Monday, July 9, 2012

Author Interview - Margie Church - Erotic Romance with Sass!


Margie Church
Erotic Romance


     Margie Church is a multi-published author who writes erotic romance novels. Her books have a strong suspense element, in keeping with her moniker: Romance with SASS (Suspense Angst Seductive Sizzle). She has a degree in writing and editing and have been a professional writer, editor, and journalist for over 25 years. If you enjoy books you can't put down, read one of hers.

    She lives in Minnesota, is married, and has two children. Some of her passions are music, flower gardening, biking, walking on moonlit nights, nature, and making people laugh. She also writea children's books under the pen name, Margaret Rose.

Tonya:  Margie, welcome to my blog! I'm so excited for my readers to learn about you because readers love to know more about their authors. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Margie:  I'm a native Minnesotan, who grew up in a large family. I have six siblings – five unfortunately are brothers.  ;-) When I was a kid, I played saxophone and oboe and frequently performed solos. I even have albums and I made All-State Band as a freshman.  Pretty heady stuff for a young girl.  All year long you could find me on the stage performing in one-act plays, musicals, and summer theater. I also spent 14 years marching in drum and bugle corps and color guard. My family was dirt poor so we never vacationed. We didn't even have a car large enough for all of us to go anywhere together if we wanted to. These activities were my escape from all of that less-fortunate reality.
     When I was 12, McCall's magazine published one of my poems. Then, I became a radio DJ at 16, and that cemented my career aspirations to work in communications. I have a degree in radio and television news writing and editing. I've worked in marketing communications for almost 30 years.
     I'll be celebrating my 30th wedding anniversary this October. We have two terrific sons who inspire me every day to be a good parent.

Tonya:  Congrats on the 30 year anniversary! That's something to celebrate these days. Do you have a day job?

Margie:  Yup. I'm a copywriter and editor for a direct marketing firm that specializes in the credit union market. I'm one of those peeps who send you credit card promotions and such from your credit union. I also freelance magazine articles whenever I can. I work in commercial construction for those. Love that work. Wish the economy would rebound so I could do more. It's very, very lucrative.

Tonya:  Wow, busy busy lady! Some of us have things we do to get into the writing frame of mind like music, or drinks. Do you have anything special you do to get into the writing mood?

Margie:  I sit at the keyboard.  I worked from home for 12 years starting when my children were toddlers. That taught me how to get in the zone right now. I've learned to write with a lot of distractions around me. It gets frustrating sometimes, but we all live here so I had to learn to cope. I'm also a workaholic. Ask anyone who has written with me or been my editor. I've very disciplined. I often struggle to balance my family's needs, the EDJ, and my career as a novelist.

Tonya:  Where do you get story ideas? Where do they come from?

Margie:  Nowhere in particular and everywhere in general. A snarky response, but true. Usually I see an image in my head and let that kind of simmer and bloom until I've got some kind of a cinematic representation of what the story might be. Then, I start writing. I don't have a file of story-wannabes. In fact, I was freaking out a couple weeks ago because everything I'd written not only was sold, it was in cue for publishing.

Tonya:  If you’re self-published, can you tell us a bit about that and how it’s going for you?

Margie:  I've gone the traditional route. I felt the cache and support of having publishers and editors was important for me.

Tonya:  Are you a daytime writer, night time writer, and do you have to be alone to write?

Margie:  I probably do my best work in the morning when I'm fresh, but most days I don't get that chance. Evenings seem more productive. I spend a lot of my afternoon time on social media and other promotional activities. I don't have to be alone, but I do like to be left alone. Writing is a profession for me. I do need to concentrate.

Tonya:  What advice would you give to new authors?

Margie:  Buy the biggest jar of patience you can. The work is complex and challenging – it takes patience to hone your craft. The business is ever-changing and most of us don't have a mentor. Take the time to ask questions, learn, try some things (give it time to work before you decide it failed), and be prepared for a lot of crickets at first. Punching a hole in the authorial universe is no easy feat for 99.9% of us.

Tonya:  So true! But you've accomplished that! Do you write better when you first have an idea of what your characters look like or do you write, then add character looks?

