Raven McAllan is Teaching Teacher & Me too!

I'd like to welcome the most excellent and versatile, Raven McAllan to my blog today, here to talk about her latest release Teaching Teacher, and teaching me a thing or two in the process.

So Raven, pleasure to have you here, how are the wilds of Scotland at this festive time of year? Any plans for Hogmanay?

Ah it's great to be here. Here you are, a slice of gluten free Christmas Cake and a dram…Yum I love Scotland, thanks Raven.

Now re Hogmanay…We do have a few plans. Though we tend to be very low key, and enjoy the company of a few friends, with a dram and a tall dark handsome first-footer…Okay, he's not got a lot of hair left and it is going grey, but…Hehe, I'm sure it still counts. (If you don't know what a first footer is GOOGLE is your friend ;))

Sounds good. So, we're here to discuss your latest release "Teaching Teacher". I'm a complete noob to the world of M/M erotic fiction, how does it differ to M/F (apart from the obvious, of course *snigger*)

Well I don't think it does. Okay it's about two people of the same sex, but to me, a love story is just that. A story about love, romance and all the trials and tribulations that goes with it. Does my bum look big in this applies to anyone! Hehe, so true.

What led you to start writing M/M? I think originally I wrote a couple of short stories, and realized that as I said above it’s a love story first and foremost, and the sex of my characters are secondary. Up to a point anyway! Then My first full length M/M Riding Ryder began to bombard me. I'm a pantster, I know I need to get (hopefully) from A to B, but how I get there is anybody's—well except the characters—guess.

Teaching Teacher started from a germ of am idea when I visited a certain seaside town in Scotland. Coincidentally the one I used for my two shorts, and partly for 'Ryder'. Which is strange because it's just a town! A very nice town, but nothing about it make me think ah ha, I need to write a book about here. Especially a M/M erotic romance, there's not a lot of eroticism on a wet Saturday in Scotland. Don't I know it ;)

What can you tell us about the heroes, Seb and Ruari?

They're normal guys. Work hard and wonder if they'll ever fall in love and then they meet each other. Seb's a head maser of a school and Ruari owns a pub. Ruari had a dark past and they both have to overcome obstacles to see if they can be together.

I read somewhere a while back that it's mostly heterosexual women who read M/M erotic fiction, any ideas as to why you think that is?

 I've no idea, I know men and women who read M/F M/M F/F etc etc, and all variations of the above lol. If you find out why, let me know! I will do ;)

Okay I know you have to head off to the theatre to see Dirty Dancing, so for my last question I must know. If you were Baby, who would be your Johnny? (Hubby is not an option!)

Well Richard Gere in his American Gigolo days was a big hit for me…(we were both younger and more supple then lol) And Johnny Depp any time…please??? I'm totally with you on JD

Thank you so much for coming to play Raven. I look forward to trying out my first M/M, and if you're curious there is no better time to start than now! Check out Teaching Teacher, out today with Breathless Press, Amazon, Amazon UK, All Romance, BookStrand.

Your welcome Mel, and as a treat, I'll give one lucky commenter a gift of either Riding Ryder or Addicktion vol 2 ebook…

Ooh what a pleasant surprise! Sounds great, so guys and gals get commenting and you could win with Raven! Now for the good stuff, keep reading!

Finding love in a new town had not been in Seb's plans. But life has a tendency to throw you curveballs – like Ruari.

When the new head teacher walks into his bar, Ruari knows he has to have him, and damn the consequences. When lust turns to love, nothing else matters. Together they will overcome, no matter what. Or will circumstances drive them apart?

Excerpt

Coffee or merlot?”

“Er, is either of them a euphemism?” Seb raised an eyebrow. Ruari choked as Seb went on. “Because I’d like a glass of merlot, and I’m fucking sure I’d love the euphemism.”

“I’m fucking sure we both would,” Ruari said frankly. “Not yet, though. First we’ll have the merlot. I’ll tell you a little bit more about my weird and, er, some would say wonderful family. Then you can decide if you still want to have the euphemism. If you do, great. If you don’t, no hard feelings. Well, maybe.”

