Contents: 4... Interview with Linda Kage 8... Ashley’s Corner - Picking Names by Ashley Nember 10... Interview with Sharon Horton 12... Raven’s Take on Everyday Heroes & Extraordinary people. 13... Sweet Characters by Stephanie J. Grace 14... Sizzling Awards 22... Interview with Kaylie Newell 24... Editor’s Corner - A Tribute to Heroes 25... Submission & Anthology Calls 28... Interview with Ashlynn Monroe
Publisher: Marissa Dobson Assistant & Interviewer: Heather Powell Editor’s Corner Columnist: Shanon Grey Advice from an Author Columnist: Kay Springsteen Tate Writing Paranormal: Rebecca Royce Self Publishing with Skye Warren Writing a Novel Columnists: Ashley Nemer Material in this publication should not be reproduced in any form without written permission. Sizzling Scoop is open to submissions of articles, short stories, please email them to marissa@ sizzllingpr.com 2 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com | Issue 6
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Interview: Linda Kage Hi Linda, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us a little about yourself? Hi, all!! Thanks so much for putting up with me today. I’m a Midwest girl, raised on a dairy farm as the youngest of eight children. My older sisters got me into reading, and once I discovered romance, I was never the same. Now I live with my husband and toddler daughter, and I moonlight as an author in between working a day shift as an acquisitions assistant in a university library. How did you come up with the idea for your novel, The Right to Remain Mine? Eek, I rarely remember where my stories ideas come from. I think in this instance, I wanted to make a story about two people in a constant love/ hate relationship. I thought a cop and a lawyer would be a good mix.
I’m constantly asking him strange questions about this or that. I tried to get him to read a couple scenes in The Right to Remain Mine to make sure they were “correct,” but, yeah, that’s totally not his thing. I think he read, like, a page. Maybe two. Anyway, the scene he unknowingly helped me the most with was the scene where Raith gives Willow self-defense training. After my husband came back from his police academy, he tried to show me all these moves he’d learned. Do you have any advice for other authors out there who want to write in this genre? (aka everyday heroes) Do you have any advice for other authors out there who want to write in this genre? (aka everyday heroes) innocent folks. Police officers really can have a suspicious, negative nature. They kind of have to be judgmental to make the call whether someone is breaking the law or not. And it can put them in a grumpy mood. When developing a hero like that, I think it’s important to keep in mind all the emotions a police officer has to carry around with all that responsibility of trying to figure out who needs help and who needs reprimanded. They see all kinds of bad stuff on a daily basis, so it’s kind of natural for them to have a pessimistic side.
Was there a particular reason why you wanted to write about a police officer as your hero? (Especially an alpha police officer like your main character Raith)
What is the most challenging thing for you have to deal with when it comes to writing?
I finished my first draft for The Right to Remain Mine back when I was deep into reading romantic suspense stuff, and most of those heroes are law enforcement men in some capacity or another, plus I totally dig their alpha maleness (hawt!), so I decided to give it a try. Plus, I’m married to a cop, so I knew I had some good…inspiration!
I don’t know. It’s different for every book. Sometimes, a plot gushes out of me while I have trouble creating good characters to fit into the story, while other times I have these awesome characters but a totally lame plot to go with that story. I guess just trying to remember to put all the elements in that the story needs and making them fit to create a uniform, complete novel is my biggest challenge.
You said you had a police officer for a husband. Did he have to help you with any research you had to do for The Right to Remain Mine? If so, what was the most helpful thing he taught you?
I know you write in a plethora of genres. So my question is, do you have one you haven’t written in that you’d really like to try out?
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I think I’d like to try a paranormal, fantasy kind of story. It would be fun to create a totally new world. What can readers expect next from you as far as new releases go? My newest release is a story about a farmer (yes, a “sexy” farmer!). I wrote it in honor of my father who passed away last year. He was a farmer. A Fallow Heart is companion story to my 2010 release The Trouble with Tomboys and it goes back in time to tell the story of how Cooper and Jo Ellen hooked up. Ooh! And I’m breaking out into New Adult. I’m reallllly excited. I sold a story to Omnific Publishing (the first in a trilogy about three college girls) and I’m super psyched. Even my family keeps pestering me to hurry up on the next book in the series, which they’ve never done before! So that has me really keyed up too. Any final words of wisdom for your readers and fellow authors? Wisdom really isn’t my forte beyond my ‘never give up if you really want to be a writer’ speech, so I’ll just say thanks again for having me here today!! I think the romance fiction world is one of the best communities, and I’m so happy to be a part of it as both a writer and a reader! Happy Reading!
