Sunday, February 24, 2008

Tina's Rant this Week

I realize I don't have many releases coming up, so I don't have much to promo right now, so I thought I would do a little bit of rambling instead. I also have this same thing up on my personal writing blog, so if this is a reread for you, I apologize.

Okay, I am not a small woman, I really never have been. I am also short. So be it. I live with it, I embrace who I am, I love who I am, even if I will never be America's Next Top Model. (Which is fine, to be honest, who needs the drama? :) )

I love to dress my heroines in fancy dresses that I could never afford, or would never have a place to wear, or can never find in my size and height. One of my writing partners once told me she loved the dresses I "designed" for my heroines, and that made me feel good, because I often spend a lot of time looking for ideas and then mixing and matching to have them be what I want.

My heroines are slim, chubby, plus sized. Short, tall. Blonde, dark haired. I don't have a type. (although my crit partner says I lean toward chubby/plus sized, and that's okay with me.) So I try to dress them accordingly to size and temperament of each woman. (I am not gonna dress a self conscious plus sized woman in a dress that reveals more than it covers) So sometimes that means looking for things.

I have come to love the fact that so many places have adopted the idea that plus sized women are women, too, and that they should have beautiful dresses for proms and weddings, special occasions and the like. BUT If you are going to advertise yourself as a place for Plus Sized clothing, a place that has only "Fashion for sizes 14W-34W" then your freaking ass models should be AT LEAST a size 14. Seeing a skinny ass bimbo that looks good in a freaking gunny sack wearing an outfit that will look horrendous on most plus sized women is ridiculous. How the hell can I tell how my heroine's size 20 body with DD breasts is gonna look in that low cut thing when the model doesn't even have BOOBS!!!!!!.

Lane Bryant got in trouble for doing this years ago. At least now most of their models are about a size 14. That at least is something. But dammit, can't these other sites learn from them? WTF!!! You know, even if I become rich enough to be able to buy whatever I want, there are certain places I will NEVER go to, or catalogs I would never buy from because of this very reason.

My new favorite site for clothes IGIGI They have REAL plus sized women in their catalog. Women that have curves and bumps and everything, and still they show them sexy. I am in love. Hell, even if I am not crazy about every single outfit they have, or every single article they have, the point is they present women REALISTICALLY. And they have articles describing shape, clothing styles, self - esteem, etc. Kudos to them!!!!!! And THIS site doesn't seem to be too bad either. They mostly have forms, or no model at all. You can't how the clothes look on a plus sized woman, but at least(with a couple exceptions) you aren't forced to look at someone the size of your freaking thigh wearing the entire dress.

Anyone else know of any other sites?
posted by Tina Bendoni at 4:37 pm 0 comments

Friday, February 22, 2008

It's finally here...Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee


The Ravenson Project: Chronicles of the Cursed (Book 2)

Malek DeWinter, learnt the hard way that the Raven Lord he’d thought had aved him from death so many years ago, wasn’t what he appeared to be. After a night of passionate lovemaking with his new found mate, he wakes from his cursed sleep to find himself chained to the dungeon walls. With his mate at the mercy of his Lord, the house he'd thought had abandoned him comes to his rescue. Can he make things right before it’s too late? Or will he lose his true love to the hands of a traitor?

To Buy
The Ravenson Prject: Chronicles of the Cursed (Book 2)


Excerpt:

Malek growled, his senses coming alert all at once as the curse let him free from its grasp.

Her scent infused him; she smelled of desire and need. Her lips tasted of eagerness and something he hadn’t tasted in decades…
Innocence.

Could it really be? His eyes snapped open. Could Sharra still be an innocent? The thought excited his senses and deepened his desire.

He rolled over pinning her to the mattress. She’d been warned to stay away until he rose for the evening, yet the stubborn woman refused to obey the simplest of commands. If his Sire hadn’t given him leave to take a keeper of his very own, Sharra would be in serious danger for the stunt she’d just pulled. Raven House law stated that a woman had no rights of her own. Any woman found in the house after the sun set was fair game for any vampire male who found her. Obliged by rules older than time to obey their every wish and whim. An unbound female found in a male’s room was fair game for all.

He’d decided within moments of being granted permission to choose a keeper that Sharra would that person, in effect keeping her safe under his protection from the other men in the house. As his keeper she would finally belong to him but until then she was at risk if found in his bed.

