Friday, February 14, 2014

Love Spanks Winners!


Thank you to everyone who participated in the Love Spanks '14 hop! My blog received more than 400 page views, which is a new record. (Formerly held by the Bear Talk blog hop!) I hope you enjoyed all those new F/F stories our participating authors shared, and you'll read more F/F work.

The winner of my individual contest is Kitty Ranma. I sent you an email to see where you want your goody bag sent!

Don't forget to check out who the grand prize winners are by visiting Anastasia Vitsky's blog.


Happy Valentine's Day!

Louisa Bacio

http://www.Facebook.com/LouisaBacio
http://www.Twitter.com/LouisaBacio


Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Remaining Sane as a Writer


Please welcome Lisa Acerbo with a message many writers probably need to read!


I am not sure I have cultivated the attributes needed to stay sane as a writer.  I put a lot of pressure on myself in life and it often bubbles over into other areas, especially writing.  Most of the time, I enjoy writing, and rather than making me insane, it helps me to cope with other stress.  I love to draft and create. On the other hand, revision and editing can send me over the edge and lead to procrastination. 

Even after submitting Apocalipstick to Eternal Press, the revision process had really just begun.  I never considered how it would be AFTER the book was accepted for publication that I would revise in such depth.  I am glad I did, and, at times, still wish I had the chance to do more. After an editor had looked at the copy, my once fluent prose seemed choppy, my witty sentences contrived, my vocabulary stunted.  I was flummoxed.  I spent such a long time getting the manuscript ready for submission that to see the need for additional changes was hard.  It drove me over the edge. My problem then and now is I want find the perfect word for the perfect sentence, and my writing is never perfect.  Even though I know revision is a critical part of completing a novel and creating the best possible story, I dread it.

As of writing this, my second book is sitting on the kitchen table waiting to be revised.  It’s been there a long time.  I’ve learned much from Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing.  The only way to improve the craft is to read, write, and then repeat the process.  Read. Write. Repeat.  Easier said than done.  I am procrastinating and it drives me crazy.  I need to get over stalling if I want to remain sane. When revising starts me screaming and pulling out my hair what do I do? I take a long walk and listen to a good audio book or some music. Then I go home, pick up the manuscript and get to work.  If all else fails, I reach for a large glass of wine.


Title:  Apocalipstick
Author:  Lisa Acerbo
Published:  August 1, 2013
Publisher:  Eternal Press
Word Count:  67,000
Genre:  Horror Paranormal Romance
Content Warning:  Contains non-graphic zombie gore
Recommended Age:  15+

Synopsis: Jenna should be having the time of her life at college. Instead, her only desire is survival. She lives in a world gone insane after a virus kills most of the population. Being alive after the apocalypse is bad, but when the undead return, hungry for humans, times turn darker. For Jenna and a small group of survivors, the goal is to reach the High Point Inn. At the inn, Jenna develops feelings for Caleb, who, while exotic and intoxicating, is not quite human. Will this new utopia last?


Excerpt from Apocaliptick by Lisa Acerbo:

“By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes…” ran through Jenna’s mind, another remnant of her former life. Now the graveyard was the safest place. Evil openly roamed the streets and it was coming for her.
Jenna blinked the sweat out of her eyes and took a deep breath. She swayed with exhaustion. Angels, symbols of all things God and good, adornments of the dead, swam in and out of Jenna’s clouded vision. She placed a scarred hand on the peaceful, cold stone markers, embellished with the names of forgotten loved ones. Nowadays, loved ones wanted to come back from the grave and claw your face off, devour your insides.
Jenna wanted to lie down and give up. She was tired and had lost everyone she knew. Hair lank and greasy, mud splattered clothing, old and mismatched. Instead of admitting defeat, she forced herself to stay alert, pushing matted, raven hair out of her eyes with a dirty hand. Jenna could not remember a time in her recent history where she felt clean or had a moment in which she was not fighting to stay alive. Looking around the darkened landscape, she wanted to live. She shoved to her feet once again.

