Spring Break - Not for Kids

I'm thrilled to announce SPRING BREAK, my new erotic contemporary romance from Ellora's Cave, has a release date! APRIL 13TH!

This is NOT the spring break you had in college. It does take place in Fort Lauderdale during spring break but there's a whole new twist. Here's the blurb:

Spring break beyond your wildest fantasies? If Justin Watkins can stop keeping watch over his college students like Big Brother, he might convince the prim-and-proper Mariko Maguire to be his sex partner at the invitation-only adult club called TropiX.

Mariko is in Fort Lauderdale on business, trying to secure new clients for her PR firm. Abandoning prior commitments for one wickedly lustful evening—a one-night stand of kinky sex—was not on her agenda.

Carter Bosworth is looking for an evening of sex games during his layover in the tropical playground. He’s a regular at TropiX and always open for a new thrill. His plans are sidetracked, but it may be to his benefit after all when he meets the beautiful Mariko.

The potent heat developing between Justin and Mariko tempts her into shedding her inhibitions, and an exploration in eroticism develops beyond her imagination at the fetish club.

 

Fort Lauderdale Strip

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm working on other stories for this series that center around TropiX. Spring Break is the first book.

Run For Your Lives

I don’t write zombies. I write demons, ghosts, a variety of shapeshifters and vampires. Okay, the vampire novel is unpublished, buried under my bed, awaiting revisions and possible resurrection.

But I heard about this event, a race—Run For Your Lives—and I had to share with all you Zombie lovers. If you’re one of those people who say you hate exercising and wouldn’t unless your life depended on it, then this race is for you.

Here's the Youtube Link: http://youtu.be/A4XvnVz9qDQ

It’s a 5 K race, part obstacle course, part escaping the clutches of zombies who are chasing you and eat your brains, well, trying to steal your health (flags represent your health and are attached to your belt). The race takes place on various dates and at various places around the country including Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; Boston, MA; San Diego/Los Angeles, CA; Pittsburg, PA; Maryland; Florida; Colorado; Seattle/Portland, and Minnesota. Check out their website for dates and more information:

http://www.runforyourlives.com

Also friend them on Facebook and follow on Twitter.

You start the race with three flags tied to your belt (your health) and you must go through a series of obstacles while the zombies are chasing you. The Goal:  Finish the race Alive!!! i.e: with at least one flag. Party and prizes at the end of the race. IF YOU SURVIVE!

 

On another Zombie note:  I’ll be attending the LibertyStates Fiction Writer’s Conference this weekend at the Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel in Iselin, NJ and signing books on March 17^th. Check out their website for more details. JonathanMaberry the Zombie master will be there too signing his zombie books. So if you're a zombie fan you won't want to miss it. Even though the conference registration is closed, the book signing is open to the public from 5:30 - 7:00 PM.

Too indulge in my dark, paranormal side, I’ll be wearing Zombie shoes at the signing. What do you think?

Author Interview: Zenobia Renquist

I'm interviewing Zenobia Renquist today. Zenobia writes for a number of publishers: Changeling Press and Ellora’s Cave as Zenobia Renquist and Samhain Publishing as D. Renee Bagby. She’s talking about her latest book from Changeling Press: Love Reversed. Also watch for her new release from Ellora’s Cave: Pet’s Pleasure, coming April 5^th. BTW, I'm a big Vin Diesel/Riddick fan too. :)

-Tell us a little about the book and where did you get the idea to write this story.

Title: LoveReversed

Written As: Zenobia Renquist – http://zenobiarenquist.com

Genre: Erotic Fantasy Romance, Interracial, Suspense

Publisher: Changeling Press

Blurb:

It's only an even swap when both parties are satisfied.

Cinnamon came to the Hawaii celebrity retreat to meet her favorite actress. Calhoun crashed to find answers about his missing uncle. Neither of them signed on for the part of the tour that included body swapping. They have to find a way to switch back without anyone realizing their predicament. Long nights of searching for answers become even longer when curiosity takes over. It's a once in a lifetime chance to see how the other half loves, they don't plan to let it slip away.

