romancewithsass.com

Brenda: Hi Margie! Thank you for having us on your blog. I’m Brenda Woody, better-half of and co-author with Steve Tindle.  For me, it was a joy when the publisher reverted the rights for Best Lover in Town, our first novella. Steve and I re-edited and re-released with a new cover. The cover actually won 1st place for Hottest Cover in a contest with Book Nook on Facebook. We’ve sold more of BLT than we did with pub-house.

Steve: I’m Steve Tindle. My joy is writing with Brenda. I enjoy talking plots and building characters, and the sex scene research is always fun. *grins*

Brenda:  Meeting our own deadlines. I know we need to market our books and that takes up a lot of our time, when we really should be writing. And staying off Twitter and Facebook – LOL yes, we’re addicted.

Steve: Getting the story on the computer. We talk about the storyline for weeks, and even write notes on the computer, but getting from notes to complete story is a challenge.

Brenda:  Steve had this idea for a story for characters kind of like Mr. & Mrs. Potato Head. Instead of ears, eyes and arms, there would be sexual organs of all shape and sizes. LOL I said, “No Way!”

Steve: I've had many storylines that have been shot down by Brenda as featured works. Gnat & Flo (Temptation Triggers) was a story Brenda couldn't see work until I wrote up the draft. Anyone who feels unseen things on their skin can relate to this cute story. Come on readers, tell Brenda in the comments you want the Potato story to be written.  LOL

Brenda:  Yes! Even when I’m supposed to be in a deep slumber, they are acting out scenes in my head.  This is why I keep a pen and notepad on my nightstand.

Steve: I wouldn't say they talk to me, but Brenda and I talk about them all the time. Sometimes while watching TV shows or listening to music a phrase we hear will spark a conversation about a character. We also have discussions with friends and fans about scenes to see where their thoughts take us.

Brenda:  We outline each story: beginning, middle and end. But then when it’s getting toward release time we are pantsers!

Steve: Once the outline is complete, we write the sex scenes and add the fluff to make the story smooth.

Brenda:  Love scenes come very natural to Steve and me.  We have a very close relationship and openly discuss sex.

Steve: We're always in the mood for a good sex scene. Since we openly discuss sex we feed each other with point of views. Research is continuously interesting with Brenda. We add interesting sex scenes to be part of the story. Like in Rainie's Lake, the artist uses body paint to set up the scene.

Brenda:  Our muse is a hot tub; which is not in operation right now. *frowns* Steve can answer the rest of the question.

Steve: We use the hot tub to get away from all the electronics around the house. We enjoy sitting in the tub talking about our works in progress and come up with new stories lines. We are working to get our muse operational so we can once again return to our normal routine.

Brenda: We both are nocturnal so late evening is our best time to write.

Steve: It's great having someone who shares my schedule. I've always been a night owl; it's quite, and most people are sleeping so the cell doesn't ring.

Brenda: Since it’s only February, I’ll include last year. We released 5 books between June 2011 and January 2012; which includes re-release of BLT.  Rainie’s Lake, our latest release, has already received two 5 star reviews. Our future projects include Scarlett’s Cowboy, Triangle of Secrets, Book 2 & 3.

Steve: Not just writing but we also interview other authors, post blogs, and have two websites we maintain that promotes other authors by creating banners, trailers, and bookmarks, etc. We stay busy.

Brenda:  Twister! I missed my calling long ago. I should have been a storm chaser. LOL

Steve: I have several movies I enjoy, but the one I like the best would be The Big Chill. I like the music through out the movie and the story line, friends getting together after years being apart. Mmm, kinda sounds like my and Brenda's life.

Taking a long over due vacation, Art Instructor, Dylan Bishop is eager to start his trip to the cabin in the mountains. When he saw the photo online with the rental ad, he knew this was his destination. Being drawn to the lake nestled behind the cabin with a private dock, Dylan hopes to regain his inspiration to paint.