About the Author:
Born and raised in Greenwich, Connecticut, Lisa Acerbo has lived in Trumbull, Connecticut
since 2001. After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a degree in English Education and receiving a Master’s degree in Environmental Education from Southern Connecticut State University, she worked in a variety of educational positions.  Presently, Lisa works as a high school teacher and adjunct faculty for the University of Phoenix.

Lisa always loved to write and worked as an intern for the Connecticut Post when completing her degree at Southern Connecticut State University.  In addition to the Connecticut Post, her articles appeared in the Trumbull Patch and Hollywood Scriptwriter.  She occasionally dabbles in poetry and her poetry won first place in the Trumbull Arts Festival Literary Competition.

Lisa lives with her husband, Frank, two daughters, Dominique and Jessica, plus three cats and two horses.


Contest Prize (international): 2 - eBook copy of Apocalipstick with a $20 Amazon gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, February 10, 2014

Verified Kill with Patricia Logan


Please welcome M/M Patricia Logan to the blog today, as we highlight her new novel, Verified Kill, Book 1 of the Assassins Series


Walker Easton has chosen a life of solitude and it’s always suited him well. When a young lover is viciously taken from him, he begins to reevaluate his connection with Emilio. Could he have saved the young man, had he resisted the deep seated desire to belong to someone? Lost and uncertain for the first time in his life, his bravado is slipping away. When he’s given his next filthy assignment, he remembers Emilio’s final words to him… “Who will grieve for you when you are gone, Walker?” His next choices set him on a dangerous path where there is no turning back and when an old friend gets in the way, he has an impossible decision to make.

Callum Tryst is a dangerous man in his own right. Young and cocky and undeniably one of the finest assassins alive, he goes after a target not knowing that there is one painted on his own back. When he crosses paths with a career sniper, he finally meets his match… or does he? Callum learns the hard way that perhaps the best weapon against his enemy is another enemy. He finds himself asking the question, “If I’ve never ever cared about anyone, did I ever really matter?”

Join the pair as they meet out justice as only they know how, in a desperate fight to the finish… and the discovery that the fight is not as they always assumed it to be. Assumptions get you killed… and dead men cannot love.

 “Verified Kill” Book One of the “Assassins” Series.

Available via Amazon

Excerpt:

Wilkins shot out of hiding from his spot against the wall and pulled out a handgun, aiming it up at the guard and firing, missing the target as Walker came to the conclusion that backing him up was mandatory. Walker swore a slew of curses on Wilkin’s mother as he jumped up from his cozy snow trench and leaped to his friend’s defense, leaving his cover, and tearing across the clearing toward the commotion. The guard on the wall didn’t see Walker coming to Wilkin’s aid. He was already in pursuit of Wilkins, who’d rounded the far corner out of sight. Walker heard two more volleys and he knew that Wilkins was taking care of the other perimeter guards as he rushed in, lifting his P228 (M11) pistol and firing a hail of rounds, taking out the guard in pursuit of Wilkins along the wall on his side. The shrill sound of the whistle stopped immediately as blood sprayed out of the guy’s mouth along with the silver whistle as the guard fell forward and toppled off the top of the wall, landing hard in the snow, his sightless eyes staring upward as Walker hit the wall beside the corpse and flattened himself to it.

The next several moments happened so quickly, Walker had a hard time recalling it until months afterward. Walker heard a click, realized what it was, and then before he could drop, the explosion went off about fifteen feet from him. The vehicle disintegrated, his ears stopped hearing, and he slammed his lids shut as his face and torso were hit with a blast of heat straight out of hell as metal shards peppered his body. The memory of him strapping on protective body armor briefly washed over him with relief, as he fell forward, and he tried to catch himself with arms that wouldn’t work. He collapsed into the cold of the snow. He lay there, doing a physical assessment to assure himself that all his pieces were intact, and just as he reached the conclusion that they were, he felt himself being lifted under both armpits from behind.

