Naima Simone, Author

Lordy, Lordy…

2012-01-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

So recently I finished Nalini Singh’s new book, Lord of the Abyss. It’s Book 4 in the Royal House of Shadows trilogy for Harlequin Nocturne. Oh. My. Lamb. Is it breaking a commandment to have book envy? Thou shall not covet thou fellow author’s mad skill…

Let me tell you, Lord of the Abyss was an experience. In a nutshell—and we’re talking pistachio-size, here—the series revolves around the four siblings from the royal house of Elden, a mystical kingdom. The Blood Sorcerer conquered the kingdom, but the king and queen saved their children by scattering them to different places. Now the four heirs must return to the kingdom and restore it to a place of peace and prosperity before time runs out—literally. Nalini Singh’s novel tells the story of Micah, the youngest heir, and Liliana, the Blood Sorcerer’s daughter. How many elements did Nalini Singh touch on in this book? True beauty being on the inside. Adversity can breed strength.Nature vs. nurture. Love will always conquers evil. Spiders are STILL big-ass scary freaks of nature.

She is a natural, master storyteller. And that’s what drew me in. From the words, “When I…” she wove a tale that dragged me from the very depths of horror and pity and rocketed me to the heights of joy and triumph! I was taken for a ride. And in a good way! Which brings us back to my book envy. One of my father’s favorite author is Khalil Gibran—I’m going somewhere with this, I swear. Just bear with me. Daddy claims it’s because every word that Gibran uses is perfect and needed. It’s the same with Nalini Singh. Every word, every description, is perfect. Nothing is wasted and each is needed. She awes me!

Every writer should have another author that inspires them. An author. As individuals we all have people we admire and who motivate us. But as writers we should have someone who made us want to write in the first place. Who, after reading their books, make us say, that is the brilliance I’m aiming to obtain. I am not the same writer as Nalini Singh—we don’t write the same genre and our voices are different. But it is her ability to weave a magical spell of words that pulls emotion and dreams from her readers that I allows me to declare without shame, “Nalini, I’m not worthy!” But doggone it, one day, I will be!

What author stirred that creative seed in your soul? Who inspires you today?

Misfits: Fairy Tales' Misunderstood

2011-12-13T05:00:00.000-08:00

So lately I’ve been kind of preoccupied with fairy tales. It’s almost as if I’m writing a series on them with some really cool, sexy name like Fairy Tales Unleashed. Or something like that. As I was saying, I’ve been reading a lot of fairy tales lately. You have your old favorites. Sleeping Beauty. Snow White. Beauty and the Beast. And then there are your lesser known tales. Brother and Sister. The Six Swans. The Bushy Bride. Seriously, I did not make that up. Reading these stories have brought back so many memories of my mother, sister and I sitting on the couch while she read The Boy Who Cried Wolf and Billy Goat Gruff to us. *sigh* Those were great times. Great stories. And some serious WTF moments. Listen, I know the great thing about fairy tales is the happily-ever-after but, man, some characters were stuck with really raw deals! I mean they were shafted! I know what you’re thinking. That’s crazy talk! Or get a grip! But follow me here for a moment…

The Six Swans. In this story the most obvious people wronged are the six brothers that were turned into swans by their evil stepmother. But the sister, who not only has to sew—sew?? For real??—six shirts for them is also struck mute and is unable to laugh for six years—the number of years she has to complete these shirts before the enchantment is permanent. Raw deal #1. Then a king sees her, is mesmerized by her beauty and marries her. All good, right? But no, another wicked stepmother steals all three babies she births and blames their disappearance on the sister/queen. Does king-y stand by his woman? Nooo. Instead she’s sentenced to burn at the stake. Shaft #2. Just as the match is ready to be set to kindle, the six swan brothers flock to her, she throws the shirts that she’s finally finished in the air and her brothers return to human. Yay! Except, here’s Shaft #3. She didn’t have time to finish the sleeve of the youngest brother’s shirt so he has to live life with one wing. *&^%$#!!!

Rumpelstiltskin. The princess was treated so wrong, right? Wrong! There was one character in this story crying out here. And that was Rumpelstiltskin! Rumpy—as we’re calling him because, hey, Rumpel-etc.-etc. is simply too much to type!—is used for his talents, lied to, cheated on and he’s the bad guy. Now the miller’s daughter is conscripted into doing the impossible—turning straw into gold—because of liar-dreams-of-grandeur father. She faced execution from the greedy king but Rumpy shows up and does the task for a small price. I mean really, what’s a ring and necklace compared to her life? Well when Rumpy requests her firstborn in exchange for the last ginormous pile of straw, the miller’s daughter agrees. I mean she never imagined the greedy-selfish-fill-my-coffers-with-gold-or-I’ll-decapitate-you king would offer his hand in marriage and she would actually have a baby. So of course that’s enough reason to renege! What did Rumpy do but hold up his end of the bargain? He didn’t throw his daughter to the wolves. The miller did that. He didn’t threaten an innocent woman with beheading over the idea of gold. No, the kind did that. And he didn’t go back on his word, not delivering on his end of the bargain. The queen did that. So what does Rumpy get for being a man of his word? One foot in hell. Literally. Now I know what you’re thinking. But he wanted her baby. Look, I have kids and let’s face it. After one week with the kid, he would’ve given it back!

Sleeping Beauty. Just purge the Disney version of this tale out of your mind. Sleeping Beauty had her happily-ever-after but she went through straight Not-Heaven before she got it! First because Queen Mom neglected to invite one pissed-off fairy, Sleeping Beauty ended up with a curse over her head that they didn’t tell her about! Forget the fact that due to mom’s mistake—drink more ginkgo, lady!—a lot of people lost their livelihood with the banishment of the spindle! If they had only told Sleeping Beauty about the curse she wouldn’t have went anywhere near that spinning wheel, not to mention the creepy old lady locked up in a room she knew nothing about! That’s sooo not a red flag. So she pricks her finger and falls into a coma-like sleep for one hundred years. One hundred years! Do you know how many balls, parties and fashions she missed in a century? So she awakens to a kiss from a prince with no gum in sight. Que music. They all lived happily-ever…*screech* Nope, that’s so not the end of this story. The prince secretly weds Sleeping Beauty and keeps her his little secret from his stepmother. In the meantime he continues to make booty calls and she has two children. Where do these princesses in these tales find these men? Well when his father kicks the bucket, he ascends to the throne—and surprise!—springs his ready-made family on the stepmother, who happens to be wicked (No! Didn’t see that coming!) and of ogress lineage. Talk about the mother-in-law from hell! Her husband leaves on some kingly duty and abandons his wife and children to the tender care of his stepmother. Tender as in tender meat, because that’s what she tries to turn them into. Succulent tender meat on her dinner table. Long story short, Sleeping Beauty has to face the voracious appetite of her Shrek-like mother-in-law, save her kids from becoming rack of lamb and elude a pit of vipers. King shows up just in time and stepmother ends up in her own viper pit. All this because Sleeping Beauty’s mother forgot a name…this whole thing could have been avoided if her mother had just made an invite list to that doggone christening!

Did I make a believer out of you yet? Do you see what I mean about raw deals? C'mon! Jump on my bandwagon!

I'm Gearing Up!

2011-11-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

It's almost that time of year again! National Novel Writing Month or more commonly known as NaNoWriMo! Whoo-hoo! Yay! (That's my Week One cheer...it'll sound a little less enthusiastic by Week Two...) This is the time of year when hundreds of thousands of people around the world come together in an awesome display of mass psychosis and tackle writing a 50,000 word novel in one month. Isn't it wonderful!!

I've attempted this monumental challenge three times before and have never achieved the 50,000 goal. I've fallen waaay short...oh yeah, way short. But out of those three times I participated I discovered an amazing writing community, not to mention the reincarnation of my first published book, Sweet Ultimatum, and the start of Love and Protect, my second full-length novel with Ellora's Cave. I've had a ball!

This year, though, I am determined to knock out the 50k! I'm like Hulk-Hogan-meets-Rowdy-Roddy-Piper-flying-off-the-ropes going to knock it out! Yes, I just went old school with the wrestling analogy. But I want it! And in the last ten days I have amassed the requisite staples in order to have a successful November. I'm prepared ya'll!

1. And this may be why I came shy of the count in previous years. I found out I was supposed to have a hat! Sheesh! Why didn't anyone tell me? I know this disrupted my writing karma! But now I have my NaNoWriMo chapeau! Not only does it invoke thoughts of me tapping furiously away in a dim, smokey Irish pub while a light rain falls outside, misting the uneven cobblestones , but it also lets Thing 1 and Thing 2 know that when the cap is on I can't be distracted with run-downs of the latest iCarly episode or hear why Ray Mysterio can take out that Cena guy.

2. Coffee! What undertaking of this magnitude can be attempted without coffee?? And thanks to my sweet hubby I have a single cup coffee maker to supply all my caffeine related needs and cravings! I love you, sweetie! Mwah! Mwah!

3. Symphony bars. Turtle Chex Mix. Cherry Coke. Ranch flavored Pringles. The snacks of champions! With these four major food groups in my pantry and 'frig I fully expect to reach 50k...and ten pounds. But we must suffer for our art!

4. I must have my soundtrack! Music sets the mood for not just writing, but the story. I can lose myself in my compilation of 80s hits, Kenny G, Annie Lennox, The Police... And if I stop writing in the middle of a scene, I can go back to the song that was playing at the time and dive right back into the mood of the scene. Plus...I bought some really cool, mega-size headphones with the funkiest design! And nooo they are not to drown out my son playing the trumpet! How dare you suggest such a thing! He absolutely kills "Mary Had a Little Lamb"! Kill in a good way, I mean...

5. The WriteorDie program! I've been trying this out in the last week and it rocks! Talk about keeps you writing! Let me put it this way. You have the piercing sound of evil violins blare in the library just one time and see if you don't keep writing! Trust me when I say it's a tad bit embarrassing to have people peep at you over the top of their computer screens and roll their eyes. Hee-hee!

6. Okay, so I do have an outline. It's not cheating! I have a road map of where I'm headed and it helps plough through the Week Two sludge! Of course there is plenty of room for different turns that my characters may decide to take...but with my outline, I know where we will eventually end up...It's not cheating...

What I'm looking forward to most of all, though, is letting go. Believe it or not I've never had a rough draft of any of my novels. I edit so much as I write that I've never allowed myself to have a horrible, much needed revised draft. So this month I'm giving myself permission to write a bad book full of repetition, cliches, misplaced commas and misspells. It will need to be reviewed, edited and thesaurus-ed the hell out of! And you know what? I'm actually looking forward to it! Okay, folks! Happy NaNoWriMo!

Martial Discord and that Wooow Feeling

2011-10-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, you heard it here. Only two weeks after celebrating my eleventh wedding anniversary I am now experiencing marital trouble. Though I love my husband, I just don’t know if I can forgive this betrayal. I’m angry, but more than that, I’m hurt. Last Friday he informed me that he intended to go see the remake of Footloose…how could he? This is about more than one hundred and twenty minutes of pseudo-Ren-and-Ariel-wannabees crunkin’ and line-dancing in possibly the last drive-in movie theatre in America. This is about solidarity! Agreement! Principle! And he abandoned the front. I mean, what’s next? Tickets for the Dirty Dancing remake? ‘Cause the last one did sooo well.

Okay, rant over. Had to get that out.

