Ring in the New Year...

Hello Lovelies,

Another year is upon us and I look forward to 2013 with anticipation and excitement. I'm not a big resolution person because during the year I'm usually very goal oriented. I have my big vision plans and the little hopes and wishes I try my best to do. Therefore, a New Year doesn't require grandiose promises but a continual commitment of what I plan to do for myself. One of my major goals that I try desperately to accomplish is writing longer stories. I want 2013 to be the year I actually push myself to cross over the 60,000 word mark and pen a tale of awesome epicness. 

As always I appreciate you all, dear readers, and wish you health, happiness, and hope that you receive all the joy and peace one human body can sustain. Be safe and a little crazy, because that's what I plan to do. 

*Raises glass in a toast*

Here's to us!!

Happy New Year,

Janet

BTP Scavenger Hunt!!!

Well Hello!

If you're here I'm assuming that the BTP Scavenger Hunt brought you to me. If it didn't, well you're in for a treat. First I want to point out that this was my idea because I'm prone to bouts of genius on occasion. This one is particularly exciting for me because as an author I'm always trying to find fun ways to engage readers. Writing, though something I enjoy, isn't my day job and I find it difficult to go out there and meet my fans. See them face to face, shake hands, and exchange pleasantries. I'm not very good about creating swag and doling out prizes.  But this scavenger hunt, now this is something that I can do and best of all, I've gotten my fellow BTP authors to come along for the ride. 

Okay now that I've gushed a bit about why my idea is so cool I'm sure you're wondering what the hell you have to do. Simple, answer the riddle I've provided for you and follow the instructions below. Since I'm super tricky I've given the answer to the riddle in this blog. Now it's just up to you to figure it out...muaaaaahhhhhh

Riddle

What is it a man can do standing, a woman sitting down, and a dog on three legs?

You've come so far and yet have more to go. Click on the BTP author's names to collect more riddle answers. Once you have all 11 answers collected email btpcontests@gmail.com. Three lucky winners will be chosen at random to receive a $10 BTP gift certificate. Contest closes at 12 am 12.22.12.

Nikki Winter

Raelynn Blue

Serenity King 

Gynger Fyer

Shanayah Tailor

Shirelle Higgins

Janet Eckford

Drea Riley

Naomi Jones

Billy London

Nevea Lane

The dearly departed...

Hello Lovelies,

I've been quite the busy bee with the job that pays the bills, traveling across the country, sitting in airports and on planes. Traveling is both a blessing and curse because I do enjoy the people watching and the few hours of solitude that being in a plane or crowded airport afford but inevitably I catch a bug and have to spend a few days recouping. I was fortunate this time because I brought a good book along that I was able to start while traveling and finish up while being sick. The title is Handling the Undead and the author is John Advide Lindqvist and the book has left me feeling pleasantly melancholy.

I was pretty sure I'd feel this way because his other book, Let the Right One In, left me with a similar feeling but this one seemed to sink closer to home. The premise of exploring the livings connection to the dead resonated strongly with me because it seems I have begun to pick away at the threads of my past, in hopes a clear link to my present and future could be seen. I've become quite obsessed with searching out pictures of family that I've known and loved but aren't tangible to me in the same way that a photograph is, and putting them on display in my house as a reminder of their existence.

Summarizes the book seems far to complex for me because I've housed myself so deeply into the narrative of the story that it's hard to disconnect the two. Of course it's not the surface story of the dead rising but the deeper meaning of what does it mean for the living if our dead came back to us that I feel strongly connected to.  It seems a funny coincidence (or not considering the psychic connection I share with my mother) that when I was in a particularly emotionally part of the story my mother called to read a card she'd received from my grandmother several decades ago. It was a simple card, full of the tender endearments my grandmother was great at imparting, and as my mother choked up I could see how all three of us were connected and even though dead my grandmother still lived. She was in my mother and me and as my mother softly sobbed telling me how much she missed her mother, I realized that one day I too would cry with a broken heart for the loss of my own.

