Books from the Backlog - The Seductress by Morgan Ashbury

Woot, a fun new meme! Many years ago, there was another meme about neglected TBR books, known as Dusty Reads. That meme died and recently this one popped up. I'm delighted to participate and I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.

This week's neglected book ~

Quote-Tastic The Princess and The Bodyguard by Morgan Ashbury

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed you for one reason or another. Everyone's welcome to join in - authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier! Just grab the button and put up your post :) Don't have a blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section.  Quote-tastic is hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup.

"The Princess and The Bodyguard" is part of a trilogy about a royal family and a common middle class family who get involved. There's a light sprinkling of fantasy but mostly it's a contemporary romance. This scene occurs after the titular bodyguard has kissed the titular princess. The princess, Rachel, enjoyed the kiss, to say the least, but not what happened afterward. I think they need to have an honest talk.

That kiss had eaten away at Rachel all afternoon.    

Dinner had been nearly impossible to get through. She'd been painfully conscious of Peter sitting across the table from her, trying to act like he hadn't kissed her brains out that very afternoon.

All right, so she'd practically begged him to do it. But that had been no do-it-for-king-and-country kind of kiss he'd laid on her, either. His tongue had been down her throat, he's pulled her so tight against him that her nipples had stood at attention. She had caught the telltale sign of his erection, despite the excellent cut of his suit. 

And then the rat bastard had the nerve to apologize?  

Heh, I think that man is in trouble. :D

Quote-Tastic #44 Ground Rule #2: No Sharing

Join us every Monday and share a favorite quote that's grabbed you for one reason or another. Everyone's welcome to join in - authors, bloggers, readers. The more the merrier! Just grab the button and put up your post :) Don't have a blog? No worries, just leave your favorites in the comment section.  Quote-tastic is hosted by Herding Cats & Burning Soup.

Morgan Ashbury, who also writes as Cara Covington, writes steamy erotic romances and is a friend of mine. This is from her first published story, "Made for Each Other", and I was remember when she was working on it before it sold. She played around with stereotypes in this story but some things are pretty gender specific, such as cocks. :D

Before he could say a word she had his belt unfastened and his pants opened.

"Melissa better figure out  that you're not free. I don't share."

"Melissa? No, I didn't mean...we don't...that is to say...." He let out a huff of breath as Charlie shoved him back into his chair. In the next instant she was on her knees in front of him.

"Glad we got that settled. I guess that's ground rule number two. Now, what time were you going to pick me up for the game tonight?"

"Well, I thought...."

Words strangled off as Charlie took his cock into her mouth proceeded to suck every thought right out of his head.

Have you read any books by Morgan? What did you think?

My Favorite Books of 2011 So Far

So today's Armchair BEA topic is our favorite books so far in 2011. Surprisingly, that wasn't easy to decide at first. But after thinking about it, I came up with some. So, in no particular order, my fave books so far in 2011:

"These Things Hidden" by Michelle Gudenkauf - It grabbed me from the first page and I didn't put it down until I finished it. By turns, agonizing, hopeful, emotional and coldly rational, it was a fascinating read about families, choices, and what we do in the name of love.

"Shackled" by Morgan Ashbury - A sweet mix of erotica and romance that's also a nice intro to the world of bandage and dominance and 
submission. Not perfect, but well done.

 "The Gathering" by Kelley Armstrong - Sigh. I wouldn't change a single thing about this book. Do you like YA? Do you like Urban Fantasy? Want a break from vamps and weres? READ THIS BOOK.

"How to Flirt with A Naked Werewolf" by Molly Harper - Slightly misleading title, but fun story, well written. A light read but not silly or stupid and lots of likable characters.

"The Survivor" by Sean Slater - Grim, gritty, full of twists and turns and multi-layered, this is not your basic murder mystery or procedural (though it was fun me, a US citizen, to learn about Canadian police procedures), it's not a happy feel-good but it's smart, solid, and hard to put down.

Very good and very HAWT. This is a well written, engaging book. Cleansing, lots of yummy smex, solid, well written, and not a blind drunk monkey anywhere in sight, lol

Heh, I read this after I read an incredibly badly written romance that left me needing to cleanse my mind. This book sure fit the bill. :D













These aren't the only good ones this year, it's actually been a good year for books so far. I hope the rest of the year will be as good.

Interview with romance author Morgan Ashbury Part 2

 

Hello, and welcome back. Today I wrap up my interview with Morgan, writer of romance and erotic romance. If you missed part 1, you can find it here.

Morgan writes romance and erotic romance and has been very busy in the 4 years since she was first published , with almost 20 books to her credit. Today we are talking about romance, her mentors and other assorted topics.

Welcome back Morgan, thank you for taking the time to do this. 

