Hump Day Kick Start – Cowboy Edition

Hump Day Kick Start for your muse, a writing picture prompt or just a visual treat.

Song of the day: Country Song by Seether

It’s rodeo time where I live. Three weeks of cowboys, livestock, concerts, carnival rides, barbeque, lingering smells of manure, and good ole boy fun. So in honor of bronc bustin’ and cattle ropin’, here is a picture to kick start your jean-clad butt.

Tell me about our cowboy. Who is he? Star bull rider? A performer for a sing-a-gram service? Where is he? A carnie operator’s trailer? Is he tuckered out from bull riding? Did he drink too much Lone Star beer? Why is he still wearing spurs?

Climb in the saddle and rustle up a tale. I’d love to hear from you.

Link Of The Week

I’ve posted a site today that provides amazing help to writers. They offer a writers’ retreat that is unparalleled with instruction and guidance from some of the smartest people I’ve met in this industry. I’m hoping to be able to attend next year. (Must save up a bunch of pennies first!!)
Co-founded in 1987 by the late Gary Provost (author and internationally acclaimed teacher of writing for publication) and his wife Gail, the ten-day WRITERS RETREAT WORKSHOP is an intensive learning experience for small groups of serious-minded writers who are committed to improving and completing their novels for submission. For those who consider their writing to be a vital part of their lives, one they wish to develop as fully as possible, WRW provides the ideal experience.

This is where it's being held this year. Not bad, right?

(http://www.writersretreatworkshop.com/index.php)

MuseTrack’s Guest Eliza Knight – Creating Meaningful Book Titles

MuseTracks is delighted to feature award-winning historical and erotica romance author Eliza Knight. Eliza is not only an awesome writer, workshop presenter, moon-lighting editor, popular blogger, wife, and  super-mom, she’s also a great friend to get into trouble with . Welcome Eliza!

Creating Meaningful Book Titles

I would first like to thank Jennifer Bray-Weber for allowing me to post with you today.  She is a darling after my heart!

I am super excited to share with you the process of choosing the title for my newest Highland time-travel erotic novella release: HIGHLAND STEAM. Just released 2/22/12! Isn’t the cover hot?

Here is the back-cover copy:

Tragedy strikes in the Highlands, making Drostan the laird of the Comyn clan and in need of a wife to placate his people. His only choice is to trust in magic and travel to the sacred circle of stones…where he must passionately lay claim to the woman Fate brings him.

Briana is lost and alone when magic lights up the night. She meets the man of her dreams, a man who rocks her to her very core with orgasm after orgasm and somehow manages to steal her heart. The problem? The man of her dreams lives eight hundred years in the past.

Creating meaningful titles for my stories is important to me. I want it to signify something, have a part of the book. I want the reader to read the title—then while reading the story think, “Oh hey, that’s how she got the title,” but not in a way that is overwhelming. For example I wouldn’t use the word steam a thousand times in this novella, so much so that you got annoyed with me. In fact, I just checked and I only used “steam” three times in the whole 14,227 words!

Originally the title for this story was, UNTITLED SHORT TIME-TRAVEL. I’m not kidding…it was like that until I was nearly halfway done. But that’s not sexy…at all. After I got sick of opening up the UNTITLED SHORT TIME-TRAVEL a few times, I decided it was time to come up with a new exciting, sexy title that encompassed everything this story had to offer. I wanted my readers to know exactly what their getting into.

For my Highlander tales, I like to have the words Highland, Highlander or Warrior appear. (See, Take it Off, Warrior & The Highland Jewel Series) This tells the reader right away what they’re going to get—a hot Scot in a kilt—and who doesn’t love a hot Scot?! Beyond that, it really depends on the story.

HIGHLAND STEAM opens with our heroine lost on top of a Highland mountain, alone. As night rolls in, so does mist near an ancient ruins. Naturally, I thought, hmm, HIGHLAND MIST. But mist itself seemed a little tame for what I was looking for—but I still liked it. So I put that as the new title. And I kept on writing, and then it hit me as I typed this passage—a quick bit of background, they’ve made love upon a large flat sacred stone.

With their bodies sated, she collapsed on top of him.

Steam rose from the rock and even appeared to waft off their flesh.