“I gotcha, buddy,” Wilkins drawled. The fuckin’ redneck.

Walker tried to stand on his own power as Wilkins’s strong arms pulled him into an upright position, but his legs felt like Jell-O and went right out from under him.

“Can you stand, Easton? What the hell are you doing out here?” Wilkins cursed and Walker knew he’d be feeling much the same way had their roles been reversed. “I took care of most of them but we gotta get the fuck outa here before the rest of them come.” Walker heard the desperation in Wilkins’s voice and did his best to move under his own power, while Wilkins screamed into a radio.

“This is Alpha Tango One. Get us the fuck out of here! Taking heavy enemy fire! I repeat, Alpha Tango One. Man down! Man down! Over!”

Walker couldn’t really see, though his eyes were open. Something wet poured down his face, more than likely his own blood, the head injury making a mess out of not only his mental acuity, but his field of vision as well. Somehow, some way, they made it back into the trees and by then the whoop whoop of a Cobra attack helicopter broke into the sound of shouts and the zinging of bullets fired from the guards who were closing in. A second later the huge airborne armored weapon came into sight, kicking up a cloud of snowflakes in the clearing between the compound walls and the tree line where they were standing. Pieces of the compound walls began disintegrating around them as the Cobra fired on the enemy, clearing a path for them. It sounded as if Armageddon had begun. Walker’s arm was draped over Wilkins’s shoulder and as soon as the helicopter hit the ground, the men inside started the extraction, returning fire on the enemy following. Wilkins and Walker made their way to the great gray beast and more hands were there to lift them inside of the warm interior. The last thing Walker remembered was Wilkins flopping onto the deck beside him as he lost consciousness.

Visit Patricia Logan

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Love Spanks 2014 Mirabella's Mardi Gras Ménage





Love Spanks 2014 is finally here! You’ve tasted us, and now you get to sample free stories from top F/F authors. Please visit Governing Ana for the prize list, sign-up sheet, and free books. You can win from a prize pool valued at over $1,000, including a Kindle Fire or Nook HD!


Many authors will also offer a contest on their individual blogs.  Your comment on their blogs automatically enters you in both the main contest and the individual contests!

I'm giving away a Valentine's Goody Bag, with themed M&Ms, a Godiva chocolate heart and
Louisa's Valentine's
 Goody Bag!
assorted treats such as a heart eraser and sparkly pink pencil (shipping = U.S. only), and the winner's choice of one of my backlist books.


What’s the catch?  Absolutely nothing!  We love writing for you and want to thank you for your readership.  Perhaps someone might get a spanking or two, but that’s a reward rather than a catch, right?  

How do you play?

  1. Visit each blog between Friday, February 7 and Sunday, February 9 to read the posted stories and excerpts.
  2. Leave a comment answering the story question on each blog.  You will receive one entry per blog for the grand prize drawing.  You will also be automatically entered in that author’s individual contest, if she has one.
  3. If you have visited all of the blogs, visit Ana’s blog to sign up for FIVE bonus entries to the grand prize.
  4. Deadline is midnight EST (UTC -5) on February 9!!
  5. If you successfully completed a previous challenge (Spank or Treat 2013, Spankee Doodle 2013, Love Spanks 2013, or Spank or Treat 2012), you may add “VIP” to your comments.  You will earn THREE bonus entries toward the grand prize.  (Yes, we will be doing this again.  Yes, if you successfully complete the Love Spanks 2014 challenge you can become a VIP for our next activity!)
  6. If you are a F/F author or thinking of becoming one, please add “FF” to your comments. That way, your name will be entered in the special F/F author prize drawings.
  7. If you are Love Spanks 2014 Ambassador, please add “Amb” to your comments to receive your extra prize drawing.
  8. Visit any of the participating blogs on Friday, February 14 to find out the lucky winners.  Will it be you?

