Romantic Times Day Three

I’m writing this message well after midnight which as those of you who know me know–is WELL after my bedtime. What can I say about this conference? It’s absolutely BRILLIANT. I’ve seen and spoken to so many fantastic people that my mind is an absolute blur. We woke up earlier than we expected–shortly after 6 a.m. when Valerie set off the house alarm in Jayne’s house. Funny as crap–after we all stopped swearing and our heartbeats returned to normal!

We ate breakfast with Joy from Joyfully and Melissa/Mimi, a good friend of our very own Fatin. Talked until we nearly missed our first session, which was a good one about ebook contracts. From there we went to an EC author luncheon. I am now the very proud owner of an EC fleece blanket–LOVE it. After lunch, we went to Bad Boy Bingo. What a hoot! I won a prize–bottle of champagne and several signed books–woo hoo–booze! Um…the books were cool too. Hee hee.

After Bingo, we raced to Club RT for the Cougar Growl. Samantha Kane, Desiree Holt, Mari Freeman, Dalton Diaz, Samantha Cayto, Lynne Connolly, Jayne, Lexxie and I were all on hand to promote our books. We had lots of lovely folks stop by to visit and talk about the series–fun time.

Then, FINALLY, we went to the bar (lol) with my EC editor. Have I mentioned in the last five minutes how much I love that woman. She went out to dinner with us and then we came back to get dressed for the fairy ball. Laughed our asses off as we put on our costumes–we were the four elements–earth (me), water (Valerie), wind (Jayne) and the sexiest fire fairy on the planet (Lexxie). They served steak at the ball and the Mr. Romance contestants were on hand. After the ball, we FINALLY went back to the bar where we ran into Bianca D’Arc. Holy hell–that is one nice lady. She’s here with her dad–so lovely to see them walking around together.

Now–I’m about to drag my weary body upstairs to sleep. I have to get up at 7 a.m. to do it all over again. I can’t wait!

Friday Eve Snippet

Here’s an itsy bitsy piece of Lucas and Zachary’s story. It doesn’t have a title yet but it’s set on a university campus in Germany

If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site before reading any further.

When he’d started at the institute, Zach, a technician in the department, had been his go-to person for chemicals, equipment, well…everything really. He clearly took pride in his job and always seemed eager to assist anyone who asked. After the initial settling in period, Lucas found himself happy when he had a problem, just so he would have a reason to approach Zach.

He tried to hide his attraction but he’d done a poor job of it because Zach started flirting with him. Lucas pretended to be oblivious, all the while fighting the urge to flirt back.  He avoided being alone with Zach and that had helped, but there had been a few instances when he just couldn’t stop himself.

That’s when he’d known losing the war wasn’t only possible but highly probable.

Their stop was next. Yes!

Lucas practically flew out of the doors when they slid open. They’d been the only ones to get off and the platform was devoid of people. Lucas walked briskly to the escalator but Zach’s long legs ensured that he didn’t get very far ahead.

“You planning on answering me, Doc?”

Oh, what the hell. He’d been playing with the flame of his own desire, which was threatening to become a bonfire. While great fuel for his fantasies, flirting back had been totally unfair to Zach when Lucas knew he wouldn’t follow through. He drew to a halt and turned to face Zach.

“I’m not going to have sex with you, Zach. Sorry for blowing hot and cold but there, that’s it. No.”

Zach smiled.

Huh?

“I hear your words, Doc, but your eyes are saying, ‘Take me back to my room and fuck me, Zach’.”

His cock had never filled so fast. Lucas whirled away from Zach, intent on hiding the damning evidence. He was going home. Alone.

Before he could take a step, Zach gripped his arms lightly from behind.

“I see another body part agrees with those gorgeous eyes,” Zach said.

Lucas sighed. What did he have to do to catch a break today? He broke out of Zach’s grasp and turned to face the other man.

“Yes, Zach. I want you. Is that what you want to hear? I want you to suck me, fuck me, fucking do me in all the positions you could imagine but you know what? I’m not controlled by my dick, so we’re not going to do any of that. Why? Because it won’t be enough. I’ll want more than sex and even if you were willing to give me more, I’ll be done here in four months. I’ll be going to G0d knows where so what would be the point? To get off? I can do that by myself. The no doubt phenomenal sex is not worth the inevitable heartache. So let’s continue to be just friends, yeah?”

“No doubt.”

“What?” Zach had lost him.

“The sex would be phenomenal,” Zach replied before he held his face and kissed him.

