Category Archives: Uncategorized

Wolf Moon

Last night was the “Wolf Moon” Jan 16th. The first full moon of winter.

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I decided to celebrate my up coming release from Rebel Ink Press, “Shifter’s Legacy” and the follow up story later next year “Shifter’s Alliance”

Legacy is volume 4 in “The Amethyst Desire Collection” recounting the mysterious travels of that magical necklace.

Today I’ll host a few posts that give you a peek into the world of were-shifters.

Nathan Barnes one of our heroes and Addison Barnes our heroine.

“Addison Barnes has loved Nathan since the moment she looked into the deep brown eyes of the injured grey wolf brought to her rescue facility and saw a human soul.”

Perhaps they need a prequel story about this event and how it all happened.

Duncan Black our second hero. Yes, we have a second hero. “Shifter’s Legacy is a menage erotic romance story.

“Duncan’s life changed forever when he’s stranded in the quaint (er…hole in the wall) north Florida town for a part for his motorcycle. The chance meeting with Addison gives him the opportunity to earn a little cash and regroup before heading on to his next destination, somewhere else. Addison and her curvy little ass are a significant distraction to his fence building chores. With his own secret to hide, he’s not prepared to be swept into a whole different world.”

And then there is the wee barn.

“Baby Logan in a fit of temper makes his first shift to wolf and unwittingly sets things into motion that will bring danger to all their lives. Now Nathan, Addison and Duncan must prepare the pack against the threat of genocide for their race.”

Hang out with me today as we meet the characters this world in “Shifter’s Legacy”

What a Joyous, Appreciate A Dragon Day

I appreciate dragons. I really do. I would venture to say I LOVE dragons. I have a wall shelf of dragon statues, dragon art. I’ve been called a dragon by x’es who shall remain nameless. Like an award show, the list is much too long. I will admit to some dragonic traits.

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Which calls to thought the concept that even the villain is the hero of his own story. Dragon Guardian isn’t without a heinous villain. This bad guy first made his appearance in “Dar’kind Promises” when he abducted Maura. That segment in time overlaps the action in “Dragon Guardian” (TBR May, 2014)

What do you think of this baddie?

Draft Excerpt.

Damn, for something so soft and thin, this hide was resilient. By appearance, the skin should part like hot butter. The harsh hacking sound of the skin ripping echoed through the cavernous room. The hide fought the knife like reinforced Kevlar. Maybe  the blade was too dull. He had to remove a large enough piece to discover the hidden secrets. The smaller pieces so far hadn’t revealed their magic.

Working always helped him think to sharpen the analytical edge of his scientific mind. He concentrated on his task as the icor and blood coated his gloved hands, pouring from the shallow slicing wounds to channel down the sides of the great beast and puddle on the floor. The monstrous creature’s body remained stretched and pinned by low frequency sound-waves interlaced with a heavy base throb. The right frequency pitch incapacitated the brute, a quite effective restraint with the help of pig iron chain, when experiments required direct hands-on contact. The wretched creature moaned between screams of rage and pain while he worked at peeling a bath sheet-sized swath of skin from the large dragon’s body.

There Be Dragons Here – Appreciate A Dragon Day Celebration

Dragons are opinionated, bossy and uncooperative. As a rule they tend toward the crafty and manipulative spectrum of personality traits. They are never wrong and seldom ask for directions.

Ethan and Caleb have no idea what they are in for when they meet Cathwren. She is quite unexpected and puts their well ordered, albeit if unsatisfactory, life in a blender.

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Excerpt draft:

Caleb stood at the door and jiggled the handle he already knew was locked. The shock of the morning’s events had taken their toll. His thoughts were Swiss cheese “It’s locked.”

Ethan’s mental tone didn’t communicate any of his outward calm. Genius, of course it’s still locked. The keys probably went flying when she fell.

Caleb turned to take her from Ethan arms and free him to jimmy the lock. Ethan, you’ll have to break in.

“Don’t you dare break my doors.” They both froze at her command. Of course, she could still hear their mental dialogue. The emotional claiming was so fresh, that psychic pathway remained wide open between them. She might not even realize she was privy to their thoughts and heard it as if spoken aloud.

