Welcome Guest Blogger Ros Baxter

Today I’d like you to welcome a brilliant new Escape Publishing author by the name of Ros Baxter. Ros has been writing since she was eight and penned a whimsical series of short stories about a race of tiny people who lived on a rainbow. While a few things intervened – a career in social policy, four children – Ros started writing again in earnest three years ago. In that time, Ros secured a two-book deal with Harper Collins Australia, published Sister Pact (a romantic comedy co-written with her sister Ali), been a contributing author to the e-anthology URL Love, and finaled in the STALI competition. Ros writes transporting stories about love, family, friendship and women in all their glorious strength and contrariness. She loves to turn up the sizzle, throwing heroes and heroines into screwy and sometimes fantastical situations and watching how they take the heat. Ros lives in Brisbane’s North with her husband Blair, four noisy children under eight, a neurotic dog and nine billion germs.

Ros’s April release about a mermaid cop (yes you read that right), is perfect for those who like quirky, capable heroines and zany situations and…. oh well, why don’t I let her tell you about it?

Ros, what made you write a book about a mermaid cop?

For me, it was time to write a book about someone totally different from me.  I’m kind of geeky, wussy and unfit.  I often walk away thinking “I should have said…”  My mermaid cop is cool, smart-mouthed and hard-as-nails (despite a few whopper hidden vulnerabilities). 

 I’d also been reading the Norse legends of Aegir, God of the boundless seas, and his magical daughters, the billow maidens.  I think it was the nine daughters that really captured my imagination.  Each has a sea-name (like Eistla (Foamer) and Atla (Fury).  I fell in love with these magnificent sisters, children of a God. In my story, they’re cursed by a jealous sorcerer and become the Queens of the underwater kingdom of Aegira (think Atlantis on steroids).

 But most of all, I wanted to write about being torn between two worlds (as many of us are).  Land and sea became the vehicle for this.  My mermaid is very grounded (she’s a cop, a lover, a misbehaver).  But she’s also a child of the sea.  She swims, sings and thinks like a mermaid.  And of course, it wouldn’t be any fun unless she was also torn between two men who represent those worlds – her solider-of-fortune ex and a sexy, wolfish merman with secrets of his own.

 I loved intertwining romance, Norse legend, gumshoe mystery and modern pop culture to create this quirky, layered tale.  I hope you love it too.

 Here’s the blurb for Fish Out of Water:

Dirtwater’s straight-talking Deputy Sheriff has a lot on her plate: a nicotine addiction that’s a serious liability for a mermaid, a solider-of-fortune ex who’s hooked on her Mom’s brownies, a gorgeous, naked stranger in her shower, and a mysterious dead blonde with a fish tattoo on Main Street.

Oh, and one other thing.

She’s scheduled to die on her thirtieth birthday – in three weeks – unless she can ‘change the course of destiny and save the world entire’. Throw in a Mom who’s the local Mayor and a Dad who’s been locked in the county jail for twelve years, and that’s all the trouble she needs without her mermaid roots coming back to haunt her.

Rania’s heading home to Aegira for a family wedding but she’s starting to have a sinking feeling that’s got nothing to do with hydroporting seven miles under the sea and everything to do with some weird connections that seem to be emerging between her, the dead blonde, her Mom’s shady past and a ten thousand year old prophesy. Now if she can just steal a corpse, get a crazy Aegirian priest off her case, work out who the hell’s trying to kill her and stop sleeping with the fishes, she might be able to unravel the prophesy, the mystery of the missing choirgirls and the secrets hidden in her Mom’s past. And maybe even save her own ass while she’s at it.

Excerpt:

Mermaids don’t wear nicotine patches.  They don’t drink Southern Comfort from a hip flask, inhale twinkies or watch Dr Phil.  Mermaids don’t pack heat.  And mermaids definitely don’t get their hearts broken by tattooed guys who look like pirates.  In fact, mermaids have always been kinda down on pirates… but that’s another story.  The cardinal rule is this: mermaids don’t live in bone-dry frontier towns. Ever. 

But here’s the thing.  Me, I don’t leave home without my patches, hip flask and Glock.  My last moment of true moderation was back in kindergarten, when I stopped myself from using my awesome strength to rip Jamie Kennedy’s pecker off when he waved it at Julie Casey in the bathroom and made her cry.  And don’t even start me on my penchant for pirates. 

But I am, in fact, a mermaid. So go figure.

Well, technically, Mom’s folks call themselves Aegirans, and they don’t sprout tails, but they’re the closest thing to mermaids under the sea.  And, as much as it used to hurt, I’m what they call a dirt-dweller, seeing as Mom was a runaway, Dad’s Sicilian and we live on The Land. 

But not for long.  You see, I’ve only got three weeks to live.  Give or take. 

Fish Out of Water is available from Escape Publishing, or Amazon.
Find out more at www.rosbaxterink.com

Now Ros, I’d like to invite you to the Diva Couch for the grilling… I mean interview.

Name your celebrity free pass

It’s got to be Joe Manganiello.  Okay, it’s gratuitous, but here he is.  Need I say more?

S: Don’t think you can have him without fighting me

 If you knew your next meal would be your last, what would you have?

 Anything cooked by someone else (I’d have better things to do)!

Describe your writing in 3 words

Hip.  Quirky.  Sexy.

Imagine you had a time machine—oh let’s just call it a Tardis. What time period would you travel to and why?

2070.  So I can harass my kids from the grave.

What super power would you like to have and why?

Easy.  The power to suspend time, without ageing or Back-to-the-Future-esque storyline complications, while I get some stuff done.  And sleep for fifteen hours.

If you were to design a bumper sticker or T-shirt slogan, what would it say?

Caution: driver plotting constantly.

As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (that’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind)

Other people’s dinner!

S: That answer was actually dirtier than I thought. LOL.

Thanks Ros for visiting with the Divas today!

 

Special guest author – BEVERLEY OAKLEY

It is my absolute pleasure to once again welcome Beverley Oakley to the Down Under Divas. Yes, I’m biased when it comes to Bev, but I love her work, and have for many, many years. She and I belong to the same incredible critique group, and she (and the group) have been my support and my rock for ten years now.

So when I have an opportunity to brag that Bev has a new book out, believe me, I am going to brag. And guess what?

BEV HAS A NEW BOOK OUT!!! A hot historical from Ellora’s Cave.

So, now you have a choice. You can ignore the rest of the post and get straight to EC and buy the book. (Just click this link.) Or you can read the post and then get to EC and buy the book. Either way…BUY THE BOOK!

Jess

Welcome Bev….

Her Gilded Prison

By Beverley Oakley

Hi Sami, Jess, Lexxi and Rhian. Thanks so much for having me here to guest blog.

And hi everyone ‘out there’. I hope your Easter holiday plans are taking shape nicely. I’m gearing up for the trip of a lifetime immediately after the break to do a two-week camping/motorcycle trip through California with my husband before heading off to the Romantic Times Convention in Kansas City where I’m looking forward to meeting up with fellow erotic romance writers and old friends like Jess, Sami, Rhian and Lexxie.

In the meantime I have all the excitement of my first Ellora’s Cave erotic Regency Historical to nurture and promote. Her Gilded Prison was released on Friday.

Now, I’m a real devotee of BBC period dramas and could watch every Jane Austen remake a dozen times, as I have the Downton Abbey series this past year. I love these stories and they unashamedly inspire my own Regency and historical romances, except that my stories go beyond the bedroom door. Way beyond.

Her Gilded Prison is an older woman, younger man story and as the story unfolded I was surprised by developments. I’d never considered writing an older woman younger man story. In fact, the heroine was supposed to be Araminta, the exquisite, self-centred daughter of Lady Sybil, my long-married new heroine. However Araminta was going through the worst phase of her fiery adolescence. She just did not deserve to be the heroine of her own book. When she’s grown up a bit she’s getting her own story in Book 3.

Her Gilded Prison begins as my hero Stephen Cranbourne, the gorgeous, randy twenty-four year old heir apparent of ageing Viscount Partington, starts his journey to take up his new position. En route he’s waylaid by an attractive, scheming fortune hunter… with consequences that return to haunt him.

