AuThursday – Daryl Devore Drops by

Please welcome Romance author Daryl Devore to the Clog Blog.    Daryl, Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I am a retired high school teacher who gets to indulge in what once was a hobby. I have 2 pen names. This one – Daryl Devoré – writes hot romances and the other – Victoria Adams – writes NA romance and sweet adult romances.

How do you make time to write?

I retired! As a teacher and a mom there just wasn’t much time. I snuck moments in when I could, but as I said, it was just a hobby.

What are your current projects?

I have 1 book – Darien’s Desire (Two Hearts One Love series) that will be released in June.

Then I will send the final book of the series in.

I have a Christmas story that is written and will be sent to publisher after the book above goes in.

Let’s see – oh, yeah, I have a medieval fantasy with a dragon that’s been sitting on my hard drive for years nagging at me – I really must finish it.

And lastly, I have a flash fiction, sweet, time travel romance that needs to be rewritten and divided into 2 smaller books.

Then are 10 or more files with book ideas and partial chapters waiting on my hard drive.

I see you write A BILLIONAIRE STORY series. What are your thoughts on writing a book series?

That one was an accident. My first book was A Kept Woman and billionaires weren’t all the rage yet. Then my fifth book – FL.E.S.H. was also a billionaire story. My publisher then got the bright idea that I could do a series. As I have changed publishers, I have no idea if I will continue it or not.

My other series – Two Hearts One Love – was again an accident. I wrote the first book and hit a wall. Two years later, while meditating in yoga class the answer smacked me in the forehead. Make the stuck story into 2 stories. Brilliant. I finished book 1 – What Happens in Bangkok – and when I started book 2 I realized – yikes, there’s a book 3! Book 4 tried to notice but I got everything finished in book 3.

So my thoughts on writing a series – they’re hard. I had to keep back checking to make sure things happened. And I never ever thought I’d write a series and now I have 2.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

The most difficult part – what does life really feel like for the other sex. My name is Daryl, so I’m guessing most people think I’m male – but I’m female. Daryl, when it rhymes with Karl, is the feminine version. It’s an old Celtic name. But I digress. In a sex scene, I have to imagine what a male experiences when doing something, like kissing. I’ve had 2 male editors and neither has complained, so I guess I’m doing ok.

How did you deal with Rejection Letters if you received any?

IF?!?!?! At first, it hurt and then I progressed to where it’s that publisher’s loss.

I have had some insulting rejections. The person may not have meant it to be that way – but telling me my book was only good enough for an ebook was not what could be considered a compliment.

What is your favorite motivational phrase?

I have several mantras. I adore yoga and many come from there, but I’ve included one of my life mantras and one of my writing ones.

Life 2writing 2

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Join a critique group. Either online or a local group. Make sure there are experienced authors in the group. Also, make sure they critique your genre. If you write sci-fi don’t join a romance group. Unless romance is a main part of the story. There are different ways the stories are handled between the different genres.

Biggest advice- if you join a group and it doesn’t feel right to you – get out. I’ve been through probably 10 critique groups. And the one I am in now, I’ve been a member for 6 yrs.

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

Blog – https://daryldevore.blogspot.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Daryl-Devore-Erotic-Romance-Writer-280168402052520/

Twitter – http://twitter.com/daryldevore

Google+ – https://plus.google.com/u/0/107866370365154406917

GoodReads Author Page – http://www.goodreads.com/DarylDevore

Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004TJ1354

LinkedIn – ca.linkedin.com/pub/daryl-devore/58/b42/792/

Pinterest – http://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Daryl%20Devore

Join me on Saturday when we read an excerpt from Daryl’s book, “What happens in Bangkok”. ~Tina

Saturday Excerpt- Updrift by Erinn Stevens

UPDRIFT Icon 200 x 300(From chapter 6 in Updrift)

The normally tranquil Blake household had transformed into an upscale frat house of sorts with the presence of more than a dozen truly beautiful young men. They were everywhere, milling around and lounging, looking as if a modeling agency had sent them over for a retro, Ivy League fashion shoot. Every single one of them oozed charm, vitality, and—Kate could think of no better word for it—virility. Several stood around a flat screen television to watch qualifying races for the U.S. Olympic men’s swim team. They seemed amused.

