Passionate Ink Member Blogs – Check back often as this updates through the day!
All content shown here is the opinion of the individual author. Passionate Ink has no responsibility for the content of these feeds.
Teresa's Writing Journey » Goal progress!
Threshing the Grain is off to Phaze, only a few days late.
And my back is feeling much better, so I guess that's progress on another goal.
We won't ask about crafting or weight loss or such, shall we? [Link]
The Otherworld Diner » A Sweet Treat and a Surprising “Best-Selling” Author
Do you have a favorite candy? I do. Conversation Hearts are my favorite and this is their season. To celebrate, I’ve opened a bag of sweet treats and – to pass along the good times – I’d like to share 13 of the sayings that caught my eye.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Before trying to melt your heart, here are few facts I’ve discovered about those candy hearts. Until 2000 or so, Walter Marshall worked at NECCO, a New England Confectionery Company and one of his duties was to select the sayings that adorn the 8 billion candy hearts NECCO sells each year.
Just think, his words were read by billions of people. Amazing!
Actually, candy conversation hearts have been around much longer than Mr. Marshall. The sayings: “Be Mine,” “Be Good,” “Be True,” “Kiss Me” and “Sweet Talk” have appeared on candy hearts for better than a century — since 1902.
Newer sayings have joined their ranks, including “Tweet Me,” “Girl Power,” “Top Dog” and, of course, “Melt My Heart.”
And, guess what? There are candy companies that will put your comments on those precious hearts. If you go to http://acme.com/heartmaker/ you can put your words on a virtual heart. (A less fattening and fun way to convey your messages.) I drew up a few comments of my own before I munched on my bag of Brach’s Conversation Hearts.
Well, you’ve waited long enough. Here are 13 of the messages found in that bag:
1. “You Rule”
2. “Cupcake”
3. “Dare Ya”
4. “First Kiss”
5. “Mad 4 U” … [Link]
Kiss and Tell » Taking advantage of the snow.
Crazy around here… I mean really.
I blogged last week about the impending snow. As predicted, the city of Raleigh and most of the state of NC shut down for days. Sam and Mr. Kane managed to get themselves to Vegas on one the three flights that left the state Saturday. Lucky girl.
The schools have been shut down all week. The snow came Friday night and the kids are STILL home! ARRRGG. I know many authors write with all the kids home. I’m not one of them. That’s okay. I’m in the planning stages of this next project and I don’t need the quiet, uninterrupted time I need for writing.
I’m attacking this project differently from my previous works. It’s the sequel to Birthright and it’s going to be complicated to keep up the world building, move the characters forward and come up with new creatures and a new plot. I needed a more organized way to keep up and a new way to start with all my little quackers in a row.
Over the last year, I have taken advantage of my local RWA chapter workshops and have a couple new weapons in my pre-writing arsenal. For the last book I turned in, I used Alexandra Sokoloff’s Screenwriting Tricks for Authors to help me plot. I needed to basically re-write that book. Alex’s program incorporates the three-act structure that playwrights and moviemakers use to structure the story.
It was great. The structure of it sped up the process immensely. For this project, … [Link]
Lilli Feisty :: Blog » Bad boys, bad boys.
I just blogged about how much I like writing about Bad Boys, and then I came upon this review. This line caught my attention: “Ash has bad boy written all over him…” Yup. He sure does! Thanks for the review! Oh, and it looks like she’s giving away a copy of Dare to Surrender! Yay!
Copyright © 2010 Lilli Feisty :: Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@lillianfeisty.com so we can take legal action immediately. Plugin by Taragana [Link]
Lilli Feisty :: Blog » I wanted to rip my hair out…
While I was watching Avatar. Yes, that’s right. I hated Avatar. Yup, I said it. Was there a plot at all? And what was up with all the stupid one-liners? So yeah. I’m officially one of the only people I know who thought that movie sucked. Sure, the figures were pretty (awesome, I totally have a complex now cause I don’t look like a super skinny, ten-foot tall blue animated female figure). I totally went home and watched Buffy. 
Also, I just learned that, supposedly, Joss Whedon wrote most of the dialog in Speed, but didn’t get the credit for it. I hated Avatar, but I loved Speed!