Once ensconced on Lord Partington’s estate, The Grange, Stephen sets several feminine hearts aflutter and it’s hard to say no when the viscount’s vibrant, beautiful daughter, Araminta sets her cap at him.

But another contender for the viscountcy knocks Stephen from his perch.

Edgar, Viscount Partington’s cabbage-headed clodpoll of a nephew turns up from the battlefield, not having died a hero, but having disappeared a deserter.

This is when my real heroine steals the show. Always overlooked, lovely, loyal Lady Sybil, Viscount Partington’s neglected wife, realises that she must take bold measures to ensure the estate and title does not go to Edgar.

And for this she needs Stephen’s help.

Below is an extract from the first chapter.

HER GILDED PRISON

Chapter One

The three men were on their knees, heads craned forward, eyes fixed with prurient interest on the amorous adventure playing out on the gossamer web before them.

“He’s launching in, for God’s sake! Dipping his wick—if you could only see it! Look at him.” The young Earl of Barston’s breath was hot on Stephen’s arm, his gaze rapt as he asked in an excited whispered, “She’ll kill him for it?”

Stephen’s host, Sir Archie Ledger, laughed coarsely. “You say he knows his reward is death?” The young baronet jostled his companions for a better look and his eyes bulged with excitement.  He twisted his head to dart a glance at his wife who sat calmly embroidering at the far end of the drawing room, before adding under his breath, “The fuck of eternal damnation, eh? I reckon that’s what I got.”

It was no secret Sir Archie had been pressured into marriage following an indiscretion with the lovely but sharp-tongued Miss Julia Preston.

Lady Julia raised her head at the commotion and her voice cut like scissors into the schoolboy game Stephen was orchestrating. “I say, gentlemen, what’s more interesting than paying some attention to the ladies? Mr. Cranbourne, I want you to please take a seat by me and tell me all about your new benefactor.”

The three young men huddled closer, eyes still fixed on the spider’s web just below the escritoire. “Take cover, gentlemen, here she comes.” Sir Archie’s tone soured. “No, it’s no good. She’s found us. Story of my life. Fun’s over.”

Stephen, still on his knees, blinked to see first Lady Julia’s well-turned ankle and then, as she bent down, her lovely face. As her lively green eyes locked with his he wondered at Archie’s discontent. She was a diamond of the first water.

“What is so fascinating, gentlemen?” Her intimate murmur sounded as if it were just for him. Her gaze was certainly focused on him as her mouth curved in a secret, knowing smile.

Stephen sucked in a breath and found he was quite unable to answer. Since he’d come back from war he was unused to mixing in such elite company, though he remembered frequenting houses like this when he was a boy before his mother’s decline.

Just when he assumed she’d solicit her husband for information, she brushed his hand with hers, the smile that was just for him still in place.

Good God, he thought he’d imagined it before. Now, with Sir Archie still on his haunches to her right, reluctantly in the process of rising, Stephen was quite clearly being conveyed a secret message. Lady Julia admired him. He forced himself to breathe evenly as his cock sprang to attention. He could not rise now, for God’s sake. He must keep them watching at least a few seconds longer.

“She’s going to devour him.” The urgency in his voice that had nothing to do with the mating spiders.

“Nothing happening.” Archie sounded bored as he groaned and gripped the table leg to heave himself up. Stephen had wondered at a match between the spindly-legged, chinless baronet and the ravishing debutante conducted in such haste the season before. He’d not thought about the lovely Miss Julia again until news spread that the couple had been blessed with twin boys within a barely timely eight and a half months of their nuptials.

Now Lady Julia looked as dewy fresh and desirable as she had when Stephen had admired her in the ballroom as a young man experienced in battle but completely unprepared for London society. His mother had left him little of the vast fortune she’d frittered away through drink and gambling but enough to at least deport himself like the gentleman he’d been born.

He managed. Just.

“No, nothing happening,” muttered Barston, rising unsteadily. “I’ll wager a thousand monkeys you’re all hot air, Cranbourne.”

Lady Julia, who’d straightened, bent at the waist to peer again at the scene that had so excited the gentlemen. “Oh, my goodness, the spider jumped!” she squeaked, twisting round so suddenly she tripped over her husband’s arm and fell full length upon Stephen.

For a second he just lay beneath her, eyes wide with shock as her soft curves molded his hard—very hard—contours, not all of them his bones.

“Get up, Julia. Cranbourne, do you accept the wager?” Archie, who sounded as if these were everyday occurrences, took his wife’s elbow and hauled her to her feet. But not before Julia had slanted a knowing and very provocative look at Stephen.

“What? Er, yes,” Stephen mumbled, paying only half a mind. He rarely gambled these days. He had only to recall his wretched, fatherless youth and the antics of his feckless, beloved, wager-mad mama.

“Good fellow!” A hearty handshake followed as Stephen rose. He took refuge behind the back of the Egyptian sofa and forced a strained smile at his hosts.

“I do love an unusual wager.” Lady Julia adopted a pose of rare solidarity beside her husband. “So this big, bold, female spider—obviously a prime article in the arachnid world—has just suffered the amorous attentions of her tiny, boring, timid, ineffectual husband.” Her knowing smile broadened and her words were heavy with emphasis as she enunciated each one. It was impossible to miss her meaning and Stephen could only wonder that Archie didn’t bristle at the obvious allusion to their own marital situation. She stroked Archie’s arm while asking Stephen in silky tones, “You’re the celebrated man of science in the room, Mr. Cranbourne. Please explain in…explicit terms…the courting rituals of the spider world.”

Stephen flicked a glance at Archie. Fortunately he appeared to be his usual good-humored self—and just as keen for information as his wife.

He cleared his throat. “The male spider will court the female and…and then after he…”

“Impregnates her?” Lady Julia supplied with an inquiring smile.

“That’s correct, yes, the female will devour him.” Stephen let out his breath in a low whistle as his erection finally subsided. God, he hoped Archie hadn’t noticed. Lady Julia was a diamond of the first water but she was dangerous and Stephen wasn’t in a position to alienate the few advantageous connections he’d made since his unexpected elevation in the world.

“Nonsense!” Archie let out a guffaw. “The male of every species is infinitely superior in every respect and I’ll wager the insect world is no exception. Cranbourne, if this pretty boy spider is still safely in his love lair, gazing raptly at his lady love in two hours, then I’ve won the wager.”

END OF EXTRACT

That was a bit of fun. Gorgeous Stephen had better take care, hadn’t he?

You can buy Her Gilded Prison at Ellora’s Cave

and read more here:

www.beverleyoakley.com

www.facebook/AuthorBeverleyOakley

http://beverleyeikli.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/#!/BeverleyOakley

On The Diva Couch with Coleen Kwan

Today we have Coleen Kwan on the inquisition chair Diva Couch.

 

RC: What five items would you take if you had to get out of your house in 5 mins or less

CK: Photo albums, kids’ artworks, my logins/passwords cheat sheet,  glasses, Chapstick.

RC: Tell us about the worst day job you ever had

CK: When I was a student I had a part-time job at a shoe shop. Every minute felt like an hour. I’m a terrible salesperson, so I didn’t sell many shoes. The only interesting part was using the shoe stretcher to soften up the leather.

RC: If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you’d buy for yourself?

CK: I’d buy myself a new ereader! My current one is a few years old but still working fine so I don’t have an excuse to replace it, but I have my eye on the latest Sony one.

RC: What super power would you like to have and why?

CK: I would love to be able to fly. Just think what an asset that would be in Sydney! Instead of sitting in a traffic jam on Parramatta Road, I’d be zooming in the air high above the chaos.

RC: What food will you absolutely not eat?

CK: Scallops and crab, because I’m allergic to both! Other things I’d hate to eat are brains and tongue.

RC: Describe your favorite outfit

CK: In summer, shorts and singlet. In winter, jeans and comfy sweater.

RC: What is your worst vice or habit?

