Angels Of The Fallen, The Watchers

Monday, February 25, 2013

HIGHLAND SURRENDER by Tracy Brogan



Author Bio:

Tracy Brogan is a two-time RWA Golden Heart finalist who writes funny contemporary stories about ordinary people finding extraordinary love, and also stirring historical romance full of political intrigue, damsels causing distress, and the occasional man in a kilt. Her first two books, CRAZY LITTLE THING, and HIGHLAND SURRENDER both earned a 4-Star review from RT magazine and have hit the Amazon Best Selling Books list.

Tracy lives in Michigan with her bemused husband, her perpetually exasperated children, and two dogs, who would probably behave better if they could understand sarcasm.
Author Links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Dashing Duchesses

Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble










Sunday, February 24, 2013

De La Cruz Saga!


De La Cruz Saga Rocks!



Awesome Review!

You would love the De La Cruz Saga! 

Hot & Sexy Reads 

The Hot-blooded saga of the De La Cruz 

familia romance thriller are centered on 

their fortunes, romance centered on their 

fortunes, romance, pasiĆ³n, and danger. 

 Enjoy their explosively passionate nature.  

The new De La Cruz Saga book, Hot & Wild is here!  
Check out these awesome reviews!  Enjoy the De La Cruz Saga
Hot & Wild
I could not put this down once again P.T. Macias has written an amazing story. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/543564393
My first thought was "Don't know if I can do this! There's too much Spanish"! The language was NOT a problem! The context let you know what most of the words mean, so you didn't have to be a Spanish major in school!   http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/536043240
I'm officially addicted to the Spanglish in the De La Cruz Family Saga series of books! The series follows with the signature theme of intense passion, romance and drug cartel suspense. 
Hot & Enchanting
 I couldn't put the book down. I look forward to the next book about the De La Cruz.  http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/502098217
Hot & Forbidden
De La Cruz Saga such a great emotional roller coaster ride of romance....with some extra spice! It's steamy material. I thought this story was well written and really had me invested in the storyline and characters.    http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/536041673
Hot & Spicy
P.T Macias has created a sizzling saga of romance, hot intimacy and suspense with the De La Cruz family. I like that you get to read the characters thoughts in italics so you get both perspectives and reactions to all the goings on between the sheets and outside of them!      http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/531877897
WARNING ~ De La Cruz Saga contains Spanish. Saga has a subtle influence of Spanish and it becomes more laced. 

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Ricky Fall, Hot & Enchanting, De La Cruz Saga

