Sorry! Couldn't Resist!
It's Nov. 10, 2009. So my post time is 11, 10, 09, 11:10:09! COOL!
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DMB Moves Me.... Word Count = 41,038
11 hours ago
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
SPECIAL GUEST: AUTHOR LAURA BRECK!
I am pleased to welcome to Fodder for Fiction, the very talented Laura Breck, author of Secret Vegas Lives!
BIO:
One of the primary goals of my writing is to give readers a world into which they can escape the stress of life. And a fun read for lounging on the beach or cuddling up with a blanket and a cup of tea. ~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance.
Another goal is to make a difference in the world. That is why each of my books will sponsor a community program, and a percentage of my proceeds will be donated to that organization.
I’ve contracted two books with Red Rose Publishing, and the first, Secret Vegas Lives, is currently available. The second book, Scandalous L.A. Desires is scheduled for a 2010 release.
I live in Saint Paul, Minnesota with my family, and although I work a full-time job as a financial analyst for a professional sports team, I write every evening and weekend.
I hope to be a full-time writer one day soon, and I take classes in every aspect of writing, marketing, and publishing. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, Midwest Fiction Writers, Wisconsin Romance Writers of America, ESPAN, and Elements of RWA.
BLURB:
Mistaken for a blackmailer, socialite Valerie Kane will do anything to keep sexy Italian crime writer Antonio Daniato from publicly exposing her, and Antonio is wickedly intent on seeing how far Valerie will go to protect her reputation.
Bestselling author Antonio Daniato sets a trap to capture his blackmailers, and is surprised when well-known psychologist Valerie Kane stumbles into his arms. She swears she’s not involved, but he threatens to expose her unless she reveals her accomplice. When she bares her soul to prove her innocence, Antonio is fascinated by her honesty, but shaken by the intensity of his desire for her.
Surrendering to temptation, Valerie defies her family’s wishes and risks her reputation to let hot blooded, enigmatic Antonio into her life. But she uncovers evidence that he’s staging the blackmail scenes as research for his next book – and casting her as the blackmailer. When she confronts him, it’s his turn to convince her of his innocence.
Their outrageous sexual attraction keeps them in each other’s arms, but mutual distrust prevents them from admitting their deeper emotions. When the true blackmailer threatens to reveal Antonio’s double life, Antonio yields to his guilt and chooses to let Valerie go. But Valerie discovers his secret, and will fight for Antonio against an addiction whose hold on him may be stronger than their love
POST:
Hey, That’s A Great Idea!
Real life situations play a crucial role in my fictional writing. The idea for Secret Vegas Lives, my first published novel, came from a friend at a Vegas bachelorette party. “You should write a book about this,” she said. Heading home on the plane, I outlined the plot.
The story revolves around our hero’s life, and especially his secret. I love Antonio Daniato because he’s such a flawed, egocentric character. He’s a wealthy crime novelist who knows he’s a bad boy, and doesn’t care to change. He’s happy with his one-nighters and his decadent thrill addiction. Until he meets Valerie, and sees what he’s been missing.
My heroine, Dr. Valerie Kane, is an eminent psychologist who is at the wrong place at the right time, and is mistaken for a blackmailer by Antonio. Besides working as a psychologist, Valerie also volunteers at a shelter. I added this element to my heroine’s life because I’ve partnered with The Shade Tree Shelter of Las Vegas, and I donate a portion of the proceeds of Secret Vegas Lives to them.
The Shade Tree is a wonderful shelter for women, children, and their pets. So many women in abusive situations will not leave their pets behind, and they remain at home, endangering themselves and their children. Domestic shelters around the world should take note of The Shade Tree’s success. When I envision a child uprooted from their home seeking comfort from their pet, it makes me a little weepy. Read more about the shelter on my website.
Here is a spicy scene from Secret Vegas Lives that I hope you’ll enjoy. Antonio took her hand and rubbed circles on her palm, looking at her with those beautiful brown eyes. “It will be good, Valerie. We will be fabulous together. Say yes, baby, and I’ll have you moaning for hours.”
She was lost in his gaze, could barely draw a breath. Her womb tingled with anticipation, her mind befuddled by the image of her lying under him. Moaning for hours.
She had to snap out of it. She raised an eyebrow. “Does that line really work?”