CK: I spend way too much time checking my Amazon rankings! That has to be my number one time waster.

RC: As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (that’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind)

CK: I’m wearing old linen three-quarter pants, an unironed T-shirt with a cat on it, and rubber thongs. Yes, the height of fashion — NOT!

RC: If you could kiss any fictional hero from history, who would it be?

CK: Would have to be Francis Crawford from the Lymond Chronicles. I spent much of my teenage years buried in those books, trying to figure out the man. He’s an enigma, but a very attractive one.

RC: Do you prefer a hairy or smooth chest?

CK: Depends on the owner of the chest! If he’s the right guy then it doesn’t matter if his chest is hairy or smooth. (Although I wish the odd hairy chest would appear on book covers these days.)

RC: Best writing advice ever received

CK: “You write. That’s the hard bit that nobody sees. You write on the good days and you write on the lousy days. Like a shark, you have to keep moving forward or you die. Writing may or may not be your salvation; it might or might not be your destiny. But that does not matter. What matters right now are the words, one after another. Find the next word. Write it down. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.”

Neil Gaiman giving pep talk to NaNoWriMo participants.

 

A big thank you to Coleen for chatting with us today. You can find out all about her on her website - http://www.coleenkwan.com/

Author Bio:

Coleen Kwan has been a bookworm all her life. At school English was her favorite subject, but for some reason she decided on a career in IT. After many years of programming, she wondered what else there was in life — and discovered writing. She loves writing contemporary romance and steampunk romance.

Coleen lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and two children. When she isn’t writing she enjoys avoiding housework, eating chocolate, and watching The Office.

 

 

Short Soup blurb:

A story about best friends, childhood dreams, and the healing power of Chinese food…

Toni Lau and Dion Chan were connected from birth — first via their parents’ jointly-owned restaurant, then via their bone-deep friendship. But children grow up, and Toni leaves their sleepy hometown looking for more than it can offer.

Now Toni is back, raw with the knowledge that not all childhood dreams come true. Dion is on the brink of realising that both his own ambitions and his childhood friend have the power to derail all of his hard work. But loving Toni — and winning her love in return — has always been on his wish list. Can Dion really put her on the back burner while frying up his chef dreams? Or is it possible that together they can come up with a recipe for happiness?

Buy links:

Amazon  http://amzn.to/Uuxwdv

Kobo http://bit.ly/1272Cjw

Escape Publishing  http://bit.ly/STdE49

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/12x2LeY

 

On the Diva Couch with S.E. Gilchrist

In the hot seat today is Aussie author S.E. Gilchrist. Let’s not muck around, we’ll dive straight into the tough questions…

RC: Name your fantasy menage combination

SE: Chris Hemsworth, Johnny Depp, Vin Diesel

RC: What five items would you take if you had to get out of your house in 5 mins or less

SE: My kids, my dogs, my usb sticks, my photos & my glasses (so I could see where the hell I’m going)

RC: Describe your writing in 3 words

SE: Dramatic, exciting and sexy

RC: If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you’d buy for yourself?

SE: A new car – trust me, the only thing holding this one together is the crappy paint job.

RC: Imagine you had a time machine—oh let’s just call it a Tardis. What time period would you travel to and why?

SE: I’d travel into the future with the hope we would have conquered space travel to other galaxies.

RC: Favorite comic book superhero

SE: The Phantom

RC: If you could kiss any fictional hero from history, who would it be?

SE: Darcy

RC: Do you prefer a hairy or smooth chest?

SE: Smooth and oiled ????

RC: Best writing advice ever received

SE: Keep writing and try to write every day.

 

A big thanks to SE for sitting down with the Divas today.

You can find out all about her and her books over on her website http://www.segilchrist.com/

 

BLURB:

After trudging in the footsteps of the Fomorian army, Aileen longs to have a home of her own far from the horrors of war. She will do anything to achieve her goal. Even lie to the kin and people of her newly deceased husband.  But lies are nothing, compared with drugging a pixie king and stealing his memory … and his seed.

 

EXCERPT:

Ioducas, king of the river pixies, reined in his white stallion and rested his hands on the pommel of his ornate saddle. Golden warmth from the late Beltane sun bathed the cultivated fields of wheat, rye and oats that spread in rich orderly rows over the sloping land. The crops stretched into the distance, ending at the wide ditch that surrounded the hill fort, Tranelleon. Overhead, swallows dipped and soared into the cloudless, blue sky with a graceful flurry of wings.

A whistle escaped his lips while Ioducus stared with considerable astonishment at the changes wrought over the past full turns of seasons.

“I see the passing of the stewardship into the control of another since the death of young Robat of Tranellean has proved to be a blessing for the people and the lands. Clear before us stands evidence of hard work and prosperity,” he said to his lieutenant who had kneed his horse forward until the charges stood side by side, tails swishing. Ioducus swept a hand out, the jewelled rings adorning his fingers flashed, red, green, blue and dazzling white in the mid afternoon sun’s rays.

Lotic, who had been his right-hand man ever since Ioducus could remember, grunted and tugged on his braided, brown beard in a thoughtful manner. He said, “Do you know who holds office in the hall?”

“Nay, but I assume Robat’s kinsman would be the man.” Ioducas shared a look with his second in command. “It is possible a pixie would not be given a grand reception. Especially for one such as I….one of the main instigators of the carnage that caused Plover’s Fields to run red with spilled blood of both our people and mortal men.”

“A while ago now,” rumbled Lotic in his deep voice.

“Aye, but pain takes no account of the passing of the seasons.”

“Then we had best be on our guard. I’d be happier if you would allow me to split our men into two squads. Leave a party beyond the ditch in case our reception is a wee bit hostile.”

Ioducas slid a finger over his moustache and grinned. “Tsk, tsk, Lotic, I am sure once we have speech, the new steward will see reason.”

Lotic hunched his shoulders beneath the leather straps that bound his breast plate and muttered, “Aye, and one day, your honeyed tongue will no more sweeten your speech and then, where will we be?”

Ioducas laughed. “Always with the warning, Lotic. My charm has yet to fail.”

His steed tossed its head as if in agreement and snorted setting the silver bells woven into its braided mane tinkling with merry song. Ioducas raised his hand again, and urged his mount forward, his contingent of pixie horsemen following close on his horse’s hooves. Lotic, muttering dire predictions, rode, as ever, at his side.

Aye, his charm was legendary especially where the wenches were concerned, but for all the many maids who flung themselves at his feet, none saw nor truly loved, the man beneath the crown. Aye, he flirted and was ever courteous to everyone but only Lotic knew how few Ioducus actually took to his bed. The saddle creaked when he shifted his weight pushing his booted feet forward in the stirrups. His mouth turned down.

Plague take this malady!

If he were not tormented by fragments of what he at first had thought to be merely dreams; dreams which had woken him sweating and needy in the cold reaches of the night, he would not have lengthened this expedition into a full season’s odyssey. His teeth ground together and a slash of sharp pain sliced into his temple.

Nay, he was certain it was no fantasy that haunted him. No spell either. For there were none living that could weave such a spell over the king of the river pixies. Not now.

Nay, it must be memories. But of whom?

With effortless ease Ioducas sent a silent message to his mount and the animal slowed its pace to a gentle amble, although it shook its head and chaffed at the bit, eager to reach a stable with bountiful oats and hay. He ignored his friend’s sharp glance and smoothed a hand down the horse’s neck and it quietened. His stallion wasn’t the only one eager to reach journey’s end.

Ioducas glared at the straight, rock paved road; a road that only a few years ago resembled a muddy, boggy track. He had re-traced every path, every road, re-visited every village he had ever passed through and sought out every wench in an attempt to solve the puzzle. All to no avail no matter how pretty the females or how willing they were to lay with him. Yet he had resisted all, for none had fitted the shadowy figure that flittered in and out of his mind.

And perhaps it was possible, that somewhere he would find the one who could lift the curse inflicted on him at birth by his father’s bitter ex-lover. Hence his easy acquiescence to his daughter, Teelah’s, urgent request to travel to Tranelleon Fort and ensure the safety of her husband’s sister. A matter Domhnall would have fulfilled himself, if not concerned with the forth-coming birth of their second child.