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Ashley’s Corner - Picking Names Last month we talked about creativity and how important that was to everything that went into the book you were wanting to write (or anything really you were wanting to write.) But what is probably most remembered is the names you choose. Everything from the name of that book to the names of the characters, to the name of the town or city. To the name of the murder weapon you give. (Because sometimes an object can have more than one name.) Names are very important and you want to make sure that you are picking wisely. So what goes into a name? Well let’s start with which kind of name are you wanting to pick? Are you starting with the title? Are you the kind of person that starts with that before you write your manuscript or do you need to wait till your master piece is finished before you make your title? Me personally, the title pops out at me from the very beginning. It is something that helps shape the layers of the book. For example, my work in progress, Maverick Touch: The Cat - this title came to me virtually overnight. If we dissect it, we find that the main character, Nadia Maverick a news reporter likes to have her hands in everything and gets into massive amounts of trouble. So the “Maverick Touch” makes sense. That’s the series name. “The Cat” is going to be the book name. What does this mean, it simply means that this book is going to revolve around a cat. Now you might be wondering - what on earth is this chick talking about -- well in my book, Nadia wants to purchase a kitten and goes into a pet store and stumbles onto a story while purchasing this kitten. (Thus, ‘The Cat’) Now, as I was writing I knew deep down there was going to be more than just this simple scene having to do with a cat but I didn’t know what. As I wrote more into the story I kept the idea of ‘The Cat’ in the back of my mind and before I knew what had happened this little cat concept had taken over part of it and now become a bit of a focal point of a few chapters. It completely changed the direction of the antagonist and now - I am more than shocked with how the story turned out. Please, but very shocked.
Don’t forget, just because a name means one thing in English doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have another meaning in another language. Let’s take for example the name I used in my Blood Series, Zayn. When I first looked it up on babynames.com it showed it was of Arabic origin and meant beautiful. This worked perfectly because I wanted this character to be beautiful in his looks. His uncle Haydar - I wanted his personality to be ferocious, very animalistic, so when I came across that name and saw that it meant ‘lion’ I fell in love with it. What could be better than that, a man who was supposed to one day be king having a name that meant essentially king of the forest. Personally I think the best names are the ones that fall just into place, the ones that don’t require an exorbitant amount of effort to write but just flow naturally. Those are the ones that are fated to be and I think that’s personally what makes your story perfect. Less forced. One thing to also remember when you are picking names is consistency. If you have a novel with all names of Spanish origin and then one random name of European decent that will feel odd. Make sure there is a reason as to why that character is out of place. You don’t want them to be isolated and alone, or the odd one left out. Unless there is a purpose for that. You can do a million things right but that one thing you make different if there isn’t a reason why that makes sense to the audience that’s the only thing they will remember and it will haunt the book. That’s what you want to avoid. To wrap this up remember - be creative when picking your names because you want your reader to look at you cover and your main characters names to pop into their mind and make them smile, remembering all their wonderful memories surrounding your novel. Catch more from Ashley at www.ashleynemer.com or email her at ashley@ashleynemer.com www.facebook.com/ashleynemerauthor or https://twitter.com/ashleynemer
So when picking a name you have to make sure you pick wisely because you never know where that title will lead you. But that’s just the title -- now let’s move onto the character names. Often times this is what is remembered most out of a book. Not that amazing plot twist you had back in chapter 20, or that awesome use of historical facts to set up the main characters to meet and fall in love. You want to make sure that the names match the personality of the character you have...this is very important. If you are writing for a hero and you name him, Bubba...well, I don’t know many super hero’s named Bubba. It’s often good to invest in a book of names that show the meanings of each name or even a good website online that has a good data base, names of different languages is also helpful. 8 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com | Issue 6
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Interview: Sharon Horton
Do you have a favorite author/book in this genre? Isn’t that like asking if I have a favorite child? hehe
Welcome Sharon! Go ahead and tell us a little about yourself.
What’s up next for you? Do you have any new releases that we can look out for?