So I can’t stop listening to this now.
Copyright © 2010 Lilli Feisty :: Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@lillianfeisty.com so we can take legal action immediately. Plugin by Taragana [Link]
Wylie's Words » It's AMAZON!
I'm on Amazon and didn't know it. Heh.
I got an email from Ellora's Cave advising that I should have an author's page and I was like WTF? Sure enough, here I am…
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Wylie+Kinson
(No, this isn't the exciting news I had to share. That's coming next week…) [Link]
My Mind Wanders… » Guess What I Found?
While tip-toeing through my favorite blogs this morning, I happened across The Romance Studio's featured interview and you know who I found there?
None other than my friend Savanna Kougar! Woot Woot! Looks like she dropped by to tell us all about HER INSATIABLE DARK HEROES as well as some tidbits about her past and upcoming works.
Stop over and take a peek.
http://theromancestudio.com/blue/who7.php [Link]
Shapeshifter Seductions » Crystal Discovers Gold
In my continuing efforts to detoxify my life I made a startling discovery the other day, and being that this is an erotic writer’s blog, what better place than to share this news?
Lubricant, ladies. Yes, you heard me. The slippery stuff. The joy jelly. Thanks to my friends at Care2, I found some rather disturbing information about KY Jelly’s ingredients, which is perhaps the most popular “personal lubricant” available. Parabens!
Parabens are the most commonly used synthetic preservative in many cosmetics. They ensure a long shelf life by inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria, yeast and mold. But they are suspected of posing grave health risks with long term exposure. Recent studies found parabens in human breast cancer tissue. This raises obvious questions about their ability to accumulate in our bodies. There is also evidence that parabens may disrupt the body’s hormone systems by duplicating the effects of estrogen.
Not in my vagina, thank you very much.
Ask scientists about parabens and they’ll tell you they want more testing. Ask cosmetics manufacturers about parabens and they’ll tell you they pose absolutely no risk. (So why then do they hide the ingredients if they can?) What it comes down to is you must make the choice for yourself.
My husband bought a bottle of glycerine and parabens free Astroglide and gave it the old field test. Personally I found this slippery goo much better than KY jelly, and delightfully decreed a permanent change in the Kauffman household.
From now on, my heroines and I will be … [Link]
Jina Bacarr presents Cleopatra's Perfume: The Prequel » A Naughty Victorian Lady reveals the secret beauty rituals of the geisha
by Lady Carlton nĂ©e Katie O’Roarke, heroine of “The Blonde Samurai”
You shall recall in a previous posting that I introduced you to the Duchess of Sussington, the naughtiest lady in London who makes her rounds to parties and soirees sans her drawers.
Today I shall give the Duchess her own post for she has insisted on imparting to you the secret beauty rituals of the geisha after returning from her recent visit to Japan [I shall leave it up to your imagination as to what esteemed gentleman of state accompanied her there].
Beautiful, elegant and a lass with an audacious smile, may I present Madeleine Malmesberry, the Duchess of Sussington. According to all the gossip columns, she is “to the manor born” as we say back home, the daughter of a British lord and a genteel lady of quality. She married the Duke of Sussington, an elder statesman, when she was but seventeen years. After the duke’s untimely death, she devoted herself to numerous charities, including founding a home for destitute young girls in London’s East End.
She appeared on the London social scene a scant two years ago after her husband’s passing and has since turned society upside down with her hair the riotous color of a crimson rose and her naughty, naughty ways.
Duchess, if you please…
Thank you, Lady Carlton, for your illuminating introduction.
I admit I was among those in Society who snubbed Lady Carlton when …
[Link]
Emma Petersen » Emma Does Mark Henry: Comment & Win!
Morning Loverlies,
It’s a beautiful morning here at Casa Chez Emma’s and the 3rd installment of Emma Does Authors. This morning we have the incredible funny Mark Henry. As you all know Mark is the author of the wicked awesome Amanda Feral series and the first installment, Happy Hour of the Damned came out in mass market paperback yesterday! So we’re gonna help Mark celebrate!
