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Okay... I think I've figured out all the bells and whistles of a yahoo loop for the sole purpose of putting out a newsletter.

Whoo and Hoo!!! It seems every little thing we do on-line requires a degree in something.

So, if you're interested in receiving notice of a new newsletter with a link to read a PDF file of the happenings of my author life. Please sign up!

My newsletters will only come once every 2 - 3 months unless the contract fairy is extremely kind to me. I've already sent out my May / June notice, so when you sign up just take a look in the file section and view the file there.

BTW... once my books start being released, there will be contests in which only people signed up on my newsletter loop can enter to win free copies of my latest releases. FREE is always a good price... don't ya think?

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Just another hat I wear!

Yep, that's me and my DH. I wear so many hats during my life outside of books I though I'd share this one with you.

And yes, his winner (hot dog) is bigger than mine. LOL. Truth be told, I think that is exactly what I said to him at the time this picture was taken.

I've worn a cub scout uniform for six, OMG, SIX years! Raising two boys without an extra ounce of estrogen in our home is a challenge. So I took my chatty side, my outgoing side, and my entertaining side to help make young boys great men. If you've ever volunteered to be a den mom, a brownie mom... or like me, a Cub Master, you know the rewards this non-paying job can give you. Smiles, laughter and love.

So as you are reading this, I'm in my yard waiting for the on slot of Scouts and their parents so I can reward them with their final achievements for the year. We'll watch a movie I put together of all the crazy things we did all year and cry at the end knowing this is such a precious time in our children's life and it is going by so fast we want to hit pause. But we can't do that. There is no rewind or do-over button.

Slow down and enjoy your children while you can.

Author Dayana Knight

Today I have a very special guest and fellow Wild Rose Press author, Dayana Knight. Dayana and I have so very much in common it's almost scary. We lean toward the darker side of the garden with shapeshifters and spicy love scenes. She's celebrating her release of Bestial Cravings.

Thanks for joining us today, Dayana.

Tell us about your new book out now:

Bestial Cravings is a stand alone companion, short story contained within the Roma Wolf Tales Series. It also acts as an introduction to some new characters that will appear in Book II of the series.

Blurb:
Vesta Johns has everything going for her—except her health. Desperate to find the answers to her lethargy and her insatiable desire for raw meat and sex, she seeks out the help of her doctor, but Dr. Cohen can give her no answers.
Or can she?
Torrence Simiene is a medical consultant with a unique specialization. As an alpha werewolf, it’s been his job to aid Dr. Cohen’s distinctive patients through their transition from human to shifter, for years. This time, however, it’s different. Vesta arouses his primal lust, and he’s having a hard time keeping her at a distance.
Will the doctor’s plan of care offer the ultimate cure for Tor and Vesta’s bestial cravings , or further drive them apart?

Teaser:

He smiled and turned to her. “Do I make you uncomfortable?”

“No. It’s just…well…it’s more the opposite, really.” She gave him a sexy, little, side glance. “It’s like I belong with you. Like I’ve been waiting for you. But in the same token, the feeling makes me question it.” She stared into the empty hearth for a long minute.

Tor wondered if she would say anything else. His lust for her became increasingly more uncomfortable by the minute, and he needed to get away from her but he also needed to taste her lips just once before he left, though deep down he knew once wouldn’t be enough.


How do you respond when someone says... "Oh, you write THAT kind of book?"

I enjoy writing sensual/erotic stories. Erotic or Sensual Romance is not smut. They are spicy romances filled with emotional imagery. Romance is love and love ultimately moves toward sex with any healthy romantic relationship. So why would I not encompass all within my stories? Everyone has fantasies. And fantasy is wonderful honest fodder that brings stories alive and perhaps bring a common denominator to the reader. Emotional connections make for more fulfillment and excitement trajectory toward that HEA, at least in my opinion.

What are your goals as a writer?

Ultimately to share my stories with anyone interested in reading them. I would love to someday be on the New York Best Seller list but if that never happens, I'm happy to keep putting pieces of myself out there in my work. Hey, a movie deal might be nice too, but honestly I am not writing to get rich, though I wouldn't turn my back on fame or fortune, LOL I feel fortunate that there are pub houses out there that are interested in my work.

I find that each new project is a learning experience. I am amazed at how much my writing improves the longer I pursue my craft. We are always learning and applying new technique.

How many books do you read a month?

