Do you write for Submission Calls?

I do! Some of my best plot bunnies have come from things the publishers call out for. They don't always end up taking my story because sometimes I take a sharp turn left or right in terms of plot and its not what they're looking for.  But, I love doing it.  Here are some current Submission Calls.

Here are some from Decadent Publishing.

TEASE SERIES Sweet to Sexy Although short, Tease stories pack a punch in few words. Heartwarming, action-packed, and romance-filled, a Tease should leave readers craving more. Seeking historical, paranormal, or contemporary work, but may include other subgenres. LENGTH: 10k - 18k HEAT LEVEL: 1-4 SUB-GENRES: historical, paranormal, or contemporary, interracial, multicultural, sweet romance, suspense For Detailed Information see www.decadenttease.blogspot.com CHALLENGE SERIES Challenge: A test of one's abilities or resources in a demanding but stimulating undertaking. In every life, there are challenges, boulders in the flowing stream of existence. From the physical, to the psychological or emotional, nobody is immune. No one gets through life intact, but the challenge is not to avoid damage, but to work through, past or around the things that make life so difficult. We all know people who do this—live fulfilling lives in spite of the difficulties they are forced to deal with. We want to hear about characters who do just this—and the people who love them. Challenge is a romance series with a twist. The “challenge” must take a central role in the characters’ romance. 1. All challenges should be dealt with respect and dignity. 2. Any challenge should be thoroughly researched for accuracy and realism. We do not want to offend or misinform the reader in any way. 3. While alternative lifestyles are welcome to be part of plots in our books, we will not allow any challenge to be an integral part of a fetish. To be blunt…he can love her if she doesn’t have legs, but not because she doesn’t have legs. 4. We are not accepting any paranormal, sci-fi or other world-building genre at this time. This means no shifters, vampires, aliens, or otherworldly creatures. They’ve got their own set of challenges. We are looking for challenges with humans only. Length: 10-25k Heat Level: 1-4. We are open to romances between young adults as well as adults. Books of lower heat levels will also be featured on the Bono Books, sister site of Decadent Publishing. Manuscript formatting: Times New Roman 12 point font 1.5 spacing 1-inch margins NO headers, footers or page numbers Word doc or rtf format only Author name and title on first page only If you have any questions, email: submissions@decadentpublishing.com BBW/RUBENESQUE ROMANCE Big, beautiful women who ROCK their size 12 or 22, who live out loud, love their curves, and enjoy the man (or men!) in their lives. LENGTH: 7-50k HEAT LEVEL: Any SUB-GENRES ACCEPTED: Interracial, multicultural, paranormal, sci-fi, straight contemporary, menage, erotic, sweet romance, suspense, western TO SUBMIT: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com to request a submissions form. Please specify if this is for a series (1Night Stand, Edge, Western Escape, etc.) or a main line book. QUESTIONS: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com PREPPER ROMANCE If a disaster struck, would you be prepared? If you had five minutes to leave your home with everything needed to re-start your life, could you? If the world ended, would you? Preppers are a growing and diverse group that some even call a ‘sub-culture’. But most preppers are just average Americans who simply have a plan for self-sufficiency and survival in case a minor or major disaster happens. They have extra food and water on hand and a bag packed in case they need to get away fast. Some convert old missile silos into bunkers in case of global pandemic or nuclear war, but most are more practical and simply learn or apply the basic skills of survival that our grandparents’ generation used in everyday life. Californians have earthquakes, New England and the Gulf coast have hurricanes, the Midwest—tornadoes. Are you prepared? Decadent Publishing is tapping into that sub-culture to bring you a line of Prepper Romances. They are sexy, fun, sometimes suspenseful , and always entertaining stories with a little bit of ‘prepper’ thrown in for some added flavor. Stories should contain some details of prepper life, though the main story doesn’t have to be about prepping, it should be about the relationships and circumstances. LENGTH: 7-50k HEAT LEVEL: 1-4 SUB-GENRES ACCEPTED: Interracial, contemporary, near futuristic (right after a collapse or disaster), multicultural, western, sweet romance, suspense. TO SUBMIT: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com to request a submissions form. Please note that it is a Prepper Romance when submitting. QUESTIONS: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com FOODIE ROMANCE Do you adore the Food Network? Do Bobby Flay and Rocco DiSpirito titillate your senses when they caress a flank steak, whip cream to a sensual cloud, or lay a beautiful table? Does a man's skill in the kitchen impress and delight you as much as the way he kisses? Then we want you to write a Foodie Romance for Decadent Publishing! Foodie romance focuses on romance, but food would win the prize for best supporting character. Maybe the heroine is a chef or a food critic, or maybe the hero just appreciates a meal masterfully prepared for maximum enjoyment. Like any art form, the Culinary Arts can be enjoyed as a sensual