I would do anything for you know what. BUT....

Given that I'm a Hussy writing erotic fiction, you're probably expecting a list of what I will and won't do for love - in bed. For example:

I won't do chapter 14 from the Kama Sutra - The Happy Ferret and the Butterfly. Yeah, like my hips will do THAT.

I won't do anything involving equipment that looks like it belongs on a Dyson vacuum cleaner.

I won't do anything that requires more voltage than my house is wired for.

Sorry. This blog isn't going into those kinds of details. Since I've been a wife and mother for almost twenty five years now, I've learned that there ain't much I won't do for love of my family. As any woman in my sneakers will attest, family gets it all, whether we want to do it or not. (See the dinner we really didn't feel like cooking because we had the flu, but did it anyway, or the time the kid showed up with a list of things for class next day, none of which were in the cupboard.)

So what HAVE I done for love? Hmmm. The list is pretty long, but here's a few highlights.

Made a pyramid out of sugar cubes, complete with interior chamber holding sarcophagus. (It was too big for the trunk of my car but made it to school in the backseat. Picked up several ants along the way.)

Sat through a two hour Powerpoint presentation on hubby's company projects, none of which I understood. Managed to stem the ear bleeding without anyone noticing.

Ironed shirts. Folded underwear. Listened to office politics rants and the agonies of first girlfriend disasters. Survived the whole learning-to-drive thing. Survived hubby's motorcycle obsession.

Yes, for love I have been a wife and mother for nearly quarter of a century. It has to be love - I'm not sure I would have volunteered for any of this stuff if it had been for anything less. (Although the pyramid project was fun even though my supermarket ran out of sugar cubes.)

And of course, for love of telling a story, I've written. I've always written. Love of language, of crafting words into a tale of passion - that I will do at any time, in any place, for sheer and simple LOVE!!!

What won't I do? I will never compromise on my stories. I love my characters too much. I won't shortchange my readers, because I love them too. I won't take anything that feels like "Been there, done that" and recycle it into a new title. I won't write a romance that doesn't turn me on, because if it doesn't do it for me, sure as hell it's not going to do it for anyone else. I won't EVER underestimate the importance of readers and I won't insult their intelligence by writing what I think they want. They KNOW what they want. All I can do is write the best book possible and hope someone out there is looking for it.

So I guess when it comes to what I would do for love - the answer is "just about everything - and I've probably done most of it already". (The pyramid got an "A").

But I won't do that....compromise on my passion - my bliss. Writing is a love that stays in one's heart and is personal in a way that can't be easily explained. A passion of one brain for one activity, a solo endeavor returning immeasurable joys and sorrows. Yep, a love like this doesn't come without a price but it's one we writers are willing to pay. So while I'll do anything for love, my answer to this week's blog theme is "But I ain't gonna mess with my writing!"

And in case you've forgotten exactly what it is I write, take a look at this clip...it says it all! LOLLOL

Happy Monday,

Who’s on Top?

That’s the question the Hussies asked this week. But you *know* I’m going to twist that question into something unrecognizable just so I can talk about my silver gogo boots.

Yeah, baby. My Silver. Gogo. Boots.

As in, the footwear par excellence for Empresses of the Galaxy like me. IF there were more than one. Since there isn’t (you go get your OWN galaxy, dammit, this one’s mine!), we’ll talk about my most fabulous Boots of Dooooooom. You have to have a set of stuff “of doom” to be an empress. You can’t rule the world without, say, the stapler of doom, the cell phone of doom, the toothpick of doom. Tell you what, in the spirit of sharing the love, let me make you a list of everything you need to rule your own galaxy (’cause remember, this one’s mine). You’ll need:

1. silver gogo boots (of course)

2. a scepter/whip/cattle prod (for the recalcitrant male slaves...mwaar!)

3. a throne, the bigger the better

4. a big honkin’ scifi gun with dials and knobs and lights that blink a lot...makes for a great conversation starter with visiting dignitaries or when you want to compare sizes (mine’s bigger than yours, etc)

5. some kickass one-piece latex suit to create a diversion against the villain...once he’s busy looking at your wonderfully eeveel décolleté, you whip your Scepter of Doom (see item 2) and you whack him in the head. Then if he’s yummy, you keep him chained to item number 3.

6. a sidekick, not too cute, not too bright...we wouldn’t to make the empress look bad, now would we? Of course not.

7. a big, bright red button that says “Auto Destruct” on top so you can do your monologue, finish with a good long Machiavellian laugh then blow up your station/spaceship/flying hot tub!!!

8. and lastly, an escape pod, preferably silver and round, to counteract number 7.

There. We’re all set. Follow these basic steps and I guarantee you total galactic domination is yours within six months or your money back.

So to the question “who’s on top?” I answer: me.

This is Nat from the Hussies, having way too much fun hijacking this blog. Have a great weekend. And remember, an eeveel intergalactic empress must have all these items. Take a look at the following video and witness what can happen when you skip details.

On top of the World!