Margie:  I start with a character worksheet (you're not surprised to learn I'm a plotter, are you?) and fill in their emotional and physical motivations/needs so I get a real sense of them. Then, I find a name that suits those characteristics. Lastly, I find a photo of someone who closely resembles my vision– which to me is icing on the cake. Once I begin writing the story, there will be other things I'll learn about the character and add to their sheet – because I've got a TERRIBLE memory and I forget these details all the time.

Tonya:  I suppose I'm a bit of a plotter, since I do write down the character traits. What attracts you most about men?

Margie:  Oftentimes it's their voice. I love hazel eyes and full lips. I like men who are taller than me – I'm quite short so I like that sense of physical strength that I don't have. Good sense of humor and a great conversationalist and I'm definitely interested. Humm, for the most part, I've just described my husband!

Tonya:  We’re dying to hear about your latest book. What can you tell us without spoiling the storyline?

Margie:  Razor is the coolest damn book about a married couple who invite a Domme into their relationship. It all begins quite a straightforward way. Amy wants her husband Bryce to explore whether he can become a switch in the bedroom. She boldly suggests her friend, Raine, mentor him. If you're unfamiliar, the term switch describes a Dominant who can occasionally be a submissive for the right partner. The Dominant really has to want it. Razor takes our threesome on a psycho-emotional journey to discover whether that can actually happen for Bryce. There's a lot of emotional pushing and shoving from Bryce, who vacillates between this great sense of sexual freedom and marital guilt. It's interesting to watch him try to turn the tables on Raine, and see how she keeps him in check.
    Additionally, this book isn't about an unhappy couple looking for something to spice up their life in hopes it'll fix things. Bryce and Amy are very much in love and committed to each other. My co-author, K.B. Cuter, and I hope you'll appreciate the honesty and perspectives these people share. Throughout Razor, you'll see the characters revealing hidden desires and new emotions. Watch them question long-held beliefs and open their minds and hearts to something completely new that they hope will be immensely rewarding. There's enough BDSM kink in the book to satisfy most appetites without making you cringe from excessive pain or technique. Make no mistake, Razor is a very adult story with numerous love scenes. It's also a drop-dead gorgeous romance. We'll begin writing the sequel – Razor: Desire's Edge – this fall.

Tonya:  I love the premise of experimenting because we all secretly fantasize about that, too. *glancing at her audience* YES You do!!! None of you fool me! Did I forget to tell you I'm a bit psychic? LOL  Margie, tell us more about your main characters in Razor. 

Margie:  I'd love to!

     By the sound of her name - Amy - you think she's not a very strong woman. Vanilla, predictable, a true submissive. And to a large extent, Amy has been those things, but her friendship with Raine has released her sense of adventure and her inner strength. Let's face it, for her to pretty much hand over her beloved husband to her best friend takes some character!

     Then we have Bryce. He's a great guy, and even though he never had feelings for Raine before this complicated triangle was drawn, he develops them pretty quickly. Yet he loves Amy. Firmly, Unequivocally. And damn if he doesn't get green-eyed over Raine's date, Neil. When he meets Lucien Chase, it's all Bryce can do not to clean this guy's clock. Ah, lots of hidden emotions are bubbling up, and Bryce is doing his damnedest to keep everything under control. Good luck with that, my boy.

     And Raine, smart, beautiful, loving, incredibly strong, and independent. She loves Amy and cherishes their friendship above all others. And yet, she covets the kind of relationship Amy and Bryce share. It takes every ounce of her self-control to remain in her role as Domme, mentoring Bryce as she was asked. But each scene together ends in bittersweet goodbyes for her.

Blurb: Razor by Margie Church and K.B. Cutter

    Amy and Bryce don't live the Dominant/submissive lifestyle, but Bryce acts every bit the Dom in the bedroom. And Amy's had enough. Enlisting her best friend's help is a drastic move. Will inviting Raine into her marriage destroy it? How will she cope when Bryce and Raine become intimate?
     Though Bryce doubts he'll ever become a switch, he's determined to make Amy happy. Months later, he struggles to keep an emotional distance from Raine. His journey of self-awareness is anything but predictable or vanilla.
    After only a few scenes with Bryce, Raine's roles as Domme and best friend blur. Her ideals about love and marriage shift. She questions her own motives at every turn. Can she get out of this relationship triangle unscathed?
   Three people with different motives come together to form a very contemporary relationship. Who will get what they want, and who will be forever changed?