experience, exciting to the eyes and pleasing to the palate. Whether your taste is gourmet Kobe burgers in Seattle, European pastries in Salzburg, or delicate sushi in Sunagawa, foodie romance is about the culture of cuisine and the people who enjoy it. LENGTH: 7-50k HEAT LEVEL: 1-5 SUB-GENRES ACCEPTED: Interracial, contemporary, multicultural, western, sweet romance, suspense, LGBT, ménage, M/M, sci-fi, paranormal TO SUBMIT: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com to request a submissions form. Please note that it is a Foodie Romance when submitting. Also note if it is for a specific series (1Night Stand, Edge, Western Escape, etc.) or a main line submission. QUESTIONS: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com UBUNTU-STORIES OF AFRICAN ROMANCE Africa... Land of the Serengeti, of wide savannas, where exotic wild animals like giraffes stroll through your backyard— *sound of a screeching turn-disk* If this is your idea of modern Africa, you’d be way off the mark! Ubuntu (“I am what I am because of who we all are.”) embraces the notion of community, of roots, of spreading your arms open in welcome. Our stories from the Ubuntu line will reflect this philosophy, and take you to Africa to meet the people from that far-away, unknown-to-many land. Take a peek at modern Africa. This is a world where, on the backdrop of the famine crisis in Darfur and Somalia, of political unrest in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt, millions step into the global village and embrace the fast-paced life offered by technology and the Internet. Multinational companies have offices in many African capitals, opening the way for a slew of expatriates to settle in those countries, where the world’s biggest brand names like Hugo Boss and Lacoste are opening outlets. Don’t also forget that Africa is not only the black continent – a handful of islands make up the African territory, as well. From minerals-rich Madagascar (and the land of Black Magic, still practiced to this day!) to tourist hot-spots like Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the Maldives – islander culture opens up another world to exploit in your writing. And in the top, northern parts of Africa, meet the Arab world in the countries of the Maghreb (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, among others). With its rich history, Africa has native African clans and tribes, colonist white populations – British, French, and Afrikaners –Indian-origin people who emigrated as traders and/or indentured labor, Chinese people who came in as traders. We want to see your stories set in any of these locations. Whether your characters are expats, foreigners on a visit, native Africans (of black, white, Indian, Chinese, Arab, etc, descent!), show us the true face of Africa as people experience it every day. Think The Joy Luck Club meets Out Of Africa – the former a story of generational conflict between immigrant mothers and their daughters brought up in their adopted country’s culture; the latter a sweeping saga on the backdrop of the African landscape, setting, and context. Give us both; give us either or; but give us something in and/or from Africa. LENGTH: 7-50k HEAT LEVEL: 1-5 SUB-GENRES ACCEPTED: Interracial, contemporary, multicultural, sweet romance, suspense, LGBT, ménage TO SUBMIT: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com to request a submissions form. Please note that it is for the UBUNTU line when submitting. QUESTIONS: Email zeemonodee@gmail.com ~ONGOING SERIES~ THE EDGE The Edge is a series of erotica and fetish tales designed to test the limits of our enjoyment of eroticism. For the purpose of this series, erotica is defined as a story with sexual encounters being the primary focus and a believable plot is required. HEA or HFN is not required. But we welcome one if it is a believable ending. We encourage you to explore the many ways people find to express themselves—in the bedroom, or out. LENGTH: 15-30K HEAT LEVEL: 4-5 TO SUBMIT: Send an email to: submissions@decadentpublishing.com and request a submissions form. Please note THE EDGE in the subject line. WESTERN ESCAPE Contemporary and historical multi-author romance series set in the fictitious town of Freewill, WY. Please see our Western Escape blog for further details and specs. http://westernescapedecadentpublishing.blogspot.com HONOR GUARD Contemporary, multi-national romance stories. Setting: Countries around the world. The hero can be any modern alpha male in the military or covert ops: Marines, MP, CIA, Homeland Security, NSA, Embassy personnel, etc. Heroine can be an American or foreign national. Her age should be 25+. Wherever your setting, we need local flavor. Tap your travel experiences! Give us fun, adventure, romance, interesting settings, strong characters and hot lovin', cultural insights. LENGTH: 7-25k HEAT LEVEL: 3-5 SUB-GENRES ACCEPTED: Interracial, contemporary, multicultural, sweet romance, suspense, ménage TO SUBMIT: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com to request a submissions form. Please note that it is for the HONOR GUARD line when submitting. QUESTIONS: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com 1NIGHT STAND If you are interested in writing for this extremely popular line, details can be found on our 1Night Stand blog, http://decadent1nightstand.blogspot.com We are particularly interested in GLBT titles. Please direct all 1NS queries to one of our managing editors: Kate Richards (kate@decadentpublishing.com) Valerie Mann (submissions@decadentpublishing.com)