Bea: Was there someone who was, or is, particularly helpful to you? Was there someone who inspired you in your writing? In what way(s)?

Morgan:  I always acknowledge Kelley Armstrong. I met her at a writing seminar just as her second book, Stolen, came out. We clicked. I went to her website. One day she said, “What do you think about starting a writing group on line at my site?” That group gave me the forum I needed to improve my craft. Kelley also invited me to go to CanWrite 2005 in Kitchener with her, and that was where I first learned about “erotic romance”. Then she said, “let’s go to RT in May next year. It’s in Daytona Beach!” I did, and that is where I met my publisher.

I consider her friendship to be one of my greatest treasures.

Bea: Ok, so now I have to ask: Who are some of your favorite authors? 

Morgan:  How much space do we have? Kelley Armstrong, Emma Wildes, A. J. Menden (KA OWG member), D. B. Reynolds (KA OWG member & future featured interviewee), Sharon Ashwood, Raina James (KA OWG member), Lara Santiago, Nora Roberts, J. D. Robb, Jayne Ann Krentz, Catherine Coulter, Kay Hooper, Barbara Delinsky, Clive Cussler, Vicky Lewis Thompson. I also enjoy the staff writers who write as “Richard Castle”, lol. 

Bea:  Do you have a favorite of the stories you’ve written?

Morgan:  I am proud of every single story I have written. I have 16 titles published under the pen name of Morgan Ashbury (and no, please don’t tell them my real name), and I have 4 stories (well, 5 on Friday the 11^th) published under a second pen name, Cara Covington.

My Magic and Love series is my sentimental favorite. I was very proud of The Lady Makes Three, my first ménage.  I am also really liking this Lusty, Texas series, too!

***I think Magic and Love is my fave also, I really enjoyed them - Bea*** 

Bea: If you could be a character in a book, which one would it be, and what part would you play? (Romantic lead, sidekick, etc)

Morgan: Oh, there’s a bit of me in every book I’ve written. I’m Hannah in the Magic and Love Trilogy. I’m Lily, in Lily In Bloom. But if I could be in someone else’s books, I’d be a friend or a confidante to the hero or the heroine. It’s just the way I’m wired, at heart, I’m not a centre-stage kind of person.

Bea: You’re on Twitter and facebook, but don’t use them often that I’ve seen. Do you think that hurts your sales at all? Do you think they are important or necessary for published authors?

Morgan: Yes, they are important. All promotion is important. That said, I do believe the best promotion is writing really good stories.

I write a weekly blog and have since 2006. It’s called Wednesday’s Words, and it has a substantial following. It’s included as a regular article in a number of blogs, and is a featured item in “Euro Reviews” an European book review site based in Antwerp, Belgium.

Just this past December I finally set up a blog for it, specifically. This blog keeps the name of Morgan Ashbury visible, and that is half of what promotion is all about.

I don’t use the social networks often because I’m so busy writing! I published 6 books in 2010, which is a lot. And, sadly, I forget to tweet. It’s not that I don’t want to tweet and…[um is there a verb for posting on face book? Is it facing? Booking?] I do want to. There’s just not enough hours in the day.

There is one other aspect to all of this tweeting and facing and blogging. Let me say it like this: my first computer was an abacas.

Bea:  Do you prefer paper books or ebooks? Why?

Morgan:  I do like holding a paper book. But I have an awesomely lucrative career writing e books. So, I have to say I prefer both, for different reasons.

Bea: What is the most romantic anyone has ever done for you? How would you define romance in real life? 

Morgan:  In real life, romance changes as you grow older, and closer to the one you love. I have been married now for 39 years, come July 2011. When my feet or ankles ache, I say to my beloved, “please rub my feet” and he never says no.

That is pretty darn romantic.

Bea: Does your family read your books? What do they think?

Morgan:  My husband reads every single book I write. He is my main beta reader, and he is very proud of me.

My daughter reads some of what I’ve written, but she kind of skips over the sex scenes as she doesn’t want to know that I know those things!

My brother has purchased every one of my books, and my sister has read a few.

Bea: You first became published a few years ago, at what some might consider a late age. Do you think that has been an advantage, disadvantage, or irrelevant? 

Morgan:  I think things happen when they are meant to happen. In this day and age, when I can sit at home in my pajamas and write, and people buy and read what I write, things like age or infirmity really are irrelevant. 

I personally know a very good author, a top seller with both Amber Quill and EC, who is in her 80s.

Bea: Anything that you want to add or say to your readers?

Morgan: I consider myself highly blessed to have been given this second career at a time when I didn’t know what the future really held for me. 

So many of my readers take the time to write, and I am thrilled each and every time I hear from them. To my readers I would like to say, thank you! Thank you so much for reading what I have had enormous fun writing. 