Believe it or not, Benedict Simone is not the subject of my post today. It’s about that “Wooow” feeling. Kind of similar to the “For reeaall” feeling, but not the same thing. This Saturday a member of my RWA chapter and I spent the afternoon speaking to teenagers about writing powerful and memorable heroines. Yes, I said teenagers. Now you have to know I prayed before going there. Because first, I don’t like speaking in front of people and...did I mention teenagers?? My son starts to get that “Oh look at the pretty flowers” look in his eyes when I talk and he has to listen to me! So imagine my anxiety! I went in there with a bit of a nervous stomach and those kids looked at me...and I looked at them…and the Tilt-a-Whirl in my gut came to an abrupt halt. Lisa, my friend from my chapter, had already arrived, and begun the workshop. I dived right in and, together, we had a wonderful experience. Time seemed non-existent as all of us started talking about a topic we loved—reading and writing. These kids were amazing! Simply amazing! I was in awe of their minds! The creativity, emotion, characters, plot...if I was a wee bit less ethical one of their plots might have turned up in my book!!

At one point a sixteen year-old girl read aloud the characteristics from her brainstorm list, and started detailing the plot. I’m not going to give it away, but one moment I’m leaning forward and the next I’m pinned to the back of my chair, blown away by her plot twist. All I’m going to reveal is it had to do with a circus, a gift, love and abandonment issues. Oh and a fire-eater. Okay, you had to be there. It was awesome! And that wasn’t even the “Wooow” moment. That came when a fifteen year old boy spoke about his character, a blacksmith, who desired to be more than this family job that was expected of him. The smile that came over his face as he talked about his hero...just wooow. My stomach did another flip, but this time in reaction to the joy and excitement in his grin over writing. I realized at that moment, that Lisa and I were looking at the authors whose books my children would read one day. The pleasure in those kids' eyes and faces as their characters and stories started to develop was priceless. Though we had come to instruct them on deepening their characters and bringing them to life, we were the ones honored to be there.

I think the revelation I received that day offset the stinging betrayal of hubby with the Footloose-Stomp-the-Yard debacle...it was close, though...

Flowers, Candles and Red Box

2011-10-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Friday I celebrated my eleventh year wedding anniversary. Eleven years with my wonderful, supportive, sexy husband. Oh how I love thee! One of the reasons I love and appreciate him so much is he had to put up with me for over a decade...and he stuck around when any sane man would have run screaming for the Downy-scented-laundry-folded-hot-meals-on-the-table hills. Maybe I made him crazy enough to stay.

One of the odd things about our pairing is he's such a romantic and, well, I'm not. I know, I know. How can a romance writer not be romantic? Believe me. It's possible. My pastor asked me the same question when he found out what I wrote--which was right after he received a letter from an anonymous member who wanted me put out of the church because of my evil, depraved ways...Apparently me and Jezebel are kin! Hee-hee! Seriously, I think he was more shocked that the woman from the annual couple retreats who follows up the word "sex" with "I don't need all that. Let's just get to it" is the same one who pens hot and detailed love scenes. It's true though. I don't need all the bells and whistles. Flowers and candles. Ropes and feathers. The first time my husband sent flowers to my job for a birthday I later told him, it was sweet 'n all, but don't bother. Black stuff grows on the vase, the flowers die and I feel like I'm watching thirty bucks die on the vine. That's depressing! Give me a pair of shoes or a gift card to Barnes 'n Nobles and let's call it a day. He might have been a little perturbed then but with distance, I really think he appreciated my honesty.

In my humble opinion--and since this is my blog I can give it--romance is subjective. One person's candlelit dinner is another's Red Box movie and take-out. That would be me, by the way. My idea of a great time is a whole day together doing nothing but lying in bed and watching t.v. or movies. Add some take-out from our favorite Italian restaurant and I'm in Utopia. His idea, on the other hand, is a linen-covered table, candles, wine, flowers, great food and Kenny G--or R. Kelly--playing softly in the background. Sometimes I feel like pulling the Julia Roberts card in Pretty Woman and say, Hey, I'm kind of a sure thing. But I know sex isn't the reason--well, not the main reason--he loves doing these things for me. It's his way of expressing his affection and appreciation. So, as bad as it sounds, I let him. And he lets me.

Although, this weekend he did surprise me with a gaw-geous hotel room complete with flower petals from the door to the bed, votive candles, a fountain and Cherry Coke chilling in the ice bucket. *sigh* I have to admit, it was romantic. Especially that Symphony chocolate bar sitting in front of the ice bucket. But, a secret? The best gift by far was the single cup coffee maker with the huge water reservoir. Now that made me want to jump his bones!! And I did! *snicker*

Now you know my Al Bundy-esque idea of romance. What's yours?

Getting It Down

2011-09-06T17:09:00.000-07:00

I had a really relaxing Labor Day. Because it's like monsoon season outside and my front yard appears as if we're smack dab in the middle of the Jumanjii game, we didn't cook out. But that's okay. I spent all day watching the Deadly Women marathon on ID Discovery. *sigh* Yeah, a good day full of murder, sociopaths, deception, betrayal and the craziest women of the last few centuries. A real good day.

But I also managed to get some work done. I'm starting a new manuscript and, I tell you, it's one of the most exhilarating--yet unnerving--moments of writing. I'm a plotter, so I always outline my story first. Outline. *snort* Riiight. As anal-author-mistress-of-the universe-my "outline" usually ends up being between five and ten pages long! I include bits of dialogue for certain scenes that I don't want to forget. Or the emotions of the character at a particular moment that will really deepen his/her motivation. So, it's pretty looong. But even after all that planning and plotting, that first word or sentence of a new story is the hardest for me to write. I type. Delete. Type, type, type. Delete, delete, delete. For me those initial words set the tone for the entire book. And though I definitely self-edit (admittedly more than I should!) it's rare that I come back to the first lines. They're so important to me that I can't go further in the book until they are perfect. I did mention I was anal, right? They're either going to draw the reader in, entice her/him to keep reading or--Lawd, no!--have them start skimming! As a reader, I'm captured by that beginning paragraph. Of course I realize I won't understand the full story or even really know the character, but I will have that glimpse into the mind of the person I'm going to read about for the next forty to sixty thousand words! And I need to be seduced!

After hours of angst, I did get it down. And I must say, I am happy with it. It's kind of like giving birth. All that agony, but afterward it's forgotten in the joy of seeing your precious baby. Well, no. Bad analogy. I mean, I loved seeing my kids but I remember every moment of those births! And not one pang or twinge has been forgotten! Still, getting down that first page made the entire day productive. And watching Deadly Women even more of a sweeter reward! LOL!

Wait! Wait! Not over! My booktrailer for my upcoming release, A Perfect Fit: Fairy Tales Unleashed, Book II was completed today! Take a look!!

P.S. - I'm sorry this post is so late! My power just came back on since last night! And after a night and day trapped--did I say trapped? I didn't mean trapped--inside a house with no power and two active kids under the age of twelve...let's just say Mama's having her a pina colada smoothie, hold the smoothie, right after this posts!! Have a wonderful week!

Ooh, You're So Baaad

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite books is Say Goodbye by Lisa Gardner. *shudder* It had to be one of the freakiest books I’ve ever picked up—and devoured. Now anyone who has talked to me for at least ten minutes discovers that I hate spiders with a passion usually reserved for hot dreams starring Vin Diesel. When we were younger, my sister and I stapled the spider section in the Encyclopedia Britannica together so we wouldn’t flip to it by mistake. When we moved into our house ten years ago, I spied this huge spider—yes, it was huge!—in the basement. And I haven’t been down there in, let’s see…one, two three…yeah, ten years. Yup, it’s that deep.

I reveal all this seemingly random information for a purpose. It just so happens that Say Goodbye is about a serial killer who does women in with spiders. Even now, I don’t know how I made it through that book with her detailed descriptions of Brown Recluses (did I spell that right? I don’t know, but I’m not Google-ing it to find out!), Black Widows and every kind of tarantula possible! But what kept me reading like strawberry cake awaited me on the next page was the villain. Freaky. Creepy. Scary. Disturbed. Did I mention FREAKY??

Even now, months later, he still haunts me. Now that is the earmark of a damn good villain! As writers, it’s so easy to make our antagonists bad because…well, just because they’re villains and they’re supposed to be bad. *raising my hand and waving madly* I’ve so done that in my writing life time. But I’ve discovered that the most interesting, compelling and memorable villains are three dimensional. They have layers. Lisa Gardner’s villain contained all that and then some!

An antagonist should have a history just like the hero and heroine. I need to know what makes him tick. What is his motivation? Even if it is completely irrational, I want to get into his head and be a visitor in his crazy mind. I mean, if he kills women who wear Betty Boop t-shirts because she was his wife in a former life and she left him for another man, I want to read how he rationalizes that! Also, he needs to be scary intelligent. I mean, really, if Barney Fife could nab him with that one bullet in his pocket…I ain’t buying it! In order to be pitted against the hero and heroine he definitely cannot be too stupid to live!

And, oddly, I need to be invested in him as much as I am in the main characters. He should have a stake in the story, and I want to care about whether he reaches his goal or not. Lisa Gardner created a character that was so evil, so devoid of human empathy and emotion, it terrifies me that someone like him may actually exist out there. Yet his past, the pain and horrible abuse he endured caused me to actually feel for him—even though I wanted him to die. How conflicted is that? And I still think about him…I still ache for him, a fictional character, even as I feel just a bit safer that he’s dead. Have I been drawn in to that story, or what?

That’s what I desire as a writer. To create a villain so terrifying, so evil…so heartbreaking…that weeks later he or she will continue to haunt readers. You think it’s too early to ask Santa for an X-mas gift in my stocking…or my next book? *snicker*

I'm Heating Up the Holidays with Jessica Lee! Oh...and Giving Away a Kindle for Christmas!

2010-11-21T19:34:00.001-08:00

Come on, people!

Give in and jump on board the Wal-Mart bandwagon! Merry Christmas!! At least I'll throw in Thanksgiving, too...

So how are you celebrating the holidays? Shopping? Decorating the house and tree with balls of holly...it's not "balls", is it? Oh well. I'm partying with my good friend and fellow author, Jessica Lee! And we're Heating Up the Holidays by giving away a Kindle for Christmas!!

Check out the details here!

'Tis the Season with "Claiming Christmas"!

2010-10-24T09:49:00.001-07:00

Christmas has come early!! I've been a very nice girl this year--totally depends on your definition of "nice"--because I have a new release coming out December 10th with Breathless Press! Claiming Christmas is a short little stocking stuffer that celebrates love and the holiday season...all that and some steamy, sex under the tree! Your welcome! LOL!

Enjoy the blurb and excerpt from "Claiming Christmas" coming December 10th from Breathless Press!

Blurb:

Sabotaged Christmas pageant. Check. Number one on the hit list of cheating ex-fiancé’s mother. Check. Imminent firing from principal, who happens to be the cheating ex-fiancé’s mother. Double Check.

For elementary school teacher Regan Price, Christmas is a big bah humbug. Alone, all she has to look forward to this holiday is a drink and an empty apartment. Then Cian St. John comes home. The hot-sex-walking brother of her best friend has returned to Boston with a tantalizing proposition that awakens her every fantasy. Now it appears Regan may have more than a pink slip in her Christmas stocking. All she has to do is reach out and claim it…

Excerpt (unedited):

I'm burning up. I'm burning up. The three words seemed to resonate and grow louder, as if the bar had suddenly transformed into the Grand Canyon. She closed her eyes and wished for the earth to crack open and suck her into its depths. Maintaining her senses in front of this man was proving to be as impossible as ever. Even more so since she'd discovered how he looked when he came. How his face tightened. How the dark fan of lashes lowered over his bright gaze and his full lips firmed into a taut line.

