Monday, February 28, 2011

Mini Goals

A few weeks ago I talked about not knowing where I want to go with my writing and if I should just give up. A friend asked me if I’d made up my mind about my writing career.
The short term answer – YES. I want to be a writer. It’s in my blood. I can’t give it up. The problem is there’s so much going on in my life right now it’s difficult to put words to paper. I’ve started three new wips and can’t seem to move along with any of them. They start off full of potential and then I abandon them. Writing erotic romance has become almost impossible. I know all the reasons for this; I just can’t fix them right now.
This week I’ve promised myself to work on Chasing Forever. I want to get this story stronger and send it off. The story is written. An editor expressed a few issues, nothing major. The sex scenes aren’t the issue…YAY for me. :o) So addressing the concerns should be easy.
I managed to work on the first chapter this morning. I actually woke up early and had some time before the daughter woke. That’s a new issue. She has a job. The hour of 6-7 used to be my quiet writing time. Not any longer. B, gets up at 6am to get ready for work. One of the kids usually gets up with her. Guess who gets to take care of them. Lol I don’t mind. I enjoy that time with them, but I’m a creature of habit.
My schedule has been changed and I’m still trying to adjust. Not only am I sleeping later, I have company when I get up. Saturday I was excited about being awake early figuring the daughter would sleep in – she didn’t have work. NOPE. She came out all bubbly wanting to talk my ear off just before 6 am. Most people know not to talk to me before I’ve finished my morning coffee. That’s just the way I am. I need silence and time to wake up. No, I didn’t kill her. I smiled and nodded at the appropriate times. I also prayed. Prayed she’d go away. LOL
The house is full of sick people so I'm trying to keep my distance. I think the DH has pneumonia. He's a stubborn male. He is on antibiotic for a sinus infection. I hope it's strong enough. He has to return for a follow up next week. I'm trying to convince him to go sooner. Wish me luck.
So my mini goals this week is to finish Chasing Forever. Maybe that will spark the desire to write again.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Plans Change

Sometimes you have to change plans. Like yesterday. The girls were supposed to get on the road and drive to NY.
NY was in the middle of a snowstorm. They were expecting up to a foot of snow. I advised them not to go. We were getting torrential downpours here in RI…thank god it wasn’t snow. Also, L woke up with a fever and croupy cough. A quick trip to the doctors ruled out strep and the flu. Just a bad cold.
Today they’re going to try it again. L is feeling better and the snow has ended, along with the rain.
The DH and I plan to drive to CT to Foxwoods. We most likely won’t gamble. We’re not big on gambling, but I enjoy the shops. Also, he loves the food at the Hard Rock Café. So we’ll have a late lunch, browse and maybe play a few slot machines – I did win $40 last time we went.
It wasn’t a totally kid-free weekend, but we’ll take what we can get. :o)

Friday, February 25, 2011

First Round Edits Are Done

Whew! They were intense, but I must admit my editor had some great suggestions and I feel the story is MUCH stronger. I’m not sure what round two will bring but I’m sure they won’t be as intense. LOL
Not only are edits complete for now – it’s Friday. My kids are all in NY for the weekend for a family event so I get the house and DH to myself. Woo Hoo. We don’t get that often. Not sure what we’ll do but it doesn’t matter. It will be quiet in the house.
I want to give a big shout out to Katalina Leon who gave me some brilliant ideas to move Chasing Forever forward. This story was rejected – with a revision letter. I’ve been mulling it around for a few weeks, bouncing ideas off Kat. She made it all come together. It’s nice to have someone who lives on the West coast and knows a thing or two about surfing. :o) Love ya Kat!
I can’t wait to go back to writing this story.
Happy Friday!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

