To Pants or not to Pants... what the heck is it?

I was asked the other day if I was a pantser or a plotter. After crooking a brow at the asker, I casually mentioned that I had leather pants on, so I'd say I was a pantser--even if I prefer my CB's out of their pants.

The asker's eyes widened to the size of saucers and her mouth plopped open.

Now that's when my good friend Kealie stepped in and murmured in my ear that the person wanted to know if I plotted out my stories or wrote by the seat of my pants.

Oh.

Well, I replied, that's not nearly as fun as my version.

So, I guess that means I need to answer the question.

Pantser.

Really, do I look like the type that plans a whole lot of anything out? No, I like to just let the characters decide where things will go (literally) and then let things play themselves out. And yes, things can go awry or totally awesome if you take this method. Then again, things can get out of hand and end up like crap, too.

I did try to plot a story once. And then when I sat down to pen it, everything ended up skewed, so I decided what I'd plotted was a waste of time other than I knew my characters pretty well.

But I yammer and digress and need to get back to the boys. They'll go to bed soon and are restless.

Ta ta!

Happy Dancing!!!

I finally have a release date for "Shut Up & Kiss Me" -- this story will be available from The Wild Rose Press, Wilder Roses on May 21st!

YAY!!!!!!!!!

Now that I have a date, I've started setting up some promotion. I'm working on getting some interviews out there, a couple of guest blogs and I've arranged to do a mini Virtual Tour with Goddess Fish Promotions.



I'm also having them make a book video for me which I hope will be ready soon.

:::shivers with excitement:::

If anyone would like to have me come visit their blog, I'd sure love the chance. Email me? I'm at mystiholiday AT gmail DOT com

And, who has more ideas about promotions? I'm open to suggestions.

In the meantime, would you mind if I shared a little bit of the story with you?



Here's the blurb:

Kasey Davenport and Cole Roberts—adversaries since junior high when Cole did nothing but pull her hair, snap her bra strap, and tease her mercilessly—find themselves unexpectedly thrown together when Kasey is in town on a layover. As always, sparks fly between them, but this time the attraction simmering close to the surface explodes into a passion neither of them expected or wanted.

After years of mutual avoidance and denying their attraction, can Kasey and Cole stop arguing long enough to discover if what they feel will last more than just one night?

And a excerpt to tantalize...

“Look,” he said. “You can stay. I’m on call this week anyway and working a million hours. I probably won’t be around much.”

“Still working for the nuthouse?” she taunted.

“The psychiatric hospital, yes. I’m nearly done with my residency.”

“Ooh...then you’ll officially be Dr. Jerk.” She got to her feet, and tipped her head back to see his face. She was normally at least eye level to a man, but Cole had more than his fair share of inches. She wondered if he had more than his fair share of inches somewhere else, too. Her tongue darted out to moisten her suddenly dry lips and her gaze slipped down to his zipper.

“You’re going to want to stop doing that, Kase.” Cole’s voice rumbled low in his throat.

“Doing what, Cole?” She was less than a foot from the man and her fingers itched to grab hold of him and yank that body against hers—a desire she’d had since she found out just how much fun a man’s cock could be. Maybe even before then.

“Looking like you’re ready to have me for dinner.”

His hands squeezed into tight fists at his side, and she was amazed to find quite a bulge in the front of his jeans. For her? He’d never shown the slightest bit of interest before, but there was no mistaking his interest now. Maybe it was time to dance with the devil.

“Mmm...now that you mention it, I am hungry.” A slow smile lifted the corners of her mouth and she raised her gaze from his crotch to his eyes—brown eyes so intense they nearly pierced a hole straight through to her heart. There was no denying her desire, or his. “Care to feed me?”

Hope you enjoy Kasey and Cole as much as I do.

Happy Hump Day!

Author Interview ~ Honoria Ravena

Hey, all, it’s great to see ya… :-D Glad you could join us today here at The Menagerie. We have on our couch author Honoria Ravena, let’s all make her feel welcome.

Welcome, Honoria! So glad you could join us today. Make yourself comfy, but one (or two) of the Cabana Boys for a drink, and let’s get started. Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?

Actually, I caught up with a friend from high school in my US History class. She wants to be a paranormal romance writer, so I offered to critique her work. She's very good, and doesn't make a lot of the mistakes that newbie writers make. And the small portion of her manuscript I critiqued left me wanting more. I hope to see her books on shelves some day.

Awesome, you’ll have to let us know her name when it happens. Do you see writing as a career?

Definitely. My goal is to be able to support myself as a full time author. Lol, at the moment I'm basically a full time author, but I'm far from supporting myself.

LOL, I think we all have that goal, in one way or another. How long does it take you to write a book?

About six months, I'm very slow, especially since I'm going to school. I only take two classes, but it puts me in such a foul mood that I have trouble writing. I love to learn, but not in a school environment.

LOL, school can put most people in a pretty foul mood. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I read and watch TV. I love to shop. Clothes, shoes, and electronics. I really want a new cell phone. Though I don't know why, it’s not as if anyone calls me. I don't text message and I imagine all the extra games and such on phones cost money. That's just not something me or my mother are willing to pay for.