Lotic would no doubt relish spouting forth with more of the warnings and suspicions of foul play he had moaned constantly about, since their boats had grounded on the mortal isle should Ioducus speak of his troubled dreams. Hence he had kept his own counsel.

He would find the cause, deliver any punishment he deemed fit for this troublesome affliction and return to his island home.

 

Purchase Bound By Lies from -

Smashwords : http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/285925

Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Bound-Lies-Erotic-Fantasy-ebook/dp/B00BG9F338/

 

Aussie Author Showcase Day 6 – Donna Hanson

Hi, my name is Donna Maree Hanson and I’ve been at this writing gig for about 12 years now. After all this time I can say I’m not longer a raw recruit. Rayessa and the Space Pirates was something I tried to write back in 2003 as a short story for a local anthology called Elsewhere. Things were going swimmingly with the story until the pirates turned up and as it was already about 8,000 words (the longest short story I’d written at the time),so  I ran with it and ended up with a novel of just on 30,000 words. Rayessa didn’t get out much, in the story and as a story because she laid around in my harddrive for many a year, until recently.

I heard about Harlequin Escapes new digital imprint so I thought I’d submit Rayessa. I hadn’t thought of it as a romance, but more an adventure story. I did think it was young adult though. However, after going to the Romance Writers of Australia Conference in August (Great conference!), I realised that Rayessa was a romance, as well as a number of other manuscripts I had written. Of course, I could have kicked myself for being so dense. I wasted a lot of time submitting to places that probably weren’t interested because of the romance.

I had in the last couple of years had paranormal romance short stories published, but Rayessa is the biggest work yet to be published. Rayessa and the Space Pirates is a young adult space opera. I am working on more stories with Rayessa and space pirates so we will see if she gets to go on more adventures.

 

Here is the snazzy cover. 

Here is the  blurb

Sixteen year old Rae Stroder lives in a hollow asteroid, a defunct refuelling station, with a brain-damaged adult, Gris, for company. Low on supplies, they’ve been eking out an existence for years. Everything changes when Alwin Anton, ultra-clean, smart and handsome AllEarth Corp company auditor, arrives to find disarray. Full of suspicion, he interrogates Rae, threatening her with prosecution for theft. He uncovers the fact that she is not Rae Stroder at all, when space pirates attack.

During the attack, Rae is taken prisoner and Alwin Anton escapes in his space ship. The pirate women prepare Rae for sale on the infamous Centauri slave markets. All seems to be going badly, when she is purchased by a mysterious Ridallian. Meanwhile, the space pirates are out to kill Alwin Anton because he holds the secret to Rae’s true identity. It’s a race against time to unravel the intrigue that is Rae’s past to secure her future.

Here is an extract from chapter two.

The crackling of the communication console woke me up. Still dazed from sleep, I didn’t quite recognise the sound. An indistinct voice sounded over the interference. I shook my head, dislodging my confusion and disbelief. I hadn’t heard external comms for quite a while. The voice grew louder and more distinct.

‘Outpost 311…in…read me. Outpost…’

I scrambled up and threw the seat cushion back on the chair. While rubbing sleep from my eyes, I straightened my chest plating and eased the back of my metal skirt away from my chaff marks. I should’ve undone the ties before I slept, but I had been too lazy and too tired to even think about it.

‘Outpost 311…please respond…’

I jumped. ‘Huh?’ Startled into action, I plopped into the command chair and spun around to activate the automated response and telemetry readouts.

‘This is outpost 311 receiving,’ I said in my best vidmovie tone. I’m sure Dad would’ve been proud of me.

‘Captain Stroder?’ came the surprised, posh-sounding voice.

I had to think quickly. It wasn’t a good idea to give things away too easily (especially when you didn’t know who it was). ‘Um, I’m the only Stroder here. Who are you and what do you want?’

I called up the telemetry and stared at it for a while. I traced the blip with my finger and tried to make sense of the readouts. From what I could tell the small cruise ship was still a way out but it was heading directly for the outpost. Turning the communication console off for a moment, I keyed the commlink.

‘Gris,’ I hissed urgently. ‘Gris.’ No answer. ‘Wake up, Gris. This is an emergency. We have a ship coming in. Wait.’ My eyes danced over the readouts looking for the ship’s ID. ‘Here’s the signature. It’s from AllEarth Corp. Who in hell is that I wonder?’

I reactivated the communications console. The impatient male voice was berating the outpost. ‘…are you reading me? This is Alwin Anton, representative of AllEarth Corp. Please activate landing beacon and ready the landing bay. I repeat…’

‘Shit, shit, shit,’ I began to fidget then pounced on the landing protocol checklist from where it hung on the wall. ‘Gris. What do I do? They’re looking for Dad. It’s official, not some scummy pirate. Gris?’

A crackle of static and I could hear him. ‘Ummph,’ groaned Gris into his commlink. The sound of him waking up flooded through the centre. He must have bedded down in one of the service conduits, probably on the other side of the air filters where it was warm. ‘Gris here. What…is…it Rae?’

‘Gris, thank god,’ I said, grateful to hear his mumbling. I scanned the checklist. ‘Ah, power up landing bay Alpha, quickly. We have official visitors. Then get up here and help me find the protocol sheets for official visitors—or was it for emergencies?—that Dad stashed away’

‘Visitors?’ he said, slowly enunciating the word. I could picture him, standing slack faced, mouth agape as he said it.

‘Yes, god dammit. Real visitors. Maybe they’ll have real food.’ I snapped off the commlink. I hoped that Gris understood what I was saying and would go and ready the landing bay.

I leant over the console and tried to get my bearings. Lights were flashing all over the place and displays were projecting three-dimensional images of the ship approaching in front of my face. I was shaking so hard I nearly tipped out of my chair. I had to get a grip. Clearing my throat, I opened a channel to the incoming ship.

‘Welcome to outpost 311, Mr, er, Anton. Landing bay Alpha is at your disposal. The Lollydrop will find all services available,’ I said in the same vidmovie accent I’d used before, though with a bit more polish. I flicked off the switch and mumbled to myself. ‘Except fuel, supplies, amenities and every other goddamn thing it’ll want.’

Gris entered while I was rummaging through Dad’s records. He’d been an old-fashioned man, keeping paper books as well as storage wafers.

‘Pirate,’ Gris grunted. I knocked my head on the cupboard I was leaning into and groaned.

‘Ow,’ I said as I rubbed my wounded noggin. I pulled myself out and bounded to my feet. ‘Really, Gris, you think he’s a pirate? His ship signature is genuine, matches the auto update we had two years ago. Look,’ I added with a smile. ‘I’ve never heard of a pirate that would call himself ‘Alwin Anton’ have you?’

 

The link at www.escapepublishing.com.au will lead you to your favourite digital book store. My website is http://donnamareehanson.wordpress.com and Rayessa has her own blog at http://rayessaandthespacepirates.wordpress.com/ Check out her emergency checklist!

 

The Diva’s want me to answer some questions from their special diva couch. Here goes.

Question

1. Imagine you had a time machine—oh let’s just call it a Tardis. What time period would you travel to and why?

That’s easy. The Regency Period in England. Of course, I’d be fully immunised, have lots of money, and an excellent wardrobe. Why to meet my Mr Darcy, of course.

1. Favourite comic book superhero?

That would be Thor. And oh yeah, Chris Helmsworth has nothing to do with it. It was the mighty hammer that got me. (Okay Chris Helmsworth solidified his position as my fave.) I always thought it was cool that he had these chats to Odin.

1. If you could kiss any fictional hero from history, who would it be?

Is this a trick question? Because fictional means not real right? But from history means they existed for real. I’d say Mr Darcy. He had to be real. He really did. Move over Lizzie. He’s mine!

Last one:

1. What super power would you like to have and why?

I think staying young but being able to build on my experience. I guess that’s what you call immortality. Oh well if the shoe fits. I probably need a psychiatrist now.