A tremulous breath passed her parted lips as she lifted her lashes and met his penetrating stare. Again she averted her eyes. No doubt her thoughts were reflected in her gaze. Along with the desire curling through her veins like a sprawling vine. For ten years she’d watched and wanted her best friend’s brother… and that’s all she’d done. Cian St. John had been like the rock star on the poster tacked to her bedroom wall—sexy and unattainable. As much as she desired it, Regan acknowledged that having sex with Cian was as likely as Flavor-Flav being voted number one in People's "50 Most Beautiful" issue.

"Carrie didn't mention you were home," she stated. "I thought you were in Milan or Paris or some other exotic city." As a financial consultant for companies in fiscal trouble, demand for Cian's expertise and services carried him all over the world for months at a time.

"Why, Rae. I didn't know you cared." He raised the dark brown beer bottle to his lips and took a long sip, his contemplation of her never wavering. He lowered the bottle, and it dangled between his strong, elegant fingers. "You never call. You never write."

And say what? Hallmark made cards for every occasion, but even they would've been stumped creating a sentimental message for interrupting fellatio.

"Well, this year has been a little busy." She hunched a shoulder, reaching for nonchalance. "You know, becoming engaged, breaking off said engagement, and then dealing with Principal Dearest at work."

Cian arched an eyebrow. "I knew about the engagement, and Carrie filled me in on the breakup, but what's this about your job?"

Rae sighed. "Long story short, my principal is the ex's mother, and she's personally offended that I don't want to marry her rat-bastard son anymore. So for the past six months, she's been making my life hell at school, with one imagined infraction or another. But after tonight, instead of being on the top ten of her 'Shit List,' I just zoomed to number one…thanks to the fourth grade."

"Oh yeah," he agreed with a nod seconds before he let out a bark of laughter. "The remix of 'Jingle Bells.'"

"You were there?"

He nodded. "I met Carrie at the school. My favorite part was when that kid mimed the Batmobile losing its wheel."

Regan slapped her hands to her face and peered at him through spread fingers.

Oh shit."

They stared at each other. She wasn't sure who snickered first, but it was like jerking the plug from the dam. Great guffaws of laughter between them. By the time their hilarity died down, Regan clutched her aching stomach, and Cian swiped at his eyes. Damn, it felt good, like an albatross had been hefted from her neck. It had been months since she'd laughed that hard, and it felt…cleansing.

"Thank you." She wheezed. "I needed that."

"You're welcome." His grin softened to a smile. He tilted his head to the side and reached out to cup her nape. She shivered. From the hardening of his jaw and the flare of heat in his eyes, Regan realized he hadn't missed the telltale shudder. "Tell me something, Regan."

"What?" she whispered.

Cian leaned forward until the barest of space separated them. The scent of the beer he'd drunk and that flavor belonging to him alone bathed her lips, and Regan wanted to swipe her tongue across them to taste him. She drew back, alarmed by the power of her hunger. But his hold tightened and refused to allow her the distance.

"Why did you get engaged to Charles when you wanted me?"

Love and Protect Cover!

2010-09-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

I screamed like a girl, I sure did!

You know, I can't ever imagine the feeling of receiving the cover art for a new book could become old. Just like receiving The Call--or in my case, The Email, could ever be old hat. It's just so exciting to see if the image that will grace the cover of your book--or digital file, in my case--matches up with the picture in your head. For my second release, Love and Protect...home run. Touch down. Right on the nose. Heck yeah!! LOL!

I'm so excited! I opened that file and was instantly blown away by how the cover artist captured Sean and Erin! And it's a scene taken directly from the book! You can't get much better than that! *sigh* I'm happy...*loopy smile*

Check out the book trailer, blurb and excerpt for Love and Protect! Enjoy!

Blurb:
Tormented by nightmares of her last failed assignment, ex-undercover agent, Erin Montgomery, has spent a year off grid--until a late night phone call from her ex-partner draws her back into the world she vowed never to return to. Within a week she's restored to active duty posing as the sex-kitten lover to Sean Ledger, lead guitarist of rock band, Odyssey, to track a stalker.

When an obsessed fan's behavior careens into terrifying, Sean Ledger agrees to allow Erin to join him on tour and investigate possible suspects on his crew. As a man who prizes control, having this woman of strength and restraint willingly submit her pleasure to him is a lure he cannot—will not—fight. Unaware of the history he shares with the agent, Sean is pulled to Erin, and hungers to unlock the heat that simmers beneath cold discipline. Yet as their battle of desire and wills wages, neither can forget the fanatical love of Sean’s stalker who is coming to claim what's hers...

Excerpt (unedited):
The music drew her into the room like a helpless child following the pied piper. The pure melody of the guitar was at once aggressive and sensual. And so beautiful. Simply…beautiful.

Erin took in a deep breath, her eyes closing. Not until several moments after she’d released it did she identify the elusive feeling that had settled over her. Peace. That ever present beast that possessed a tenacious grip on her psyche retracted its claws, leaving heavenly quiet in its wake. Only her music—the soothing, pure sounds of Bach, Mozart and Beethoven—had ever calmed her savage beast. Never something like U2’s With or Without You. Musical snob, yes, but even she knew the classic rock song. Her lashes lifted, fluttering open. She skimmed up the black sleeved arm to the shoulder hunched over the body of the instrument. The column of a lightly tanned throat and strong, shadowed jaw followed. Dark strands of hair swayed against a lean cheek as the guitarist nodded in time to the music.

Sean Ledger.

Her hands curled into tight fists at her thigh. Even though she’d seen images of him over the years, her mind persisted in picturing him as she’d last seen him. An angry, handcuffed seventeen-year-old youth being hauled out the front door of their foster home. Now the man who the media branded the “brooding, sexy member” of Odyssey warred with that fifteen year image. She hadn’t been prepared to see him again. Hadn’t been prepared for the impact of the man…

The pictures hadn’t done justice to the sexy mouth with its full bottom lip or the high cheekbones hinting at an exotic Asian ancestor. They hadn’t captured the rich thickness of the dark hair drawn away from his face by a black rubber band or the thick, black fan of lashes resting on those sharp warrior bones.

Erin couldn’t control the shiver that shuddered down her spine. As a child he had been her protector—and she’d loved him as a big brother, the only security and safety in a world thrown into chaos. But now, staring at the long, slim fingers strumming the guitar strings, coaxing the lovely sound from the instrument, it wasn’t affection that hummed through her veins or vibrated over her skin. Lust. Want. She swallowed. Would those long fingers play across skin as they did the strings of the guitar, eliciting devastating pleasure? Would they be as clever…as knowing?

Whoa.

His head lifted, drawing her attention. Black, ridiculously long lashes parted, revealing a storm gray gaze, blurred and unfocused. As she stared, the haze dissipated and his eyes sharpened on her face. The melody never changed, his skilled fingers never faltered. Neither did his intense scrutiny. She imagined she could feel the bold touch of his eyes across her brow, down the slope of her nose, over her mouth. Before she could stop herself, Erin moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue and watched his eyes narrow on the nervous gesture. His gaze flicked back to her eyes and he watched her with narrow-eyed speculation. For a panicked moment she feared he recognized her. The urge to finger her cheek almost overpowered her. Gritting her teeth, she fisted that same hand to keep it down to her side. The scar is gone, she reminded herself, so calm down.

She shoved the flash of anxiety down. Besides, why would he recognize her? Sean was familiar with Elise Grayson, a disfigured, weak, vulnerable child. Before him stood Erin Montgomery, a smooth-cheeked ex-DEA agent.

She wanted to look away. Her mind screamed, evade! Evade, dammit! But her body refused to obey. For the first time she experienced being the hunted instead of the hunter. Something dark and sexual entered his stare. A primal part of her she hadn’t known existed responded with a sudden pulsing between her thighs. Blood rushed to the folds of her sex and she fought the urge to squeeze her thighs together to alleviate the ache. Her nipples tightened against the lace of her bra. She willed her hands to remain at her side. Sent a mental order not to palm the sensitive mounds and won the battle…barely.

Erin inhaled a deep breath, the exhalation slow and deliberate. Though it cost her, she schooled her features into maintaining a mask of indifference.

Control.

If anybody understood how important domination was Sean Ledger would. She’d researched the guitarist past the magazines and fan sites. She’d read the blogs that revealed what the polite celebrity rags didn’t. Sean had a reputation.

Rumors abounded of a hedonist who knew a woman’s desires better than the woman herself did. Women gossiped about an intense sexuality that pushed his partners to explore and press beyond their boundaries. Erin suppressed a flinch. The thought of someone possessing such complete power over her body horrified her.

As if able to peer into her mind and read her thoughts, Sean’s gaze darkened, the promises—or threats—of just how he could make her lose absolute control shadowing his eyes.

A heartbeat of silence passed between them.

“Hello.”

The chocolate timbre of his voice glided over her skin and transported her to shadowed rooms, candles and writhing bodies. Oh. Shit. And she was in waist deep.

Lanna Kaye and the Djinn Seelers

2010-06-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit with Lanna Kaye--okay, so I sat at my computer and she at hers...semantics!--an as-of-yet-unpublished-author. Between eating the hell out of my pantry (hearing her talk about Cajun food had me killing some Chex Mix), laughing at her wit and drooling over her heroes, I had a great time! Join me in welcoming Lanna Kaye and her Djinn Seelers!

Naima Simone: Hi, Lanna! I figured I’d start out all nice and polite like Paula Zahn before going all Geraldo Rivera on you. Sooo, tell us a little about yourself. Your name. Short bio. How long you’ve been writing. What do you write. Where do you have the bones hidden…you know that kind of stuff.

Lanna Kaye: Hi Naima! Thanks so much for starting on this new venture of putting us un-pubs in the limelight. And can I tell you the honor I feel that you’ve chosen ME as your first lab rat—um, I mean writer! Yes, writer. Alright, for the Paula Zahn answers:

My name is Lanna Kaye and I’m Cajun to the core. By that, I mean I know a thing or two about cooking (that’s a polite way of saying I’m an awesome cook), love crawfish and gumbo, and am close to my extended family four times removed. As a responsible Cajun, though, I have to put out there that no, we Cajuns do not have pet alligators nor do we ride a pirogue to school, work, etc. We have lovely tongue-twister names like Thibodeaux, Guidry, Hebert, and so on, and people with hearts bigger than our neighboring state of Texas.

I’ve been writing for about seven years now, but only in the past 5 or 6 months have I been seriously marketing myself. I would never lie and say I started writing stories before I was old enough to even hold a pencil but I have been devouring full-length novels since I was around nine or so. My first faves were Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, The Bobbsey Twins, The Babysitters Club, and the like. We lived out in the middle of nowhere so when the Bookmobile came our way my sisters and I were more ecstatic than if the ice cream truck had pulled onto our road. If I close my eyes, I can still picture the layout of that truck and smell that addicting smell book lovers worldwide know. Ahh….

My first novel (and I would never let that out of my computer in the state it’s in—can we say ‘rewrite’??) was a contemporary romance, but after I fell in love with A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux, paranormal writing snapped me up faster than one of the aforementioned alligators can catch a neutra rat. Add to that my discovery of Karen Marie Moning and my imagination exploded into the paranormal realm. So with all that said, my current work is a paranormal romance series.

(Now if I could only shove all these bones around to give you more info…!)

I’m a wife. A mom. A non-stop doer of any task that pops up and presents itself to be tackled. I’m a closet over-achiever.