 His vacation takes an erotic turn when he meets Rainie Marks on a foggy morning by the dock. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. However, there is sadness and a mystery about her. Finding his inspiration, he sketches her one evening and unable to resist the passion that has sparked between them, Rainie and Dylan share a sensual night together.

 When Rainie tells him the truth about her past and the lake, the mystery she hides unfolds. The key to everything is the lake. Will Dylan be able to help her put the past to rest?

 Amazon link http://www.amazon.com/Rainies-Lake-ebook/dp/B006YG7KH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326821218&sr=1-1

Keep up with Brenda and Steve:

Facebook Fan page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Authors-Brenda-Woody-Steve-Tindle/155085384532803

Blogger http://brenda-steve.blogspot.com/

Twitter http://twitter.com/#!/brendaandsteve 

Website http://brendawoodyandstevetindle.webs.com/

Purchase their books on these sites:

Amazon http://tinyurl.com/3da3vkb
Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/brendaandsteve
All Romance http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Brenda+Woody+and+Steve+Tindle
Xcite Books: http://tinyurl.com/6hxzrjg
Temptation Triggers on B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/temptation-triggers
TT on Fictionwise http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b123962/Temptation-Triggers/Steve-Tindle/?

I'm so pleased to have my friend, Rebecca Besser stop by for a visit today. This lovely woman writes the scariest horror, sci-fi and zombie books you'd want to read. The french maid on my banner took the day off - she's chicken like me. Please welcome my friend and enjoy her wonderful talent.  I'll leave ALL the lights on.

Now to answer the dreaded interview questions!

1.               Do your characters speak to you?
Yes. I also have the ability to 'become' my characters while I'm writing them. I literally embody them and start thinking like they would, etc. It get pretty interesting sometimes. I'll often be at my keyboard crying or laughing hysterically because I'm journeying with the characters. I sincerely believe that if they're real to me, they'll be real to the reader.

2.               What inspires your stories most often?
Random thoughts. I have an overactive brain and imagination. Heck, the other night I got an idea for a story just looking at my foot that had peeked out from under the blanket I was snuggling under. LOL

3.               Describe your writing year so far and what's on the horizon.
This past year my zombie novella, “Undead Drive-Thru,” was released. I've also had a few stories published in various anthologies, and I've edited a novel and an anthology. I'm currently preparing a short story collection I hope to have published in 2012. My online serial, “Nurse Blood,” will be published in book form once it's run it's course, with “extras” included. There are collaboration projects and other things going on behind the scenes too. I'm always busy!

The anthology, “Earth's End,” which is a Scifi Apocalyptic anthology, is the one I edited this past year and it'll be release from Wicked East Press in January of 2012!

My story, “The Olden Gears,” is included in Earth's End. Here's an excerpt from my story:
          "He drove faster, but everywhere he looked there was more destruction.

          With numb fingers, he reached over and turned on the radio to see if there was any news about what was going on; it took him a couple of minutes before he could find a radio station that was still on the air.

          “...Overnight the world has been bombarded with attacks by the elderly. On every continent, in almost every country, they’ve taken lives at will, showing no mercy...”

          Looking out around him, he tried to decide how he was going to make it home. Almost every street was blocked off by accidents, and everywhere he looked, someone was being slaughtered; his attention focused back on the radio as they continued.

          “...Medical experts are saying the cause of the outbreak and behavior in their elderly patients is linked to the chemical compound used in the ‘lubrication’ of the ReGen ‘parts’ surgically implanted; the chemical was supposed to act as synthetic blood. Once it leaks into the real blood system, it targets certain parts of the brain and triggers uncontrollable, aggressive behavior...”" ~ The Olden Gears by Rebecca Besser - Earth's End

4.               Tell us something unexpected about yourself.
Despite my eccentric personality, I'm very serious at heart.

5.               When I die, I want people to say this about me . . .
That I was real, honest, and loved with all my being.

6.               Chick flicks or action/adventure?
Acton/Adventure all the way! I do like chick flicks one in awhile, but I love Action, Fantasy, Scifi, and Comedies!