He released her hand. “None of my lines work on you, do they?”
She sighed. Did he honestly have no idea that his smoky glances and wicked suggestions turned every inch of her body into a tingling time bomb?
“Not really,” she lied and steered the conversation to the blackmailer.
They compared his and Betina’s lists of suspects and came up with possible scenarios. For the next hour, Valerie didn’t notice the waiter frequently refilling their wine glasses, until she started slurring her words. She was tipsy.
He must have realized she drank too much and moved their glasses to the edge of the table. The waiter walked by, and Antonio said, “Two cappuccinos, please.”
“Thank you.” She fanned herself with her napkin. “I didn’t realize how much I drank.”
“You’re a lot of fun when you loosen up.”
“Loosen up? Thanks. Makes me sound like an uptight bitch.”
“Whoa, bella, let’s keep this pleasant, okay?” His smile was teasing.
“I don’t usually drink this much.”
He stared at her.
She asked, “What are you thinking?”
He rubbed his chin. “I’m going to use this scene in my next book. Two people, drawn to each other sexually, but kept apart by their suspicions of each other.”
She shook her head and regretted it when she felt the room spin. “Your books are not romantic at all. You should introduce a love interest for your cop-hero.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Everyone’s a critic. Okay, Doctor, how should I make my books more female friendly?”
She looked at him; his face seemed to float in and out of focus, just like in her dream. A light bulb went on in her brain, and she leaned forward. “I have an idea.”
“I do, too, but we’ll have to go back to my place —”
“Uh uh. About the book. You could make it more romantic by having the cop dream about one of his female co-workers. Then build a romance from there.”
“Might work. What would he dream?”
Her own dream replayed in her mind. “She’s in her office, and he barges in wearing riding leathers, sunglasses, boots…”
“Go on.”
This was dangerous, but she didn’t care. She smiled seductively. “She watches him take off his sunglasses, his leather gloves and jacket. He’s wearing a white shirt, jeans, and leather chaps.”
His eyes held a serious look, and he shifted in his seat.
She leaned closer. “She gets up from her chair and saunters toward him, wearing nothing but a slinky black —”
“Stop.” His brows drew together. “For God’s sake, Valerie.” His hand fisted. “You push me too far.”
She sat back, sobered by his warning. She closed her eyes. What was wrong with her? He was intensely into her, and yet she deliberately enticed him.
With the wine spinning her brain, she‘d allowed desire to launch her out of control.
She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I…I’m going to the ladies room.” She jumped up out of the booth — too quickly. The room shifted. She blinked to focus, walked hesitantly to the back of the restaurant, and found the dark hall leading to the restrooms. As her hand touched the women’s room door, an arm came around her and pulled her back against a solid wall of muscle.
“You are poison.” Antonio wrapped his arm beneath her breasts. He pulled her backward into an empty meeting room and closed the door behind them.
Sometimes ideas for my books come from dreams, some pop into my head while reading other books, and once in a while, as with Secret Vegas Lives, someone blurts out an idea at a completely unexpected moment.
Please leave a comment, and one lucky person will be drawn at random to receive a goodie bag of my promo items.
Thank you so much to Fodder for Fiction for having me here today. Ms. Lisa Leibow is an amazingly talented writer, and I am privileged to be one of her blog sisters at The Roses of Prose, Authors of Women’s Fiction and Romance.
Happy Reading!
Laura
LauraBreck.com
Secret Vegas Lives is available at RedRosePublishing.com
One of the primary goals of my writing is to give readers a world into which they can escape the stress of life. And a fun read for lounging on the beach or cuddling up with a blanket and a cup of tea. ~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance.
Another goal is to make a difference in the world. That is why each of my books will sponsor a community program, and a percentage of my proceeds will be donated to that organization.
I’ve contracted two books with Red Rose Publishing, and the first, Secret Vegas Lives, is currently available. The second book, Scandalous L.A. Desires is scheduled for a 2010 release.
I live in Saint Paul, Minnesota with my family, and although I work a full-time job as a financial analyst for a professional sports team, I write every evening and weekend.
I hope to be a full-time writer one day soon, and I take classes in every aspect of writing, marketing, and publishing. I’m a member of Romance Writers of America, Midwest Fiction Writers, Wisconsin Romance Writers of America, ESPAN, and Elements of RWA.