The DH Wants to Write a Book

My hubby has been talking about writing a book for the last year. I “think” he gets that it’s a lot of work. He’s seen the struggles I go through. He’s read my almost all of my work. I say almost, because he refuses to read any m/m.
And he doesn’t plan to write fiction.
I keep encouraging him to GO FOR IT.
There are many reasons I believe he should write this book. One, it will be therapy for him. Two, he has a knack for writing non-fiction. He writes clean, intelligent and thought-provoking material.
So what subject does he want to write about – LOSS. He felt cheated when we lost our son. Things that we weren’t prepared for and most other wouldn’t be. Questions that should’ve been asked. Information that should’ve been shared. He wants to write a book to help others who have gone through or will go through what we experienced.
Personally I hope he writes it. I’m not sure if it will ever see the publishing light and that doesn’t really matter. What matters is he gets to write HIS story, from HIS heart, because he needs to heal.
Hopefully someday he’ll sit down and write that book.
Happy Thursday!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Catching Up

Yesterday I had lunch with a writer friend Eden Elgabri. It was a nice lunch. She’s such a great person. We talked writing and other things. It helped me realize I need to get out of the house more often. I wish I weren’t on limited activity.
I’m halfway through edits on All or Nothing. I sent back Love Revisited and those are final. I’m hoping to finish up Friday, give it a final read through and send it back to my editor.
In other news I had a print release on Monday. WET came out with my story Body Shots. I’m honored to be included in a book with such talent. My hats off to the other authors.



Body Shots by Amber Skyze
Got tequila? Sierra does, and Reed isn’t afraid to use it. He’s determined to do shots on every inch of her skin, but Sierra has insecurities preventing him from exploring intimate areas. Her insecurities won’t stop her from lavishing his body with the heady liquor though.

Ten years ago an accident tore Sierra Allen and Reed Walker apart. Now a chance encounter has them burning for each other. A bottle of liquor and a pool table has this duo ready to quench their thirsts with one night of body shots. But will one night be enough?

Shaken and Stirred by M.A. Ellis

Susanne is one final challenge away from winning a national beverage competition and reaching the pinnacle of her career—a management position with a very wealthy client. She’s intent that nothing will stand in her way. Not even the drop-dead-sexy cowboy who sidles up to her at the hotel bar.

Lucifer Treyton Ryder is under express orders from his uncle to find Susanne and do whatever it takes to have her disqualified. Trey plans to take her to bed and keep her there until the security team discovers them together. It’s against the rules. It’s a foolproof plan. Until the auburn-haired beauty shows more than a passing interest in a bit of yee-haw rope play.

Before Susanne realizes what he’s about, Trey has her hands expertly bound and she’s forced to make a choice—play it safe or allow the devilishly tempting man full rein for an evening of uninhibited loving? A “perfect” stranger and kinky sex? Susanne’s about to make a choice that could cost her everything.

Slow and Wet by Helen Hardt
Jillian loves her gorgeous bronc-busting boyfriend, Dale. She just hasn’t told him yet. After a satisfying romp, she walks naked into Dale’s kitchen, shocked to find another hot cowboy. Travis likes what he sees and is eager to take up where he and Dale left off four years earlier—as two men giving one woman the ultimate pleasure.

To please Dale—and herself—Jill agrees. Under the Wyoming summer sky, she yields to the desires of both men. They cover her in her favorite beverage, Dale’s homemade honey-lemonade, and lick every drop from her body. But will this erotic encounter with four strong hands, two delectable mouths and two determined men lead to what Jill ultimately wants—Dale’s love?

Set Me Up by Kat Alexis
Indigo Larsen can finally live her dreams of exploring the world. Her first stop is Ireland, where on a dare she accepts the Tongue of Truth liquor. The sex that follows is passionate and more exotic than anything she’s ever imagined. Waking up the next morning on Aedan Ciaran’s naked lap with his hard cock inside her is more than disconcerting. Convinced the liquor is the cause of her predicament, Indigo tries to leave.

What’s a leprechaun to do? Why, bring out all the luck he can find in hopes of loving his way into Indigo’s heart.

Sexpresso Night by Kelly Jamieson
After a disastrous D/s relationship nearly destroyed her, Danya swears she’ll never go back to that lifestyle. She tries to deny the dark hunger rising inside her, a craving to be pushed, taken to the edge, until the night she ends up at Karma Coffee for Sexpresso Night. She discovers how sensual and sexy coffee can be—and how sensual and sexy barista Carter Jarvis is.