I searched months for those doors, carted them all the way back from Orlando, refinished them myself. Might as well rip my heart out and stomp it into the pavement. How dare you consider breaking my doors down… you big…big oafs?

Caleb flooded by  her memory of the countless hours she’d spent searching for the double doors that would provide the entrance to her world, Salynne’s. Additional untold hours spent stripping and refinishing the doors to their former beauty. Her joy in the treasure was immeasurable.

“I have the key.” She opened her right hand, revealing the keys and various deep cuts they’d made across her palm from gripping them during the fall.

Ethan narrowed his gaze staring at the places where the keys sliced into her skin gouging through the flesh of her hand. Caleb concentrated on tempering his brother’s energy as he vibrated with helpless anger.

Ethan’s eyes bored into his, sparks of fury igniting their brown depths. He growled. “I promise you, Caleb, if it’s within my power, the person who hurt our mate is going to suffer.”

Dragons, Dragons, Dragons. It’s National Appreciate A Dragon Day

Because humans are crunchy and good to eat.

Ever wonder about those pesky dragons of the middle ages? Where did they come from?

Well of course they were shape shifters from the other side of the veil. Yes, intelligent dragons shifters from Wyrmarach over here on holiday so to speak. It didn’t end well.

There are still dragons among us. They’re doing a better job of remaining an invisible subculture. It wouldn’t do to have a dragon the size of a bus pop out in the air over Chicago now would it?

Ethan and Caleb are Enforcers sent here to make sure their kind stay hidden from humans.

Drakins of Wyrmarach

vol 1 Dragon Guardian (TBR May 3, 2014)

Draft exerpt:

Caleb Monroe shook the antique doors of Salynne’s Crystals & Thyme, a new age curiosities and notions shop. The business hours proclaimed in bold black letters that the store should have opened half an hour ago. The sign made a metallic ping against the windowed double frame as Caleb rattled the knob again. The sharp sound echoed a counterpoint to the psychic vibration, which annoyed him since dawn. The heavy walnut door wobbled but didn’t budge.

Caleb turned to his brother. “Ethan, any special reason we’re at a new age trinket shop.”

“Would you go for early Christmas shopping.” Ethan exuded a capable calm air Caleb sometimes found reassuring, but today it pressed all his ir-ri-tate-the-crap-outa-me buttons. He’d been growling at his identical twin since daybreak.

Caleb turned on his heel and snorted. “Riigghtt.” He stalked the real estate in front of the store, brushing past planters of green growing things. The clean aroma of herbs floated up from the container gardens failed to ease his rising agitation. He paused to scan the street. An uneasy tingle of premonition radiated up the short hairs of his neck. Something wasn’t right. Something really bad was close to happening, something cataclysmic bad, something in the realm of the mother-of-all-bad.

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Appreciate A Dragon Day

The Day of the Dragons. How could I resist? Especially after reading about monster erotica being the new rage. I shakes muh head.

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To celebrate I’m releasing a wee snippet of my work in progress Dragon Guardian vol 1 of Drakins of Wyrmarach.

DRAFT: Back Story and Set up for the Book.

Many generations ago, a class division erupted in Drakin society resulting in the Arach human to dragon shifter clan becoming the ruling power and the Wyrm dragon to human shifter clan becoming response driven animals, muscle behind the power. The joint distinction faded through the passage of time to become WyrmArach and then Wyrmarach a bastardization pronounced Were March. The significance of the joined name is lost on the inhabitants, their history faded. The Dragon Guardian emerged as spiritual leader of the two halves, bringing the voice of the Goddess to balance the two energies in peaceful co-existence.

Their world is separated from ours by a wide gulf of difference protected by the veil. A world mired in history where nothing is allowed to change. Order reigns under the guidance of an autocratic matriarch with a very specific view of acceptable moral citizenry and a firm grasp on maintaining her power.   A bitter Queen whose mind set is so oppressive her own sons were banished as defective and an embarrassment which might threaten her rule.