 Chapter Eight 
54105a292e (1)Ricky holds Jacki close. I don’t believe it. I just made love and not just sex. This has been awesome. She bonded to my alma and drives me loco. I need to talk to her and get her name, thinks Ricky caressing her sweet heart. Oh yeah, she’s so ready for me, thinks Ricky feeling her hot mouth on his nipple.
Hmm, si, one more time and then I have to leave, thinks Jacki straddling him. She scoots down, taking him completely to the hilt, moaning with pleasure. “Wow, I love how you feel inside me. You’re mouthwateringly delicious,” moans Jacki moving up and down.
Ricky takes her breasts in his hands, taking small nibbles and then sucking her sweet tight nipples, going crazy. Damn she’s incredible. I love every single part of her, thinks Ricky drunk on pasiĆ³n.
They reach their release, gazing into each other’s eyes, and bonding their alma. Ricky holds her tight to his corazon.
After a few moments, Jacki stands and runs into the ocean. She laughs with joy, feeling her nipples tighten from the cool water. Oh, I’m aching with pleasure, thinks Jacki grabbing her breasts with enjoyment.couples (5)
The cool water is supposed to calm down my pasiĆ³n, thinks Jacki. Ricky pulls her close, kissing her, and touching her sweet nipples. “Damn you’re so hot. I can’t get enough of you,” says Ricking pulling her up, impaling his hot aching shaft.  Jacki wraps her legs around his waist, moving against him.
Ricky goes down onto the sand and takes Jacki with fierce pasiĆ³n. He pounds in and out with desperation, holding her tight, and devouring her mouth.
Oh si, he’s so hot and delicious. How am I going to live without making love? I will always want to, ponders Jacki pulling him closer. Their pasiĆ³n is scorching hot, not even the cool water can quench it.
They lay on the sand with the waves beating against them. Jacki loves every moment. I don’t want to leave, but I know that it’s getting late, thinks Jacki.
Jacki shifts and stands. She starts walking towards the pile of clothing. She pulls on her dress. I don’t know where my panties are at, oh well. Nobody will know that they’re mine, thinks Jacki turning to watch Ricky pull on his clothes.
They walk back to the party. Most of the people are drunk and dancing. Nobody notices Ricky and Jacki return with wet hair. Jacki goes to get another wine cooler and takes a drink.
Ricky pulls her back into his arms, whispering. “Let’s dance,” says Ricky pulling her to the dance floor.
“Okay,” replies Jacki smiling in wonder up into his hermosos green eyes. She wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him down closer.
Hell yes, I’m going to enjoy every minute that she’s in my arms. She has me in a perpetual red hot raging ache, ponders Ricky giving her hungry hot besos.
They dance for a while. They relish holding each other tight. After a while Jacki starts to look around over his shoulder for her amiga Angela.
“Who are you looking for?” asks Ricky standing next to her, wrapping his arm around her small waist.
“I’m looking for my amiga Angela,” replies Jacki turning to gaze at him, smiling.
Jacki hears Angela laugh and turns to the other side searching for her. Angela is in the corner kissing a Chico. Hmmm, I wonder if she’s ready to leave, wonders Jacki.
Ricky holds her close, thinking of their love making. “Don’t go,” says Ricky in her ear, taking a nip. “I need to make love to you again.”
“I have to leave,” says Jacki, blushing. Si I love to make love with Ricky, but I can’t be another one of his muƱecas. I have to learn to live without him. He’s probably won’t stick around for long, thinks Jacki nodding.
Angela walks over to them smiling. “Where did you go? I was looking for you. We have to go,” says Angela looking over at Ricky.
“Okay, let’s go,” replies Jacki walking out of Ricky’s arms. She turns to smile at Ricky. “I have to leave. Adios.”
“I can take you to your casa. I need to talk to you,” says Ricky with frustration. “I need some information.”
“We have to go. That was my ex and he’s not leaving me alone. Come on, we need to leave,” says Angela walking away.
Jacki goes up on tip toes and pulls him down for one last hungry beso. “Adios,” says Jacki gazing into his hermosos green eyes. She turns and follows Angela out of the party.
“Wait,” yells Ricky following her. “Tell me your name.”
Jacki and Angela couldn’t hear him. They weaved in and out of the crowd, losing Ricky. Angela’s carro is parked near the front door and they jumped in.  Ricky reaches the front door and sees the carro driving out of the gate.
Hell no! There she goes running away again. I don’t get this. I know that she feels the same as I do. I know that she loved making love. I know that she has my name tattooed on her hip near her awesome sweet heart. I love everything about her. I know and feel that she’s only mia. Why is she always running away from me? I know that the alcohol made her uninhibited and that’s why she made love. Damn it all to hellShe was a virgin! What the hell, ponders Ricky with frustration. I need her name and number so I can see her again. I can’t seek her out at work.
Ricky walks back inside and grabs a Corona. He strides furiously out to the beach. He quickly walks down the same path that they had taken, gulping down the Corona with frustration. He walks until he’s at the spot where they made love. He sits down finishing off the Corona. He puts back one hand to lean on it and crosses his legs looking out into the ocean.
How am I going to forget her? I have been going loco for her before we made love. Now I know that she’s mia, only mia for eternity.  I want her in my vida. I wouldn’t give her up. I want to know everything about her. Why didn’t she tell me her name? She knows she’s mine. She tattooed my name on her! Damn it all to hell. I’m going crazy, ponders Ricky moving his hand.
Uh, what is this? Hell yes, these are her panties! I’m keeping them, thinks Ricky bringing them up to his face. He inhales her scent, getting instantly hard. Si I want her now and for eternity.
*  *  *
Wow, I can’t believe what I have done. I made love with Ricardo Emmanuel my eternal enchantment. I don’t want to think of any consequences. I know that he didn’t use a condom. I loved every precious moment. I don’t care if it’s wrong. I know that he might never talk to me again, but I will always have these memories. I know that I was a little drunk and I didn’t think about it twice.8yh89yam3
When I saw Ricky asking me to dance, I was enthralled.  I only wanted to feel him, to smell him, and to fill all of my senses with him. I love him, ponders Jacki gazing out of the window.
So why did you disappear?  Were you with that guapo Chico? Who is he? Is he tu novio? I was talking with Eduardo. He wouldn’t leave me alone. I don’t want to go back. He hurt me when he betrayed me,” says Angela glancing over at Jacki.
“No Angela, he’s not my novio. He’s muy cute, cute,” replies Jacki nodding. I can’t tell Angela or anyone else what has happened. It was awesome and my own secret.
“Why didn’t you tell me that Eduardo cheated on you? You never wanted to talk about it. I thought it was a good thing when I saw you with him.”
“No it’s not good. I never wanted to discuss it, because it hurt. Eduardo was begging me all night to return to him. I can’t trust him, but I do love him,” replies Angela forgetting all about Ricky and Jacki.
“I don’t know what to tell you Angela. I don’t have any experience in the novio thing. What I do know is that it is hard to meet a Chico that you’re attracted to and like,” replies Jacki turning to look out the window.
Now it’s going to be even harder to forget Ricky, ponders Jacki. She wipes away a tear that slipped out of her eye.
They arrive at Angela’s casa. Jacki strides to her carro. “Adios amiga, call me,” calls out Jacki turning to the carro.  She drives to her casa and runs inside. She goes to her room. I need to take a shower. I’m full of sand, thinks Jacki.
Hmmm, I can see all of Ricky’s love bites. Oh yeah, he was incredible. I wonder if he saw my tattoo. I love him, thinks Jacki walking into the shower.
She lathers up the wash cloth and runs it over her body. Wow, my body is still sensitive from all of his loving making. She runs her fingers over her breasts and touches her nipples remembering his mouth. Damn, now that I know how he feels, I’m going to go crazy with need, thinks Jacky feverishly. Uh, I better turn the water to cold!
Hot & Enchanting, De La Cruz Saga by P.T. Macias 
Visit De La Cruz Saga website to read chapters 1~ 7 