Carter senses gorgeous Danya wants to let go of control with a man. When they end up back at his place “for coffee”, she submits to him so beautifully he knows she’s meant to be his. Carter seems perfect for her—not wishy-washy, but not a sadistic pervert. The true test comes the night he shows her his BDSM playroom



Jemimah's Genie by Ainsley Abbott

The promised toast Jemimah Murphy offered her deceased grandmother was one she’d never forget. As her great-great-grandmother’s homemade elderberry wine trickled down her throat, a poof and flash sent her reeling and the most delectable man she’d ever seen suddenly appeared. Brian, she discovered to her utter amazement and delight, was her personal genie.

Brian’s reason for existence was to pleasure Jemi and fulfill her deepest sexual desires. His fiery lovemaking introduced her to passionate, sensual experiences she’d never believed possible.

But the magical wine diminished each time Jemi summoned her lover, and both Brian and Jemi knew their perfect fantasy would inevitably have to end. Unless…

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Welcome Julia!




Today I’m thrilled to share with you Julia Rachel Barrett’s newest release Pushing Her Boundaries, which released Feb 21st with Siren Publishing. I’m excited to read this book because it’s based on true accounts of a canoe trip she and her husband took – dubbed the canoe trip from hell.


Julia is not only a talented writer, but a beautiful person on the inside and out. So please take a moment to read her blurb and excerpt. Oh and of course I think you should buy the book! *hint* *hint*
I have a copy and when I finally finish these edits I'm treating myself to this story.


Blurb:


Maggie Anderson is done with men. Flying to Minneapolis, she’s seated beside the type of man she always falls for, a sexy, arrogant alpha jerk. Mace Williams irritates the woman next to him. She's so damn sexy, he doesn't care. When their seatmate suffers a cardiac arrest, Maggie and Mace team up to save his life, but it's too late.
Once in Minneapolis, Maggie heads to a restaurant with her sister, only to find Mace waiting. Worse, she learns he'll soon be her brother-in-law.
Stuck in her sister’s apartment with Mace, Maggie offers him one night of sex, anything goes, no obligations, no recriminations. Mace agrees... he wants more than Maggie's body, he wants her heart.
Thrown into a disastrous canoe trip, they must work together to survive. Maggie must face her demons and trust Mace with her life. Mace is determined to save her, regardless of what the future brings.

Excerpt:

The server arrived with their drinks. Mace noticed that by the time they’d finished talking to the young woman about the chef’s tasting menu and ordering it, Maggie had finished half of her dirty martini. When the server brought their first course, she ordered another. Is it me, or do all social gatherings make her uncomfortable?

Mace couldn’t help grinning. After she’d downed her second martini and had finished two glasses of the sauvignon blanc, Maggie unreservedly grinned right back.
“Oh my god, this curry noodle dish with short ribs is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.” She reached over with her chopsticks and took a small piece of beef from Mace’s plate. “You don’t mind, do you?”

“Not in the least. Anything else you’d like to share?” Looking across the table, he spotted one remaining lobster dumpling on the dim sum platter. He reached for it, picking it up with his thumb and forefinger. “Close your eyes and open your mouth.”

She did so without protest.

Damn, this woman has the nicest white teeth and the prettiest pink tongue I’ve ever seen.
He set the dumpling onto her tongue, and, to his surprise, Maggie closed her mouth around his finger and thumb, delicately sucking the dumpling into her warm, wet mouth.
So much for getting through the rest of the evening sans erection.

Mace stole a glance at his brother Jeff. He and Lynn seemed engrossed in conversation and oblivious to the tableau playing out three feet from them. He wondered if Maggie meant to do that or if it was the alcohol talking. She didn’t seem like the type to drink very often. She was a charming woman when she dropped her guard. He wondered who or what had caused her to raise it in the first place.

By the time dessert and coffee arrived, Maggie seemed very relaxed. She propped an elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand, giving him a nice view down the bodice of her dress. He tried his best to keep his eyes focused on her face, but every time she leaned over, Mace couldn’t seem to stop them from drifting downward. He was very glad she hadn’t worn a bra. Thank god there was still light from the setting sun, enough to allow him to discern just a hint of the rosy rings of delicate skin surrounding those perpetually erect nipples.

