Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Sean Casey, Trace Adkins and Me

This blog originally appeared on Decadent Publishing 1 Night Stand site in August. If you haven't seen it, hope you enjoy it! And to find out more about Deanna Wadsworth and my project for 1 Night Stand, check out Carrie Ryan's blog, Monday, Sept. 12th --a chance to win FREE books as well!
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What in the hell would those three things have in common this 1 Night Stand story which is on sale now?!

Well, it all goes to the process of how I write. I 'see' a character and I start writing about 'them.' I usually have NO idea what the women look like, but the men, well, no problem there. Now, granted my idea of a good lookin' dude might be completely different from someone else's. My mother once said about my being 'hooked' on some movie star, 'You have all your taste in your mouth.' Oh, well, to each his own and beauty IS in the eye of the beholder.

  But, back to Sean Casey. I just think he's cute as a button in a older athletic-guy way. Helps that he's a strappin' 6'4" and, at one time, played a mean first base. I needed an unassuming, all-American type for my hero and he just fit the bill. (I will ignore his one flaw- he hasn't returned my Tweets!)
 
Trace Adkins, on the other hand - well, you can blame that on Deanna Wadsworth - she got me into this whole 1 Night Stand thing, to the tune of THREE stories! Yes, there will be more (granted the Gods of Submissions look kindly on us) because to find out what happens to her massive bear-of-a-character, pseudo-Trace-Adkins look-a-like from Bear It All you'll just have to read The One He Chose! 


Then to find out what happens to my Sean Casey-esque character, well, who knows what Deanna will call her next 1NS story!


It's been a hoot working on this story. To be honest, I feel closer to them than I do/did with my characters in Respite. Don't know why that is, but maybe it's a 'writer thing.'


Anyway, The One He Chose has made people cry. I quote Valerie Mann (submissions editor), 'I read this and couldn't find one stinkin' Kleenex in the whole house and had to resort to toilet paper. You are scum for making me cry.' Best acceptance email ever!

The trailer has been well received as well. 'It gave me goosebumps,' one comment read.

I'm thrilled to find out what you think of it! There's an excerpt below.


Happy reading! 

 
“Grace.” The deep voice worked its way into her consciousness.
She sighed in her haziness and clutched the imaginary hand resting on her tummy. Whoever or whatever held her carried a familiar scent, one that elicited trust and caring.
Out on the porch, the mountain air had chilled. Despite the comfort of the presence around her, her body responded with a shiver.
A hand slipped into the lace triangle of her thong, caressing the area between navel and Nirvana.
Definitely not a dream.
She blinked, slowly coming to life. The frightened tone of her inquiry shocked even her “Who are you?”
“Relax.” His lips lovingly met her shoulder. “Ben sent me.”
He didn’t seem to have any malicious intent—well, at least not at the moment. And Madame Eve wouldn’t allow something hurtful to happen.
“What do you…?” The hand cupped her waxed-for-the-occasion pubic area. His callused digits followed a natural path. It’d been so long since someone had touched her in this manner, nearly two years. She didn’t blame Ben for the extended dry spell, only the disease which had dampened his interest and stamina.
 “I want you to relax and let me make love to you. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
So, this is how this Madame Eve stuff works.
With little thought, she relented to her physical loneliness. She closed her eyes and shoved the lace below her hips. The stranger assisted until her legs were completely bare. “Yes, please.”
He was strong, agile, and wonderfully gentle.
A warm, sincere, somewhat familiar voice tickled her ear. “Grace.”
She leaned into him, wanting to sigh in happy relief and cry in terrible sadness. His arms about her, she slowly turned into his embrace. She closed her eyes, waiting for the initial kiss.
Then, it came, gentle yet deep and although he was a stranger, she felt a profound connection, a silent conversation. She raised her hand to touch his cheek in encouragement. Blinking in the darkness, desperately wanting to see her soon-to-be lover, her eyes finally focused and the world came to an abrupt halt.




Wendy is a displaced Cheesehead, proud to have been born and bred in Wisconsin. She was a migrant worker for years in the radio business, until she landed in Ohio and refused to leave. When she isn’t writing for pleasure and publication, she is a TV newsroom assignment manager.She shares her clean, yet perpetually dusty, house with her chef husband and two spoiled rotten cats.  Decadent Publishing has been a godsend for her as she can finally stop talking to the people in her head and allow them to speak for themselves!
Find her on Facebook (Wendy Burke Author), Twitter @WendyBurke1994 or send her a nasty email: wendyburke1994@bex.net 




Tuesday, August 2, 2011

A Bit 'Spicy,' but....