Hello! First, I’d like to thank you for having me here today. I’m very excited to have the opportunity to discuss my latest book, Sparks! As for me, I’m a housewife and mom, who took up writing in 1998 after a friend encouraged me to “give it a try” and see what happens. What happened was, I was bit by the writing bug and have been doing it ever since. In addition to writing, I like to walk, cruise the internet, collect model horses and, most of all, enjoy my family.
I’m currently working on a Romantic Suspense story in which the heroine is a Park Ranger. There I go with the uniform angle again. The hero’s profession is a bit sketchy, but it’ll make sense in the end.
Now, for readers out there who have not had the privilege of reading your book Sparks, can you go let them know what it’s all about?
While Sparks is a Contemporary Romance, I’ve also have four Romantic Suspense books published. I also love Time Travel Romance, so I’ve got one of those in mind.
Sparks is about a woman firefighter. As it’s a Romance, there’s naturally a love interest, but I also wanted to explore a woman’s role in a mainly male dominated career. That said, I didn’t go into too much technical stuff because I wasn’t trying to write a manual on firefighting. Still, there is some insight to the job without losing touch on the romance of the story.
Any final words of wisdom for your readers and fellow authors?
Sparks was very unique in the sense that the heroine was a firefighter just like the hero. Can you tell us why you decided to go that route? I was (and still am to a point) a tomboy, so the idea of a woman working a man’s job intrigued me. I actually wanted to be a jockey when I was younger, so I’ve been gearing toward a woman in a man’s job story for a long time. Did you have to do a lot of research for Sparks, mainly research regarding the whole world of firefighters? If so, what was the most interesting thing that you learned? When I decided to write Sparks, I put out a call for help from my writing group asking if anyone had experience with firefighters. A lovely lady named Sherry Silver answered my call. Her husband, Mike, had been a firefighter for many years, so Sherry was able to help me understand the lifestyle. The most interesting things I learned was that women firefighters sleep in their uniforms, and those uniforms are the same basic issue as the men wore. By the way, Sherry Silver also writes about firefighters. Is there a particular reason why you decided to write about firefighters in general? I’ve always admired people in professions that helped people. While my other books revolve around law enforcement, I decided to branch out and venture into the firefighting world. I’m sure I’ll get to the Military life in a future book. Gotta love a man (or woman) in uniform. 10 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com | Issue 6
Is there another genre out there that you are interested in writing in?
I don’t know how wise I am, but I have learned one thing about writing – never give up. I know that sounds a bit flippant, but many authors have thought of giving up and if they had then they would never be published. Well, thank you again for having inviting me to be in Sizzling Scoop Magazine. I truly appreciate the opportunity. I also truly appreciate the Five Hearts review that Sizzling Hot Book Reviews gave to Sparks. All her life, Callie O’Rourke wanted to be a firefighter. A lifelong nightmare of being in a fire has driven her to pursue a career to fight fires and save lives. She won’t let being a woman stop her from achieving that goal. When her determination and training land her a job, Callie has no idea being the city’s first female firefighter will gain the attention of more than just its citizens. Although haunted since childhood by the fiery death of his father, firefighting is in Danny Redmond’s blood. He comes from a long line of firemen, all the way back to his great-grandfather. Callie’s refreshing candor ignites Danny’s interest. With her ability to fight fires, combined with the way she puts him at ease, it’s not long before they become friends. Focused on being the best firefighters possible, neither is looking for romance. Yet the more they’re together, the more they realize firefighting may not be their biggest challenge. Issue 6 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com 11
Raven’s Take on Everyday Heroes & Extraordinary people. Places and people just go together. Don’t they? We think of a place, and populate it with the people we expect to be there. Fireman… fire station…oh and a fireman’s pole…my mind goes into overdrive… shhh. There is something about those legs wrapped around… okay enough already, use your imagination. Policemen and their panda cars in the U.K.(I guess it’s patrol cars in the USA?) Old re-runs of USA and UK cop shows. Macho, butch… devil may care, but with a heart of gold. Then we have doctors…ohh stethoscopes and having your pulse taken, Mr. Clooney et al. Dentists…no they don’t rock my boat, although my dentist is rather nice, Ministers, Lifeboat men, Lifeguards, Nurses… each and everyone an everyday hero. So what makes them a hot bet as a hero or a heroine? Yeah okay they can be doing their job in the proper setting, but for me? Take them out of that comfort zone and drop them into my zone instead. Then the fun starts. A doctor on holiday taking in the sights of Rome. A fireman swimming in the sea off a dreamy Greek island. Or…The minister in the sexy undie shop, and the policeman placing his bets. All great places to find the man (or woman) of your dreams eh? Well why not. And if you take one of those heroes we all love and frequently lust after out of their comfort zone and into someone else’s then it’s all systems go. It’s a strange thing that once our perception of what or who should be where is challenged the fun starts. And challenge is the word. It challenges a writer to do something special and still honor the position her hero or heroine holds in life. It challenges a reader because they have to believe the alternative venue is credible. What better way to salute our everyday heroes than to write about them? Do we as writers pull it off? I hope so because I love travel and seeing new places, and I keep telling DH it’s for research. And I do want to write a fireman story!
