GUEST BLOG: REBECCA E. GRANT

This is a great time to be talking with you because I’m just starting a new book, CRADLE OF LIES, a romantic suspense. Already I’ve become obsessive about the research. My research has taken me to some dark places, some delightful places and just about everywhere in between.

About the dark places…  I’ve been learning about the differences between psychopaths and sociopaths (just your average light reading :-)). But I’ve learned not to do it at night if I want to have sweet dreams!

The terms are often used interchangeably but they’re actually very different. In lay terms (I have to say that because you professionals out there will likely cringe at my gross over-simplification) psychopaths are highly intelligent, very organized and can connect with a limited number of people, such as family, but they have no empathy. They cannot relate to anyone else’s pain, sadness, loss, and so forth although to some it is a curiosity. They’re often successful in their careers, and they plan for years before they carry out an act of violence. They blend in, and are difficult to apprehend. They could be anyone and usually, we’ll never know it.

Sociopaths typically come from a lower socio-economic background than psychopaths, are very disorganized, cannot maintain relationships or steady employment, are erratic in behavior, and their acts of violence are unplanned. These characteristics make them easy to spot and apprehend.

Psychopaths are persuasive—even dazzling in nature. Sociopaths try to dominate others and humiliate their victims.

And finally, there are some who believe in the ‘psychopath gene’ … which I found intriguing and plays a central role in the book.

Now for one of the most the delightful bits of research I’ve run across. The techniques horse whisperers use to work with horses tend to be as effective in human relationships (and especially between men and women) as they are on horses!

I keep readers updated about works in progress so feel free to check my website for more details.

Also, my contemporary cowboy romance LIBERTY STARR is on sale at Carina Press. If you’ve read it, I’d love to hear what you thought of it.

In the spirit of unstoppable love,

Rebecca E. Grant

Love is Unstoppable!

Rebecca E. Grant love is unstoppable! can be found at:

Website: www.RebeccaEGrant.com

Blog: http://blog.RebeccaEGrant.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/RebeccaEGrant

Facebook: Rebecca E Grant

Email: Rebecca@RebeccaEGrant.com

GUEST BLOG: DELILAH DEVLIN

My Inspiration

I have collections—of paintings and favorite objects. All themed.

Dragons—Several picture books, two large, original oil paintings done by an artist friend of mine, the complete collection of McDonald’s Kid’s Meals toys from How To Train Your Dragon. Dragon figurines in ceramic, carved jade, and wood.

Fairies—A ton of textbooks, a large watercolor by another artist friend, four small oil paintings by the same friend, and a wooden fairy door—all nailed to the wall above my desk.

Vikings—More picture books, a Viking warrior’s ceramic, gold-painted bust, a mini-longboat (that just happens to burn incense).

I’m starting on bears and wolves now, and looking for small figurines I can cup inside my hand, maybe carved in stone, because I like to be able to feel them and play with them. Does that sound strange? I suppose it might to some. But I find that tactile and visual stimulation helps loosen Mr. Muse’s firm grip deep inside my subconscious brain. Then I can drag him clawing into the light. That’s when I start to write.

One of my latest releases was the cowboy romance, True Heart. For this book, I didn’t need figurines or paintings. I had only to close my eyes and remember what a working ranch looks like, what the cowboys wore, and listen to my memories of how they spoke. I lived in South Texas for nine years and my home sat on the edge of a ranch in the Hill Country. Prime cowboy territory. It’s still so vivid I don’t need to pull out the photos. But one day I might. And then they’ll be sitting on the wall above my PC talking to my muse while I stare at my screen and type exactly what he says.

Strange? Yeah, but I’m a writer. They have meds for folks who don’t have a reason to live in a fantasy world. I’m luckier than those poor souls. My fantasies pay the bills.

Get in bed with Delilah. Everyone else has!