All you have to do is leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win a copy of Road Trip of the Living Dead. Please note: This contest is open to all participants 18 or older. Contest is open until 11:59 pm Sunday, February 7th and winner will be announced, Monday, February 8th.
Emma Petersen: Welcome Mr. Henry. How are you doing this marvelous day? Wonderful, I hope.
Mark Henry: I’m a little gassy.
Emma Petersen: RRRRRRRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfolmao.
Mark Henry: My wife reheated Pad Thai for lunch and it’s not sitting well. At. All. I think she gave me salmonella. Just sayin’.
Emma Petersen: Ok, besides gassy and that case of salmonella, how are you feeling?
Mark Henry: I’m surviving, Emma. I think I’m gonna make it!
Emma Petersen: I’m glad, very glad. The world would be a lot kick ass without you, Mr. Henry. But you know that, don’t you?
Mark Henry: I hope you mean a lot LESS kick ass without me. Cuz…
Emma Petersen: ROFLMAO Umm…yes. Of course that’s what I meant.
Mark Henry: LOL. We’re totally going …
[Link]
Ella Drake, dark paranormal romance » blogging at the Raven Happy Hour
I'm over at the Raven Happy Hour talking about unobtanium today.
What is it?
Come over and find out. Don't forget to leave a comment.
http://ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog/?p=1556 [Link]
Naughty and Spice Blog » Hairy Legs
Yep, I’m so going there. My husband was out of town for work for a month. Which means that I let the self-maintenance go a little bit. As in, I didn’t shave my legs for nearly the entire month of January. As I used to say when I was younger and a tad neglectful of that task during the cold months — “I’m growing my winter fur.”
I had some major winter fur growing on my legs. Some of you might be grossed out. Some of you might come by this post because you have a hairy leg fetish. I bet more than a few of you will be thinking, “I do the same thing.”
Go ahead and admit it. I just did. I can’t believe how hairy my legs got! Makes me realize that when I read historical romances and the hero runs his hands along the heroine’s smooth legs, that’s TOTALLY BOGUS. More like he’s running his hand over her smooth fur.
Oh yeah I so totally went there. Hairy legs on women aren’t really sexy, huh? I mean check out these ladies:
Selma and Patty have got it goin’ on! Now confess – do you really keep up the leg shaving during the winter months? Or hey, maybe you’re single and have no man currently in your life. How about then? (Guilty of that too). Let’s talk hairy legs!
[Link]
The Crayon Box » A new blog
Blogged at FF&P as a guest blogger on characters
Donna Grant » A new quiz in town!
I’ve put together a quiz on Facebook and Quizilla so readers can find out which of the Warriors is theres.
Take the quiz then come back here and tell me which Warrior you got for a chance to win a signed cover flat of FORBIDDEN HIGHLANDER!
[Link]
RomErotica Writers » Wuthering About HeathKitty
I saw a new-to-me version of Wuthering Heights on Netflix last night and now I'm wondering if I should watch it or not.
You see, I don't like Wuthering Heights. Love Jane Eyre. Really don't like Wuthering Heights. Yes, I get that Heathcliff is a classic romantic doomed hero.
But Cathy married another man!
So, instead of being HeathKitty, he should have moved on. Why did he even like her to begin with? She was mean to him, selfish and annoying.
And she married another man!
How's that going to work in the afterlife? Remember, there's that thing about how Cathy and Heathcliff are ghosts together at the end–but what's-his-name is going to be there, too, right? I mean, they're buried all in a row. Are they going to have a threesome?
But I've seen the Olivier version and the Timothy Dalton (yum!) version, so I should probably watch this other one just to complete the set.
What do y'all think?
[Link]
Samhain Weblog » It isn't that romantic…
Ah, February… the month when our hearts and minds are turned to love. If the frilly decorations and heart-shaped boxes of candy won’t do it, then the myriad of romantic films and songs just might.
But despite the candy hearts and chocolate confections; all the shades of pink and flounces of lace, I have a confession to make. Are you ready? … I don’t like Valentine’s Day. As a matter of fact, I dislike it intensely.
Now my children will tell you I am not a romantic person. They sometimes laugh out loud that I write about romance. But their assumption isn’t entirely true.