She stood wide-eyed inside the front door, not sure she wanted to navigate this group to find Carmen. Maybe she could just hand off the envelope and apologize later to her for being in a hurry. Her greeter closed the door behind her, however. The sound startled her. What happened next unnerved her.

“Hi, I’m Luke Hokeman.” The door opener extended his hand. “Catherine Sweeting,” she replied. She had no idea why she gave her formal name, which was used almost exclusively by her mother when she was in trouble. In fact, she felt like she was in trouble. She mustered up enough bravado to extend her hand.

Instead of shaking it as she expected, Luke turned it so he held it almost to his chest, and she panicked as she thought he might raise her hand to his lips. Did guys still do that? He placed his other hand gently around her wrist, she could swear to God, to check her pulse. “Are you home for summer break from college, Catherine?” He smiled. Distracted and more than a little terrified, she dropped her envelope, which attracted a different man to her side, bending to retrieve it. Yet another of the party came to stand behind her, placing his hand proprietarily at the small of her back. “Come in and sit down.” She broke out into a sweat.

“Hoke, Libby, Gins—back off and give the poor girl some air.” Kate felt weak with relief as she saw Gabe bounding lightly down the stairs. “Hi, Kate.”

He took her hand from Luke and tucked it through his arm, a gesture that would have been remarkable and strange in any other situation. He grabbed her envelope and led them firmly away from the front door and its trio of male sirens. “And no, she’s not home from college, Hoke,” Gabe threw over his shoulder. “She’s seventeen, which is I think what you were getting at. Too young for yo-oo-oo-ou,” he sang, grinning down at Kate.

Join me next week, when we meet another author. ~Tina

AuThursday – Erinn Stevens

author profile photoPlease welcome Author Erinn Stevens to the Clog Blog. 

Erin, tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I’m a wife to Mike, mother to Jack, OCD gardener, and writer of paranormal romantic suspense. I live in St. Paul, Minnesota.

How do you make time to write?

I write first thing in the morning when I’m not fully awake and the house is quiet. If I try to start after 10 a.m., it’s a lot harder!

How did you come up with the idea for MER CHRONICLES series?

It’s basically a little series of daydreams I pieced together starting in childhood. When I thought about it often enough to equate it with mental illness, I took that extra step, writing out a full-length manuscript to make sure it would, in fact, be mental illness.

What are your thoughts on writing a book series?

It’s what feels right to me for this story. I get caught up in my characters and think of ways to torture them in a more focused narrative.

What’s the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?

I was raised by my dad along with two brothers. Then I grew up, married a man, got a male dog, and had a son. And all my guys are these really strong, supportive, loving men. I want to show these kinds of attributes in my male characters, and I want to give my male characters the respect they deserve.

Are you an Introvert or Extravert?  How does this affect your work?

I’m an introvert, although not on the far end of the spectrum. I think the contemplative nature of writing is a good fit for someone like me because of this.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

I’m a dodger. I’m much more comfortable executing marketing tasks or other busy work, and I allow myself to get distracted from writing.

What are your current projects?

I’m wrestling with my third and final in the Mer Chronicles series, Outrush; and my audio book for Updrift will be out in the next couple of weeks. I’ll start audio production of Breakwater… and then I have an idea for another project, but I’m not ready to talk about it yet!

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Updrift-Mer-Chronicles-Errin-Stevens-ebook/dp/B06Y4YZ9X7

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/updrift-errin-stevens/1122810229?ean=9780998296128

iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/genre/books/id38?mt=11

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/updrift-2

Join me on Saturday when we read an excerpt from Erinn’s book, UPDRIFT. ~Tina

Saturday Sexcerpt – Beyond Fate by Susan V. Vaughn

Beyond FateJulia began to hum cheerfully while she hammered another nail into the wall. Already, he could hear the sounds of her nail scraping against a bolt.