NS: I loved the Babysitter’s Club! Man, that brings back memories! Okay, I’m back from down Memory Lane. LOL! Like many authors, you’re a full-time wife, mother and employee…where do you carve out the time to write? Are you disciplined and set aside a certain amount of time to write or do you just take advantage of the time you find available? By the way, don’t mind this box of rotten tomatoes I have next to me if you dare to say disciplined…

LK: Well, yes, I am all those things! When I was finishing The Onyx Seeler, I was at another full-time job and was pregnant with my now two-year-old and that made it tough to find time for writing. I’ve often joked that with four kids, ages nine and under (and all their extra-curricular activities), singing at church, working, being the campus mom at my kids’ school (I couldn’t settle for being a room mom, but apparently had to take on the whole school), I have more than a plateful…I have a buffet!

(Please refer to the over-achiever comment earlier. J)

I might be adept at dodging those tomatoes, so bring ‘em on! Strange, but I do better with a full ‘To Do’ list. Which I’ve had to use to get some writing time in. Usually it’s after the kids go to bed and I can spare a couple of hours to type away.

NS: What keeps you writing? What keeps you motivated and running after getting published?

LK: What a great question. I’ve never specifically thought of the why, but an immediate answer comes to me—I love my characters. Really love them. I love taking traits, both positive and negative, from my ideal person, from real people and from myself. Too, when I have readers who experience the same reactions I do with a particularly emotional scene, it makes me want to share it with as many people as I can. Spread the wealth, so to speak! I love a happily ever after, especially if the road to that storybook moment was pitted with misery and self-sacrifice. The bigger the heartbreak, the more you cheer, cry and get giddy when they get their happiness in the end.

NS: Now you know I have to ask the hard-nose questions because I’m no panty-waist interviewer…Hugh Jackman’s Van Helsing or Gerard Butler’s Leonidas?

LK: I wouldn’t expect anything different from you, Naima. *grin* I’m going to one million percent say anything with Gerard Butler in it. Seriously. That man is delish.

NS: Zsadist or Acheron?

LK: Oooh….toughie. Do I go for the tortured—no, never mind. I don’t have to really think about it after all. Zsadist. Definitely. It’s that almost little boy bravado that did it for me with him. So sure that he doesn’t have to have anyone, but yet, he is finally in awe that someone deems him worthy to love. And that love note at the end of his book??!! Sheesh! J.R. Ward is an emotional maestro!!!

NS: Stilettos or wedges?

LK: Stilettos!!!!! All 150 pair of the ones I own are testament to this answer. I’m pretty sure I’ve never owned a pair of wedges.

NS: Who is your favorite author?

LK: Man, this is a bigger toughie than the Zsadist question. Can’t I have two? Please? Okay, thanks. My first is Karen Marie Moning simply because she’s a genius. Her characters leap off the pages. I’ve never read a deeper POV than hers. The emotion she puts out makes me think I’m reading someone’s journal, it’s so real!

Second would be J.R. Ward and that’s because of her unique style and the pure sexual tension. I get anxious just reading her books, for crying out loud! And by anxious I totally mean titillated.

NS: Who is your favorite e-published author? And don’t say me, *rolling eyes* it could just get really embarrassing for both of us…*ahem*

LK: Dang, thanks for bursting my bubble, Naima. NOW who am I going to choose?? Shoot. Okay, well, if I have to pick someone else, I’d have to say by default, it would be Lora Leigh’s e-published works. Namely her Breed series, since hers are the most of any e-published author I’ve read.

NS: Who has influenced your writing the most—and again *sigh* refer to #6…sheesh…

LK: You’re killing me with all this answer limitation stuff. J This might be an unexpected answer, but my sister has been my biggest influence. She doesn’t write, but she’s as avid of a reader as I am, and when I first dipped my toe into the waters of Lake Writer, she was the only person I shared my new venture with. She was then, and still is now, my biggest encourager. (Okay, now I have to go find some Kleenex!)

NS: Okay, on to the nitty-gritty, give us all the dirty details on your current work in process…the dirtier the better…hee-hee!

LK: Dirty you say?? I could talk your ear off about my sexy, walking-wet-dream men, but I’ll try to stick to just one. Manick is the hero of my first book, The Onyx Seeler. He’s a Djinn prince who is released early from a 500 year sentence to find some half-djini, half-human beings and save them from the nasty, evil wiles of an enemy tribe of the Djinn. As luck would have it, he rescues a Demijin who he’s had wicked, carnal dreams of for the past, oh, 200 years or so—but has never met.

He’s big, he’s kick-ass, he’s royalty. Oh yeah. And he’s blue. As Alaiya, his heroine describes him:

The man, if that’s what she could even call him, was blue. Just all-over freaking blue with a bronze luster that wasn’t at all unappealing. And huge. Not just body-builder huge, but the kind of huge that made those muscle-bound, gym junkies look like ten year old boys. Slacks and a buttoned down shirt, clothes better suited for a grandfather, covered his body. The old man clothes did absolutely nothing to detract from his sex appeal.

She skimmed over his face again. A face surrounded by the thickest, most luxurious black hair that ever existed. His lips accomplished the amazing feat of looking hard and deliciously soft at the same time, and the set of his jaw promised determination in the ‘oh where it counted’ department.

NS: *sigh* I just saw Avatar and I have a thing for blue people now. Can we get an excerpt?

LK: I’d love to give you an excerpt! And since I didn’t get down and dirty with the previous question, I’ll dish it here if that’s okay with you. Which I’m sure it is. Heehee…

Quick setup—this scene takes place in a Las Vegas nightclub where Manick finds Alaiya after instructing her to stay home and wait for him to come back and explain things to her. Her thinking about being ordered to stay anywhere? “Yeah right.”

The list of why he shouldn’t be doing this was long. He’d just as soon burn the damned paper for all the good telling himself that did.

Because he was already erupting in flames. Might as well take the list with him.

She was a Demijin; his mission.

Yes, she was the woman of his fantasies, and yes, arousal bit him in the balls with the mere thought of her. But he still needed to maintain control. Or so he’d been beating into his mind all day. For distraction in the form of a blonde goddess would most assuredly keep him from completing his duty.

Walking into this club tonight had decimated all his good intentions.

Manick had immediately spotted her, even in the midst of this ridiculously large crowd. And fuck him, he’d always been a sucker for the idea of a woman in leather.

Alaiya wore it from head to delectable little toe.

Stock still, he’d devoured her with his eyes. He’d been overcome with a lust so concentrated and extreme it had nearly overshadowed his good sense. ‘Cause he’d almost frozen time for every person in this place to keep all the jackasses from looking at her.

Either that, or cause a flood to come crashing through, sweeping them all away, then snatch her out of here and show her in countless ways what he could do with all that slick leather.

She looked gorgeous, like sin waiting to happen. No way in hell would he let it happen on anyone but him.

He’d done neither of the things he’d itched to do. Instead, he’d settled for smoking across the room to materialize right behind her. To shield her from the eyes of every fuckhead there.

The up-close view had nearly been his undoing.

He’d had to clench his hands at his sides to keep from running them over her perfect ass. Showcased in that tight leather, nothing had ever looked sweeter. He’d salivated. Gotten harder than steel. Had really considered dropping to his knees to pay homage to its beauty.

His dream vision stared up at him now with a dare in her eyes he couldn’t back down from. She’d just purred, for chrissakes. That tiny sound licked at his balls.

Manick clung to one pathetic little thread of restraint. Clung to it for dear life. It was unraveling fast and he didn’t know how to stop it. Alaiya bit the corner of her smiling bottom lip and kicked up one sexy eyebrow. She might as well have whipped out a knife and sliced the damn thread.

Fuck it.

He wrapped one hand around the nape of her neck, the other landed on her ass; his mouth simply took. Her juicy lips parted on a gasp and he claimed. Took what she offered and then some. Her moan singed his tongue and he soothed it by twining it with hers.

Alaiya’s kiss was sex. Wet and scorching and the ignition to his flame. He burned hotter, brighter, raged to get even closer to her.

He splayed his fingers on her butt and squeezed, his middle finger fitting into the groove of her cheeks. He rumbled an approval. Then she lit up his world when she flexed those muscles and arched into him.

Manick thrust his tongue deeper into her mouth. He must have shot to heaven because stars clouded his vision. Her hands grabbed his hair and yanked. Not to push him away but to get him closer. Fu-uuck.

The taste of her fruity drink filled his mouth along with her own succulent flavor. She would taste that good everywhere. He knew it and suddenly had a single goal in life: To find out ASAP how right he was. To know first-hand how the wetness between her thighs would coat his tongue. Like melted sugar.

They’d somehow moved the foot needed to bring them to the wall behind her. His knuckles brushed the carpeted surface when he slid his hand down her back. Manick needed to get both his hands on the splendid flesh in leather.

Coming up for air, he locked gazes with the woman in his arms. She dropped back the couple of inches to lean against the wall, her chest rising and falling in a rapid staccato. With his hands on her rounded bottom, he pulled her forward into him. Hard against soft. They both made strangled noises.

This image of her, leaning back, nipples puckered against her red leather top with his cock nestled in the luscious juncture of her thighs would stay with him forever. He had no doubt.

Moisture glistened on her throat. One more flavor of her for him to experience. He slowly lowered his head and flicked his tongue over her dewy skin. Salty and sweet. Arousal and innocence. His fingers tightened on her ass and he licked clean up her neck, his tongue curling in as it popped off the curve of her chin.

“Good God,” Alaiya said. “You are so wicked.” Her dazed expression changed to one of delight. “Kiss me again.” She touched her mouth with her hand and added, “Here again.” Her finger traced that full bottom lip and Manick’s gaze snagged on the ring gracing one elegant finger.

He did a double take.

“Angel,” he croaked out. “Where did you get that?”

Confusion colored her face. “What?” She looked down at her chest. “My top? Um, don’t know why you care where I shop, Big Blue, but—”

“No.” He shook his head, and the movement made him dizzy. He blinked. The blood draining from his brain short-circuited his thought process. “Not that.” He picked up the hand she’d dropped to her side and held it up. “This. This ring. Where did you get this ring, Alaiya?”

She swallowed hard and her lips parted the slightest bit. “Why do you want to know? What’s so special about this ring?” Her eyes widened to mini saucers in her face. “I mean, it’s nothing.” She shrugged it away.

She had no way of knowing precisely what that little nothing of a ring meant.

He did.

Gulping down the sudden lump in his throat, Manick pulled in a shaky breath.

He was ninety-nine percent certain of the significance of that ring.

“I want to know,” he said, staring into her eyes, “because,” Manick opened the neck of his shirt and slapped her hand to his chest, palm against skin, right next to his stone, “this nothing of a ring means one thing, and one thing only, angel.”

Lae broke eye contact with him and looked at his chest. Her eyes darted back and forth between his onyx stone and her onyx ring. And again. The she raised her eyes to his. A single question blazed in their depths. He smiled.

“It means you’re mine.”

NS: I’s in love!! That’s hawt, Lanna! Hey when—notice I said when—you get “the call” or “email” as it may be, will you come back and do a really loud, piercing girly cyber scream with me?

LK: Without a doubt!! In the meantime, if anyone is interested in checking out my blog and the excerpts I will regularly post, click here. I also have a character bio page in progress so check back regularly for updates on the Marid djinis who are turning their women’s worlds inside out and every which way. I’d love to see hear from you!

NS: Thanks for spending time with me, Lanna! Can’t wait to see your name on the front of that cover!

LK: Thanks for having me! I had so much fun talking with you, Naima. Next time we’ll have to talk about Rome. I can’t get enough of him and I know he pushes all your twangy buttons. Zing!!!!

Desire in the Dark Release Date and Everybody Wins a Free Copy!!

2010-04-12T04:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, if that didn't get you here, I don't know what will!! LOL!