Buy Link: http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1749

Full first chapter online:

http://dreneebagbypresentsfirstchapters.blogspot.com/2012/01/love-reversed-by-zenobia-renquist.html

- What’s the best and worst part of being a writer?

The best part about being a writer is the ability to give my imagination an audience who enjoys the fantastical ideas I come up with. My stories entertain me, first and above all others. If I don’t like the story, then there’s no way I’ll subject someone else to it. Having a reader tell me they loved one of my stories as much as I loved it is one of the best things about being a writer.

The worst thing about being a writer would have to be the waiting. Waiting for acknowledgment of a query/submission. Waiting for a request for more. Waiting for a contract or rejection. Waiting for edits. Waiting for final lines. Waiting for a cover. Waiting for a release date. Waiting for reviews. Waiting for the sales figures. Everything about this profession is waiting. While I am a patient person and try to take it all in stride, it starts to wear on me.

- Are you seat of the pants writer or plotter?

I am pantser who plots. I have a general idea of where I want to go, but I have no clue how I’ll get there until after I start writing. The twists and turns my characters take are as much a surprise to me as they are to my readers when they finally get the book.

- If you could turn any of your books into a movie which book or series would it be?

I would love to see the Caveat Emptor series written under my pen name Zenobia Renquist for Changeling Press turned into a movie. I think it would make for an interesting pre-summer movie. Or better yet, a made for TV mini-movie series.

- Which actor screams SEXY to you?

Vin Diesel all the way. I love that man. Seeing him in Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick was heaven for me. I even gave him a nod in my book ERIS written under my pen name D. Renee Bagby for Siren Publishing.

- Do you write full time or work outside of the home?

I graduated to writing full time back in November 2010. I quit my day job and have never looked back. I love all the time I have to do everything or nothing, and I’m very pleased with the amount of books I’ve managed to finish since becoming full time.

- Who are your favorite actors/actresses and could you see them playing your characters if your book became a movie?

I used Luke Goss (known for Prince Nuada in Hellboy and Nomak in Blade 2) as the model for Lucien in my book ERIS. If ever that book were made into a movie, I would absolutely love for him to play the part. For actresses, I am partial to Zoe Saldana (known for Neytiri in Avatar and Uhura in Star Trek) and would love for her to play the lead role in SERENITY (written as D. Renee Bagby for Samhain Publishing) if it ever went to movie.

-Do you write a novel straight through? Or revise as you go? Plan a whole series in advance? Or does the series evolve?

I write books a scene at a time. Those scenes aren’t necessarily in order. Rather than rush through from beginning to end to get to the parts I want to write, I write those parts first and fit everything else around them. I read and re-read my work constantly, so I do a lot of revision as I go. I also like to do one final read through once the story is finished to make sure I connected everything properly and that I’ve caught as many of my editing mistakes as I can.

My stories always evolve. Even when I think I have the whole thing planned out, a character will do something unexpected that will change the whole game. Originally ERIS was supposed to be a mainstream m/f romance, however Ranulf demanded equal time, turning the book into a ménage.

- Do your books have a particular theme or premise?

My books are usually fish out of water or beauty and the beast or both. Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite fairy tale (and Disney film). A woman having to overcome a man’s gruff exterior to see the love within is a theme that resonates with me, so I always fall back on it even when I don’t mean to. As well, I was grew up a military brat so moving was common place for me. I was always the new kid. As a result (and you’ll find many authors with a military background do the same), my stories tend to have a fish out of water element to them. I thoroughly love tossing my characters into the unknown and making them cope and adapt.

VOTE: Book of the Month at LASR

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES is up for book of the month this weekend only. Check out the books that are up for the award. There are a number of awesome ones listed. While you're there, please VOTE for your favorite. I'd be honored if you chose our title. Thanks for your support. This book was on the Amazon New Release Best Seller list for a number of weeks. Love the stories and authors in this collection. If you haven't had a chance to check it out, it's well worth it. This is volume one and there will be three other volumes coming out from Ellora's Cave.