Delilah Devlin is an award-winning author with a rapidly expanding reputation for writing deliciously edgy stories with complex characters. Whether creating dark, erotically-charged paranormal worlds or richly descriptive westerns that ring with authenticity, Delilah Devlin “pens in uncharted territory that will leave the readers breathless and hungering for more…” Delilah is the author of over seventy stories, published with Berkley, Avon, Kensington, Ellora’s Cave and Samhain.  www.DelilahDevlin.com

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*Darkness Captured 2010 Aspen Gold Winner for Best Erotica!

Enslaved by a Viking Berkley October 2011| Girls Who Bite Cleis Press October 2011

GUEST BLOG: L.A. Witt

Extreme People-Watching

Like a lot of authors, I’m frequently asked where I get my ideas and how I come up with my characters. Of course, there are dozens of answers to this. There isn’t some foolproof magical idea-generator that can be picked up at the As-Seen-On-TV store. Characters cannot, unlike catnip or Chia pets, be grown in convenient little pots on the kitchen counter. 

I suppose for me, ideas and characters are more like cockroaches than anything. They wait until the lights are off and I’m trying to sleep, at which point they come creeping out of the woodwork. They skitter around the house, getting into stuff, until they get bored and come wandering into the bedroom. They crawl up the side of the bed, tiptoe across the pillow, and—okay, I suppose the similarity ends there, but you get the idea. Long story short, I’m an insomniac, and my characters think it’s funny to drop ideas in my head when I’m trying to sleep. Jerks.

Sometimes, though, I go looking for ideas, and I do have a technique that has rarely failed me. My method for that goes back to a little game some of my friends played when we were teenagers. If you’ve never done this, I highly recommend it, whether you’re a writer or not.

Find a restaurant on a somewhat busy street (with at least a few people on the sidewalk, etc), and get a table by the window. From your vantage point, scan the crowd until someone catches your eye. We’ll start with that lady at the bus stop with the red baseball cap. 

She looks all unassuming and average, but you see that bag by her feet? The one she keeps toeing like she wants to make sure it hasn’t moved? There’s a cobra in there. It’s sleeping now, but only because the two of them are on their way to work. 

And the guy on his cell phone, pacing in front of the espresso cart with a water bottle in his hand? He’s a rookie CIA agent, and he’s trying to convince his boss he’s found the Cobra Assassin. Yes, at a bus stop. Yes, right here. Yes, visual confirmation, seriously. But his boss thinks he’s an idiot because of that incident last month when, in a moment of lapsed judgment and mistaken identity, he tasered a Swedish diplomat. 

Sucks being the new guy.

You get the idea. 

These days, I play this little game at home instead. I have accumulated about, to date, 15,000 pictures of people on my computer. Some celebrities, some not.  Random people, stock photos, you name it. (How do I find anything? I have OCD…you’d be amazed how meticulously these images are organized. I can find any one picture in about 60 seconds flat.)  

When I’m hard up for an idea, I go grab a dozen or so pictures from those files.  Usually a mix of male and female, with as wide a variety as I can in terms of expressions, etc.  I lay them out on a single Photoshop document. Then I sit back and say, “Tell me your story.” 

Okay, I don’t usually say it out loud. My cats think I’m crazy enough. But you get the idea. And speaking of getting an idea, it doesn’t usually take long before the pictures start telling their story.  This guy really wants that girl, but can’t because that guy is a total douche and broke her heart. Not usually that simple, but there you go.  And quirks come from the pictures too. Bastian, the main character of With the Band, ended up with a German accent and a tongue piercing even though I based him off a picture of an American guy who does not, as far as I’m aware, have his tongue pierced.  Why? I don’t know. Why did the lady on the bench have a cobra in her bag? Who knows? She just did. 

From there, the characters evolve, and so do their stories.  So, if you’re ever stuck for an idea, or just want a good laugh, give it a try. It’s a lot of fun,  and can be great for breaking through a creative funk. 

