Fantastic Fives on Bonnie Edwards

Five phrases or words that describe you:

Tenacious (15 years on the road to publication!),
Weird (all my life other people have used this descriptor),
Funny,
Questioning
and
finally for those who think only of the physical: Tall.

Five people and/or things that inspire you:

The great outdoors. (It's very cheering!)
Movies and television.
Real life situations that are absurdly touching for any number of reasons...but they must create emotional responses in me.
My emotionally fearless children.
And too many writers to count!

Five of your favorite authors:

EC Sheedy, Romantic Suspense,
Margaret Moore, Historical,
Nora Roberts,
JR Ward (my one and only vampire author)
and
Jack Bickham for his how-to writing books.

Describe five of your heroes/heroines of your books in you eyes :

In Slow Hand, (Pure Sex July 2006) Teri is ready to reassess her life when she finds herself on her honeymoon alone. With Jared McKay's help she decides to change everything...
In Midnight Confessions,(1 and II - 2007) Faye Grantham is another woman in flux about her life. When she inherits a haunted bordello she finally sees her destiny and accepts complete upheaval, in the midst of discovering who she really is. There are various ghost stories in this series. Each ghost joins the bordello for different reasons. One's a new bride married to an abuser, one's the daughter of a religious zealot, another is a destitute wife, another a sex-loving adventuress...each one finds love with the absolutely wrong man for them in the sequel. Each heroine has a different internal conflict and each hero exacerbates their particular conflict so at first blush...they seem like the wrong man. But there's a lot of growth potential in each hero and heroine in this series. It was a lot of fun to write.
In Thigh High (Feb 2008) I have a trilogy of novellas that explore more change: A late night DJ who think he wants one thing changes direction when he meets an adoring fan. There's one more story set in Perdition House (the bordello) which has two people lying their way through the story and finding love in spite of their lies.
I'm sure that's way more than five but I'm seeing a pattern emerge: Change and going for your dreams seems to recur throughout my writing.

Five reasons to read your books:

I try to slip some humor into most of them. Maybe "try" isn't the right word...I think humor falls into the writing unconsciously.
My editor tells me my writing is "warmhearted and hot", a rare combination.
I'd like to keep publishing so the more people who buy these books...the better the chance I'll get to write more.
And truly, hearing that I've eased someones otherwise crummy day makes me all misty-eyed. I don't know if any readers understand how absolutely wonderful it is to have something that comes from my heart directly impact their heart, makes me feel. It's addictive.
And I thank from the bottom of my heart, every person who allows that to happen.

Bonnie will be here throughout the day to answer questions and comments. She has a copy of Built to giveaway to a lucky commentor.

-- Bonnie Edwards, Midnight Confessions 1 and 2, and Built 4 Stars from RT!
View the trailer at: www.bonnieedwards.com

Built by Amie Stuart, Jami Alden, and Bonnie Edwards

Built by Amie Stuart, Jami Alden, and Bonnie Edwards

Strong, sexy, and with a killer smile, he’s the rock hard working man who always has the right tools for the job—especially where her pleasure is concerned...

Kink Amie Stuart
A manicurist by day, blond bombshell Cherise likes to walk on the wild side at night, where uninhibited sex comes in every style and flavor. And she’s got the right moves to get gorgeous, green-eyed air-conditioner repairman D’Angelo out of the Texas heat and into her sizzling world where a little extra spice makes lovin’ extra nice.

Down And Dirty Jami Alden
Business exec Taylor Flynn storms next door to complain about the noisy weed whacking, but her mouth goes dry—and the rest of her melts with wet, wild longing—when she meets the man himself, landscape contractor Joe Tierney. Now he’s ready to show this all-work-and-no-play woman that it’s time to get naked...and get dirty.

Rock SolidBonnie Edwards
Florida carpenter Jake McKay can’t resist the honey voice insisting he travel cross country to renovate an historic Seattle estate. When he meets Lexa Creighton, it’s a lust at first touch, and skin-scorching pleasure all the way. But it’s going to take a little help from some amorous ghosts to keep this rock solid man where he belongs—in Lexa’s bed.

Pick up Built at your local store or go here

Books To Look Out For

Hidden Moon by Lori Handeland

(BCC)
He’s got a secret...
Claire Kennedy left Lake Bluff, Georgia, for the bright lights of Atlanta and a promising career in journalism. Now, recovering from a cruel betrayal, she’s back in the one place she always felt safe, starting over as Lake Bluff’s new mayor. But then trouble comes to town in the form of Malachi Cartwright, a man whose past is as mysterious as his present—a man who awakens something dangerous in sensible, realistic Claire.