Morgan, thank you again for coming by. I've enjoyed this. 

Interview with romance author Morgan Ashbury Part 1

Morgan Ashbury is an author of erotic romance. Her first book was published in 2007. In just 4 short years, she has published almost 20 books.  I've known Morgan since before she was published and am delighted that she agreed to an interview. It actually turned into a fairly lengthy interview, I kept thinking of "just one more question!", lol. She graciously put up with all of them. I have broken the interview into two parts to make it a little easier to read. This first part deals mostly with her writing and her books, the second part is more general.

Last week, Morgan's publisher, Siren Publishing, announced that she also writes as Cara Covington, bringing her published works to over 20 books.

This is also the first installment of my year long series of interviews with authors who are also members of Kelley Armstrong's discussion board (though they may have a different name on the board). All of the writers are now, or were in the past, part of the KA board's Online Writers Group. That group has been remarkably successful at getting published.

A little bit about Morgan, from her website : 


The only dream I've ever had was to be a published author. It was a dream formed in childhood, and held on to through the business of growing up. Life intruded, as life does, and my dream was put on hold. But now, through hard work, faith, and luck dream has evolved into reality.

Romance is a wonderful genre that accommodates every other. Comedy, mystery, paranormal, suspense, or science fiction, romance embraces them all. Erotic romance gives all of that, and so much more.

For readers who want all the best traditional romance has to offer – great characters, compelling stories and a happy ending – and who crave that extra bit of heat – I invite you to read one of my novels and let me know what you think!

Morgan can also be found on facebook, twitter, and at  goodreads.


Bea: Morgan, thank you so much for being here today, I really appreciate it.

Morgan: Thank you so much for this opportunity!

Bea: Why writing? Would you continue to write if you were no longer published?

Morgan: I think it’s a case that writing chose me, rather than the other way around. I don’t believe it was ever a conscious decision on my part, as I wrote my first story when I was 8.  Would I continue if I was no longer published? Of course. Being an author isn’t what I do, it’s who I am. 

Bea: What is your favorite part of writing?

Morgan: There comes a moment, as you’re progressing through the steps of writing when everything gels. The characters step up to the plate, take over, and the story begins to grow, almost on its own. When that happens it’s absolute magic, and makes everything that might be difficult about this calling worth it.

 Bea: What advice would you give writers who aspire to get published? What is your least favorite part of the whole writing and publishing process eg edits, pr, interviews <big evil grin>, etc?  What is your favorite part? 

Morgan: I am one of those strange creatures who likes every aspect of this process. I can even put on my promoter’s hat when I have to—as so many of your readers who’ve met me at the RT Booklovers’ Convention will know. There isn’t anything about the writing process I don’t like.

My biggest piece of advice to anyone who wants to be a published author is…write. Write every day, at least something. Write and write and write some more. And one more thing. Don’t you ever, ever quit.

Bea: Why erotic romance? What do you like about it? Any plans to write in other genres? What do you say to people who look down erotic romance?    

Morgan:  I love romance. The main thing I love about it is you can find any other genre within its pages; also, romance, with its emphasis on the happy-ever-after, is a reading experience that uplifts. The author of romance can unashamedly portray the human character as very human, and as striving toward the ideals of love, honor, fidelity…the list goes on. Erotic romance just allows me to tell the whole story.

I do, of course, hope to continue to grow as an author; and so I look down the road, and hope to become published in mainstream romantic suspense and mainstream fiction.

As to those who look down on erotic romance, I just shrug. Did you know there are people who look down on all genre fiction as being “transitory” or “trashy”? To them, only literary fiction is worth reading.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. You can’t generally change people’s minds: they have to do that themselves.

My stories are well written, have depth of character, and I have a lot of readers – I can honestly say thousands of readers. I write for them.

Bea: Your first books were straight up romances with an erotic component. You've also done some with fantastic or magical components. You have slowly moved into romance stories that are more erotic, exploring other areas of sexuality including multiple partners and BDSM. What prompted the change?  

Morgan: In the beginning, I wrote romance. Then I wrote erotic romance with one hero and one heroine.

One cardinal rule for every published author is: know who your readers are. The second rule would be: give your readers what they want.

So to answer your question, I adapted my writing to meet the demands of my readers.

Bea: Your novel, "Shackled", came out in January, part of your BDSM series. Did you do much research for it? <grin> (see my review)

Morgan: Mr. Ashbury is always a willing and eager research partner. And, too, the Internet allows one to travel unknown worlds from the safety of an office chair. <grin>

 

Bea: Can you tell us something about your next book? 

Morgan: I do plan to do another story in the “Reckless Abandon” universe. And, I am currently working on “Love Under Two Fly Boys”, which will be the fourth book in the Lusty, Texas series. That series grew, by the way, out of the only two historical books I’ve ever written – the Lost collection books called Love Under Two Gunslingers, and Love Under Two Lawmen.

