Teresa D'Amario

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It’s a new year, and I”m already behind.  But not as far behind as I have been. :)  So everyone go get that champagne and let’s have ANOTHER toast to the year 2012!  For me today I wish you all a 2012 that will top every year you’ve had to date.  I hope you win every prize, get every promotion, get every publishing contract you try for!  Ok, so it’s not realistic, but I still want you to have all your dreams for 2012!  What is my dream for 2012?  For me, I want a few more days in my week.  NO, really!  I don’t need more hours in my day to get everything done!  I need more days in my week.  There’s just not enough days in my week.  Five days for work, 2 days to recover, and only 7 days to squeeze writing into.  Yes, my dream for the year is a at least TWO extra days.  Two days I can sit and write and get lost into the world of my fantasies.  Fantasies where a hero (who always seems to look alot like my husband in my head) whisks the heroine off her feet (who seems to look alot like me in my head).  He does it with strength and prowess.  A powerful man in both body and mind who can make things happen. (Yes, in real life he can do alot of that, though he has yet to to turn into a wolf). 

But wait!  my current WIP isn’t a shifter book.  Well, not an animal shifter book, anyway.  What’s happened?  And it’s in first person.  Now that’s even stranger.  I had a dream back in September, and it was so clear, I had to write it.  I jotted down just the beginning, and when I went back, I thought it was someone else’s work.  After all, I NEVER write in first person.  I scanned the words which captured my attention, enthralled!  And then it ended.  500 words, was all I’d written.  500 words that after three months filed and forgotten, could still drag me right back into the dream world.  So of course I had to do some plotting in my head, some world building and some really scary events!  Will this book ever make it into publishing?  Who knows.  But it’s obvious to me that my characters are demanding their place in my mind.  They are demanding their place in time.  A future time where the world has been set on it’s ear with a new political stance.  A world run by one government.  But who are they?  What are they?  And what can my dear, sweet Jane do to turn the time back, or is that even possible? 

So while I won’t get that two days per week I’d like, I think instead I’ll let Jane awaken, and take her place in the world.  Let her fight her battles on her own, let her protect her man, as he protects her.  But don’t worry, it’s still paranormal, and though it may be first person, there are still plans for some sweet, hot and sweaty romance. 

But don’t worry, I’m still going to work on the shifters.  In fact, I”m thinking that maybe next friday I can run over to the zoo and visit Spartacus and the ladies to see how they are getting on. 

So tell, me, what are YOUR dreams for 2012?

As I sit here and watch the opening of Top Gun on ION Television for like the 8th time this week, it makes me realize how exciting it is to be a reader. You don’t have to sit and watch the same reruns of the same reruns all day. Seriously. I work at home for the “day job”, and I actually work late afternoon to late evening instead of the hours most work. I keep a tv turned on – mostly to help let me not get stressed at work. I usually try to put it on something I’m only casually interested in watching, because it’s usually too busy at work to actually watch more than a second here or there.

But TV stations have gotten to the point they will play the same movie over and over again for weeks on end until you have the dialogue memorized. Until all you have to do is see a second of a scene to let you know what’s actually happening. It’s to the point I envy those of you who work during the day and have the opportunity to sit and read during the evenings when these movies and shows are playing.

So what books would I read? Well that’s kind of tough! There are some great books out there, authors I haven’t had a chance to read, and stories I’ve been waiting for.

My kindle is filled with books I haven’t had time to read. Books like Lawe’s Justice, Primal Bonds, Bodyguard, Shifter Made, The Possession. For the sake of sin. Exstacy Untamed, Heart Search, Immortal Rider! At least I finally got to read Deceiving the Protector (Excellent read) and Because of you, a Loveswept Contemporary Romance!

So, I have a little contest – Leave a comment, telling me what books are on your TBR file, and tell me the authors of the books I listed above, and you will qualify to win Blood Moon Betrayed! And while you’re at it, let me know what movie/tv show you are tired of seeing playing over and over!

The contest will be open until next friday!

As I’m a shifter author, everyone knows I’m close to the animal, in one form or another, either as a watcher, trainer or just plain enjoying their existence.  One of my favorite videographers on YouTube is CharlieQH, (Charlie Quarter Horse )  She specializes in merging the most amazing video with the most awesome music.  I would like to take a moment and share with you her “Goodbye 2011″ today.  And don’t hesitate to check out all the rest of her videos, because there’s something for everyone. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the next nine minutes with scenes from Charlie’s videos this year!

