Sunday Book Video ~ Shut Up And Kiss Me By Mysti Holiday

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?

Available here!

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News!!!!

Okay, I've been about ready to climb right out of my skin, wanting to announce this, but I had to wait until it was official. My latest Wilder Roses submission, currently titled "Blue Light Special" HAS BEEN CONTRACTED!!!!

YAY!!!!!!!

Not that I'm excited or anything.

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In other news, I'm in the middle of a virtual for my release of "Shut Up and Kiss Me". If you've missed the first stops, you should swing by and catch up. I talked about dares, including a list I once made of public places I wanted to get naked with someone in, and why writing sex is harder than having sex as well as several clever interviews.

Even better -- I'm giving away a Wilder Roses gift certificate you can use to buy my story (or someone else's in case you already have mine *G*) to one person who leaves a comment during my tour. All my stops are listed below:

May 24: Whipped Cream Reviews Guest Blog
May 25: Wendi Zwaduk
May 26: Simply Sexy Stories
May 27: Amber Scott Project
May 28: Amber Skyze
May 31: Romance With an Attitude
June 1: Chris Redding Author
June 2: Jacqueline Paige
June 3: You Gotta Read Guest
June 4: Book Junkie
June 16: Happily Ever After

So come on by and visit. I hate to be lonely...

Rambling...

A quick note about some awesome news: "Shut Up and Kiss Me" earned its first review and it was pretty darn good!

Got Erotic Reviews gave it 4 Diamonds and said, in part: The characters won me over early on and I found the internal and external conflicts believable. Plus there was the added bonus of some nice, hot sex while the characters struggled with their needs and their feelings.

In other not really newsworthy news, I'm finding it difficult to maintain any one train of thought lately. I'm bouncing between the release of "Shut Up and Kiss Me" (TOMORROW!!!!), completing interviews and guest blog posts for my virtual tour, editing one completed short, writing a new story and just day to day living.

More than once I've been in the middle of something, stopped and then wondered: What was I just doing?

Or stood and walked into another room and completely forgotten what I wanted to do in there.

The days are speeding by (how can it already be MAY?) and I don't know what it is that I do all day to keep busy, but I am certainly busy and the hours pass in a blur.

I'm thinking I need a set schedule. What do you think? Anyone else have this problem? If so, what do you do about it?

One Week!!

It's only one more week before "Shut Up & Kiss Me" releases. How did the time fly by so quickly? If you're interested in finding out more about the story, you can look here.

I have to admit to being more nervous than excited right now. I know that the story has gone out to reviews sites, and I'm terrified folks will read it and say, "THAT REALLY SUCKS! HOW DID SHE EVER GET PUBLISHED?"

I'm not the only author who feels that way, right?

In any case, I'm rather trying to forget about all that and just keep writing new stuff ... hoping it will keep my mind off of my debut erotic romance offering.

What about you? How do you feel when you have a release? Excited? Nervous? Both? And what do you do to stop yourself from worrying about how it will be received?

Thursday Thirteen: Promotion

Click on the banner to find more Thursday Thirteen participants!

I admit it...since "Shut Up & Kiss Me" releases in TWO WEEKS (!!), I have promotion on the brain. So today, I'm blogging about thirteen ways I'm going to promote my upcoming release for "Shut Up & Kiss Me".

1. A virtual tour with Goddess Fish Promotions.

2. My awesome book video!

3. An interview at Whipped Cream Reviews in June.

4. Visiting promotional loops and chatting about it.

5. A contest on our website (still forthcoming).

6. Banner ads on various romance sites.

7. Visiting on friend's blogs and having guest posts (anyone want me to come visit?)

8. Talking ad nauseum about it here, because I'm a little excited!

9. Bookmarks and other promo items to offer in giveaway bags, etc.

10. Sending out a press release.

11. Posting excerpts at various excerpt only blogs.

12. Writing and publishing MORE stories -- because that's always good for your backlist!

13. Begging shamelessly for help from my bloggy friends to share the news. (*G*)

What do you do for promotion? I'd love any advice!

Why do you comment?

