Today I’m celebrating my brand new release Best Little Spin Wash in Texas with http://www.loose-id.com/Best-Little-Spin-Wash-in-Texas.aspx. Take a look and at the end you’ll find info on a great contest I’m running for my new release.

Timid, geeky quantum physicist Molly Timmons lives in a man’s world of metaphysics when she meets a handsome John St. James at a Spin Wash and Go. One dark night trapped in the Spin Wash isn’t enough. Even as their relationship deepens, they learn of a dark secret the Spin Wash is hiding… a secret that could tear John’s world apart or could save his daugther‘s life.

Molly’s the key.

Time is running out. Will they figure out the Spin Wash’s secret or will they both be lost in time?

Excerpt:

His arms flexed as he slid the basket under his arm and walked around the washers. This was ridiculous; she needed to get laid if the simple pleasure of watching a man cross the floor had her flushed with sexual need.

Laundry detergent, White Rain shampoo, and something indefinable invaded her space and filled her senses as he walked past her.

It was hard to stay put.

She closed her eyes, took in another deep breath, and repressed a moan. This was why women loved sweaty men. Pheromones trumped common sense every time.

Forcing her eyes open, she watched him move; the hard muscles flexing and bending to his will A shift of his basket and his eyes clashed with hers, darkening. With a slow perusal, he took in her lightly muscled legs, encased in short blue shorts. She mentally slapped herself, thinking of how opaque her white T-shirt must look. Her mama had told her that, even with small breasts, she should always wear a bra.

Nipples peaked, pebbling through her shirt, as he continued his inspection, gray eyes almost black. She breathed shallowly, trying to ignore the ache blooming deep inside.

Molly was past shielding herself; she wanted those eyes on her. Her lack of propriety would have had her mother screaming a blue streak. Taunting a man like that, walking out of the house looking like a slut.

God, he had to stop looking at her.

He finally jerked his gaze away from her body and leaned down to drop his basket, then pulled the detergent and softener from it, those lovely muscles moving deliciously under his tan.

He was so close, and those jeans hit him in all the right places. She had to watch every movement, mesmerized by the bending and flexing of his thighs as he placed the detergent into the washer.

He was done too soon. His strong hands worked efficiently, the muscles underneath moving like strings on a piano. Strong. Graceful. Just the idea of those strong digits strumming her body, gliding across her skin, made her hold her breath.

She needed to get ahold of herself — and quick — if she was going to look him in the eye. Her face was tight, the skin undoubtedly flushed and almost feverish and not just from the heat and stickiness of the Spin Wash. She was letting her imagination get away with her.

Email me at april.morelock@gmail.com today to receive great free reads; you’ll also be entered into a contest for a copy of my new book Best Little Spin Wash in Texas. Or visit www.loose-id.com for you copy of Best Little Spin Wash in Texas today!

I have to admit a secret new passion. Some women pick up new hobbies like needlepoint or quilting. Tried those…

Others pick up excercise… I need to.

But alas, no. My new passion is m/m romance. Absolutely amazing supply of great authors and truly unique and imaginative writing. And while the sex is really hot, the thing that draws me to this subgenre (yes, I’ll call it a subgenre) is the emotional depth that I see coming through in so much of the writing (LOVE YOU Jet Mykles).

I don’t have a lot of time between blogging and writing and working to find new authors so I was excited to get a chance to read Vanessa Vaughn’s Pack of Lies.

I was a little wary of the title– I’m tired of the same boring plots around vampires and werewolves but I was willing to give this a chance.

Vanessa didn’t disappoint and has written a very compelling, imaginative story. Marcus is alpha of his pack. Restless and fighting for superiority over a rival, he hides his unnatural attraction to other “weremen” but can’t fight his sexual needs during the full moon.

Close to blowing everything he’s worked for, he goes out alone.

Jack and his friend Ivy are minding their own business –both working in the high-class world of multi-million dollar deals and Ivy in modeling– they hide the wildness of their backwoods upbringing and party with the big money until Jack hits a mountain of a wolf with hid roadster.

