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Monday, July 28, 2014

Greetings from the Slush Pile

Every author has to cut scenes she loves from a book. Today we visit one cut from Dracula's Secret. I loved the sensuality and the ideas of traditional femininity. But it slowed down the plot to a snail's pace, so it had to go.


***
      Valerie examined the headless body in front of her. This might be the most difficult thing she had ever faced. She touched the pit of her neck, the rest of her petrified by the sight.
      The dressmaker’s dummy, dressed in exquisite sunset orange European silk and cream-colored lace, paralyzed her.
      Jane’s Vanity was a small, unassuming, and thoroughly intimidating lingerie store. The vampire took a hesitant step towards the door and clutched the door handle. Her vision wavered. Hundreds of years of habit held her outside the store. Valerie had never worn any sort of sexually attractive undergarments since she’d begun dressing as a woman. Her quest had kept her focused on the all-consuming goal. Her expensive outerwear had been an investment in camouflage and disguise. Honesty forced her to admit that she had bought her dragon-embroidered coat for pleasure.
      Now she had the chance to wear something for pleasure. A terrifying thought.
      Fearlessness, she reminded herself as she swung open the gleaming door. A little bell rang cheerily as she entered the tiny store. As Valerie stroked a Belgian lace parasol, a small drama unfolded before her.  A shy-looking Indian woman swung a pink silk gown off the rack and held it in front of herself. The color brought out the gleam of her thick black hair and brought a healthy warmth to her brown skin. She smoothed the fabric against her body as she looked in the mirror.
      Valerie licked her lips at the sound of skin on silk, heat building in her belly. Centuries as a man had given her a deep seated appreciation of women.

Want to read the real story of Dracula? Read Dracula's Secret!

Monday, July 7, 2014

Courting the Chippendale's dancers.

Last week, I did something I'd wanted to do since I was in high school:

I saw the Chippendales show!!
Me and the boys. Aren't they wonderful sports?
 The venue was at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas. What a group of talented men - they can sing, they can dance, they can make taking off a pair of gloves incredibly sexy.

I asked their dance captain if  I could interview him. Of course, the Chippendales are an internationally renowned dance troupe, and I'm a romance writer, but I really want to know their opinions on a number of subjects. Here are the questions I came up with before (and after) the show.

1. Chippendales has been at the forefront of women's sexual liberation since 1979. How have the shows and the fantasies changed? What remains the same?

2. What three pieces of advice would you give to men to be more confident in their sexuality?

3. Quite frankly, the men of Chippendales know how to work in front of a camera. Can you share the secrets of how to pose??

Monday, June 30, 2014

Ten people I'd like to buy lunch for before I die

Aren't they the coolest couple ever?

Writers love writing games. They keep your brain fresh, fun, and stimulated. The other day, I played the 10 People I'd Like to buy Lunch for Before I Die.

I also learned that if you write down what you want to do, you are 42% more likely to actually do it.

I want to pick his writer's brain.



Therefore! Here are my 10 People.
  1. President and First Lady Obama
  2.  Kenneth Branagh, writer, actor, director, producer
  3. Pam Grier, actress
  4. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, author of Women Who Run with the Wolves
  5. Gala Darling, blogger, Radical Self Love guru
  6. Andy Serkis, actor, known for his motion capture work
  7. Fran Walsh, co-writer and producer of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit movies
  8. Robert Shaye, the founder of New Line Cinema
  9. Mel Brooks, comedian, actor, director
  10. Gloria Steinem, activist, feminist
So, hey, you awesome people! Let me know if I can buy you a yummy lunch! I promise we will have a fun conversation. :)
    Why is she NOT in every movie ever made??


Robert Shaye

Clarissa Pinkola Estes

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Pleasure of Food: Pineapple!

With the arrival of summer to the Pacific Northwest, it is time to indulge in sweet, delicious fruit.

What better summer fruit than the yummy but hard-to-get-at pineapple? The Flaming Chef, The Charming Man, and I made this video so you can enjoy fresh pineapple on a lovely day.
Enjoy your food!

If you enjoyed this, please join us over at YouTube for more Pleasure of Food!

Friday, June 13, 2014

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Mmmm, food: Part Three

Almost done with that duck and duck-fat fried potatoes!

Link

Ready to cook yet?