Photo blast.

Never miss an action shot.

 

The Oregon Coast.

Lady MacBeth claiming her crown. 

Some Weinmar Germany atmosphere.

Hi there!

 

 

Hair flips are always in fashion.

Pleasure is self-care.

 

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus,  taught that what is pleasurable is morally good and what is painful is morally evil. To quote:

Epicureanism divided pleasure into two broad categories: pleasures of the body and pleasures of the mind. Pleasures of the body involve sensations of the body, such as the act of eating delicious food or of being in a state of comfort free from pain, and exist only in the present. One can only experience pleasures of the body in the moment, meaning they only exist as a person is experiencing them. Pleasures of the mind involve mental processes and states; feelings of joy, the lack of fear, and pleasant memories are all examples of pleasures of the mind. These pleasures of the mind exist not only in the present, but also in the past and future, since memory of a past pleasant experience or the expectation of some potentially pleasing future can both be pleasurable experiences. Because of this, the pleasures of the mind are considered to be greater than those of the body. Emphasis was placed on pleasures of the mind rather than on physical pleasures.

(Yes, this is from Wikipedia. Yes, I know.) 

(By Unknown artist - Marie-Lan Nguyen (2011), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1447258)

He had many more things to say, but the concept of pleasure, of the delights of both mind and body had stuck with me. I believe that pleasure can be the medicine we need to survive the dangers of life.

I seek delight through many venues and for many reasons. I have a marked tendency to melancholy and worry. If I am absorbed in the luscious sensation of the perfect red lipstick on my lips, then I am more likely to remain in a healthy mindset. 

This summer, I plan on seeking delight in as many ways as possible. What could you do for your pleasure? 

Love,

Linda

 

P.S. Don't forget - I'm still having a sale over at my website. So if your pleasure is about books, come on over. ;)

Happy Pride.

Yes, it's been a hot minute since I've been here. I have had both knees replaced since I last posted and I have energy again! It's amazing how much life changes when you are in pain every day. :)

Black History Month

 In order to celebrate history recognizing the influence of Black Americans, I want to share this list of 150 Black-owned businesses in North America!

Get Your Neat Stuff Here!

Also to help create a more equal society, here are my  posts on writing inclusive fiction.

 Don't Surf in Sewage

Okay, You Screwed Up. 

How to be More Diverse in Your Writing 

Well, I'm back and breathing.

 Hello, beautiful readers!
 

2023 has been, well, difficult. My beloved stepmother died in March, finally free from her dementia. I traveled to Ireland (hooray!) in May, where I promptly picked up pneumonia (boo). I spend all of June healing from that infection. I'm waiting (and waiting and waiting) to get to a surgeon to schedule my first of two needed knee replacements. I got Covid at end of August, and now, in the beginning of October, I have a cold.

So, a whole lot got put by the wayside, including you. While I've had this time to reflect, I realized that I want to make life more fun. And I thought - who doesn't like getting snail mail? I'm thinking of creating a proper, old-fashioned mail newsletter. Do you dig the idea? It would come out twice a year, interspersed with any small updates, probably sent on postcards. Tell me if you would like this!

Second, I wanted to update you on my writing. :) I'm working on two co-authored books. The first is with my long-term collaborator, Shea MacLeod, and is the fourth book in our fabulous Dream Factory series. My new co-author, April Aasheim, creates incredibly witchy novels, especially the Dark Root Series. We are working on a new series that follows her Dark Root Ancestry series. Wow! I'm so excited to work with such brilliant women.

Lastly, I'm brainstorming on a brand new book that will incorporate steampunk with my love of Middle Eastern history. It's still in the idea phase, so no firm updates yet.


Let me know if you would like to have a pretty newsletter show up in your meat-space mailbox.

I've made it to the Big Time.

 

Be luscious now.

 When my mother died thirty years ago, my family burned her beloved Bayberry candles - which she had rarely used. My mother was a truly kind woman, the kind you are lucky to meet once in your life. But she didn't extend the same kindness to herself.

Now, this isn't an exhortation to, "Use the good china!", because that's pretty self evident. Today's luscious life is about taking care of yourself, no matter where you are in your journey.

I was a wreck even before Mom died - struggling in  school and in my marriage with my now ex-husband. That night, I learned that I didn't have to have my life together to enjoy  beauty and pleasure. Like all of us, I'd been taught about self-denial, about delayed gratification. That I had to live in my poverty and hand-me downs in misery. This mind set sucks and makes an already bad situation even worse.

You get to enjoy life, no matter where you are in your finances. Be luscious now, not later.

Little Luscious Luxuries

 

 

It's the little luxuries that keep me going in my day to day life. I have been lucky enough to be able to go to wonderful locations in my lifetime and those memories keep me warm. When it comes to feeling luscious everyday, though, it's the tiny things that keep my spirits high.

When The Charming Man and I decided we wanted to be together, I asked him questions about what he felt about all the little things that can trip up a relationship- including how he felt about fruit bowls (he was totally down with it and we've been together for nearly thirty years now:).

I can't help it- I smile every time I see my beautiful fruit bowl on the counter. There is something about the colors. the scent, the shine of the fruits that gives my heart a little lift.

What are your small, everyday pleasures that make your life better?

 

P.S. I don't want to toot my horn too much, but I think Shea Macleod and I captured the luscious feelings that fresh foods bring us in The Cafe of Hopes and Dreams and Dream of Words.

