Stories behind the stories #RomFantasy

Stories about the stories… I thought some of you might like to know the stories behind the stories. I get asked a lot about inspiration, etc., so I thought it might be kind of interesting to talk a little about how the last releases came into being.

First, let’s start with the Ellora’s Cave title, RECKLESS ASSIGNATION. This began a number of years back, when I was writing fan fiction, actually. I was intrigued with the idea of writing a very over the top but FUN story in which the trappings of Halloween played a key role. Describing the atmosphere at the old hotel, and all the elaborate décor the hero installed to add some mystique to the sensual trap he was setting was a total blast. I think for the most part, reviewers got that was the whole point, though a few were quick to point out it was cheesy and overdone. Whatever, if you can’t extend your imagination to understand that it was integral to the whole play, who am I to explain it all out to you? As I said, most people loved the spooky touches. Back-tracking though, this story had begun as a fan fiction based on a popular espionage show, and it never really quite worked. But, as an original, it popped and came to life, and I was delighted when EC wanted to publish it! If you’d like to take a peek at an excerpt, check it out HERE!

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Next up is TRIAD OF POWER: FIRST QUEST, a fantasy with a slightly erotic tone. Most people who know me also know that fantasy is one of my big loves. I enjoy the world building, the magic, and the mythos that you can create within this format. All things are possible. Triad was once a story called Quest of Honour, but it never really felt finished. It was published for a time under the name Royal Consort, and while it had been reworked a little, it was still lacking something special. (At this point it had been contracted with a publishing house that actually shut down before it was ever released! I still have Fiona Jayde’s beautiful, original cover.) The publisher didn’t seem to have much interest in it, so it languished, and when one of my contracts with them expired, I requested termination of all five titles I had with them. None of them were selling, and it was not a relationship that was benefitting me or them. After reworking it more, I submitted it to Crimson Frost Books, and they accepted it with the request that we make it part one of three. So, it became the Triad of Power, and Second Quest – then Final Quest will be out in the coming year.

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TEXAS HEAT is next, and that’s one that came into being as a challenge I imposed on myself. Awesome author Delilah Devlin had put out a call for stories to be included in a collection called Cowboy Heat. I decided to give it a shot, but I’ve never written a contemporary cowboy before. My cowboys have always been in Historical settings, inspired by a lifetime love affair with the Old West, and in fact, old Western television shows. Delilah passed on the story, which features a modern day wrangler who is also a vet suffering with PTSD. It’s hotter than many of stories, and has the potential to be a much longer story someday if I ever find the time to revisit and expand on the relationship that begins here. I might even write another contemporary cowboy someday… it was more fun than I thought it would be. New Dawning Book Fair’s awesome editor helped me give it real kick, and so far everyone who’s spoken to me about it, loves it!

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Finally, A WHISPER OF HUMANITY has been rereleased by new publishing house, Evolutionary Publishing. This is one of those poor little books that’s been kicked around like a red-headed step-kid, as a friend of mine used to like to say. It was first written as a fan fiction, had its roots in a little vampire show called Forever Knight, and some of you might even remember that one. I revised, rewrote, expanded, and polished it up to make it shiny and new… then came the search for a home for it. Forbidden Publications had it first, they shut their doors shortly after it was published. So, a few months after it was released back to me, I brought it to XoXo Publishing at the suggestion of a friend. Since XoXo has closed its doors, it was once again free and clear… it’s been well received and reviewed, even if sales were rather dire. So, now it’s with Evolutionary, and I hope this is the last stop for it–and that it reaches an audience at last.

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