A fight between man and werewolf ensues. Jack barely survives and both he and Ivy are infected.

Ivy and Jack soon are struggling with the changes coursing through their bodies. The deeper they go, the more Jack is plagued with strange dreams and an attraction to a blond man he’s never met.

So begins their journey into becoming werewolves.

The bad points first: For me there were some awkward places within the story that stem from her choice of first POV from both Marcus and Jack. It’s disconcerting for me but my issues quickly disappeared as I got into the story.

I wish I could have seen more of Ivy and Rex… I think that was probably a hot couple… but over all I was drawn in and really enthralled with the world Miss Vaughn built. The werewolves were wild and sexy… brutal.

The woman were seductive and electric.

For the first time in a long time, I really enjoyed seeing how the sexual chemistry worked itself out in the relationships that formed. I felt a deep connection to Jack and Ivy and loved how I felt I was being drawn into Marcus’s world of hedonism.

Miss Vaughn’s descriptions border on purple prose at times but personally (dont’ tell anyone), I’m a huge fan of 80’s fiction and it didn’t interrupt the flow of the story.

Definitely a must read for m/m fans.

Check out Pack of Lies from Vanessa Vaughn at Ravenous Romance. I hope you enjoy Jack and Marcus’s struggle to come to terms with their passion as I did.

The last three months have been a whirlwind. It’s been a crazy, exciting, gut-wrenching and overall interesting time for me.

I’ve had unbelievable highs and indescribable lows. Moments where I was ready to give up some of my biggest dreams and aspirations – moments when my plans all seemed for naught and I imagined giving them up to save my sanity.

I wasn’t suicidal – so no worries… it had a lot to do with the fine line between balancing my working career/home life/my writing goals/and my financial goals.

Everything came in direct conflict. I usually love my job, I’m usually pumped about my writing… everything feels almost effortless. So dealing with everything crashing down at once was stressful.

I managed to miss a great opportunity with a mentor, got practically no writing done, and basically felt sorry for myself and my situation for too long.

I’m on the tail end of it now and I’ve discovered the following:

Nothing replaces my time with my kids – and I’ve been too busy to just enjoy them for most of their lives

My writing career will happen as it happens. I’m not in a rush – I want to enjoy the ride. I need this time with my kids… in a few years they won’t be interested in mom.

I need to stay the course I’ve set for myself. My ultimate timeline for print publication is 2013 and I can achieve that – I need to keep it slow and steady. Focused.

I can get everything I want out of life if I just give myself the time I need. I may even readjust my timeline for writing full-time to a ten year goal.

For now, I’m cherishing the moments… I might even work on my health and some exercise.

I’m not sure… one thing I know, even if I’m not published or famous or a best-seller… I’m going to just keep writing.

April

Just for fun, I made a little video for book one of my Colonial Series.

I don’t officially have a blurb, but this story is about two people on opposite sides of the revolutionary war who cross paths when he captures her. But he thinks she’s a he. She’s in disguise and fighting for a battle she can’t win. He doesn’t want war, but can he find peace within himself and look past their differences. It’s a war…of their hearts.
Constance of the Carolinas

Enjoy.

Constance of the Carolinas is the first in a series of 14 of historical romances set in each colony and one for Christmas in colonial America.

It’s never happened before… but my writing is suffering. My daily life is closing in and interrupting my mojo.

I’m emotional, I can’t focus… I’m sufferent with my self-esteem. What is the deal?

In the past, I could concentrate through anything. Emotional ups and downs were nothing in my world of writing and my quest for publication.

Now I’m upset about everything… the fact that I can’t get anything done with my writing is just icing on the top. It’s not writer’s block – it’s emotional block. I’m just not in a place where I can get very far right now.

I need to give myself permission for this time. I know it will pass… things will go back to normal…

I just need to breath.

Anyone else suffer this and get through it?  What were your tricks?

Please bear with me while I ramble through my blog post today. I’ve just spent 2 weeks sleeping in an ICU waiting room, so my mind is not at its best functional ability right now. And, since health seems to be the hot topic on my mind at the time, I thought I’d ask… how is your writing health?