Copyright © J.R. Patrick, 2010

Romantic Times Day Two

So you’re wondering what happened to day one? Me too. Damn, where did it go. It’s 2:18am Thursday and I seriously have no idea what happened to Tuesday. I think Jayne Rylon, Mari Carr, Valerie Tibbs and I did some really important stuff, but it’s gone by in such a blur, I don’t remember what it was. Today (day two) I can remember (probably because it only just happened to me) so let me share some of it.

We begin with breakfast. Actually, no we begin even earlier. 3:30am to be exact. I wake to go to the loo….and don’t go back to sleep. Not at all. So I watch new Chuck (for the fourth time because I’m in the US and nbc.com will let me), read some of Vivian Arend‘s latest mss (bloody awesome), talk to my husband, talk to my girls (it’s 6:30pm tomorrow for them) and generally wish I could go to sleep. At about 6:45am I do. Breakfast with Jayne, Val and Mari is at 8am. Suffice to say, I’m still asleep when they arrive. In my Aussie flag singlet and undies.

Breakfast is bloody delicious (omlet, bacon, potatoes, fresh fruit, tea!!) and then we decide to get with the program. The program calls for hard work and concentration. We decided to go for hunting and gathering (Heat Wave members, you wait until you see the tote bags!!). Then we, and by we I mean I decided to make about a gazillion promo items of business card/lollypop/thong keyring (or flip flop key ring for you non-Aussies). Jayne, Val and Mari are incredibly wonderful and help me (God, I love these women!).

Then it’s lunch. Lunch requires an excursion and I get to see my first really-real American mall and buy Gap clothes for my girls (and real tea for me!). After that though, it’s time for hard work and concentration and we all find ourselves listening to MaryJanice Davidson and Angela Knight talk about how to go from ebooks to NY print. It’s both exciting and daunting (and I had to control myself and not go all fan girl on MaryJanice *sigh*)

Then it’s time to doll up and meet the booksellers. So here’s the thing I discovered. I suck at talking about my books, but when I want to I can really pull a broad Aussie accent out of the hat. Experiences Buck Eyes for the first time. Am bought the makings for smores by a wonderful woman who’s birthday it is today (being that it’s 1:39am). Try and talk some more about my books. Fail miserably but hopefully come across as a delightfully cute if somewhat odd Aussie (the accent helps *grin*). Jayne and Mari of course, breeze through this with style and aplumb.

After that, it’s the Ellora’s Cave ball. We done our best red and hit the ball room.There’s not much I can say about this at the moment. I’ll let the piccies speak for themselves. (Suffice to say, hands went where hands shouldn’t go in one of those photos. I’ll let you work out whose hand where *grin*). (Oh, and Mari Carr can dance her arse off even when sitting down and Jayne Rylon knows how to pull the guys. No wonder she’s the author of Kate’s Crew!)

Then, we all decide we’re going to attempt an early(ish) night. Jayne, Mari and Valerie head home. I order hot chocolate. At 12:12am there’s a knock at my door and I am enveloped in the bestest hug ever from my long time friend and fellow erotic author, Renee George who proceeds to drag me to Dakota Cassidy’s room where I end up playing Rock Band with the likes of Michele Bardsley and Heather Osbourne until hotel security tells us to shut up at 1am.

An awesome day all round, I say. It’s waaay past my bed time and I fear Jayne, Mari and Val will want to kick me if I open the door to them in my Aussie flag singlet and undies later this morning. Oh, and as a side note, Val has a brilliant photo of her with THREE of the semi-naked hunks and Mari wouldn’t have a photo unless there was FOUR LOL

Now, it’s bed for me. Until day three…

Love,

Lexx

Two week countdown!

It seems like only yesterday I got the release date for Coyote Home and a month seemed like such a long time to wait. Well that month has halved in the blink of an eye! This time in two weeks I’ll be bouncing off the walls waiting for the first in the Coyote Hunger series to go live on the Ellora’s Cave site. I guess the time has flown by because I signed a contract for the second book, Coyote Wild during the last two weeks AND I’ve been writing up a storm on a couple of different wip’s. Nothing sucks up time like keeping busy.

I really thought I’d have the blues this week because about half the IH girls are at RT and I was there this time last year but other than my blue fingers and blue toes thanks to this freezing Sydney weather I’m not blue at all. I’m keeping up with the goings on via Twitter and Facebook, and some pix have already shown up with quite a few familiar faces. Everyone looks like they’re having a blast and the IH girls have been checking in when they can but really, I’m not expecting them to give us more than a brief “OMG! this happened” until after they’ve all gone home.

