Early Bird Special - Black Dragon's Heart

Get the last book in the series first.

Blurb - Devoted chemist, Sarah VanHorn, lives for her research but fantasizes about loving Jake Ramsey. Her two worlds collide when the dragon center agent arrives to rescue her from the company suspected of producing chemicals dangerous to those with dragon blood.

Sarah's not the only one with fantasies. Jake wants Sarah as his mate and he's waited years to claim her. Now, under his protective custody--not to mention the influence of Syndetic's sexual stimulant scenting the air--he can't resist the fiery temptation to finally make her his.

But when tragedy strikes and their dreams are threatened, will Sarah sacrifice her career, Jake, and possibly her life to discover the answers? And will Jake let her?

12 Weeks to Becoming a Less Neurotic Writer

by Becca Simone

Writers are neurotic. Isn’t that a given?

I’ve been in this industry for years, have dealt with my share of ups and downs, roadblocks, writer’s block, every type of block you can imagine. I’ve seen the highest of highs and lowest of lows.

I’ve seen success come easily to some, while for others—like me—every step is a well-fought battle. The longer I write, the more I understand why many writers before me have turned to alcohol, drugs or other addictions. Luckily, my only addictions are chocolate and Cheetos—good for the soul, bad for the waistline. My body’s saving grace is that my “other” job is fitness trainer and instructor (ie: I get paid to work out). Otherwise my fanny would be the size of Europe. As it is, it’s merely the size of a small country, not a continent.

Usually, I can handle the craziness. Sometimes, however, this business just makes me want to dig a deep hole and hibernate in it. I think anyone who writes can probably relate.

I hate feeling this way, so I’ve decided to do something about it. Looking back on my personal life, the time I felt most grounded and centered was when I had a regular yoga and meditation practice. Looking back on my writing life, the time I felt the least neurotic was early in my career when I didn’t know any better. It wasn’t long after I’d started writing that I read the fantastic book The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron. It’s a 12-week program to recover your creativity from a variety of blocks.

So…for the next 12 weeks I plan to combine the above efforts and share them with you on this blog. I’d love it if some of you wanted to travel this path with me, but feel free to just live vicariously through my craziness.

Here are some of the tasks “required” in The Artist’s Way:

A daily 20-minute walk outside. This will (hopefully) clear the head, work the body, bring oxygen to all the cells, and help me work through any creativity issues I might have. I plan to kill two birds with one stone and bring my energetic German Shepherd puppy with me. He’s 95 pounds of pure Tasmanian Devil.

Daily “morning pages.” This is stream-of-consciousness writing, like keeping a journal. Do this first thing upon waking up, every single day. I started doing Morning Pages about 10 years ago and have been pretty good about keeping this up. My day just doesn’t feel right unless I’ve written my 3 pages. I never go back and read them. And when my notebook is full, I shred it.

A weekly “artist date.” For at least one hour weekly, I’m to do something or go somewhere that feeds my soul. By myself. This could be browsing at a local antique store or flea market. Taking a hike along the river. Browsing a used bookstore. Driving some back roads and exploring the countryside. Whatever.

As mentioned above, I feel best when I practice yoga and meditate. So, I’m adding those to my daily and weekly To Do list.

Yoga – 2-3x a week. I teach one yoga class, so I’ll need to add one or two more practices on my own.

Meditation – this is the hardest for me. It’s really difficult to sit with my stillness and not have thoughts racing through my head at a million miles an hour. So, I’ll start slowly. Just 3 minutes of stillness, focusing on my breath. Every day.

Week One
Artist’s Way—“Recovering a Sense of Safety”
Basically, Ms. Cameron is saying that many of our blocks are due to fear, and only we can determine what we’re afraid of. My favorite quote from this chapter is, “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”—Joseph Chilton Pearce. I take this to mean that as I’m writing and working on my WIPs, I shouldn’t be so worried about it being “good” or “sellable”, but instead focus on getting the words down on the page. And to enjoy the process.

She says if we’re blocked in any area of our life, it’s probably because we feel safer this way. Hmm. She suggests writing down all our negative beliefs about our creativity (in this case, our writing) and then turn those around and make a positive affirmation out of each one. “Negative beliefs are exactly that: beliefs, not facts,” she says. “The world was never flat, although everyone believed it was. You are not dumb, crazy, egomaniacal, grandiose, or silly just because you falsely believe yourself to be.” Whew! That’s good to know.