VOTE Here: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com.au/?zx=92260077e774351c

Voting is up for only this weekend March 3 and 4. Have a great week!

Thanks so much!!

Censorship: Alive and Rampant

Hard to imagine, and sad to think, that in this day and age censorship is still alive and rampant. I just read a blog post on Dear Author from February 24, 2012. Besides a plagiarism issue it talked about the issue that Smashwords is dealing with concerning Paypal's terms, aka threats.

Read the full article here:

http://dearauthor.com/features/industry-news/saturday-news-no-deals-just-stupidity-and-smashwords-concedes-to-paypal-terms

Here's another very good article about the problem:
http://selenakitt.com/blog/index.php/2012/02/19/slippery-slope-erotica-censorship/

Paypal has issued an ultimatum to Smashwords to remove titles that contain certain themes or they threaten to deactivate their service. Smashwords, like Bookstrand and All Romance, is pulling titles from their cyber shelves that contain those themes: Erotica books containing incest, rape, bestiality, or sex with underage characters. (Where these themes are used to titillate.)And bestiality does not include shapeshifters as seen in paranormal stories like werewolves. Thank goodness because most of my books would be gone. Not on Smashwords, I don’t have any self-pubbed books, but Bookstrand and All Romance.

If you check out the Bestsellers on Amazon for Erotica there are numerous “Daddy” books. Why these are so popular, I have no idea. And as an erotica writer, I’m not thrilled to see these types of stories available. I have mixed feeling about them. I know fiction is fiction, and everyone has the right to explore their art in their own way, but I would never write them.

I deplore censorship, and I really don’t like anyone telling a bookseller what books they can and can’t sell. I may not like those books, but no one is making me buy them. Some television shows or movies may offend me too, but I change the channel, no one is forcing me to sit there and watch them.

Would Paypal consider censoring books about underage children fighting in an arena to the death while an audience cheers them on and watches for entertainment? Ah, Hunger Games?

I think Smashwords is handling the situation as best as they can considering their options. They say it would be very difficult and I imagine expensive to change to a difference form of payment. What do you think?

And Paypal, who elected them the moral gatekeepers?

There's an on-line petition to sign appealing to PayPal to respect our rights to
write and read what we like:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/7/stop-internet-censorship/

Want a HOT Bod by Summer?

Do you realize summer is only a little more than 3 months away? Do you have a wedding coming up? Are you a writer with conferences scheduled over the next few months? Does the idea of shopping for a bathing suit make you cringe? Before you know it, shorts and tank top weather will arrive and those extra pounds you swore you’d lose after the holidays will be staring back at you. You won’t be able to hide those pounds beneath layers of bulky sweaters and jackets anymore. I know it sucks.

With a few changes you can get into the best shape you’ve ever been in. I work in healthcare and I know the importance of good nutrition and exercise and how it’s best to avoid the gimmicky ads that promise quick fixes or miraculous results in weight loss.

There is no magic pill. Exercise and good nutrition is the best plan for good health and a great looking HOT body.

DECIDE to make a change and COMMIT to that change and you will SUCCEED.

It doesn’t have to be boring or difficult or taste awful. Really. You don’t have to go to a gym or hire a trainer. Moms who have small children may not have the luxury of going to a gym, or a gym membership may be too pricy, or you may feel self-conscious about working out in front of other people. You could go to your super-Mart or fitness-Mart and buy a one hour DVD. But after a week or two, I’ll guarantee you’ll get bored. You can try one of those fad diets, go to meetings to get weighed, pay enormous amount of money for prepackaged processed meals. I’ve tried some of this myself, had minimal success for a while and added pounds back on. Sound familiar? There may be some advantages to some of these programs if they promote good nutrition and exercise. You have to find what works for you and stick with it.

The bottom line is: GOOD NUTRITION + EXERCISE = WELLNESS FOR LIFE.

NOTE: It’s always a good idea to check with your health care provider before starting an exercise or diet change.