Sweet Characters by Stephanie J Grace Sweet romance has been one of my favorite reads for as long as I can remember. I read the mainstream romance and erotica, but always have an eye for the new Janette Oakes books or other sweet romances of every era. The sweet world operates on a different set of rules than traditional romance and erotica, yet, they aren’t that far away. At least on the surface. I have heard from writers who attempt a sweet story—truly sweet in heat level, character and plot—only to find it much more difficult than they first thought. Why? Lots of reasons and I am so excited to explore them with authors and readers alike. One key difference is the characters presented. Sweet Ladies—a different breed. When was the last time you picked up a sweet romance and found the leading lady spouting cuss words every line and showing her whoo haa in the clubs? Yeah, you didn’t. Women in sweet romance have special attitudes. These attitudes come from different motivations and backgrounds and can manifest in multiple ways. Some are quiet and reserved, some are confident and assertive, some are abused and finding their way to strength. Whatever their stories, these women are growing and learning and coming into their own without a lot of cursing or crazy. They might not be looking for love, or maybe it is the only thing on their minds—either way when they find it they look for things other than bedroom prowess to give clues that the one they’ve found is the one they’ll want forever. Sweet Fellas—ahh, I love a sweet boy and a sweet, blushing boy is not a complicated character to put together. A sweet man in a very oversexed world...there’s another challenge. For a woman, the sweet virginal holding out thing is rewarded. Not so much for men. Making an interesting male character who is sexually desirable and who has sexual desires, but willing and able to keep them in check, there’s the challenge. It can absolutely be done. My favorite sweet leading men are usually military men. They already show control and self denial and protectiveness (or, they can be built to be like that—they are characters), so adding in a really good reason why not to have sex can work. Down side of this sort of character and the super manly ones—in real life they tend to have potty mouths. Having the big military stud say ‘golly gee’ or ‘fudge’ when a hammer drops on their toe...oye. These men also have to be at the right time in their life to consider the woman before them as a life mate. Just saying they fall in love...meh. It can be done, I’ve seen it done, I’ve even enjoyed the story, but when you’re taking out the big kissing and petting, you’re taking away pillow talk and romantic closeness that comes from physical intimacy. That can’t just be left unanswered. The men have to be ready to fall in love. Sweet isn’t just about the sex though, it’s the attitude. Sweet romance has a gentler tone and doesn’t need to apologize for it. The characters also shouldn’t have to apologize. When setting up your characters to rock in a sweet world, make sure they’re ready and willing to walk with the reader down a gentle path. All the best, Stephanie J Grace Stephanie J Grace is the sweeter and more faith-based side of romance writer Stephanie Beck. With a genuine love for romance and building relationships, Stephanie found the sweeter side of her writing needed its own world to grow and that happens through Stephanie J Grace. With a growing family and growing writing career, Steph stays busy running around in real life and in her imagination, but between the sprints, she enjoys reading, knitting and crafting. Find Stephanie online at www.stephaniebeck.net and feel free to contact her at stephaniebeckauthor@gmail.com
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Interview: Kaylie Newell Welcome Kaylie! Can you please tell us a little about yourself as well as the books you write? Thank you so much for having me! I live in Southern Oregon with my husband and two little girls, as well as our small gang of furry, four legged friends. (There’s only three. We outnumber them, which is a good thing.) I write sensual, contemporary romance, which more often than not, has a good dose of suspense thrown in to keep things interesting. How did you come up with the premise for your book Falling In Danger? The idea for Falling In Danger hit me a few years ago when I was watching the news on a day when the Michael Vick story broke. The thought of the abuse that those dogs suffered was incomprehensible to me. As the story unfolded, it became clear that there were advocacy groups pushing to have some of the dogs adopted out. As much of an animal lover as I am, it raised a natural question. Would this be a good idea? Would the dogs be too conditioned to be vicious to make good family pets? How far is too far when you’re talking about the rehabilitation of fighting dogs? As the days wore on, I thought more and more about it. I, like the rest of the country, was rooting for a happy ending for these dogs. My heart took over, the idea for Falling in Danger was born, and the rest is history :) The thing that makes me happiest about this book, is that after it was completed, Beachwalk Press agreed to donate 40% of the publisher’s proceeds to The Pixie Project animal rescue, a non-profit organization that provides adoption services to animals. I can’t tell you how happy I am, knowing that each time a copy is sold, there is an animal out there who is one step closer to finding a forever home. That was the spirit in which Falling In Danger was written.