Adult Excerpt: Razor

cobalt storm

onyx control

reflections,

desire's edge

     Wet heat pooled between Amy's legs as she watched Bryce through the kitchen window. Knees trembling from the insistent throbbing of her clit, she pressed her thighs together, knowing her panties were already damp.
      She really wanted to suck her husband's cock.
      Bryce took off his T-shirt, and draped it over the neat pile of split logs. In the heat of the day, perspiration glistened on his chiseled torso. One handed, he thrust the axe head into a tree stump, his bicep rippling.
     A jolt of sexual electricity zipped through her every time he moved. Her nipples strained against the white cotton tank top she wore.
     Amy needed to calm her jangled nerves. She inhaled the earthy scent of the forest wafting through the open kitchen window. White lace curtains fluttered on the light breeze. The frilly sheers were one of the few feminine accents in the rugged décor.
     She traced the wood grain of the butcher's block with her fingers. Their cabin was built of white pine, saddle notched logs. Rough-hewn plank floors and functional, yet elegant, Quaker furniture added a certain Spartan charm. Amy didn’t mind the rugged design. All of it seemed an organic compliment to the lush beauty of Norford Falls, Maine. And their vacation home seemed a natural extension of her husband, Bryce, who'd built the retreat. Bryce Gage thrived on hard work, and even though he was CEO of Gage Commercial Constructs, he always said he still enjoyed getting dirty.
     Amy relished his large, calloused hands roaming her body. A mischievous grin played on her lips as she grabbed a can of beer from the refrigerator. She sauntered out the kitchen door, and strode down the sloping lawn, with her hips swaying theatrically in her tight Daisy Duke's.
     At the sound of the screen door slamming, his head turned toward her. She had his attention with her firm, pert breasts bouncing suggestively as she walked.
    His gunmetal-blue gaze swept over her body.
   She shivered with anticipation.
   The corners of his mouth turned up, a grin curiously lupine in appearance.
      "Thought you might like a cold one, babe." Amy offered him the beer.
      Bryce smiled wider, revealing even white teeth, the lines of his unshaven face an alluring masculine contrast. He reached for the can.
      Amy pulled it back, holding it between her breasts as she slid her hand into her shorts.
    His expression morphed from curious to aroused. His nostrils flared, muscles visibly tensed.
     She dipped her fingers into her moist panties and between the folds of her sex. She shuddered over the provocative, erotic sensations, but never let her gaze waver. Removing her hand, Amy traced her moisture over the rim, popped the tab, and handed the beer to him.
     Bryce brought the can to his lips. His tongue darted over the dewy metal before swallowing.
     She sucked in her breath under his intense gaze.
     He placed the can on an upturned log, his jaw clenching.
   With anxiety rolling in her stomach, Amy watched in silence, waiting for her husband to give voice to her churning thoughts. The look in his eyes told Amy she'd surprised him.
     Would he let her have her way?
    Emboldened, she pressed against him. The full impact of her seduction manifested itself. Every hard line and angle of his body seemed to bulge with heat. Without breaking eye contact, Amy reached up and drew his lips to hers.
     Curiosity, mixed with passion, flared in his eyes. He didn't resist, didn't blink.
 
Razor Buy Links:
 Amazon


Tonya:  Damn! *grabbing her fan* Now that's a HOT read. I wish you all the best and may your sales skyrocket! Let's move on to other things we NEED - What is your favorite night time snack?

Margie:  A cold Miller Genuine Draft and roasted almonds.

Tonya:  Yummy! I'm a Jack Daniels woman but I do enjoy the dark beers in a frosty mug! Try Irish Death! Do you like toppings on your ice cream?

Margie: hot fudge

Tonya:  What’s your favorite meal - Italian, Mexican, Thai, etc?