Here are some from Silver Publishing

Rough & Tumble

Theme: Fight Clubs, Tattooed Warriors, Muscled Bad Boys

From fight clubs to medieval warriors, dueling cowboys to tattooed mercenaries, what happens when the tough fall hard. Silver Publishing is looking for stories involving those hot men we love to read about. What happens when the mighty fall?

Boxers, ninjas, medieval warriors, gladiators, bouncers—the list goes on and on.

Examples: Lust and rough sex behind a bar is one thing, but Rick knows falling for the biker of a rival gang could get them both killed. Free-style fighting warrior, Marcus, has been the undefeated champion for years. When a brief glance at a spectator causes him to falter in the ring, what will Marcus do with all his passionate anger and killer instinct? What happens when two gladiators find their adrenaline-filled, finely-tuned bodies have slipped from victor versus victim to a surprisingly intense physical battle of another sort?

Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending.

Release: Saturday, May 25
Submission close: March 17

Cover: Individual

Length: 13k+

Heat rating:  Any

Combinations: M/M+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Father's Day
Theme: Second Chances

Silver is seeking stories with a second change theme – reconnection, rediscovery, reinvention – all with fathers, fatherhood, father figures in mind. Down to earth or out of this world, the setting is up to you. Take us on a journey through time or just down the street.

John's son, the one he was forced to abandon years ago when he came out to his wife, has contacted him again 15 years later. Will John's partner support him or will John's past spell doom for his future? Martin has a secret wish to be a father. Does his partner, Eric, feel the same or are problems on the horizon? Chris's one night stand during a breakup with his long-time love, Tom, is pregnant. Could the child help their rocky relationship or will it be the final break?

Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending.

Release: Thursday, June 13
Submission close: April 14
 

Cover: Shared

Length: 5-18k words

Heat rating:  Any

Combinations: M/M+

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bearly Possible
Theme: Bears, Bulls, and Cubs, oh my!

Everyone knows the stereotype of a gay man; the designer clothes wearing, musical loving, trimmed, tweak and buffed, body-conscious, svelte  image of today's popular cultural outlets. But we know that's not the whole story because gay or not everyone is individual in their tastes, desires and appearance. We are looking for stories that express the tastes of those in the bear subculture.

This subcultural has grown by astronomical proportion and while the terms are many, BEAR seems to sum it up best.  Bears, muscle-bears, leather-bears, cubs, bulls, chubs, otters, daddies, polar bears, panda bears, etc. The images of hirsute, muscled men with gruff voices and natural bodies spring to mind effortlessly.

These men are waiting to have their stories told! So 'hairy' up and start writing. 

Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending.