That leaves her hungry for more
When a tourist claims to have been mauled by a vicious wolf, and when the attacks turn deadly, Malachi’s strange behavior rouses Claire’s suspicions. Could he have a secret agenda and a sinister reason for coming to Lake Bluff? Malachi is the only man who could tempt Claire to succumb to her desires—but he’s the last person she can trust. And as an eclipse approaches, the secrets of the hidden moon will come to light, and a deadly enemy will be revealed at last…

Ceremony of Seduction by Cassie Ryan

When Dreams Of Desire…
Twenty-three-year-old Alyssa Moss has lived her whole life in the shadow of her beautiful family. Voluptuous where they are lean, brunette where they are blonde, Alyssa is convinced she is an ugly duckling who will never become a swan. The only thing that sustains her is a recurring dream in which a seductive stranger named Stone worships and pleasures every inch of her. But maddeningly, Stone always disappears just as Alyssa is on the edge of dizzying ecstasy—with a puzzling promise that one day he will find her. That day has come….

Become Reality…
For years, Stone has searched for the kidnapped first princess of his people—an other-worldly clan whose life-force is sexual energy. Alyssa is that princess, stolen by
a rival faction and banished to live on Earth. But now Stone has found her and will return her to her rightful home, one in which she will own the curvaceous body she
was born with—and the passionate desire that throbs within it as she learns an endless variety of delicious pleasures and discovers the infinite power she feels when all her cravings are satisfied…

Absolute Power by Sierra Dafoe

Emotionally scarred by an abusive lover, Mia has vowed that no man will ever have power over her again -- indeed, it is now she who has power over them as a wealthy and highly sought after dominatrix. But when she hears about a strange nightclub called Dominion, run by a mysterious figure who’s rumored to be a vampire, Mia begins hungering for the absolute power of immortality.
In return for fulfilling her wish, though, Fyodor demands that for one night she submit herself utterly to him, servicing not only him but the five other vampires of his clave as well! And now Mia must face the emotions she’s been running from for so long -- her terror of being hurt again, and her deeply buried desire to be mastered.
Trapped at the mercy of six overpoweringly handsome vampires, can Mia find the courage to let down her guard and discover the ecstasy of submitting herself completely to their sexual demands?

Torqued by Emma Ray Garrett

Pru Gordon has spent the last ten years under the dominant rule of the Relic Group, learning and honing her unique telepathic skills. Now that she’s graduated from the order and is a fully licensed Reliant Agent, she is free to shed the ill-fitting skin of a submissive and be the alpha she must to succeed at Ovelia -- the hottest BDSM club in Atlanta. Being a dominatrix gives her perfect access to the Nightside she polices. And it lets her fulfill her fantasies at the same time. It’s the perfect life.
Until the night she meets Gage Mills and Ro Thomas. The two vampires’ cadres have been at war for a century, putting the safety of both humans and the Nightside in jeopardy. Both men are definitely top-dog types, so Pru’s heart beats hard when HQ assigns her the job of Collaring them. Despite the tiny voice in her mind suggesting she might be in over her head, Pru is determined to close the case.
When two of the darkest predators around meet up with the best Controller alive, things are bound to get messy… Just what the Domme ordered.

What Your Latte Says About You

What Your Latte Says About You

You are easygoing and pretty simple to please. You don't put up a fuss... ever. You are a very frivolous person. You don't take anything too seriously. Why should you? You have a good deal of energy, but you pace yourself. You never burn out too fast. You're addicted to caffeine. There's no denying it. You are responsible, mature, and truly an adult. You're occasionally playful, but you find it hard to be carefree. You are sophisticated and daring, but you are never snobby.

What Does Your Latte Say About You?

Welcome Guest Blogger Kristin Battestella

Five phrases or words that describe you:

Well,

I'm a bit weird,

with a dry sense of humor.

Serious and yet whimsical at the same time.

Creative

and kind.

Five people and/or things that inspire you:

Jesus,

my Parents,

my fiance Jason,

and maybe not the fear of failure

but the desire to succeed.

Five of your favorite authors:

Charles Dickens,

C.S. Forester,

J.R.R. Tolkien,

Isaac Asimov,

Edgar Rice Burroughs.