“That was hot,” she muttered against the warm, salty skin of his shoulder.

“Aye, hot and damn good.”

Oh, Aye, HIGHLAND STEAM is hot, hot, HOT!!! And then, I knew I had it. I changed the title again, and I absolutely fell in love with it.

To read a very steamy excerpt from HIGHLAND STEAM, please click here.

I would love to give an e-copy of HIGHLAND STEAM to one commenter today! Answer me this… How much do you pay attention to titles?

*~*~*~*~*

Eliza Knight is the multi-published, award-winning author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog, History Undressed, which was recently mentioned in a feature article in The Wall Street Journal. www.historyundressed.com

And the winner of the e-copy of Highland Steam is…

Victoria Zumbrum. Congrats, Victoria!

 

The Three of Us- Lovers Or Losers?

But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold. -Oliver Wendell Holmes

 

 

By: Stacey Purcell

I’m a lucky girl.

My birthday was back in September, but I got to celebrate it last week…in Mexico. My two best friends from high school and I took a girls’ trip for five days in paradise. Good friends, blue waters, cool breezes and enough sangria to quench anyone’s thirst made for quite a trip.

I left Texas raining and cold to arrive in Cancun with warm sunshine. What a great break from winter weather and a chance to be with friends that I’ve known for 35 years.

We arrived at the hotel to discover they had upgraded us to a villa reserved for the owner of the resort. Wow! It was fabulous and made our trip so special, but there is a fatal flaw in accepting an upgrade like that- it completely ruins any other room you could possibly afford on your personal budget for the rest of your life! The villa even came with its own pool that was heated for us. Ahhhhh, life is good.

The next few days were spent sipping cold drinks and baking in the sun. The most strenuous thing we did was shower and dress for dinner each evening. Even getting cleaned up was a luxurious act with the private outdoor shower connected to our bathroom suite. I wonder if I can get my husband to build one of those off the side of the house…hmmmm.

One of my friends wanted to go on a sunset cruise and have a lobster dinner out on the beach. Sounds like a terrific idea, right? The concierge desk for adventure even had a special evening planned that included both items on her wish list. It couldn’t get any better. So off we go. The warning bells clanged in my head when we walked into the beach bar where we to begin our evening with champagne and there was a large heart made out of balloons about 9ft high.

We knew it was Valentines, but hadn’t really thought about it. That was our first mistake.

The three of us sipped our drinks as loving couples and honeymooners strolled in with their arms wrapped around each other. Needless to say, curious glances darted our way.

“Well, this is awkward,” I whispered.

We giggled and took another long swig on our drinks. Many more couples moved into the bar intent on making Cupid’s day a memorable one for 2012. The erected heart tower served as a back drop for amorous clinches that could be memorialized on film as souvenirs. The photographers didn’t know what to offer us so they ushered us up to do a threesome under the latex canopy.  More curious glances and open stares pointed in our direction.

Now, I know no harm was meant by booking us on the Love Boat, but it would have been nice if we had been informed that it was really meant for couples and a group of three women would look like a flopping, gasping fish out of water. I could hear the mental dialogue swirling around us.

“Losers. They have to celebrate Valentines together because none of them could get a man.”

“Look how cute. They are spending the day together. It sure beats being alone.”

“Hey, hey. Three girls together- bet they’re party animals. I wonder…” (This is where the girlfriend or wife would stop this train of thought. HA!)

We finally got out on the water. The sunset on clear,aqua water was spectacular. We had a great time. Soon the cruise was over and it was time for our lobster dinner under the moonlight and palm trees. All was great until one fellow came up to the disembarquing group, cupped his hands around his mouth, and yelled, “Who’s the only group of three?” Instantly, all eyes turn back to us. We sheepishly raised our hands and they escorted us to a table off to the side. Wine does wonders to diminish embarrassment- that’s all I’m saying…

Despite the evening where we made people wonder if we were lovers or losers, the trip was definitely one of the best we’ve had through the years. In the end, it wouldn’t matter if we were in Podunk, U.S.A. or in an exotic local, the company is what really matters. I’m one lucky girl, not because I got to go to Mexico, but because these women are so integral to my life that I can barely remember when they weren’t by my side.