It was a tough call after the dust settled to see who really was on top of the paranormal food chain and there were decidedly no winners and no losers. Each reigned #1 in their own right.

So attention turned to who had the most amazing story of the paranormal and so the storytelling among the vamps, gargs, weres, ghosts, shapeshifters, and other paranormal beings began.

The marathon went on for days.

Many discussed the conference being held April 18-20. I know you're thinking of the Romantic Times’ Convention, but that's not what these paranormal creatures are attending. (g) They are heading out for the X-Conference being held in Washington, DC.

Any paranormal or X-files buff worth their salt is at least familiar and has read about the past conferences and are taking notes on who will be the key speakers. It’s pretty much the usual suspects of those considered authorities in the field of UFOs.

But this conference is just the tiny tip of a very massive iceberg. To get an idea just how vast the interest in the paranormal and other related fields is, check out a tinee weene list of annual conferences to be held this year:

California Ghost Hunters starts next week.

Ghostock 6 Pennsylvania Paranormal Conference

Haunted America Conference

Michigan Paranormal Expo Ghost Conference

Northern California Paranormal Conference

Taps Con 2008

Univ-Con 2008 Pennsylvania Event

Ghost Hunter's Conference

Gettysburg Ghost Conference

National Ghost Conference

Tombstone Ghost Conference

Michigan Paranormal Conference

Then we branch out into SciFi and Fantasy and probably the biggest convention – OmegaCon – Science Fiction/Fantasy Convention which was held just last month.

And for those who are saying what about the vamps, weres and other spooky heroes? Well, no fear or should I say, have fear - ScareFest Horror and Paranormal Convention will be held in September

So you get the idea when it comes to the paranormal, everyone is in truth on top because of the very mystique of this field defies any kind of classification of who's on first, what's on second and I dunno - third base.

ARC Winner - Trip My Switch

I put all the names of those who commented on my Gettin' Naughty post in a bowl and drew one.

And the winner is...

Cathy

Congrats! Please email me at nicole@nicoleaustin.net and I'll get the ARC to you.

Gettin' Naughty - Top, Bottom...Switch?

This week’s topic is Who’s On Top, and once again I’m turning to my friends in the world of D/s for answers which apply to all relationships.

The three primary roles in BDSM play are the Dominant (Top), submissive (Bottom) and Switch (Someone who can switch between the two roles). Even if you are not into D/s most relationships have a partner who takes the more dominant role, whether just in the bedroom or in all interactions. In situations with two alpha personalities, there’s going to be a lot of skirmishes to see who’s on top in which situations.

The Top typically distinguishes the dominant partner, but the term can also be used during sex for the one who physically penetrates or the one who is literally on top. The Bottom is typically the submissive partner, but can also be the one who is physically penetrated or is literally on the bottom. In BDSM the bottom does not have to be on the receiving end of the penetration as in the case of a FemDom with a male submissive.

A Switch is someone who, dependent on their mood or needs, can be either Dominant or submissive. Some switches may do so because of different ways of relating to partners, and be a top to one while a bottom to another. Others will switch back and forth within the same relationship. Switches are more common than you might think.

Another BDSM term is “topping from the bottom”, when the submissive tries to control or manipulate their dominant partner. I also learned that sometimes in a D/s relationship, or while learning about BDSM, a participant will switch roles to learn what it’s like for their partner. The internet is such a wealth of interesting information.

Some Switches are also bi-sexual. In fact, I ran into quite a few while writing Trip My Switch, which releases this month from Ellora’s Cave. The hero is a bi-sexual man trying to figure out where he fits in the world of BDSM.

I have no clue where this story came from. It hit me out of the blue and while writing, I felt as if I channeled the hero’s spirit! I went into the writer zone and just followed his lead, getting what he told me onto paper before he stopped talking. It was an educational, exhilarating and scary experience, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results.

Since the book releases on the first day of the Romantic Times Conference and I won’t be around, I’m going to run a little contest now. Everyone who comments on this post before midnight est. today, April 3rd, will be entered into a drawing for an ARC of the book. I don’t know when I’ll receive the formatted copies, so I might have to send you the Word document until I get them.

To read the book blurb and an excerpt, click here, then scroll down to the bottom.

Like people, relationships are complex, dynamic, and change as we grow. Don’t allow yourself to get locked into one role without ever adapting. Try shaking things up a bit to see what happens and to avoid getting into a rut. You just may find that you both enjoy the variety of switching things up once in a while.

Nic
So naughty it’s scandalous!

Book Talk

Another week and eight more fabulous new books from Ellora's Cave Publishing. I really have to find more reading time...somewhere. There are too many good books out there calling my name! Still, I can remember my BP (before published) days when I was running out of reading materials and prefer having too many books on my to-be-read stack. And really, as problems go, this is one I can live with. LOL!