I like to think of myself as a romantic realist. I do believe in love. I do believe in romance. But I know a lot of what I write about is pure fiction and I wouldn’t expect it any other way. Honestly, if my husband were to say some of the things my heroes say to their heroines, I’d likely laugh in his face. It’s fantasy. It sounds good on paper, but in real life it would seem overblown. Odd. Out of place.
What do I find romantic? Chilvalry. Kindness. Loyalty. Thoughtfulness.
I like it when my husband opens doors for me. No, I don’t need him to do so, but it’s nice to be taken care of from time to time.
I like it when he’s extra nice to me or tries to make me laugh because he knows I’ve had a bad day.
I also …
[Link]
Victoria Janssen » Breaking Chapters
Chapter breaks are a topic I can muse on indefinitely.This is because, when it comes to writing, I am a geek.I think chapter breaks have several purposes.1. Chapter breaks tell you where to stop reading and go to sleep.2. Chapter breaks give a guideline for the reader to tell her parent/child/spouse/friend when she'll stop reading and pay attention to them. "Just one more chapter!"3. Chapter [Link]
Zora Stout » Write What Makes You Happy
I spent the last few weeks narrowing my genres, my intended audiences, and my own definitions and terminology of what constitutes different types of romance, and more. Needless to say, fiction writing wise, I wrote zilch. Still, I’m happy. More than pleased, actually. I feel like I have proper direction in my Quest to be Published (capitalization and italics, completely necessary) and can write to my own dictations instead of worrying about what others think or how my work should be branded – I was stressing myself out for no reason, especially since none of my work is ready to even be submitted.
My plan is just to focus on the story, telling it the way I envision it in my head. Sounds simple enough, yet I found myself completely second guessing myself because my current project, PW, isn’t particularly standard romance, it’s darker, more gritty. I mean, the female lead has no qualms about breaking the male lead’s hand because she has a job to do and he’s in her way. Things aren’t always pretty and there’s definitely an overcast of darkness over the story and I’m alright with that – and hopefully, others will be fine with that too.
[Link]
Leah Braemel » Ooopsie…
Due to an incredibly busy life trying to wear a dozen different hats, today's previously scheduled guest blogger Deidre Knight's visit here has been rescheduled to February 24th. Don't forget to check back next week when I have TWO guest bloggers. Heather Long will be visiting on February 10th and my good friend Vivian Arend returns with her latest release on February 12th. [Link]
Leah Braemel » Winner of AJ Llewellyn's Contest
Joder
You’ve won AJ's contest–a PDF copy of his short story Hula and an ebook copy of his novel Wanted. Please send an email to leah DOT braemel @gmail.com to claim your prize so I can forward your information to AJ. Thanks for playing everyone.
Don’t forget for taking the time to comment, you've also been entered in my monthly Reader Appreciation contest. Which reminds me, it's February. Time to draw January's winner…
There were 15 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
JoderRhyss DjoeyCynStormbooklover0226Kara Kathy Ks7annaJanet HEbook AddictSandraSHGSilver PixiesCarolineAliensTimestamp: 2010-02-03 12:29:47 UTC [Link]
Embrace the Shadows » Give from the heart…and get something in return
All Romance eBooks Has Heart…
During the month of love, when everyone’s attention is focused on matters of the heart, All Romance eBooks (ARe) is helping to fight the number one killer of women, heart disease, with their 28 Days of Heart campaign.
Beginning February 1, 2010, ARe, the digital bookseller that owns All Romance (www.allromance.com) and OmniLit (www.omnilit.com), will release one new novella per day for twenty-eight consecutive days. All proceeds from the sale of these shorts, which will be offered exclusively on AllRomance.com and OmniLit.com as individual eBooks, will be donated to the American Heart Association.
The stories cover all the genres, from Gay to Interracial, Paranormal to Historical, Contemporary to Sci Fi. They were generously donated by both best selling and up-and-coming authors from some of your favorite publishers including Kensington, Berkley, Pocket, St. Martin’s Press, Ellora’s Cave, Cerridwen, Samhain, Total E Bound, Loose Id, Phaze, Liquid Silver, Torquere Press, Siren, Amber Quill and more!