I had a big Anne Rice phase back in the day, but that would be six!

Five facts about your heroes/heroines of your book:

Antonio is the family patriarch and he tries to keep everyone around him under his control.
Samantha is the 'black sheep' of the family because she doesn't want to be a vampire.
Elizabeth remains married to Antonio for 800 years, despite his on and off affair with her sister Ann.
Victoria has many fledglings, but either she tires of them or they her. If she tires of them first, it doesn't end well.
Jean is only part of the Welshire Clan for a year before he decides to take matters into his own hands and destroy The Vampire Family.

Five reasons to read your book:

There's enough romance for romance readers, but its not like a lot of the Romeo and Juliet vampire paranormals out there.
It's gothic, not gory scary and all out horror. A mature, classic styled read.
Younger readers 16 and up can relate to the parental issues, peer pressures, and religious themes because they aren't too obvious.
A touch of vampire action and coven wars from the 12 century to the 21st-something for everyone!
Vampires are people with problems, too!

Kristin

http://jsnouff.com/kristin

http://jsnouff.com/kristin/blog/

The Vampire Family By Kristin Battestella

The Vampire Family By Kristin Battestella

Book 1: Conflict

Antonio Welshire’s downfall begins as a young man in the British Isles almost 1,000 years ago. Caught between abuse and poverty, Antonio's ambition leads him to power, and a unique stranger named Mestiphles. Antonio's tyranny, however, is contested by Gaston-Antonio’s shrewd and charismatic young rival. Will Antonio be victorious against the unruly Gaston and gain Mestiphles’ favor? Or will the battle destroy Antonio and his family?


To get a sneak peak of the first few chapters go here

Tomorrow come back here to read Kristin's Fantastic Five Interview
and to pick up your copy go to Mardi Gras Publishing

A Drive Through The North Shore Town of Haleiwa

The Summer Heat

It's been humid here, I feel like walking around in a bikini all day.

I've been quiet the past few days reading and going out to the beach.

I'll be sharing some pictures over the next few days to brighten your summer days.

Welcome Guest Blogger Kelly McClymer

WHY I WRITE YA:

The time of transition into adulthood fascinates me. I remember my own, my sisters', my friends', and my children's. There's so much I observed and love exploring. The YA readers are less cynical, in my opinion. They are more open to new perspectives and the experiences of others. I hope readers get a laugh or two, a groan of recognition, and a reaffirmation that 'this too shall pass.'

FIVE PHRASES OR WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOU:

quiet,
analytical,
wry,
gentle,
in pursuit of joy

FIVE PEOPLE OR THINGS THAT INSPIRE ME:

Gandhi,
Martin Luther King Jr.,
J.K. Rowling,
my children,
my parents (is that cheating? :-) )

FIVE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS:

Kurt Vonnegut,
Ray Bradbury,
Harper Lee,
J.K. Rowling,
Lois Lowry (there are sooooo many more).

FIVE FACTS ABOUT MY HEROES:

they are all capable,whether they know it or not;
they are all compassionate;
they are all curious (very curious!);
they all have a dream;
they'd do anything for those they love.

FIVE REASONS TO READ MY BOOKS:

to laugh,

to think,
to remind yourself that dreams are gifts to be cherished,
to be surprised,
and

to remind yourself that everyone of us is flawed but lovable at heart.

Kelly McClymer

http://www.kellymcclymer.com/

A Cute Giveaway

You got until tomorrow( July 11th), here's what you will need to do in order to be entered to win:
*Leave a comment on the loveshakbaby post. There will be other posts that refer to the Chittypulga Freedom Giveaway but only comments left on this post will count as an entry.

*Link back to the loveshakbaby post using the "Let Freedom Ring With Chittypulga" banner in a post on your blog or site.

*If you do not have a blog, leave your e-mail address and tell your friends. Your e-mail address will automatically register you for the Chittypulga Newsletter.

*All comments must be entered by midnight, July 11th.

Good Luck To All!

Welcome Guest Blogger Frances Lynn

I didn’t realize FRANTIC would appeal to Young Adult readers when I wrote the first draft in the Seventies. In those days, the term ‘Young Adults’ didn’t exist. In fact, I’m surprised that my hippy historical novel about the nostalgic early Seventies is classified as a Young Adult novel. However, I can appreciate that late teens could relate to it, especially if their ancestors were involved in the ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ counter-culture of that time. A lot of ex-hippies are still mentally stuck in the Woodstock era, so that’s why their children and grandchildren were brought up on classical rock musical like The Beatles, the Stones, Jimmi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison for example. FRANTIC took me years to finish.