Well, I’m not a poet, and I seriously know it, but I decided to have just a little fun today as I thought of the holidays. I hope Mr. Clement Clarke Moore will not be offended by my taking liberties with his wonderful little story. :)  And no cringing allowed here.  Enjoy the diddy, and feel free to add your own in comments!

The Friday before Christmas and all through the house
Not a computer was stirring, not even a mouse.

The CD’s were lined up on the counter with care
In hopes of being installed, with the speed of the air.

And Dad in front of the tv and me with a book
Had just settled in and wait for a cook.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, sirens and screams from happy delight,

A serious joy that made me want to write.
Excited anew my heartbeat pounded hard, so I sprang from my couch, as this was not a thought to discard.

I peeked out the door, determined to check the score.

This holiday season there was not a flake of  snow,
But the streetlight I pay for lit up the scene below.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear?
but a full sized firetruck with santa dressed in his gear.

He said many a word, his cheer loud for all to hear! He shouted and whistled and called me by name.

On Teresa, let’s go, you know you can do it.
It’s time to write, so put your mind to it.

I grabbed my laptop and my usb drive all ready to dive.

I dropped to my seat, my fingers on the keys
Ready to type out whatever may appease.

To the top of the page, my fingers they flew,
words and phrases, to me they were new.

The sirens they whistled and pressured my brain
While Santa continued and no child did complain.

And I heard him exclaim er he drove out of sight,
Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night.

Captain’s Virgin Fantasy – Abby- Rae Rose

Released December 5^th 2011

He’s changed everything…but she can’t change the fact she loves him.

Victoria refuses to let Ishmael intimidate her— She‘s faced with a choice. Return to her life of duty, or embrace her spirit of adventure…and sail the high seas with the man who has captured her heart.

Captain Ishmael’s demands are simple… In exchange for his pleasure, and her body to quell his voracious lust, he will guarantee safe passage.

But, Ishmael’s plan doesn’t include giving up his lover so easily. And, once he gets a taste of Tori’s sweet blend of innocence and boldness, he can’t imagine living without her.

Abby, Thanks so much for joining me today on my blog!  For those who don’t know, I’ve known Abby for a few years.  We met and laughed and researched and edited together over at Romance Divas, our favorite writing website.  When she showed me her book cover, I just KNEW we had to have her visit.  Pirates are just so kewl, aren’t they?

Abby-Rae Rose is an independent student working on her PhD in English. She writes Paranormal Romance, and Western suspense, also working on a YA Romance series. She is very hard-working and Open-minded. She has written for 2 years. Writing is not only a dream, but it has become her life. She wants to write stories that make her readers use their imagination. She will have you fall in love all over again, make you believe that life is not just hard work, but it’s fun and unexpected things can happen.

Q- What motivates Abby-Rae Rose the author? Why do you write?

A-     Life, Family, and Love motivates me to write. Without life, what stories could be created. Without family, what drama would there be to follow. Without love, what hope for happiness would we have. Those three things motivate me to sit and write every day. They fuel the mind with adventure, and what if’s, which leads to inspirational stories.

Q-When did you know you were a writer? Was it always your destiny or did you stumble upon your craft by accident?

A-     January 2009, my husband was taken from me. Christmas 2009, I was working on a tree farm, and the owner bought me a gift.  I didn’t open it, just left it on the table. Days went on and the gift just sat in the same spot. One cold day, I decided to open the present. To my surprise it was Stephanie Myers “Twilight.” I smiled and laughed this wasn’t something I was likely to read. So I opened the first page and read, “I’d never given much thought to how I would die – though I’d had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this. I stared without breathing across the long room, into the dark eyes of the hunter, and he looked pleasantly back at me. Surely it was a good way to die, in the place of someone else, someone I loved.  Noble, even. That ought to count for something. I knew that if I’d never gone to Forks, I wouldn’t be facing death now.  But, terrified as I was, I couldn’t bring myself to regret the decision.  When life offers you a dream so far beyond any your expectations, it’s not reasonable to grieve when it comes to an end. The hunter smiled in a friendly way as he sauntered forward to kill me. “

Q- Is there a particular genre you haven’t tried but what like to? What is it and why?

A-     I want to try Historical Romance. I have been reading a lot about the Victorian days and just fallen in love completely.

Q-How many hours a day do you devote to writing? Do you have a set routine or do you write when the mood strikes?

A-     When I first started to write I would sit in front of my lap top for hours at a time. Really writing nothing important. It was just the typing that had me hooked. Then lines turned into sentences. Sentences turned into paragraphs. Paragraphs turned into a story.

B-     I don’t have a schedule or routine at first. When I finally have a first draft of a full manuscript, I finally set times when I will spend time writing.

