Byword didn't pan out, so I'm trying a new blogging tool. Whether this coaxes me into blogging properly again remains to be seen. LOL
There is quite a bit of news to impart, so I really should get my finger out and blog about it all! ;)

This is me, testing an app called Byword. Hopefully it’ll help me to write blog posts more frequently. :)

I'm blogging over at Scorching Book Reviews today, and talking about power exchange, specifically the interaction between boss lady Miranda and her fabulously efficient P.A. Patrick Dove, in A VERY PERSONAL ASSISTANT.

Why not check it out... there's a prize for one lucky commenter! :)

Inspired by a chum from Twitter, Maria Smith, I'm going to try and make a goal list for the new week ahead.

First up is to assemble, format and publish a new mini novella. It's called IN SEBASTIAN'S HANDS, and it's what I call a BDSM love story in three acts. In the first story Megan and Sebastian meet at a party and discover that they share a deep seated need to play games of pain and pleasure. In the second story, the two have been together some time, and their relationship is growing richer and more fulfilling... and kinkier than ever with each day that passes. In the third story, Sebastian and Megan are a committed couple, happily looking forward to a long and happy life together, with lots of love, laughs... and spanking.



I'm also planning to set up a super freebie giveaway at Amazon for three days, another story of spanking and BDSM games, for those who enjoy a slice of romantic super perviness. Watch for that mid week. :)

I have three guest blog posts to write by the end of the week. I've done a rough draft of one, and have ideas for two more. So that's a start. Sort of...

Months ago, before I got caught up in work on my second Victorian opus, I stared writing a fun menage a trois romance about a girl who takes a holiday in a sleepy country village, and gets involved with not one gorgeous hunk but two! It's called TEMPTED BY TWO, I'd like to return to that, and write lots more of it. I'm at 20K so far, but it would be nice to make it to 30K at least, although probably not all next week.

I need to plan a bit of promo for my next Spice Brief. A GENTLEWOMAN'S PLEASURE is out on 1st February, the same day as GABRIEL'S NAUGHTY GAME, from one of my writing pals, Madelynne Ellis.



Speaking of Spice Briefs, I'd like to start making some notes for two more of them. THE RED CHAIR and THE WHITE ROOM are #2 and #3 in my Three Colors Sexy trio. The first of these THE BLUE BOOK, comes out in October 2012.

Yikes, I'm going to need to get busy and not mess about too much!

As people visiting my blog will know... I'm the world's worst blogger. I used to post quite frequently, and muse on various topics with a semblance of mild intelligence, but nowadays the ideas don't come as easily. I think it must be my advancing age and querulousness. My creativity mostly goes into my fiction writing now, and only springs to life when I switch on my 'dark side' ie. the part of my brain that allows me to tell stories and have mad ideas for characters and bits of plot.

Outside of the dark side, my brain is a very sparsely populated region indeed, an echoing void consisting mainly of health worries, publishing worries, self publishing worries, and questions of what to have for dinner. It's a drifting soup of half formed notions, with odd thoughts about Poirot, Miss Marple and Sherlock Holmes floating around in it too, because I watch and read so much stuff about these three fabulous sleuths that they've become more or less permanent residents in the wasteland inside my head, a place where seagulls flap and soar in the near emptiness.

I only blog this particular snippet because I find myself in the position of having not one, not two, but three guest blog posts to write in the next week or so, and I'm desperately trying to coax my 'little grey cells', as Poirot would call them, into some semblance of blogging activity, as opposed to a state of running around the room, and waving their arms about in panic.

It's going to be a reach though... So if anybody has any general tips or ideas for me, do please put them in comments, and I'd be eternally and wholeheartedly grateful. :)

I'm absolutely thrilled today by a wonderful review I've received for IN TOO DEEP. The reviewer is Vanessa Wu, whose blog is Intense Sensations. Strangely for someone who writes for a living, I'm almost at a loss for words to say how happy I am to read Vanessa's opinion on the book and on my writing. It's times like these that make all the fretting and struggling and hair-tearing involved in 'getting it right' worthwhile. :)

In Too Deep review at Intense Sensations

Vanessa was also kind enough to award me a Versatile Blogger award recently too. I must admit that my blogging has been a bit sparse lately, but I intend to do much better in future. When I've fulfilled some important writing commitments in the next few months, I'm going to try much harder to be a better blogger.


As I'm pressed for time at the moment, I won't be able to make a list of 15 blogs I recommend as Versatile Blogs, but there's a small selection of blogs and sites I visit and read in the right hand side navigation bar. I hope to add more soon.

Am having a bit of trouble catching up with stuff at the moment, so I'm not sure when I'll be blogging again... Have lots to post inc. lovely reviews, covers, me-mes, bits of news in general, so hopefully there'll be something again shortly.

In the meantime, here's a link to one review. Done by the fabulous Wendy the Superlibrarian for IN TOO DEEP.

HE'S SO SHY!

