And of course while writing Hunted, I knew from Teresa's first line she would have her own story as well, and that became Playing For Keeps.


AD: How long did it take you from the first draft of the first book until the last one was completed?


CR: I started work on TLS in February of 2011 and submitted Playing For Keeps in August. WHEW! 


AD: Which of the three stories was the easiest for you to write? The most difficult?


CR: The Last Soul was the easiest. I'd never written anything so raw and sexy, and I just let loose and enjoyed writing Faina. I had fun with her, and the story just flowed. Playing For Keeps was a close second, although I was bogged down at first in trying too hard to wrap up the threads for all three books. Hunted was the story I struggled with, but I think it turned out all right in the end. :) 


AD: Did any of your heroes or heroines give you particular trouble? Of what kind was it?


CR: Jahi gave me a lot of trouble. I had to dig deep to find her motivation. 


AD: Which is your favorite of the three stories? Why?


CR: I love Playing For Keeps. And the only reason I love it so much is because Emma helped me make it shine. I think it's the best of the three.  


AD: Which of the three couples is your favorite? Do you have a favorite individual hero/heroine? Is this favorite character part of your favorite couple?


CR: It's a toss up between Jace and Faina, and Damien and Teresa. Both couples were written so that their love story grew over time, and out of shared likes and experiences. My favorite heroine is Teresa. She's fun and flirty, but when she needed to put on her big girl panties and own up to the bad things she did, she didn't disappoint.


AD: Did you have all three stories in mind when you began?


CR: Not at all! Hunted grew out of Jahi's character, who was written as Faina's friend in TLS. And Playing For Keeps grew out of Hunted, where Teresa is the demon who betrays Jahi.


AD: Do you have any plans to return to your Seduced by a Demon world for a longer visit? Will we see a novel set there? If not, how can we convince you that you need to do this? Is ice-cream a sufficient bribe?


CR: LOL! Chocolate maybe...I have no immediate plans to return to that world, but since I love writing paranormal more than any other sub-genre, I certainly hope my readers will stick with me if I write a few more of them.  


AD: What projects are you currently working on?


CR: I'm working on a naughty fairy tale for one of Evernight's new lines, a story about a man losing his virginity for their current anthology call, and I'm still trying to finish up my full length romantic fantasy, which takes place in an alternate universe. This manuscript has been with me for nineteen years. I'm not kidding.


AD: What is your usual "writing routine"? Please describe a typical writing session for us.


CR: Whenever, wherever. I work a full time job outside the home and writing during the day is out of the question. I try to sneak some in during the mornings, but most of it is done in the evenings after work and on weekends. I usually have my iPod going for background noise, and to block out the dogs next door who bark 24/7, and who unfortunately are in outdoor pens right outside my writing room windows.


AD: What is the most surprising thing about you?


CR: I'm just a normal wife and mom. Honest. :)


AD: I hear you there! Thanks for dropping by, Carolyn!


In addition to her website and publishing presence, you can find Carolyn on Facebook and Twitter.

"Worth His Freedom" Giveaway Winner

We would like to say hello to all our new friends here. Hello! As you all know -- because we keep bugging you, and you are all so patient and obliging -- Worth His Freedom was released today from Evernight Publishing. Though it is bed-time, we wanted to stay up and tell everyone about our new release and also announce the winner of our first giveaway...










Lorraine Nelson!
Congratulations. We'll get your free copy out to you at once!


Worth His Freedom is also available at Amazon.

Review of D.F. Krieger's "Maybe Baby"

Author: D.F. Kreiger
Title: Maybe Baby
Length: Short story

Author's Blurb

Sarah's husband, Colten, after informing her that his deployment is extended for another six months, rents her a cabin in the woods as an apology. When she gets there, she’s in for the surprise of a lifetime; Colten is already waiting and ready to make up for the past year they've been apart. 


Now that he’s retiring from the military, they will never have to worry about being separated again. Sarah can't wait to give herself to her husband, but is she ready to start a new future?



What I Thought
The positive points:
D.F. Krieger writes with skill and clarity. Her descriptions evoke the emotions appropriate to the scenes. The heroine, Sarah, and her soldier-husband, Colten, are both fleshed out thoroughly, despite the constraints of the short story format. The sex scenes are both realistic and steamy. The happily-ever-after is satisfactory, and there is no possible doubt about their suitability for each other or for their future life together.


The negative points:
The actual writing, aside from more typos than a short story ought to have, left little to be desired. D.F. Krieger has easy command of her words. It was the complete lack of plot which was the issue with this story. The entire piece was a denouement. There was neither rising nor falling action. Rather, it was merely the picture of a couple riding off into the sunset together.


Adonis says:



Get it here!