Friday, February 15, 2013

Fondled and Gobbled


Fondled and Gobbled: Someone Had To Do It  by:
Danica Avet, Lea Barrymire, Anya Richards, Cassandra Carr and Piper Trace

BLURB:
The perfect man—with the imperfect cock and oral skills. The Dom who isn’t a dom, and the man who proves it to him. The alien with dessert-flavored semen and three cocks. The older man (a kajillionaire with a penthouse in Seattle…) who has limitless ability to come all night with his naĆÆve little virgin. A woman on a diet who craves a feast of meat and finds herself five Broadshaft Brothers who can deliver. 
If you’re looking for the perfect romance with the perfect hero and heroine, this isn’t it! This is a series of spoofs, parodies, just-for-fun lighthearted take-offs. It’s for all us longtime, hard-core romance readers who can laugh at the clichĆ©s, purple prose and “suspend your disbelief” plot devices that haunt our beloved favorite genre. 

Thanks for stopping by. I know you’re all busy, especially with the release of your stories. But I wanted everyone to get to know you a little better and see how things are going for each of you after meeting your significant others. Let’s get started.
Character Interview
Q: Please introduce yourselves and give me a two sentence synopsis of your story.

Lucius: *looks around at all the women and lifts his chin* I’m Lucius, and I’m not sure what the fuss is all about. I just tried to have a quiet sneak-fuck and ended up trussed like a turkey, being assaulted. *gets a faraway look in his eyes* Never realized how much fun that could be…
Steele: I’m Steele Ana. I was working in a dead end job, but then Grey Christian came in and we fell instantly in love! He promptly insisted I move into his awesome penthouse in Seattle, and of course I said yes!
Missy: *tapping the screen* Can you guys hear me? Yes? Good. I’m Missy. *waving* Um, I’m on Oz’s ship someplace in the next galaxy over from the Milky Way. We’re heading to his planet, I guess. Anyway, after he took me from Earth I’m not too worried about where we’re going. He’s hunky, I was single… enough said, right?
Holly: *Pauses in the middle of flipping through Big Toys for Big O’s magazine* What’s there to talk about? I like sex. I like orgasms even more. My man, Caid Kincaid gives me what I need. Sort of. *slouches in her chair* Most of the time. *Slouches more* He’s really trying. *Glares at Lucius* Ain’t fair how some people get all the luck. *Mutters something about cock enlargement devices*
Emily: Hi! First off, thanks for having me. I'm Emily Justasalad, and I'm...well, I'm just a regular girl, so all this attention is taking me a little time to get used to. My story is really one about triumph and self-discovery--you know, learning to love yourself! Oh yeah, and I came to this realization by having an all-out, five-hot-men-on-one-Emily, Broadshaft Brothers orgy on my kitchen table. It might not work for everyone, but it was certainly therapeutic for me.