Ethan and Caleb Monroe are in a word, unusual. They live among us in exile, charged with enforcing the barrier between our worlds, keeping their dimension and Drakin society hidden. The Queen dictated their exile to ensure there would not be another fiasco like the middle dark ages when dragons though they could go and come through the veil as they pleased.

A messiah is needed to usher in a new Drakin era in Wyrmarach one of understanding and tolerance. Where can salvation be found? The curtain between worlds is thinning tempting some to look to Earth Dimension for answers. Wouldn’t it be unusual if salvation rested in the hands of a somewhat ordinary human named Cathwren, who turns out to not be very ordinary at all.

Drakins of Wyrmarach

vol 1 Dragon Guardian’

vol 2 Dragon Mark

Vol 3 Dragon Kings

Marketing the Author Brand

I am so thrilled I just received my banner and stand to use in guest appearances this spring.Image

I will be able to use it for the library presentation Jill and I are doing at the Public Library titled “The Joy of Reading and Writing or The Kama Sutra of Literacy”.  I also have a presentation called “Writing Short is the New Big”.

Then, looking forward to having an opening event at some of the local indy book stores.

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Some of us just take everything laying down

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Sneak Peek – Spring/Summer 2014 To Be Released by Eden Glenn

It has been a busy six months. I’ve settled into my mountain home in North Carolina. So many fun things in life to keep me distracted and enjoying life. Discipline prevails and I have some new releases coming your way over the next six months.  Here is a sneak peek at those Spring/Summer 2014 Releases.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on titles and these draft blurbs. One random commenter can receive a special Eden Glenn T-Shirt. Name the bar, give me a character last name. Astound me and you’ll get swag. LOL Happy Reading.

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Shifter’s Legacy

Rebel Ink Press – Release TBD

Rolling in at just under 20K. Paranormal Erotic Romance (Menage)

Draft Blurb

Addison Barnes has loved Nathan since the moment she looked into the deep brown eyes of the injured grey wolf brought to her rescue facility and saw a human soul. Yet, the complications of the birth of their first child, demands of mothering and keeping her wolf rescue running leaves Addison feeling less like a sexy mate and more like a saggy mom. She’s frightened of the pervading consequences of their son Logan manifesting shape shifting abilities. She longs to regain her confidence and sexual vitality and carefree demeanor. She hires drifter Duncan Black to help with some of the more physical chores at the rescue Nathan doesn’t have time to accomplish. Duncan proves to be an attractive distraction.

Duncan’s life changed forever when he’s stranded in the quaint (er…hole in the wall) north Florida town for a part for his motorcycle. The chance meeting with Addison gives him the opportunity to earn a little cash and regroup before heading on to his next destination, somewhere else. Addison and her curvy little ass are a significant distraction to his fence building chores. With his own secret to hide, he’s not prepared to be swept into a whole different world. Covertly witnessing what seems to be a wolf turning into his boss, Duncan realizes the couple might hold the key to his own mystery.

Nathan Barnes struggles to unite his pack. Key to their future is whether his human wife can help him secure the next generation of shape shifting wolves through their offspring. Or will the shifter genetics be diluted by human ones? Duncan’s presence gives a much needed buffer from all the stress. Nathan purchases an amethyst pendant from Salynne’s Crystals and Thyme as a gift of love for his beautiful wife. Sparks ignite as Nathan demonstrates to Addison the lengths he will go to for her happiness. Uncharacteristic of his Alpha possessiveness, he wants to fulfill Addison’s fantasy of a ménage with Duncan.

After weeks of handy man chores by day and lusting after Addison by night, Duncan doesn’t want to resist the offer of a weekend threesome. Planning to leave after their weekend of carnal debauchery anyway what could it matter?

With a lot of sex and a little magic, Addison begins to believe in the advantages of her womanly power. She finds joy in the love she shares with Nathan extending to Duncan. Will a one-time weekend celebration be enough for the three of them or will they insist on the promise of something more?

Baby Logan in a fit of temper makes his first shift to wolf and unwittingly sets things into motion that will bring danger to all their lives. Now Nathan, Addison and Duncan must prepare the pack against the threat of genocide for their race. Can Addison rise to the challenge and convince the pack, her husband and her lover to accept her as their best source for protection.