Seb took the glass of wine Ruari handed over and then pulled him down so they could sit close together. “Surely, it can’t be that bad?” Seb asked.

“I’ll let you make your own mind up.” Ruari fortified his courage with a healthy swallow of the smooth liquid. It tasted of walnuts and spices. He relished the warmth that spread as it slid down his throat. As the last flavor left his taste buds, he took a deep breath.

Seb put a finger over his mouth. “Nope, enough already. Let’s just see where these tingles and hard cocks are taking us. Hopefully not to anymore cold showers. Hell, it’s a wonder I’m not shriveled to the size of a chipolata instead of hot, hard, and throbbing.”

Ruari burst out laughing. “You too? Thank God. I thought I was the only sappy one. I wasn’t going to jerk off until...well...”

“You decided I was a jerk or not? Yeah, me too, so are we jerks, jerking, or joining?”

Ruari shook his head, amused at the pair of them, and had another sip of wine. He could see Seb watching the play of his throat as he swallowed. He imagined it was Seb’s cum he was swallowing; he could almost taste and smell its salty flavor and scent. He cleared his throat rapidly. “So in the interest of not causing any droughts, human or otherwise?”

Her Mr Perfect Christmas

So I did it. I bit the bullet and self-pubbed. Firstly with Kindle which was a absolute doddle :), and then with Smashwords, which was a lot less of a doddle :(. (And still isn't quite right :\). I have to admit, it's the most scared I've been when a book has come out, because this one is all on me! I know it's far from perfect, but apart from my hero (obviously), nothing is perfect. So here's a snippit, and the cover (which I am immensely proud of, and grateful to Faye for her PP hint.)

Amy Martin and Dominic Shaw have never been friends. However, when Dom arrives on Marty's doorstep, after she leaves a drunken message meant for his sister; things begin to change between them. Can Miss Responsible and the boy who never grew up, really be a recipe for perfection? 

WARNING: This book contains alcohol consumption that will make your liver cringe, swearing that a sailor would be proud of , and scenes of a sexual and sensual nature--So an average Saturday night down the pub then.

"I'm not twelve anymore Dom, you can't frighten me like you used to."

"Are you sure?" He raised a questioning eyebrow, and she could see he'd taken her words as a challenge.

Oh, shit. She scrambled back to the opposite end of the sofa, as he advanced on her. Never taking his eyes off hers, he inched closer. He placed one hand on the back of the sofa and one on the base near her shoulders, and then heaved himself up quickly, angling directly above her.

Marty's breathing had become ragged and incredibly loud in her own ears.

As he leaned closer his t-shirt dropped to touch her camisole at the base of her stomach, the outside of his thighs, pushed against the inside of hers forcing her legs to widen. With amazing control he lowered himself until their lips almost touched, his head tilted to the side so they didn't bump noses.

My God, is he actually going to do it? Two worlds collided in her brain, the one that kept having the increasingly erotic thoughts and right now was making her extremely hot, and the one that said, "What are you thinking. This is Dom?!"

"Are you sure I can't still scare you?" He whispered. His breath was warm and smelled of beer and popcorn. Their only point of contact was mid-thigh, but despite this she felt the electricity between them at every point of her body he shadowed; their lips, their torsos, and most noticeably their hips.

Marty closed her eyes, took a deep controlling breath, and then licked her lips, before finding Dominic's gaze again. Reaching up she placed a hand either side of his body, feeling the taut muscles under the t-shirt, she couldn't resist running her fingertips, inwards to his abs, just a little. He closed his eyes and a very visible shiver rolled over his body.

She'd never been more turned on in her life. But it had to stop. Now!

Dominic opened his eyes, narrowing them. She knew he was calling her a number of unflattering names in his head right now.

Slowly she pushed up, and he yielded to her pressure, returning to a seated position on the far end of the sofa.

"To answer your question, Dom: No you don't scare me anymore."

What was scaring her was how much she'd wanted his lips on hers.

Reviews

I've just received a fantastic review, and yes like a sweet stuffed child I'm jumping around my house telling anyone who'll listen!