7.               The thing that makes me want to go postal.
Stupid and/or rude people. I want to beat them senseless!

CONTEST: Would you like to win a free copy of Earth's End???

On March 1^st I'll be having a drawing to give away a copy of Earth's End signed by me. Everyone who comments on my Earth's End post at one of the stops on my tour will be enter into the drawing (one entry per person, per blog), so you have a chance to win at every stop along the way. The very last post of the tour will be on my blog and will announce the winner (on March 1st). So, stop by as many blogs as you possibly can to increase your chances to win a copy of the book!

I will announce each posting/blog stop on Facebook and Twitter. So, if you aren't my friend or following me...you better start if you want to win.

my sister,
the river, tells me
of her past-
I then tell her
of my future...

My co-author for Nopeming Shores, J. Andrew Lockhart, gifted me with that tanka to help me set the tone for 2012.  It's opening before me, full of adventures to share with my readers and friends.

In the first quarter –

RAZOR with K.B. Cutter

Blurb: Amy and Bryce don't live the D/s lifestyle, but Bryce is every bit the dominant in the bedroom. And Amy's had enough of it. She takes a drastic step to help Bryce see that being a switch can be a very good thing.

K.B. Cutter lends his wonderful talent for psychological and dark drama to this story. He also was instrumental in developing Bryce's character. Believe me, Bryce has an ego the size of Mount Rushmore in the bedroom, and he's not going to give in easily. K.B. makes sure every dark thought and snarl is felt when he's cornered, and reveals every bit of passion for his wife when he's near her.

I had the honor of developing the storyline arc for the first segment and writing the female characters. Yes, that's a plural. Amy may be a meek name, but this woman has surprising determination and secrets. When she makes her bold suggestion to Bryce, she does it with an open mind and a lot of confidence many women wouldn't have. I suppose it helps that she has more than one ulterior motive.

RAZOR is a very intense, explicit drama. The first installment comes as part of a BDSM anthology, Bound by Love, from Sizzler Editions. We expect the release the first week of February.

After that, K.B. and I will flesh out a full novel. RAZOR has way too many exciting possibilities to end at 9,000 words. The story will explore the D/s lifestyle and include aspects not commonly written about in typical romances. RAZOR will arouse and entice you in ways you won't expect.

Krewe Daddy by Margie Church

Blurb: Luis is the Daddy, a sought after lover, with an ego to match the mammoth-sized Mardi Gras floats he designs. His lifestyle and reputation are wearing him out, but Luis can't find a satisfying way to break the cycle and be happy, too.

Drew's insecurities pushed him to have a foolish affair six years ago. It destroyed his relationship with Luis and he's never been able to commit to anyone since. He's taken control of his life and changed his submissive personality by becoming a model for Kevin Marks, and a wildlife enforcement agent in New Orleans.

These men haven't forgotten each other or settled their differences. They accidentally meet in a gay bar, and the years of regret, anger, and pent-up emotions bubble to the surface. Their passion is as hot as ever, their mistrust just as potent. When Drew's future is in Luis' hands, will he choose love or his lifestyle?

Drew is a character you should remember from Hard as Teak. He is the one who got away and this is his story of redemption. Krewe Daddy is an erotic m/m romance that will be released February 27, from Noble Romance.  With any luck, it'll be a bestseller the way Hard as Teak was!

Sequel to The 18^th Floor

Also promised for the first half of the year is this piece. If you enjoy erotic BDSM romance, check out the first book now, and watch for another featuring the delicious Alexa and her beloved, Dom, Sebastian.

One Night Stand

This short story is still vegging in the recesses of my brain. (Can't be that far back cuz I'm blond.) My pals Kate and Val have been waiting more than a year for me to fork one of these over. I'll get 'er done this year.

Conferences

I'm thinking about several – Romance Times, Erotic Authors Association, Gay Authors, and a couple of reader events. My goal is to get in front of more readers this year, so any opportunity to do that will be higher on my radar.