Not many of us are. What do you think makes a good story?

A high action plot. If nothing interesting is happening I'll put a book down, and promise myself I'll finish it, but then I never will.

I’ve found myself doing that a lot lately, lol. And now for the “absolutely-nothing-to-do-with-writing” questions: What animal do you think makes the best pet and why?

Cats. I'm a cat person. I don't really like dogs. They're too loud, and they jump, and nip, and follow you around. I want an animal that will ignore me once in a while. But I don't hate dogs. My mother is a dog breeder, so we have puppies here all the time, and any baby thing is cute. And I've always wanted a Siberian Husky, or Alaskan Malamute, but its kind of cruel to have one in the Texas heat.

What is your strangest habit?

Lol, I actually have quite a few. In another interview I mentioned that I wear my socks inside out. Well my food also can't touch on my plate. For example, on a turkey dinner, the turkey can touch the stuffing, but the stuffing can't touch the mashed potatoes, and the mashed potatoes can't touch the turkey. My father says "Who cares? It's all going to the same place." and my aunt says "They have medication for that."

LOL, I completely understand the no food touching thing… my hubby says the same thing as your father. It drives my foodie aunt up the wall when I won’t eat something she prepared the way she prepares it cuz I don’t want my food to touch… See, you’re not alone. What were you doing at midnight last night?

Tossing and turning, trying to sleep. It takes me anywhere from an hour to two and a half hours to get to sleep. It doesn't matter how much physical activity I had that day, or if I've been on for 24 hours straight, it will still take me at least an hour to get the sleep. And usually, the more tired I am, the longer it takes.

Yup, know all about that too. :-D Good thing I don’t mind being a night owl. What is your favorite animal?

I love big cats. Mainly tigers and mountain lions. And just so you know, if you ever research mountain lions use that term. If you type in 'cougars' you get older women looking for younger men, and if you type in 'puma' you get shoes. Sometimes researching on the internet is not a joy.

ROTFL, yeah, it’s interesting what things you will see when you punch in a seemingly innocent search term… What is your favorite pizza?

Pizza with eggplant. You can't get it down here. I had it when I was on Spring Break in Connecticut. But that was years ago, and I'm dying for some. So if anyone is willing to ship pizza to Texas, I'll tell them where to send it.

LOL, sorry, I’m nowhere close to Connecticut. Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke? If so, which do you prefer?

Yep. I like Pepsi. It's sweeter. Coke is kind of sour, and leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

And that’s the end of our interview. Thank you so much, Honoria, for coming to hang out with us today. It’s been fun. Feel free to hang out and enjoy the scenery… :-D.

You can keep up with Honoria at her website: http://honoriaravena.com/ .

Biohazard by Honoria Ravena

Hunted by his people, the shapeshifter, Jayden, sheds his human skin after escaping his execution. 200 years later he’s still on the run. When he’s attacked in the remote woods in Wyoming, the last thing he expects is to be saved by a human woman.

When Maura finds a rough looking group of men hunting a tiger in her forest, she doesn’t hesitate to pull a gun on them and release the animal. What she doesn’t expect is for that frightening cat to change into a gorgeous, surly man with a tortured past.

But when his people threaten her life, will he save her, or leave her to the wolves?

Happy Easter

What a Week...

I knew I had to write a post for today, but I had no idea what to write about.

So I thought and thought, and borrowed my CB's for a while...

I was then tired and still not sure what the heck to write about.

I settled on this: waiting. Yessir. You can probably tell, I hate to wait. I'm a princess kinda girl. Not to the point of putting people off, but I know what I want and how I want it... and when I want it. Kealie told me about having to wait for a response on her Cowboy. If it were me, I'd be in knots and clawing at the furniture...well, not in that way, but in that way. I mean, if they want the thing, why can't it just happen?

Because we have to...grrr....wait.

But in other news, I also sent my most recent bdsm story to my critique partners. It's my first and only first person story and it's not long, so we'll see what happens. I hope they like it and see the romance in the hot and heavy.

He he he he...

Oh, I saw him on Lucy Monroe's blog and thought maybe Mysti would like him as a present. What do you think? His name is Miguel.


And now back to my boys.

Special Guest Interview: Genella deGrey

Give a warm Menagerie welcome to author Genella deGrey, who was brave enough to take a turn on the Menagerie couch, in conjunction with the Goddess Fish Promotions virtual tour for her latest release, "Love Divine"!

You can find a listing of all her tour stops here, and remember -- Genella will be giving away a PDF of Love Divine  to one randomly drawn commenter, so let her know you were here!!



Now, we turn the couch over to Genella...


Genella, when and why did you begin writing?

I wish I had a definitive answer for you :) – I've been fooling around with writing stories since about high school, then picked it up again in late 1995. I seriously set out to get published in 2003. The why is even fuzzier. LOL I guess subconsciously I figured I was amusing myself with my stories, perhaps it was time to try and entertain someone else.

Obviously that wasn't the case, since your publisher enjoyed your book!! If you had to choose, which published author would you want to be your mentor?