Getting a good review is a buzz, being told by anyone that "they liked what you wrote" gives you the hope that you're not completely crap after all, and it might just be worth putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) again. By contrast, getting a truly awful review, well let's just say hiding in the broom cupboard, with a box of milk tray and bottle or three of sauvignon blanc doesn't feel like an overreaction, at all!

I'm a firm believer in "if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all", it may be old fashioned, but I'm an old fashion kind of girl, that's just me. I don't expect others to adhere to this, and if someone doesn't like my style or story they have every right to say so after parting with their hard earned cash. (Though I hope they don't.)

 I know friends will often give us 5 star reviews or ratings, but I've never asked for that and would never expect it of them, though I do appreciate their support greatly. I think when your friends do that for you, somewhere in the back of your mind you're thinking "Did they really think it was 5 stars? Or do they just love me that much?" I certainly try not to give 5 stars unless I really mean it, but I'm afraid to give friends/acquaintances anything lower in case I offend them. I mean honestly sometimes I'll up a 4 star to 5, but with most of the writers I know I can give my reviews very honestly (which is a massive relief).

What I want most from reviews is reasons. The bits you loved and why, they bits you didn't love and why.

I appreciate anyone who has written a review for any of my stories, whether it's 2 stars or 5. I know I can't please everyone, which is fine, it's just nice to know when I do please someone. x

So how do you feel about reviews? Inquiring minds want to know.

It's been a while...

Hey cyberspace, it's been quite some time. So here I am to give you a snippet of my latest offering. It's called Cat's Eyes and is the second book in the Feral series. It's out now from Breathless Press, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and Smashwords.

Sarah Cole is a shape-shifter who is always in control that is until she meets sexy Kiwi vet, Travis Hunter.

He has a way of rattling her cool exterior and seeing the real her like no lover ever has. But, in Sarah's experience, relationships between shifters and humans just don't work.

If that wasn't enough to deal with Sarah decides to rescue a cursed Amur leopard who needs her help to become human again.

Can Sarah save the shifter and her heart, or will her cat's eyes only see the damage that magic wreaks on the unsuspecting.

Excerpt:

Sarah placed the wine on the farmhouse-style table—not that there was much space for the bottle—paperwork and newspapers piled three and four high left little room for anything else. After she poured out two large glasses she stepped through to the tiny living room and took a seat on the dated sofa. There seemed to be a broken spring in the center as she sank down deeply.

She didn't get far with her future plans before she heard the creak of floorboards above her and the sound of the boiler in the kitchen switching off. Two more minutes and Travis was back in a T-shirt and jeans, his hair glistening with water droplets and his face was still unshaved. How the hell am I supposed to think about my future now! The familiar tingle accosted her body, and she felt every feminine urge in her whisper Him. We want him." The unfamiliar warmth rose from her chest to her temples.

"Are you hot? You're looking a little bit flushed." His forehead creased, giving him a V between his brows. He was very cute when he worried.

"Must be the wine. It does that to me sometimes." Nice lie. All wine ever did was make her horny—and right now, it was doing a fantastic job of that.

Travis disappeared into the kitchen and returned minutes later with two heavily laden plates. He placed them on the coffee table in front of them.

"Wouldn't it be easier to eat at the kitchen table?" Tipping her head back, she reacquainted herself with the table—paper mountain. "Hmm, perhaps not." She could probably cope with snuggling up next to him on the sofa.

Sarah moved to allow room for Travis, but as he took his place next to her, the seat dipped more than Sarah expected and she fell sideways, her upper body landing on Travis's lap. He smelled of a mountain stream in a forest glade: fresh and woodsy. His aroma was making her light-headed. It couldn't be the wine; she was much tougher than that. It had to be him. She was taking way to long to move…again.

"As comfy as this couch is, that broken spring usually pisses me off, but right now, not so much."

He smiled, and she thought she would lose herself in his eyes, but she also had the odd sensation of being safe and warm and something else that she couldn't pinpoint. Mildly alarmed by these feelings, she began to move away when he stopped her and his lips met hers. All of a sudden, she understood what she'd been missing before. He made her feel as if she'd come home.

And the winner is...

It was extremely close and you gave us some lovely heroes to think about ladies, but unfortunately, just like in Highlander, their can be only one! And my friend and neighbour who hasn't even read my book yet (she's saving it for her holiday in two weeks time) says the winner is ...