 

Toe-Curling First Kiss

Song of the Day: Poison by Alice Cooper

Being a romance writer, I’ve written a quite a few scenes involving kissing. I’m guessing most authors at some point have written an amorous scene or two with a kiss.

A kiss can be a powerful moment in a character arc or a pivotal juncture of a story. How a couple kisses can indicate sensual passion, loving emotions, or heated urgency. And at the other end of the spectrum, a kiss might hit upon disgust, jealousy, and evil designs.

A kiss is a kiss, right? Or is it? In order to effectively write about a kiss and not make the deed a simple act of swapping spit with a cold dead fish, an author might draw from their own experiences.

I remember my first real kiss. Not the quick peck on the cheek. Not the tight-lipped, eyes squeezed shut, immediately swiping the cooties away from you lips smooch. But a real kiss.

It was a late summer afternoon and I was the ripe age of fourteen and a half. I had been horse-playing in the front yard with a boy I liked. Let’s call him Trouble. Trouble was an older boy of sixteen. One who had undoubtedly kissed a few girls before. In hindsight, I see now that wrestling with Trouble had been a prelude to the inevitable. Being stronger than me, and with a considerable amount of cocky confidence, he pinned me to the ground. Time in the outside world suspended, but as he eyed me like prey with that insufferable smirk on his lips, he quickly descended upon me with one wicked kiss—complete with a little tongue action.

Shazam!

I remember vividly how that kiss felt, how it had changed me. I was like a wild animal stunned by a tranquilizer dart. Completely dazed and unable to move. My heart stopped beating. I sprouted wings and was flying high on the charge my body took. A surprising tingle spread across my body. And I was hot. Get your mind out of the gutter. I was hot from the blush of embarrassment. I mean, Trouble was a seasoned boy, after all. Had I kissed him back correctly?

Hope and excitement of sharing something so intimate, so special, had left me breathless. But true to the form of teenage boys named Trouble, his kiss was the beginning of another emotion—bone-crushing heartbreak. That’s juicy fodder for another blog.

Fortunately, there were more first kisses. First kisses by those I let into my life—a few flirty ones and a few cootie-wiping doozies. Then there was that first kiss from the man who would change it all. And our first kiss as husband and wife. Lucky for you, that is as mushy and sentimental as I get.

Do you remember your first kiss? Have you ever experienced a toe-curling pucker that blew your socks off? Let’s hear your lip-smacking stories!

Link of the Week

Need help with naming a character or setting? How about a jump start on  story ideas.

The Seventh Sanctum is a site with tools to help get your creativity flowing through  a number of generators. There you’ll find generators not only for naming people and places, but also to help jolt your imagination on topics like combat moves, weaponry, magic spells, technology, character skills/traits, and much, much more.

Check it out!

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/

Hump Day Kick Start

Song of the Day: The Good Life by One Republic

Something’s burning in the kitchen! Today’s prompt is smokin’ hot!

Tell me about this couple. Who are they? Cooking instructor and her student? Refrigerator repair man? Are they cops on a stakeout who became hungry. Is he a new neighbor borrowing a cup of sugar? (Sugar. *snicker* Get it? Damn, if I ain’t clever!)   Maybe he’s trying to woo a family secret recipe from her so he can win the county fair pie contest.

Love to hear your impressions.

Hey! Who ate the watermelon?

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Fans

I wish to be cremated. One tenth of my ashes shall be given to my agent, as written in our contract. Groucho Marx

 

By: Stacey Purcell

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. As authors, we hope that our picture might be worth attracting a thousand fans. In days past, authors like Plato, Charles Dickens, and Jane Austen would never have had to worry about people seeing their image. Those days are gone. Readers want to read the books, but they also want to know about the author. Modern technology fulfills that wish.

One of the first things I noticed when I jumped into this crazy writer’s life is that EVERYONE had a picture of themselves. The pictures are on web sites, blogs, Facebook, My Space etc. So what did I do? I perused through our family albums until I found one of myself that I liked. Copy, paste and voila! I had my picture up too.

Stacey Purcell- Casual shot, not close up and definitely not a good example of an author's marketing shot!

That is not the way you should do it.