Mistaken for a blackmailer, socialite Valerie Kane will do anything to keep sexy Italian crime writer Antonio Daniato from publicly exposing her, and Antonio is wickedly intent on seeing how far Valerie will go to protect her reputation.
Bestselling author Antonio Daniato sets a trap to capture his blackmailers, and is surprised when well-known psychologist Valerie Kane stumbles into his arms. She swears she’s not involved, but he threatens to expose her unless she reveals her accomplice. When she bares her soul to prove her innocence, Antonio is fascinated by her honesty, but shaken by the intensity of his desire for her.
Surrendering to temptation, Valerie defies her family’s wishes and risks her reputation to let hot blooded, enigmatic Antonio into her life. But she uncovers evidence that he’s staging the blackmail scenes as research for his next book – and casting her as the blackmailer. When she confronts him, it’s his turn to convince her of his innocence.
Their outrageous sexual attraction keeps them in each other’s arms, but mutual distrust prevents them from admitting their deeper emotions. When the true blackmailer threatens to reveal Antonio’s double life, Antonio yields to his guilt and chooses to let Valerie go. But Valerie discovers his secret, and will fight for Antonio against an addiction whose hold on him may be stronger than their love
POST:
Hey, That’s A Great Idea!
Real life situations play a crucial role in my fictional writing. The idea for Secret Vegas Lives, my first published novel, came from a friend at a Vegas bachelorette party. “You should write a book about this,” she said. Heading home on the plane, I outlined the plot.
The story revolves around our hero’s life, and especially his secret. I love Antonio Daniato because he’s such a flawed, egocentric character. He’s a wealthy crime novelist who knows he’s a bad boy, and doesn’t care to change. He’s happy with his one-nighters and his decadent thrill addiction. Until he meets Valerie, and sees what he’s been missing.
My heroine, Dr. Valerie Kane, is an eminent psychologist who is at the wrong place at the right time, and is mistaken for a blackmailer by Antonio. Besides working as a psychologist, Valerie also volunteers at a shelter. I added this element to my heroine’s life because I’ve partnered with The Shade Tree Shelter of Las Vegas, and I donate a portion of the proceeds of Secret Vegas Lives to them.
Here is a spicy scene from Secret Vegas Lives that I hope you’ll enjoy. Antonio took her hand and rubbed circles on her palm, looking at her with those beautiful brown eyes. “It will be good, Valerie. We will be fabulous together. Say yes, baby, and I’ll have you moaning for hours.”
She was lost in his gaze, could barely draw a breath. Her womb tingled with anticipation, her mind befuddled by the image of her lying under him. Moaning for hours.
She had to snap out of it. She raised an eyebrow. “Does that line really work?”
He released her hand. “None of my lines work on you, do they?”
She sighed. Did he honestly have no idea that his smoky glances and wicked suggestions turned every inch of her body into a tingling time bomb?
“Not really,” she lied and steered the conversation to the blackmailer.
They compared his and Betina’s lists of suspects and came up with possible scenarios. For the next hour, Valerie didn’t notice the waiter frequently refilling their wine glasses, until she started slurring her words. She was tipsy.
He must have realized she drank too much and moved their glasses to the edge of the table. The waiter walked by, and Antonio said, “Two cappuccinos, please.”
“Thank you.” She fanned herself with her napkin. “I didn’t realize how much I drank.”
“You’re a lot of fun when you loosen up.”
“Loosen up? Thanks. Makes me sound like an uptight bitch.”
“Whoa, bella, let’s keep this pleasant, okay?” His smile was teasing.
“I don’t usually drink this much.”
He stared at her.
She asked, “What are you thinking?”
He rubbed his chin. “I’m going to use this scene in my next book. Two people, drawn to each other sexually, but kept apart by their suspicions of each other.”
She shook her head and regretted it when she felt the room spin. “Your books are not romantic at all. You should introduce a love interest for your cop-hero.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Everyone’s a critic. Okay, Doctor, how should I make my books more female friendly?”
She looked at him; his face seemed to float in and out of focus, just like in her dream. A light bulb went on in her brain, and she leaned forward. “I have an idea.”
“I do, too, but we’ll have to go back to my place —”
“Uh uh. About the book. You could make it more romantic by having the cop dream about one of his female co-workers. Then build a romance from there.”