Ok, I'll end here and post the rest tomorrow. 

Review: Shackled by Morgan Ashbury

Book Blurb: Bethany asks Jordan Fitzpatrick, owner of Reckless Abandon, to find her a Master, agreeing to accept his choice. But never would she have guessed that he’d choose young hard-body Jonathan Steele. Fifteen years her junior and a friend for years, Jonathan soon lets her know, in no uncertain terms, that he is coming for her one way or another.

Jonathan’s sights are on Beth, and though she readily accepts her true sub nature, he knows he’s in for a struggle. Beth has been taught by her late husband that she can only depend on herself--a lesson that will be a challenge for Jonathan to undo.

With the help of best friend Peter Hamilton and the atmosphere of the city’s premier BDSM Club, Reckless Abandon, Jonathan knows it’s a challenge well worth meeting. The only uncertainty is whether or not he can get Beth to completely surrender to him before another does her harm.

My Thoughts: I enjoy reading romance novels, and I am a sucker for a happy ending. I also sometimes enjoy some fun-filled sex mixed in with my romance, be it graphic or mild. Happily, Ms Ashbury can be counted on to provide a fun, enjoyable erotic romance. In recent books she has gotten more adventurous, moving away from a standard M/F romance and exploring  M/F/M couplings, BDSM, sex toys, etc. I can't help but wonder if she did any hands-on research. :P *wicked grin*

     I know very little about BDSM so it was interesting for me to read this story. It's primarily told through Bethany's eyes, with occasional peeks into Jonathan's mind. We never get inside Peter's head, we only see him through Beth and Jonathan's eyes. As a result he was less fleshed out which is unfortunate since he is part of the love story.
    
     We follow Bethany on her journeys as she learns about the Master/sub relationship, and her developing relationship with Jonathan. Jonathan has wanted Beth for a very long time and with the death of  her husband, he is free to make his move. To his surprise, she makes the first move by going to the local BDSM club and requesting that she be given a Master. The owner and manager, who knew she was coming because she'd made an appointment, has Jonathan ready and waiting in the wings. Jonathan gives Bethany no time to catch her breath and immeidately whisks her off. He deliberately keeps her off balance so that she will not have time to over think things, as she's prone to do. Peter, a good friend of Jonathan's and a fellow Master, is biding his time, waiting for his cue from Jonathan to join in the relationship. Peter knows Bethany casually but is interested and he and Jonathan are hoping to convince Beth to accept both of them.

     The love story moves along quickly but doesn't feel rushed and Ashbury has gotten quite good at writing her sex scenes. There were a few thigns that didn't work for me: Beth, who is portrayed as a caring and concerened parent gives little thoought to how her grown children will react to her new relationship and livign arrangement. Now I don't expect that to be a large part of the story but some acknowledgement of it would be realistic and normal. The other part that didn't work for me was the subplot with Beth's sister-in-law Constance. While it did provide some additional dramatic conflict, I don't think it was necessary and it detracted from the overall story.

     Despite those drawbacks, this was a fun, sexy, enjoyable love story and definitely worth a read.


Publisher: Siren Bookstrand                                                      Release Date: January 14, 2011

More info: goodreads

**The author is a friend of the reviewer**

This ebook was received from the author for review.

Author Interviews - Kelley Armstrong board authors

     When I decided to try my hand at interviewing authors, I thought about what authors I wanted to inerview. Well, that list is long and includes some big names who will probably turn me down when I do get around to asking. But, it immediately occurred to me that I knew a group of authors, some personally, some not, who I wanted to spotlight and who might even agree to being interviewed by me. :P

     I belong to various author boards, including that of the awesome Kelley Armstrong. Her board has an online writers group that is very active and apparently very effective, as more and more are now published authors or have been signed by a publisher. So, I approached them and most graciously agreed. So, I will run a series of interviews over the course of the year with published members of the KA board OWG. I plan to run a review of their most current work along with the interview and some giveaways are also planned.

     The list of participants is subject to change as other OWG members get signed or published, and there's always the possibility of someone cancelling. The current line up is as follows, dates to be determined:

Morgan Ashbury - romance and erotica: interview, part 1; interview, part 2 2/14/11

Seleste deLaney AKA Julie Particka - paranormal romance as deLaney; YA as Particka: interview

Kelly Metz - urban fantasy - TBD

Ian O'Neill - mystery and urban fantasy - TBD

Angela Addams - paranormal romance: interview 4/30/11

Julie Campbell - YA urban fantasy: guest post 3/9/11; interview - October/November 2011

D.B. Reynolds - paranormal romance: Interview 5/16/11