Q: If you had to explain your man, or men, to someone who hasn’t read your story, what would you say?

Lucius: Jace? He’s a puffball, twink interior decorator. *smirks* Think pink frillies, high heels and a different colored pair of glasses for each outfit. *the smirk fades* But when you get him into the bedroom he turns into a schlong-wielding monster…*whispers* so fuckin’ hot.
Holly: He’s rich, he’s sexy, he has…a really small cock and is the worst lover I’ve ever had. *Slouches in her chair* I have silver bullets bigger than his cock! I mean, sure, he can go like a million times in a night like a jackrabbit on Viagra, but I’m a quality over quantity girl which is why I’m glad Cade lets me bring Big Hoss out to play. *Pulls a huge banana yellow vibrator out of her purse* What? I’ll cut a bitch if they have something to say about my one and a half-menz. *Pulls a razor blade out of her cheek*
Steele: Grey is like no one I’ve ever met. He’s got more money than I can even fathom, and the sex drive of a bull. He’s got a lot going on with his business, but still takes plenty of time to make sure I’m happy. And he’s a little naughty too – he won’t let me wear clothes in the house!
Emily: Oh! *fans herself* The boys are...well, you probably already know them from their commercials--the five gorgeous brothers who own Broadshaft Brothers Pizza? You've seen the commercials, right? The ones where the boys display their top quality sausage and promise to deliver it to you hot whenever you have a craving for them? I mean...it? I mean, a sausage pizza, of course. And your satisfaction is always guaranteed. I can vouch for that. *fans herself again* Is it hot in here?
Missy: O M G! Oz is the shit. A big strong alien dude, right?! *leaning close to the screen* I have to whisper because he doesn’t like me talking about his cocks. But, holy hell, he has THREE of them. Three. And he’s so freaking tasty. I could live off his body and never eat again, I swear.


Q: I know that Valentine’s Day is a big deal for some people, especially in new relationships. Did you and your new significant other celebrate by doing anything fun? Did he buy you anything exciting?

Lucius: *turning red and sticking his chin out* We’re guys. We don’t make a big deal about shit like that. *shifts in his seat and refuses to make eye-contact* You know what? That’s a dumb question. I don’t wanna talk about it. *Shifts in his chair again and mutters what sounds like, “I didn’t even know about cock-cages before.”*
Steele: Um, let’s see. There was a lot…the matching anklet, bracelet, necklace, earrings – all huge diamonds, of course; the Leer jet so I wouldn’t have to rely on his; and the new Rolls Royce – with a driver, of course. Grey doesn’t want me to drive. Oh, and he got a lady’s maid! I’m not sure what she’s supposed to do, so I just keep making stuff up. I think she likes to be busy, so she’s already polished my thousand pairs of shoes *pauses* three or four times, and organized the wardrobe that takes up six closets in the penthouse by color, type of clothing, and season.
Holly: Oh sure, Cade bought me “toy” factory for Valentine’s Day and then we got dirty in the board room with the entire line of their Hung Like A Horse vibrators. *Waggles her eyebrows* Can we just say there are major bennies to being the CEO of a sex toy factory? *Retrieves a fourteen inch, glow-in-the-dark, pink vibrator of her purse and waggles it in front of Lucius and Ravyn* I’m thinking of calling this one Mr. Spock. Whatcha think? You can put it in the freezer for that cold-Vulcan lovin’.
Missy: Oh, crap, that was yesterday wasn’t it? Well, I haven’t been keeping track of Earth days since we left, so we didn’t do anything at all to celebrate. But, he did promise to buy me some sort of sexy clothing that glows in the dark when we get to his planet. *giggling* That’s close enough to Valentine wear as anything.
Emily: Those Broadshaft Boys always know exactly what I want, whether it's Valentine's Day or just any given Tuesday. I want an extra-large, extra-extra sausage pizza, delivered by all five of them at closing time, so there's no need for them to rush to their next delivery. They always make sure all six of us get exactly what we need. And for me, all I ever want those boys to do is stuff me full of their amazing Broadshaft Brothers sausage. And luckily for me, they love to give it to me.