Forget the chef’s tasting menu, I’d rather taste her. Instead, he licked his tiny spoon of frozen strawberry crème fraîche. He watched Maggie’s eyes follow his tongue with interest. Turnabout is fair play. He offered her a taste. She shook her head, but she continued to stare at his mouth with what appeared to be fascination. Either that or I have some food stuck to my face. He licked at the cold confection again, testing the waters. As Mace watched, her eyelids seemed to grow heavy, sliding down to cover those pretty hazel eyes. When she opened them again, he could tell that she was turned on—not by the frozen confection, but by the movement of his tongue, not that she’d ever admit it. Clearly, if he was going to get where he wanted to go with Maggie, Mace would have to push her boundaries. The alcohol may have lowered her resistance for a few hours, but by tomorrow morning, he knew the fences she surrounded herself with would be mended and sturdy. Well, you can usually find an opening if you search long enough.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Edits, Edits and More Edits

Saturday edits for All or Nothing arrived. Sunday edits for Love Revisited arrived. I’ll bet you can’t guess what I’m doing! :-P One book is long. One is very short – 10 pages
Mother Nature obviously thought it would be neat to trick us with two days of warm weather and then turn the heat off completely. The weekend turned bitter cold with temperatures dipping into the negatives. I didn’t find her sense of humor very funny.
Over the weekend we went to dinner and a movie with my brother and sister in law. We saw No Strings Attached. Save your money. Not worth paying for. It was okay. Personally, I’d wait until it’s on television for free.
The kids are on winter vacation – woo hoo. I’ve heard I’m bored more times than I prefer. I warned her if she continued to tell me how bored she was I’d wrap her in duct tape. She finally went to hang with her friend.
It’s going to be a long week with edits and school out.
Happy Monday!

Friday, February 18, 2011

Off for the weekend!

Today the temperatures are suppose to reach 56 and I took the day off. Going to enjoy a long weekend!

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Craziness Magnified

My To-Do list is growing by leaps and bounds. I’ve been away from my desk since Sunday because the floors are being done in my office. Today they’re supposed to finish up and I can put my life back together. I’m thinking of taking Friday off so I can get things done.
On top of life being chaos yesterday they had ot disconnect my internet most of the day. The first time was for an hour while the electrician installed the wiring for my radiant heat. My office is extremely cold so we put in a 3x10 piece to keep my feet toasty. The second time was to do the actual flooring. I work from home. I need internet access. They said it would be an hour so I told my boss an hour. Four hours later I had to insist they hook me back up.
The only benefit I got from being offline was I opened the recently rejected wip and added another scene to it. Today I’ll finish going over the chapter and send it off to another publisher. Gotta climb back on that horse right?
Happy Wednesday

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Chaos

Life has been hectic in our house. We’ve had guys in here replacing flooring in almost every room in the house. The two bathrooms and one bedroom are the only rooms not being touched. Part of the house is quarantined off for the next day. It’s driving me crazy and the dogs are going nuts. One of the rooms that is blocked off is where they sleep. They’re creatures of habit and can’t handle change.
Hopefully tomorrow our lives will return to normal.
On top of that I’m getting sick. I woke yesterday with a scratchy throat. It doesn’t help that the grandkids have been sick along with the DH. It’s crazy. The DH is on his fourth cold of the season. This is a man who doesn’t get sick more than once a year. I’m suffering from my own problems so I haven’t taken care of him because I can’t afford to be sick. So much for that.
The temperatures were in the 50’s yesterday. It gives me hope that Spring isn’t too far off.
Yesterday I received a rejection from Carina Press. It was a very nice rejection with the offer to submit something new in the future. It doesn’t matter that the rejection was NICE…rejection sucks! :o)
Today will be better…I just know it!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Contest Winner


Happy Valentine's Day


The winner of my Impromptu Contest (thanks to random.org) is: Caffey.
Because it’s Valentine’s Day I’m going to randomly pick another. #14 for since it’s the 14th. Jessica you also get to choose a copy of one of my ebooks.
Caffey and Jessica send me an email to: amberskyze AT aol DOT com with your choice.