I hope you will enjoy these books and keep in touch. Watch for excerpts and snippets on my website very soon. Buy all my titles on Amazon. 

Thanks for your friendship and for being a fan. Happy New Year.

Margie

The huff of my dog's snorts broke the silence as she moved through snow-covered field. The fresh powder didn't even have enough light to glisten this morning. The sun was too sleepy to shove the clouds away. I trudged along a walking path near the Mississippi. Nearing its banks, I felt the bite of winter's wrath on my cheeks, which had been frostbitten years earlier.

I warned off my dog."You go on."

She'd gone after some geese two years ago and fell in. I'll never forget watching her wrestling with life and death while dragging herself onto an ice floe. I'd have been devastated to watch her die that way. Today, she shook the loose snow off her body and took off in a safer direction.

Overhead, bare tree branches moved by an invisible hand. The red oak leaves had fallen off months ago. The white oaks shivered in the breeze, making a crisp sound. The branches knocked against each other.

I froze in my tracks and waited to hear the sound again. "Are you here?" My voice sounded fearful, anxious.

In the rush of the wind, his words carried to my mind, speaking to me in a voice nearly forgotten. "I am."

My chin quivered. "It's been such a long time."

"I know. How are you?"

I looked at the gray-bark trees, gnarled with age and disease. I imagined he looked like them in some ways. "I'm okay."

"Show me."

I silently reminisced about the past year.

A moment later, his laugh, similar to mine, echoed in my conscience. "I hear the babbling brook." His pause was lengthy. "You had a lot of fun this year."

I nodded.

"The boys are growing. Each of them got a deer. I would have liked to see that."

"They're marksmen like their father. Like you were, though you never used a bow and arrow."

"The places you visited; the people you've met; the things you've done. You've become someone I never dreamed of."

I choked up. "Is that a good thing? You never told me whether you had any dreams for me."

"It's a good thing. What father wouldn't have good dreams for their child?"

"You never said, and you've been gone most of my life now." I shrugged, the direction of the conversation unlike any other we'd previously had.

"The brook is the laughter. Tell me about the rest."

His voice always held a tenor of authority. He never could be any other way, I guess.

My dog ran up and nuzzled my leg. I patted her head and she scampered off to sniff for things buried under the snow.

"Not today, okay? You were there. People and love died; the haters lived. Throw another log onto the pyre. It seems such a waste of time to try to care about anyone too much these days."

"Cynicism doesn't suit you. It's not your nature at all."

Tears welled in my eyes.

"I hear the babbling brook again."

I sniffled. "Tears are tears in joy or sorrow."

"And a brave smile is still a smile."

"I'm disappointed in humanity, dad."

"So you're going to get out the bricks and mortar and reinforce the walls?"

"I've thought about it—a lot." The ground blurred with tears as I looked at my boots and kicked the loose snow.

"I doubt you'll be happy with so much concrete around your heart. How will the boys and your husband even get in?"

I wiped my cheek with the back of my mitten-covered hand. "I'll give them a key." Looking at the branches swaying in a breeze I couldn't feel at ground level, I imagined them being his chest, moving in and out as he breathed.

"And?"

"When they get tired of me, I'll take the keys back, just like I did with the others."

"Aren't you the dramatic one! You won't be alone."

My anger rose. "I'm fine with my own company, just like you were."

"I was miserable."

I crooked an eyebrow. "Tell me about it. I lived with you."

"Break the cycle. Let them in, even if it hurts."

"Even if they abandon me?"

"They don't know what they missed. It's their loss. Be someone else's hero."

I could barely speak. "But it feels like my chest is being crushed every time I think about it." Tears dripped down my cheeks. "It shouldn't be this way. I'm an idiot for caring, and yet I keep doing it again and again." A humorless chuckle left my lips. "There must be some kind of treatment program for people like me."

"Naw, you're just trying to find your way, like everyone else."

"Is it ever lonely where you are?"

"No. There's a sense of peace and inclusion that I never had on Earth."

"That's good to know, because the haters rule here."