And…if you think I’m insane, you’re probably right. 

L. A. Witt is an erotica writer who is said to be living in Okinawa, Japan, with her husband and two incredibly spoiled cats. There is some speculation that she is once again on the run from the Polynesian Mafia in the mountains of Bhutan, but she’s also been sighted recently in the jungles of Brazil, on a beach in Spain, and in a back alley in Detroit with some shifty-eyed toaster salesmen. Though her whereabouts are unknown, it is known that she also writes hetero erotic romance under the pseudonym Lauren Gallagher. 

Upcoming Releases:

As L. A. Witt:

With the Band – March 22, Loose Id LLC

Getting off the Ground – April 3, Amber Allure

A.J.’s Angel – May 31, Samhain Publishing

As Lauren Gallagher:

Damaged Goods – TBA, Loose Id LLC

Disengaged – September 15, Champagne Books

GUEST BLOG: BRIGIT AINE

Brigit Aine's World

I am so excited to be here today.  I really appreciate the chance to highjack the blog for a bit. I have two new and exciting things to let everyone know about… well I have lots of things I am involved in to let everyone know about so I suppose I should start.

First…I am co-owner of a fabulous FREE on-line romance magazine called Sensual Treats. We come out once a quarter and have some wonderful articles. Travel to romantic places features prominently; we have been to Italy, Greece, done some wonderful Winter Vacations and in March we are going Celtic.  *sigh* my favorite.  We also feature musicians, artists of all sorts and have some wonderful  columns. Food, advice from a counselor and we offer free de-classified ads for authors and publishers.  Twitter style ads that go in the back of the magazine as well as up on Twitter.  We have a great ad rate for authors, promoters and publisher. We feature new and promising authors, do interviews, have romantic short stories and in general are a fun place to hang out. Check us out at http://sensualtreats.webs.com/  and see for yourself. There are free reads, great recipes and all of our issues are archived so stop by and sign up.

As if that isn’t enough I am an administrator at a wonderful new book review site called Siren Book Reviews. I have a great co-conspirator in Kayden McLeod. We are looking for books to review and reviewers…so be you a reader or an author, or both, stop by and check out what we are doing. 

I just want to tell you that I am having a total blast hanging with great people who have wonderful ideas.

The newest project I have been drawn into is an up and coming promotion business for Paranormal Authors.  Again, Ms. Kayden McLeod  is the brains and I have willingly jumped in to follow.  Otherworlds Publicity is just at the planning, beginning stages as we get ourselves licensed and situated, but once we get rolling will be a force to reckon with.   If you have a paranormal blog and would like to host our authors, though, please e-mail me at Brigit@otherworldspub.info .  Right now I am collecting spots for the Blog Tours we will be offering.

Still more…I am having a great time with all aspects of the writing world. In case you think that one is just an author or just a reader or just anything may I be the first to say that this not the case. I have been asked to co-moderate groups, get involved with reviews, start new projects…and that doesn’t even touch on my own works in progress (which are coming along nicely) or the books I have out.  I have just been offered a contract for the third book in my Torrent’s Talents series with XOXO Publishing.  I am very excited though and am sure “Kraig’s Kat” will do fabulously with them.  

I have a number of titles out right now, “Red’s Return” Torrent’s Talents 1 at Decadent Publishing (http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=168&osCsid=94l8obr4ai0nd2lrqlhuvdg3j1 ) and “Cassie’s Awakening” Torrent’s Talents 2 over at Eternal Press (http://eternalpress.biz/book.php?isbn=9781770650497 )and 2 anthologies with Just Another Paranormal Monday (where I am a co-owner) at Mojocastle Press.  Just Another Paranormal Halloween (http://www.mojocastlepress.com/ParaHalloween.html  ) and Just Another Paranormal Christmas (http://www.mojocastle.com/ParaChristmas.html )

There is a free read up on my website right now, a spin off on my Torrent’s Talents Series, called “Crystal’s Capitulation”.  It is on the Works In Progress/Released page.  Stop by and pick it up.