Susie Medwell

Thanks again to all, I really appreciate the support. X M

GIVEAWAY!

So I was thinking?! (Hold the cheeky comments a moment.) And it occurred to me I actually haven't given away a copy of my book (myself), mostly because I have very few blog followers! So let's pretend more people than me actually read my blog (it's a stretch I know).

I'm not giving something away for nothing, however. What I want from you is your favourite type of hero and why? Feel free to use book/film/tv characters who ring your bell!

So do you like them tall, dark and brooding a'la David Boreanaz's 'Angel', or a slim, fair smartarse like James Marster's 'Spike'. Maybe you like a quirky genius such as {place choice of actor here} Dr Who, or the just plain sexy & often weird Johnny Depp as {insert odd character of choice here}.

What floats your boat and sends your heart racing is it Bill, Eric or Alcide (sorry but Jason is still Vinnie from Home and Away for me!) Then there's the ultimate question for ladies of a certain age (yes I'm in that age group!) George or Brad?

Do Avengers make you amorous?

Does Captain Jack float your boat?

Does Hawaii Five-0's Commander Steve McGarret get you hot and bothered?

A man who knows how to play games like Sonny Bill Williams-All Black

Want make this Ranger your King?

George vs Brad?

My apologies for the terrible captions above. X

Inquiring minds want to know! So write your answers below and I'll get an independent adju judge to decide who gets the free copy of Wolf's Heart - extra points for making us laugh or blush! For more details about the book please check out http://www.breathlesspress.com/wolfs-heart X M

The Power of Four

Doris O'Connor tagged me in this fun post, which is basically four things on various topics that you may not know about me.

So, here goes: Okay I may have bent the rules slightly on a couple of these?!

Four places I have worked:



Mount Ruapehu, NZ (Cafe tart)
Real Estate Offices, NZ (Receptionist)
The Parrot Pub, Surrey, UK (Bar wench/waitress)
Early Childhood Teacher, NZ (Scary huh!)


Four movies I could watch again and again:


Harry Potter & The Philosophers Stone (all of them actually but this one is special!)
Lord of the Rings (All of them again-extended editions with all the extras)
Grease
Fast Five (YUM!)


Four TV Shows I watch:


Once Upon A Time
Hawaii Five-0
NCIS: (Original & LA)
Psych (like how I snuck in 5 shows ;))


Four Authors I enjoy:

JK Rowling
Agatha Christie
Serenity Woods
Stephanie Meyers (So shoot me I liked them!)


Four Places I have travelled to:


Vanuatu
Dubai
Isle of Wight
Disneyland, LA


Four websites I visit daily:


Facebook
Hotmail
Amazon
Breathless Press


Four favourite foods:


Steak
Seafood 
Whittakers chocolate
Beef mince and vege on toast YUM!


Four places I'd rather be:


On the beach
On the beach in the Islands(Samoa, Rarotonga, Fiji, Vanuatu I'm not fussy?!)
On the beach in the Islands with friends and family
On the beach in the Islands with friends and family AND a truckload of seafood!


Four people I want to tag:


Juanita Kees
Melissa Lockhart
Stace McSweeney
Aimee Duffy




This is just a bit of fun, but if you've been tagged, please make your own list and link back to me. Can't wait to see what you come up with :-) X M

The BIG day!

Wow, here we are finally. About a year and a half ago I decided I'd give writing a go, to create a little time for myself. I had no idea what I was doing, no idea about conflict, layout, showing NOT telling, pov, my punctuation is still dodgy as hell. It was all a mystery to me, I just wrote. Then while lurking on the eharlequin boards I found Kiwibird (aka Faye/Serenity), she very kindly offered to have a look at my story. And what a great introduction to the craft of writing Faye gave me. She was funny, thoughtful and offered great advice, and most of all she gave me the confidence to carry on. Thanks again Faye :)

 I think I was lucky as I had no preconceived notions on writing, and I just did what felt natural. I'll never be perfect but I hope to keep improving. I'm also glad I had the opportunity to meet such wonderful people through competitions like Mills and Boon New Voices, and I've had such amazing support from my friends and family, I know not everyone has that. Thanks guys, you've been great.

