Thursday, September 27, 2012

Triple the HOT for you: Three to Tango by Alexandra Christian

Congratulations to Alexandra Christian on her new release, STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: THREE TO TANGO.  This is the first in a series of stories located at a very special club--with a red door.

Blurb:"...vampires can be dangerous to your health.”

A truer statement had never been uttered, but when Cali stumbled upon The Oubliette, she began to realize the wisdom in those words. Broken-hearted and bored, Cali’s life had become a string of TV dinners and romance novels. She wondered where her life was going until she followed the mysterious stranger through the red door and entered a world that few would ever know existed. A world of vampires, werewolves and pleasure beyond imagination. Within the walls of The Oubliette, Cali will embark on a dangerous and sensual journey of discovery that will change her life forever.

Read an excerpt here.

This delicious tale is available at ARe, Amazon and BN. Don't forget to see our other erotic paranormal stories at our Mocha Memoirs Press website. 



Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Spill it! Wednesday Edition!

Hello good people! I know, I know, you're shocked that I was on time AGAIN. Yeah, yeah, shaddup. Okay so for those of you who are not aware, I am Nikki Winter. That's the end of my intro (grin) And I am here today to do what I normally do and bring you the anecdotes of other authors who are almost as adorable as myself. Now normally I'd crack a bunch of jokes but in reality I wrote this blogpost on Monday and scheduled it to post on Wednesday because I stayed up for 22 hours straight and people...PEOPLE...I'm beginning to hallucinate from sleep deprivation and decided to get this done before I pass out for the next few days. So! Let's get right to it! I bring to you, the talented Thomas Olbert...


1)    What made you decide to become a writer?—Question by reader Jill Bryant.
 A: Who decided?  It just came, as naturally as breathing.  Even as a kid, I wrote.

 2)    Besides being a bestselling author, what other goals/dreams do you have? Aka: what do you wanna be when you grow up?—Question by author Shirelle Higgins
 A:  That one’s not enough?  Oh, drat.  I’ve always wanted to be a writer.  Beyond that, I try to stay politically active, as a volunteer.  I’d like to use my writing to promote causes I care about.

 3)    When you write a story that does really well is there ever pressure to make the next one just as successful or do you just go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may? How do you handle the ups and downs of the business?—Question by reader A.W. Brad
A:  Since I’ve never written a story that’s done that well, I can’t answer that.  In terms of sales, it’s been pretty much down.  I’ve enjoyed working with other authors and some fine editors/publishers.   I’ll keep working on self-improvement and promotion.

4)    What’s the one story line you haven't tackled but you'd actually PAY to be able to write?—Question by author Dréa Riley
 A:  I have an idea in mind to write a spy thriller with an underlying ecological theme.  The premise is that elements of the U.S. military and intelligence services conspire to disable the fossil fuel industry and replace it with renewable energy grids in order to counteract global warming’s growing threat to national security.  Of course, that’s a huge and complicated subject, in terms of science, politics and finances.  A very daunting research project.

5)  Do you research stories? If so, what's the furthest you'd ever go to get the story?—Question by author Eden Royce
 A:  Yes, I research stories whenever necessary.  I use the Internet, of course.  Or, I might base a story premise on magazine articles.  I’ve bought educational literature to research a story.  How far would I go?  I'll devote a lot of time, but I won't go over budget.

 6)  When you write a character how much of you or people you know are that imitated in that character?—Question by reader Cherryce Williams
 A:  Occasionally, I guess more than I realize or care to admit.  (Now and again, on purpose.)  My characters are primarily defined by what happens to them (or, has happened to them) and the struggles they face.  They’re essentially functionaries, not caricatures.

 7)  What hurts worse; a bad fan review, peer review, or critic's review?—Question by reader Cece Dreams
 A:  That depends on the source of their disapproval.  If they just don’t like the subject matter, I don’t care.  To each their own.  If they say the plot is weak or the story badly written, that hurts, especially from writers I respect and admire.  I just try to use what they’ve said and learn from it.

8)  Which comes first for you; the character(s), or the story idea?—Question by author Thomas Olbert
A:  The story idea.

9)  Is your writing life imitating art or art imitating life? –Question by author Dréa Riley
 A:  Mainly, it’s either speculation on the nature or potential of life, or a primal scream against something that bugs me.

10)  What’s next for you as an author?—Question by author Nikki Winter 
A:  I’m currently working on two stories, both Sci-fi (a weird contemporary spy drama, and a futuristic space opera.)  I’ve also submitted a short horror story for the “Mocha Bites” event.