I'd say at least 4 or 5 depending on length. Are they all romance? Mostly but I read craft help or self-improvement and history as well. Writers must always do research so much of my time is spent reading informational stuff as well.

Do you have anything new in the works?

Yes, I have a crime suspense that I had pubbed under a different penname I recently pulled from the pub house and am revising for redistribution with another publishing house not yet decided along with a sequel in the works for that. And I am currently working on Book Two of my Roma Wolf Tales Series. For those who are not familiar with my RWT Series, Curse of the Marhime is Book One and now available.
I also have some interesting erotic theme stories dancing around in my head that I will pen to paper and get submitted:)

Where can we find you?

For more information on my books, contests, and me in general please visit me at http://www.dayanaknight.blogspot.com/ or http://www.romawolftales.com/

Your book?
All my books are linked to sales venues from my website or may be purchased at the following links:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/wilderroses/index.php

Thanks again, Dayana. And if any of you out there missed Dayana's Eternal Obsession, be sure and take a peak.

EXTRA-- EXTRA

Extra - Extra

Tomorrow is my author interview with

Dayana Knight

She's celebrating her release of

Bestial Cravings

from

The Wild Rose Press

Be sure and stop by.

And then there was light...

I thought it was time to lighten it up around here. It being summer and all!
So, yeah? or nay?-- Do ya like the bright background or the darker one?

On another note: This Friday Dayana Knight will be visiting my blog to celebrate her release this week so be sure and stop by and wave.

Kilt Worthy is with a final reader which means I should be hearing from Lori soon about a release date! Whoo hoo!

One last little update and I'm done... promise! Soul Mate (My Red Rose Publishing release) is with the line editor. Still slated for a Fall release but sometimes these things get pushed up in the e-pub world. Which is fine with me!

Oh, and Rachel is giving away a copy of her book today... so quick... Click HERE to run over to her blog and enter to win.

Today I have a very special guest. Author Helen Hardt is celebrating her third erotic release, Thai'd Up over at The Wild Rose Press. Thanks so much for joining me today, Helen.

Tell us about your new book out now:

Thai'd Up is my third erotic short story for the Destination Pleasure series in the Scarlet (erotic) line at The Wild Rose Press. This one crosses into the double rose rating. My previous two, Seduced in Seoul and Passion in Paris, are rated single rose, though my free read, Seoul Pleasure, which is a companion story to Seduced in Seoul, is a double rose. Double rose means the story contains explicit and graphic love scenes and may contain subject matter that is offensive to some readers, including extreme explicit language, anal sex, BDSM, fetishism, ménage, and/or experimentation with same sex. As you can guess from the title, it's mild BDSM that makes Thai'd Up a double rose.

Blurb:

Visiting Bangkok to do an interview for her employer, Heidi Clarke is intrigued by the wild and raucous nightlife. When a handsome and engaging stranger, dressed as the Phantom of the Opera, offers to escort her into a BDSM club, she's too curious to refuse. As the man behind the mask introduces Heidi to new and exciting pleasures of the flesh, she can't help but wonder who he is. Or if she really wants to know.This was a fun one to write. I actually came up with the title first. Once I had that, I knew I had to write a story for it!

I love it when a story comes together like that.

How do you respond when someone says... "Oh, you write THAT kind of book.

"Truthfully, no one has ever said that to me, LOL. I do know, however, that there’s a stigma attached to erotic romance. I’ve written extensively on my website, in interviews, and in my local chapter newsletter about the differences among porn, erotica, and erotic romance. I consider what I write to be romance. Yes, there are explicit sex scenes, but they serve a purpose other than to arouse the reader. They exist to develop the relationship between the hero and heroine and to help move the plot along to its happy ending. Or in the case of an erotic short, its "happy for now."Any kind of romance, including erotic romance, is a feel-good read, and I'm glad to be writing it. There's a reason why romance sales are flourishing in our current economy ;).

What are your goals as a writer?

To be a New York Times bestseller, of course! Well, eventually. Right now I'd like to make a name for myself and move from epublishing to New York publishing. I'd like to make enough money writing so my husband doesn't have to work. He has supported me all these years, and I'd like to do the same for him.I'd also like to continue to grow as a writer. I want each story that I write to be a little better than the last. I'm constantly finding ways to improve. A writer never stops learning!

How many books do you read a month? Are they all romance?