I find myself fascinated by the fact that we have more than 80 followers, and seldom get comments on our posts. Kealie, Megan, Jenny and I have talked about it and haven't been able to come up with an answer.

So... you -- yeah, you -- what makes you leave a comment? Do you answer questions when we ask them? Is it the hotties? When we're silly, or serious, or brief and loquacious?

Why do you comment?

Does a post need to stir you? Make you laugh? Cry? Think?

We ladies at the menagerie would really like to know.

And... in closing, and because I can't keep in my excitement, I have to share my book video for my soon to be released, "Shut Up & Kiss Me". What do you think?

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.

Almost There!

I signed off on the galley for "Shut Up & Kiss Me" yesterday... finally!! This has been a long trip for me, of writing and submitting my first erotic romance, to being contracted by an editor who believed in me -- even though the story needed some work. We edited and edited and edited... almost 6000 words were added to it for clarity and description.

It's been an amazing journey.

So now, I wait to get a release date. In the meantime, I'm working on requested changes and additions to "Blue Light Special" to see if it will be the next story I get to make this journey on.

Good thing I like to travel *G*.

What was your first contracted story? And did you feel like you were on an incredibly steep learning curve? How did it feel to see your name on the cover?

Come on... share your journey with us.

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One Step Closer!!

Woo Hoo!!!

Got my galley for "Shut Up & Kiss Me" and started going through it with a fine-toothed comb for typos and formatting errors, etc. Finally, FINALLY I feel like it might actually get published.

Now I have to think "promotion" ... dear heavens.

And, I already have this huge, heavy pit in my gut thinking about people actually READING the story and praying they like it. GAH. It's almost more nauseating than when I initially submitted the thing, and that was pretty dang bad.

Trying to think positive ... but prepare for the negative. Sounds like a plan, right?

How about you? Have any of you gotten any "not-so-good" reviews on your published works? If so, how did you handle it? Give this erotic romance newbie some advice, please...

In the meantime, I'll be finishing up my galley and sending it back to my wonderful editor.

And trying not to vomit.

Writing Sex

I'm still ass-deep in edits -- I've been working like a dog and am only about halfway through them. Considering this is my third round, it shouldn't be this hard.

But it is.

The amazing thing? I've added in the neighborhood of 6000 words to this story since I sent it in. Since I'm adding, and not subtracting, is that reverse edits?

LOL....

The good news for potential readers is that the additions are pretty much regarding sex. Lots of sex. More description, stronger verbs, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-i-n-g out the scenes and wringing them for every last bit of heat. And, this is actually what the edits have been for, all three times. It's a challenge to walk through these most intimate acts in slow motion, describing not just what is happening, but how everything feels, tastes, smells, sounds.



It's been an amazing learning experience. And, I just want to say that anyone who thinks writing sex is easy needs to think again. I told Kealie a couple of days ago that my next story is going to be a sweet romance! *G*

What do you think? Is it easier to write lots of sex, or none? And, after you've written erotic romance, can you go back to writing sweet?

More: What are YOUR edits for, mostly? Any hints on getting through them without a massive headache when you're done?

Neverending Edits

I got what I hope are my final edits for "Shut Up and Kiss Me" in my inbox two days ago. It was both exciting to get them and discouraging.

I feel as though I've worked that story to death and I'm a little sick of it, lol. Think about it -- how many times do we touch a story before it's published?

I write the first draft. Send to my crit partners. Get suggestions and edit. Send again. Make more edits. Submit to publisher (and then feel like vomiting). Get contract and edits. Do edits and send back. Get more edits. Do them. Get MORE edits.



*sigh*

And so it goes. I try to remember that I'm so grateful for the opportunity to publish my story, and edits are part and parcel of that (and I love my editor, I really do -- she's going to make the story so much stronger!), but there are days I don't think I can face it again.

Regardless, I'll be working my rear off on those edits and hope that they will be done, done, done this time! Wish me luck.

How do YOU feel about editing?

Editing, Writing and Submitting, OH MY!