Release: Saturday, July 6
Submission close: May 5

Cover: Individual Covers

Length: 13k + words

Heat rating:  Any

Combinations: M/M, M/M/M+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Power Plays
Theme: Desire & Discipline, Pleasure & Power Exchange

Stories that span the spectrum of desire. Share with us your kinky tales… from total power exchange to tickle fetishes and everything in between. Leathermen to lords of the castle. Collars to cross dressing. Dungeons scenes and dominant queens. The list goes on and on. Unique desires that bring people together for love and adventure.

Readers love stories with power exchange and emotional depth. We're looking for your unique twist on this subject. Don't be afraid to have pairings that haven't been done before. 

Scenes should follow the guidelines of safe, sane, and consensual.
Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending.

Release: Saturday, Sept 7
Submission close: July 7

Cover: Individual Covers

Length: 13k + words

Heat rating:  Any

Combinations: M/M, Menage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Magic & Mayhem
Theme: Halloween

Witches, warlocks, goblins, and ghouls. Bonfires, hayrides, and apple bobbing.

Spells whispered in the darkness. Screams heard in the still of the night. Magic sizzles in the air. Are those the screams of fear—or of ecstasy?

Submit your stories that involve the Halloween season (All Hallows' Eve, Samhain, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day, Day of the Dead… or by any other name).

Dangerous, daring, sweet or sexy, the intensity and scare-factor are up to you. 

Must have some romantic elements and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending, but the scare factor is completely up to you.

Release: October 31
Submission close: August 25

Cover: Shared cover, individual release

Length: 5-18k words

Heat rating:  Any

Combinations:  M/M, Menage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Succulent Seductions
Theme: Food

Silver Publishing is accepting submissions with a food or food related theme. The choice of ingredients and spice level are up to you—sweet and savory, tart and saucy. Things can get sticky and steamy in the kitchen. Can your characters stand the heat?

What happens when a routine burglary call has the officer lusting after more than the pastry shop owner's sticky buns? Does the water boil when the bad-tempered head chef at a five star resort runs into the hotel's latest sommelier? What happens when the bouncer falls for the girl in the gelatin wrestling event at a local strip club? With Thanksgiving is around the corner, can Rome convince Trey he's after more than his pecan pie recipe?

Go wild and crazy and do it with food.

Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending.

Release: Thursday, Nov 7
Submission close: September 8

Cover: Shared cover, individual release

Length: 5-18k

Heat rating:  Any

Combinations:  M/M, Menage

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Holiday Wishes
Theme: Christmas (and all other winter holidays)

When it comes to holiday wishes, the magic of the season can act as a catalyst.

It's a season for romantics, dreamers, believers in something greater than themselves. A time for wishes for yourself or another, and for the gathering of dreams you didn't even know you had. A hearts' desire can lead to holiday wishes beyond measure.

What are your characters wishing for this holiday season?

We're looking for your best and brightest holiday stories about wishes made and granted in unusual ways.

Examples: Wishes can be granted in a number of ways and by a multitude of factors. A Christmas angel is sent to someone's aid on a snowy winter road. A Christmas elf makes the shocking discovery he can fulfill one human's biggest desire…but to do so he must agree to become human himself. Winter snowstorms that leave two enemies stranded together, only to find they're not as opposed as they originally feared. Joe, injured while stringing holiday lights on what he considers the loneliest holiday in history, finds more than his broken arm gets attention when he visits the local ER and comes face to face with a gorgeous man of his dreams.

Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending

Release: Dec 1-25
Submission close: September 29

Cover: Shared cover, individual release

Length:  5k – 25k words

Heat Rating: Any

Combination: M/M, Menage

Any plot bunnies come to you?  

The Meth-smoking Gremlin's cookbook: an erotic diary.

So, first off, thank you to my cousin Daniel for the title of this blog.  I am using it to make a point and I think it worked really well.

What in the world am I going to blog about? What is there still to say?  Other than writing about my books or what I'm writing what can I have left to say?

Authors struggle with this all the time.  I want to write but the fiction variety not the blog variety.  I mean if I have something to say I'm happy to write it.  I came up with all kinds of blogs for my upcoming release. Its an End of The World Prepper short story.  Lots and lots to say on that.  But today? With not much going on? What should I write about?