A slow throaty chuckle escaped his throat he’d always wanted a human lover he could bite into orgasmic bliss and she had just granted his wish with one bold move. Seeing her surprised expression, he grinned evilly. “Good evening Sharra.”

“Malek, you’re awake!”

“You sound surprised pet! I must say this is definitely the nicest way I’ve been woken in ages. But you know this isn’t where you were told to meet me.”

A frown caressed her lips at his grin. He knew she hated being ordered about.
“I’m no one’s slave Malek and I missed you.”

“No you certainly aren’t that Sharranna. But you could be mine! I wouldn’t object in the least.”

“Why you vile, disgusting, despicable excuse for a man.”

“You have no idea my pet, none whatsoever, how vile I can be.” He released his hold on the desire he felt for her and kissed her again. He expected no resistance since she’d entered his chambers and his bed freely, and he didn’t receive any.

Five years of waiting and wanting were set free in her one act of defiance. His hands roamed eagerly down her side to her thigh, slipping under the dress she wore and climbing back up to rest on her hip. Her dress bunched above his left hand, his right holding her chin steady while he plundered her mouth kissing the breath out of her.
posted by Aline de Chevigny at 6:45 pm 0 comments

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Davin's Quest - Available Now!

First, I want to thank everyone who came out and partied with me yesterday on my chat group. That was one heck of a party! If you missed it, I'll be doing a little reprise of some of the excerpts and information today on the Rites of Romance chat group, where I've been scheduled for an author day.

As you may know by now, Davin's Quest came out yesterday from Samhain. I've been absolutely thrilled with the response by both reviewers and readers alike. The story is the second in my Resonance Mates series that began with Hara's Legacy (which is now available in print). Here's a little bit about the book...

Which man will Callie choose, the alien or the warrior? Or can she have both?

For each Alvian, there is one perfect match—a Resonance Mate whose soul blends in perfect harmony. Unlike the rest of his race, Davin has emotions and suffers for it. Without a mate, he is doomed to go mad. Searching for answers and understanding, he seeks out Callie O’Hara, a human woman with strong empathic gifts. Could this fragile human be his Resonance Mate?

Rick St. John is a tough-as-nails survivor of the Alvian occupation of Earth. He doesn’t believe in much, but when he sees Callie for the first time, he starts to believe in love at first sight.

The Governing Council is gunning for Davin, the upstart who dares to defy them. And they’ll kill anyone who gets in their way. Davin and Rick must come to terms with their feelings for Callie in order to keep her safe, while she has to find a way to save them both…with her love.

Warning: This title contains hot alien love, explicit sex, graphic language, and ménage a trois.

Read An Excerpt Online

Buy from MBaM!

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posted by Bianca D'Arc at 2:25 pm 0 comments

Monday, February 18, 2008

Party Time!!!!!

Come one come all, you are all cordially invited to join Bianca D'ard and friends.


Bianca D'arc's Yahoo Group

There will be chatting, promo's and excerpts for you to enjoy.
posted by Aline de Chevigny at 3:03 pm 0 comments

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Happy Sunday

Coming February 22nd, 2008 from Aspen Mountain Press The much anticipated sequel to Blood Red.



The Ravenson Project: Chronicles of the Cursed Book 2


Malek DeWinter, learnt the hard way that the Raven Lord he’d thought had aved him from death so many years ago, wasn’t what he appeared to be. After a night of passionate lovemaking with his new found mate, he wakes from his cursed sleep to find himself chained to the dungeon walls. With his mate at the mercy of his Lord, the house he'd thought had abandoned him comes to his rescue. Can he make things right before it’s too late? Or will he lose his true love to the hands of a traitor?

Excerpt : Unedited

Malek growled, his senses coming alert all at once. Her scent infused him, she smelled of desire and need. Her lips tasted of eagerness and something he hadn’t tasted in decades… Could it be innocence? His eyes snapped open. Could it be? Could Sharra still be an innocent? The thought excited his senses and deepened his desire.