“Might work. What would he dream?”
Her own dream replayed in her mind. “She’s in her office, and he barges in wearing riding leathers, sunglasses, boots…”
“Go on.”
This was dangerous, but she didn’t care. She smiled seductively. “She watches him take off his sunglasses, his leather gloves and jacket. He’s wearing a white shirt, jeans, and leather chaps.”
His eyes held a serious look, and he shifted in his seat.
She leaned closer. “She gets up from her chair and saunters toward him, wearing nothing but a slinky black —”
“Stop.” His brows drew together. “For God’s sake, Valerie.” His hand fisted. “You push me too far.”
She sat back, sobered by his warning. She closed her eyes. What was wrong with her? He was intensely into her, and yet she deliberately enticed him.
With the wine spinning her brain, she‘d allowed desire to launch her out of control.
She couldn’t meet his eyes. “I…I’m going to the ladies room.” She jumped up out of the booth — too quickly. The room shifted. She blinked to focus, walked hesitantly to the back of the restaurant, and found the dark hall leading to the restrooms. As her hand touched the women’s room door, an arm came around her and pulled her back against a solid wall of muscle.
“You are poison.” Antonio wrapped his arm beneath her breasts. He pulled her backward into an empty meeting room and closed the door behind them.
Sometimes ideas for my books come from dreams, some pop into my head while reading other books, and once in a while, as with Secret Vegas Lives, someone blurts out an idea at a completely unexpected moment.
Please leave a comment, and one lucky person will be drawn at random to receive a goodie bag of my promo items.
Thank you so much to Fodder for Fiction for having me here today. Ms. Lisa Leibow is an amazingly talented writer, and I am privileged to be one of her blog sisters at The Roses of Prose, Authors of Women’s Fiction and Romance.
Happy Reading!
Laura
LauraBreck.com
Secret Vegas Lives is available at RedRosePublishing.com
Sunday, November 1, 2009
National Novel Writing Month Has Begun!
Once I can figure out how to post a widget on here with a graph of my progress, I'll add it to this blog. That way it will be easy for you to follow my progress.
Best to you,
Lisa Lipkind Leibow
http://www.llleibow.com/
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
FUZZY SLIPPER CONFERENCE!
Today is the second day of the weeklong conference and I’m already filled with great information, ideas, and inspiration.
My only complaint is I may have registered for too many classes!
Choosing was so difficult. I thought, okay, I’ll squeeze in that forum, too. In all, I’m taking seven Forum workshops and seven chat workshops. The forum workshops are weeklong courses, with assignments, discussions, questions, and answers all posted on an electronic list. It’s available 24/7, interactive, and intense.
The Chat workshops are one-hour events scheduled at a specific time. All participants meet in an electronic chat room and posts questions for an expert – one-by-one, as a moderator allows. The expert answers in a fast-paced give and take.
Some topics for the workshops I’m taking include craft-based courses such as 12 Stages of the Writer’s Adventure and Assaulting A Writer’s Thinking. Others focus on the business-side of publishing, such as Website Makeover Workshop and What Writers Need to Know About Book Distribution.
In addition to the way too many workshops I’m delving into this week, I earned on of ten coveted spots to pitch my new middle grade chapter book to a literary agent. I’m excited and nervous. I’ll let you what I learn from that experience later in the week. Wish me luck!
Off to do my homework!
Lisa Lipkind Leibow
Author of Smart Women’s Fiction
www.LLLeibow.com
Monday, October 5, 2009
Family Bucket List Series. Vol. 1. Issue 11
Day 9
On our last morning of vacation, we ate breakfast in the room and the checked our bags through to the airport at the hotel valet (Great service!) This gave us a couple of hours to explore Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum. It was silly and fun. We took tons of photos with “famous” wax models, including President Barack Obama, Tiger Woods, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, Evel Kneival, Shaq, MJ, Whoopie Goldberg, and more. One stop for gelato, and then off to the airport.When I packed-up, I carefully removed Thing 2’s snow globes from the bags to be checked, afraid they might break if mishandled by the baggage crew. Little did I know, snow globes are a hazard! Security would not let them through in our carry on bags.