I have to admit, that I’ve let mine slip a lot this last year. Okay, okay, maybe slip is a tad understated. I’ve just let it go completely. I’ve spent very little time taking care of my writing. I did not exercise it properly. It’s gotten way out of shape and flabby.

We all know that exercise is necessary. A lot of people complain about exercise, but there are many people out there who love it. They say it’s one of the greatest highs you can get. I can see that. For me, writing has always been very enjoyable. I don’t know why I let other things take priority over something that brings me such pleasure, but I do. Life always gets in the way. It wouldn’t be that difficult to just make sure I get at least 20 minutes of exercise daily. If I would just force myself to do it, I could manage it. But, for some reason, I don’t. The same goes for my writing. If I would just set aside 20 minutes to devote to writing, I’d get a lot done. A whole lot more than I’m accomplishing right now doing nothing. And, really, isn’t my writing health worth it?

I’m really worried that I’m going to lose all that I’ve gained so far. I’ve put a lot of work into improving my writing in the past. I’d really hate to backslide just because I’m overworked or lazy. I need to continue to build those skills. I bet if I put my writing through a physical, it would fail right now. Or, at least, it would not do as well as it would have a year ago.

At any rate, I’m not sure any of this is making any sense, so I will quit rambling for now. But I’d love to know, how is your writing health? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Have you ever created something that you didn’t mean to create? Unintentional consequences in relationships or at work or in your writing?

Don’t you just wish it would fade to black.

I was actually reading an email today that one of the corporate employees sent out to everyone that gave me my blog topic for today. The email was about judging things by what they look like on the outside, be it people or things. It went on to explain the old adage we’ve all heard a million times, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Which is all well and true, but how often do we actually judge prematurely?

I know a lot of times, I’ll glance through the bookshelves, and it’s not the title that captures my attention, but the book cover. Now, I know that this has absolutely nothing to do with the author or his/her ability to write a good story. And, I know in most cases the author doesn’t have much say about what the cover of their book will look like. So, it’s really not fair of me to pick out books based on the cover art. I know that in my mind, but in reality, that’s not what happens. I’ve never gave it a lot of thought before, but I’m sure I’m really missing out on a lot of good reading because I didn’t pick up a book with an “attractive” cover.

Liking the cover only gets a book so far. Once it’s in my hands, it still has to pass through other obstacles to get me to buy it. I want to read the back blurb. If that gets my interest, I’ll open up and read some of the inside to see if I like the writing style. If I do, then I’ll buy it. It was the cover, however, that got that book in my hands.

I know it’s not fair to pass over all the great books out there simply because the cover didn’t capture my attention. It’s not fair to the author, and it’s not fair to me, as a reader. Since I’m on both sides of the fence, it is a double whammy. I realize my book covers have to do the same work as all the other books out there. So, what do we do as authors if our book covers aren’t great or what we like?

There are many things we can do to promote our books. We can make our own trailers and banner ads any way we like them to draw reader attention to our books. This may help.  Link to your own website and make sure it looks appealing. Once you get the reader’s attention, it will be easier to get them to at least look into your book. Even if the cover isn’t what you want, you have many other tools at your disposal.

So tell me, I know I’m not the only one. Do you judge a book by its cover?  Or are you more drawn to other features like the title?  Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.

Every once in awhile you meet someone that turns the light on. Some new writers may believe there is only one light; once turned on, it will illuminate everything and all will be books signings, roses, and millions of dollars.

But reality is very different. Each step in the process of learning to become a writer is illuminated not with one large glaring sunbright light but little fairly lights. How do you know if you’ve learned it all… how do you know if you’ve journeyed as far as you need to to become a great writer???

The answer: Mentors.

I’ve been very fortunate to have had so many fantastic mentors both in copywriting (David G–you’re the best!), life transformation (Bob Proctor–everyone needs Bob in their life) and most of all in my novel writing.

Each of my mentors has shone light on so many things for me. Each illuminating my path in new ways that blow my mind.