Do you want to hear what I did today? What I ate? Didn't eat? My weight loss? My clothes? My kids? Swim lessons?  Political views? Do you want to hear about a Meth-Smoking Gremlin's Cookbook?

Star Trek?

Help me out.  I'm in the no-blog zone right now.

Coming April 5

This is Pumpkin

This is Pumpkin. I visit with him when I volunteer with Austin Pets Alive. He's 8 years old, which I think makes it hard for him to be adopted. He's a sweet boy. The dominant cat in his cattery. He's a real cat, meaning he likes affection on his terms and does not want it when its not on his terms. He's extremely smart. Lots of play left in him and he sits on my lap. Good with dogs, by which I mean he lets the dog know he's in charge. Anyone in the area looking for a cat?

Lots of Love and Thanks

I get asked all the time how I got published.  And if you've followed my blog tour for Forever than you know how I got "The Call" or in my case the "The E-mail" telling me I'd be a published author.  But how did it happen? What were the steps that took place to get me from thinking about writing a book to writing one to publishing Her Wolf to most recently publishing Forever?

I get asked about this a lot.  Whether its a unpublished writer trying to sell her first book who is friends with a friend of mine and so I meet her for coffee at the local gym (yes, the gym had a cafe and she was so super nice. I'm so glad to have met her) or when I'm out to dinner with some really nice friends who have just never heard the story before.  Its asked enough that I thought perhaps I would share it here with all of you.

I've had kind of an interesting, not to be but to others it seems to be, background.  After college I went to law school.  Met my husband, loved New Orleans, made some great friends. And dropped out of law school after two years. I just wasn't feeling that it was the right career for me.  Waiting for my husband to graduate, I taught school and planned a wedding. Thats right. At this point he's still my fiance.

We got married. Moved away to the cold North (Well, cold for my southern born and raised husband). We hadn't had kids yet so I sold real estate. I was good at it and the fact that the real estate bubble hadn't burst yet helped as well.  I got pregnant.  And 9 months later had our first child.

For two years I just LOVED being a stay at home mom with him.  I got pregnant with my second child.  And suddenly I felt less that satisfied with being home.  I wanted something else. Poor timing right? I am, after all, pregnant with baby #2.  Anything I start I'm going to have to stop, right?

I started reading incessantly.  I'd been an English/Communication double major in college. I can read. A lot. And fast.  Somewhere in that reading binge I found Paranormal Romance. I'd always loved romance but never read any real Paranormal version. Suspense. Contemporary.  Historical. Never Paranormal.  I could NOT get enough of it.

My husband could not believe the Amazon bills or the space my paper back collection took up in the house. He suggested I should try to write one.  With nothing to lose, I did.  And I wrote a book called Love Beyond Time knowing NOTHING about publishing at all.  I sent my book out and it got rejected everywhere, as it should have.  Boy, did that book need some help. At that time.

I joined an Online critique group.  Got LBT torn up a bit and sat down to write something else.  Sometimes when something is so bad it has to be rewritten its better to stop and do something else for a bit.  That something else turned out to be Her Wolf and nine books later its my bestselling series.

I submitted it for publication. At 50,000 words it was too short for most agents and most traditional print publishers to look at. They wanted at the time 75,000-80,000 words.  But that book felt finished at 50 k.  And the AMAZING news was that Liquid Silver Books took it! (You'e read that story.  Disney World.  Screaming in the lobby.)

But then the questions started. "Rebecca, what does that mean? This book won't ever be in print? How will we read it? On our computers?"  (And to give my parents credit, they bought my book, took it to the local office place and printed it up! They read my first couple of books that way.)

Something else really amazing happened really at that time.  Kindle BOOMED and with it the digital revolution that changed everything.  No one cared that they couldn't get Her Wolf in print.  (You can now) They got it in Digital form on their Kindles and eventually Nooks. And Now IPADs. Digital format made my career.  I am so thrilled with it.

What's happened since then? Well, I reworked Love Beyond Time? Its also a series.

I had my second and then third children.