Q: I know the readers are going to want to know about the sex, so dish, ladies *and guy*. How has it been in the sack?

Holly: Well, once I showed Cade how I like to get my cookie- that’s an orgasm for those of y’all not in the know- he gives it to me how I like it. And with his bunny-rabbit screwing speed, I can get a baker’s dozen of cookies a night. *Looks far too smug for her own good*
Lucius: *bright red now and looking around as though for an exit* Good. Good. Umm…surprisingly good. Painfully, intensely good. *tugs at the inseam of his pants* I can’t talk about it, okay? The cage… *goes white, then red again* I didn’t say anything, okay? You’ll take that last bit out, right? Right?
Steele: Grey is absolutely unbelievable. He can come over a dozen times a day, every day, even though he’s already forty-eight! Sometimes he comes so much it drips down my thighs, but I love it. And sometimes he does scary things, like paddle my bare bottom like two or three times even if I disobey him. But then he lets me make it up to him by, um, using my mouth to please him. I still can’t say that other phrase for it without giggling.
Missy: So, I told you about the cocks, but I’m going to say it again. THREE. And, the front one vibrates. He’s like a three-way vibrating, tasty dildo. He’s so awesome. Way more sexy than any other guy I’ve ever been with. *sighing* And with chocolate tasting cum how can I complain, right? I mean, he’s like sucking off a chocolate fountain. YUM.
Emily: In the sack... In the sack... I've never actually been in the sack with the Brothers. We've been on the kitchen table, the living room floor, the backyard once--but we don't do that anymore, not with the noise violation citation I received--and, oh yeah, that one crazy time in the back of the delivery van. And as far as how they are? Well the rumors are true--the Broadshafts have handed down the secrets of how to handle their meat for generations. They work with their hands all day, they're in gorgeous physical shape, and best of all, the customer's satisfaction is their number one priority, and they won't stop until you are completely stuffed and satisfied.


Q: Last question: For those readers that haven’t read your story, give me a quick glimpse into it.

Lucius: Listen, all I wanted was a quickie—even brought my handcuffs because, well, Jace looks like the perfect sub—but let’s just say he brought out a side of me I didn’t even know existed. I gotta go. I’m on duty in a while. *gets up and glares at the interviewer first, then all the other ladies in turn* I was never here, understand?
Missy: Well, he wasn’t really happy to be here, was he? *grinning* Here’s my story, real quick. Oz landed in my backyard and took me. *snorting* No, not that kind of taking. He put me on his ship and left the Earth. I thought for a moment to fight him about it, but I have no family, didn’t really like my job, and like I said. He’s huge, hot and has three cocks. Who wouldn’t go willingly with a strange alien if he had that? *looking over her shoulder* Oh, he’s coming back to the bridge. I’ve gotta go. Thanks for having me on the interview. Nice to meet you all. *waving and the screen blinks black*
Holly: *Heavy sigh* Really? Like there’s something unusual about a billionaire falling in with a ghettolicious girl? Okay, so maybe there is. Whatever. I’ll admit I was disappointed when we first started getting freaky. *Looks around* Fine, I was very disappointed, but if there’s one thing I can say about Cade Kincaid, it’s that while he’s fast and frequent, he gets my engine purring so that when Big Hoss makes it to bed, I come like a nuclear explosion. Every time. Because I make sure I get my cookie.
Emily: Oh, I got this *clears her throat* “And they closed in on her…five muscled studs, large and tanned and in possession of delicious sausage secrets shared only among themselves. Emily instantly dropped the package, the condoms, her diet plan, and her good intentions and squealed as five sets of strong hands carried her like their new toy to the kitchen table she’d set for one.” *grinning* Pretty good, right?


Well, thank you guys for coming out and letting me pick at your relationships. I appreciate it, and hope you all the best in the future with your… well, your love lives.


Read more about the gang from Fondled and Gobbled: Someone Had To Do It on the Cabal of Hotness blog. Or check out the book here:


Thursday, February 7, 2013

Heartbreaker Blog Hop Feb 8th ~ 11th


Website: http://carrieannbloghops.blogspot.com/
Heartbreakers are simply delicious! They make your heart race and incite hot dreams. Their strong confident demanding apha attitude drives you wild. Heartbreakers are bad boys!