 So tomorrow is the day the world can see what/how I write. It's scary and exhilarating in equal measures. I'm not worried if people don't like it, you can't please everyone, but my fingers are crossed that some people will like it, and when another comes out they'll try that too. Wish me luck.

X M

It Must Be Love

Photo taken using Fun Fotos

Wedding fever has hit lately, as I've had the privilege to help out a friend (not much, just offering a finger when needed lol) leading up to her special day. The wedding took place on Friday, the only beautiful day in ALL of April! (I've decided they bribed the weather gods somehow). They took nine weeks to plan the whole thing, and it all went off splendidly. Within the last week they also asked a friends sister if she could do a photobooth, which was fantastic and has created some brilliant memories. Now I'm not one for big, lavish expensive weddings (though I've got nothing against them, if you can afford it go for it!). To me it's about having the people you love and who love you involved in a day to cherish and remember. It's those special moments, like my cousin calling me Mrs Jolley for the first time and me going into fits of gigles. Or the groom, not overly loquacious by nature, saying something so desperately loving and romantic it makes tears well in everyone's eyes.

Okay decent grub helps and good quality photos to assist the memory as time wears on, are a must, yet sharing  such an emotionally rewarding day with friends and loved ones is what it's really about to me. So congratulations to my dear friends Melissa & Glenn, for letting us all share what was a wonderful day and joyous celebration of your love and happiness. X M

Titanic

Two blog posts in two days. For a woman who you're lucky to get a post out of once a month this is a great achievement! So what's brought on this rash of posts? Well tonight I'm going to a friends hens night and we will be dining only 1/2 a mile away from the great ships berth.

I happen to live in Southampton, yep, the place where the doomed liner set sail from. Despite this link, Southampton has been relatively quiet when it comes to this association, despite the tragic loss of life felt by it's community. Finally after 100 years there is a museum worthy of the legend that is the Titanic, a multi-million pound interactive endeavour that was opened on the 10th April, the day the Titanic left Southampton. Prior to this the only museum about the Titanic Southampton had was in an ancient woolshed across from the Isle of Wight ferry terminal. Not really up to James Cameron standard, me thinks!

Where is all this Titanic talk leading you ask? Well I read/saw something a few years back that has stuck in my mind, I can't remember the source, but the idea has been growing recently to become a new book. Apparently the wives of the White Star vessel's crew were left with nothing on the deaths of their husbands forcing many into the world's oldest profession. This to me has the making of a story, something outside the myth of the Titanic, but inextricably linked. 100 years ago Southampton lost many souls to the sea, but the legacy lives on stronger than ever as the new Seacity Museum reminds us of chivalry and heroism in the most tragic of circumstances. X M

Balance... What's That?!

Bewitched? I wish I could wiggle my nose that well!

If you're after great insight, you've come to completely the wrong place, I was kinda hoping you could tell me. I'm a mother of two, wife of one (this isn't BIG LOVE folks) and though I don't have a paying job to go to, like many of the writers I've met online, I still don't seem to have the time to do everything I want to do. My time management sucks. There are far more people in this world who have a crap load to do and get it done with time to spare, but I'm not one of them. I've really learnt to cut down on my social networking, a necessary evil if you're trying to advertise an upcoming release. If I write at night, I feel like I'm neglecting my husband. I can only write during the day on one of the three afternoons my son is at nursery. I've got a TBR (To Be Read) pile that is constantly increasing, yet is necessary in developing my knowledge of the romance genre and writing in general. So where does that leave, I've got no friggin' idea?! I just keep plodding along, getting new words down when I can, editing old words during the breaks, and praying for those immensely rare moments when I don't feel guilty because I need to do dishes or vacuum. (Thanks to my husband for a few hours of that over Easter). So no plan to improve my sucky time management, just a hope that I'll get that place one day, when the magic fairies leave the house sparkling and I rock out 3000 amazing words in an hour to spend the rest of my evening day being the 50s/60s housewife I was born to be. Martini's anyone?