Q-Who is your favorite author? And, if given the opportunity to meet them, what would you ask them?

A-     That list is endless. LOL But here are a few: Teresa D’ Amario, Sela Carson, NJ. Walters, Shelly Laurenston, Keri Author, Catherine Coulter, Vanessa Kelly, Jayne Ann Krentz, Linda Howard, Christine Feehan, Nora Roberts, Rachel Lee, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lori Foster, Sharon Sala, Janet Chapman, Nalini Singh, Jennifer Lyon, Stephanie Laurens, Shannon K. Butcher, Cherry Adair, Carolyn Jewel, Maya Banks, Julia Quinn, Lauren Dane, J.R. Ward… And the list goes on and on and on.

Q-Wow, what a huge compliment!  Abby, I do love you!  You honor me.  Ok, so back to you:  What did you do when you found out your first book had been contracted?

A-     So, my happy dance turned out to be a tragic event, I crushed my little puppy. He’s fine though no worries.

Q-Has there been a person or influence in your life that has helped you reach your writing goals?

A-     There is a group of ladies that influenced me. Romance Divas. It’s a group of women that come together to reach a common goal, Writing.

Q-Do you have any words of inspiration to aspiring authors? What advice would you offer a writer trying to publish?

A-     Don’t give up. There are too many nay-sayers out there who will try to discourage you. Don’t listen to them. The only one who can make you give up is yourself.

Q- Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?

A-     I’m working on a springtime Romance right now. As well as a mystery series romance. 

Q-Where can readers connect with you?

A-     http://alanimarie.wordpress.com/

So don’t forget folks, check out Captain’s Virgin Fantasy!  And feel free to ask Abby any great questions I know you guys will come up with that I didn’t!

Ok, for those who haven’t followed my hit and miss pained tweets, I thought I’d share what’s been happening this year.  I’m really looking forward to 2012, because things have to get better.   I don’t typically put my life out there for everyone to see, but I don’t want to lose those who have been following and trying to figure out if I’ve decided I hate my readers or something.  I don’t!  I love my readers! Every last one of you!  You are awesome, and are who I write for. :D  You make my day when you send me an email, you make my week when you recommend my book to others!  I couldn’t be this happy without ya!

But, my health this year was pretty rough.  2011 started out like any other year – rushed, and full of promise.  The problem was, I was having alot of pain, and started experiencing alot of “pulled muscles” for no reason.  Breaking teeth in my sleep by grinding my teeth, and even my vision was kind of flakey.  So after my docs yelling at me for ignoring things (The pulled muscles that I hadn’t done anything to cause them to hurt), I finally was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, and given medication.  It was awesome.  The pain disappeared – ok, not completely, but it did great.  The only bad thing was, so did I.  I went from hanging out on chats and twitter to sleeping.  And sleeping.  And just a little bit more sleeping.

Two months into the meds, I suffered severe Esophageal spasms.  For anyone who’s had those, you know how painful that can be.  Mine lasted 18 hours.  Thought I was dying.  Even my dog thought I was dying and he never notices when ppl get sick.  So I stayed in the ER and slept.  Oh wait, I didn’t sleep that day – it hurt too much.  But, at last the pain eased, and the young man next to me who had cracked his spine was up to his room (Yes, I felt horrendous sadness for that poor young man.)  I blame my meds for the issue – because that was way above and beyond what anyone should suffer the first time around with it.  Everyone says it lasts 2-3 hours.  HA!  Little do they know!

In June, just as I was about to sleep my life away, I found out my mother had cancer.  The terminal kind.  Later we discovered she’d known for a very long time, but was just now telling us.  We discussed options, all of which she promptly ignored.  So, I headed to National Conference, at which I once again, slept half of it away.  But it was kewl, because I’d lost weight, and when I was awake, I was in the zone.  I was walking faster (Jodi, my roommate for the last 2 years went from having to drag me places to having to rush to keep up with me).  I was happier.  But I was sleeping.  Alot!

In July I visited my ill mother, and came to terms with her condition (if that’s even possible), and slept.  Yes, I even slept there.  We drove home.  I slept.  Ahh yes, life was one big sleep fest.  It was great. It was sad.  Somehow July turned to August, then to September.  I’m not even sure what happened those months, probably because I slept them away.  My husband had gotten used to me only emerging in time for the “evil day job”, and then going back to bed when I was finished.  He’d done all the housework, all the shopping, and well, just everything, while I slept.