"Don't quit trying. Sometimes you win and sometimes—"

"You lose."

"I was going to say, you don't."

"The new year is coming, and it'll bring some huge endings and challenges."

"I know. Meet them with a smile and a strong heart. I'll be around."

Surprised, my mood brightened. "Really? When?"

"Whenever the oaks knock."

©2011 Margie Church

I'm pleased to have two new-to-Romance With SASS guests - Lani Rhea and JP Archer! The three of us write for Renaissance Ebooks (aka Sizzler).  These two women are living in the heart of Oklahoma, carrying out their dream. They write in the paranormal and contemporary erotic romance genre. You can find them either reading or writing. They’d love to hear from you.  

Margie: What’s your biggest joy as a writer?

JP: Bringing characters to life that evokes an emotional response from a reader.  I love it when the words we write make someone laugh out loud, or sigh or get horny and go jump their man….lol. That’s awesome. It’s powerful.

LR: The spark of one idea, of how it can grow into so many possibilities, then trying to find the right character to fit the role. The whole process is fun.

Margie: Do your characters speak to you?

LR: Yes. I swear I’m not crazy. If you see me staring into space and mumble something I’m planning the next big thing with which ever character is in my head at the moment.

JP: Yes. And the long distance bills are getting way out of control. Ha Ha Ha. Seriously, they speak to me but not in a conversational way. It’s more like I can feel who they are and how they think and I am able to channel that onto the page.

Margie: What’s the craziest plot you never wrote?

JP: I had this dream one night about a girl who could step outside of time and move around people like they were statues, she was stealing a bracelet from a jewelry counter. She then discovers that she is her own mother. That she is part of a time loop. I thought about having that as a supernatural ability and what other purposes it could be used for or what else she might be able to do. It still tickles my mind but I haven’t been able to resolve it yet.

LR: I’ve started writing this, but never finished. My time travel doppelganger story, I call it Time of Unity. A man is created in a government lab and has never seen the outside world his entire childhood or teen years. He is sent back in time to save the lives of important people of our past. During all his time travel he meets a lady. A prophecy of an unborn child comes true and is stolen after birth by a witch. So yeah, one day I’ll finish this story. 

Margie: Dumbest thing you ever did and didn’t get caught?

LR: On our honeymoon, my husband slipped his hand down inside my pants on a ride at Epcot. We tried to find another place to go to have fun, but were out of luck. So this ride held dark potential.

JP: Making out with my boyfriend in my mom’s car in the middle of the afternoon while in the parking lot of her job, waiting for her to get off work. We steamed up the windows good and proper! LOL. We had just barely got zipped up and him out of the car when she and about 200 other employees started out of the building at 4:30 pm.

Margie: Tell us something unexpected about yourself?

JP: I am a recovering sex addict. Proudly five years monogamous now. That is why Lani writes the sex and I write the romance. I have to keep certain boundaries and limits to be able to keep and enjoy my recovery.

LR: Well, I can’t top JP here, and I’m very proud of her. She is so brave writing alongside me with these erotic stories. Something people don’t know about me is I’ve had open heart and lung surgery as a baby. I have multiple scars all over my body. The last time I ever wore a bikini in public I was seven.  I’m also very, fair-skinned. Whenever I sunbathe I gain A LOT of freckles. Thanks to my redheaded granny and the Irish that runs through me.

Margie: When holding a cocktail party, five guests are on the invitation list, living or dead. Who are they and why?

LR: LR:   Of course JP, because she is my best friend. *grin*

2.      An ancestor I never knew I was kin to until I found out on ancestory.com, Jane Austen. I would love to sit at the table with her and talk books.

3.      Julia Roberts, because I love her in Pretty Woman.

4.      Johnny Depp. He’s so hot! He’s traveled the lands, but yet to discover my… yeah! JK btw I love how he speaks.

5.      My gang from Will Blog for Sex on Facebook. We always have the best Flash Fiction Friday’s to ever grace the Internet. They are all supportive. So I guess this means I would have more than five guests, right? Lol

JP: Aaw. Thanks Lani. Of course you’re invited to any party I have. Standing invitation.

