Cyn

You may not agree with me, but I consider Blind Devotion to be an erotic high fantasy novel.  You may wonder what the difference is between a fantasy novel and a high fantasy novel.  My answer, right or wrong, is that a high fantasy novel contains elements of magic and perhaps mythical beings like dragons and unicorns and the like.  A fantasy novel doesn't have those elements.  I think of my story, The Captive's Release as a fantasy novel.  There is nothing real in it, but there is nothing magical in it either.  It has been mistaken for a historical novel but none of the places or people in the story exist.

Both are erotic novels with determined heroines, but that is where the similarity ends.

Blind Devotion features Azari and Tor.  Tor is a High Priest, the highest, in fact, of the goddess, Eiliki.  Eiliki has determined Tor protect Azari from two wild beasts...a vicioius red dragon and an equally dangerous black cevere.

Mythology has it that the cevere, an animal resembling a panther is the ancient enemy of the dragon.  I took this mythology and combined it with the mythology of the dragon needing a virgin sacrifice and the seed idea for the story was born.

The conflict is initially quite intense and physical, but then I really had fun tormenting Tor.  What could be worse than having a man devoted to his religion but tempted in every way, especially when Azari begs that he save her from the dragon by taking her virginity.

Some of my critique partners said I was evil <cackle>, but not really.  And a few people must have liked Blind Devotion because it was nominated by reviewers at The Romance Studio for their CAPA, and it finaled in the erotic fantasy division of the Eppies.

 Blind Devotion will be re-released at Aspen Mountain Press within the next few weeks.  I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

What's happening in the world of erotic romance writer Lucynda Storey?  Well, I'm pretty excited to announce that my time travel, blazingly hot romance, This Time Forever, is about to be released from Loose Id.  The story centers on Skylar Creighton a contemporary woman diagnosed with terminal cancer and Captian Rand Edward Jamison, a pirate from the early 18th century.

Rand believes Sklyar is the reincarnation of his deceased wife...almost.  Skylar knows Rand to be the pirate she's fallen in love with through the pages of an old book.  Is there a way for these two to merge their different eras and find a way to be together? This Time Forever?

The research I did for this story was absolutely intense.  Of course, during the intense searching I discovered a lot of misinformation in the movies based on Pirates of the Caribbean.  Of course, that is the liberty one can take when basing a story off an amusement park ride.  And, surprisingly, the movie did get a few things right.  The Endeavor and the Black Pearl bore a remarkable resemblance to vessels of the 18th and 19th centuries (although I'm sure the real seafarers amongs us will discover the inaccuracies onboard); a navigator was of surpreme importance to any ship; and as noted in the lastest release, pirates, some quite notable, existed world-wide.

There are several excellent works I referenced from children's activity books to scholarly tomes.  My favorite was released in 1995 by David Cordingly, a Harcourt, Brace and Company release entitled Under the Black Flag (The Romance and the Reality of Life Among the Pirates).

During my research one of the more surprising finds was the discovery of the destruction of Port Royal in the early 1690's by a devastating earthquake and the ensuing tidal wave.  Long a pirate haven until this act of nature, Port Royal finally resurfaced under the British flag to prosecute pirates in the early 1700's.  In fact, the heyday of pirates came to an end with the appointment of Woodes Rogers as a governor of the Bahamas and the man determined to cleanse the Bahamas of pirates.  While he didn't succeed one hundred percent, his activities eradicated many of the pirates.  Port Royal once a sanctuary for pirates now was a place where they were hung as the movie depicts.

Another surprising discovery was what pirates valued.  Always looking for the next bag of gold, their most precious commodity was not booty but rather the tools by which they navigated.  Chief among these were their navigational charts.  Often when another vessel was attacked, it was to the captain's stateroom that the pirates sought this precious treasure.  Jack Sparrow's compass; the maps andcharts were what led these adventurers to what they considered the next best thing.