This year Hallmark had a new slogan – Valentine’s Day is a day to say I love us.
I really liked this slogan. I could relate to it. I think that’s why it stuck in my mind. I’d rather celebrate us than just him. Without a spouse or significant other there is no US.


So how do you say I Love You?

Friday, February 11, 2011

Impromptu Contest

Yesterday was an odd day for me. I was extremely busy at the day job and in between I received an email that I’d be getting a new editor. I know this happens in this business all the time, but for me it’s the first time. I guess for two years I’ve been lucky. That’s not to say my new editor won’t be good. Because I’m sure she’ll rock. We’ve exchanged a few emails and are trying to get on the same page with my current contracted project.
The house surprisingly was quiet. DH goes into the office some Thursday’s. Youngest was in school and the other daughter with grandkids went out for the day. The dogs were even well behaved. Of course all hell broke loose at 5 when they all returned.
The DH returned with an early Valentine’s Day gift. A new deli shop opened not far from our house so he stopped in to see what they offered. He brought home dinner too! That was a plus. So what did he give me? A dozen chocolate covered strawberries. He knows how much I love them. Needless to say I had my dessert before dinner.
The girls made homemade pizza for themselves. Overall it turned out to be a good day. Such a good day I’m going to throw an impromptu contest.
Head over to my website. On my BOOKS page there are three books in the spotlight. Find Heat Waves read the blurb and comment here with the hero’s profession. One lucky commenter will win a copy of one of my back list books.

Winner will be announced on Monday!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Frustration

I’m working on three wips. No, I should correct that. I have three wips and I’m not working on any of them.
One is my contemporary romance for my agent appointment in April. I have to make the first ten pages shine so when the agent reads it in March she’ll ask for more when we meet. :o) Hey, you have to be confident.
The other is a M/F. I’m about 3500 words into it. The third is M/M/F and that has 2500 words. Every day I open one of the wips and every day it goes untouched. It seems my muse has taken an early spring vacation. I can’t blame her. The winter is horrible.
Oh well…our house is torn apart as we get new floors. Today is the carpeting in our bedroom. I’ll have guys working here until Monday. Maybe inspiration will return. We’ll see. LOL
Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Visiting

Today I'm over at Seven Sexy Scribes and A Pinch of Romance talking about a Valentine's Day memory. The posts are the same. I was too lazy to think of something clever for both! :~)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Monday Fun

Congrats to all the Green Bay Packer fans on the Super Bowl win. The DH, youngest daughter and I watched the game. Well, said daughter crashed during halftime and I didn’t make it through the 4th quarter. It was funny I kept telling the DH to fast forward through the game so I could see the commercials. LOL
I enjoyed the Coke Cola with the Dragon, the Darth Vader and the Doritos one where the guy licks the other guy’s fingers. The halftime show was a big disappointment. I’m not a huge Black Eyed Peas fan, but they have a few good songs. You could barely here any of the band singing except Will I Am. No big deal for me. :o)
We did have some yummy food though. After pigging out I settled on the recliner and well…sleep took over.
I had an extremely busy weekend. I made it to the writer’s meeting, but got a call that I had to work. So I had to skip the retreat and head home. From 3-midnight I was stuck on a conference call. YUCK!
Sunday I went grocery shopping while the DH and youngest went to the Pet Show. They brought home lots of goodies for the dogs. L, got her picture taken with a rather large BOA wrapped around her. *shudder* I give her credit. I wouldn’t have done it.
Today it’s back to the daily grind. I learned a few things about doing my taxes this year. Last year my accountant set me up as a business. I thought I had all my paperwork in order and the way she’d want it, until I attended Saturday’s workshop. Today I’ll be fixing said paperwork.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Writer Time

Every Saturday of a writer’s meeting I contemplate whether or not to go. In fact I must say I’m not going frequently because this morning the DH said, “You say that every month. Go you always have fun.” LOL
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to go. It’s a 30 min drive. It’s only once a month and I get to hang out with lots of great writers. So what’s the issue? I always feel guilty. The DH doesn’t take time out to do a “his” thing. His thing is always spending time with me. I love him dearly, but I wish he had “a thing”. You know, something to take him out of the house for a few hours – at least once a month. Instead he wants to go places and do things with me.
As I was considering not going today I realized – it’s the only sanity I have right now. The house is overrun with children – adult, teenaged, toddler and babies. If I don’t escape I’ll go insane. Besides I want to go to the retreat for some suggestions on a contemporary romance I’m going to pitch to an agent in April. These are the ladies who will help.
So I’ll get ready and head out and by the time I come home I’ll be so high on excitement I’ll be ready to get back to my WIP. :o)