I’m a prime example of how to do that bit incorrectly.

This is our front line of marketing and I’m surprised to see that I’m not the only one doing it wrong. I’ve looked through a ton of author photos and have discovered my vacation shot seems pretty darn awesome compared to some of the images out there. I’ve looked at shots where the writer looks disheveled, the background is a messy house and the eyes look stoned… or terrified. (I’m still trying to work that one out.) Come on people, we can do better than that!

It doesn’t matter what route you take with publishing or even if you are published- You need a good picture of yourself to fling about the internet. How do you do that?

 

1. Use a professional photographer- If you can afford it, this would be the best route. If not, try to find a friend that takes good pictures and has some basic idea of light, color and posing. This will greatly improve the quality of your shot.
2. Focus on a head shot- People want to be able to look into your eyes. I know it sounds corny, but it’s true. You might also want to have some full body poses and use them for different things,
3. Dress normally(professional)- The internet is forever so if you decide to appear in costume or look like you’re dressed for a rainy Saturday at home alone, your readers will form instant opinions of you…and your life. It’s been said to dress like you would if you were going to an interview because this is a type of visual interview. I think that can be taken to an extreme as well. Nice, casual, formal- whatever represents you as a person and how you would like to be in a reader’s memory.
   

   Melissa Ohnoutka- Her head shot is open, pretty and very approachable. I'm a fan!

4. Be creative- A picture does speak volumes and can convey many things. You might want to incorporate items from your genre. I’ve seen some very interesting steam punk authors’ photos and they are very cool. Don’t go overboard because you are a professional writer and this is your corporate image.
5. Are You Approachable- Readers will react emotionally to your photo. Are you approachable? Can people connect with this shot? What do you want to convey? These are all questions you should think about when presenting yourself to the world.
   

   Jennifer Bray Weber- this is a great head shot and readers can look directly into her eyes.

 

It looks like I’ve got to look for a photographer…just as soon as I get back from a getaway trip with my two best friends from high school to Mexico. Since I write thrillers set in exotic locations and travel has been such a huge part of my life, maybe I should try taking some head shots there. Hmmmmm the work never stops!

 

 

Hot Men, Hot Author, HOT DAMN!

Song of the day: Photograph by Def Leppard

Wanna a special treat? How about an interview with the creator of my two book covers and a few sizzlin’ hot pictures?

Kimberly Killion is the founder of Hot Damn Designs, a wonderful one-stop

Coming Soon!

shop for edgy romance promotions. From websites and book covers to trading cards, business cards, and ads, Kim designs it all with flair. She has over 20 years experience in design, marketing, and communications.  This lady is sure to please with whatever an author needs, no matter the genre the author writes.

She is often seen gallivanting around conferences, teaching workshops, and blogging. How, you ask, does she do all this? Why, she never sleeps, of course!

Oh, did I mention Kim is also a Rita-nominated, award-winning author of medieval romance?

She also is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Okay, I just made that part up. But she’s still pretty amazing.

Introducing Kimberly Killion.

Kim - one hot Mamma!

JBW: I understand you find your models locally in St. Louis. What do you look for when choosing them? (More importantly, do you need an extra model? I’m totally available. Just sayin’.)

KK: When we first started this gig, we did use mostly local talent and we still do as far as the girls are concerned, but we have been bringing new guys in as of late. Our last model, Alex Geerman, was from NY and has modeled for Bruce Webber and Hollister, and…well…he was good. J As for needing extra models…cough…ummm…I get at least a half dozen emails a week from models wanting to shoot with us. Aside from that stack of resumes, the applicants for “baby oil” assistant are almost as high. LOL

JBW: What is your favorite part of designing—the photo shoots, the designing process, the final product?

KK: Well, there’s a certain sort of power that accompanies the statement “take your clothes off”. *vwg*

JBW: *nods heads emphatically while giggling*

KK: Oddly enough, when I have a naked man on set, I tend to blush. Crazy,

Brooks, dah-ling. Strip down and, for goodness sakes, look hot.

right? But honestly, I would have to say the final product is probably my favorite part about this process. There’s no greater satisfaction than receiving an email from a client who is completely head over heels in love with the design. Especially when that client is someone I’ve been reading since I was a teen. That’s the other pretty cool part about how this business has expanded…the names we are working with are crazy big. I’ve worked with Gaelen Foley and we just contracted with Linda Lael Miller. We are working with Kensington now and nearly a dozen NY agents. So, yeah, while working with hot guys is super fun, working with “the big dogs” is even “super-funner”!