Like these events? Want to support your friendly F/F authors? Become a Love Spanks Ambassador! In exchange for promoting this event, you will receive one extra prize entry, AND you are still eligible to participate and win prizes! To find out the details, send an email to tarafinneganromance@gmail.com, with the subject line “Love Spanks Ambassador.”

For more information, updates, and a list of participating authors, please visit Anastasia Vitsky’s blog.

Tweet #lovespanks on Twitter!

For more spanking fun, visit Saturday Spankings for additional snippets.

The following free read features two characters from my erotic paranormal series The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolf. We delve into Mirabella and Marguerite’s story in the F/F/M novella Mirabella’s Mardi Gras Ménage. Some readers commented on the lack of a F/F-only scene. While it existed within my head, the limited word count kept it from being included in the final book. So here, as my very first FREE read, is a special, new scene.
Mirabella’s First Course
By Louisa Bacio
As the night wound down, the camaraderie between the two women overflowed like fresh poured champagne. Laughter and the spicy scent of the Cajun restaurant next store drifted in from Bourbon Street. The late-night shift came on, and Mirabella wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye to the striking redhead sitting across from her.
“What are you doing after this?” Marguerite asked. She trailed her index finger along the U-shaped curve of Mirabella’s hand, sending shivers of sensation throughout her body. “Because I’d like to invite you back to my place to continue our discussion.”
“I’d like that. Let me clean up my station and get my things.” For someone who hadn’t dated – men or women – at all, she sure accepted her offer fast. Maybe it was Mirabella’s own resolution to embrace her life, or more so how comfortable Marguerite made her feel.
She said a silent closed-eye thank you to the tarot cards and guiding spirits before she tucked them into the side pocket of her bag. She took a deep breath and blew out the candles, sending a wave of fragrant smoke trailing upward.
Outside, they fell in a natural rhythm, step by step. For being so much taller than Mirabella, Marguerite didn’t outpace her, or walk too quickly. She strolled with a grace resembling the most compact ballet dancer. Next to her, Mira felt klutzy. From the corner of her eye, she drank in her long legs and shapely ass. As they passed the main drag of bars, the street grew crowded, and Marguerite’s hip bumped hers, and their hands brushed. Electricity jumped between their fingers, causing Mirabella to instinctively jerk back.  “Sorry,” she said.
“Hard not to get physical on a night like this right before Mardi Gras,” Marguerite said. She reached over and grasped Mira’s hand. “Follow me, single file.”
They wove through throngs of people, so close together Mira could smell Marguerite’s perfume over every other competing scent. She barely reached up to her shoulder. As the air cleared, and although they had more room, they continued to hold hands as if it was the most natural thing.
“Wow, pretty crazy out there,” Mirabella said.
“It’s only going to get worse,” Marguerite added. “But we’re almost home.”
She entered a code into a gate, and pushed open the door. Inside lay a courtyard oasis, complete with a flowing water fountain and koi ponds. Everything gleamed white and green. Living in the French Quarter her entire life, Mirabella was used to seeing courtyards, but for some reason she didn’t expect Marguerite to live in such a swanky place. They climbed up the stairs, and seeing the apartment only solidified Mira’s resolution to get out of Tante Teresa’s place. Living behind the Voodoo shop had grown old.      
“Have a seat,” Mirabella called over her shoulder, as she walked down the hallway toward the back of the house. “I’m going to get more comfortable.”
The living room held one of those sectional leather couches shaped in a half square. She set her purse on the coffee table and plunked herself down in the corner. The strap of her tank top slid off her shoulder, and Mirabella debated upon striking a sexy pose. Could she pull it off or would she look foolish? She worried her lower lip between her teeth and second-guessed coming home with Marguerite. With the chemistry flowing between the two of them for the past two hours, the other woman was probably expecting something more than friendship, and she was frightened of disappointing her. Or more, her being disappointed in Mirabella.