Natasha Moore, Ellora’s Cave author and soon-to-be Harlequin author, taught me the basics. She broke me in as it were and really showed me the process of editing and fine-tuning my mss. I thought I’d had something sale-able but she dug in and ripped my POV, head-hopping, and other issues to shreds.  She’s the one that gave me a reality check… the “you’re not all that girl… here’s what you need to do to begin to get as good as you think you are.” (Yeah, I have an ego.)

My second mentor, Kate Pearce… She came at the perfect time. I thought I had “it.” I mean I thought, “Man, I can’t get any better than this. She’s going to have a tough time finding anything. But you know… I haven’t sold yet; so maybe (maybe) I’m doing something wrong.”

Yeap, within a week, she had me broken, my mss in tiny puzzle pieces, looking around at the tornado that is Kate.  She didn’t just shine some twinkly lights she brought a HUGE 1000 watt (do they make those? If not, Kate needs to develop a patent) light to my writing. And woah, it was gruesome. I mean, epic carnage and massive trauma.

After three months with her, I felt I could conquer anything. I mean I thought I had deep POV, plotting, head-hopping, repetition, and story building down. I had conquered all— now I just needed to get published.

A year later, still unpublished and wondering if my ideas are just too quirky for most publishers, I thought I’d try again. There were so many great mentors in the Romance Divas mentor program: Rowan Larke, Jennifer Leeland, Cup ‘O Noodles, Gwen Hayes… oh, my wish list was a mile long.

I knew it would be hard to beat Kate but with so many Divas with such great track records, I knew I couldnt’ go wrong. I lucked out BIG TIME and got the perfect Romance Diva for the task – Sela Carsen. And WOWSER the woman is making me work. She’s found my secret Achilles heel – character development. I’ve hated doing it for so long; but she has me hooked. I’ve read her stuff… I love her stuff.

She’s also extremely good at whittling away at all my faults and all those things I’ve slacked off on. She’s hitting home all those past lessons from my other mentors and throwing them up in my face, making me remember them, fine tune my craft. Make it all better.

I swear she sees right through me and is making me dig into all the facets so I’ll be a well-rounded, brilliant writer.

I’ve got to tell you – just one of these is worth he weight in gold.

So if you ever think you can’t mentor because you’re not published or not good enough… bull hockey. Even I have something to offer, mentoring another writer who’s just starting and making rookey mistakes.

You can too… Who are you mentoring today????

• Do something repetitive. Something that you can do with your eyes closed. If it’s mundane and boring, that’s when your mind has time to wander and it can really help you think things through. Washing dishes by hand is a good chore that doesn’t take a lot of alternate brain power. You can suds it up fine while letting your mind wander.

• Go for a drive. This is one of my favorite things to do. Just me and the car. No radio or audio book, or anything distracting. Just complete silence and an empty road. That’s when I do my best thinking. I don’t want a busy town or anywhere where there is plenty of traffic, because it distracts me from my thoughts. Country cruising is the best for me.

• Take a bath.  Lie in the bath tub and soak up all that glorious comfort. Close your eyes and just let your mind take you wherever it wants to go. Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep in the tub.

• Sit in a park, coffee shop, or book store and people watch. It’s amazing how many scenarios you can come up with about the strangers you watch passing by. Imagine they are an undercover agent trying to find a top secret jewel before the bad guys get their hands on it. Or, something else, if you’d prefer. J

• Free write. No stories or scenes allowed. Just sit with pen and paper in hand and write whatever comes to your mind at the time. You can do this at the computer, but I really do my best work with a real pen between my fingers. To each his own, though.

I’ve had many days when I just couldn’t seem to come up with anything decent to write about, and that’s okay. But, occasionally, just allowing your mind a little downtime can really help get the creative juices flowing.

This list is just a few simple tricks I’ve tried. I hope it can be of some help to you if you ever need it, but here’s hoping you don’t. If you’ve got some extra tips, leave a comment and let me know. I’d love to add to my arsenal of weapons. Good luck and happy writing!