He rolled over pinning her to the mattress below his body. She’d been warned to stay away until he rose for the evening, yet the stubborn woman refused to obey the simplest of commands. If his Sire hadn’t given him leave to take a keeper of his very own, Sharra would be in serious danger for the stunt she’d just pulled. He’d decided within moments of being granted that permission that Sharra would be his keeper, keeping her safe under his protection. A slow throaty chuckle escaped his throat at the thought, he’d always wanted a human lover he could bite into orgasmic bliss. Seeing her surprised expression, he grinned evilly. “Good evening Sharra.”

“Malek, you’re awake!”

“You sound surprised pet! I must say Sharra; this is definitely the nicest way I’ve been woken in ages. But you know this isn’t where you were told to meet me.”

He grinned at the frown that caressed her lips, she hated being ordered about like a slave. “I’m no one’s slave Malek and I missed you.”

“No you certainly aren’t that Sharranna. But you could be mine! I wouldn’t object in the least.”

“Why you vile, disgusting, despicable excuse for a man.”

“You have no idea my pet, none whatsoever, how vile I could be.” He released his hold on the desire he felt for her and kissed her again. He expected no resistance since she’d entered his chambers and his bed freely, and he didn’t receive any. Five years of waiting and wanting were set free in her one act of defiance. His hands roamed eagerly down her side to her thigh, slipping under the dress she wore and climbing back up to rest on her hip. Her dress bunched above his left hand, his right holding her chin steady while he plundered her mouth kissing the breath out of her.
posted by Aline de Chevigny at 2:44 pm 0 comments

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Evil Author Things

You know, as an author I get to do an awful lot of evil things and not get in trouble for them. Now I am not talking things like mass murder – although I wouldn’t put that past me in a future book. I am talking about those little evil things we all do – or want to do – in life but just can’t.

I was talking to my critique partner the other day, and she was writing a story in first person. The heroine was purposely making the hero mad. Doing little things like burning his marshmallows (yes, I am talking about s’mores here, get your mind out of the gutter.) then smooshing them so they ooze out of the crackers. (her words). This proceeded to piss the poor man off. And still the heroine continued to annoy the hell out of him. (He’d refused her sex, can you think of a better reason to punish him?)

Well, Michelle said that she loved it. That she was having loads of fun pissing off this man. And it struck me that some authors are born kind of evil. We get way too big of a kick out of stuff like that. Take for example, I was in the middle of a sex scene at the same time, and I realized I had my hero torturing the heroine. Not letting her do things cause he was too busy pleasuring her to let her pleasure him. (Yeah, I know, such a horrible torture, isn’t it?)

And then there are the times where nothing goes right for the heroine. Where she can’t change a tire because the lug nuts are too tight, when she drops things because she is nervous cause the hero is talking to her. When her mother starts yelling at her for her horrible taste in men right after her heart gets broken by the ex-boyfriend.

You know, I, too, truly enjoy too many of these scenes. So now that I think about it, I’m worried. What does that say about me as a person? Hehehe
posted by Tina Bendoni at 4:48 am 2 comments

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Catching up

The yahoo calendar was down for a while and didn't tell me to blog. I lay the blame solely at its feet for not posting on time... *cough*

Anyway...what's been happening?

Sweating with Sven kept me busy and I ended up with about 80 000 from the three months, which I'm very happy about. I finished and subbed 3 stories, two of which Weaving Words and The Honourable Lady have been accepted by Samhain and Wild Child publishing. I also got a good handle on three novellas, though two of them have turned out into category length - bad them! lol

Oh, and sometime in the future I'll become One-Kidney Kim. My right kidney decided at the end of November that it didn't like me anymore and the doctor confirmed today that it'll probably have to go. It'll be nice to stop aching ;-)

Anyway, here's a snippet from Weaving Words
(c) 2008 Kim Knox
-it's unedited - so it may change from the finished version-

Blurb

Vara had been a Captain in the Temple Guard, until she finds herself dragged into the body of a lord's wife. Her bizarre day increases as she discovers a world of magic and witches. Now she must try to survive in an alien environment, with a witch as her sole confidante; a witch she finds far too attractive...

Excerpt

Kaede moved close again. They only had a short time now before Tarou would want to return to the Lodge. "What is your real name?"

Annaliese dug her hand into her side, twisting against the tight pull of the final belt. "How did she wear this bloody thing?"

Kaede scrubbed at his face. "Damn it, lady, if this mistake is found out, both of us are dead."