My new release with Ellora's Cave, Desire in the Dark, releases today, April 12th! And guess what! Everybody receives a free copy! Why? Not because I'm so giving and benevolent...I mean I am but you know, other than that...Desire in the Dark is my new Free Read! FREE! A FREE download! Advertising might have been a bit false but it's still FREE and everyone can still download a copy for...wait, wait what was that word *finger snap and lip tap* Right, right! FREE!! LOL! Check out the blurb and excerpt below!

Alise Layton has been in love with McKenzie “Mac” Dunn since she moved to New Eden, WA. Unfortunately, the sexy attorney considers her a friend…and not one “with benefits”. Just as Alise decides unrequited love is for fools and poets, a freak thunderstorm plummets the town into darkness and traps her with the man who has starred in her every erotic fantasy for the past year. A blackout. Wine. A gorgeous man. Anything could happen...

Excerpt:

Mac blinked.

Then blinked again.

“Two years?” he croaked. After clearing his throat, he bent forward, pinning her with an incredulous stare. “You haven’t had sex in two years?”

Alise groaned, squeezing her eyes shut. Damn she hadn’t meant to let that slip. She lifted her lashes, peeking out from under them and wanted to cringe. He stared at her as if she were some kind of fugitive from the freak show—horrified disbelief and fascination. She squashed the urge to pat her chest and check for a third breast.

“Could you please not gawk?” she snapped. “We all don’t have stacked Amazons fighting to get into our beds.” An image of the tall, built women Mac dated—the opposite of her—flashed through her mind and she scowled.

“You want to get a stacked Amazon into your bed? Sorry,” he apologized at the sound of her dark growl. He shook his head. A heartbeat of silence. “Two years?” She rose from the edge of her seat and he held his hands out, palms up, as if warding off her imminent attack. “Look, you can’t blame me for being surprised. I mean, look at you, Alise. A beautiful redhead and successful business woman. Surely there hasn’t been a shortage of opportunities. Why haven’t you—”

“Gotten my groove back?” Alise supplied. Again he laughed, and once more her heart dived south of nowhere. Maybe she should confess the truth. Just lay her cards out on the table and allow the proverbial chips to fall where they may.

Well, Mac, funny thing. Since I’ve moved to New Eden I’ve been suffering from a terrible case of unrequited love. Just recently I decided to move on because I realize this man will never truly see me. He will never recognize me as the woman who loves him, who would give him everything if he but looked at me.

Oh yeah. By the way.

That man is you.

Yeah, that's all you get. I mean it is FREE! Okay, I'll stop now...free...

It's available now! Go get it! Why are you still reading? I'm finished. Done. Terminar. 完.

(That's finish in Chinese, y'all!)

Go enjoy it!!

And the Winner Is...

2010-03-24T12:20:00.001-07:00

Marybelle, come on down!!

Or rather over...Whatever! Hey, you won a free download copy of Desire to Die For as well as Jessica Lee's new release, Dark Desires at Midnight! Contact me at nsimon mailto:nsimonebooks@aol.com with your information so I can pass it on to Jessica. She'll send your books lickety-split...and there was no double entrende there at all! Sheesh! Just because we're erotic romance writers doesn't mean everything has a sexual meaning...Hee-hee-hee!! Congratulations, Marybelle!

And, once again, thank every one of you who came by to visit with Jessica and left a comment. And even those who didn't leave a comment but read the interview. You're all awesome!!

2010-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today I have the absolute pleasure of having Loose-ID author, Jessica Lee, visit with me! *Applause* Okay I have to admit I’m a bit biased about Jessica. Not only is she an awesome author but she’s my critique partner as well. But since her debut novel, Desire to Die For, was released with Loose-ID in August 2009, it has been receiving rave reviews, including The Romance Studio’s CAPA nomination for Best Paranormal Erotic Romance of 2009! On the eve—okay a week before the eve—of the second book in the Warriors of the Enclave series, Dark Desires at Midnight, Jessica agreed to visit with me to talk about her books and career as erotic author extraordinaire (Psst! Jessica, did I get that right? Erotic author extraordinaire? That’s how you wanted me to say it, right?)

NS: Hi Jessica! Welcome to my humble abode! Of course I’m privy to your “Cinderella” story but for those who don’t know, how you got started in writing? ‘Cause I’m just saying, if I didn’t love you I could really resent you for your story…I love you though…

JL: You are too funny, Naima. LOL Well, let’s see… It all started when I decided to leave nursing and become a stay-at-home mom. I loved, and still love, reading paranormal romances, and one day my husband suggested that I should try and write one. I thought he was crazy. I’d always been a science nut, didn’t think I had a creative bone in my body. But then something happened when I sat down at the computer. I felt like I’d truly discovered a passion. I was hooked, and the rest is history. J

NS: Unhuh. First manuscript plus first sale equals dagger sharp glare. Oh right! I love you! Right...On to my next vital question…Acheron from the Dark Hunters or Zsadist from the Black Dagger Brotherhood? Which one does it for you like All-You-Can-Eat-Buffet-on-my-neck does it for you?

JL: I'd have to say Acheron. I admit, I even have a Sherrilyn Kenyon autographed Acheron coffee mug in my kitchen cabinet. LOL

NS: I didn’t know that! They sell that? I want one! We’ll talk later. I can see why Sherrilyn Kenyon is a favorite though. Like her, your books have hot, sex-on-a-stick Alpha warriors. Your heroes are vampires. So why the bloodsuckers and not, oh, werewolves? What about paranormal erotic romance called to you instead of another genre, like romantic suspense?

JL: Oh, man, it's the whole fang and biting the neck thing.

NS: Well, yeah, when you put it that way…

JL: I've always loved vampire movies and have forever rooted for Dracula to escape with his queen. LOL I'm a sucker for the dark, sexy, tortured soul of the alpha male. And vampires possess all of the above. Why paranormal romance? The freedom to world build excites my muse more than any other genre. I can just let my mind go and create sexy alpha males with superhuman strength and power. *sigh* It's too much fun!

NS: I for one thank your muse because your vamps are sexy and so Alpha I don’t know whether to punch ‘em or lick ‘em…who am I kidding? Definitely lick ‘em! Hee-hee-hee! That was a totally lascivious cackle, by the way. Jessica, I know that Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of your favorite authors. But if you could go on a writer’s retreat to suck up all the knowledge and advice with any author, who would it be and why?

JL: Omg! What a good question. There are so many fantastic authors out there. Ugh. It’s a tie: Karen Marie Moning and JR Ward. I just can’t choose between them. LOL

NS: True that. Highlander or Black Dagger…both are awesome writers and two of my favorites too. I guess that’s why your series is one of my new favorites. You have a warrior brotherhood even though it’s different from J. R. Ward’s. Your first book, Desire to Die For, introduced Kenric St. James and the Warriors of the Enclave. Tell us about them and their leader.

JL: Kenric is an over 300 year old vampire who has been stalked by an ancient female vampire for 200 years. He's put together a team of vampires he calls the Enclave to defend humanity against the blood thirsty murderers of their kind known as DEADs. Kenric is a master vampire, and only a few male vampires possess the mental abilities to become a master. He's more powerful, faster, and can take own multiple alternate forms, which is the exact reason our villainess from book one wants him all to herself.

NS: In case someone hasn’t read Desire to Die For I won’t spoil the exact nature of Marguerite, the villainess, but what a psycho piece of work she is! Whew! And the lengths she goes to bind Kenric to her…nuts! With her, the world building, characters and love story, it’s no wonder Desire to Die For is wildly popular and was nominated for a CAPA award. Are you surprised at how well it’s been received?

JL: Most definitely. Your biggest wish is for the readers to love your characters, but it’s very surreal when your dream actually comes to fruition.

NS: Ahem...I always knew it would be a hit. But I’m not one for I-told-you-so’s. Alright, yeah I am! Jessica, I told you people would love Desire to Die For! Hee-hee! Okay, detouring totally off the subject for a minute. Name one thing you splurged on with your first royalty check. I’m being nosey and don’t care!

JL: LOL Hmmm…? Well, I’d have to say my HP mini. Love that little computer. It makes writing so portable and easy.

NS: Oooh yeah! They are the best! So…Book 2 in the Warriors of the Enclave: Dark Desires at Midnight, is set for release from Loose-ID on March 30^th. Which warrior is the hero in this book and the woman ready to rock his world?

JL: Dark Desires brings you Arran and Gabrielle's story. Here is their blurb:

Arran MacLain is a vampire on a suicide mission, driven to kill his former partner who betrayed him and the Enclave they served. But two things stand in his way: Gabrielle, the human female who holds his heart, and the past that won’t let him go. If only death was enough to cleanse his soul.

Gabrielle Steven’s sister is missing. Her hunt for clues brings her face to face with the one vampire she can’t forget. Their missions combine and thrust them into the heart of evil. Will their passion be enough to overcome the pain from their past, or will their dark desires destroy them both?

NS: Now…ahem…I heard a rumor—nasty things those are—that you did a little, uh, special research for this book. Something about black leather, BDSM club…Tell me, Jessica, are the rumors true? And if so, do we have pictures?

JL: Well, you know what they say about rumors… You've almost got it right. LOL I did make a trip to a fetish event for a little research around New Year's Eve, but it wasn't for Dark Desires. That research project was for book three. But that's all I can say right now. Anymore would be a bit of a spoiler for book two. As JR Ward would say…keep reading. J

NS: Whoo-hoo!! Book three! We have a Book three, ladies and gentlemen! Did you find this book easier or harder to write?

JL: Difficult to say, because book one was more of a growing process as I developed the characters, the story, and my craft all at the same time. Book two was difficult, because it was the first time I'd written a story knowing someone was waiting on the completed product. Quite a different mental process.

NS: You shouldn’t be so damn popular! LOL! Which is your favorite? Desire to Die For or Dark Desires at Midnight?

JL: Oh, man! How am I supposed to choose between them? I love them both in different ways. DTDF was my first, and I love Kenric, but Dark Desires takes you deeper and darker. How about this, you tell me. Hee-hee!

NS: No way! I definitely can’t choose! That’s like asking me to pick between Red Velvet cake and Prestige Strawberry ice cream! I want both! LOL! What is one of your favorite quotes in the book? Ooh! And use the bad words! *another lascivious cackle combined with greedy palm rubbing*

JL: LOL “She was ready to fight. He was ready to fuck.” *G*

NS: You’re so bad! I luvs it!! Okay, I’m excited! Can we get an excerpt??

Excerpt

Arran rolled his Ninja into the parking lot beside Gabrielle’s car and killed the engine. She’d taken the newsflash about Markus and Marguerite pretty much like he’d expected. She’d mumbled an oath of determination right before she’d kicked him out of the car. Gabrielle wasn’t a member of the Enclave in name only. It didn’t matter that she didn’t work patrol. Gabrielle was as much a warrior as any of the males. Life hadn’t dealt her any favors. And she wasn’t one to lie down and let it bulldoze over her. She stood and fought for every inch of ground gained.

He waited for her to get out of the car, then removed his helmet.

“You didn’t need to follow me home,” she said over her shoulder, heading for the front door of her sister’s townhouse. He was surprised when she’d led him here instead of a hotel. The place must have belonged to her sister. He palmed his keys, slid off his bike, and shoved the keys in his pocket.

“I wasn’t going to let you leave alone after the info I just dumped on you,” he said as he came up behind her while she unlocked the door. “I wanted to make sure you got home safe. And I wanted to be sure you actually went home.”

“Oh my God, you can be such an ass sometimes.” Her back was to him, but Arran could almost hear her eyes roll with that statement. She was right. He was an ass. But while he was here, he would be taking care of hers.