...sometimes you just have to 'go there.'

If you object to stepping over the 'moral' line of what is 'acceptable,' you may want to stop reading now, because ---yes--I am going to push my pal, Deanna Wadsworth's latest story, Bear It All. (and, 'bear' is used properly in the title.)

DW and I became fast friends when we ran into each other (nearly physically) at a Maumee Valley Romance Writers of America meeting. At the time we both wondered what the HELL we were doing there! But, since we both had 'people running around in our heads,' we were obviously destined to be friends. 

The people in her head, however, are a bit wilder than mine! She writes erotica...m/m erotica. And yes, I too had to ask - 'What is m/m?' Well, that would be man on man. Fill in the blanks yourself!

But, she writes m/m so well! Really!  She keeps telling me to 'come to the dark side,' and maybe some day, I might just venture there, because she certainly is selling books! (I would have to change my name again, but...)


There is another reason for mentioning Bear It All. Along with it being released on my birthday, (purely coincidence) it's also the first story in a short series DW and I are writing together. Read BIA, then my latest The One He Chose (release date August 9th) and you'll find out what happens with John and Travis in BIA.(See the woman on the cover here, well she is John's sister.)

So, whether it's m/m, m/f, m/m/f, s/D or whatever - everyone deserves a HEA or HFN. Hope you will find that with our characters in all of our stories!

(BTW...by the way...HEA=Happy Ever After and HFN=Happy For Now.) 

Happy Reading! 
Wen

Bear It All is available now. The One He Chose on sale August 9th.
Check out all of DW's titles at Decadent Publishing - and mine (well the one!) is there too!

See the trailer here!


When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy is a TV newsroom assignment manager. She lives with her chef husband and two furry feline children in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest. You can find her on FACEBOOK,Twitter @WendyBurke1994, and lurking about the internet!


Saturday, July 16, 2011

What's really important?

 I know I've been absent for more than a month now. Well, I was a bit busy. Doing what? Well, finding out what's really important.

And, what really IS important can be summed up by this photo: my brother Denny and me circa 1965. As you can tell, he's a bit older than I am, which made for some interesting interactions growing up. I stayed with him for more than a week in June as he's again battling another serious health problem. Yep...that's what's really important...family.

Even more important than getting books written, edited and published. More important than any steady employment. It's a wonderfully-accepted duty and the ultimate honor to help him in any way I can. He's my biggest fan, not of my writing, but of just plain-ole me. Which is the highest compliment.

So, that's where I've been, zipping six hours over turnpikes and interstates to and from where I live, to my hometown where he lives. Even though his couch is lumpy (and always has been!) and I have limited access to Internet (which makes me feel a bit closed in), the important things are getting done - he is getting better, and I've been spending some busy, paper-work entrenched time with him. And, you know what? I actually enjoy climbing over those little bumps in the road with him...it makes us both stronger, and it's what's really important.

At the same time, I can't neglect this 'side-profession' I have.

I don't concern myself with book sales, as to be honest, I don't know what they've tallied! It's said you have to 'spend money to make money.' In my situation, that means GIVE STUFF AWAY. Which I am, Tuesday, 7/19 at Deanna Wadsworth's blogspot and Saturday, 7/23 at The Romance Studio. Go to either site and register to win a copy of my first release, RESPITE, from me and Decadent Publishing. The low spots as of late, have been lessened by some great reviews!

And, what's next? Well, working on the next story for DP. A short, 1 Night Stand series work titled, The One He Chose. Keeping my fingers cross for an August release date.  Dara England of Decadent Publishing again hit the mark with this beautiful cover.

So, that's what I've been doing - finding out what's really important. Those 'dark days' can be harried and stressful, but if you sit back, relax and let 'nature take its course,' you will find those nuggets of peace, joy and happiness in the midst of the chaos.

I know...because I have.

Thanks for reading!
 Wen



When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy is a TV newsroom assignment manager. She lives with her chef husband and two furry feline children in the Great Lakes region of the Midwest. You can find her on FACEBOOK, Twitter @WendyBurke1994, at her local writers' website and lurking about the internet.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Respite's First Review


Well, Respite has been out about three weeks. Review copies were sent out a few days prior to its release on May 20th. I didn't know what to expect.