Have to admit, was pretty blown away when I read it. It's cool to know I'm so appreciated!

More review news shortly...

I've been a useless blogger lately, haven't I?

It's not as if nothing whatsoever is happening in my life. Stuff is going on, but I'm in a sort of blogging lull somehow, and not finding it easy to find even my sort of anti intellectual content. My mind seems to be taken up with trying to corral my book and story ideas, attempting to bring order to the disorder of my 'to do' lists, my business accounts, my massive amounts of paperwork and my TBR piles, and generally plan for and anticipate RWA. So there's a disappointing amount of brain capacity left over for interesting blogging and musing... at the moment.

However, I've found a little bit of a solution. Sort of...

On the right hand side of the page, beneath my little clock, you'll see a widget called Twitter updates. This is a kind of micro blogging thingoid, that's just a snapshot of what I might be doing at any given moment... so if there's no new post in the main blog, you might see a little mini entry there instead. It'll probably be something daft, or pretty meaningless, like 'am staring into space, doing nothing'... but at least it proves there's a living person here on this blog... sometimes! LOL

I'm a useless blogger at the moment!

It's not that I don't have any news or anything, or that I'm particularly depressed or more under pressure than is normal for a writer. I just can't seem to translate my news or my thoughts into any kind of meaningful blog post. I think I'm just a little bit tired, and I can't summon the pep for a worthwhile post just at the moment.

In the meantime, here are links to a couple of new excerpts.

GEMINI HEAT

IN TOO DEEP

Enjoy!

I'm not doing very well with blogging lately. I'm not depressed, or feeling reclusive, or anything like that... I'm just quite busy, and I'm channelling most of my energy into writing and thinking and planning for RWA in July.

I'm going to try and do better...

I'm still having trouble summoning the will to blog at the moment. I'm afraid that I'm not going to be able to find anything interesting to say. I've never been one for writerly posts... 'cos I know my way of doing things is a pretty ridiculous one, even though it does seem to get results in the end, judging by the kind things folks sometimes say about my work. But I wouldn't inflict my shambolic way of writing and working on anybody, when I wish that it was different for myself anyway.

So, what's happening? The first draft of IN TOO DEEP is in the maturing vat at the moment, and in the meantime, I'm working on an old partial I wrote about two years ago [working title Thief] and 'bringing it up to code'. I thought this thing was pretty spiffy when I wrote it, but now I see it's not as good as it could be. It wasn't out and out terrible, just a bit 'flat' somehow. I'm getting a feeling I should change the voice, but it's complicated. Basically, my heroine wants to speak in 'first person, present' while my hero seems to want to tell his side of things in 'third person, past'!!!

Writers... have you ever had a dilemma like this? And how did you deal with it? Readers, if you started reading a book with two different viewpoints like this, would that put you off, even if you liked the story and the characters and the writing style in general?

[Editors, would you give a proven author a chance to get away with something like this? LOL]

-------------------------------------------------------------
Telly: not yet
Choc/Yummy: banana
Mood: okay
Writing: Theif
Reading: Exclusive
RSI/FMS: bit sore generally


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

I'm getting to be a bad blogger... I miss lots of days, and I don't post much of interest. I have good ideas for what I want to say, but somehow, when faced with creating a post, I just run out of momentum... even when I've got plenty to post about, like now. I've got a couple of fabulous reviews to post, from Lucy Felthouse and from Two Lips reviews, and I should really showcase them here, 'cos they make me sound so good! Just gotta get round to that in the next couple of days... not to mention those me-mes I need to be attending to...

But today, I don't want to do anything but watch the rest of the Die Hard 4.0 DVD I've got out from Amazon rental! This is a corking film, all action and really outrageously improbable, but with great characterisation from the splendid Bruce Willis and also his computer geek sidekick lad, whose name escapes me. I'm just loving all the crashing and the flames and the shooting and good old John McClane surviving impacts that would have anybody else in traction yet managing to get up and keep on kicking ass. I don't care if the whole thing's totally mad... it's raw entertainment and I love it, love it, love it!

-------------------------------------------------------------
Telly: see above
Choc/Yummy: bananas :(
Mood: in the mood for movies
Writing: nothing, but did some yesterday
Reading: Exclusive
RSI/FMS: bit sore in the wrist area and shoulder


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Well, I had the best time yesterday over at the Let's Talk Romance blog! It was a blast! The question of the day was... "do you prefer glamorous exotic locales and situations or more everyday backgrounds as settings for your erotic romances" but the chat amongst the Michelle and the Bellas ranged across all manner of topics to do with my favourite genre!

The conclusion was... I think... that we all like a good mix of fantastical 'luxe' settings and sexy fun in the same sort of town, hamlet, village, city, workplace etc that we actually live in. Which just goes to prove that the old saw 'variety is the spice of life' is alive and well! :)

Another conclusion was that there's a great fondness in Bellaland for brawny lumberjacks, sexy window cleaners, horny guys who ride motorcycles and even a certain eccentric and exotic Italian stud who wears a frock every now and again! LOL

Romance B[u]y the Book aka Let's Talk Romance is just the most wonderful place, and I urge all lovers of romantic fiction, in whatever its many marvellously diverse sub genres, to visit and join in the friendly, funny, thoughtful and sometimes quite intense chat there.