Gabrielle flipped on the lights, and he followed her inside. The heels of her boots clicked on the hardwood floor of the foyer, echoing in the open stairwell of the two-story apartment. She couldn’t have been in town long, but the air in the place already carried her scent. He pulled in another slow, deep breath through his nostrils. His heart rate quickened. Honeysuckle. Arran wanted to smile but repressed the grin. Ironic that such a delicate and sweet fragrance emanated from the hellcat with whom he’d just been reacquainted.

Her keys clinked as she dropped them in a bowl on a table near the staircase. Arran’s gaze devoured her provocative profile. He’d never seen her dressed like she was tonight. Living with five male vampires within the Enclave walls, she usually dressed a bit more conservatively. Not matronly, but definitely not this revealing. A short black leather skirt barely covered the lush curves of her ass, and a shirt that couldn’t have been more than a decked-out bra did its best to contain her full breasts. Shiny black leather boots wrapped her legs, highlighting the toned sweep of her calves. This couldn’t happen again. Arran slowly shook his head. He would end up killing someone if she dressed like this again.

She turned her head to the side, facing him. “I don’t need a babysitter. I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.” She shifted and faced him head-on. “You’ve been gone a long time, Arran. Things have changed. I’ve changed.”

“Maybe so. But you’re not taking on that colony alone. I can’t believe Logan let you come here without him.” Gabrielle turned her back, rearranging her purse on the table. Shit. He recognized the body language. “You didn’t tell him, did you?” Arran closed the distance between them.

“No. I didn’t need him here.” Gabrielle looked up, fierce determination written on her face. “I can handle this. Alex needed me. And I’m going to be there for her.” She shifted to face him again, leaning her hip against the table. “I’m smart enough to know if -- and when -- I need help.”

Arran closed in, crowding her personal space, wanting a reaction. Aching for it, actually. Gabrielle straightened and took one step back but stopped and lifted her chin, refusing to cower and give him the reaction he itched for. She caught on quick.

“You think you have it all handled, lass?”

“Yeah, I do.”

"You got it all under control?”

The amber color of her irises had grown near molten. He allowed a small smile to pull at the corner of his mouth, loving the way she got all hot and bothered when he pushed her.

“Yes. I do.” The words had barely left her lips when she attacked, one leg coming out to catch the back of his ankle. Caught off guard, he stumbled.

Before he could regain his balance, she had his wrist locked in her grip. Swinging his arm up, she spun underneath, twisted, and wrenched his arm up the middle of his back, then shoved him face-first into the dank-smelling wall.

Well, damn. Not bad. “You’ve been training,” he mumbled against the Sheetrock.

“A little.” She sounded quite proud of herself. She was good. He’d give her that. But her heavy breathing told him it was all she could do to contain him, and he hadn’t even come close to tapping into his full abilities. She’d caught him by surprise, but she was human, a woman, and no match for a mature vampire. Especially in a multiple attack.

With a burst of speed, Arran pushed back, forcing Gabrielle to release him instead of falling on her rear. He whirled, catching her before she hit the floor. In less than a second, their positions reversed. Except this time, he’d pinned her back against the wall, her hands imprisoned by his, over her head.

The position pushed her full breasts up, almost spilling them from her top. Nice. He lifted his gaze, prepared for a hard glare. If her eyes were molten earlier, they were near boiling now. He couldn’t have stopped the next words that spilled from his lips if he’d tried.

“I win.”

“You ass!” She squirmed and bucked against him like a feral cat. Instead of gaining her freedom, though, each maneuver jammed her tighter into his hold. Her every inhale shoved her breasts into his chest. Heat radiated off her body, threatening to scramble his brain. Before he knew he’d even moved, his lips hovered over hers. What made him stop, God only knew. Maybe it was the way she’d suddenly grown still? Or maybe it was the moment she’d parted her lips, releasing warm, peppermint-scented bursts of air that seduced his mind. So damn enticing. All he had to do was lean in one more inch, and he’d --

Fire shot up his arm. “Son of a…” Releasing her, he jumped back and flung his gaze to the offending limb. Blood.

A thin line of crimson blossomed along the outside of his bicep. She’d played him. Purposefully distracted him, so she could pull her hand free and reach for a blade that must have been hidden under her skirt and against her thigh. The little minx.

He swiveled his head back in Gabrielle’s direction. Air punched from his lungs. Christ. Blood surged to his cock. The overwhelming urge to stroke the rock-hard length at the sight of her was short-circuiting his brain. Gabrielle stood, one boot in front of the other, palming a short dagger. She was ready to fight.

He was ready to fuck.

Arran rocked from one foot to the other, searching within for the strength not to take what was his. Mentally, he shook his head. No. She’s not yours, asshole. But damn if his cock had the sense to listen.

“I know you weren’t about to kiss me, warrior. Were you?” She raised a delicate brow and tilted her head. “Because last I heard, my kiss was ‘forgettable.’”

Ouch. He’d had a feeling if he ever saw her again, that asinine comment would come back to bite him in the ass.

“Give me the blade, Gabrielle.”

“This?” She twirled the dagger, then palmed the hilt and held it up for display. “You want it?” A devious smile lit her face. With her other hand, she beckoned him with her fingers. “Come and take it.”

Bad, bad challenge, kitten. A tremor started in his gut and worked its way up, until it was a buzz inside his brain. Every cell in his body wanted to take.

Mark.

Claim.

A gasp of air in his ear was the only indicator that he’d grabbed her. He didn’t remember the trip. Arran lifted her feet from the floor, whirled, and gently laid her on the stairs, pressing his hips, his chest into hers. He had to get his body next to hers. Everywhere. The dagger fell from her hand, rolling and thumping its way down the steps, each tumble a hollow thud.

The loud percussions bypassed the noise inside his head and brought him to a dead halt. He lay with his hips between her legs, his groin pressed to hers. His mouth suspended above her lips. He dropped his gaze to her mouth. God, how he loved the delicate line of her lips, a perfect bow. So full and pink. Her tongue darted out and moistened the lower one. He couldn’t stifle the groan that rolled from the back of his throat.

He dragged his gaze back to her eyes. Passion mixed with doubt and fear stared back at him. “I’m sorry.” The whispered words tumbled from his heart.

She blinked, then swallowed. “Why?”

“For hurting you.”

Her eyelids shuttered, and her breath hitched. Did she believe him? Was an apology enough for what he’d done? He’d walked away, leaving her to think he’d never wanted her, when the truth was, he wanted her more than his next breath. Sorry sounded so insignificant, compared to how much damage he’d done to her heart.

“Gabrielle.” Long, dark eyelashes lifted. Beautiful, near gold eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Please don’t cry. If only he had the power to bring her tears of joy. Instead of the pain he was so damn good at. He wanted to kiss the hurt away. “Remind me.”

Her lips parted first in silence before she asked, “Of what?”

Arran released her arms and cupped her face with his palms. He caressed her lips with his gaze before lifting it back to hers. “What I walked away from.”

NS: And we have to wait a whole week!! #$*$#&@Y^#^!!!!! *Sigh* Alright. I know you’re hard at word on the third book (Hint! Hint! Nudge! Shove!). But before I let you go, you have a surprise for one lucky person?

JL: I do have a surprise. One lucky commenter will be randomly selected to receive, not only a copy of Dark Desires at Midnight, but book one, Desire to Die For as well.

NS: Now that’s a prize!! We’ll send the winner Desire to Die For tomorrow and Dark Desires at Midnight on the 30^th. That’ll give the winner a week to read, or re-read, book one before tearing up book two. Thanks so much, Jessica, for stopping by my blog! I’ve had a ball! And congratulations on the new release!

JL: Thank you, girlfriend! Love you. You're the best CP a girl could ever have. J

Reader's Luncheon...I Sat With Debra Glass!! Ahem...I'm Good Now...

2010-01-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!!
I'm incredibly late with these pictures but umm...better late than never, right? Right? *crickets*

Anyhoo, on November 7th I attended RWA's Southern Magic's Readers Luncheon (my chapter! Yeah!). Anne Stuart was the keynote speaker and she was awesome!! And--as you may have guessed from the title--I shared a table with Ellora's Cave's author, Debra Glass!! Whoo-hoo!! Not going to say my husband wanted to take a picture with her...without me...he's lucky I'm secure in his love!!

So I hope you enjoy the pictures! Especially since I avoid 'em like a vampire ducking a mirror! LOL!!

Naima

2010-01-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

When I was younger I was a GI Joe fanatic. Every time we played GI Joe on the playground I was Scarlett. My ‘fro turned to a sleek red mane. My tomboyish physique grew about 6 more inches and sported a body suit that made men drool…or at least Eugene Dudley, but that’s another story. The sling shot in my hand became a multi-faceted bow and arrow that could do everything from blow up a tank to roast marshmallows…

So imagine my excitement when the remake of GI Joe came out last summer. I was finally able to see it over Christmas and was blown away—by boredom. I’m sorry! It didn’t live up to the anime cartoons of my youth! But one man kept me sitting through the entire five hour—oh that’s right! It was only two, just felt like five hours—ordeal. Snake Eyes. Whew boy! Now as a young girl I fancied myself in love with Duke but now that I’m a grown woman who appreciates a slick bodysuit that accentuates every muscle on a man’s toned body, Snake Eyes just makes me want to don a turban, grab a flute and charm him right into my bed…err…basket. I meant basket.

He is the epitome of the strong, silent type. As a child, he took an oath of silence when his master was killed by his rival and arch enemy, Storm Shadow. He’s definitely not a commitment-phobe! The man knows how to keep a promise! So besides being a good listener and dependable what else does he have going for him? Let’s see. Phenomenal martial arts skills. I’ll be the first to admit seeing a man kick, punch and slice a sword through the air is an absolute turn on!

Whenever I’ve heard a woman say, “a man’s looks don’t matter”, I snickered. But now I’m a believer. Never—not in the cartoons or in the movie—have I glimpsed Snake Eyes’ face. But it doesn’t matter. Because it’s not just his strength and talent that makes him sexy. He fights for the side of good against the forces of evil. He’s a protector. He’s willing to sacrifice his own safety for that of others.

He’s a hero.

And the air of mystery on a man should never be underestimated.

Neither should a hot body.

While I was disappointed by the GI Joe movie—I guess I’ll have to wait until they remake ThunderCats—I found a new American Hero. Because of your dedication, integrity, strength and great musculature, Snake Eye, you are…Hawtie of the Month!

Kickin' Off the Holidays--Erotic Romance Authors and their Kick A** Shoes!

2009-12-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

by Michelle Polaris

It’s December again, and even erotic romance authors need to gear up to kick some holiday butt preparing for the winter celebrations to come. In the spirit of these winter warriors’ battle to get ready for the holidays, I’ve asked seven of them to contribute pictures of their favorite ass-kicking shoes along with links to their “go-to” sites. These includes their personal web and blogsites, links to buy their books, etcetera. For an extra treat some have included a blurb about which of the characters in their stories are most likely to kick-ass, holiday or otherwise. So browse below and get a feel for the flavors of these authors. Perhaps these are the very sexy and powerful shoes that get them in the mood…to write, of course.

(And read on for a contest at the end of the post)

**Come by and check out the favorite shoes and boots belonging to several of your favorite Ellora's Cave authors!! Including mine!! Hee-hee!

Blogging with My Daddy, the Rev!

2009-12-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

Usually for my Hawtie of the Month blog I extol the virtues of a beautiful man who has captured my attention—among other things. Hee-hee-hee! But this month, I’m doing something a little different.