Cover Art

I'm rubbish at blogging, mostly because I feel like I'm cheating if I don't write at least three paragraphs. That makes today a cheat day! Instead for your viewing pleasure here is the cover for my debut story, due for release May 2012.

Thank you to the lovely Mina Carter for her work on the cover. Also a big thank you to the wonderful Deadra Krieger for navigating me through the editing process. X M

It's Valentines, let's talk MOVIES!

So I was just over at my friend Faye's blog, and she mentioned movies, so that got me thinking?! Dangerous, I know, but sometimes I can't help it. I like movies. I'm very much a comedy, kids and action kinda gal, I pretend to be intellectual sometimes and push to a drama, but that is a rare thing, and usually only by accident.

Anyway I was thinking about romantic films I love and that inspire me, especially in my writing.

"The Quiet Man" features John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, and they are fantastic. She is everything I want MODERN heroines to be, okay maybe she's slightly more stubborn than I'd like, but she's fiesty and knows what she wants. As for Duke, he's a man's man, fighting for the love of his woman, but without throwing a punch (well that's his aim, it doesn't work out too well for him.) Bonus points for kissing in the rain, and dragging a woman across the beautiful Irish countryside for five miles!

"It Happened One Night" One of the originally road movies, a spoiled heiress goes on the lam from who father, who is opposed to her marriage to a wealthy showboater (he gets it annulled). Whilst trying to return to him she meets a journalist who sees the scoop of a lifetime in her story. What neither of them expects is to fall in love along the way. A originator of things that are now considered cliches, like Ellie teaching Peter how to hitch, by hitching her skirt and showing some leg, and Peter putting up the Walls of Jericho (see picture) to protect both of the virtues. Bonus points for Clark Gable taking the bottom out of the underwear industry, by not wearing an undershirt!

"Brief Encounter" You just can't help feeling for the couple in this doomed love affair. It all starts off so innocently, a bit of grit in the eye provoking their meeting. But this happily married (to other people) couple, fall in love anyway, though doing their darnedest to fight the attraction, and remain 'decent' people.  It's all so incredibly understated and real, and a love story, not a romance. Thank you so much Fi, for introducing me to this story. Bonus points for it's dignity and class... and trains. Trains are sexy!

So after getting this far I've realised this will be an installment thing! So we've done old school this time, maybe next time musicals, or more modern films, we'll see. But in the mean time, what are your favourite romantic films?! I'd love to know. X M

The CALL story!

So, I'd been checking my email fairly regularly since early October when I sent 'Feral' to Jackie Moore, an editor for Breathless Press. (Jackie gave me third place in a 'Pitch Your First Page' contest run by the Let's Talk Romance blog.) After almost four weeks (BP has a two-four week response time for normal submissions, this is EXTREMELY quick!), I contacted Jackie. It turned out she was 'tantalised' by my story but she needed to show it to her senior editor. More waiting. I emailed again, the lovely Jackie informed me it didn't fall into her department, but under her recommendation was passed onto the paranormal senior editor.

As the Christmas buzz settled in, I resigned myself to not hearing about the fate of 'Feral' until after the holiday season. Hey it was okay if they didn't want it, just getting this far was such a huge accomplishment for my first little story. So imagine my surprise when I awoke to an email Christmas Eve morning from Deadra Kreiger, asking if 'Feral' was a one off or part of a series. Umm, whatever you want it to be?! After some toing and froing of emails, I informed Deadra that I would relish the opportunity of making 'Feral' a series.

Nothing. (I know now that it was some ridiculous hour where Deadra lives and she would have gone to bed.)

So I waited, checking my phone for emails almost constantly. Then early evening, whilst sitting in the bathroom while my kids had a bath, I checked my phone again. And there it was "Thank you for choosing Breathless Press as a potential publisher for Feral." OH BUGGER IT'S A REJECTION. Wait read a bit more. Blah, blah, blah. "We're pleased to inform you that BP would like to offer a contract." Cue running around the house screaming for joy, my bewildered children sitting in the bath, my lovely husband dropping the dishes he's doing to give me a cuddle and tell me how proud he is of me.

So there you have it! I'll be entering the editing process soon, wish me luck, and THANK YOU Breathless Press for seeing some potential in me and my story!