De La Cruz Saga has the ultimate bay boy! 

Christian Arturo De La Cruz is a heartbreaker! He lives for excitement. He loves it when the risk is great, dangerous, and complex. He enjoys the thrill of conquering the enemy when on a mission and the chicas when he’s on leave. Christian is a carefree bachelor relishing his life.

Monique Acosta is a young innocent bella (beautiful) chica. She captures the SEAL’s alma (soul) with her freshness and charm. She instantaneously turns Christian’s world upside down. She’s ignorant that her dream amor (love) is a Navy SEAL. Will Monique understand and accept his career.

Christian desperately searches the perfect moment to reveal that he’s a SEAL without losing her love. Suddenly an evil force enters his life and threatens his amor and familia? The Seal is hurled into dangerous warfare. He engages against the biggest menacing criminal ever. He fights against time and evil to save his amor and familia. 

Hot & Wild, De La Cruz Saga
Blurb ~
Christian is thinking of the report and his findings. He turns the corner and collides with Monique. All of his papers go flying all over the hallway.  
Christian responds quickly due to his fast reflexes and training. He’s able to react instantly to catch the hermosa chica (lovely girl) before she falls onto the carpet. Incredible, thinks Christian stun. This chica is classy and bella (beauty). Oh dios mio, she smells delicious.
Christian is astonish and looks her over. Damn, look at who I ran into. It’s a bella hot chica and I have never seen her before. She has a beautiful heart shape face with huge hazel eyes that are fringed with incredible long eye lashes. His eyes travel from her eyes to her sweet soft full lips. He’s instantly tempted to touch her shiny golden brown hair.
She’s dressed in a nice black suit with real sexy high pumps. Yeah, look at her legs. She’s real hot. She almost reaches my shoulders.  Oh yeah, look at her, she looks like she had an interview. I hope she gets the job, contemplates Christian with interest.
Monique runs right into Christian and she drops her portfolio and purse. What happened? Did I run into a wall? That hurt, ponders Monique. She tries to not fall down, she grabs onto Christian’s leather jacket.
Monique looks up into the most beautiful green eyes with long black lashes.  Dios mio (OMG), what a hunk, thinks Monique. I can feel all of his muscles. Wow he’s hard as rock, tall and muy (very) sexy. Oh boy he looks like a bad boy, yeah.
Christian smiles at the bella chica showing off his beautiful dimples. His smile causes Monique to forget where she’s at. She’s unable to turn away. She remains in his embrace, gazing into his hermosos green eyes.
“Are you okay?” asks Christian, smiling. He looks her over to see if she’s hurt. She’s so incredibly hot. I can just taste her, ponders Christian with pleasure.
“Yes, thank you for keeping me from falling. With these high heels, it’s hard to keep your balance when you run into a mountain,” replies Monique with amazement. She continues to look him over.  Incredible, who would have known that such a bad boy would be here?
♥ Join February 15th ♥
Hot & Wild, De La Cruz Saga new book release event on Facebook! Enjoy the games and win prizes!  Awesome authors swag giveaways! Tell your friends! http://tiny.cc/yqk0rw 

Almost 300 bloggers have giveaways and posts about those men we love! 

But that's not all.... We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!

Now what are those prizes?

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
Please leave comment and email address to enter to win grand prizes.  
Please enter to win De La Cruz prize!
Everything but the swag prize is international!