I'm not a pessimist, but a realist. There would be people who didn't care for the story, or decided to pick apart the most mundane infractions.

But, SURPRISE - no such thing. It's hard to believe...and some would say 'why'?...but my first review got a 4.5 out of 5 stars from Manic Readers, a review site. Click on the link and you can read the review.

Thanks Manic Readers for a hearty pat on the back the first time out of the box!

I'm hoping they'll like what I'm currently working on- The One He Chose.  More importantly, I'm hoping YOU will like The One He Chose!

And, THANKS Decadent Publishing for the support and the opportunity!

Monday, May 30, 2011

What can I say?

The cover is gorgeous! Thanks Dara England!
The One He Chose-coming soon from Decadent Publishing - 1 Night Stand.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

Moving right along...


Sean Casey
It's hard to believe that a week after RESPITE's release, I have the first mock up for cover art for my next story with Decadent Publishing. (Yes, that would also be a blatant plug for a possible book purchase!)
 
The One He Chose is a DP 1 Night Stand story, as I mentioned in my last blog. And, because I have this 'thing' for baseball players, the main male character looks like Sean Casey, as you know.  As soon as the cover art is complete, yep - I'll share it with you ASAP.
Brad Ausmus

The whole baseball-player thing with me just can't be helped. If I haven't mentioned it before, the first 'book' I ever really wrote was/is A) WAAAY too long, some 300,000 words and B) the main character was/is a baseball player who just happened to look like former Detroit Tiger/Houston Astro/San Diego Padre Brad Ausmus. The odd thing about this situation is, the photo of Brad Ausmus seen here was taken by me in the lobby of the Cincinnati Westin Hotel- and still I had to Google search for it and find it on some other! website!  (Just to clear the air here - I am a patron NOT a stalker!)

What can I say, I have a thing for athletic heroes!

Anyway, another reason for today's blog is to direct you to yet another blog for Monday, May 30th. I'm musing over at the Maumee Valley Romance Writers blogsite. A little insight on the impetus of RESPITE. Memorial Day holds special meaning to me.

So, Happy Memorial Day. Happy 'First' Day of Summer Attitude!
Wen


Wendy Burke can be found on Facebook – Wendy Burke Author, the Maumee Valley Romance Writers of America blogsite, TWITTER @WendyBurke1994 and of course, at Decadent Publishing. When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy has a fine life with a chef husband (YES – no cooking!) and two furry feline kids and a full-time job that keeps her from writing fulltime in ‘beautiful’ Toledo, Ohio.   Oh, yea - and she has a book out as well!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

News and blogs and blogs...

Howdy everyone...

Well, you already KNOW the news - RESPITE releases Friday at Decadent Publishing. In the near future, watch here and other sites for your chance to win a copy!

Sean Casey
And, speaking of releases, the fine folks at Decadent's 1 Night Stand division has accepted a little ditty I wrote, titled The One He Chose. For those of you who are baseball fans, the main male character looks a little like Sean Casey. He's pictured here as a Boston Beaner, but he was a darn fine Detroit Tiger, along with being on other teams! TOHC will be in edits soon.

And, last but not least - check out ADDD - A Daily Dose of Decadence tomorrow - Thursday - for the things I'm thankful, thoughtful and thirsty about.

I can't say thanks! enough to a bunch of folks who are making Friday and this little 'job' possible - DW insisting I submit, Heather & Lisa for accepting and holding my hand, Meredith for repaving the road, Katy for pulling me and RESPITE out fo the muck, Val for being a great blogmaven (and allowing me to make her cry with TOHC), Dara for an amazing cover, Colleen for keeping track of author minutia, Katelynn for the super trailer, MVRWA for constant support and my dear Ktn - for allowing the people in my head to compete for his attention on occasion! I hope I didn't leave anyone out!

So, I guess I'll see you all Thursday at ADDD and Friday, when RESPITE is released.

Thanks again!
Wen



Wendy Burke can be found on Facebook – Wendy Burke Author, the Maumee Valley Romance Writers of America blogsite, TWITTER @WendyBurke1994 and of course, at Decadent Publishing. When not playing with the people in her head, Wendy has a fine life with a chef husband (YES – no cooking!) and two furry feline kids and a full-time job that keeps her from writing fulltime in ‘beautiful’ Toledo, Ohio.   Oh, yea - and that book of hers is out as well!