Just got another round of edits on "Shut Up & Kiss Me" -- hopefully these are the last "real" edits... the next should just be typos, etc, and then we can get an official release date. I'm starting to set up the promo stuff as best I can without a release date. I'm having banners, a book video and a virtual tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions (want to host me? *G*), and am also working out outside interviews and what-not. I suspect I'm going to be exhausted by the time it's all said and done.

Anyone have any thoughts or secrets on promoting they want to share?

In other news, I finished and submitted another short story to my very patient editor (Lori LeBonde) at WRP, currently called "Blue Light Special". Hopefully I learned something from all the editing I did on "Shut Up & Kiss Me" and this story won't need quite as much work!

I'm also working on redoing another WIP to fit the "two rose" guidelines for WRP, because I was challenged by my editor to give it a go. *gulp* Wish me luck! Any tips on writing light bondage or menage scenes? I'll take anything you have.

Have a great rest of the week :-)

MIA

ACK!! Despite email reminders to myself, I keep forgetting to blog on Thursdays. Kealie's going to disown me.

I've been absurdly busy (though I'm sure every single person reading this could say the same thing), and got my second round of edits back for "Shut Up and Kiss Me" a couple of days ago. It's exciting to be one step closer to getting a release date, though I have to admit to wishing Kealie was along for the ride with me, since she's the reason I wrote the story in the first place (we challenged each other to write a complete short story of at least 7500 words in 24 hours), but she'll get there. I've read her stuff... she's going to make some publisher somewhere very happy.

In any case, I've also been working on a second story and it's nearly done as well. The best part is, I think (I hope!!) I've learned quite a bit from the edits that I've gotten on SUaKM (hey, that's a cool acronym) so that I won't have to have quite so many edits on this one. Guess we'll see. I was shooting to get it submitted in the next couple of weeks, but now that I got the other edits back, it may have to go to the back burner.

I sure wish I had about five hours more every day, though I'm betting if I did, I'd fill them up, too. I'm not a person who relaxes very easily -- I like to be busy, busy (which is a good thing, considering my crazy life).

Also, I'm on Facebook, but I can't figure out how to share the link, but if you search by name (Mysti Holiday), you'll find me!!

Have a great night :-)

In an Editing Haze

I <3 My Editor

Does it amaze you, despite having gone over a story a thousand times, and having your writing friends do the same, the number of errors and editing suggestions that come from your editor after contracting?

I'm so pleased with my editor for "Shut Up and Kiss Me". She's fun and astute and, as I look through her suggestions, she's challenging me to be a better writer. Isn't that fantastic?

I remember reading some of the old categories from Nora Roberts -- some I enjoyed (like the MacGregors) and some, not so much (but won't name them ... I don't do snark), but one thing I noticed as a reader who had started with her newer stuff and worked backward was how much better her writing got as she continued publishing. I don't know if I would have noticed so much if I hadn't read the newer stuff first and then found her older work lacking.

I'm sure some of that came with experience, but I wonder how much of it came from working with stellar editors?

So, Lori, if you're reading this. Thanks :-)

And, those of you who are published: did you love your editors? Do you think they strengthened your writing? Did you learn anything new from them?

Now... off to do more of the edits she's given me.

A Tale of Two Covers

First ... Cover #1: Kealie has a free erotic short story up on Whipped Cream called "The Wish Jar". Just click on the cover below to go read it!!



Second... Cover #2: I GOT MY COVER!!!!!!! Woot! This week, I received my cover and my first round edits. It was a banner week for me.

So... what do you think? (Kealie thinks the guy is hot... said she wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers! *G*):



I can NOT wait for the story to be available.

How did you feel the first time you had something published? The first time you saw your first cover?

We Have a Winner...

Who knew so much goes into naming a story? Sheesh....

So, after a month (I can't believe it took that long!!) of brainstorming titles with my editor, we finally have a winner for my newly contracted story (formerly known as "Love Your Enemy").

::::drum roll::::



It will be called: "Shut Up and Kiss Me".

What drama. What an ordeal. I don't ever want to do that again. Well, until the next contract.

*G*

What about you? Do titles impact your decision to by a story?