I had  a book release in September, but I think I slept thru that too, so thought I should make a point of actually letting you guys know about it.  So if you haven’t seen it yet – make sure you check out Blood Moon Betrayed, the story of Sean and how he recovers from his “Events” of SheWolf.  And watch closely, as many questions are answered in this book! If you like a man who’s had his heart taken out and stomped, that would be Sean!  I love the way he tries to fight his feelings, knowing he’s been hurt before, but seeing his True Mate battered and bruised had an affect on him even he couldn’t fight.  You can get your copy at allromanceebooks.com, FreyasBower.com and of course Amazon.com.

Back to my sleeping.  Oh wait, it’s now October and I visited my doctor and said, hey, we have to do something about this sleeping.  And oh, and my hair is falling out.   Yes, the meds were making my hair fall out.  So, we tapered me down, and then had to return to my Mother’s to care for her for three weeks.  I started a new med while there, and suffered severe hot flashes, but I slept less.  Hooray!  Of course I hurt more, but not as much as without the meds.

I got home in time for Thanksgiving, which we had a nice quiet day off, and then on Friday, my mother passed.  Back to Alabama I went.  I’m back home now, and slowly things are getting back to normal, and the sleeping isn’t as bad as it was on the previous med.  Though I made the mistake of trying to get in shape with the treadmill.  Apparently my Fibro isn’t liking that, so I’ve decided to wait till after the holidays – when I’m not so busy.

So for those who wondered where I was for the last year, I was sleeping.  I’m not whining (Ok, maybe a little) in this post, just wanted to let you know why I’ve been so quiet.  It was an ugly year.  Well, I think it was an ugly year. It’s hard to know since I slept through it all.  But don’t worry – Sleeping Beauty has awakened, and hopes to take the world by storm in 2012!  So don’t think I forgot all my wonderful readers, because I haven’t!  I love you all!

So here’s for 2012 being a much better year.  Or at least, being awake for it.  Cuz I’m so tired of being tired!!

Happy Holidays to you and yours!  I don’t know which holiday you celebrate, but as for me and mine, we celebrate Christmas, and so we wish you ALL a Merry Christmas.

Let’s talk about villains, where they come from, and how they develop.  Sometimes my villain changes in a book, because I realize the character I’ve created doesn’t have the correct motive.  Or, the development has taken that character a different direction than I intended.  But sometimes, it’s easy.  I just have to take something from the news, and I can create the perfect villain.  The hard part is motivation.  What makes people do what they do?  How can they be so cold, and hard hearted?  Especially when it involves children.  Lately the news is filled with abducted children left and right, and what happens to those children is even worse.  Let me give you a few examples:

1. Shania Davis.  This poor child was allegedly sold by her mother to her drug dealer friend, who took her to a hotel an hour away, raped her, and dumped her a few miles from my home.
2. 7 yr Georgia Girl raped and murdered. 
3. Susan Smith – Who killed her children and pretended her car was carjacked.
4. Pamela Mikels Waldher - who’s body was found on Ft. Bragg, NC, which is an open base. 
5. Zhara Baker - killed by her stepmother, dismembered, and hidden in the dump.

These are just a few examples I’m aware of (and by no means am I making accusations).  But what surprises me is how often a female is invovled in the deaths of these children.  This begs the question – has our media just noticed the female murderers such as Susan Smith, and women like Shania Davis’s mother, who traded her life for drugs (allegedly), or is this  a new trend?

Often I think the internet has brought out alot of news that we might not otherwise be aware of.  What would be a local “Issue” suddenly is now national news – blasted on the television, on your news webpage, and all over the internet.  Finding the motive for such acts is difficult. Why are so many men and women so “Ill” that they are willing to kill a child?  And in some cases, completely torture them in the process?

So to help me answer that question, I asked a friend, who’s a retired profiler.  

  In order to DO ‘evil’ or BE ‘evil’ requires a total lack of empathy. You don’t see people as people, they’re but annimate “things” which serve or hinder your purpose.    Some ‘evil’ do-ers are sociopaths, they only mimic emotion to lure in the prey.  To go to war, you can’t dwell on your adversary’s family, next of kin, or pain. You de-humanize them to do what needs be done at the moment and don’t dwell on why the hell you’re there in harm’s way in the FIRST place.    Evil folks are beyond that step in thinking…  No ‘conscience’ therefore no guilt.   Evil* people (*gratuitous calamity) don’t see anything in common with their victim. 

 And some… are products of such a distored pre-adolescent situation, they feel no social or societal ties. They are adrift among those who are sonambulistic, apathetic and some just plain gullible. I’ve long been a proponent of losing “innocence” A.S.A.P. In Nature a naive animal doesn’t reach maturity.  Forewarned is forearmed.