Did you have to do a lot of research when writing Falling In Danger? If so what was the most interesting thing that you discovered during your research? I did do a lot of research. At the time, I was working as a police clerk, so that helped a lot. Every chance I got, I poked, prodded and pestered our officers about every possible illegal scenario. They were really good sports and helped me out more than I can say. I also talked to several rescue groups who gave me interesting insights on their adoption process, and in particular, the adoption process of former fighting dogs. What is your personal favorite, everyday hero? (AKA firefighters, police officers, paramedic, etc.)? Why is that? I’d have to say police officers. Since I worked with them for close to a decade, I feel like I can really appreciate the sacrifice they make to keep the public safe. It’s not an easy job. And, plus, they look really good doing it! Do you have a favorite book or author in this particular genre? One of my favorite romantic suspense books is The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner. It’s dark and gritty. And the romance is so hot! Love it. I also adore Superstition by Karen Robards. Right up my alley with a sexy police chief hero and a ghost thrown in to give you extra chills. Do you have another genre that you haven’t yet written in, but would someday love try? I’d love to try a historical someday, but the research intimidates me. We’ll see. Maybe they’ll invent time travel pretty soon, so I can just hop in a pod and go see everything first hand. My favorite time period would have to be medieval. All those sexy knights on beautiful horses. *sigh* I’d love to high tail it back there to do research. On one condition... that I get to bathe every day. Do you have anything new that you are currently working on, or that is soon to be released? I do! I just had my latest contemporary romance, Taming Johnny, accepted by Beachwalk Press. I should be starting first round edits very soon. No release date yet, but I’m guessing sometime in the late spring or early summer. I’m excited about this one. It’s kind of a modern day twist on Taming Of The Shrew. The hero is a very grumpy police lieutenant who (reluctantly) falls for a records clerk who doesn’t take any of his guff. It’s fun :)
Did something or someone inspire you to write in this genre?
Any final words of wisdom for your readers and fellow authors?
I love the combination of romance and suspense. I grew up reading everything I could get my hands on that would kick my heartbeat up a notch. Karen Robards is one of my favorite romantic suspense authors. She’s definitely been an inspiration to me as a writer.
Sadly, no real words of wisom. Just keep reading! I think that makes everyone happy. And wise.