As I was unwilling to abandon the souvenirs, Thing 2 so painstakingly picked out, I sent the family to the gate, left the secured area, and took the backpack with the globes to baggage check. Then, I waited in line to go through security, for a second time. Forty-five minutes later, I was able to join Hubby and the boys at the gate. I hope the snow globes make it in one piece!
We’re about to land. Vacation’s over!
Friday, October 2, 2009
Family Bucket List Series. Vol. 1. Issue 10
Day 8
In the afternoon, yesterday, we took rides in the gondolas. We had to split up since there is a 4-passenger limit. So, Hubby and I went in one, the kids in another. The boys’ gondolier was perfect for them. He sand in classic Italian and then asked them if they wanted the Disney version. When they said, “sure,” he followed up with a rendition of “Hey, Mambo” in a perfect Donald Duck voice. They loved it!
We wandered around the shops and found funny t-shirts for the kids (somewhat of a challenge to find something not “too risqué.” However, we managed. Oldest found one with the googley-eyed stack of cash used in the Geico ads next to googley-eyes floating in mid-air with nothing, labeled “Before Vegas” and “After Vegas”. Thing 2 found a Vegas snow globe for his collection. I skipped my book on this leg of the tour. But I chose something else with Hubby. We went to the gallery where we purchased an original King Kong poster a few years back and found a similar print of the Wizard Of Oz made with a similar process (using the original three-paneled presses). I can’t wait to see it hanging next to the King Kong print.
On our Vegas Night, we loved Blue Man Group! Thing 2 sat next to me and could barely stay in his seat he was so excited. The show included drumming on a PVC pipe organ, spitting and catching paintballs and marsmallows, and covering the entire audience with toilet paper. It was interactive, high energy, fun! Here's a link to a video, if you want a taste of what we experienced. http://www.blueman.com/about
We ate a late dinner at Molto Mario’s restaurant in fake Piazza San Marco. Fake Venice was pretty cool, I have to admit. Even though we dined at close to 10:30 at night, the trompe l'oeil ceiling of the sky with puffy clouds made it feel like we were out on a sunny day, amidst canals winding through the place, musicians playing in the square, restaurants and gelato shops.
In the afternoon, yesterday, we took rides in the gondolas. We had to split up since there is a 4-passenger limit. So, Hubby and I went in one, the kids in another. The boys’ gondolier was perfect for them. He sand in classic Italian and then asked them if they wanted the Disney version. When they said, “sure,” he followed up with a rendition of “Hey, Mambo” in a perfect Donald Duck voice. They loved it!
We wandered around the shops and found funny t-shirts for the kids (somewhat of a challenge to find something not “too risqué.” However, we managed. Oldest found one with the googley-eyed stack of cash used in the Geico ads next to googley-eyes floating in mid-air with nothing, labeled “Before Vegas” and “After Vegas”. Thing 2 found a Vegas snow globe for his collection. I skipped my book on this leg of the tour. But I chose something else with Hubby. We went to the gallery where we purchased an original King Kong poster a few years back and found a similar print of the Wizard Of Oz made with a similar process (using the original three-paneled presses). I can’t wait to see it hanging next to the King Kong print.
On our Vegas Night, we loved Blue Man Group! Thing 2 sat next to me and could barely stay in his seat he was so excited. The show included drumming on a PVC pipe organ, spitting and catching paintballs and marsmallows, and covering the entire audience with toilet paper. It was interactive, high energy, fun! Here's a link to a video, if you want a taste of what we experienced. http://www.blueman.com/about
We ate a late dinner at Molto Mario’s restaurant in fake Piazza San Marco. Fake Venice was pretty cool, I have to admit. Even though we dined at close to 10:30 at night, the trompe l'oeil ceiling of the sky with puffy clouds made it feel like we were out on a sunny day, amidst canals winding through the place, musicians playing in the square, restaurants and gelato shops.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
MY FIRST BOOK SIGNING EVENT - ALBANY, SEPT. 2009
A few lucky purchasers took home their own teddy bear wearing a t-shirt with the Double Out and Back or other Red Rose covers. Not only did this event help to get the word out about my debut novel and other Red Rose titles, it was a great opportunity for me to get to know some of my fellow authors -- a spectacular group of ladies. Pictured from left to right: Nika Dixon, Debbie Gould, LaVerne Thompson, Sam Cheever, Pat McDermott, and yours truly, Lisa Lipkind Leibow.
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