For those of us left at home we’re partying over at Heat Wave. We’ve got a few things going on over there, if your not a member of our reader group that’s okay, just hop on over and join HERE!

Seeing how some of us are getting to be fan girls at RT I thought I’d ask a question of everyone staying home. Who is your ultimate “meet”? For me I think it has to be Nora Roberts. I missed her by one day last year when Mari and I made a day trip out to Nora’s home town and bookstore so I’m even more keen to get to see in person the woman who really inspired me to aim for publication. So who’s yours?

Rhian

Need a pick me up? Falling for Fae.

Back in the fall I got a new site site designed by the lovely Celia Kyle. We had so much fun chatting online as we worked out design details…well, one thing led to another, and in the end we wrote three stories together! The first of these is now available from Liquid Silver books.

Two sisters, one crown and a race to find true love… Or suffer the consequences. *Shudder* The Queendom.

Jessica does not want to become Queen.  The gowns look marvelous on her, and the servants are lovely, but being Queen? Ick. She’d have to remember to take care of…things, and…other things. Seriously, ruling Fae—with its temperamental dragons, pixies with attitudes and the creepy enchanted forest that keeps encroaching on the palace—not for her. She’s off to find a rich Peer in England and enjoy the lifestyle without the responsibilities.

Trevor’s got it all—a steady job, adoring fans, a starring position on his football team. Life is good, and the saucy little birdie who lands in his lap makes things even sweeter. Only she don’t seem to understand he’s not the Lord of the Manor. He’ll tell her as soon as they can get their hands off each other long enough to talk. He’s never felt this way before about a bit o’ fluff. Could it even be love?

——-

For fun, I thought I’d share the ramblings that built up to this moment. FYI- timeline? First email mentioning the story was dated September 30. We finished the first draft 11 days later–and it would have been quicker only we got caught in east coast/west coast time issues and EDJs.

——-

—Day 1—

Ce:

Yup, you can now run amok and have fun with your site.  Hehe! Ping me if you need help with ANYTHING though.  Srsly

Viv:

ANYthing? **rubs hands with glee** You wanna write an story together?

Ce:

Why not?  LOL  I’m game if you are.  Just know, I’m wacky and humorous with ze writing….unless you weren’t serious, in which case, I haz a sad….

Viv:

No, I is serious. I love shifters.  I loved your ‘Battered, not broken.’ I could totally do something for the far north…OR, something for Fae. Or…

—Day 2—

Ce:

Falling for Fae: Faetful…. Cause I’m going to have the fates help her choose her location.  Whee!

Viv

Love it!! I could use Falling for Fae: Peerless  **snort**

Ce:

Peerless!  Love it!  Like LOVE!

—Day 3—

Viv:

I’m getting there!

Almost done the first scene. Had to stop last night- hubby wanted to go out, and in the interest of spousal harmony, I said yes.  Will post in a little bit. I took some liberties with your character, but will tweak as needed.  I’m not sure what to call my dude. And why does Lord Deveral keep running through my brain?

Ce:

Done! And I worked in that bit of the Lordship stuffs…  Feel free to hack away at it though.  Without a doubt.  I’m not tied to all the words.

Viv:

LMAO!!!   “I’m definitely getting off…” Very nice.

Okay, she’s going to be wandering the guest house/gardeners cottage, and then I thought maybe she could sneak up on the Lord’s Manor. Looking for a …?  How quick do we want them in the sack? Or up against the wall, since that seems to be where we’re headed….

—Day 4—

Viv

O.M.G!!! Okay, I’m getting distracted by the prologue. It’s working!!! wait… hope to get a bit done for you asap.

Viv

Tag, you’re it! Okay, slight change of plans. I know you can handle it, you panster you.  BTW, the ‘Son of a Bitch” is the opening line, no matter who’s POV we’re in.

Ce:

Oh, you evil wench!  LOL!  Let me read it and see what I can finagle…. Hehe…

—Day 5—

CE:

Yummy sexing…done!

Viv:

Woohoo!! Yummy is right! :sweats: Okay, will do the fairy bit (thanks!! brat!) and I think I may have an idea to deal with the ending, so I’ll write that out too.

—————

The really fun thing is I have conversations like this all the time when I write–only it’s usually just with myself. So a thanks to Ce for bringing a smile to my face. Lovs ya, honey.

And I hope you’ll check out Peerless. Excerpt here. Buy link here.