"Yes, I thought that was probable." She straightened and pushed her hair from her eyes, grimacing as the ornate curls of thin gold caught on her fingers. "I only know that my name is Vara. Nothing else." She gave him a short smile. "I remember a tower, snow," she stared down at her shimmering robe, "and a leather cuirass." Vara… turned over her hand, stretching her palm. Her brow furrowed. "I should have sword calluses."

"You're a soldier." He waved at her, at her clothes, her hair. "Are you… erm… female?"

Vara gave a soft laugh. "Are you worried, Witch Kaede?" Her gaze slid down to his breeches and he stopped his hands moving to cover himself. The soft scent of her camomile perfume wrapped around him. His penis twitched and he held down a curse. "I can't pretend that I didn't notice your reaction to this body. Were you and she…?"

Kaede shook his head and tried not to notice the glitter of gold edging her cheek, the way it sparked in her wicked eyes. "No." He straightened. His lack of control made no sense. Annaliese Gaute had married his lord five years before and she had never once affected him. "And this is inappropriate."

"Really?" Her warm breath brushed his neck, her tongue-tip tracing along the underside of his jaw. He hissed and stumbled back from her. She grinned at him. "I'd call that inappropriate."

They were dead. Tarou would take one look at his smirking wife, demand a sword from his guard and slice her head off himself. His lord would save the Seven Words for him. "You were brought back for a reason." Kaede forced his mind to focus and push from his thoughts the need to have this new Annaliese hard up against the cavern wall, showing her how inappropriate he could be. Even with Tarou standing only yards away. "And I don't know what that is. I have my books, I'll try find out more about what… you… were trying to do. Why he's risking resurrection."

"Yes, he," she nodded to towards the lake, "doesn't seem the doting husband."

Kaede couldn't look back, afraid of what she would do if he turned his back on her. "He's not."

"We have a problem." She hitched her belt around her waist and smoothed back her robe. "I'm ready to go, Kaede, it'll look suspicious if we delay too long."

He blinked. She was being sensible now? "Witch, just call me witch," he muttered.

"Witch…" The drawled word flushed his face and he held down the surge of fear. Vara's red mouth twitched upward and the wicked spark returned to her gaze. She stood back from him and her chin lifted. "Aren't you going to ask me if I'm a woman again?"

Kaede bit back a curse. They weren't going to live to see the night.

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posted by Kim Knox at 1:44 pm 0 comments

Saturday, February 02, 2008

My turn *bounces

Okay, I had a release yesterday AND it's my turn to talk LOL

Um I dunno what about LOL

Okay last night I was looking for something in my blog (a yummy pic of The Master that Kim made for me) and noticed that I'd missed comments on my Fantasm finalist blog. Hehehehe Caridad must google her name and found herself on my blog. Best of all? She commented.

Dawn is Texas author of the month. There is a link for the myspace blog somewhere hopefully she will be kind enough to post it in the comments.

I'm thrilled to keep selling stories to Changeling. I have two series there and will be participating in three others. They are just soooo much fun over there. LOL

I made it onto the author drop down menu at WCPT - cause one of you mentioned I wasn't on it. I am now ;)

I love to talk so I made my own yahoo group : http://groups.yahoo.com/group/michellesedge

Um and I'm tired. The kids were all sick this past week so I'm off to catch up writing and reading.

Michelle
posted by Michelle Hasker at 5:23 pm 0 comments

Witchy Woes: Tamara


Witchy Woes: Tamara
Available now from Whisky Creek Press Torrid

WITCHY WOES Book 1: TAMARA by Michelle Hasker
Genre: Torrid Romance Paranormal
EBook formats ISBN: 978-1-60313-177-3
Rating: Sensual Romance – Sensual

Tamara is a witch and proud of it, but when an innocent spell goes horribly wrong, she ends up in the hospital. With death rearing its ugly head once more, Tamara knows she should ignore the handsome firefighter who seems captivated by her magical burns. Though she wants to forget about him and that fateful night, Dante is persistent, and soon she doesn’t know which of them is teaching the other about magic. Tamara puts up a good fight against the strong attraction she feels for Dante, but it’s a losing battle as she finds herself falling head over heels in love. The only problem? She’s dying and doesn’t want to leave behind anyone to mourn her.

Michelle
posted by Michelle Hasker at 5:15 pm 0 comments