Before she could make the decision to stay or go, Marguerite returned. Her legs looked even longer in the short jersey shorts, and her breasts strained against the tight shirt. Good lord, the woman turned heads wherever she went. Mira originally met Marguerite when she came to the shop seeking advice about Nick. The Creole man was so striking before he turned into a vampire. But afterward? Inhuman. Literally. If that were how her tastes ran, it was impossible for Marguerite to be interested in her. What did she have to offer?
“You look like you’re going to hurl or flee. Are you all right?” Marguerite settled beside her, crossing her legs Indian-style. “What are you so wound up about?”
“I’m not quite sure what I’m doing here,” she started, “Maybe I’m thinking about it too much.”
“May I?” Marguerite hovered her hand above Mira’s leg.
“Yes.”
The warmth soaked through the thin material of Mirabella’s skirt on contact, and then Marguerite stroked upward. “I think we both know why I asked you back, and you wanted to come, and maybe your shouldn’t pick the reasons apart. Go with what you feel.”
“But-” Mira started.
The other woman leaned in. The last glimpse Mirabella had before she shut her eyes was plump red lips, and then she was kissing her. Light and tentative, and oh so soft. Her hand continued to rub Mira’s inner thigh, and her tongue stroked her lower lip. She opened her mouth, letting Marguerite within her mouth, and into her heart. Warmth spread between Mirabella’s legs as her nervousness fled and excitement flared.
“You’re trembling beneath my palm,” Marguerite said.
“I guess I’m a little nervous.” Mirabella laughed lightly.
The low lighting in the room accented the young woman’s golden skin tone. Upon first sight, Marguerite found her enticing. Up close, and with her cheeks flushed from want? Watch out. The minx glanced at her from behind half-closed eyes. Her chest lifted, and her delicate collarbones emerged. Marguerite wanted to run her tongue along the curve and suck until she left her mark. She licked her lips, almost able to taste the delicacy. Soft deliciousness.
While she loved being with men – the pure strength of Nick when he lifted her up, held her ass, and fucked her against the wall, what she adored about women was the total opposite. The rounded swell of breasts and hips.  Tentative touches so soft she almost came on contact.
“Are you doing all right?”
“Mmmm, hmmm.”
This time, Mirabella initiated the kiss, reaching behind Marguerite to remove her hair band before running her fingers through it. She held Marguerite’s head, massaging her scalp, while exploring her mouth. Their dancing tongues swayed, and their breath intermingled.
Less tentative now, Mirabella crawled forward, her hand brushing against Marguerite’s breast, her fingertips flicking over her nipple. Marguerite inhaled sharply. Someone was curious.
She pulled Mirabella onto her lap, sliding up the long skirt until it bunched around her hips, and ran her fingers under it, between Mira’s legs, seeking her warmth.
Oooh, so wet through her cotton panties. So excited. She was sure it wouldn’t take much to make the other woman come. First, she was going to make her want it. Need it. Beg for it.
“Have you been with a woman before, Mira?” She liked the way the R in her name rolled off her tongue, like a gentle caress.
“No.” She stilled in Marguerite’s arms.
“Have you been with a man before?”
“Not really.”
“Usually, that’s a yes or no answer. What does ‘not really’ mean?”
“Well, I’ve kissed a man before, and I wanted more. But nothing else happened. I haven’t had sex if that’s what you want to know.”
Was she defensive about her lack of experience? These days it was a precious commodity and definitely nothing to be embarrassed about.
“Shush. It’s all right. I’ll enjoy helping corrupt a bit of that innocence,” Marguerite said. “And who better to give some good loving than another woman who knows how your body works.”
She held up her hand. “See my nails? I keep them cropped short and rounded. Do you know why?”
The other woman’s eyes opened wide. “N-oo.”
“So when they’re inside you, all you’ll feel is pleasure.”