Aussie Author Showcase Day 5 – Ainslie Paton

Hello Divas

Grease Monkey Jive is a mash up between surfing and ballroom dancing that brings together a uni student and mechanic in surprising way.  Its Pimp My Ride meets Strictly Ballroom.

It came about because I wanted to create a buddy story and then put those blokes in as unlikely a situation as possible.  That’s where ballroom fits in.  It was a lot of fun to write and I do love my male leads: Dan, Mitch, Fluke and Ant.  In fact Ant is getting his own story because Rhian Cahill got into my ear about it.

Here is the blurb:

A romance about changing the game, finding the truth

and fancy footwork

She thought love was make-believe and
the last person to prove her wrong would be a player.

When ballroom teacher Alex Gibson danced with Dan Maddox she’s reminded of the time she stuck a knife in the toaster, gave herself an electric shock and saw stars.  He’s precisely the type of man Alex’s mother warned her off – a player, like the father who abandoned her.

Dan Maddox comes from a long line of men who were hiding under the hood of a beat up old car when the ‘successful relationship’ gene was given out, but he was first in the queue for an extra jolt of chick pulling power.

The chicks in Dan’s life are universally gorgeous, random, disposable, and answer to the name Baby until one drunken night when he picks the wrong girl, hurts a good friend and realises that unless he does something to change, he’ll end up like his violent, unstable father.

It’s pimp my ride meets dancing with the stars as Alex and Dan come together to compete in a ballroom dancing competition that changes the way they both feel about relationships and love.

An excerpt:

There were two men.  One tall, one short.  The tall one was handsome, the short one was a dead ringer for Ginger Megs.  Both of them had their mouths open in surprise.  Tourists.  Clearly in the wrong place.  Alex stepped forward to sort it out and Scott turned back to the class to continue.

When Alex got to the doorway another man had joined the first two.  The third man looked like he’d walked off the set of a photo shoot, athletic, tanned skin, huge dark blue eyes, and a tangle of dark hair that fell over his forehead.  He appeared to be the spokesperson and Alex wondered if he would sound as good as he looked.  He looked outrageously gorgeous and, sadly, she figured he’d have an outrageous ego to match.

“Hi, I’m Alex Gibson.  I’m a teacher here.  Can I help you?”

“Hi.  I’m Dan, this is Mitch and Fluke,” the gorgeous man said, gesturing to his mates in turn.  His voice was warm and strong, like hot coffee when you needed a pick up.

“Fluke?”  Alex turned to the redhead who said, “My name is Luke, but you can call me Fluke.  Everyone else does.”

Alex smiled.  They were tourists for sure, but they were interesting at least.  She turned back to face gorgeous Dan.  “So, why are you guys here?”

“We want to learn to dance.”

“You do know this is a ballroom dance school?”

“We do.”

“You want to learn ballroom dancing?”

“We do.”

Alex put her hands to her hips, “Seriously?”

“We’re serious, aren’t we boys?” said Dan.  He knew Fluke was thinking two Gs and Mitch was thinking Belinda.  He got a chorus of agreement, but the teacher just sighed.  She was tapping her toe, her expression questioning.  She was clearly impatient with them for some reason.

“We really are serious,” Dan said, frowning at Alex, thinking maybe they’d come at a bad time and should’ve rung first.  Ant had really stitched them up this time.

“Do you know how many men want to learn ballroom dancing?” she asked.

“Er, no,” said Dan, flicking a look at Fluke, just in case he might miraculously know that one and getting a shrug in return.

“Usually, none.”

“But you have a bunch of blokes over there.”  Dan nodded towards the class in progress.

“Yes.  All of them have been coming for years and all of them started here originally because a wife or a girlfriend brought them.”

“Ah.”

“You see, I’m thinking you really don’t want to learn to dance and maybe this is a joke to you.”

Dan hesitated.  It wouldn’t do to admit they were here to win a bet.  That would be what this chick – what this girl, ah, woman – geez she was beautiful – would already be thinking.  She had an oval shaped face with these incredible eyes, the colour of liquid amber, and this long silky black pony tail and a look that said she’d had enough of this and had somewhere better to be.

He simply hadn’t reckoned on enrolling being this hard.  Staying the distance, doing the actual work, sure, but if they couldn’t get past this surprisingly beautiful ball buster with a bee up her backside just to enrol, the whole bet would be off and Ant would think up some other challenge and have them in cooking classes or book club to get in touch with their feminine sides.  This was preferable.  It was bound to be a workout of some sort and if it brought back memories of his mother that couldn’t be a bad thing.

The hesitation was enough.  Alex had seen this countless times.  Unattached men around this age wandering in on a whim, thinking the studio was a new place to pick up desperate and lonely women.  Thinking they’d be the heroes.  Thinking that since they danced in clubs and bars this couldn’t possibly be that hard.  They took up time, they wasted resources, they irritated her, and they outright disgusted Scott.  They never even lasted a term, they were disruptive, often obnoxious and inappropriate, and usually asked for their money back.  It was better to get rid of them before they signed up than to deal with them any further.

“I think you might be happier somewhere else,” she said.

Link to www.escapepublishing.com.au

http://www.escapepublishing.com.au/product/9780857990006

Diva Couch Questions

1. 1.     What five items would you take if you had to get out of your house in 5 mins or less

A sleepy cat, my pc and back up drive, jewellery draw, mobile phone, car keys

1. 2.     Tell us about the worst day job you ever had

It’s a toss up between packing nails in a hardware store or crossing dead people off electoral rolls.

1. 3.     What super power would you like to have and why?

Can I count being thin as a super power?  Cause that’s what I want.  Badly.

1. 4.     What food will you? absolutely not eat

Olives or red peppers.  They just don’t like me.

1. 5.     As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (that’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind)

I am in my summer writing uniform, a sarong.  My winter writing uniform is a track suit.  The sarong is prettier.  On bad days I might still be in my PJs.

1. 6.     Best writing advice ever received

Edit it again, along with let it rest – then edit again.

 

PRIZE!!! To be in the chance to win a copy of Grease Monkey Jive, just leave a comment. One lucky person’s name will be pulled from the Divas’ hat at the end of the day. Yay!!

Aussie Author Showcase Day 4 – Andra Ashe

As a writer myself, I absolutely love meeting new authors and discovering new books. So you can imagine my delight in posting this blog today.

Andra Ashe is a new-to-me author, and when I browsed her website, I thought….mm, mm, mm she writes my kinda books. I’m doubly excited to start reading them as she’s an Aussie author. (Yeah, I confess, I have a very soft spot for Aussie authors. Especially those who write erotic, contemporary romance.)

So it gives me great pleasure to welcome Andra to the Down Under Divas…

Andra writes:

I’d never written BDSM erotic romance before so when my publisher put out a call for short stories with that theme I took up the challenge.  I have a good understanding of how BDSM works and how it can enhance a relationship so I enjoyed introducing my heroine to this ‘alternative’ lifestyle.  Needless to say she took to it in a big way . :)

Miss Blaine’s Misconduct: The Blurb

Temp personal assistant to some very wealthy and high-profile A-listers, Lily Blaine finds herself organizing a charity event for a sexy bachelor who seems too nice to be true. That he calls her Miss Blaine is a refreshingly old-fashioned but there’s nothing old-fashioned about the kinky bondage gear she finds in his office.

When Nick Gregory catches her wearing the black leather mask he has no option but to punish Lily.  Unsure whether her job is at risk, she plays along and discovers that a good spanking or two is exactly what she needs.  It’s all sexy fun which will come to an end when her job is done.

Or will it?

Miss Blaine’s Misconduct: An Excerpt

So was this a game?  Would Nick just wait to see if she co-operated and then call her bluff?  Lily still didn’t move.  She was conscious of her heart beating a rapid tattoo and a flutter of something in her stomach, but was it was anxiety or excitement?

What if it wasn’t a game.  Would someone of his high profile chance exposing his little sexual peccadillo?  Did he think the risk of losing her reputation for discretion was high enough to buy her compliance?  It wasn’t, but still she didn’t move to undo the mask.  A quiet click told her Nick had closed the door, and Lily felt moistness between her thighs.