You won't regret it!

And the fun and provocative chat is in full force today, as Erotic Romance Week continues with a guest blog from Elizabeth Scott aka Janice Maynard, who has a very special take on erotic romance that I really like the sound of. ;) And tomorrow, it's Pam Rosenthal!



-------------------------------------------------------------
Telly: Top Gear
Choc/Yummy: Tesco Belgian Milk
Mood: very good
Writing: more of The Retreat
Reading: Lord of Scoundrels - Loretta Chase
RSI/FMS: so so


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

... but I will try and do better now that my Gothic Heat proofs are turned in. Boy was that a task! As usual, I didn't trust the first check, so I forced myself to do another... which was good job, as I found lots and lots of snafus on the second pass. And many of them weren't ones that a proof corrector, looking for just spelling and stuff, would have picked up on. You wouldn't think that a novel from somebody who plots as little as I do could have many continuity errors, but believe me, even with the slightest of plots, it's possible!

And now I have to get back to writing, as well as a zillion other jobs that have stacked up while I've been doing proofs. My first task is a short novella, workingly titled The Retreat, which I have to finish by the end of December. It's going to be one of those naughty ones with spanking and power games, and in the course of some movie viewing, I've discovered the perfect hero for it.

Edward Norton, looking stern and delicious as Eisenheim, in The Illusionist. I love his power and his quiet composure, qualities that make him ideal as a model for my subtle but dominant Ben. My story isn't historical, but there's certainly a slight anachronistic and Edwardian bohemian quality to this guy.

In other news, don't forget to check out my interview at Lovehoney, mentioned below, and tomorrow, I'll be guestblogging at lovely Bella Michelle Buonfiglio's 'Let's Talk Romance' blog, as part of EROTIC ROMANCE WEEK. Why not visit there today, too, as the guest is the fabulous Emma Holly with some of her romance writing friends.


-------------------------------------------------------------
Telly: nothing yet
Choc/Yummy: nothing yet
Mood: bit stressed
Writing: soon
Reading: Lord of Scoundrels - Loretta Chase
RSI/FMS: very achy and tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

I'm feeling so not like writing at the moment, so inspired by my buddy Madelynne Ellis, I've given this ol' blog a slightly new look! Still got quite a few of my sidebar bits to reintegrate, but I had too much crap there anyway, so maybe that's a good thing! :)

-------------------------------------------------------------
Telly: Top Gear etc
Choc/Yummy: Tesco Belgian Milk
Mood: fed up
Writing: not
Reading: not
RSI/FMS: sore and tired


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Sorry that posting has been a bit hit and miss recently. Have mainly been channelling all my writing energy into fiction and now, into editing Gothic Heat. And my life is pretty boring... except last Thursday when I met my dear writing buddy, Saskia Walker for lunch and we had a fabulous gabfest and bitching session! Now that was fun, and I bet a lot of people's ears were burning that day... we love to dish it! LOL

Am now about a third of the way into editing Gothic Heat, and it's still not too vile. I can see a bit of tweakage ahead, but so far, so good. I'm even beginning to think a little about what I'll do next. It'll probably be something contemporary, but no firm news on that yet. When there is something to tell, you'll be the first to know, faithful readers. [All three of you.]

One good bit of news is that the Magic and Desire Black Lace novella collection, containing my offering ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT, has just appeared on the Amazons, due out 8th May 08.

Can't wait to see the cover... but in the meantime, here's my version.



--
Telly: UK TV History
Choc/Yummy: Hotel Chocolat
Mood: very tired
Writing: editing Gothic Heat
Reading: The Unsung Hero/Suzanne Brockmann & Flatliners/Leonore Fleischer
RSI/FMS: see above, tired and extremely achy


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

Hey, I'm guest blogging today... over at Milady Insanity's place!

Find out just how mad I really am, and why I have so many dumb pseudonyms... and comment for the chance to win a prize!

Don't know what's up with me... I just don't feel very bloggy at the moment. Am v. tired and putting all my writerliness into Gothic Heat... not much left over for pearls of wisdom [not] here.

--
Telly: Coast
Choc/Yummy: Lindt Lindor Dark
Mood: weary
Writing: Gothic Heat
Reading: Fantasy Lover/Sherrilyn Kenyon
RSI/FMS: rather sore


Don't forget Portia's Promos - new stuff being added all the time!

I'm guest blogging at ROMANCE BY THE BLOG today... on the topic of my red hot love affairs with guys like this...

Why not nip on over and join the fun!

There's a prize for commenters and the chat is already getting v. naughty... :)

ADDENDUM FOR THE BELLAS