The stories range between 10,000 and 20,000 words, so they are a perfect sweet (or more accurately spicy) Valentine treat. Each includes a forward by author Charlaine Harris (of True Blood fame) as a show of support for the charity the stories will benefit. Indulge yourself this year for Valentines Day—enjoy one of each, and know you are helping a worthy cause at the same time.
Can their love overcome a legacy of evil…
Anna Benecia can’t escape her destiny. A promise signed in blood binds …
[Link]
Nine Naughty Novelists » Paranoia isn't Pretty
So, today, I had once again planned to post this cheery little piece I've been working on all about puppies (actual as well as fictional) and some of the odd twists of fate that so often leave me wondering whether I might not be inhabiting one of my own novels after all. It's a nice post—I even include excerpts—but for now, you'll just have to take my word on that. Because, instead, today I'm going to talk about something a little more topical: the recent Amazon-v-MacMillan dust-up.
For those of you who aren't familiar with what's been happening, here's the flash-card version. As I understand it, MacMillan wanted to set their own (higher) prices for the ebooks they sell through Amazon's Kindle store. Amazon balked at first, going so far as to remove the BUY buttons from all MacMillan books—print and digital alike. People complained. Amazon capitulated. End of story…or was it?
You see, this is the kind of issue that makes me really glad I don't suffer from high blood pressure 'cause otherwise, we'd be talking stroke-city. I see it as a lose-lose proposition all the way around and, unfortunately, like so many issues involving publishing today, the biggest losers of all, the people who inevitably end up on the bottom of the heap, seem to be the authors.
Does that sound a little too self-absorbed? A little paranoid? A tad too hyperbolic? Well, I guess I'll just have to live with that. Because the sad truth is, who in this mess … [Link]
Building Castles – Kelly Jamieson's Blog » What I'm Reading Wednesday
I've had a busy with the releases so I haven't read much. I'm in the middle of Primal Attraction by Sydney Somers, and in awe of her imagination!
I did stock up on quite a few reads over the weekend, though, with the big sale at All Romance eBooks! Maybe this weekend will have time for more reading. [Link]
THE NAUGHTY LADY FROM SHADY LANE » Another celebratory giveaway!
I’m giving away a print copy of UNLEASHED over at the eXcessica blog this week.
Hop on by and leave your name for a chance to win the book.
And if you haven't entered for the Valentine's Day NAUGHTY BITS giveaway, go here! [Link]
THE NAUGHTY LADY FROM SHADY LANE » The new look at Red Sage
Check out the gorgeous new website over at Red Sage Publishing!
And here's my author page. [Link]
Paige Tyler – Author of Sexy, Romantic Fiction » JUST RIGHT, the sexy tale of Goldie and the Three Werebears! New from Ellora's Cave!
I’m so excited to announce that I have a new book out with Ellora's Cave called Just Right, the sexy tale of Goldie and the Three Werebears. When I first came up with the idea for the story, it was just that, a very vague idea. I knew I wanted to write a story about girl who gets spanked by multiple guys, but I wasn't sure what the plot was going to be. Then, I saw a call for submissions by a publisher looking for a hot, sexy take on traditional fairy tales and an idea immediately began to take shape. I could take the girl who gets spanked by multiple guys and turn them into Goldie and the Three Werebears!
Just Right starts out like the original tale, with Goldie getting lost while out hiking in the woods and breaking into a cabin. That's where the similarity ends, though. You see the three werebears are so hot and hunky that Goldie, who secretly likes having her bottom warmed, finds herself suggesting they each spank her for her misdeeds. The guys agree and Goldie ends up getting so turned on that she needs a little sex to make the night complete. The only question is whether to sleep with one of them, or all of them! Though I don't want to give the story away and tell you what Goldie does, I will say that this is the first moresome story I've written (hint, hint). It was definitely a lot of … [Link]
Crystal Jordan :: Blog » Working on Progress
So, I’m taking the whole month of February off of writing. I need a little vacation. I’ve ordered my friends to administer severe spankings if they catch me writing this month (though how they’d know if I was lying, I’m not sure, but that’s beside the point).