Thanks for hanging out with me today.  Feel free to leave a comment, e-mail me, stop by the many places you will find me.  I look forward to seeing you.

Brigit Aine

http://www.brigitsworld.com/

http://www.brigitsjournals.blogspot.com/

http://www.twitter.com/brigitsworld 

http://www.facebook.com/brigitsworld

Brigit Aine lives in the Sacramento, CA area with her husband and two boys. While working full time during the day, she writes at night and on the weekends to release the voices in her head. She is the author of the Torrent's Talents series and is working on a number of other projects as well. A lover of reading as well as writing, she is the co-owner of Sensual Treats Magazine, a free quarterly magazine that focuses on the romance of life, the administrator of Siren Book Reviews and helping to start up Otherworlds Publicity, a publicity company for paranormal authors.

GUEST BLOG: ROXANNE RHOADS

What Traits Make a Great Paranormal Romance Hero?

Roxanne Rhoads

Why is paranormal romance and urban fantasy so hot right now?

What makes these books rise above the others?

Is the uber hot supernatural men?

If so, what makes them so much better than their human counterparts?

I love supernatural men because they know how to take control. After centuries they know what’s going on and don’t need you to hold their hand and direct them through life or tell them to put the toilet seat down. And hopefully they’ve gotten past all those mommy issues and don’t secretly need a mommy replacement instead of a life partner.

And let’s not forget about their sexual knowledge and experience. If they haven’t figured out how to please a woman after a couple centuries then they’re never going to figure it out.

The one thing I find rather dull about many paranormal hotties is their lack of humor. They are all about power and control- which can surely get dull after awhile. No laughter, no jokes, no fun? Sure he’s hot, he’s powerful and he’s great in bed but if he’s always doom and gloom with no fun how long can the happiness last?

I think that’s why I like my paranormal guys to be a combination of everything. Sure he’s all powerful. He’s a bit of a control freak. But he’s got a sense of humor and isn’t against a good laugh.

I think a good example is Bones from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. He embodies the best of the male supernatural characteristics and balances them out into something very desirable.

Who embodies all the traits you would want in a supernatural hottie? 

I try to throw in a little of all my favorite traits into my characters but sometimes they have a life of their own. One character I’m working on is gorgeous but damaged. I wanted him to be so much more but as I continued writing him all his negative traits kept appearing. The other man in the book, which I had no intention of becoming the hero or love interest, actually starts moving into the number one position and quickly became my favorite and possible the favorite of the heroine of the story.

It is strange how characters sometimes do that. I had the story all mapped out and he came in and stole the show. I just wonder if readers will enjoy the story or find the switch confusing.

In one of my newest releases, An Unexpected Evening, Samuel is just starting to come alive again. While he’s still got a few negative traits going on he is evolving into a character I hope readers will thoroughly enjoy. 

This story is just a short teaser of Samuel and Katerina’s story. I am currently working on a much longer follow up which will give readers a deeper look into their life together.

So I wonder- what do you like most about supernatural heroes? What traits make them lovable? What turns you off?  Tell Roxanne in the comments and one lucky commenter will win a download of An Unexpected Evening.

Story strumpet, tome loving tart, eccentric night owl...all words that can describe freelance writer and erotic romance author Roxanne Rhoads.

When not fulfilling one of the many roles being a wife and mother of three require, Roxanne's world revolves around words...reading them, writing them, and talking about them. In addition to writing her own stories she loves to read and review what others write. She operates a book review site, Fang-tastic Books at www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com and a virtual book tour business, Bewitching Book Tours at www.bewitchingbooktours.blogspot.com.

Roxanne writes everything from articles to web content as a freelance writer and poet. Her erotic stories and poems have appeared in Playgirl Magazine, several print anthologies, in ebooks and on numerous websites.