I read a lot. Two to three books a week, usually, and sometimes more. No, they're not all romance, though the majority are. I just finished reading Columbine by Dave Cullen, which is a deep look into the tragedy at Columbine High School ten years ago. I live in Colorado, so this hit close to home for me. As for romance reading, I read everything except inspirational and romantic suspense. I have a Sony e-reader for my ebooks, and I still read lots of print, too. When I'm not writing or editing, I'm reading! Reading is a huge part of a writer's self education, in my opinion. Who better to learn from than other writers who have been successful?I completely agree.Do you have anything new in the works?I have several other releases planned for this year. First up is a western historical novella, The Outlaw's Angel, which releases June 5 in the Wild Rose Press anthology Lawmen and Outlaws. After that comes Blood Wolf, which was one of the winners of the Got Wolf? contest sponsored by The Wild Rose Press. It's coming in October. My first Ellora's Cave story, Slow and Wet, will release in November as part of their "Wet" theme. My last Destination Pleasure erotic short, Montego Lay, is in the initial editing phase, so I don't know when it will release yet.I have several works in progress, including a Native American historical novella, a cougar story, and an erotic fantasy complete with Greek Gods. Several of my full length novels were requested by editors at my local conference a few weeks ago, so I need to get them polished and out the door.

Where can we find you? Your book?

Visit me at http://www.helenhardt.com/ and http://www.helensheroes.blogspot.com/. You can also find me at http://www.coloradovixens.blogspot.com/, the blog I share with my local critique partners.Thai'd Up is available at http://www.wilderroses.com/, along with Seduced and Seoul and Passion in Paris.

Thank you for having me, Catherine!

Thanks for stopping by, Helen.

Interview With Delilah K. Stephans

Today my special guest is debut author Delilah K. Stephans. Delilah is a fellow Red Rose Publishing author and on top of that her new novella, Sarah's Story is a time travel romance. My personal favorite genre.

Welcome Delilah, and please tell us about your book.

Sarah's Story is the first in a Time Travel series. Time Travel has always fascinated me and I ended up postulating my own theory of how it could be accomplished. This series takes that theory and puts it to work - putting researchers back in the past to observe events and get the truth of history. Sarah was sent back to observe the years prior to the American Civil War but she was never retrieved. Matthew is the top Retrieval Agent at the agency and has been sent back to locate her - even his bosses didn't expect him to find her.

I have to tell you... after reading the excerpt this hit my top 'need to be read' list.

How do you respond when someone says... "Oh, you write THAT kind of book.."

Haven't had that happen yet... But my answer would be - I write what I enjoy reading. My books aren't erotica, they are more sensual romances than erotic - I'm working on that. Romance novels have always had a bad reputation among the literary minded - but they are the guilty secret of millions of women and a few men.

What are your goals as a writer?

I have several goals.

1. To entertain the readers
2. To banish my shyness at writing sex scenes.
3. Increase my word count - I tend to be very compact in word use which keeps my word count low.
4. To increase the complexity of my stories - it's there but I'm not sure the reader sees it.

There are a few others - To join RWA, to attend the RWA conference and to attend the RT Convention

How many books do you read a month? Are they all romance?

I read about 30 books a month - yep I'm a book a day person. Most are paranormal romances with a few romantic suspense and historicals thrown in for variety but I do read some fiction particularly the Kathy Reichs Temperance Brennan novels and the occasional non-fiction - usually books on how to write.

Wow! That is a lot of books. Good for you!
Do you have anything new in the works?

I have several things in the works. A Vampire story that has been a 3 year project and is finally one fight and HEA away from being done.
A soft BDSM short, I say soft because it doesn't really fit a lot of what I've read of BDSM novels - think more along the lines of Diane Whiteside's Irish Devil just a bit more explicit
A Romantic Suspense is in the early planning stages - I've met the hero and heroine, know the where and what - still figuring out the whys and hows.
I also have a co-written book releasing November 2nd called Black Velvet from Lyrical Press which is about a race of Dragon shifters.
Where can we find you? Your book?
I'm pretty easy to find on the web... Website - Blog - Twitter

To download your copy of Sarah's Story stop by Red Rose Publishing.
Trailers:DKRenders - http://dkrenders.blogspot.com/

Thank you for the lovely introduction to your work. I personally can't wait to get my copy of Sarah's Story.

Kilt Worthy's Excerpt

As promised, my official excerpt of Kilt Worthy. One to whet your whistle and prime you for my summer release.

Blurb:

Peering at the world from behind her camera lens, "Plain Jane" Parker is stunned to see a handsome hunk wearing a kilt as he confidently strolls down a busy Seattle street. Her dormant libido roars to life even before their eyes meet. Aroused and intrigued, she tosses aside her usual caution and follows when Logan MacLaren beckons for a delightfully sinful one-night stand.