In writing This Time Forever, I hoped to give the reader a little taste of what life was like for a pirate but more importantly, I wanted to let readers experience what it might be like to love one of these seadogs.  I hope the erotic romance delivers what we all look for when we fantasize what it might be like to fall for a pirate like Jack Sparrow.

Our dear encourager, Emma, from the UK, asked about writers and traveling.  Her questions were as follows:

Have you done much travelling at all, if so where was the

a) best place you've ever been to and why?

b) the worst place and why?

c) the weirdest place and why?

d) did you incorporate any of your experiences with travelling in your books at all?

To answer Emma's question I would have to say that Ireland was one of the most awesome places I've visited.  I loved the countryside, loved the ocean, the green, the castles, the people.  Wasn't too fond of the food, but I suspect if you lived there you'd find a way to adjust!

I've also traveled to several of the former Eastern Bloc countries.  I loved Prague, but I truly thought the area around Warsaw, Poland was stunning.

The weirdest place I've been?  I'd have to say the Dublin, Ireland airport where I "witnessed" an armed robbery.  That might be tied, though, with the taxi I was in when I visited New York City that backed up on the highway to get off on an exit!

The worst place?  I can't say there was really a "worst" place although I have no overwhelming desire to return to Berlin.  It just didn't impress me all that much.

So, do I use the places I visit in my novels?  Absolutely!  Watchtowers Water was set in western Ireland and so was Reynardine.

What are the biggest misconceptions people have about being an author?

There are several misconceptions people outside the writing community have about being an author. One is that we make oodles of money. Writing and selling is a lot like being an actor and acting. Most people aren't mega stars and need to supplement their writing with other work. A few are lucky and have a significant other that enables them to pursue their dream.

Another misconception a lot of authors hear is "I could write a book too, if..." I think for a lot of writers this is a real burner. Writing a novel is not easy. It takes a lot of perserverance to finish a story, a lot of bravery to let another person read your work, even more guts to send it off somewhere, and then to survive rejections. Even those fortunate enough to miss being told their work isn't right at this time have to go through the huge learning curve regarding contracts, edits, getting the next novel written and doing promotions. Writing takes a lot of time. And that's when you have a clue what you're doing. Terry Brooks, John Grisham and others, before they were "discovered" got up in the wee hours of the morning, wrote, then got ready for their 40+ hour work week.

A third misconception is that of the life of ease and that writing itself is easy. Sure, maybe some writers have it easier than others; perhaps they dictate to a secretary, a tape recorder, or maybe their computer, but those writers paid their dues getting there. They had to learn like the rest of us; had to find work arounds for carpal tunnel, they read books about the craft, maybe attended seminars and workshops and conventions. Writers don't sit at home eating bon-bons. Frequently, especially for beginning writers, the work is lonely. You don't realize there are organizations to help you connect with other writers, people who can be your friends, mentors, and role models.

Make no mistake. Writers work hard. It takes guts and perseverance to finish a work and submit it and even more work to promote a novel.

I don't know if I've posted my new cover here for The Captive's Release, but let me tell you it is SMOKIN'!

Take a look for yourself!

When I was first lured into erotica by Lena Austin, she told me to write a fantasy.  Having always been enamoured of knights in shining armor and castles, deciding on a location was easy.  But the fantasy?  I've long had fantasies about being rescued in dire circumstances and then rewarding the rescuer by showing my appreciation!

The result was The Captive's Release now available at www.AspenMountainPress.com

Recently, a member of a loop asked what writers did when they weren't writing.  Good question.

Nearly every author I know will say something like, read.  Okay, so, we love to read.  It's probably why we are decent writers.  But what else do we do.

I enjoy photography.  I seemed to be handy with one of those little instamatics that were around in the early 70s.  Got a couple decent pictures and decided I liked photography.  Then, at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver, I took a photography class.  I learned how to load my own film into a canister, take decent photographs that were more than snapshots, and how to develop the same film.