Saturday, February 2, 2013

Eternally Yours by Gina Ardito

Gina ArditoYes friends, we have awesome Gina Ardito visiting us. Gina please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m multi-published (thirteen books and counting!) in contemporary, historical, and paranormal romance. Although I started out with a small NY publisher, I’ve since launched into indie publishing and find a lot of freedom in being able to release a book when I’m ready, control the cover art, and have all the info about sales, etc. at my fingertips. I also run a freelance editing business for fiction writers: Excellence in Editing. I live on Long Island (NY) with my husband of 26+ years, our two kids, their assorted friends who find the Ardito kitchen the best place in the world to hang out, a bionic dog, and two cats who allow us to pay them homage on a regular basis. Last year, the International Women’s Leadership Association named me as a Woman of Outstanding Leadership in the field of Publishing—an honor that I’m very proud of!
Gina I know that you have worked hard for that recognition. How did you decide to enter the world of writing? 
I’d always wanted to write and collected spiral notebooks with dozens of unfinished stories ever since I was in junior high school. When I was pregnant with my son (sixteen years ago!), I was confined to home for the last trimester due to complications. That was when my husband brought home our first desktop computer, hooked it up and said, “Either write the damn book or shut up about it.” I wrote the damn book and never looked back.
What does your family think of your writing? 
Would you believe me if I said they’ve never read any of my books? They’ve read scenes or helped me brainstorm, but (as painful as this is to admit), I am the only real recreational reader in my family. My husband reads complicated legal and financial documents as a huge part of his job so reading for pleasure is a concept that escapes him. My daughter just got a Kindle for Christmas (for her college textbooks) and has recently discovered how easy it is to download a book she’s “always wanted to read” and dig in. There’s hope for her. My son...he’s sixteen. Even if he did read, he wouldn’t admit it and definitely NOT romance novels! In public, they’re all proud of me and they boast about my many published books. Just don’t ask them to describe any of those books in detail.
Where do you get your ideas? 
I often wonder what people who don’t write have in their heads at any given moment. My husband claims my brain is like an attic in an old house, cluttered with stuff no one else cares about. I find inspiration everywhere: my dreams, people I meet, conversations I overhear (I’m a notorious snoop). I can make up a story about the guy in the car next to me in a traffic jam or the woman behind me on line at the DMV. Everything is fodder.
Can you tell us a little about your book? 
Eternally Yours is the legendary book of my heart and explores the concept of love after death. What happens to love when we die? And how do the scars of our time on Earth affect us in the Afterlife? It’s weighty subject matter, and yet, the story itself is fun and insightful. After one too many disappointments in her life, Jodie Devlin commits suicide. Rather than this being the end of her problems, it turns out to be the beginning. Since she died before her scheduled time, she’ll have to become an employee in the Afterlife until a new life path can be arranged for her. She becomes a bounty hunter, retrieving ghosts who’ve lingered on Earth.  Each spirit comes from a different time and place with a unique backstory that resonates with Jodie. By helping them come to terms with their deaths, she comes to terms with her own choices. Too bad she’s been paired with Luc Asante, a bitter man whose wife pulled him off life support too early. Jodie is as soft as he is tough, as naive as he is cynical, and as impulsive as he is methodical. If they weren’t already dead, working together would probably kill them. 
Wow Gina this story sounds awesome! Very creative writing. What is your writing process? 
I write like a crack addict. Whenever I can sneak in a word, a sentence, a scene, I write. I get up in the morning and write. On my break and lunch hour at my day job, I write. I come home and before I start dinner, I write. I have notebooks all over my house (along with dozens of pens), a laptop, a netbook, and the memo section of my iPod all prepped and ready to write when I’m fired up. I keep a print out of my most recently written scene tucked in my purse at all times for traffic jams, doctors’ appointments, and any other downtime. I edit as I go along so when I type The End, I have a fairly pristine manuscript, ready to be reviewed by my private editor and my beta readers. 
Well that sounds like me, lol. I work on my stories all of my spare time. What was the hardest part for you when working on your book? 
For Eternally Yours, it was The End. I don’t ever plot a story and for this one in particular, I needed my hero and heroine to make the ultimate sacrifice for love. Since they’re already dead, that left out a lot of possibilities. Eventually, I revisited the pain that had brought each of them to the Afterlife and made them face that pain head-on. 
What influenced or inspired you to write? I’ve always loved stories. I grew up in a household where there were more kids than money so books were our main entertainment. I had a library card from the day I could print my name. My parents had a collection of Readers’ Digest Condensed Books in their bedroom and I would choose a volume to read every month. By the time I was ten, I had devoured stories like The Scarlet Pimpernel, Little Women, The Count of Monte Cristo, and Wuthering Heights. At the age of thirteen, I discovered my older sister’s stash of romance novels and fell in love with the genre. I decided I wanted to someday write my own stories of dashing heroes and plucky heroines. After that, I was constantly plotting, researching, and starting chapters for my eventual novel. It took me twenty years from dreaming to actually sitting at that desktop computer when I was eight months pregnant.  