However, I’m plotting out some new stories, so the writing process hasn’t come to a grinding halt. Here’s my current to-do list.
Plan out:
2 new contemporary short stories 2 new paranormal/futuristic short stories 2 new single author anthologies 1 new paranormal novel 1 new paranormal proposal
Librarianista stuff:
Prep lectures and teach 15-20 classes (Feb and Sept are the busiest library months for teaching. Very bad idea to have any fiction writing due then.) Work on outliney thing they require for the first year of your tenure process. Start research for 2 scholarly articles on library stuff (that would bore anyone who wasn’t a librarian to utter tears). Copyright © 2010 Crystal Jordan :: Blog. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@www.crystaljordan.com so we can take legal action immediately. Plugin by Taragana [Link]
Taste of Kiwi » Don’t Go Wine Tasting On An Empty Stomach
After our memorable Cook Strait crossing, we didn’t have much time to have lunch. We grabbed a Subway sandwich each and ate them on the way to our first stop on the wine tour.
There were thirteen of us, and we managed to cover a lot of the world with passengers from New Zealand, Australia, England, Norway and the USA. On the South Island side of the strait it was fine and sunny, so my brother-in-law got the weather right. The Marlborough region sees a lot of sunshine—usually grabbing the highest amount each year—so it’s excellent for growing grapes.
Our first stop was at Drylands, one of the larger vineyards with ties to Australia and the USA. We started with a welcome glass of sparkling wine and gradually worked our way through the list. I like wine, so I sampled most of them—both red and white. Most enjoyable.
The second stop was at Framingham. After another eight or so samples here, and I started to feel the wine. This tour was unlike the samplings I’d done before. Obviously it pays to go on a tour rather than turn up with just hubby. The people behind the counter were most generous with their samples, and we purchased a bottle of Framingham Marlborough Classic Riesling here. For those of you who enjoy wine this is a classic New Zealand, off-dry style wine with rich fruit and a juicy acidity. It has complex varietal characters of lemon citrus, mandarin and stone fruit with a …
[Link]
Fierce Romance » Is Valentine's Day a Hallmark Day?
Is Valentine’s Day a Hallmark Day?
A. No, because we’re women, and romance writers, so we believe in romance.
B. No, because it’s an American Greetings Day.
C. No, because it’s a religious holiday.
D. All of the above.
Ha! You all picked D, right?
Start with the name – Valentine. There were one or two of them dating from Roman times. What everyone seems to agree on is they were both martyred priests and there’s no sentimental love story attached to either of them. (There’s irony for you; Valentine’s Day is named after a Catholic priest.)
Go back even farther. There was a pagan holiday known as Lupercalia (yes, based on wolves, but I won’t digress there). The festival of Lupercalia was a fertility celebration in which the unmarried men would draw the names of women from an urn. The woman chosen had to be their sexual partner for the next year. Interesting, if disturbing.
When Christianity took hold, the Christians co-opted many pagan holidays and the feast of Lupercalia (held on Feb. 15) was one of them. The Catholic Church moved the date to the 14th, associated it with the saint Valentine, and King Henry the Eighth (he of the steadfast heart, you know) actually made it a holiday by royal proclamation in 1537.
Fast forward to the 20th century and the American Greetings Card Company
“provided” this story: On the evening before Valentine was to be executed (for being a Christian priest in Roman times), he wrote a note to his “beloved” (remember the Catholic priest part) … [Link]
Archive
10 Sep 2010 09 Sep 2010 08 Sep 2010 07 Sep 2010 06 Sep 2010 05 Sep 2010 04 Sep 2010 03 Sep 2010 02 Sep 2010 01 Sep 2010 31 Aug 2010 30 Aug 2010 29 Aug 2010 28 Aug 2010 27 Aug 2010 26 Aug 2010 25 Aug 2010 24 Aug 2010 23 Aug 2010 22 Aug 2010 21 Aug 2010 20 Aug 2010 19 Aug 2010 18 Aug 2010 17 Aug 2010 16 Aug 2010 15 Aug 2010 14 Aug 2010 13 Aug 2010 12 Aug 2010 11 Aug 2010 10 Aug 2010
About the RSS Aggregator