Shifter’s Alliance – Story to Follow: (Draft Blurb) Death comes to the small north Florida town in the form of Etienne and Julian Reynaud, two Wolf Hunters, er werewolf hunters to their friends from Louisiana. Oddly for a place sponsoring the Chinsequet Wolf Rescue there is a remarkable lack of wolves in this town. Luckily they’ve found great hunting at the local watering hole (NAME THAT BAR). Angelica (LAST NAME NEEDED) and Saffron (LAST NAME NEEDED) are hot enough to make any man howl. 

Angelica and Saffron are foster sisters that learned their mysterious genetic heritage gave them the blessing/curse of wolf shape shifting. As they carry out the pack’s plan to side-line the wolf hunters will their distraction turn to love? They’re on a hunt for their lives.

Dragon Guardian Vol 1 of Drakins of Wyrmarach

Direct Publication to be released early May, 2014

Rolling in at potentially a 50K Novel Paranormal Erotic Romance (Menage)

Draft Blurb

Bad-boy twins, Ethan and Caleb Monroe are exiled by Drakin society because of their defective Dragon form, two heads are unacceptable. They’ve gotten used to breaking rules to help their world. Their sensory powers draw them to Cathwren Aldridge, the one woman they could both love, just in time to save her from certain death. Much to their surprise, she’s the lost descendent of Wyrmarach’s Dragon Guardian and rightful heir to the title. They have to break the oldest custom of all, risking everything on the chance to awaken ‘Wren’s’ powers and rekindle the magic of the Drakin’s world.

Wren came to the small North Florida town to enjoy a quiet life running her shop, Salynne’s Crystals and Thyme. Now Wren’s on the run from ancient enemies who want to kill her and the ‘Watchers’ who think she should be secluded in a Temple communing with the Goddess. The whole thing sounds like a bizarre SyFy movie. Yet something is happening, unleashing feelings she can’t deny, feelings that whisper she’s something more than ordinary. Her conscience wages war with emotions urging her to climb in bed with these two very sexy dragon shifters and stay there.

The trio embarks on a hunt to uncover and eliminate the threat against Wren’s birthright. Will their people accept such a deformed dragon as Kings.  Can such a closed society accept a human as Guardian and Queen?  Together they struggle to claim their shared destiny as Dragon Guardian of WyrmArach and Monarchs of the Realm.

Vol 2 – Dragon’s Mark

Vol 3 – Dragon Kings

Tamed By Fire Promo Day for Maxine Mansfield

Tamed by Fire is a wonderful title. As someone who struggles with creating them, I can appreciate a good one. Take a look.

Maxine will be awarding a $25 Amazon or BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

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Castles and dragons, hunky hero, gorgeous heroine. What’s not to love.

BLURB:

Kitrina Dragonheart is a hunted woman, but the last thing the savvy rogue wants is to partner in a quest with the arrogant but oh-so-sexy prince who deflowered her. But when the threat extends to her legacy and her loved ones, she has no choice but to accept his skills as an extraordinary warrior. Now if she can just get past the distraction of his touch.

Barbarian Zander Hammerstrike vowed to protect Kit with his life. But who’s going to protect Zander from the sensually sassy human? She’s playing havoc on his sanity—as well as his libido—and she’s on the verge of stealing his heart…again. He can’t let that happen. As future ruler of Alaria, Zander must take a barbarian wife to keep the bloodline pure, and Kit being human…

Destined from birth to follow different paths, their love seems impossible, but does the Dragon Heart Opal have other plans in store for the pair?

***

Okay I’ll say it I’m already hooked from the blurb. But this is a review tour so I dug into read the juicy manuscript.

So I settled down to read.

Maxine Mansfield has done a credible job of world building this fantasy environment. I identified with the characters and got on board right away cheering for them. I laughed in all the right parts. This delightful writer took me on board for a wonderful read. Maxine Mansfield has a talent for delivering humor and those tingly erotic scenes. It has all the components I read erotic fantasy for and more. Where is that hunky barbarian to call me kitten. ohhh so good. Well done.

Aww Indeed. Maxine Mansfield…..

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you’ve found another fan.