Her publishers include Noble Romance, eXcessica, Eternal Press, Xcite Books, Circlet Press, Ravenous Romance, Running Press, Midnight Showcase, Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, Melange Books, and L & L Dreamspell.

In addition to reading and writing Roxanne loves to hang out with her family, craft, garden and search for unique vintage finds.

You can visit her at www.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com and www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com

GUEST BLOG: GEM SIVAD

Any time I blog, I try to throw in a little research whimsy. Since I write historical western erotic romance, my topics swing from Texas terrain to 19^th century methods of birth control, with maybe a little stud poker mixed in between. 

Here’s an info snippet I used in my recent release, Five Card Stud.

 

In 1873 the U.S. Supreme Court established that bounty hunters had sweeping rights to the accused person they took into custody until that person was delivered to jail.

Five-card stud is the earliest form of the card game stud poker, originating during the American Civil War and popular for its “no limit” play.

How did I use these facts? Well, my hero is a bad boy, poker playing, bounty hunter named Sam McCallister—or Snake as he’s known by the outlaws. Sam wastes no time pampering prisoners—until he sits across a poker table from lady gambler, Eden Pace— and falls in lust.

Excerpt from Five Card Stud when Sam and Eden play poker for her freedom. 

Eden’s stomach twisted in anger as she met Sam’s gaze and he let her see truth. The man who stared at her with eyes as cold blue as a winter lake wasn’t going to let her leave.

Eden held up her hand and flashed the impressive emerald at their audience. “I’m afraid you don’t have enough cash to cover this jewel, Sam. It’s a family heirloom, anyway, and I could never part with my ring.”

Again she attempted to leave, this time with a sense of urgency beating a steady warning in her head.

“I think I can change your mind, Eden. Let’s put this in the pot. It’s the deed to some property I own.”

Eden opened the folded paper he pushed across the table and hesitantly looked at it. Shock rippled through her when she saw her own face staring up from a wanted poster.

Sam said, “One hand—high card wins and winner takes all.” It was a fool’s bet. There was no skill involved, just chance.

“Your deal or mine?” she asked sharply.

*

Sam handed her the deck. Without hesitation she revealed his card, the seven of spades. Her fingers trembled as she touched the back of the remaining deck. The odds had shifted in her favor.

He reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out a cigar, raising an eyebrow for consent. When she nodded, he struck a lucifer and squinted at her through the flame. Before she could turn the next card, he asked, “Care to add a side wager?”

When she didn’t answer, he prodded again. “Lost your nerve, pretty lady?” He sat forward on his chair and drew deep on the cigar, enjoying himself. Sam figured from her expression, she’d like to reach across the table and scratch lines across his face.

”Not a chance,” she muttered.

“If that card’s anything but a heart less than seven, you take your winnings and walk. I won’t bother you again,” Sam paused, before adding, “tonight. Might want to take care though,” he cautioned. “A piece of property like I just bet will get a lot of interest from other players. Hate to see you miss out on a sure thing and an easy ride home.”

Eden straightened, focusing on Sam’s offer of freedom on the turn of a card. Her trembling fingers stilled their movement and she asked coolly, “And if I lose?”

He growled, hunger for her thickening his voice, “You’re mine.”

Okay, maybe Sam is a little too cocky. Eden’s doing her own outlaw hunting and if using the smitten bounty hunter suits her game, she’s willing to play. —deal ‘em. 

In the past, Gem Sivad enjoyed short spots as a script writer and a columnist.  More often, though, she spent prosaic days crafting grant proposals and professional presentations. When her muse spoke, urging her to pursue her dream of writing romance, she kicked over the traces and took the plunge. Her first novel, Intimate Strangers, won the 2010 EPIC Award for Best Western and Best Erotic Western Romance. Since then, Gem has written five steamy historical cowboy tales where the men are guaranteed to set your pulses racing and the sassy women leave you with a smile. Her latest book, Quincy’s Woman is coming soon from Ellora’s Cave.