Logan is an exceptionally talented lover, wielding the abundant sword he sports beneath his plaid to deliver unparalleled pleasures. He reminds her to trust her instincts after reality proves they're a more perfect fit than either imagined.

Then Logan drops his bombshell: He's traveled through time to find her and wants her to stay with him forever...in medieval Scotland. Did Jane just have the most erotic sex of her life with a delusional crazy man, or is it truly possible for her one-night stand to last forever?

Excerpt:

What is he wearing under there, anyway?

Dragging my gaze up to his, I swear he could read my thoughts yet again. His cocky grin grew larger when my eyes traveled back down his hard torso and I saw a twitch beneath his kilt. A really big twitch.

I dug in my heels, shook my head and started to back away. “Maybe this is a mistake.”

His hand reached out and caressed my cheek, his eyes glued to mine. One more step back and the brick building stopped my retreat. Mr. Kilt leaned in. Heat, mixed with his strong male scent, surrounded my quivering body. His other hand came up and rested on the wall behind me.

Boxed in, I watched his lips move, his breath quicken and something that looked like concern stream from his eyes. Every nerve in my body called out, wanting his touch. I forgot about the alley as my attention narrowed to him and the rapidly shrinking space between us.

Changes...

I love the fact that Blogger is free... But I'm told that a website, one that isn't free, is a bit to do in the publishing world. So I have purchased my domain name and now have catherinebybee.com up and running. It looks a whole lot like my other site on free webs. But Go Daddy does have a full service department that I have already used three times, so I'm very pleased.

Now... I'm thinking of updating my Blogger site and I'm wondering if I should lighten it up a bit. The dark tone works really well for my 'darker' romances. However, Kilt Worthy, my erotic short coming this summer, isn't dark at all. In fact, I would label it a sexy little romp that will have you laughing one minute and squirming in your seat wondering when your husband is coming home, the next. Of course, this is just my humble opinion. grin.

So, what do you think? A little lighter in tone? Font? Color? Maybe find a way to stretch the beautiful picture I have in the upper right hand corner of my website and get it to fit on the blogger site? Tell me your opinions... oh, cyber friends of mine.

If ye look hard enough, ye will find it!

Ye do know what a true Scotsman wears under his kilt... right?

Secondary Characters Video Blog

Thanks for stoppin' by!

Kilt Worthy's Excerpt

A fully edited excerpt of Kilt Worthy will be back up soon.
Thanks to all of you who caught a quick glimpse of my Scarlet Rosette and took the time to comment.

Boys and Girls

I am the mother of son and not daughters. Every once in a while my boys will do somthing so completely male I have to share it.

Now before anyone gets their panties in a bundle because of my stereo-typing, these are my observations as witnessed just this week.

Scenario: First warm day where the swimming pool is above 70 degrees. To darn cold more me, but children apparently have very little sensitivity to the cold unless they are told to go outside in the winter to feed the dog!

"Let's go over to *"Mrs. B.'s" house and go for a swim."

All the kids are standing on the step of the pool waiting for the first one to go in on a dare... Because it really is cold but none of them want to admit it.

*Susie yells, "Oh, Mom there is a dead lizard in the bottom of the pool." She jumps out of the pool pointing.

My oldest son rolls his eyes and dives in to retrieve the deceased reptile. After waving the dead in Susie's face for good measure, he proceeds to flip the dearly departed over and poke at it. His younger brother gets in on the action until one of them yells. "Hey, mom, what is this blue stuff coming out of it."

That my friends was a completely male moment.
Dead anything + Boys = Poking until its guts come out.
Dead anything + Girls = 'Ewehhh' ... Now Susie did peek at the dead, but had no interested in dissecting it. 'Cause that's just gross!'

*All names have been changed to protect the innocent, allbeit squirmy, friends.

Interview with Jenna Petersen / Jess Michaels

Happy Birthday to Me... Ahh and what a wonderful way to hit 29 again! Oh, forget it! I'm 41 today and what better way to celebrate then to have one of my favorite authors over for an interview.

Please welcome Avon Author Jenna Petersen AKA Jess Michaels.

A few years ago,when I started pursuing my writing, I stumbled upon Jenna Petersen on her web-site The Passionate Pen.