Releasing Wednesday:



Before Dawn - Ann Bruce (Vampire)

Fairy Dust - Tielle St. Clare (Fantasy / Menage)

Catey's Capture - Ainsley Abbott (Historical)

Diamond Lady - Desiree Holt (Contemporary)

Releasing Friday:

Gatekeeper - Debra Glass (Paranormal)

Breathless - Roxana Blaze (Erotica-historical ménage)

Dancing on the Wind - Charlotte Boyett-Compo (Werewolf)

Celebration for the Dead - Lauren Dane (Vampire)

The Hussies would like to extend a warm welcome to new to Ellora's authors Ainsley Abbott and Debra Glass.

Happy Reading!

Nic
So naughty it's scandalous!

Erotic Romance Is Still Romance

First, I'd like to thank the Hussies for asking me to be a guest blogger today. I'm thrilled and hope it's not a joke as it is April 1. :) Well, it would help if I introduce myself. I'm Ashley Ladd and I write erotic romance for Ellora's Cave, Total-e-Bound, and New Concepts Publishing.

Like the Hussies, I write romance and I write erotic romance. We share a publisher who has coined the term "romantica" which means the same thing.

I'm amazed how many people mistake erotic romance and romantica for erotica. Erotica is sex without romance. What I write, what the Hussies write, are definitely romances first - with a lot of hot sensual sex added in. After all, sex is an extension of romance. It's what happens after the romantic dinner and candlelight and the romance progresses to the bedroom.

Personally, I love romance. If I had to choose one over the other, romance would win hands down every time. My editors are constantly yelling their mantra at me "More Sex More Sex More Sex". Sometimes I dream about it. This morning I was awoken from a musical version of it. That was odd, even for me.

I want to give you a snippet of my just released erotic romance "Confessions of a Nympho" published by http://www.total-e-bound.com/. It's a short "Lust Bite" story.

Blurb:
In an effort to promote her books, erotic romance author Tatiana Reece decides it will increase her blog traffic if she starts a new blog in which she pretends that her personal life is as racy if not more racy than her novels. She calls it "Confessions of a Nympho" and she makes up some really hot, spicy stuff.

When tax season rolls around and she makes her annual visit to her accountant, Ace, the junior accountant handling her case—who has long been secretly in love with her—discovers her blog. Using an alias, Ace begins a torrid online affair with Tatiana that moves into a real world affair.
One problem. Ace disguises himself and when she discovers his true identity, she'll be furious.

Excerpt:
Tatiana leaned closer, licked her glossy lips, and smiled conspiratorially. “I hope you can find me a lot of big deductions this year.

Ace swallowed hard. He had something big for her all right, but it was inside his pants, swelling larger with every second. Embarrassed, he slid further under the desk to hide his source of discomfort. “We’ll see,” he said noncommittally, without any hint of emotion. “I’ll do my best.” He kicked himself for getting shy, not at all like the kick-ass romance heroes she lived for. How could he ever win a woman like her acting like this?

She dumped out the contents of both boxes onto his desk and sifted through them. “I went to several conferences this year and bought a new computer. Those hotel rooms are downright outrageous!”

Hotel rooms? He gulped. How he’d like to share a hotel room with her. He wondered if she went alone and took the receipt from her hands. When her fingers grazed his, shivers raced down his spine. Unable to stop himself, he asked, “Is this for single or double occupancy?”

She snatched the receipt from his hands, grazing his knuckles again. “Let me see. I get a roommate whenever I can, but a few times I went alone.”

His jealousy surged and he longed to ask the roommate’s name. Some of those nearly naked Tarzan-type cover models she’d had her pictures splashed with all over the romance magazines? Not that he’d ever admit to reading those or keeping track of her doings. He’d sooner cut out his tongue.

“How many? Conferences, I mean? Help me sort these into categories.” Or else they’d be there all night. On retrospect that might not be a bad idea…

She squinted at a computer printout in her hand. “What about websites? Aren’t they tax deductible?”

Loosening the tie that threatened to choke him, he nodded and tried to keep his voice steady. “Yes, of course.”

She leaned further forward and gazed deeply into his eyes. Her ample breasts strained against her t-shirt. The nipples budded against the flimsy cotton. “I mean, if I have more than one website? I just opened this new one, plus I have pages on some romance writers’ group pages.”

When he took the outstretched receipt from her outstretched fingers, her flowery writing on the back caught his eye, and he flipped it over. Reading it, his heart skipped several beats.

“Confessions of a Nympho” blog. It contained the website url, and he memorized it. Like he could forget a name like that? It was burned into his consciousness.

Confessions of a Nympho? His cock throbbed almost ripping open his zipper. His blood sizzled. He couldn’t wait to visit her blog and read her deepest, darkest fantasies. Or were they fantasies? Did she act them out? Was she really a nymphomaniac?

** Can you tell I'm into blogging lately? I'm a lot like the heroine of my book that way. In fact, I just renamed my website to "Happily Ever After" as that's what I write, happily ever afters. I also just had it redesigned. So please pop over and take a look, leave me a comment, and be entered in my monthly contest for a free ebook download from my Ashley Ladd published books. http://ashleyladd.blogspot.com/

Once again, I want to thank The Hussies for inviting me to be their guest today. You're all awesome and I enjoyed my time spent with you.