If you would like to know more about my books and me, please visit me @ Gem’s Place: http://www.gemsivad.com

GUEST BLOG: MARIE BEAU

It’s amazing the changes the publishing industry has gone through in the last couple years, with still more to come.

It seems like e-book readers were a modern gadget that no one had heard of until last year when the Christmas boom brought them to the top of the list for most wanted gift. Now, how much of that was marketing hype vs. real desire for the gift we will never know. I’m thinking it was a combination of both, kind of a self fulfilling prophecy. But whatever, I still want one. 

Anyway, with the advent of e-book readers, a whole new publishing market has come to life, making it easier for writers to at least get their work looked at. (The writing still has to be good enough to be published, but at least it’s possible to get an editor to read your story without having to first find an agent who has the time to read it, and then find a publisher who has room for one more book by an unknown author.)

Needless to say, I am extremely grateful for this new market and thrilled to present my first published story.

Here’s a little peek:

Lyssa Merrick has no intention of ever being involved with a wolf, but when Wolfe Reardon seeks her wildlife services, she realizes choosing a mate is not always a conscious decision.

Excerpt:

The jingle of the bells over the door announced his arrival. Lyssa sighed and dropped the tea ball into the cup of water.

I can do this.

She stepped into the front of the store and looked toward the door. Where is he? I know it was him. She frowned, turned back toward the kitchen, and screamed when a hand landed on her shoulder.

Without thinking, she gripped the hand, stepped into his side, and flipped him. Her eyes widened when she realized what she had done. I guess it’s not all about size after all. She practically giggled until she looked down at him, lying there so still. Perhaps he got the breath knocked out of him when he landed.

She shifted from foot to foot, staring at him, waiting for him to move, to open his eyes.

“Wolfe. Wolfe, I‟m sorry. You scared me.” She ran a hand through her hair setting it all askew she was sure. “Come on Wolfe, you didn‟t land that hard,” she whispered. She knelt down to check his pulse only to have her hand snared and drawn to his chest. His eyes popped open, a grin spreading across his face.

Lyssa jerked back, trying to get free. “Okay, joke's over. You can let me go now.” She struggled to straighten and pull her hand out of his grasp but instead found herself sprawled on top of him when he tugged her down.

“Easy kitty, no claws…”

Thanks for having me,

Marie Beau

Visit me at: http://www.authormariebeau.blogspot.com/

New release 10/1/2010 from Whispers Publishing.    

Wolf!

http://www.whispershome.com/book_pages/wolf.html

GUEST BLOG: DENYSE BRIDGER

Defining Romance....

Now here’s a topic that will certainly get you a wide array of answers, and the remarkable thing is – every one of them will be “correct” to the view that expresses it. We all see romantic in a different way, and what is highly romantic for one person is a total turn off for someone else. Erotica is for many an expression of romantic thought, for others it’s a variation on pornography.

What defines the word/concept that is romance? I have my view, and I’ve stated it often. What is your definition? What is romantic in your mind? Is it the explicit sexuality of erotica? Or the gentle awakening of sweet love and passion? I think we all carry the two aspects within us, and depending on what situation we’re in, one is always more appropriate than the other would be.

In romantic fiction, the barriers have long ago been crossed and forgotten. We’re in an anything goes sort of atmosphere, and in truth if you look at the vast array of publishers who are now publishing the minted genre “erotic romance” you can see the diversity of definition. I don’t think a lot of what is being labeled in that genre is either erotic or romantic, but that’s my personal mindset and I accept it as such.