‘Very good, Miss Blaine,’ he said, his voice moving closer.  ‘Perhaps you’re beginning to learn the basics of doing what’s expected of you.’  His voice was firm but not threatening.

Lily nodded.  She didn’t know whether it was it the confines of the mask, or some innate subservience, but her pulse quickened with the anticipation of not knowing what Nick would say or do next.

‘Give me your hands, Miss Blaine.’

Lily held out her hands and the warmth of Nicks fingers encircled her wrists as he drew her forward to stand up. His grip on her wrists tightened and Lily drew in a breath before he flattened her hands against his chest.  His now naked chest.  Rock hard under her fingers with the soft rasp of hair.  Nipples hard under her palms.

She flexed her fingers, wanting to feel more but her hands were pulled away. ‘Misbehaving doesn’t go unpunished.’  He let go of her hands.  ‘Pull your skirt up, Miss Blaine.’

Ok, it could still be a game and he was waiting to see how far she’d go.  Lily didn’t know how far, but the not knowing was unexpectedly arousing.  She reached for the hem of her skirt, sliding the fabric up her thighs.

She had no doubt his eyes were on her, following the rise of her skirt and a part of her wished she could see his face.  The other part of her found the anonymity of the mask liberating, allowing her to do something she wasn’t sure she could, or would, without it.

‘Keep going,’ Nick’s voice instructed and she continued lifting her skirt until it was bunched up around her waist.

‘Bend over the desk.

———-

(You can find copies of Andra’s books and more info about her over at Pink Petal Books. Just CLICK HERE.)

Now for some fun. Sami welcomed Andra over to the Diva couch and asked her a few questions…

Diva Couch Questions:

Name your fantasy menage combination

I presume you meant with me as one of the participants?  As you weren’t specific about which sort of ménage I’ll cover both options : Me, George Clooney & Mikhail Barishnykov (yes I’m old and I like old guys) or Me, Angelina Jolie (she’s gorgeous and she likes girls) and my man (b/c he thinks Angie’s hot too).

If you were to design a bumper sticker or T-shirt slogan, what would it say?

It’s only kinky the first time!

What food will you absolutely not eat?

Offal, Mushrooms and Seafood – oh and can’t abide celery either

As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (that’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind)

Oh the usual glamorous duds of an erotic romance writer – paint stained grey ‘trackie dacks’ with an equally stained but not matching tracksuit top and ankle socks – but in the true spirit of the question I’m not wearing underwear lol

Describe your perfect romantic destination

A five star hotel at either Positano or Santorini – stunning views, delicious food and king size beds.

Do you prefer a hairy or smooth chest?

Oh I’m a chest hair woman all the way – preferably a nicely muscled chest.  I just don’t see the attraction of a ‘smooth as a baby’s bum’ chest, it’s way too adolescent for my liking.  There’s nothing like lying in someone’s arms and lazily running your fingers through nice soft chest hair.

Tattoos—love or hate?

Love’s a bit extreme, but like a lot (depending what and on who).  I have two of my own (a little black cat and my initial).  I think they’re a great way to express yourself.

——————

Thank you to Andra for joining us.

Jess

Showcase Day 3 – Red Hot Ann B Harrison

 Last year I got to meet the delightful Ms Harrison on Facebook. I loved seeing comments from her as they always left me with a smile on my face

And then…I met her in person at the RWAus conference, and honestly, she is just lovely as can be. I am jolly proud indeed to welcome her to Day 3 of the Aussie Author Showcase at the Down Under Divas.

Welcome Ann!

Last year I was lucky enough to join good writing buddy Annie Seaton on a trip to the States and one of the places we went was San Francisco. Oh how I love that place. We took a bus trip down the coast to Monterey and Carmel and the wild coastline took my breath away. I knew I had to write a book set in that area and it wasn’t long before Red Douglas started niggling at me to get his story down. Red Hot takes in both the city and awesome coastline with a dash of sexy thrown in.

For me Red is a different kind of hero to what I have previously written. I usually go for bossy alphas. This time I wanted a geeky unsure of his own sexuality kind of guy. I hope he comes across the my readers that way.

BLURB – RED HOT

Red Douglas is a geeky scientist. He rides his Ducati pushing the limits

with speed to ease his sexual frustration

Rhian Gallagher is a veterinarian suffering from a long term man drought.

When Red crashes his bike at her front door, she takes it as a sign from the

Fates.

Determined to take the shy scientist under her wing and into her bed as soon

as possible, Rhian talks him into a relationship, but fails to tell him her

wiccan secret

Their happiness depends on Red admitting there is more to the world than

what he sees under his microscope.

EXCERPT – RED HOT

A cool soft hand wiped his brow and Red struggled to open his eyes. Someone had removed his helmet and everything was foggy without the special visor.  He did a quick mental check of painful spots. His head wasn’t one of them thankfully but his ass was on fire from the contact with the road and his elbow screamed in pain.

“Shush now, just relax. Don’t struggle so, you are safe with me.”

Red tried his best to relax under the soft hum of her voice and the strange sensation of floating overcame him. His blood pressure was probably through the roof. He debated whether it was all a dream, in which case he could roll over and stay where he was to sleep it off. The pain racking his body made him more than aware that it was not the case and he had to move or risk getting run over when another vehicle came this way. He sighed and tried to open his eyes again. Without his glasses or his made to order helmet visor, he struggled to see clearly. The foggy vision that leaned over him appeared to be smiling. Her blond hair fell over her shoulders, cascading down to tickle his jaw, distracting him momentarily from the pain. The smell of fresh flowers and honey filled his brain and sent his body into overdrive.

Willing himself to stay calm he struggled to lift himself up on his arms.

“Arrgh.” Red fell back and rolled to one side, clutching his injured arm with his good hand. His breath came in short pants as he tried to control the pain that was washing over him.

“Let me see that.” The vision reached out and ran her fingers lightly down from his shoulder to his fingertips. She prodded around his elbow, moving his hand at the same time, ignoring his groans of pain. “It doesn’t appear to be broken, possibly a bad sprain though I’m thinking.” The sound of her voice washed over him and brought back memories that had lain buried in his past. “Would you be liking for me to heal this for you?” she asked, a faint Irish lilt to her voice, holding his hand in hers.

“Are you a doctor?” His voice was rugged even to his ears and he wished he could sound a bit more enthusiastic but the pain overrode any niceties he should have used.

“Of a sorts, yes.” Her soft laughter made him more aware of her holding his hand and he resisted the urge to pull away from her. “Should I try then?”

“I would hardly turn down help now, would I?” Red grimaced as another burst of pain shot through his elbow, making him break out into a cold sweat. He leaned back and closed his eyes, breathing through his mouth. When he felt more composed he watched her through heavy lidded eyes.

She lifted his hand and laid it down across his chest, then brought her palms together. Holding them to her face, thumbs on her chin, she whispered words that Red couldn’t hear clearly. Then she rubbed her hands briskly together and ran them up and down his arm before gripping his elbow firmly. The heat from her hands radiated through his arm, warming until it was almost unbearable and then dropped to a soothing warmth once again.

“There now, that should do it.” She leaned back and held a hand out to help him up. Red gripped her fingers in his and pulled himself into a sitting position. He sat quietly while his head swam and then he checked his arm.

He prodded his elbow. Finding it normal and almost pain free, he looked at her. “What kind of doctor are you?”

“Not the type you are used to, I’m sure.” She laughed.

He squinted and tried to get a clear picture of her. Red gave up and reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and withdrew his glasses case. He breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn’t damaged. He opened it and took out his offending thick glasses.

Red brushed the hair out of his eyes and slid them on. He blinked a couple of times and when his vision cleared, he looked over at his mystery woman. She sat on her heels in the grass, smiling serenely in the sunshine as he floundered for the right words. Long blonde hair flowed around her shoulders and she waited for him to speak.