I think I'm going to sit in this happily sad place I have discovered for a bit longer and reflect on the beautiful simplicity of this story that has caused a well of emotion to churn inside of me. I may even look at pictures of my grandmother and read little notes I've tucked away from my mother. Text my sister, kiss Sig Other, and find a Christmas gift from my father. Revel in all the great little pleasures that come with being alive. Because now that I've had a chance to mourn the dead I really should focus on the living.

Janet

The Next Big Thing: Me!!!

Greetings!!!

The lovely Selah Janel sent out the call for writers to play tag with her in the The Next Big Thing blog hop and I of course answered. So here is my contribution!

What is your working title of your book?

Fire and Ice

Where did the idea come from for the book?

As with most of my books my publisher sent me a cover to seduce me into writing a story for it. 

What genre does your book fall under?

This book is more on the darker paranormal romance side and I'm so excited about it.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I can't really think of an actor right now....ummmm....have to put my thinking cap on.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

This is going to be a wild wide!

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

This book is going to be published by Beautiful Trouble Publishing.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Lord!!! It took me over a year and a half to finish this story. Sigh...and now I have to get through edits.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

I've written a trilogy called The Goddess Chosen Trilogy that has strong female characters dealing with supernatural forces outside of their control that is within the same genre.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

When I was given the cover I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the hell I was going to write and I decided to read poetry for inspiration. I came across a poem by Robert Frost called Fire and Ice that got my creative synapses snapping and voila a story was born.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

This book is a roller coster of who done it and mystery. The poem was a major influence because it had me think about love, hate, and the thin line that separated them both. How strong emotions create strong actions and what it would be like for two people caught in that storm. This is a very dark story but I think all love stories have dark moments and I was really excited to explore that.

Who I've tagged!!

These ladies are my road dawgs and I find it only appropriate that you come to enjoy their work as much as I do. They each are wickedly funny with their own unique brand of storytelling that has you sighing with contentment once the story is done and eagerly awaiting for the next. 

Drea Riley

Nikki Winter

Billy London

Jeanie Johnson and Jayha Leigh

Giving Thanks

Hello Lovelies!

Well the "holiday" season is finally upon us. I'm quietly typing out this post in my phone while my crowed house slumbers away. I find that each year I wait expectantly for Halloween but grumble about the rest. Too many crowds, I can't do the family shuffle, or let's try something new this year. I'm a terrible Grinch but that holiday ball gets rolling and I find I've got what it takes to get through this extravaganza of eating and people. Not only do I have what it takes to get through it but I'm quite thankful I've got my own unique brand of chaos I can submerge myself in.

So I raise my glass to the time of love, laughter, and (if I must be a bit honest) crazy making tendencies and give thanks I was able to do all again this year.

Janet

Rainy Day and Lazy Thoughts

Greetings,

It's actually raining here in Southern California, which means I have no desire to do anything but veg on my couch. The knitting has been brought out and I'm just going to k, k, p, p the day away. There is a good possibility that reading will be interwoven in at some point and possibly tasty adult beverages later tonight as well. In a sense this is going to be a good day and as with all good days there should be a little celebration. Therefore, here is a little something to get the festivities started.

Enjoy!

Janet

Unedited and Copyrighted by Janet Eckford

Softly Whispering Words of Wonder

"If you can't be still, I'm going to stop."

His words are a soft whisper against my skin that causes me to gasp with anticipation. I can't help but squirm when he touches me like this, fingers light but purposeful, honing in on all of the parts of my body that have become used to his unique brand of pleasure. I am wanton and needy, aching for the fulfillment I only ever seem to achieve with him. He pauses as I moan with frustration and it is all the warning I need to obey his command.

"Very good," he breathes out against the damp column of my neck.

Very good, indeed, I think as he begins to lift my skirt ever so slightly. I can't believe we're doing this but I couldn't imagine stopping. He traces the edges of my damp panties and I resist the urge to shift my body at just the right angle to have us touching skin to oh so sensitive skin. He must sense my longing and instead of torturing me, drawing out the inevitable, he slips his fingers under the delicate lace and softly strokes me.

"Is this for me?"