EXCERPT:

A girl’s deflowering is a once-in-a-lifetime event…

He didn’t say a word as they walked from the great room or even as they made their way down the long hall. Not a “hi, how are you?” Not a “how have you been?” Not even an “I’ve always been attracted to you, and I’m looking forward to doing this.” Nothing but silence.

When the door of her chamber clicked closed behind them, shutting them all alone from the rest of the world, Kitrina jumped at the sound of the bolt tumbling into place. She searched for something clever to say. Where was the speech she’d prepared just yesterday? The witty words meant to assure Zander that she was a woman full grown, sophisticated even? Words meant to put them both at ease?

They were gone, completely gone, and her mind totally blank.

Well, perhaps not totally blank. Even though she no longer faced him, she could still hear the depth of his breathing and in her mind still see the ripple of his muscles, the intensity of his gaze, the nearness of his lips. She gulped.

When his hands lifted her hair away and his fingers grazed the skin at the back of her neck, heat infused her from head to toe, and though certainly not cold, she shivered.

“Easy, my lady. Relax, all will be well. You shall see.”

The closure of her gown suddenly gave way, and with a whoosh, the gossamer green material pooled about her feet. Kit stepped out of it, took a deep breath to steady herself, then turned to face him. The appreciation for what he saw reflected back to her from his heated gaze and bolstered her shaky nerves as nothing else on Albrath could have. Though his breathing appeared steady, his lips parted and his nostrils slightly flared.

Kitrina reached out and undid the clasp holding his kilt together. There was no mistaking his attraction to her as the plaid fell to the floor.

 AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Hi, my name is Maxine Mansfield, and I write fantasy, erotic romances. I live in the far northern state of Alaska where the summer days are long and the winter nights even longer. I have one very special man, his three equally special children, and our six delightful grandchildren in my life. Not to mention a very bossy African Grey parrot named Gabriel. Oh, and Gnomes! Many, many Gnomes!

Visit Maxine at  http://www.maxinemansfield.com

Buy link Amazon:

Blog Tour coming soon – Tamed By The Fire

I’m hosting the author of Tamed By The Fire on The 10th of January. I’m thrilled to have Maxine Mansfield as my guest later in this month. It is a review tour so I’m eagerly looking forward to reading this selection.

Check out these earlier stops for the tour for a chance to win prizes.

Maxine will be awarding a $25 Amazon or BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

VBT_TamedByTheFire_Banner
January 6: My Tangled Skeins Book Reviews
January 7: Long and Short Reviews
January 8: Wicked Readings by Tawania
January 9: From Me to You … Video, Photography, & Book Reviews
January 10: Eden Glenn, Author

 

2013 Success in Fiction Sales

I am so pleased to be named a “Rebel Ink Press Best of 2013” for the year. It is the first time I’ve enjoyed this honor.

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I am fascinated by numbers and patterns. I don’t know that there is anything to be learned from the statistics but interesting to note.

Looking at 2013 sales reveals some interesting numbers.

I sold 1,461 ebooks from my 6 short novellette titles.

The Galloping Ghoul of Hockomock Swamp Historic M/M released 6/2/12,

Raynia’s Magic Contemporary M/F/M released 1/29/12,

Dar’kind Promises Paranormal F/F released 2/1/13,

Beverly’s Secret Contemporary F/F released 4/15/13,

Dragon’s Unbound Paranormal M/M released 6/30/13,

Phoenix Reborn Paranormal F/F released 9/15/13.

Quarterly numbers.

First Quarter 22 copies of three titles sold

The Galloping Ghoul of Hockomock Swamp

Raynia’s Magic

Dar’kind Promises

Second Quarter 407 Copies of four titles sold “Beverly’s Secret” Released to add to the above.

Third Quarter 1032 copies of  six titles sold

Dragon’s Unbound and Phoenix Reborn released to add to the above.

Beverly’s Secret remains my most popular seller with 1,360 … the lion share of sales.

If there is anything to be noticed as a take home message is that backlist is important. Keep writing. I suspect momentum is a key factor. It’s easier to push a train once it is moving.

Comment with your thoughts and observations. I’d like to hear what some of you math geeks have to say about this growth.