Was there a scene that you didn’t add or you removed in your finished work? 
In the opening chapter, my heroine, Jodie, commits suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills, downed with a bottle of vodka, and immersing herself in a filled bathtub. Her self-termination is the vehicle that transports her to the Afterlife and is crucial to propelling the story forward. Editors and agents repeatedly rejected the manuscript because they hated the whole idea of a heroine’s suicide. In its original form, I described every step of her death in detail, but in deference to my readers’ sensitivity, I eventually cut the scene so now the reader sees her sinking into the tub and immediately waking up in the Afterlife. 
It sounds like a great way to start the story Gina. This story sounds truly unique. Do you have a favorite character (from your book)? Why? 
I actually fell in love with a secondary character, Sean Martino. This happens to me a lot. My main characters are vividly displayed on the page, their flaws as well as their virtues under high intensity lighting. After a while, those flaws begin to annoy me—especially when they keep letting those flaws get in the way of their happily ever after! But my secondary characters always seem to primarily show their best sides: their humor, their clever wit, their joie de vivre. I sometimes fall so hard for them, I wind up writing a sequel that features them. Then I autopsy them on the page with their flaws as well as their virtues, and the love affair ends. Eventually, Sean will get his own story. Until then, he’s perfect just the way he is. 
Do you already know what to write next? Can you tell us? 
I’m currently working on a new series (The Calendar Girls) that takes place in a small resort town on the east end of Long Island. Two books are already complete: Duet in September and Reunion in October. I’m currently at work on the third, Homecoming in November. In this particular series, each book features two heroines at crossroads in their lives. Homecoming features Terri, a recovering alcoholic who’s returning to her hometown after completing a stint in a rehab facility, and Jayne, a veterinarian who has run to this seaside town to avoid the media after a public tragedy in her private life. 
Where can we find more information about you and your books? 
The best place to find up-to-date info is my website: www.ginaardito.com, but you can also follow me on Facebook (GinaArdito) and Twitter (@GinaArdito). 
Do you have any last words? 
Don’t just dare to dream; dare to do.
I totally agree with that Gina. I even wrote a poem this week on dreams. Thank you for visiting and sharing. I hope that you visit us soon to share your next books.  
Fun Questions ~
I love weekends because?
I get to sleep until 8 am. Seriously. And when I get up, I get to spend hours writing, instead of little windows of time. (Housework is always lowest on my to-do list.)
I hate ignorance.
I want to buy a vacation home for my hubster with my first huge royalty check.
My favorite song is Clarity by Zedd right now (this changes routinely.)
My favorite precious stone is an opal, which I can’t own because legend says it’s bad luck for anyone who wasn’t born in October. Sadly, I’m an August babe.
I want to travel to Paris for the romance, history, and food. What more could anyone want out of life? Besides, I’ve already been to London (a place where I swear I lived in a past life!)
I want to meet people from all walks of life. I’m not big on fame or religious icons, but I love having conversations with strangers. Not just “Do you believe how crowded this place is?” conversations—genuine discussions. I’m the person you probably dread sitting next to on a plane because I’ll start talking to you and get your whole life story during the flight. A few months ago, I attended a conference in a large hotel in NY. During a break, I sat in the coffee shop and a woman asked to share my table with me because the place was packed. Turned out, she was there for an interview for a job with the U.N. How cool is that? We talked all through our lunch. I left with info for a possible character in the future, she left with a new author to check out. Win/win.
I want to invite all of my writing friends to dinner. Thanks to the Internet, I have friends around the world. Some I only see at conferences. Many others, I’ve only spoken to online. If I could, I would host an enormous dinner party and invite all of these special people to a get-together where we could chat about our characters, our plot lines, the struggle to find enough writing time, and all the other issues non-writers don’t realize are crucial to our daily lives.
My dream is to reach the stage where I can make enough money at writing to give up the day job.
My favorite book is as random as my favorite song. There’s no such thing as an eternal favorite book. The more I read, the more I fall in love with. The best book I read this past year was probably Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, which turns the Robin Hood/Will Scarlet legend on its head.  I’m also a sucker for J.D. Robb’s In Death series and all of Suzanne Brockmann’s Troubleshooters, and I can read those over and over again. And if you’re asking about my own books? Eternally Yours. But ask me again next year and I’ll have a whole new crop of favorites.