I grew up reading Harlequin’s Presents imprint – in fact my first “grown-up” book purchased was a title from the relatively new imprint called “Moon Witch” by Anne Mather. It made me a lifelong fan of her work. I still remember the 34 year old hero, and it’s been a few years! The line has changed with the times and it’s still their most popular imprint. A few years after I discovered these books, I began buying the racier ones, and they were fabulous, too. (And, yes, I remember my first title in that line, too!) I always come back home to Presents, because for me, the type of stories are the definitive romance stories. Larger than life heroes, the Alpha-male as they’ve since labeled him, exotic settings – in my case, I can’t get enough stories set in Italy, with Italian heroes, my own real-life romantic hero is a handsome Italian – and scorching, tension laden awakening to burning and enduring passion. For me, that’s romance!

So, what are your favourites and what is it that sets them apart in your mind as the definition of romance? Do you prefer detailed sexuality, or the sensual middle-ground, or even behind closed doors love scenes? I’m curious, and would like your thoughts?

Viva la dolce vita!

Ciao for now…

Canadian born and bred, and a lifelong dreamer, I began writing at an early age and can’t recall a time when I wasn’t creating in some artistic form. My life has had several on-going love affairs that shape much of what I write, the American West, Victorian England, cowboys, a passion for pirates, Greek Gods, and Ancient Egypt. The other endless love affair in my life is Italia and all its magic, beauty, and dazzling culture. That passion spills into all aspects of my life. I am currently signed with ten publishers, and am delighted to now count Ellora’s Cave among them. My first book with them will be arriving soon. There are many new titles in a wide array of genres currently being worked on, so lots to come! I hope you’ll all find something you like in the old and new titles. Thanks.

Denysé

Denysé Bridger
WEBSITE: http://www.denysebridger.com
BLOG: http://fantasy-pages.blogspot.com

GUEST BLOG: AC KATT

Why We Write What We Write…

Books don’t write themselves in a vacuum.  They are the sum total of what a writer sees, reads, in short the sum of a writer’s life experience. The question I get most often is, “Why gay romance?”

I write gay romance because I believe that people only discriminate against what they don’t understand.  If by my writing, a reader discovers that GLBT persons are the same as any other, then I have done my part to diffuse prejudice and bigotry.

An example of this is Shattered Glass.  Many of us have grown up in difficult family situations as did the heroes of Shattered Glass. What makes you a unique human being is the way you conquer your demons.  As you learn and grow, many people either hinder or help the process. In the case of Liam and Milo, Bart Hedge, did everything he could to break them away from each other. However, it was the basic character flaws in both men that did the most damage, Liam’s dependency on Milo and Milo’s fear of owning up to the person he truly was born to be.  How both men overcame those demons is the story of their growth into the stronger, more loving men they became.

Shattered Glass is also the story of friendship, a friendship that began for Milo, Sam, Rick and Liam at an early age.  One of the sub-plots of the novel is how friends are there for one another and what happens when they abandon the responsibilities of friendship. Sam’s ambition as well as Rick’s drug addiction clouded their judgment on how to react to their friend’s crises.  Milo and Liam were also so wrapped up in their own drama that they failed to see the real need for their intervention to prevent Rick’s further descent into addiction and eventually disease.

Despite the morality play, Shattered Glass is a hot romance with a fast moving plot and I hope that the readers will buy and enjoy the book both on a superficial and a deeper level. 

AC Katt was born in New York City’s Greenwich Village. She remembers sitting at the fountain in Washington Square Park listening to folk music while they passed the hat. At nine, her parents dragged her to New Jersey where she grew up, married and raised four children and became a voracious reader of romantic fiction. At one time she owned over two thousand novels, until she and her husband took themselves and the cat to New Mexico for their health and its great beauty.

Now, most of AC’s books are electronic (although she still keeps six bookcases of hardcovers), so she never has to give away another book. AC is new to both GLBT and to writing being, as she claims, a late bloomer, however, she claims to have found her niche writing GLBT romance.

She hangs out at ACKatt.com; where she keeps her journal. This is a very opinionated kitty and at ackatt.com where you may find snippets of her current releases, as well as some from works in progress.