And there you have it my friends. Thomas didn't choose the write-life, the write-life chose him. Oh that was just bad. Sorry...lack of sleep makes me loopy. Now regardless of all that you can find more of Thomas here at his blog http://tomolbert.blogspot.com/ and one of his most recent works at MMP here http://mochamemoirspress.com/long-haul/. Now if you all excuse me, I'm going to grab my stuffed monkey and call it a week! Over and out. 

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Spill It, Wednesday edition!

Hola! Es a mí a Nikki! Okay since that's the extent of what I remember from 11th grade Spanish, I'll not proceed to embarrass myself and attempt more (grin) Okay I've been MIA for the last two weeks and in all reality you guys should be ready to skin me alive THAT WAS NOT A SUGGESTION PUT DOWN THE KNIVES....I'm simply pointing out the fact that I bring much joy wherever I go and when that stops, people get angry. (sigh) Yes, I am indeed special. So special that I managed to wrangle another "Spill it" guest for this week's blog post. You may know her as the wonderfully talented, Sabrina Luna. We need not waste time, to the questions!

Q)     What made you decide to become a writer?—Question by reader Jill Bryant.
A)I've always enjoyed telling stories & being an author helps me share with others.  I'm very blessed to be able to create interesting stories which entertain readers.  :)

Q)   Besides being a bestselling author, what other goals/dreams do you have? Aka: what do you wanna be when you grow up?—Question by author Shirelle Higgins
A) I've had the good fortune to meet authors who are like 'rock stars' in their genres & would like to entertain readers while making it a long time career goal.  
 Q)   When you write a story that does really well is there ever pressure to make the next one just as successful or do you just go with the flow and let the chips fall where they may? How do you handle the ups and downs of the business?—Question by reader A.W. Brad
A)Even though I enjoy what I do as an author, I understand that it IS a business too.  And, like everything in life, has its ups and downs.  But, no matter what, I take it one step at a time.
 Q) What’s the one story line you haven't tackled but you'd actually PAY to be able to write?—Question by author Dréa Riley
A) Writers get paid TO write, not PAY to write.  I live by that rule, but I always try to write stories which I really enjoy & entertain me as well as my readers too.   
Q)    Do you research stories? If so, what's the furthest you'd ever go to get the story?—Question by author Eden Royce 
A)Thank goodness for Google & the internet!  I'm also very fortunate to know folks who live different lifestyles and have privately asked them questions & gotten info or advice from them.  I also have personal experience which may help in stories too, but I blend it all into my stories to keep them interesting & entertaining.
 Q)   When you write a character how much of you or people you know are that imitated in that character?—Question by reader Cherryce Williams 
A)That's like revealing my 'secret sauce' recipe --and, sorry, I'm not telling!  LOL!
 Q)    What hurts worse; a bad fan review, peer review, or critic's review?—Question by reader Cece Dreams 
A) IMHO, reviews are just someone's opinion of your stories.  I enjoy good reviews, but I also understand that everyone has different tastes & preferences.  However, I will take into consideration feedback & suggestions from my peers & mentors in the writing field.  Perhaps their insight can teach me something new or help me to make my story even better.  :) 
Q)  Which comes first for you; the character(s), or the story idea?—Question by author Thomas Olbert
A) It's a mixed bag, for me.  I usually get a story idea along with a title, then start sensing how to tell the story in my head before my fingers touch the keyboards.  A good, basic outline also helps to keep my story on track so I don't venture too far away from the overall story idea.
 Q) Is your writing life imitating art or art imitating life? –Question by author Dréa Riley 
A) I've always had a creative imagination, but I also add 'real life' elements into the stories & characters to make it all work together.  
Q) What’s next for you as an author?—Question by author Nikki Winter 
A)I currently writing a Christmas story for a publisher, then going to write on a series which I've been asked to write more of by another publisher.  So I think the rest of this year I will be happily busy writing while promoting the ebooks I already have available.


Well there you have it good people. Sabrina has undercover sources to let her in on the subjects she delves into, she has a secret sauce recipe for her characters which made me giggle because I have the mind of an adolescent boy, and she's well on her way to creating many more enjoyable tales. But at the moment you can check her out on her website and her latest addition to  MMP right here at http://www.sabrinaluna.com/index.html and http://mochamemoirspress.com/mocha-buddies-31-steamy-mocha/. That's all folks! (cues Looney Toons music)