His husky whisper is equal parts teasing and wonder. He knows that it is always for him but it is his asking that I find so appealing. He never takes for granted what we create and it feeds my desire each time, like food plucked from the garden of the gods. His other hand grips the back of my neck and tilts my head at just the right angle so I can be kissed properly. The room we have found is too dark for me to see his eyes but I don't need light to see the love that is reflected there. I sob softly as he kisses me firmly and slips two of his fingers inside of me, with his thumb applying just the right amount of pressure to my sensitive bud. When he pulled me away from the party I knew this was his intent but now that it has finally happened I can't help feeling as if this is a newly exciting thing we have discovered.

"I love to make you come," he whispers against my lips, with a slight hitch in his voice.

"I love to come for you," I reply with a hiss of pleasure.

It's a truth that we enjoy together and it is a fact that causes my body to tense, pulsing with the need for release, just waiting for...one...more...stroke.

"If you can't be stil, I'm going to stop," he whispers playfully.

Love is in the air...

Welcome Lovers!!

October is now over and with it goes my penchant for the ghostly and the ghastly. I'm actually quite romantic when I put my mind to it and if you've seen my backlist you'll notice I put my mind to it quite often. One of those romantic endeavors has manifested itself into an entire series called Intimate Encounters. Six lovely little books to be more specific. I'm sure you can only imagine how excited I was to hear they were being combined into an ebook anthology AND going to print.

I think each of the stories in the collections has a little something for everyone and that is what makes them so special to me. I believe that "love" isn't static or one dimensional. It can't be picked up and put down without care and caution. I believe that it cozies up to "lust" on occasion, sparking an energy of fire and passion, but never loses itself completely to the hedonism of it's partner. I even believe it is far greater than I could have ever captured in the words I put onto paper but it didn't stop me from trying. Therefore, I invite you all to take a gander at what love and intimacy look like to me, and I'd be surprised if you don't agree.

Janet

Available at Amazon

Intimate Encounters

Anthology of Janet Eckford's Intimate Encounters series, volumes 1-6:

Book 1: Love Unfurled:

Love in its fullest bloom requires the time and trust of both partners. There is the little seedling waiting for care and attention. The very bud of the flower waiting to blossom, and finally, love at its fullest, fully unfurled--testament to all the time and energy that was put into it to help it grow. Yet, we mustn't forget the sprinkling of passion that gives it color and vibrancy. So here is a look as love unfurls.

Book 2: At that Hour:

Lauren knows that an invitation, once given, is hard to revoke, but passion untried can be even more detrimental. She has requested the attention of her dark fantasy lover, but will the reality be all she imagined or just a promise left unfulfilled?

Book 3: Intimate Apparel:

What makes the things under a woman's clothes sexy? Is it the frilly lace or the cut of the fabric, or maybe the color and the way it lays upon her skin? I think it's the wearer, the woman who puts in on and takes it off every day with purpose and focus. I think it's the viewer who gazes with appreciation and a glint of passion in his eyes. Most importantly, I think it's the readers who place themselves in the role of the wearer and viewer and wonder if reality were fantasy, would they have just as much fun? Here is a collection of stories that explore just how "intimate" Intimate Apparel can be, so go ahead and take a peek. You know you want to.

Book 4: Body of Work:

At the heart of some of the greatest fantasies is the ability to remake one's self; carve out an image through imagination that is difficult to find in reality. What if fantasy and reality weren't so different? What if the image born from imagination isn't the one that needs to be the most desired and you could live in the space you are meant to inhabit? What if you could be loved for the person you have difficulty being? These are three stories that explore the fantasy of being loved for who you are and ask the question, why can't it be real?

Book 5: The Art of Love:

Body art is such an interesting thing. When done with thought and purpose, it tells the untold story of one's innermost self. When done in haste and impulse, it is a regret that lives even while the ink fades. In the end it is a reflection of the intimate connection one has with his or her body. This collection of stories seeks to explore that intimate connection such adornment has, reflected in another person's eyes.

Book 6: Everything Carries Me Back to You:

Happily Ever After isn't always a guaranteed thing. We take our Happily Now because Ever After just seems so far away. This book is a collection of those Nows, a prelude to a love story the characters don't even know has been written for them, a love story that waits patiently for them to understand that Happily Maybe is never happily after all.