That’s it. I can’t stand it anymore. He pulled the hammer out of her hand, and tossed it aside.

“Russ?” She looked up at him, curious. “What are you doing?”

He leaned down and covered her lips with his own. If he said something back, they would have gotten into a long discussion about why this was a bad idea. But it wasn’t a bad idea, it was a great one. They had talked in enough circles this weekend. It was time for action.

He wrapped his arms around the small of her back and pulled her close, kissing her long and hard, expressing what he wanted, and begging her to accept. In response, she pressed closer, and moaned deeply against his lips.

And that was it. With that one little moan, he was completely lost.

Join me next Thursday when we meet another author. ~Tina

 

 

AuThursday – Susan V. Vaughn

suePlease welcome my fellow Liquid Silver author,   Susan V. Vaughn to the Clog Blog.  Susan, tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Hi, everyone! My name is Susan V. Vaughn. I am a contemporary romance author with eight published novels and one more due to release this summer. I live in Michigan, right off the shores of Lake Huron, with my husband and three amazing children. I worked as a hairdresser for over ten years, and am currently finishing my early childhood education degree. When I’m not caring for my family, working, or finishing school, I am writing, reading, and embarrassing my children.

Do you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?

I do not set a word count or page goal each day. Writing is a treat for me. It’s a creative release. If I have a story I want to write, I let the process take over. I don’t force it. I let my characters tell me where they want to go. While I write, I try not to allow outside forces to manipulate my work. I put my all into that story, and only surface for air when I’m finished.

How did you deal with Rejection Letters if you received any?

I don’t take myself too seriously. I love to write, as do so many people. But that is not who I am. I want to be remembered in life as someone who cared about others. Someone who gave back to this world in a good way. I have people in my life that love and support me, and that is all that matters. When I receive rejection letters, I take it in stride. It is part of life. There are ups and downs. There will always be people out there who are better than you. They only thing you can do is move forward, learn from your setbacks, and improve.

I see you write for two different publishers. How do you juggle the demand for your stories with two different houses?

I work for two amazing publishers. I have learned a lot from both of them. My first two years as a romance author were ridiculous. I sort of dove into the industry all the way, publishing several stories at once. I was working with different editors at the same time for different stories. I barely slept. It was a lot of pressure, but I learned a lot from it. I have scaled back since then. I take time when I write, edit, and publish. I make sure I don’t do too much at once. And I keep a good calendar!

How did you come up with the idea for your BAY SHORE series?

I got really sick with the flu a few years ago, and while I was stuck in bed watching TV, the show Intervention came on. The episode I watched was about three siblings, one girl and two boys, whose mother was struggling with addiction. I have two sons and a daughter, so it was easy for me to put myself in their shoes. I fell in love with this family and felt for their plight. After I recovered from the flu, I realized I was still thinking about that family. I was wondering what would happen to them. That curiosity triggered my creative process. I decided to write each of those siblings their own love story. I wanted to give all three of them a happy ending.

What excites you most about your current WIP?

I have four romance novels I have been working on this year. I am excited about them all. My writing has really transformed over the years. When I first started writing romance I came at it with a lot of humor. I still use humor, because laughter is part of falling in love, but my stories are more focused now. I want my readers to take a journey with my characters and watch them grow.

How do you relax?

My entire household is obsessed with watching professional wrestling. The WWE is on in my house constantly. This is how my three kids, my husband, and I relax. We watch wrestling, yell at the TV, and on commercial breaks we wrestle each other. We have gone through two couches already this year!

Where can readers find you on the World Wide Web?

Website www.susanvvaughn.com

Twitter (URL – not @) https://twitter.com/susanvaughn1124

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Susan-V-Vaughn-123758787958942/?ref=bookmarks

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14660814.Susan_V_Vaughn

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Susan-V.-Vaughn/e/B016H54WWI

Join me on Saturday when we read an excerpt from Susan’s story, BEYOND FATE! ~Tina