And an amazing number of opportunities later I just published Forever.  I'e been grateful for every chance I've been given and what an amazing ride this has been.  I can't wait to keep going.
Lots of Love and Thanks
Rebecca

Short Stories

Once upon a time, writers wrote about one book a year. Maybe.  And it was considered an acceptable amount to produce. These days? Well you all know about that. You don't need to hear me talk about it. Its not like anyone is pressuring me. I actually love love love to write all the time.

Why is that? Well, because in between novels I love to do short stories.  The beauty of ebooks is that as authors we actually can do them.  We don't have to produce full length novels all the time.  And there is an entire readership out there who wants to read short stories!

That's great because I love to write them.

Have you read any short stories I've written? Which one did you like best?

New Cover!!

Just wanted to share!

GIVEAWAY: Taking Over Me by Sara Brookes

So excited to have Sara Brookes here today.  Take it over (he-he) Sara! 

Yippee—it’s release time for Taking Over Me, the first book of my Geek Kink series! To help me celebrate, some fantastic friends of mine are gracious enough to give me a hand (A list of them can be found over on my site here: http://www.sarabrookes.net/2013/03/20/new-release-taking-over-me-a-special-contest) So here’s the blurb and a little snippet (there are four different snippets around the blitz). Be sure to stick around, there’s a giveaway at the end.

Blurb:

He’s everything she didn’t know she needed…

Allison would rather fix computers than worry about sex. That is, until the newest barista in town changes everything. All it takes is one hot stare with his sinful baby blues to remind her she’s not just one of the guys. She has lusty needs only he can fulfill.

Patrick’s coffee shop is on the verge of an epic failure, until Allison takes charge of his computer system. He may not know anything about motherboards, but he does know how to take control—in and out of bed. Now Patrick is determined to get what he wants—Allison in his cuffs. His sensual mastery awakens an intense passion and under his command, he’ll unlock the geek girl’s darkest desires.

Warning: Collars. Cuffs. Clamps. Coffee.

You may never look at your local barista the same way again.

Excerpt:

He lifted one of her wrists to his lips, surprising her when he pressed a tender kiss to her open palm. “You have your computers and games.” He lifted her other hand and pressed another kiss to the delicate skin. “And I have my own version of hardware.”

Their gazes met as he lifted his head. The smile she’d been about to give him faltered. The intensity sparkling in the fathomless blue of his eyes overwhelmed her. The gentle weight of the bindings made her more aware of her body. The floor swayed under her feet as she tugged on his hold.

She was helpless.

Her breathing sped up as she tugged again in an effort to escape. Each pull only made her powerlessness more evident. This wasn’t her. This wasn’t who she was. No way would she get off on being bound and unable to escape. No way in hell.

Why had she agreed to this again?

Anticipation raced through her veins, touching off feelings and sensations she’d never experienced before. This wasn’t similar to her botched moment with Daniel. Not even close. Her heart raced as Patrick walked in a slow circle around her. From his quiet murmurings, he seemed to be admiring his handiwork. Her breathing quickened when he stopped behind her and simply stood there.

His chest pressed against her back, her heart racing as the length of his hard cock fit against the curve of her ass. Even through the fabric of their clothes, heat built between them. That heat was so intense, she nearly tasted it. He pushed closer, causing her eyes to flutter closed as his mouth brushed over the delicate shell of her ear.

“Does the thought of surrendering wholly and completely to me excite you? All through dinner, I was thinking about locking these cuffs around your wrists. Then I couldn’t stop thinking about the fact I want to discover how you sound when you beg for me to allow you to come. Does that scare you?”

~*~

Sara Brookes is an award-winning author has always been fascinated by the strange, the unusual, the twisted and the lost (tortured heroes are her personal favorite). She is an action movie junkie, addicted to coffee and has been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing RPG video games. Despite all this, she is a romantic at heart and is always a sucker for an excellent love story. Born and bred in Virginia, Sara still lives there with her husband and daughter. The entire family is owned by two cats, Galahad and Loki, who graciously allow the family to cater to their every desire.