Later we learned the print process and spent more time in the darkroom playing with equipment and our negatives.

In the intervening years, Lucynda Storey hasn't ventured into a darkroom.  At least not since her college days in Nebraska.  Instead, I am working at getting proficient with a digital camera and learning how to use the phone on my camera.  The kids are the ones who help me with the technology side of uploading the pics.  Someday, I'll get it down.  About that time the technology will change significantly and I'll have to learn a new system all over.  Oh, well, at least I'll still be learning.

Aspen Mountain Press is launching a new paranormal series and is asking for submissions.


Word count: 15K–100K
Format: eBooks
Editor: Nikita Gordyn
Genre: Contemporary Paranormal Romance
Can be a heterosexual couple, GBLT, ménage, etc.
Mainstream with romantic elements will be considered.
Very sexy/sensual is what we’re looking for. Both graphic and non-graphic will be considered.


Story Guideline:

The main characters have to do something at the bar to tie it together. They know the proprietor, who is a vampire (Cody Warren was turned while in the military serving in Afganistan). Humans can go in to see the paranormals or two (or three) paranormal characters, meet outside the bar, etc, but at some point both the bar and Cody must be in a scene.


Bartending Tales

Stories from Del Fantasma in Vista Loma, California


Bible

Del Fantasma is a bar just north of Point Loma, California, known for its ghosts and other-worldly experiences. The owner and bartender, Cody Warren knows a thing or two about the supernatural. While stationed in Afghanistan, Cody was rescued and later turned into a vampire.

Not that he minds. He is the sole owner of Del Fantasma and the hours suit him just fine. He has both human and other-worldly clients, and a knack for matchmaking that would rival any bona fide yenta. After ten years of bringing couples together, not much surprises Cody. He’s certainly heard every tale of love gone right and wrong over the years. In fact, he can recall a tale for nearly every drink he mixes.


Examples: Sex on the Beach: a mermaid and her true love (general idea only), Kentucky Tornado: the city meets the country in a tale of horse-trading (general idea only), Harvey Wallbanger, White Russian, Kiss in the Dark, Fuzzy Navel, Tequila Sunrise, Three Wise Men, Stormy Weather, Sea Breeze, Long Island Iced Tea, Pain Killer, Singapore Sling, Alabama Slammer, Aztec Punch, or any other drink that the author would like to do.

Please submit complete stories or a synopsis with the first three chapters electronically only. Be sure to include your name, mailing address and contact information to Dragoness@cogeco.ca or submissions@AspenMountainPress.com with Del Fantasma in the subject line of the email.


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These questions were asked by Elisabeth Keatley early this morning

Q) What is the definition of a “Romance” book?

Q) Does there always have to be a”happy-ever-after”?

Q) What type of genre is the best for “Romance”………..

Chick-lit,
Sci-Fi
Horror
Fantasy
Historical
Contemporary
Shape-Shifter
Murder-Mysteries
Comedy
A Battle of the Sexes
Thriller………………….and does it matter?

First, I believe there is going to be a different answer for nearly every different writer out there

For me a romance novel is about the course of true love. Two individuals that find each other and discover happiness by being together. But we all know the course of true love never runs smooth, and few of us are with the person we first fell in love with. So, does a romance story have to have a happy ever after (hea) ending? N0. But, I believe it does need a happy for now ending at the very least.

Any genre can work for a romance. This really depends on the interest and skill of the writer. Currently, even though I’ve been asked, I can’t write comedy, so that sort of romance novel would not be one I’d atttempt. I’m much more adept and murder, mayhem and life/soul threatening situations. Maybe its my military background, maybe its because I enjoy reading science fiction and fantasy, maybe it was because I thought Basil Rathebone as Sherlock Holmes was about as cool as you could get when I was a teen. But comedy is out for me…right now.

No writer knows quite where they will be taken in the future. I won’t rule out comedy forever, because you know as soon as you say you will never do something you have to.