A side note from my post yesterday. While I don't have any teams playing in the Super Bowl I forgot about the commericals. I LUV the commericals. I still crack up from the one a few years ago Rock Paper Ssissors. With my short term memory I can't remember if it was for Bud or Pepsi, but I can't help but laugh when the guy threw the rock and knocked the other guy out. Priceless.
So yes, I'll be watching looking for a new commerical to love.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Cha-Cha-Changes

Today is all about making changes. I received the first chapter back from my editor for All or Nothing. They’d like me to clear up a few things. That will be first on my list.
The second is Chasing Forever. When I received the rejection/revision letter I thought about ways to enhance the story to the editor’s suggestions. I’ve finally come to terms with how I want to address them…needless to say I’ll be working on that too.
Tomorrow is my local chapter’s writer meeting. I’m really looking forward to seeing the group. Afterward we’re headed to an overnight retreat. I won’t be staying overnight. Too much hotel living for me last weekend, but I’ll hang out long enough to have fun and do some brainstorming.
Super Bowl Sunday this weekend. Not that I care. I’m not a fan of either team. But we’ll still enjoy some good food. It’s all about the food to me. :o)
Hope everyone has a fun weekend!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Waiting Begins and Continues...

I subbed to my editor yesterday and she informed me she’s swamped and it will likely be a fully eight weeks before I hear something. Understandable. Besides, what can I do, but wait. I’m also coming up on the 2 month mark of waiting to hear from Carina Press. Hey two months down, two more to go! LOL
As a writer waiting is the HARDEST part. A million thoughts go through my mind while waiting.
Will the editor think what I wrote sucks? Will she think – OMG, what kind of garbage is she trying to pass off as a story? It’s the fear I have with every single submission. I hope someday those fears go away. Something tells me that’s not going to happen.
In other news I received a fabulous review from Miz Love over at Miz Love Loves Books. The review is for Adrift…one of my favorite books. She gave it a Hot Stuff #1
If you want to check it out here is the link!





http://mizlovelovesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/adrift-by-amber-skyze.html?zx=598224b03213cfc9

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Groundhog Day

I’m sitting here watching the news and all the spinouts on the road and accidents. It always amazes me that people think they can conquer the treacherous weather. Personally unless it’s life or death I’d wait it out.
I feel sorry for my family and friends back home. They’re getting 30 inches. The worst part of this is 7 couples who are all celebrating their 40th were all supposed to fly out for a weeklong trip to the Dominican Republic today. Umm, nope. Not happening. They were all lucky because between the jobs, hotels and airports they were able to change the trip until later this week. Good for them. They’ve been planning this trip for a year. The only bad thing is they forgot to ask me. What??? Just because I turned 40 a few years ago, I don’t qualify? LOL
If I’ve neglected visiting your blog this week I’m sorry. I’m swamped at work straight through next week. Then things will settle down. Other than that not much is going on. My writing has been limited.
So today is Groundhog Day. Everyone will be watching to see if he’ll see his shadow or not. It might be tough to dig out of six feet of snow. He’s likely to come out wearing a North Face.
Stay Warm and Dry!

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

February and More #$%^ Snow

It’s February! The shortest month of the year. I’m thrilled because Spring will get here that much quicker. We’re knee deep in snow with two more storms coming today and tomorrow. Soon we won’t be able to see driving down the streets.

Today I'm over at Seven Sexy Scribes and A Pinch of Romance talking about character names and how I get them.

Last but not least, my newsletter went out today. This month I’m giving away a book from my backlist along with a $25 gift card to Victoria’s Secret, Barnes and Noble or Borders. If you’re not a member sign up below. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to win!

Subscribe:
authoramberskyze-subscribe@yahoogroups.com