Margie:  Steamed, fresh lobster with corn on the cob, tossed salad and white wine.

Tonya:  Now I'm really hungry! Is there anything else you want to tell our readers?

Margie:  Thanks for spending time with me today, for buying my books, and sharing with me on social media. I really enjoy yacking with friends and fans. And you asked some great questions, Tonya!

CONTEST:   I'm giving away 2 copies of Razor and an autographed 18" x 24" poster of the book cover. (that's THREE winners!!) Tell me what you think of a relationship such as the one Bryce, Amy, and Raine are exploring. Can it work? What would it take? All things aside, would you try it?

Other links: 

Margie's website  Romance with SASS



                                        K.B. Cutter's Website

Tonya:  Readers, go back and read about the CONTEST and let's get some chatter started. Margie, it's been a blast chatting with you! I'm glad you'll be around all week for our readers. Your books are so HOT! Where can our readers find you and your books?


Margie: The most comprehensive list is on Amazon.


Saturday, July 7, 2012

Tonya's Book Tour & Contest


Join Me!!

      I'm starting my Book Tour for Master's Email and yes, you can read it in the bubbles if you're careful with your e-reader! My tour will span three months and I hope you join me so you can get in on all the prizes I'll be giving away. If you follow my scheduled stops at the left or on my calendar, you can enter at each blog stop I do. How exciting is that? Good luck to everyone! Please share my links and my schedule on FB and tweet for me!

      In addition to each blog stop contest, I'm also having a Grand Prize Tour Contest and the winner will be picked on October 2nd for a $50 gift card (revised value from $25 to $50!!) of your choice! (All Romance, Amazon or Barnes & Noble) ONE entry per person please, more than one and it will be deleted.


$50 Gift Card
(revised from $25!!!)
 
Winners!!!

$50 - Christine
$10 - Joanne
$10 - Catherine

     Thank you to all who followed the tour and are still following The Boss's Pet! YOU are helping my books climb the charts at Amazon and B & N - so thank you so much! Please continue to share and tweet my links with your friends! Muah!



     Want more ways to WIN?  Subscribe to my newsletter and follow my blog, where MONTHLY, I pick on winner from each to win a $10 gift card!




.99



Sunday, July 1, 2012

Guest Post by Liz Borino, Erotic Romance


Liz Borino
Erotic Romance (M/m)