After I blogged for Petit Fours and Hot Tamales on November 20th, my father—the pastor—received many favorable responses. So, being the clever opportunist that I am, I asked him if he would guest blog with me as my Hawtie of the Month…how disturbing is that to call my daddy a hawtie you ask?? Very…

Anyhoo, I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I I did! Merry Christmas!!

Naima Simone: Okay, Daddy we’re going to start with something fairly easy. Heidi Klum or Julia Roberts:

Reverend: Oh jeez. *laughs* Oh…that’s tough, man. Heidi.

NS: Why?

REV: I don’t know! Heidi or Julia… I mean, I like them both but for different reasons. Julia because of her lips. Love them lips. And Heidi…man, that body and sense of humor. Both have the sense of humor, but Heidi’s body and walk…Heidi, definitely Heidi.

NS: Is that your final answer?

REV: Yeah, we’re going with Heidi. Even pregnant she looks good. And they both dig brothers. *laughs* Besides Heidi’s dangerous.

NS: She's what??

REV: She’s dangerous. There’s this look in her eyes. You know it’s like dangerous but in a sexy way. It’s challenging. Yeah, that’s it. Sometimes we like it dangerous. A lot of your readers do too.

NS: Okay, yeah. That’s true. You got something there.

REV: You know that bad boy, bad girl thing.

NS: *plugging fingers in ears* La La La La La La…

REV: You know what I mean!

NS: No, I don’t. Don’t want to either.

REV: You’re such a prude, Nina.

NS: Prude’s good when it comes to thinking about you and dangerous Heidi…In my bio I mentioned how I came by my love for romance honestly. By the way, you do preach a mean Song of Solomon…Tell us something romantic about the Song of Solomon we may not know.

REV: Okay, well first you have to understand that Solomon had 300 wives and 700 concubines. Out of all of them, it took this one unassuming, hardworking country girl to help King Solomon, one of the wisest of persons, to learn and experience the true meaning of monogamous love. Which, when you think about it, is kind of strange for a man, who had so much in the way of material wealth and political power, to find the most treasured and honored thing—love—in another person with no financial means, titles, agenda, and in her own words, possessed no great physical beauty. She would never stroll down the runway like Heidi or become a movie star like Julia, but yet, to Solomon, she was unique in comparison to all the others. Solomon said she was a lily among thorns.

NS: Would you consider the Song of Solomon sexy?

REV: First, I need to say that I interpret the Song of Solomon in the same way I do all the other 65 books of the Bible. This is to say, I interpret it by taking into account its historical, grammatical and symbolic content. When I do this, my answer to your question is, yes. Yes! It’s sexy, warm, soft, physical, funny, exciting, dramatic, and yes, my beloved and spiritual minded sisters and brothers, the Song can also be erotic. Now I’m going to say this at the great risk of having some old, white-headed deacon call my house—women are so much mature about these things—but I believe that God intended for certain parts of the book to be erotic in the sense of helping those of us in marriage to know the pleasures and joys of sexual love and romance. The right study and reading of the Song is a great tool to help us sustain and keep fresh the romance and sexual fun in marriage.

NS: For example?

REV: For example, the phrase, “to climb the palm tree” had a special meaning in the ancient Near East. The male and female flowers of the palm tree are born on separate trees. In order to fertilize the female tree, the gardener had to climb the male tree and take some of its pollen bearing flowers, then turn around and climb the female tree to tie in the male flower. By doing this the tree was fertilized. Now, in the love dialogue between Solomon and his wife—by now they have been married and the union consummated—Solomon says to the love of his life, “I will climb the palm tree. I will take hold of its fruit stalks. Oh may your breasts be like clusters of the vine.” (Solomon 7:8) Here Solomon is using the language of the vineyard to say that he intends to make love to his woman, and that, right away! Solomon is saying that he will caress her fruit stalks, or her breasts. And that he is excited to enjoy the swell of her breasts, which by now are like the ripened grapes.

NS: Get out! Really?

REV: Really.

NS: Okay…I do believe I’m blushing! Go ‘head, Solomon! He was a freak!

REV: *laughs* We can all learn something from these two people!

NS: Hee-hee! Okay, Daddy, got another one for you. If you could meet one person in history who would it be and why?

REV: See, you have me in a dilemma because I don’t want to be all super spiritual…jeez. One person in history…Wow. Jesus Christ. It would be Jesus Christ, seriously.

NS: I know this sounds like an obvious question, but I’m gonna ask it anyway. Why?

REV: Because in meeting Him I would know what I could become, you know the potential of what I could be. I would be shaking in my boots to meet Him, but yeah, in Jesus I could recognize and see my full potential as a person.

NS: See? I’m glad I asked, because I wouldn’t have guessed that answer. That’s deep.

REV: Well, Nina, I’m a deep person.

NS: Must be where I get it from.

REV: Uh….no.

NS: I’m going to go on with the questions before I find myself in strife. Daddy, have you read my book yet?

REV: You want me to lie or be honest…uh, yeah, I read your book.

NS: You do know that I know you’re lying, right?

REV: Aw c’mon, Nina! *laughs* You know I’m going to get there. I’m just a major procrastinator. I’m going to read it though. Look, I’m still waffling over the first question. Heidi…Heidi…wait a minute let me think on that a minute…Yeah, it would be Heidi. The accent, look and walk. Yeah, yeah it would be Heidi…

NS: I thought we’d moved past that question! How is that shaping up to be the hardest question out of all of ‘em??

REV: *laughs* I’m certain now. See, she has that German thing going on. *laughs* She stirs passion. When people make love sometimes they want gentle, but then there’s the animalistic thing that comes in. Some men want the white negligee when they make love, but most of us want black…or red. Throw out the white negligee! We want the red or black negligee. Ever think about that? White is for the wedding. When the doors are closed, though, put the red on!

NS: I have no idea what you mean. I don’t own a red negligee. White. Only white…

REV: Riiight, Nina. But look, it’s like music. People don’t want to make love to no Beethoven or Bach. They don’t want the 5th symphony or the butterfly suite. They want Luther! Turn that other mess off. Even the staunchest Christian, when they’re making love, you know the one thing they don’t want playing? Gospel. They turn that off and turn the radio to the slow jam station.

NS: LOL! You’re definitely going to have the old, white-haired deacon calling the house! Now that you’ve cleared that up and my eyes are bleeding from the mental images, what is the most romantic book you’ve read and why?

REV: It would have to be the Song of Solomon. It’s so real. In some ways, it relates so much to my own experiences. And as a pastor and counselor, it relates to what I know to be the experiences of others. It also gives us something to shoot for in terms of what we hope to have some day in our relationships. But mostly, it helps me to understand the intimate and unfailing love God has for us. I really find that element in it. And as Solomon says, that makes me lovesick.

NS: That’s good, Daddy. That’s really good. So if the Song of Solomon is your favorite book, who is your favorite author?

REV: I have two. First, there’s the apostle, Paul. He satisfies my need and desire to know stuff. He appeals to that part of me that seeks knowledge and understanding. “Faith seeking understanding of itself.” My second favorite author is Kahlil Gibran. While Paul satisfies my desire for knowledge, Gibran excites my heart to love. When I put them together I understand and accept that of the two—knowledge and love—that love is by far supreme. Without love we have nothing.

NS: No wonder I’m a romance writer. I have a romantic at heart for a father. Speaking of writers—you notice the subtlety of that lead in? How do you feel about having a daughter who writes erotic romance?

REV: You, and your friends, are needed and welcome. We need you. What you write adds to us who read your work. So much of our lives are spent doing this and that and we never take time out for the important things like enjoying one another and life, keeping the flame of passion burning in our lives. Sometimes our marriages, expectations and relationships get stuck. We’re so worried about bills and problems that we never take the time to care for our own feelings, emotions and relationships, and as a result, the fire burns out. We have to keep the fire burning in love. It’s writings like yours and your friends that keep our imaginations working and maintains excitement in our lives. So that’s how I feel. You’re needed. We need to welcome you and embrace what you do. Your gifts are God given. And all God given gifts are for the benefit of others. The ability to write, the vision you have, they’re gifts. And they should not be hidden. So we thank you for your gift—I thank you for your gift and adding the excitement and joy. Thank you for breaking up those mundane periods of my life. Thank you for filling those moments when I can simply enjoy life. You help make life a little bit easier. And, remember, not all of God’s gifts are received. They didn’t embrace Jesus. But you have to keep on writing. Keep on giving because somebody’s life has just been made better.

NS: Speaking as your daughter and an author, that made me feel incredibly awesome. Moving on—because you sooo didn’t make me tear up—you’re a writer, too. If a publisher offered you a contract right now and said write any book you wanted, no matter the subject. What would it be?

REV: Any subject I wanted, huh? I would write a “Salvation for Dummies” kind of book. *laughs* Somebody has to help people understand how great salvation is through Christ. I need to write this book for dummies….like myself.

NS: *snicker* Hey, when I first started writing with the goal of becoming published, I bought a “Getting Published for Dummies” book. That’s classic! Daddy, who has been your biggest influence as far as your views on love, women and relationships?

REV: All of the women in my life who have ever dumped me, they helped me the most. God bless their hearts. I’m sending a big “thank you” shout out to all of ‘em!

NS: *hollers* Alright, final question. What makes a good love scene?

REV: You know what? It isn’t the place. It doesn’t have to be in the best looking bedroom. What makes the best love scene is the mindset of the two people. When the two people’s motives and desires are not on themselves but focused on the other person. When her mind is on him and his needs. And his pleasure. “What can I do for him?” “How can I make him feel like a king?” And when he’s concerned with how he can make her feel like she’s the only woman in the world. “How can I make her happy?” “The otherness of lovemaking.” That’s what we can call it. That’s makes the best love scene, when the concern and focus is about the other person.

NS: The “otherness of lovemaking”. I really like that.

REV: But let me just say one more thing, Nina, about the best place. I would be remiss if I didn’t say this. It’s my belief, and has been my experience, that the best place to fully experience the joy and deep intimacy of our sexuality is in the state and place of holy matrimony. In marriage. It’s there that the two become one. As a pastor I have to make this statement. I don’t want people to think I condone sex outside of marriage. I recognize it happens, but I honestly believe that in marriage—the marriage God designed for us— it’s the best place. If we can get our marriages to mirror God’s desire and purpose, than that’s the best place to experience the joy and intimacy of lovemaking. The sexual act is about sharing—sharing each other’s lives, histories, joys and sorrows. When you add commitment to your lovemaking that boosts it through the roof. That takes it to heights unknown. God created marriage so sex could have a place to be fully enjoyed and experienced.

NS: I know I said that was the last question, but let me ask you this. In a romance novel, often the couple isn’t married in the beginning, but end up that way or together. Do you think this is wrong? Some people consider the fact that two unmarried people having sex makes romance novels morally wrong.

REV: Look, you’re writing about something that happens in our lives and happens often. We can’t deny that it does. You’re writing truth. How can that ever be wrong? It would be wrong not to address it or talk about it. We understand that sex outside marriage is not what God wants, but you’re not promoting it, you’re talking about it. And look, Nina, when we first meet, we all start out single and then maybe, at some point, become married. That’s what happens in our lives. It may be disturbing to some but it’s more disturbing not to recognize it happens. I’m not promoting it, you’re not promoting it. What you’re writing is fiction, its entertainment. It’s not an instructional book. You’re not creating a doctrine about free sex. You have a right to write fiction and entertainment. It has nothing to do with your Christianity. You don’t have to defend your spirituality and shouldn’t be placed in the position where you feel you have to. You’re writing fiction.