Diva Couch Question Time:

1. Imagine you had a time machine—oh let’s just call it a Tardis. What time period would you travel to and why?  Since I have a massive thing about kilts I would have to say Scotland before pants were invented. All those lovely butts encased in tartan, be still my beating heart. swoon worthy. What more can I say?
2. What super power would you like to have and why?  I’ve always wanted to be able to fly (without the cape though) because sometimes walking isn’t just fast enough for me. My brain goes at the rate of knots and I want my body to be able to keep up with it. Not having wings slows me down. Does that make sense?

1. If you were to design a bumper sticker or T-shirt slogan, what would it say? Funny you should ask because my daughter has just done  one that I adore. She is a bright very out there person and she gets copied heaps. It says ‘ SHEEPISM: The act of being a mindless sheep, following the herd. If you don’t think for yourself, you are giving into sheepism.

A great reminder for writers to be yourself I think and keep your own voice.

1. Describe your favorite outfit. Jeans or shorts depending on the weather and t-shirt. I’m a slob, I admit it freely. Comfort over style every time for me, I don’t do dresses at all.
2. What is your worst vice or habit? Procrastinating instead of writing. I need a major supply of bum glue and this year I have committed myself to writing in blocks of 500 words times six every day. I need a goal or I fluff around too much. I did manage six books last year but still, I can tidy up my writing habits a lot more.
3. As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (that’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind…) I do but I’ll contain myself. I’m doing this in the car on our way home from our Christmas break with our youngest daughter so I’m in shorts and singlet. It’s a two day drive so I need comfort.

1. Tattoos—love or hate? Love them. All of my kids are big fans and I got my first one in Las Vegas last year at Hart and Huntington. The kids were so envious.

Thank you Ann for joining us here at the Divas. For more information about Ann and her books, please visit her website

Jess

Guest Blogger…. Caitlyn Nicholas!

Today we have a very special guest, a writer I’ve known since our very first books were published by Samhain back in 2007. Caitlyn has gone on to become a blogger of some note, a harried mother of two rambunctious daughters (my there are a lot of us!), and through it all she has continued to write great books full of romance, action and adventure. Here she is to tell us all about her latest, please give her a warm welcome!

 About six years ago I had a dream. To write a book and have it published in Australia. So I wrote a book. But it ended up being published in the USA. So I wrote another book and another. Things changed. The publishing industry embraced the digital era, and in early 2012 Pan Macmillan announced its new Aussie based digital imprint, Momentum.  I submitted Drive Me To Distraction to Momentum right away and was beyond thrilled when they jumped at the chance to publish it. 

Drive Me To Distraction is available from 1 November. My first novel to be published in Australia.  Its fun, fast and fabulous, and the fulfillment of a dream that’s been a few years coming.

BLURB: Drive Me To Distraction by Caitlyn Nicholas

Sometimes life or death decisions are easy. Alex Radford has a choice – borrow the money to treat her mother’s rare and aggressive cancer from sleazy moneylender Hamish MacCameron. Or do nothing and watch her die.

 MacCameron has an agenda. He wants Alex in his bed, and he wants her to help him exact revenge on his sworn enemy, Robert Dryden. He is only too happy to lend her what she needs, but the strings attached form a tangled web from which Alex has little hope of escape.

 It’s not all bad. Since she was a girl Alex has had one dream: to become a Formula 1 driver and show the boys how to drive a race car. MacCameron’s money gives her a shot at fame, and in a move that scandalizes the F1 racing fraternity she becomes the new driver for Rob Dryden’s struggling F1 team, Prometheus.

Alex tries to keep her distance from Rob, knowing that one day she will need to betray one of the few people who ever had faith in her. But things begin to unravel when Hamish MacCameron is murdered and she and Rob are the top suspects on the list …

Drive me to Distraction is now available from Amazon, Amazon UK and the ibookstore.

I have just read this book people and let me tell you it was a cracker! Cait doesn’t write any boring bits, so check it out.

TEASER:

“If he doesn’t slap my bum, make female driver jokes or tell me to brace myself because he’s the hottest boy-racer I’ve ever seen …”

Mike’s eyes continued to glaze over. They’d paused when Alex said bum, but now they continued their journey into complete ambivalence.

“… then we’ll get along just fine.”

“You’ll never get anywhere until you lose that chip.” Mike brushed an imaginary chip from her shoulder. His gaze wandered down to her chest.

“You’ll never get a un-skanky girlfriend if don’t stop perving at women’s boobs.” She rolled her eyes and zipped her heavy racing overalls up to her neck, risking heat exhaustion on this rare hot English summer day.

“I wasn’t looking at your —”

“Yes, you were.” She narrowed her eyes at him.

“You haven’t got any to look at. Why would I bother?” Mike smiled innocently.

“That is not true.” She glanced down at the nearly flat front of her overalls. She wasn’t Dolly Parton, but still.

“Anyway. My girlfriends aren’t skanky,” he said, without much conviction.

“What about that Belinda one?” Alex grimaced at the memory.

“Mmm, yeah.” He grinned. “I miss her.”

“She gave you crabs.”

“Itchy.” He fidgeted at the memory. “But she was great in —”

“Can you at least try not to be disgusting?” Alex grabbed a clipboard from her desk and swatted his arm.

“Why?” Mike looked baffled by the idea, though laughter danced in his eyes.

She shook her head, amused and exasperated. Then she left the small administration office of Thruxton Motorsport Centre with enough force to make the windows rattle in their cheap aluminium frames. Outside, the smell of baked tarmac and hot oil hung heavily in the warm still air, soothing like aromatherapy – if you bought into that girly rubbish, which she didn’t.

She glanced at her clipboard and undid her overalls a couple of inches. Mr. Robert Dryden was the next driver eager to conquer the Thruxton racetrack and attain his racing driver’s licence. At least he’d had the imagination to pick the Lotus, most wanted the Porsche or the Lamborghini.

She strode up the pit lane to where he waited leaning on the car. He turned when heard her, and smiled a warm sexy grin, teeth gleaming. Tall and lean, brown hair flopping across his dark eyes and the pale skin of an office dweller, all came together to make him meltingly handsome, in a laddish way.

Surrounded by men, working in an industry that only saw women as decorative, Alex had learned to be aloof and matter-of-fact, especially with the distractingly handsome ones. But the hint of kiss-me-nowness about his grin unsettled her. She zipped her racing overalls back up to the neck.

“You’re a girl,” he said, as soon as she got within earshot.

“And you’re an idiot.”

“Pardon?”

She ignored him. “Hi, I’m Alex. I’ll be testing you for your racing licence today.”

“You surprised me. I didn’t expect a girl.”

She glared at him, but his smile didn’t falter, and he met her eye with a long, faintly insolent, look.

“Okay.” She consulted her clipboard, even though she already knew what it said. “Let’s get in the car, and we’ll see what you can do.”

She didn’t bother to hide her reservation. Rob Dryden’s type of driver was very familiar. He couldn’t drive a racing car to save his life. It was easy to tell after a lifetime around cars. If he’d been examining the Lotus and reeling off its vital statistics the moment there was someone close enough to listen, then chances were he’d be a decent driver. But those that ignored the car, and looked at the view were never any good.

She handed him the keys, hurried around to the passenger side and wrenched the door open. Best get it over with. She waited while he buckled himself into the five-way racing harness and slid on his shiny new helmet.

“Head up the pit lane then we’ll turn out onto the track.” She pointed the way.

He stamped his foot down on the accelerator. The car protested with a strangled whine and a jarring donkey-hop, then lurched into second gear with a clunk.

“Watch it.” She glared at him. This guy was incompetent, and the mechanics would kill her if she let yet another leadfoot client bugger up the gearbox.

He shot her an irritated look. “I know what I’m doing.”

“Sure you do.”

Drive Me To Distraction is my third full-length novel, and is available from 1 November 2012 in e-book format. You can find it here, with a sample chapter if you’d like to read more: http://momentumbooks.com.au/books/drive-me-to-distraction/

I also have a Geek Girl saves the world novella, Dark Moon Rising, being published in December 2012 (check my website / blog for the details about that one – I don’t have them yet!)