Writing What I Don’t Know

I’m often asked why and how I write something I can never experience (such as a relationship between two gay men, since I’m a straight woman). My simple answer is: The same way I write my papers for school, research and imagination.
But that’s a short blog post, so I’ll explain further. When I was working exclusively on the Taylor Twins Series, I read books in the m/m genre, as well as general romance, to get a feel of conventions. Then, I promptly decided which conventions to use and which to throw away. I don’t subscribe to traditions—of any kind—just because they exist. Nor do I reject them haphazardly. However, some of the research proved very useful. In my first book dealing with a male/male relationship, I had to figure out what was physically possible. I try to keep my books real in that sense. But no matter what I’m writing, the scenes are driven by the character’s emotions and motivations. Otherwise you’ve got porn, which is fine for some, but I want more for my boys.
 As to why I write relationships I can’t experience, i.e. male/male, that answer is a bit more complicated. In The Taylor Twins Series, I started with a concept of twins trying to get their sizeable trust funds. I figured Matt out. He hated his job, but had to continue if he wanted the money. His story began with the destructive ways he dealt with this conundrum. Chris was a little more complicated. His ‘assignment’ was to marry and have a son. I had to ask myself why this was a problem. Seems simple, assuming he’s a likeable guy, which he was, but the conflict came in when his father, Robert, didn’t approve of his choice of a partner. My first thought regarding Robert’s reason for condemning this lied in their differences in social class. I wasn’t sure if it would be enough. Regardless, Chris and I worked together to get the picture of his great love: long dark hair, green eyes, slender build from years of dancing, and…male. Why he didn’t just say that is beyond my comprehension, but we had our story. Theirs was a love worth risking it all, and then a little more.
Entirely different from The Taylor Twins Series is Ben’s Life Series. My publisher requested a m/m erotica novella series. I agreed, but pushed it off because I was so in love with my other characters I was afraid to write anything else. Then, I became a little blocked working on the fourth book in that series, so I set it aside. Around this time, I started seeing an increase in BDSM books, specifically highlighting the Dom/sub relationship, in my editing and reading pile. Aside from a few talented authors, I was appalled. Doms cut their subs down verbally, didn’t take no for an answer, and in one very popular book, he continued doling out punishments after his sub refused to sign the contract agreeing to participate in the lifestyle. Let me make this clear: she adamantly said no, and he still hit her. That is the definition of abuse. I went from appalled to angry the more I read and decided to use the contracted m/m erotica Lazy Day asked to portray this type of relationship another way. Back to research. I found information on the lifestyle and spoke to participants in various levels of involvement: Doms, subs, switches; people who went to a club occasionally (or only once) to those involved in long term relationships where these roles were present. I sat on the information for a day or two before I started writing to think about how I wanted it to play out.
The sub, Zack, had to be eager to take on the role. He and Steve, the Dom, sat and constructed and signed a contract, before the roles were solidified. Part of what made it Zack’s choice was his success independent of Steve. His need, then, was emotional and physical, as opposed to financial. Zack gave up control and accepted punishments because of one simple, yet essential fact: he loves Steve. With that love came a soul deep trust. And Steve, for his part, never disciplined Zack because he enjoyed causing him pain. Rather, the discipline, both physical and emotional, brought out the man Zack wanted to be.
Is Action a 100% accurate reflection of the lifestyle? No, probably not. But do you know what all that research taught me? No two couples/people will practice the same way. Action demonstrates how Zack and Steve live and love. And there’s more to come. Why do I write what I write? To excite readers and tell a story I believe in. Oh, and, it’s hot. 

Website:  www.lizborino.com

Action:  Amazon AllRomance (with excerpt)


Sunday, June 24, 2012

Getting Spanked by Master plus more!


Master's Email

     Colt took great care upon installing his cameras so visitors wouldn't detect them. Clients have been using his surveillance services for years, requesting their own security cameras but theirs were for watching their property and keeping it safe. Perhaps he had the same goals...keeping his property safe.

      His submissive worked from home and didn't go out much; he provided what she needed including an exercise room with all types of equipment and a massage room where he loved giving her relaxing massages. When he traveled, he emailed specific instructions for her to show off her body to him before his cameras. She would perform his orders per emails that she received daily and he loved to watch and record them. The videos were stored at his office under high security but at the same time he could view them when he wanted from his laptop as he traveled. Several of their training sessions were recorded so both of them could watch again and again.

     This trip he'd planned something special for her to experience that you won't want to miss! Grab your copy of Master's Email and slip between the pages to watch for your own pleasure. This story does contain strong sexual content, Dom/sub aspects, oral and anal sex along with...tugging on your deep, dark, secret fantasies that I know how to touch! I know what you love to read and hope you enjoy the stories! Go on...indulge your fantasies, download your copy! Please share my buy links with your friends!


Amazon

     Want in on my monthly contests? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow my blog by Google FC or Networked Blogs (see right sidebar) I pick one winner from each!

BONUS:  While you're at Smashwords, grab a FREE copy of The Boss's Pet: The Contract (book 1) by using coupon code SY93C before the end of JUNE.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Hot Summer Erotic Blog Hop!



      Welcome to the
Summer Erotic Blog hop!

Winner - $25 GC:  Emily D!!
Congrats!!

     I hope you're enjoying and book marking all the fantastic blogs included in this fabulous hop! There are just too many to roam each site in the next four days so be sure to book mark them and go back to visit when you have more time to drool over all the blogs, new-to-you authors and books! Some are scorchin' HOT!


 
      Here's a peek at the yummy cover to add to your erotic summer reading! I released my newest book on Sunday, June 17th so it's brand spankin' NEW! Oops....yes it has to do with spanking...and for those of us who like to 'watch' what goes on behind closed doors! Do you try to hide your secret fantasies from the world? I just may have hit on YOUR fantasy inside this book! I know what you think about! LOL You can read an excerpt at fReado, the link is on the left over there or you can scroll down to the next post and grab the Smashwords buy link. 