CRUSHED is definitely a Young Adult book. Although the twins in the book are fourteen, I didn’t sit down and consciously decide to write for 11-12 year olds. The book just came out like that. I’ve given a few library talks about CRUSHED and all the kids love it. Even though the book is about a pair of British twins who live with their eccentric parents in London, American readers love the book too. My readers, irrespective of which country they live in tell me they can identify with the characters. What surprise me most is that their parents love it too. They find it terribly funny. Maybe, that’s because I wrote the novel for myself.

I find Young Adult books extremely easy to write. They come out like dishwater! I love writing about teenagers. Even though today’s Young Adults are much more sophisticated and advanced than teens were in my day, I feel they still have the same interests and problems. In CRUSHED, the girls are interested in boys and have crushes on pin-ups. I hope that my readers will relate to the twins’ adventures, but I think one of the most important aspects of the books is a feeling of alienation. Door, the heroine of the book feels like an outsider and a misfit. She feels so different from the rest of her family; she imagines she’s from another planet. She is convinced she’s adopted. What doesn’t make her life easy is that Dee, her twin sister is pretty, talented and a dainty ballet dancer. Door feels like a big mess in comparison. She doesn’t realize she looks like a fashion model.

When I turned thirteen, I went through a personality change. Up until then, I was beautifully behaved but during my early teens, I rebelled a bit against my parents and for the first time in my life didn’t obey them 24/7. I went to an all girls’ boarding school, and started to realize that boys were a different species! Looking back, I didn’t realize at the time how difficult teenage life was. My outlook on life was changing. And, that’s what I do find interesting about Young Adult novels. Teenage life consists of change, and kids no longer take their parent’s advice as gospel.

I got the idea for writing CRUSHED due to a family I was friendly with. My girlfriend was artistic and was completely eccentric. She didn’t allow her daughters to watch TV, so they were very creative – always painting and drawing. They used to make earrings out of coat-hangers and sell them on a little stall outside their flat. I used that in the book. I watched her girls grow up, and when they were teens, I was like a fly on the wall. I knew their friends, saw what kind of clothes they all wore, what kind of music they liked and most important of all, what kind of boys they were interested in. This family inspired me to write CRUSHED, The mother was artistic, but they were pretty conventional - the father was a businessman, I suddenly thought I would like to write a novel about a dysfunctional family.

FRANTIC took me decades to finish, but I wrote CRUSHED incredibly quickly. It only took me a few months. When my POD publisher offered to publish it, he asked me to beg some of my famous artist friends to illustrate the book, but I offered to do the illustrations myself. I hadn’t seriously painted or drawn since leaving school, but to my surprise, my drawings came out easily. It was as if a force beyond my control was guiding my pen! My drawings might make Picasso turn in his grave, but at least they are original. Because I didn’t have to work at the drawings and found the book so easy to write, it was as if the whole book was meant to be!

Five phrases or words that describe you:

Writerholic.
Creative,
imaginative,
observant
And disciplined.

Five things that inspire me are:

Art: especially Matisse,
Books: especially the classics.
Music: opera, classical, rock, pop and jazz.
Good movies
and the theatre.

Five of my favorite authors are:

Evelyn Waugh,
Frances Hodgson Burnett,
Jane Austen,
Scott Fitzgerald.
J. R. R. Tolkien

Describe five of your heroes/heroines of your books in your eyes (or Five Facts you would like readers to know about your Hero and Heroine):

Door and Dee are the twins in CRUSHED. Door was born just before midnight on the last day of Taurus, the sign of the bull. Dee was born the following day on the first day of Gemini, the sign of the twins.
Door is the anti-hero! She is a drummer. She looks like a freak. She’s a six-foot tall slouching beanpole. Her wild mushroom brown hair sticks out like a tangled mess of barbed wire.
Dee is a ballet dancer. She’s a dainty creature whose glossy black hair cascades down her back like a rippling waterfall. She looks amazing whatever she wears.
Dee normally behaves like a little miss perfect, but she is a monster if she lost her cool.
Dee is very tidy. Door is untidy.
Door was paid £500 pound for a day’s modelling work.
Dee auditions for the London Children’s Ballet.
Door loves violet creams. Dee watches her figure.
Door dyes her hair red but it comes out red and mushroom striped – it resembles a deckchair.
Door has got a crush on Johnny Conker, a pop star.