JBW: I’ll say! Being an author yourself, I bet you understand what sells. I’m sure this comes into play when you direct (yes, I said direct!) a photo shoot. Has anything crazy, hilarious, or epic ever happened on a shoot?

Save a horse, ride a ...

KK: We had a 12 foot boa constrictor bite her snake handler on set. That was pretty freakin’ epic!

JBW: Awesome! Er…I mean…poor handler.

What’s Kim’s typical day like? You know, when the cabana boys aren’t fanning you with palm fronds and feeding you decadent truffles by an infinity pool overlooking a pristine ocean view. Oh wait, that’s my typical day!

KK: My typical day lasts about 18 hours. I sit in a recliner, listen to either country music or hip-hop and design one cover after another on a laptop. I drink hazelnut coffee and sometime in the afternoon I try to do something active. By evening, my ass is killing me, but I typically power through until about 2:00 am. I’m a workaholic.

JBW: See, told you guys she never sleeps.

Oy, mate!

You just released a paranormal highlander romance, MY CURSED HIGHLANDER. Tell us about what inspired you to write this book. (You had me at Cursed. *wink*)

KK: I just like writing stories about Hot Highlanders. It’s really that simple. Plus, I was inspired by a story I came across regarding the assassination of Lorenzo the Magnificent’s brother. Throw in a hot-tempered blind Italian sculptress and you get a hot, sassy journey from Italy to Scotland. Of course, there’s the wicked villainous who was a ton of fun to write. Damn, she’s horrid! You gotta read this one. Seriously!

JBW: I’m so there!

Name one thing that would shock or surprise people about you.

KK: Most people think I’m this wild, free-spirit without a care in the world that travels about the countryside having one naughty fling after another with a slew of hotties. Well…some of that’s true. I won’t disclose which parts. Muhahahaha…

What do you suppose he's looking at?

JBW: And now, MY CURSED HIGHLANDER blurb:

A proud, tormented warrior…
Laird Taveon Kraig would do anything to recover a magical amulet powerful enough to break the curse that has plagued his clan for a hundred years—even marry a woman determined to hate him. But the beautiful—albeit boldly defiant—woman stirs his passion like no other. He never dreamed his quest would involve surrendering his heart.

A blind sculptress…
Having survived two ruthless marriages, Viviana Gorini Dè Medici has no desire to take another husband—especially one who wants her most prized possession: a magical amulet that provides her with the gift of sight. Despite her pleas, she is forced into the marriage and sent on a dangerous journey with a man whose charms melt her defenses, whose touch sets her on fire, and whose kiss stirs her body in a way she’s never known.

A wicked enemy…
Surrendering completely to an ecstasy that binds their hearts, neither of them foresees the sinister threat waiting to destroy both of their worlds. In a family torn apart by a centuries old curse, will love be enough to save them all?

I leave you with one last morsel.

Want more of Kim?

Kim’s writing persona: www.KimberlyKillion.com

Kim’s designer persona: www.HotDamnDesigns.com

Hot Damn’s pics of hot guys: www.HotDamnStock.com

Where Kim and her crew play: www.facebook.com/HotDamnDesigns

Link of the Week

This week’s link is dedicated to the independent bookstores.

http://www.indiebound.org/

Taken directly from their website — “IndieBound is a community-oriented movement begun by the independent bookseller members of the American Booksellers Association. It brings together booksellers, readers, indie retailers, local business alliances, and anyone else with a passionate belief that healthy local economies help communities thrive. Supporting local, indie businesses means that dollars, jobs, diversity, choice, and taxes stay local, creating strong, unique communities and happy citizens.”

Find independent bookstores near you – or anywhere in North America. Download e-books directly from these independent bookstores, too. Interact and become involved with a community built of indie retailers, authors, and readers.  And more!

There’s an app for that! Use your iPhone to do all of the above.

Check it out!  http://www.indiebound.org/