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In honor of this month’s theme ~ our heroes in blue~ I would like to move away from lecturing and veer toward remembering. As a young woman, to say I was an angry and troubled teenager was an understatement. I was saved by a pair of hotheaded cops, the likes of which I’ve not seen since. These two people saw potential and worth in a mouthy kid and gave freely of their friendship, dragging me kicking and screaming into the real world. Johnny was both handsome and hot. With black hair that waved just enough to drop an arrogant curl across his forehead in a salute to roguishness and blue eyes that could cut like steel or twinkle like stars, the man turned female heads in droves. A man who loved to laugh as much as he loved to race cars, he wore his uniform with honor and served the people with dedication. On more than a few occasions, Johnny put himself at risk to protect someone else. First officer on the scene, he entered a blazing warehouse in search of a missing cop, dragging his fellow officer free. On his way home from a race—dirty, tired, and disappointed at having blown an engine during qualifying trials—he passed something that caught his eye. He stopped, went back, and ended up pulling a woman and child from a car that had careened off the road into the woods. Way too young, he discovered he had cancer. He retired and spent the remainder of his life at the track, where he left this life, watching his car race to a win. At his funeral, I sat and watched as an adoring horde of women filed past, paying tribute to friend or lover—I’ll never know. But I’d swear I saw a flicker of a smile pass his lips. Tracy was another breed. She showed up one day, dressed to kill, not a hair out of place, nails painted red, and stunned a squad room with an arrest none had been able to accomplish. With a wave of her fingers over an elegant shoulder, she sashayed out of the room, leaving a burst of male lust in her wake. A cross between Gidget and Mae West, Tracy transformed from groupie to college student to hooker in the blink of an eye. She held others at bay with an attitude few dared to cross; yet, if they did, and lived through it, she was a friend beyond compare. She left this world an enigma—having shared little of her past—when she stepped between someone and the frantic wave of a drug-buzzed lunatic’s gun. As her life gushed from her gut, she screwed up her lip and winked, swearing, “Awww, shit.” It is to these two incredible people that I dedicate this column. I know that in the hereafter Johnny and Tracy have found one another and are burning the heavens with an affair hot enough to burn away the clouds. 24 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com | Issue 6
Pink Petel Books Call for Submissions for “Wild Shifters” anthology. Pink Petal Books, a high-quality boutique publisher, is actively searching for erotic short stories between 7k-15k words for an anthology to be released in September 2013. At this time, we are looking for four to six tales for a 50k-word finished electronic and print book. Both published and unpublished authors are welcome. Theme: Wild Shifters Smokin’ hot pumas, Native American bears, or classic werewolves—we want your shifter romance! Whatever you can dream up, we’re on board as long as you convince us! If you have or are currently working on a story that might be suitable, please send directly to anthologysubs@jupitergardens.com Wild Shifters Anthology Guidelines: · 7k-15k word stories must have romance, and either a happily ever after or a happily for now ending. · M/F, M/M, and ménage accepted · Heat rating: crank up the heat! All erotic heat levels accepted Submission deadline is July 15, 2013. Submit the full short story plus a blurb to anthologysubs@jupitergardens.com with “Wild Shifters” in the subject line. Can’t wait to hear from you!
Pink Petel Books Call for Submissions for “Hot Rods Hot Bods” anthology. Pink Petal Books, a high-quality boutique publisher, is actively searching for erotic short stories between 7k-15k words for an anthology to be released in July 2013. At this time, we are looking for four to six tales for a 50k-word finished electronic and print book. Both published and unpublished authors are welcome. Theme: Hot Rods Hot Bods Do you have a story about a sexy motorhead and their romantic interest? Is your ripped hero a Nascar driver? Or is your smoldering heroine a title-holding drag racer? We want your story! If you have or are currently working on a story that might be suitable, please send directly to anthologysubs@jupitergardens.com Hot Rods Hot Bods Anthology Guidelines: · 7k-15k word stories must have romance, and either a happily ever after or a happily for now ending. · M/F, M/M, and ménage accepted · Heat rating: crank up the heat! All erotic heat levels accepted Submission deadline is April 15, 2013. Submit the full short story plus a blurb to anthologysubs@jupitergardens.com with “Hot Rods Hot Bods” in the subject line. Can’t wait to hear from you! Issue 6 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com 25
Pink Petel Books
Call for Submissions for “Buckle Down” anthology. Pink Petal Books, a high-quality boutique publisher, is actively searching for erotic short stories between 7k-15k words for an anthology to be released in September 2013. At this time, we are looking for four to six tales for a 50k-word finished electronic and print book. Both published and unpublished authors are welcome. Theme: Buckle Down cowboys The old “save a horse, ride a cowboy” applies! Hat-tipping, ropin’, ridin’, and whooping cowboys are what we’re looking for. Bring out your chaps and show us your best. If you have or are currently working on a story that might be suitable, please send directly to anthologysubs@ jupitergardens.com Buckle Down Anthology Guidelines: · 7k-15k word stories must have romance, and either a happily ever after or a happily for now ending. · M/F, M/M, and ménage accepted · Heat rating: crank up the heat! All erotic heat levels accepted Submission deadline is September 15, 2013. Submit the full short story plus a blurb to anthologysubs@jupitergardens.com with “Buckle Down” in the subject line. Can’t wait to hear from you!