 You can find me online at: http://www.caitlynnicholas.com

My blog: http://www.caitlynnicholas.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/CaitlynNicholas

Fb: https://www.facebook.com/CaitlynNicholasAuthor

Now for a few of the fun silly questions

1. What five items would you take if you had to get out of your house in 5 mins or less

I have actually had to do this.  I’ve had run-ins with three major bushfires – a few years ago now, before the Victorian Bushfires, when the advice was stay and fight the fire, not leave early. 

 The one when I had to get out fast was before I had kids, and I was living alone.  So what did I grab?  My two cats. Shoved them into a box in the car (they were not happy), headed for the road. Discovered road was cut and it was too late to leave.  Headed back home, released very pissed off cats. Then watched as the amazing Rural Fire Services along with water bombing helicopters and a water crane saved my suburb.

We love our firefighters here at the Divas:)

 2. Describe your writing in 3 words

Fun, fast and fabulous

3. Favorite comic book superhero

Asterix.

I cannot describe how much I love the Asterix comic books.  Even better, I’ve just introduced my kids to them, and they love them as well.

 4. If you could kiss any fictional hero from history, who would it be?

Jamie – from the Diana Gabaldon Outlander series.  He’s just so… so… I have no words. Swoon.

I confess I must be the only romance fan to have never read the Outlander books. But I think I need to find out who this Jamie everyone talks about is…

5.  Best writing advice ever received

Persist.  No matter how many set backs and rejections and life drama that get in the way of your goals. Keep trying.  Because you will get there.

 Great advice!

Thanks so much to Caitlyn for being with us today!

Please welcome…Tracey O’Hara

Please join me in welcoming a truly wonderful woman to the Divas today. Not only is Tracey O’ Hara a brilliant author, she is also one of the most generous people I have ever met.

Tracey, author of both urban fantasy fiction and erotic romance, took a year off from her own writing in order to work on a project to get new and unpublished authors published. And she was HUGELY successful, as you’ll see further on down in the interview.

I adore this author to bits, and you only need read on to see why.

Jess

1)    Who is Tracey O’ Hara?

I am still trying to work that out myself. I am a wife, mother and full time computer analyst/programmer working for the public service. But I am also an story teller. I love spinning tales. My work will never change the face of society or have some analytical/political literary meaning. All I want to do is entertain my readers with a good yarn for a few hours.

2)    There’s a world of fiction out there. Why romance? Why paranormal/urban fantasy?

Actually I write whatever story speaks to me. Currently I am working on a few different projects including an historical Australian Colonial saga and a post apocalyptic erotic romance. To me the story dictates what direction it goes in. That said – when growing up I loved action/adventure and horror so most of my stories have elements of those things. And Romance – well where would the world be without romance.

3)    Tell us about your first two Dark Brethren Novels (which I absofreakinlutely love BTW).

Night’s Cold Kiss was my first book and was published in 2009 with Harper Voyager (or Eos as it was then called). It followed the story of Antoinette and Christian and really got me started on my world and is the sexiest of all the stories as Antoinette was an extremely passionate character. Basically it is a vampire stories although in my world they are called Aeternus.

The second book Death’s Sweet Embrace came out in early 2011 and this story had 2 new protagonists – Kitt and Raven – who are shapeshifters. This book showed another race of my world. Kitt and Raven are ex-lovers with a very rocky past.

All the Dark Brethren books are part romance, part mystery thriller with horror elements.

4)    Now, you have a new release in the same series. (Rubs hands together.)  Details please! 

The third book which came out last month is called Sin’s Dark Caress. This is my favourite book of the series. Again we see another aspect of the world with two new protagonist. This time it is about witches. Here is the blurb.

An ancient darkness has risen from the ashes . . . and terror has been loosed upon an unsuspecting world.

Forensic witch Bianca Sin has never seen anything like it: homeless teenage girls torn to pieces by dark magic in the cold shadows of the city. More terrifying still is the symbol written in blood on an alley wall—the unmistakable seal of the Dark Brethren.

Teaming up with NYPD homicide detective Lancelot McManus and an elite task force headed by the shapeshifter Oberon DuPrie, Bianca knows her worst fears have finally come to pass. A new war of annihilation is looming that will plunge the worlds of vampire, shapeshifter, and human into chaos—and two adversarial tribes locked in uneasy truce will need to take up arms together to save the children. Trust will be essential for Sin and McManus, as the hunt forces them to confront their deepest terrors.

For the ultimate evil is no longer approaching.

It’s here.

5)    Are there any reviews we should know about? Like, oh, I dunno, 4 &1/2 star reviews from RT maybe?

LOL – yes I was very stoked to get a 4 ½ star review in the same RT review magazine as some of my favourite authors. And if I remember correctly – you also got a 4 ½ star review in the same mag. It was a great review. Mine said

The threat of the Dark Brethren rising hovers over O’Hara’s impressively compelling series with wonderfully chilling menace. This third installment explores witch clans and murder by deadly dark magic. None of O’Hara’s protagonists are without flaws, but all have guts and determination in the face of dangerous odds. O’Hara is on a roll!

And another great review from  Book’d Out

http://bookdout.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/review-sins-dark-caress-by-tracey-ohara.

Sin’s Dark Caress is a fast paced read with plenty of action, exciting twists and strong characters. With its mix of murder, mayhem and magic I think its the strongest book of the three and though it could work as a stand alone, I would recommend reading the previous installments.

6)    Do you write any other books, apart from the Dark Brethren novels?

I totally do. I write erotic romance under the penname of Tracie Sommers. I have 2 shorts out with Harlequin Spice Briefs – Tonight My Love and Blame it on the Moonlight. And I have a new short story coming out in November.

7)    I believe you’ve been responsible for a very exciting project lately. One that helped a whole group of authors get published. Tell us about that.

I have been working hard on a project with a bunch of other Erotic Romance authors. It started off as an Anthology idea suggested by Cate Ellink and then Mel Teshco and I just ran with it turning it into a great exercise for getting published authors to mentor unpublished ones. After nearly a year we had several stories and they were picked up by the Pan Macmillan new Aussie digital imprint Momentum. They have been fantastic. The first of the Hot Down Under short story series come out this November.

And the Divas played a big part in it. Rhian and Lexxie each have a story in the series and Jess has been an enormous support of the project from the get go by reading and mentoring some of the stories.

You can find out more about the Hot Down Under series at http://www.hot-downunder.com/

Fun Questions (Go on, be daring)

1) Name your fantasy manage combination (ie, who would you choose to have a ménage with?) (Yes, this is my all time favorite question)

Gosh – that is a hard one. Maybe Chris Hemsworth if he wore his Huntsman outfit and Antonio Banderas in anything – but also have a bit of a girl crush on Selma Hayek when she does her Santanica Pandamonium dance from Dusk til Dawn. Plus Antonio and Selma have great accents – so might have to go with them.

2) What five items would you take if you had to get out of your house in 5 mins or less.

My husband, my kids, my animals, my mobile and my laptop. They are all the important things.

3) Tell us about the worst day job you ever had.

Working for a fast food chain. I am not real good with customer service.

4) Describe your writing in 3 words.

Hot, violent and bloody. (tee hee(

5) If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you’d buy for yourself?

A new car – I have my eye on a nice Holden or BMW depending on how much I will I guess.

6) Favorite comic book superhero.

Wolverine – he has that animal attraction thing going on.

7) What food will you absolutely not eat?

Pumpkin – had to eat far too much of it growing up. Yuk.

8) As you’re typing the answers to these questions, what are you wearing? (That’s not a naughty question unless you have a dirty mind)

I would like to say nothing at all but since I am doing this in my lunch hour at work that might be a bit awkward. So unfortunately it is a skirt, top and jacket for the office.

9) Do you prefer a hairy or smooth chest?

Just a smattering of hair. Don’t like a lot of hair but enough to give an interesting texture to run my fingers over.

10) Tattoos—love or hate?

LOVE – have four and planning my fifth

——————–

FOr more information about Tracey, please visit her website.