There’s a book, by a female psycholgist “Harmful To Minors” by Levine.    Another favorite is, “Boobs, Boys and High Heels” by Diane Brill.   It about how a teen girl can be popular without being a bitch to anyone.

Thanks for some awesome insight and the book recommendations.

Our world has no shortage of villains, I’m sorry to say, so when writing, I tend to look to the news.  In Lone Wolf,which is to be rereleased soon – the villain is a twist of a character who once wandered about the internet. I won’t tell you what he did, because that would just ruin the book. LOL.  The worst part was what he did was totally legal, albeit horribly gross and disgusting. 

Of all the villains you’ve read, whether real or imagined, who is your most terrifying?

I’m not sure why, but it seems that a lot of the paranormal romances I’ve read have the same type of scene inside that really gets me upset. Sometimes I skip said scenes, and sometimes I’m reading it, with tears in my eyes. Always at the end, I feel as though something has gone wrong in this book. I no longer respect the hero. The point behind the scene is to show the hero’s strength, whether it be magical or physical. The scene? Angry Sex. Ok, we all get off on angry sex now and then. Don’t get me wrong – it’s in all kinds of books and we all like to read it. It’s hot, and it’s sexy, and we all wonder “should we piss off our husband’s just for fun?”

But in reality, what some of these books are portraying is rape. The heroine has said no, and the hero continues to push. The hero wishes to teach the heroine a “lesson” in how powerful he is. A true alpha male doesn’t prove how powerful he is using sex. Instead, he does it against villains or other males, hoping she’ll see how truly strong he is. If she can’t, then obviously they weren’t meant to be.

It’s funny, because when I first joined groups of readers, I heard how awful it was that another author had bullies for heroes. She was drawn and quartered in the public. Cries of rape and violence swept through blogs like wildfire. Interestingly, this author only had one book where the hero went a bit far, and the heroine pretty much went at him, accusing him of rape, and he realized he’d gone too far. He paid for his “crime”. Yet in these new books, there is no outcry, there is no hero realizing he went too far. And worse, there is no heroine accusing him of rape.

So where is the line? Where does “angry sex” turn into “rape”? For me, it’s when the heroine says “NO” frequently during the event. For me it’s when the hero thinks he is teaching the heroine a lesson. A lesson he can only instill with forcible big O’s, or forcible sex, whether it’s by the hero’s own hand or his magic.

I think what has surprised me is not that this makes it into books now and then, but that it seems to be coming a trend. Heroes overstep the bounds of good alpha male behavior, becoming bullies, and they force the heroine to accept them using either physical or magical strength. Oddly enough, a true alpha male never bullies, he never forces his females. A true alpha male coaxes his female to accept him, showing his strength in other ways – never against her. Ok, maybe he does, but not “Teaching her a lesson” using sex.   What ultimately happens in the bedroom is always the female’s choice. So if that’s the case, why are these books so popular?

Examples:

True alpha behavior: A hero might tie up his female, and while she may be uncomfortable, she trusts him enough to allow this activity, though she may struggle just a little.

Borderline behavior:  A hero and heroine may fight, using their magic, and it turns into a sexual pleasure.  Both are in on the “game” and enjoy themselves.

Bully behavior: A long drawn out struggle between the hero and heroine in which he “teaches her a lesson” in who’s in charge. She is actively fighting him and is scared as much as she is turned out. While the big O may be mind blowing, the fight to get there was not.

One of my favorite authors tends toward the bully behavior, or did when she first started out, and I think that’s where the trend began. Interestingly, I always skipped the scenes related to such bully behavior, as they always felt out of place in her books. Now, she has drawn back from such behavior and is as popular as ever.

Maybe it’s just that I don’t think these heroes, or even human males, are sexy when they want to “teach a lesson”. It comes too close to what is true rape. If I needed a lesson taught to me, I sure wouldn’t want it done while I fought against it in the bedroom. This is not a fantasy of mine I want to live vicariously through books. Yet I don’t have a problem with the H/h showing their strength in an argument. Just not during sex. At least, not forcibly.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not prudish enough to believe that fight sex isn’t hot. Sure it is. But teaching a lesson is not.

So what do you think? Which is it?  A bully or Strong alpha hero who teaches his heroine a “lesson” using sex?

Come join me when visiting Maria, Damaris, And Wanda at Good Choice Reading!  Prizes are there so don’t be late!

Come check out Lovin’ Me Some Romance to talk about choosing the perfect song for that book trailer, and how important it is for the music to match the feel of the book.