CURVE APPEAL
Ellora’s Cave
Dangerous curves ahead! Cuddle up to some Big Beautiful Women in this series featuring hot ‘n’ heavy heroines who have a little (or a lot!) extra cushion for the pushin’. ;) ~ Length: 20K – 45K words ... ~ Deadline for both internal/external submissions: 3/1/13 (earlier is preferred) ~ All Lines and sub-genres welcome ~ Rubenesque heroines are a must; size must be one of the themes (heroines who are already comfortable in their plus-sized skin are definitely welcome!) ~ Stories release in September 2013
BOYS WILL DO BOYS
Let’s get one thing straight—these heroes are not. Sorry ladies, no heroines allowed in these tales of lust and love between men. Bring on the M/M! (Or M/M/M, or M/M/M/M…) ~ Length: 20K – 70K words ~ Deadline for both internal/external submissions: 5/1/13 (earlier is preferred) ~ All stories will release under our Spectrum (GLBT) Line, but all sub-genres and themes are welcome ~ Stories release in December 2013/January 2014
COTILLION CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS
Sweet, Christmas-themed traditional Regencies from our Blush Line of non-erotic romance. ~ Length: 12K – 25K ~ Deadline for internal submissions: June 15 ~ Deadline for external submissions: May 15 ~ Regency Christmas traditions must be a theme in all stories, with particular dedication to historical accuracy (no Victorian Christmas trees, etc.) ~ Cotillion guidelines: 1 flame; set in Regency-era England; focus on the social setting/mores of the time ~ Ebooks release in October 2013 ~ Print anthology releases in November 2013 26 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com | Issue 6
UBUNTU—STORIES OF AFRICAN ROMANCE
Africa... Land of the Serengeti, of wide savannas, where exotic wild animals like giraffes stroll through your backyard— *sound of a screeching turn-disk* If this is your idea of modern Africa, you’d be way off the mark! Ubuntu (“I am what I am because of who we all are.”) embraces the notion of community, of roots, of spreading your arms open in welcome. Our stories from the Ubuntu line will reflect this philosophy, and take you to Africa to meet the people from that far-away, unknown-to-many land. Take a peek at modern Africa. This is a world where, on the backdrop of the famine crisis in Darfur and Somalia, of political unrest in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Egypt, millions step into the global village and embrace the fast-paced life offered by technology and the Internet. Multinational companies have offices in many African capitals, opening the way for a slew of expatriates to settle in those countries, where the world’s biggest brand names like Hugo Boss and Lacoste are opening outlets. Don’t also forget that Africa is not only the black continent – a handful of islands make up the African territory, as well. From minerals-rich Madagascar (and the land of Black Magic, still practiced to this day!) to tourist hot-spots like Mauritius, the Seychelles, and the Maldives – islander culture opens up another world to exploit in your writing. And in the top, northern parts of Africa, meet the Arab world in the countries of the Maghreb (Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, among others). With its rich history, Africa has native African clans and tribes, colonist white populations – British, French, and Afrikaners –Indian-origin people who emigrated as traders and/or indentured labor, Chinese people who came in as traders. We want to see your stories set in any of these locations. Whether your characters are expats, foreigners on a visit, native Africans (of black, white, Indian, Chinese, Arab, etc, descent!), show us the true face of Africa as people experience it every day. Think The Joy Luck Club meets Out Of Africa – the former a story of generational conflict between immigrant mothers and their daughters brought up in their adopted country’s culture; the latter a sweeping saga on the backdrop of the African landscape, setting, and context. Give us both; give us either or; but give us something in and/or from Africa. LENGTH: 5-50k HEAT LEVEL: 1-5 SUB-GENRES ACCEPTED: Interracial, contemporary, multicultural, sweet romance, suspense, LGBT, ménage TO SUBMIT: Email submissions@decadentpublishing.com to request a submissions form. Please note that it is for the UBUNTU line when submitting. QUESTIONS: Email zeemonodee@gmail.com Issue 6 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com 27
Interview: Ashlynn Monroe Welcome Ashlynn! Can you please tell us a little about yourself as well as the books you write? I’m a 34-year-old working mother of two. I’ve been married for fourteen years. I’m a college student and I have a busy writing schedule. My crazy imagination makes me a bit eccentric, but I love people and do my best to bring a smile to my family and friends. My cousin tells me she’s going to start a company that makes t-shirts with the crazy things that come out of my mouth printed on them. I enjoy video games, camping, fishing, biking, and of course reading. Writing has been my passion since I was a teenager, but I never thought I’d really be published. Late one night I was doing a random goggle search and found my first publisher. I sent the novella submission and was accepted