1)      Whoopi Goldberg- because she’s funny and smart.

2)      Queen Elizabeth the First- Would love to find out if she actually did Robert Dudley or not.

3)      Stevie Nicks- she is one of my favorite singers and very reclusive.

4)      Laurel K. Hamilton- awesome writer. I’ve read all of her book and she’s the best in her genre.

5)      Andy Warhol- so he could take a picture of all of us.

Margie: And now a blurb and excerpt from the newly released The Ark Hotel: Before the Dawn, part of The Sexiest Time of the Year an anthology from Renaissance eBooks Inc.

Blurb:

With the Mayan’s predicted doomsday a year away, inspires many to take a spin on the Wheel of Pleasure at the risqué Ark Hotel.

Running north from an abusive relationship, Angie Perkins, never suspected her life would change by a chance encounter. Repulsed, she despises the Ark Hotel.

Noah Hawthorne, part owner and CEO of The Ark Hotel, can’t know that fate would serve up his true love in a small town diner.

With Christmas around the corner, can these two give of their hearts, finding their way past their pasts to each other as the clock ticks down on the world’s final moments?

Excerpt:

Her need to lick his pure, male skin, overpowered all rational thought. She wanted to flick her tongue across a flat male nipple and have him groan for more. Her heart raced with the picture projected in her mind.

Her hand slipped inside his shirt to his smooth, hairless chest. Her hand slid over his pec.

Angie became aware of the lifting of her tight sweater.

Noah palmed her breast through the lace of her bra.

The heat of his hand in competition with the freezing temperature created a paradox of pleasure.

He rolled a turgid nipple between a thumb and index finger. Oh, definitely a breast man.

Angie placed a kiss at the crease of the shirt's V. She played with one of his nipples.

He moaned and clenched a handful of her hair.

Placing her cheek on his warm skin to listen to his out of control pounding heart, she came back to reality. She glanced up to Noah's handsome face.

Heavy lidded, eyes slit open, he stared down. His smile was beautiful, frustrated. "Always the wrong time or the wrong place," he chuckled.

"Ain't that the truth." She offered a rueful grin. "You know, we could always go to my apartment when we're done here."

A wild pace settled behind his eyes. She barely kept her balance when Noah spun away with her hand in his.

"We're done," he growled.

Angie giggled at his impatience. The reflection of her needs helped her keep speed with Noah's lengthy strides. They almost jogged towards his truck, leaving the gazebo and sleigh behind.

Margie:  GREAT excerpt ladies! Where can your readers find you?

Jp Archer:

Blog: http://jp-archer.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100002049742744

Lani Rhea:

Blog:  http://lanirhea.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100001398447891

Facebook Fan Page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lani-Rhea/286017144766071

Twitter  https://twitter.com/#!/RheasRomance

Website  http://www.lanirhea.webs.com/

Email them at rheaarcherbooks@gmail.com or find their communal blog at http://rheaarcherbooks.blogspot.com which houses their personal social media links.

Margie: Where can people buy the anthology your story The Ark Hotel: Before the Dawn is featured in?

Renaissance eBooks Inc. http://shop.renebooks.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ANTHO-04

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/SEXIEST-TIME-YEAR-ENCOUNTERS-ebook/dp/B006FLVZCU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322613583&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sexiest-time-of-the-year-sascha-illyvich/1107522929?ean=2940013494596&itm=1&usri=the+sexiest+time+of+the+year%3a+erotic+encounters+at+the+yule+season+-+edited+by+sascha+illyvich&workid=1036548088

Thank you so much for having us today, Margie. *grin* We are giving away a free copy of The Sexiest Time of the Year. Leave us a comment with your email and tomorrow, Dec. 21^st, we will choose a winner. To better your odds of winning, send a friend to comment mentioning your name. Each time your name is mentioned you get another entry. So be watching your emails tomorrow!

It's my pleasure to host you and you're welcome back any time!