romancewithsass.com

Some of you may be rolling out of the sack with a hangover or just enjoying a chance to get a few extra minutes of sleep. I'd say I have a holiday hangover. Not so much from over-endulging (although I have to say I am kind of a Christmas chocoholic), but from too much to do. No news, right? We're all busy.

The second half of 2010 was spectacular for me. I experienced some of the biggest challenges of my writing career with four books coming out since mid-June. Love Bites was my first venture into paranormal creatures. I challenged myself to craft a unique vampire and story. Noble Romance signed me on in late winter with Love Bites, and then took the second book in the series, Dangerous Love, on an outline. I'd never written a book on deadline and I learned that my life is too busy to do that again soon. With a job and family, on top of all the other obligations life and work have, I was pretty darn stressed by the time Halloween rolled around! I started writing Dangerous Love in July, and took an online class in BDSM in early August to help me address my Dangerous Love characters. The work I did in my erotic romance, WET, helped me to write erotica at a much higher level and I pushed that into Dangerous Love. I delved into situations and language I hadn't before in both these books because I really felt the plot and the characters needed them. Dangerous Love became a much darker book than Love Bites and that was fine with me. None of these creatures are nice or play by any rules humans must. That's why the book was titled DANGEROUS. I loved these characters – so full-blown and real. Several of them stayed with me long after I finished writing. The house Wade built for Jui and the jewelry he crafted for her are awesome. These are clever, believable materials to help her survive against vampires and shape shifters who are constantly looking for her. I hope you'll read these books and tell me what you think. The third book in the Love Bites series, Redemptive Love, is planned for mid-2011.

All these books are available by clicking on the Noble Romance title above. They're also available at the large e-Book retailers, including Amazon and B&N. Print versions are coming soon.

So, what else is on my writing docket?

  I'm nearly finished with my first gay romance. WHAT? Yes.  If there's anything you should remember about me, it's that I love a challenge. I will struggle and ponder and rewrite, but once I set my mind to something, I write it. Hard as Teak is about a nature photographer, Kade Marks, who goes to his cabin to regroup is life. He's bored out of his skull with his profession and his life. While he's there, he meets Teak Hidalgo. Until that meeting, Kade has lived a heterosexual lifestyle. Teak changes that in a hurry and through the course of the story, you learn why. The book is romantic, poetic, and yes, very erotic. I wanted to finish by Christmas, but RL keeps reminding me there are other things to do. I keep setting goals so I move the project forward.

After that, I'm going to write a sensual romance. The working title is Nopeming Shores. Nopeming is Ojibwa for place of rest. I'm collaborating with a poet on this ghost story. Yes, a ghost story. I'm looking forward to pulling back on the sexual descriptions while totally drawing you into a romance you won't soon forget. Look for this book to make you swoon because I won't sub it until it does.

I have an erotic short story I'm whipping into shape and that'll probably hit the market sooner than Hard as Teak or Nopeming Shores.

In between, I'm a contributing author to Red Lipstick Journals …a very erotic blog.

Lastly, my nursery rhyme, First Spring, came out in November. I want to add to my collection under the pen name, Margaret Rose, with a young adult piece about following your passion and not caving under peer pressure. Being true to yourself has to be learned from an early age to survive all that life throws at you. It sets you up for a thirst to go for what you want in life and be the best you can be. I hope I can write a great story that illustrates this dream.

I'm going to be busy, no doubt. But as my father always said, there's plenty of time to rest when you're dead. I hope your year is filled with with magic that takes your breath away. Wonder that makes you sigh. And dreams come true with the ones you love.

Thank you for being a friend and a fan. I love hearing from you – not just about the books – but about what you think and what's going on in your life. Please come back soon and bring your pals. The more the merrier.

Until the next time,

Margie