Aside from all the wonderful authors already standing by me with their undying support, I'd really love to be in contact with Jude Deveraux. I cut my romance reading teeth on her historicals. A few years ago, I had the privilege of meeting Judith McNaught, who is also one of my early, super-favorite authors. :)

HEY.. they were two of my favorite authors when I was growing up, too!

So... we know "Love Divine" is your current release. What are your current projects?

I have an historical erotic romance coming out in June called, "Unmasked" which I'm really excited about. It takes place in very early Regency (1795) and features two heroes and two heroines. :) Right now I'm working on a sexy Victorian romance I call "Cat and Mouse" (but that's only a working title) about a feisty heroine who is forced to turn to thievery to survive. However, the poor girl isn't exactly proficient. LOL I also have a few sexy historicals in the queue awaiting to be given the green light from my publisher at Resplendence.

It seems as though the authors have to answer all the questions. Why don't we turn the tables? Do you have questions you’d like to ask your readers?

What would you like to see more of in the hero category? It seems us gals love the great hair, a devilish smile with the killer dimples—and of course, the tall. Broad shouldered guys – but is there anything you haven't seen and would like to?

Great question! I hope you get some clever answers.

What is your work schedule like when you're writing?

Well, because I have a 9 to 5, it's rather sporadic. I work against both that ever-present word count and the clock. ;) Any time I can type in a few words, I do it. If I'm somewhere a computer isn't, I jot down thoughts on what ever will accept ink.

Sounds familiar. I'm sure most of our readers could sympathize with you. Besides your EDJ, what do you like to do when you're not writing?

Usually I watch movies. But when I really need to get out, I go see a live jazz or swing band. If I'm lucky, the venue will have a dance floor and a few guys who know how to lead. :)

And now it’s time for our “absolutely-nothing-to-do-with-writing” questions:

What animal do you think makes the best pet and why?

I grew up with Dalmatians, exotic birds—I even had a rat and a hamster. So you know I love animals, but right now I have enough on my hands taking care of my five year-old. ;)

What is your strangest habit?

I have plenty of habits, but I'm not sure if they would be considered strange or not. One that I know of that isn't usually practiced is my infatuation with the paranormal. Not vampires and were-creatures, LOL, but the spirit world.

What’s a saying you use a lot?

What a fun question! Well, a few come to mind: "That's all, brother!" From my grandmother. "Well, bye." A quote from the movie, Tombstone. And there is always, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! (That's WTF, BTW. LOL)

Have you ever cried during a movie? If yes, which one and why?

I am the sappiest person I know. My feminine emotions hover close to the surface on a regular basis, not just PMS time. LOL The very worst movie for me was "City of Angels." I think I cried from the first scene of that film through the credits. I've seen the movie twice, and it was the same the second time. It just touched me on so many levels.

What is one thing scientists should invent?

A cure for cancer would be nice. And although I'd love to travel through time, I think history classes would not be able to catch up with the changes that would occur. ;)

If you could wish for anything, what would you wish for?

I'd wish for the hatred between humans and religions would stop. I feel that there will never be peace on this earth unless we learn to co-exist and treat each other with respect. Common courtesy really isn't that difficult a concept and we need to teach it to our children from the very beginning. If I may quote Elvis Costello: "What's so funny about peace, love and understanding?"

Thanks, Genella!

Now, let's learn a bit about your book.

In the Highlands of Britannia, 420 A.D., Aslyn, was raised a Druid by her late mother.

Now Rome has returned, but in place of a legion of solders, a single man peddles a new Roman god.

Ryus Jorian was sent on a mission for the new religion. But instead of a cave of barbaric souls in need of saving, he finds an intelligent, beautiful, hedonistic distraction whom his Bishop finds equally delectable.

Ryus must choose between the salvation of his soul and the woman he loves.

Aslyn must escape before she becomes the Bishop’s newest sacrificial lamb.

An Excerpt:

Reaching up to entwine her arms around his neck, Aslyn’s heart raced when his mouth softly coaxed her lips part. She nearly toppled over when he groaned as her tongue touched his. The wood post which bordered the stable separated their bodies, and Aslyn longed to be rid of the thing.

Suddenly remembering that anyone who had a view of the stable could see them, she broke out of the kiss.

“We shouldn’t be—”

“I know, I’m sorry.”

Aslyn glanced over her shoulder and back up to Ryus. No one was about, but that could change at any moment. Her breath came out in a huff that may have been part laughter. “Let me finish. We shouldn’t be doing this here.”

She saw his eyes light up like flames. “Then where?”

“Come to me after sundown,” she whispered, unable to believe the words actually came out of her mouth. Oh, she was thinking them, but once they passed over her lips, the bones were cast. He would be leaving soon, and it would be good for her to take a few more memories with her to her grave.

Without another word, Aslyn pushed away from the stable fence and headed straight for her lodging.

She paced in her room and wrung her hands, the same way in she did just before she met Ryus in the ancient grove of Ardwinna.

Aslyn almost yelped when he came bursting through her front door.

“You have more faith in me than I do if you think I can wait until sundown.”