Long, dark lashes fluttered shut, and when she opened her eyes, the pupils displayed pinpoints of passion.
“Show me.”
And with that invitation, Marguerite took her hand, and led her to the bedroom. They stood, body to body, facing each other, both aware of the next step.  She peeled down Mirabella’s tank top, revealing the delicate skin underneath. The parts of her breasts that never saw the light of day were a few shades lighter than the rest of her body, and Marguerite immediately wondered what her bare ass looks like. Hmmm, there was something extra delicious about this encounter knowing she’d seen parts of Mira’s beauty others hadn’t.
In contrast, her nipples were dark, dark brown, like the richest chocolate against caramel skin. Marguerite licked her lips in anticipation. Maybe another time she’d bring some chocolate into the bed and check the matching coloring, and have a delectable taste play, too. Her own nipples were pale in comparison, like a white rose with a blush of pink infused.
She blew, watching the tip pucker up in anticipation, and sucked in the entire head in one mouthful. The mounds were on the small side, less than a cupful, but on Mira, just perfect. They accentuated her feminine petite side. Plus, with Marguerite having such an overabundant breast-line, it was nice to see someone so different. 
They stretched out on the sheets, cooler on the early spring evening. Hope and longing swelled inside of Marguerite’s chest. She wanted this sweet woman with a fierce, but more quiet passion. A soft love.
With Nick, being physical consumed the relationship. Shit. What relationship? He screwed her when he wanted a piece of ass. Oh, don’t get her wrong. She wanted it just as bad. Beneath the surface, she saw the tenderness, and knew he cared for her. If he would only open his heart, and believe in his own worth, they might have something together.
She couldn’t love Mirabella. It was too soon. She’d barely met her, and yet her body ached to be touched by the other woman. Her soul desired to be soothed by the beauty. Mirabella lay against the blue pillows, her hair a kinky halo around her head, and her eyes wide with wonder.
Never would she have expected a man they shared in common to bring them together. She’d have to thank Nick later for his inadvertent help. Now, it was time to play.
Next to her side, Marguerite trailed her fingertips up the inside of Mirabella’s calf, her inner knee, her thighs, until reaching the sweet spot between her legs. Mira gave a small startled jump as Marguerite delved between her nether lips.
“Let me please you,” Marguerite said, sandwiched between Mirabella’s legs, sliding her hands under her thighs, and tilting up her hips. She licked Mira’s clit, alternating between quick and long, broad strokes.
Low moans escaped from Mirabella’s mouth, and Marguerite slid a finger into her wet depths, testing the tightness, and then two. Mirabella met her motions, thrust for thrust, completely in trust with the more experienced lover. She drank in her musty scent, and lavished her tongue.
As her climax overcame her, Mirabella squeezed in her thighs, and Marguerite drew out every bit of pleasure. After, she moved upward, taking Mirabella in her arms.
“That was unbelievable.” Her cheeks rosy in the afterglow, Mirabella toyed with the curve of Marguerite’s hip, running her fingers over the top, and back down over her ass. “How can I make you feel good?”
“I’ll show you. We’ve got plenty of time for that.”  
The lights rimming the garden window flashed red, purple and green, casting a muted glow over the darkening room, and Marguerite schooled Mirabella in the fine art of loving.

* * * *

Constantly under the watchful eye of her Voodoo priestess aunt, Mirabella longs to break free during the events of Mardi Gras. Escapades draw her into the arms of Marguerite, a fiery redhead with a passion for life, and Nick, a familiar vampire who’s haunted by his transformation and past.

What starts as a new experience – a Mardi Gras Ménage – soon turns deadly, and none of their lives will ever be the same. 

Tell me: What's the name of the guy Marguerite and Mirabella share in common? To enter my contest for the Valentine's Goody Bag, and to be eligible for the grand prize, leave a message with a valid email address.

Thanks for visiting!

Louisa Bacio