Her passion for writing and desire to share her journey on this site enchanted me. A lover of historical romances myself, it was a given that I would pick up her novels and dive in.. And then it happened... I discovered erotic romance... And yes, Jess Michaels popped that cherry with Everything Forbidden.

After burning a perfectly good tri tip, I promptly logged on-line and sent Jess an E-mail praising her ability with the all mighty pen. I was hooked.

Thank you for joining me today, Jenna... or do you prefer Jess? I suppose I'll start with the pen name question that often hits peoples tongues when they hear you have two. Why two names?

Aw thanks, though sorry about the steak. LOL I’m glad I could help introduce you to the wonderful world of erotic romance! LOL

So I have two names mostly because I sold two stories to Red Sage Publishing, a small publisher, first. When I sold to Avon they didn’t love the name “Jess” and wanted to launch me as a new author in historical romance. They also hadn’t started the Red line yet, so they weren’t doing erotic romance. So we all decided it might work better to just have a new me. Now I write the erotic under Jess and the regular historical under Jenna and if people don’t want to read erotic it’s very easy to gently steer them away. :)

I really want to dive into Taboo-- by the way-- LOVE that title. Tell us about your latest erotic release.

Thanks! Here’s a little blurb about TABOO, which is out now:

Cassandra Willows has taken adversity and turned it into wild success. Not only is she one of the Empire’s most sought after seamstresses, servicing the very wealthy ladies of the ton, but in secret she creates erotic toys for high class courtesans and randy gentleman. Cassandra has but one regret: The Earl of Blackhearth, Nathan Manning, who once wished to marry her and will never forgive her for not showing up when they were to elope.
Nathan has been living in India and has returned to London at the behest of his ill father. His one duty is to find a suitable bride, but a chance encounter with Cassandra wipes that thought from his mind and replaces it with both desire and a need for revenge. So he blackmails his former love into a passionate affair. But the closer the two become physically, the harder it becomes for them to block out the feelings they once shared. And the closer Nathan comes to the devastating truth that tore them apart.

Not only do I love the title of this latest erotic... but oh, la, la... that cover!

Most writers were readers first... how about you? How long have you read the genre and how long have you been writing?

I actually came very late to the genre and started reading it about the same time I started seriously writing it, which was 1999. I had the silly idea that it would be “easy” to write. And quickly learned otherwise, as well as fell in love with the genre.

"Easy" **snort! Ya, right! Writers like yourself make it 'look' easy.

With such a busy writing schedule, do you make time to read?

I try, but it’s hard. I try not to read what I’m writing at the time, so I read a lot less of my favorite romance sub-genre, historical, though I do still have my must-have favorites like Jacquie D’Alessandro or Teresa Medeiros. And I read outside the genre. I’m currently reading a historical mystery called SILENT ON THE MOOR by Deanna Raybourn.

How do you answer the ever annoying question or comment... "Oh, you write that kind of book?"
I generally say, “Yes I do.” If I say it with enough conviction, it seems to end the conversation. It’s also good to quote that over half the mass market books sold are romance.

What do you love about writing? What would you change if you could?

I love the real act of writing, of telling a story. That feeds me in so many ways. It’s the “safe place” for me. The publishing part is the scary part, worrying about how the book is doing, waiting to hear about numbers, that sort of thing. I would probably insulate myself from that better if I could, but my personality doesn’t seem to allow it.

What will we see next from Jenna Petersen or Jess Michaels?

Well, this year I have four books out. Three are already out, A RED HOT VALETINE’S DAY (Jess Michaels), HER NOTORIOUS VISCOUNT (Jenna Petersen) and TABOO (Jess Michaels). My next Jenna release is in November, WHAT THE DUKE DESIRES and that starts my “Billingham Bastards” series. And in February you’ll see my next Jess release, which is NOTHING DENIED and the last in my “Albright Sisters” series that I started with EVERYTHING FORBIDDEN and SOMETHING RECKLESS.

*clapping* I love a series... and to know that all the Albright Sisters will find their men. Awesome!

Where can we find you on the web?

My author site is http://www.jennapetersen.com/ . I’m also at http://www.passionatepen.com/, which is my site for writers. You can find me on MySpace and Facebook, as well!

Thanks so much for having me!!

No, the pleasure is all mine. For those of you who love to learn more about the authors you read, check out Jenna's web-sites. A play-by-play account to Jenna's sucess is spelled out in her diary archives. For writers, The Passionate Pen is a must on your favorite list. It is full of links and valuable information about the craft. So check it out.