Sara can be found:

Website: www.sarabrookes.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sara_Brookes

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

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/authorsarabrookes

Special Announcement List: http://eepurl.com/mbG31

Book Link:

http://www.ellorascave.com/taking-over-me.html

Giveaway Details:

One winner will be chosen from the Rafflecopter entries for a special Swag Pack (with a limited-edition coffee mug for the coffee shop featured in Taking Over Me). Entries will be accepted from midnight 3/20 and run through midnight 3/27 (all times EST). If you’re unfamiliar with Rafflecopter, it’s an easy way to earn extra entries to the contest! But remember, it’s only mandatory to comment.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rites Of Spring Blog Hop

Hi everyone,
Take a look at an excerpt from my book Forever.  This excerpt is from the first time Lena tells Devin she's his mate. 

And then, at the end, go ahead and comment to win one of my books. Let me know which of my books is your favorite or which one you'd like to know more about from the cover. I'll give out a copy of Forever to a randomly drawn commentator. Make sure you make it to the end of the tour! You could win a Kindle! 

“You’re my mate, Devin. I’ve known it since the first time I was in your company when I was seven years old.” 

Devin gripped the side of the table he stood next to like she’d struck him. “No.” 

“No?” She hadn’t expected the pain of his rejection. She’d known he might not believe her at first. Tears she refused to shed clogged her throat. “It’s not ‘no.’ I’m your mate, such that I am.” 

Lena knew she wasn’t an ideal Female specimen. Her skin frequently broke out in horrible bouts of acne, although she looked pretty clear at the moment, her chin jutted out too far, her hands were not dainty, and when she shifted, her Wolf form frequently had trouble coming to a stop at high speeds. More than once she’d collided into trees, bushes, and other Wolves. 

But she knew she was a nice person. She could work hard, and she never asked anyone for anything but common decency. She’d be a good mate to him, and he shouldn’t be rejecting her outright. 

Unless he found her absolutely repulsive to look at…. 

“You’ve made a mistake. Whatever you thought you smelled when you were a child was the wild fantasy of a young girl. You should be over it by now.” 

She sighed. “Devin, I can still smell it. I promise when you get to know me, you’ll find out I’m not wildly fanciful. I live in the real world.” 

“I can’t smell it on you. Not at all. I’m sorry, Lena. You seem like a nice kid, but if you can really smell mating from me, then it’s one of those rare occasions where one Wolf feels something the other doesn’t.” 

Lena had heard about those situations. It was every young Wolf’s deepest fear. Something went askew with the chemistry. One Wolf felt mated and the other one didn’t. They could even mate with someone else. 

“I think you should go home and work on getting over whatever this is because, at least for my part, it is not a mating.” 

Lena’s heart might explode from her chest. She turned on her heel. What else was there to say, really? He’d said no. He didn’t feel it. She’d waited fifteen years for him to come home, and it had been for nothing. 

She kept her head upright until she reached her bedroom. Even in her own house, she couldn’t cry. It would upset her parents, and Mom had enough of a burden with Dad’s Decline. There was no money. There never would be again. She couldn’t finish school. Her sisters had all gone off to live their lives. There would be no mating to look forward to. 

For the rafflecopter draw:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/YTYzYTdkMGFiYzBiMzU2NjY4ZTNjMTAyZmU2Y2M3OjE0/

For the participants list:

http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=10037

Back From Vacation

Well, I've returned from vacation. I took the kids to visit my parents in Florida. We had a very good time despite some cold weather throwing off our pool/beach plans for the week. Instead we visited a cool Aquarium and a Big Cat Sanctuary.

All in all, the children and I had a wonderful time.  My husband wasn't able to join us and we all missed him a ton but we were so busy having fun that the time did fly on by.

Somehow, amidst all that, I also got a ton of writing done.  I appreciate that you're all waiting for the last Westervelt book and believe me I really want to give it to you.  Its moving toward the end now and I am cognizant of wanting to give you, me, and Gabriel the proper ending to the series.  Every character who has ever been in the previous books wants to come out for one more run around the room. But, its Gabe's story and he is a strong character.  I'm hoping to do him justice.

Keep sending me your e-mails. I love them.