two days later. It was the happiest day of my life. I have over 50 eBooks ranging in length from short story to full novel. Novella’s make up the majority of my backlist. My imagination genre hops. I’ve written sci-fi, paranormal, urban fantasy, contemporary, steampunk, and BDSM stories. How did you come up with the premise for your book Given? I love futuristic stories. I’d been playing around with the idea of six men who essential owned a woman due to a catastrophic illness that changed the world. I twisted the story around in my daydreams for over a year before I started to write Given. There was a lot to consider. I wanted to give readers a realistic version of what might happen if such a disease ravaged the planet. My characters are very round; they all have their own agenda and issues. Krista has to navigate six hearts in her attempt to carve out a life in a world where she has virtually no control over her own destiny. Did something or someone inspire you to write in this genre? I’ve always been a forward thinker. I’d love to have a time machine and time travel. The idea of a dark dystopian world holds as much appeal for me as some shiny advanced future. My imagination doesn’t want to stay here. I visit other planets and different times in my daydreams and then transcribe what I find there. I hope you’ll try my book and join me on the journey. Did you have to do a lot of research when writing Given? If so what was the most interesting thing that you discovered during your research? I set the book in my local area. I didn’t really have to do any research for Given. Unlike some of my other sci-fi plots, I don’t go into the science of the disease. This is a very emotion driven story. It could happen tomorrow or a hundred years from now and the feelings wouldn’t change. My characters wear their humanity proudly. It was fun to set the book in Wisconsin and 28 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com | Issue 6
Minnesota. My family has historic roots in Madison, and I’ve been to the capital building many times. I was recently there during the protests over teacher rights because I wanted to show my children the building. My daughter was terrified so we didn’t take a tour. The multitude of protestors did inspire the “Giving Day” scene. What is your personal favorite, everyday hero? (AKA firefighters, police officers, paramedic, etc.)? Why is that? Can I say Batman…just kidding. I think my favorite everyday hero would be a soldier. They commit to years of service to keep us safe and a man in uniform is always delicious. I appreciate veterans. My book Touch from Secret Cravings released in January too. It is contemporary and features a veteran who needs a good woman to look beyond his exterior and scars. Do you have a favorite book or author in this particular genre? I have so many favorite authors. One of my favorite sci-fi authors is Cynthia Sax. I also adore Dara Joy’s work. Heart of a warrior by Johanna Lindsey is one of my favorite books. Do you have another genre that you haven’t yet written in, but would someday love try? I’d love to try cyberpunk. I love history, but I haven’t written anything that’s a straight historical romance. I might want to try writing a western someday. Do you have anything new that you are currently working on, or that is soon to be released? Oh yeah! I have a bunch of goodies come out in 2013! Changeling Press has already contracted me for a new sci-fi erotic series called Operation Bliss that I’m writing with Cynthia Sax (who’s one of my heroes and I’m tickled to death she’s working with me). Changeling will also be the home of Zombies Don’t Make Good Pets. It’s the story of a two survivors finding a very sexy way to pass the time. It’s funny and raunchy. I love this story! It was so fun to write. Beachwalk Press also has contracted my superhero romance title Reality Hero. This one is funny, but it has a bit of dark side. I hope people will like the characters as much as I do. Any final words of wisdom for your readers and fellow authors? If you love reading something with a sense of humor, I hope you’ll try my work. I love making people smile. I might never meet you, but the moment you read one of my books you’ll know me well. I appreciate every single reader who tries my work. There are a lot of Ashlynn books to choose from so I hope that if you haven’t read me, you will. Without readers, authors are just people with wild imaginations. I’m so grateful to have the chance to entertain you! I’m happy to meet readers, and I love hearing what you think. I also love meeting other authors. If you are just starting, out welcome to the party. If you’ve been around awhile and we haven’t crossed paths I’d love to get to know you and talk shop. I’ve had authors ask me how I can write some many different kinds of stories without hitting the wall or having writer’s block. My only advice is to write everyday and don’t restrict your inner “muse”. If it sounds fun, write it! If you get stuck, start something new. You can always go back as long as you’re moving forward. Thank you all for taking the time to get to know me better! **HUGS** Issue 6 | Sizzling Scoop | www.sizzlingpr.com 29
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