 

Fun First.

 

 I'm in the middle of scheduling my fun for the year. Not just big fun like trips, but little fun, like visiting the library, having high tea with my friends, and at-home spa days. I am going to attempt to give myself something wonderful every month, if not every week.

What fun are you planning?

 

Buy Links:
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Apple Books

Living a Luscious Live: Avoiding Burnout.

 

Living a Luscious Live: Avoiding Burnout

 

Little luscious acts throughout the day can really ease you, therefore, easing your burnout. Some of my favorite things:

• Take one minute to sit and enjoy the sensation of rubbing lotion into your hands and elbows. Does your lotion have a scent? Does it please you? Give yourself a tiny hand massage.
• I love lying with my legs up. It helps reduce swelling and is super relaxing. My mother used to call that time, "The Miser's Vacation." Five minutes (if your body tolerates it) can even help back pain.
• Brush your hair, or if you are bald, rub your scalp. Ahhhhhh.
• Naps. :)

None of these things cost money and can be sneaked in during a busy day.



 

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Amazon
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Apple Books

New Covers!

NEW COVERS!

Sometimes, an independent author just feels the urge to shake things up. So I got my first three books, Dracula's Secret, Dracula's Desires, and Dracula Unleashed, new covers and pretty formatting. 

Amazon.com

 

Happy New Year!

 

Making a Luscious Life!

 

Many years ago, I dyed my hair purple, wore a hot pink coat, an acid green sweater, and visited to the waterfalls in the Columbia River Gorge. The air was fresh, wet, and clean. Walking around the many waterfalls in the Gorge illuminated many things I had not realized before.

I discovered I wanted to live a luscious (my favorite word) life. I didn't want to wear boring black clothes. I wanted color, exuberance, and pleasure. I didn't want to live filled with anxiety or constant worry about what could go wrong.

As part of wanting a luscious life, I took last December off.  I had written eleven books in two years (one of the few bright sides of lockdown).  I liked them all, but i was worn out. I had ruptured the meniscus in my right knee last year, in addition to a number of weird stresses. Over my vacation, I decided I wanted to try new things.

I want to rework how I do my outreach. I want to make it more fun for me.

I always want to bring you the very best of me and my work so I get wound up about writing meaningful, deep, thoughtful essays. My vacation taught me that I was making the stakes for my newsletters and blog waaaaaay too high. What does that mean?  More pretty pictures! More talking about creating a life that makes you shine.

We are going to have so much fun.


 

 

Buy Links:
My Web Site
Amazon
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Apple Books

Pre-Order Here!

Why another book about writing BDSM? Because the world needs your dreams, your thoughts, and your truths. The world needs us to be honest in our writing by painting the full panoply the human experience. All of us are curious about power dynamics, sensation, helplessness, and roleplaying and how they affect our characters’ lives. Writing leather sex gives both the author and the reader a safe place to explore these experiences.

My goal for this book is that you will be able to write kink enthusiastically, with a full, rich emotional life for your characters. Everything I’m about to talk about it to reduce your anxiety or stress so you write with greater joy and clarity. If at any time, if you feel overwhelmed or like these ideas are too much work, take a breath and remember that these ideas are to keep you from writing yourself into a corner or getting stuck.

More new books!

 On Black Friday, November 25th, two books will go on sale. Pardon me as I dance around!

First, Start Your Life Now, is a book of affirmations based off the The Cafe of Hopes and Dreams, the second Dream Factory Book.

It contains original art by me, journal prompts, and encouraging text.

 

 

Second, Handcuffs Teach Trust; Writing the Best BDSM of Your Life, is a new companion book the Arousal to Zipper: Writing the Best Sex of Your Life!  Here's why I wrote this one, from the Introdction.

The purpose of a love scene, no matter the heat level, is to reveal who our characters are at their rawest and most passionate.  These scenes are the emotional dynamite for the story, where we explore the personalities and wounds of our lovely originals. There is nothing more powerful than a person stating her true desires and then getting what she wants. That is why I put together this book, because far too often, love scenes with BDSM have become a place to show off extreme actions and not about the emotions that create the true impact of what kink reveals.

Get your pre-order in now for holiday shopping. 

I'm so thrilled to have so many books out this year. :)

 

Do you need ideas for presents?

   

Do you know someone who needs a boost of love and warmth? Why not send them signed  paperbacks of The Dream Factory series? These books are perfect for anyone who needs a break or a moment of hope.

I'm running low on signed copies so now is the time. I only have 1 copy of The Dream Factory in stock and only 4 of A Dream of Words.

Perfect for holiday gifts, or just an, "I'm thinking of you," gift.

The Dream Factory

The Cafe of Hopes and Dreams 

A Dream of Words

My new book is released! I love this story so much. In this third book in The Dream Factory series, Cassie Mark, the teenager who shows up in Alice's costume shop in Book One, has an adventure to discover who she wants to be. Not everyone is cut out for living in a small town. I sure wasn't and neither was my co-author Shea. We both wanted to share a story about a young woman who had to leave the village of Gold Coast, Illinois for Rome, Italy. There is something liberating about being in a big city with a rich history. Visiting these places puts your issues in perspective and gives you endless inspiration. Writing this book gave us a chance to armchair travel to one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Also, you can buy signed copies of all three books over at my website. This is the perfect book for when you want to cuddle up with a warm beverage and a darn good read.   Buy Links: My Web Site Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo Apple Books