     Don't forget to check out The Boss's Pet series and more fun links over on my website. I also pick two monthly winners - one from my blog followers and one from my newsletter subscribers so be sure and do both of those if you want in on my MONTHLY drawings!


Up for grabs on MY blog
during this hop is:

$25 Gift Card
(readers choice, US & Internat'l)


TO ENTER: leave a comment with your email address to be included. Comments without email addys will not qualify - we want to be able to reach you!

Added Bonus:  Each qualifying comment will automatically be included in the two grand prizes, to be picked on the 24th so be sure to leave your comment here!  


Read on for more details on the two huge grand prizes up for grabs as well as the individual blog prizes out there:

1 - a $100 gift card to the fun online sex shop, Eden Fantasys



2 - A digital gift basket with over 40 erotica books to fill your Kindle


Don't forget to leave your entry comment and email, then click on the next blog in the linky list below - you don't want to miss out on this opportunity!! (Leave my window open so you can keep track of where you are in the list! Each blog will open in a new window; close that window when you're done and click the next blog link.)



Saturday, June 16, 2012

As promised, Master's Email is OUT!



Now Available!!

     I'm so excited that I can finally share this little story with all of you! Be warned - this is not your normal erotic read - there is strong sexual content and BDSM with a Dom/sub relationship so...if you do NOT enjoy reading that, this is not a story you want to read. This story will tug at more than your dirty little secret fantasies!! I know you have them hidden way back in the dark corners of your mind, hoping I won't guess what you secretly crave to read. I hope I've hit a few fantasies dead center for you!

     I've uploaded to Amazon also and that will be available Sunday, the 17th as promised. It will take at least two more weeks to be available at all other online stores. Now.....if you're already subscribed to my newsletter....you may want to hold off on the purchase for right now! Just sayin'......*wink*




Monthly Winners For May

Blog Follower - Kara D
(please click the 'contact me' button for your gift card!)

Newsletter Subscriber - Ann Q

Congrats to the monthly winners!

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Shameless Summer Blog Hop










Shameless Summer
Blog Hop

Winner:  Lupdilup!!
Congrats!

     Thanks for stopping at my blog! There are so many fantastic prize packages out there so I hope you're getting in on many of them! Wow! Don't miss out - you EIGHT days to get into all the blogs but be sure to book mark the sites so you can return after you've entered them just to roam around each blog and see what they have for their visitors!


     Be sure to stop by the main sponsors of this week's blog hop and thank them; their links are listed below in the Linky List:  Jen at Red Hot Books, Brie at Romance Around the Corner & Michelle at Michelle's Book Blog

My Prize Package:

$25 Gift Card
(For US and International)


**To be included in the drawing:

 - Click  HERE  for the entry form

(to be included in my MONTHLY contests,
follow my blog and subscribe to my newsletter!)

- Be sure to come back here and click on the next blog!
(keep this tab open and just keep clicking on the next blog)

Saturday, June 2, 2012

FREE Book - The Contract!!




Book 1: The Contract


I'm glad you stopped in to see what this was all about! I'm offering The Contract FREE for the month of June over at Smashwords. In order to get the book FREE, enter the coupon code on the buy screen and it will wipe out the fee! Enjoy! I hope you decide to grab the other three books in The Boss's Pet series. Feel free to tell your friends! Thank you to all my current fans and all my new and future fans!

BDSM is a lifestyle with a lot more to it than just kinky sex! Read a few pages on my website Links tab!

Again, thank you for stopping in and thanks for sharing! Muah!

Coupon Code:  SY93C       Expires: June 30, 2012 


 SmashWords



Psssst:  Newsletter subscribers will receive a code for a FREE book of Master's Email when it comes out! I'm just sayin'......*wink* The subscribe link is on the right over there!

Don't forget to check out the Scavenger Hunt on the right by Night Owl Reveiws...June 1 - July 15th! Good luck!