Dee has got a crush on an American movie star.

Five reasons to read your books:

Easy to read,
funny,
well-written,
original,
interesting characters.

Frances Lynn

http://www.franceslynn.org/

Upcoming Guests

Since it it summer,I invited a couple YA authors . For those of you who like reading YA or have older teens at home who enjoy reading,come by and chat.
On Monday I have Frances Lynn and on Wednesday I have Kelly McClymer, their newest YA releases are.






Crushed by Frances Lynn

Door and her twin sister get along - just about. But Door has misgivings. She is tall and thin like a beanpole, her sister is petite and beautiful. How on earth can they be family? Door starts to believe she is from another planet – or else the rest of the family is from outer space. Read the stirring saga of the ungainly sibling who suddenly turns into a beautiful swan – and the incredible secret of her birth!



For buy info go here
To read a Chapter go here

Competition's A Witch by Kelly McClymer
Prudence Stewart is finally starting to get her witch on. It's been a month since her parents decided to give their magic-deficient daughter a crash course in enchantment by enrolling her in Agatha's Day School for Witches. And sure, Pru's still stuck in Magic for Dummies -- but at least she made the cheerleading squad.
Now Prudence has a bigger problem...she walks, talks, and cheers like a mortal. And she's deathly afraid the other witches will catch on. So she vows to give up her old earthly ways: no cell phone, no car, and above all, no dating mortal boys.
There's just one hitch to the sitch: Angelo, the megacute mortal-next-door. When he and Prudence meet, sparks fly -- no magic necessary. And breaking Angelo's spell turns out to be the hardest trick of all.

For buy info go here

Happy 4th of july

New Releases to Look Out For

Paranormals
In Darkness Reborn by Alexis Morgan
My Sister is a Werewolf by Kathy Love
Real Vampires Live Large by Gerry Bartlett
Don't Talk Back To Your Vampire by Michele Bardsley
Demons Are Forever: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom by Julie Kenner
Hunter's Salvation by Shiloh Walker
Fanged & Fabulousby Michelle Rowan
Hidden Moon by Lori Handeland


Young Adult
Red Handed by Gena Showalter
Black Listed by Gena Showalter

EBooks
Once Bitten, Twice Shy by Sierra Dafoe
Escape: Sex on the Beach? by Willa Okati
Persistent Memory by Elizabeth Jewell
Escape: Isle of Dreams by Alexis Fleming
Chased by You by Michele Bardsley
Sink or Swim by Alexis Fleming
Her Handyman by Jennah Sharpe
Dragon in the System by Cindy Spencer Pape
The Curse by Sapphire Phelan
Candy Kisses by Kissa Starling
Fires of Solstice By Judy Mays
Wonder Witch By Ashlyn Chase
Orchids and Orgasms By Larissa Lyons & Alyssa Brooks

Fantastic Fives on Michelle Rowen

Five phrases or words that describe you:

Sarcastic
Imaginative
Sleepy
Non-frugal
Stubborn (but in the nicest way possible, of course)

Five people and/or things that inspire you:

Hugh Jackman ;-)
Oprah
Cool readers who write me the nicest emails
My author friends who are writing full-time
Did I mention Hugh Jackman?

Five of your favorite authors:

J.K. Rowling
Neil Gaiman
Laurell K. Hamilton
Rachel Caine
Lilith Saintcrow

Describe five of your heroes/heroines of your books in your eyes:

Sarah is a fledgling vampire who isn’t undead or evil, but hunters still want to slay her. Which sucks. For her.
Thierry is a master vampire who’d rather be dead, but a sense of duty to those he cares about (whether or not he’ll admit it) keeps him around.
Quinn is a former vampire hunter turned vampire who figures if life sucks, he should at least get the girl, right? Right??
Valerie is a (wrongfully accused!) fallen angel who wants to go home where things were easy.
Nathaniel is feeling a lack of hope in his dead-end job with the literal boss from hell...until he meets Val. ;-)

Five reasons to read your books:

Because they’re funny (allegedly)
Because they have happy endings
Because dark paranormals are just too…dark and depressing.
Because my books are so…light and refreshing, yet also satisfying. Like a tall glass of sweetened Iced Tea.
Because my mom says you should.

You rock!


Michelle :-)

http://www.michellerowen.com/