I’ll check back here in a week to let you know how it’s going. Unlike with personal training, where I can measure my clients' before and after stats like body weight, body fat, and inches, there are no measurements with this plan to tell me if I’m less neurotic. I guess I’ll just have to go by how I feel. Is my internal editor a bit quieter? Am I being more productive, with less time just staring at my blinking cursor? Do I still feel like crawling into a hole and hibernating? Am I enjoying this process again?

Think about joining me. We can be crazy together.

Becca Simone's first erotica release, MIDNIGHT TREAT, is available now at The Wild Rose Press. Her characters aren't nearly as neurotic as she is.

New Contest: First Date

I hope to see you there! ~ Lynne

Contest Announcement

There can only be one first time!




Please join me in celebrating mine. : )

Thanks,

~Lynne

Releasing Today: First Date by Lynne Roberts

My Rosette, First Date, is now available for purchase at Wilder Rose Press. I'm so excited!

Yes, this is my first publication but I think I'll be this excited when the next one comes out too. : )




Here's a blurb:

The Real Estate market is about to heat up.

When Bret Jacob's walks into Jill’s real estate office, she attempts to maintain a professional demeanor, but memories of accidental voyeurism in high school, years of what-if’s, and Bret’s drop-dead sexy grin only serve to ignite her fantasies.

Bret needs a farm for his growing landscape business. When he sees Jill Daniels’ picture in a real estate ad, he can’t believe his eyes: The shy girl from high school has blossomed into a desirable woman. Ten years ago, she didn’t stir his blood and drive away all rational thought; now, he’s fighting the urge to take her in his arms long enough to ask her on a first date.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. ; )

~ Lynne

MIDNIGHT TREAT is here

Just in time for Halloween and fall weather!

Warm up with Josh and Cassie, when he gives her a Midnight Treat.

It's mistaken identity gone erotically awry after a Halloween costume party. Dressed as Zorro, Josh breaks into a woman's apartment, thinking he's about to fulfill her naughty sexual fantasy. Instead, he's entered Cassie's apartment by mistake. She knows she should tell him he has the wrong woman, but for just one night, she yearns to be the right woman.

BeccaSimone.com

Fatal Exposure

Great news. Fatal Exposure is out as an Early Bird Special for September. Buy the paperback now!



Blurb:
Deception brings them together. Exposure can tear them apart.

Taking off her clothes every night for the patrons of Hothouse Gentleman’s Club was never part of Ava Lureau's life plan, but the sleazy strip joint was the last place her powerful ex-boyfriend would think to look for her. A life on the run kept Ava safe…but lonely. So when a ruggedly sexy stranger shows up and a lap dance becomes more than another dollar in her G-string, she takes a chance.

Kade Gavin’s job is simple—capture his target and deliver her to the man who hired him. Nothing but a paycheck matters in Kade's bleak existence…until the enticing stripper with soft curves and a puzzling persona climbs into his bed--and under his skin.


Excerpt:
“I’m not a whore,” she said over her shoulder, suddenly feeling completely naked in more ways than one.

She puffed out a breath, irritated with herself for allowing him to touch her, and for liking it too much to stop. Just how far would she have let him go? How far did she still want it to go? His proposal was annoyingly tempting.

“That’s good because I’m not going to pay you.” He stood up behind her, dropping his head to right above her neck. His warm, cinnamon breath swept across her bare shoulders. “Just finish the job I already started.”

She spun around and perched her hands on her hips, wanting him to know she wasn’t intimidated by his brashness. With a bravado she didn’t feel, she looked up into his pale blue eyes, swallowed her rising nerves, and said, “Why are you still here?”

He quirked up his mouth in a smirk. “I’m not a man who likes to waste time, Lily.” He said her name with all the falseness they both knew it contained.

“I’m not a woman who jumps on command,” she snapped back. The guy had a lot of nerve.

“No?” His brows squinted together as he lifted the guilty finger and licked it, his tongue consuming the bodily juices that still clung to his skin. Her juices. He winked. “Sure tastes like you do.”

A surge of heat pulsed where his finger had once been, but she did her best to ignore it. “Sorry, sweetie.” She gave him a once-over and desperately tried to look unimpressed. “I don’t fraternize with the customers.”

A sexy grin spread across his face. “Room 112 at the hotel across the street. Come over when you’re done here. You won’t regret it.”

Buy now!
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=180&products_id=712


Lia Slater
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