NS: Amen! Say that, Daddy! You know what? We’re finished. See that wasn’t painful at all, was it? And you thought it would be hard.

REV: I don’t know. I’m still thinking about Heidi and Julia. Why not Camryn Manheim?

NS: Alright, Daddy, don’t start no junk. Interview over…

Rockin' Around the Raven Xmas Tree Online Graphic Hunt!

2009-11-22T17:43:00.000-08:00

Click on the image for contest details!

2009-11-05T08:58:00.001-08:00

July through February.

Some people would call these six months the dog days of summer, autumn and the lion of winter. I call them the loneliest months of the year! Football season! AAAARRGGGHH!!!

It’s when pork rinds become a staple in the pantry like chicken is in the refrigerator. When the bedroom turns into the Pentagon as the computer, radio and television are crackling and running stats in one synchronized flow. It’s when communication with the husband deteriorates to grunts unless you’re offering more afore-mentioned pork rinds. It’s when nookie is squeezed into 2 minute warning commercials and half-time…unless it’s the Superbowl.

Football, oh how I detest thee…

That is until two years ago when I discovered the Pittsburg Steelers. Or more accurately Troy Polamalu, the Steelers’ uh…umm…well, his position isn’t important.
I mean, have you seen his hair??

Sigh.

One fateful Sunday night two years ago I decided to be self-sacrificing and long-suffering and sit through a football game. And who should I see busting across the screen but a strong, authoritative, no-holds-barred player who destroyed everyone in his path! Oh and did I mention how his dark, wavy mane of hair just poured out the back of his helmet?
I was entranced by his presence, his talent, his confidence…

And the way his dark curly locks hit the middle of his back.

I soon discovered that this bastion of Gridiron superiority was Troy Polamalu. Of Samoan descent, he is a hard-hitting…uh…err…like I said the position isn’t important. His speed, agility and dark beauty reminds me of a panther, sleek and dangerous. How one can be so terrifying on the football field and then such a soft-spoken gentleman off the field is endearing and hero-worthy. What woman doesn’t love an aggressive and dominant man who can still be gentle when—and where—it counts? And when he removes his helmet …Hallelujah!! Hosannas break out! The man is beautiful in a little-grass-shack-in-Hawaii-save-the-virgin-from-the-roaring-volcano way. (Please cut the snickering. I never said I was the virgin!)

Needless to say, my husband and I spend quality time together every Sunday between July and February…well, except when the Steelers have a by-week…Anyhoo, because you are a sexy gentle giant with gorgeous locks and you bridged the communication gap between husband and wife, Troy Polamalu, you are…Hawtie of the Month!

Temptation is Unleashed with Savannah Stuart!

2009-10-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

Unleashed Temptation – Available Now from Ellora’s Cave
After finding out her boyfriend has been cheating on her with her boss, Carly decides her life needs a makeover. She trades in her winter coat for a bikini and heads south to Miami, Florida. Almost as soon as she arrives, she falls in lust with the sexiest man she’s ever laid eyes on. Too bad he’s her new boss.
Alpha werewolf Nick gave up hope of finding his mate a century ago. When sexy redhead Carly comes to work for him, she disrupts his entire world. Although he desperately wants to come clean about what he is, he keeps running into problems. Like the fact that an ancient enemy has set his sights on Carly. Nick discovers he’ll go to any lengths to keep her safe. Even if it means losing her in the process.
　
Read excerpt here.
Purchase digital version here.
For more titles from Savannah Stuart, click here.
For a chance to win a copy of Unleashed Temptation, visit Sarai J’s Blog here.

And the Winner Is....

2009-10-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

As the title hints, the winner of the Sweet Ultimatum Release Day basket is "Angel"!! Congratulations, Angel! If you'll email me privately at nsimonebooks@aol.com I can gather your information and send the basket out to you.

Thank you all so much for visiting the blog and leaving comments. But most of all thank you for celebrating with me and making it a wonderful release day!! You're all awesome!!
Naima

Free to Soar

2009-10-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

“You have to let it all go. Fear, doubt and disbelief. Free your mind.”

This is what Morpheus told Neo in “The Matrix” before he leaped a great distance from the top of one building to the next. As most everyone knows, Neo tried to jump after him and plummeted to the ground. His mind hadn’t been freed, so he couldn’t make the jump.

This part reminded me of a scripture in Philippians 4:13 that states, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Notice the wording there. Not just “things”, but “all things”. Now whether you’re a Christian or not…whether you liked “The Matrix” or not…whether you believe you actually exist in “The Matrix” or not…they both declare the same thing. Don’t put limits on me. By the freeing of my mind, I’m limitless!

There is power in freedom. As a writer, I understand what it is to be held in bondage. Not physical enslavement, but held captive by fear, insecurity and inadequacy. Becoming a published author was intended for other people, not an African-American woman from a small town in New Jersey. But at some point, my mind was renewed and set free to the truth. The only limits on my life were the ones I set for myself.

I think about the writers I’ve met who came from humble beginnings, faced circumstances that would have broken others and still persevered to attain their dreams. Their minds were freed to soar like the eagle. And like the eagle that not only flies above the storm, but uses the winds to buoy him up, writers utilize rejections and disappointments to hone their craft, make them stronger and better…and fly above. It’s then that nothing holds them back. They can look towards seemingly impossible dreams and goals, claiming them because they know and believe that all things—good and bad—work for their benefit. When the mind is free, life is free. When the mind is free, we’re able to fly.

Think back again to “The Matrix”. At the end of the film, Neo’s mind had been freed to believe in who he was, The One. And what did he do?

He soared.

Sweet Ultimatum
by Naima Simone

Caitlin Madison has returned home after a self-imposed exile. Haunted by the erotic memories of the man she once loved and abandoned, Caitlin is unprepared to come face-to-face with Selig Richardson and the hunger resurrected under his golden gaze. Even as her body craves his touch, she denies him, realizing her reasons for terminating their relationship so long ago are as valid now as they were then.

Six years have passed since Selig Richardson left New Eden, WA disillusioned and bitter after Caitlin Madison’s cold denial of him and his love. Now he’s returned, demanding retribution for her cruel rejection. The payment: her body.

Unknown to Selig, Caitlin has harbored a deadly secret all these years. And as love awakens with each passionate encounter, so does the danger that has simmered for almost a decade. Once again, Caitlin is forced to make a choice between a future with the man she's never stopped loving or crush his heart...and save his life.

2009-10-04T20:26:00.000-07:00

It took me forever to see the movie, "Apocalypto", the name of which I still can't say without stumbling over it at least two times. The subtitles didn't put me off--I mean, I am a reader--but I knew with the subject matter it would be gory and I freely admit I'm a punk when it comes to blood...and knives...and sacrifice...But once I started watching it, I was completely entranced. Not just by the cinematic beauty, but by the story and the main character, Jaguar Paw.

As a lover of Alpha men, Jaguar Paw inspired quite a few dreams that night! Phew! Even with a bone in his lip and being umm...dental-challenged...he blew my mind! To see the evolution of a Beta man to an Alpha when his family and way of life was threatened won me over with the speed of...I don't know...a jaguar. Wily, cunning, strong and determined, he escaped his captors, led them on a chase through the rain forests where he picked them off one-by-one. And what was his goal, his motivation? To save his wife and son before the enemy or the elements found them first. The love that drove him made me not only cheer him on, but adore him!

Rudy Youngblood played Jaguar Paw in "Apocalypto". I'd never heard of him before so of course I had to do a little investigating. And was soon as impressed by him as I was by his character in the movie. A young Native American actor, he has broken ground and found a foothold in an acting world that is notoriously tough to crack. And he has stayed true to his culture, embracing it when the field he seeks to conquer would suggest he "tone it down". I watched a video of him dancing in full Native regalia during a celebration. Yes, it was beautiful, but there's something to be said about a man who possesses that much confidence and pride that he can lose himself in the tradition, beauty and magic of his culture. It's sexy.

So, because of your awe-inspiring portrayal of the warrior, Jaguar Paw, and your unselfconscious celebration of who you are, Rudy Youngblood, you are...Hawtie of the Month!

**To view the video mentioned above of Rudy Youngblood, click on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sxkLtuRaUs. Enjoy**

2009-09-09T18:59:00.000-07:00

A few years ago, Phat Girlz, a movie starring comedienne, Monique, came out in theatres. Truthfully, it had been out on DVD and on TBS long before I bothered looking at it. I just didn’t want to. But my sister nagged me until I gave in—and I didn’t do so graciously, I might add. The movie is about a plus-sized woman who wants to break into the fashion industry that has no place for women of voluptuous physiques. Along the way, she meets a man who loves her for her--size and all. Not only does she have to come to believe in her talent, but she also must accept that this fine man can love a woman of her stature.

Enter Jimmy Jean Louis. He plays, Dr.Tunde Jonathan, Monique’s love interest. While the acting, cinematography, and plot was umm…okay (I’m not Siskel and Eibert, mind you, but it’s not winning an Emmy!), what captured my interest and imagination was Jimmy Jean Louis, or rather his character. Smooth, Hershey Kiss chocolate skin, dark sexy eyes, adorable smile and “Slap a Warning Label on that Thing!” body aside, his love for her made him positively drool-worthy. So many times we say, “Oh, he loves her in spite of her weight.” No, he adored everything about this woman—her intelligence, talent, charisma and her body. How sexy is a man who looks at a woman's hips and doesn't see a flaw but one of her perfect, unique characteristics? The way he spoke to her…the way he looked at her…the way he touched her…they were as sexy as his “If You Touch Me With that Thing I Will Faint” body.

I’m sure Jimmy Jean Louis has played in other roles, but he will always be Dr. Tunde Jonathan to me. And because his shiver at the sight of a curvaceous body made me shiver, Jimmy Jean Louis aka Tunde Jonathan, you are…Hawtie of the Month!

2009-08-05T09:38:00.001-07:00

“Here we are…born to be kings! We’re the princes of the universe!”
And with the onset of the guitar riff from that Queen rock anthem, all work, talking and studying ceased because Highlander had come on. There were only two times in the day that complete solidarity could be found in the dorm at my college: 1 p.m. for The Jerry Springer Show and 6 p.m. for Highlander. On both shows people fought, followed funny scripts and had only one man left standing. But, Highlander had Adrian Paul.

Duncan MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod.

With the exception of Linda Howard’s, Niall in “Son of the Morning” is there a man who’s sexier in a kilt than Duncan MacLeod? But then, it didn’t matter. The hair (though his long, don’t-you-just-want-to-grab-it ponytail remains by far my favorite!), clothes and the century changed, but the man was pure Alpha male for five hundred years! The accent that wooed like a smooth dark, wine. The war-honed body that could wield a sword on the battlefield and the bedroom…pun definitely intended. And that smile? He could do more with a smile then most men could with dinner and a movie!

Still, Duncan was more. And isn’t that what all women want? More. Witnessing his skill in battle as he chopped off the head of his opponent and received an electric shock that could have made Charlie Manson sane, you knew Duncan was powerful enough to not only be the last immortal standing, but to also be the last man standing protecting you. The way he could flip the script and shift from humorous to dangerous when detecting a threat never failed to elicit a shiver of pure deliciousness from me. Duncan would die to protect and keep the ones he loved. I remember watching the series and loving the way he loved Tessa. He possessed a touch of the bad boy with the bevy of beauties he bedded through the centuries, but when it came down to it, Duncan was a one-woman man. What is sexier than fidelity? Unless it’s fidelity in a man who is loyal, caring, courageous and immortal? It’s pretty heady stuff!

For these reasons, Duncan MacLeod, you are…

Hawtie of the Month!