Fitness: As an Independent Beachbody Coach, the biggest complaint I hear is: I don’t have time to exercise. My answer to that is: You can’t afford NOT to find the time, or eventually poor health will catch up to you.

Obesity is a major problem in this country. Google: USA statistics on Obesity and you’ll see what I mean. You don’t have to be obese to develop health issues from not working out or eating right. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, Type II Diabetes, risk for certain types of cancer, heart attack, etc. are all common problems. Everyone has 10 minutes to workout. Beachbody has a DVD called 10-Minute Trainer. Try it if that’s all the time you have. Then work up to 20 and 30 minutes. Skip one television program and workout to a DVD instead a couple times a week.

Beachbody has a number of DVD fitness programs and most of them have several different DVDs included so you’re doing something different, working different muscle groups. There’s a program for every fitness level (every ‘body’) Slim-in-Six, Turbo-Fire, Brazil Butt Lift, RevAbs, Turbo Jam, Insanity, ChaLEAN Extreme, P90X, etc. Find more here. You may have seen infomercials for P90X. These workouts help you get leaner, burn calories, build core strength. They also come with nutritional guides so you can plan your meals.

Nutrition: Eating right plays a big part in losing weight and staying healthy. Exercise along won’t do it for most of us. Crash diets don’t work and are dangerous.

Diet, ugh! It’s a four letter word. Change your eating habits a little at a time and you’ll be much more successful and be happier. I’m not a nutritionist, but here of a few tips that have helped me. Limit carbohydrates and sweets (I usually have one carb per day. That is 1 slice of bread or ½ cup brown rice), increase lean protein and eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits. Limit or omit sodas, even diet. Nutrisweet is very bad for a number of reasons. If you need a sweetner use Stevia or Truvia instead. Shakeology. I’ve been drinking Shakelogy since August and I love it! It’s a potent nutritional shake with proteins, amino acids, antioxidants, phytonutrients, adaptogens, prebiotics, etc. I’m sounding like a commercial but I swear by it for losing weight, reducing cravings, increasing energy and promoting regularity.  I’ve lost 14 pounds.

My husband started drinking Shakeology after his doctor told him he had to take meds for high cholesterol. After three months, his doctor was amazed by how much weight he lost (20 pounds) and how good his cholesterol was. She said the meds should’ve brought it down, but she’s never seen it go down that low that fast. She thinks if it still looks good next visit, he’ll be able to go off the meds. True story. I drink Shakeology for breakfast or for lunch. It comes in three flavors chocolate, green berry and tropical strawberry. Check out the ingredients on this. It’s an amazing superfood. A whole natural meal at the cost of a Starbucks coffee ~$4.

 Here are two cool video links about Shakeology:

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/kathykulig?bctid=637865717001

http://beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/kathykulig?bctid=29768318001

So here’s my formula for getting that HOT bod by summer:

A Beachbody Exercise DVD (4-5x week) + Shakeology (5-7x week) = Healthy HOT body

Contact me at FitForBeachATrcnDOTcom or kathykuligATrcnDOTcom

I can help you get started. Besides writing, fitness and health is my passion.

Cowboys & Aliens at Coffee Time

This Wednesday, February 15th, check out the chat at Coffeetime Romance on their Erotic e-Loop from 7:00 - 9:00 pm EST with authors:

• Desiree Holt
• Cerise Deland
• Tara Nina
• Allie Standifer
• Fancesca Hawley
• Regina Carlyle
• Kathy Kulig

We'll be talking about Cowboys and Aliens. Not the movie (although I guess we can talk about the movie too.) We'll be talking about characters in books. Cowboys and paranormal creatures. All these authors have written a number of HOT books with either sexy cowboys or a variety of paranomal creatures (shapeshifters, vampires, demons, gargoyles, etc.). Expect prizes, games, excerpts too.

I'll be talking about my Demons in Exile series: Book one: Desert of the Damned and Book 2: Damned and Desired. Book 3: Demon's Embrace is completed. More news on that one later. Also giving away a free copy of either book.

Log in here for the chat: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/karendevinkaren/