So now that the divorce is finalized, I believe it’s time to move on. It’s time to write a new chapter in my life.

I’m not dating yet but that’s mostly because I just don’t have the time for a relationship. I work full time and have my 15 yr old with me 3-5 days a week. The other days are for writing and attempting to keep up with the house and yard. I barely have time to breathe!

I’m also in the process of buying my own home and I can’t wait. I’ll be able to decorate the way I want and do whatever I want with it. My son and I have decided that a ping-pong table is definitely going in the unfinished basement. It will probably drive the cats crazy.

There is one more change that I really don’t know if I’m ready for. My almost 20 year old is moving out and into a house with some friends. It is absolutely the best for him but I miss him already. He is really an interesting young man and I love to have discussions on politics and religion with him. I guess I’ll have to call him for those things now.

Along with all these other changes, I have a book coming out in December. And just for another change, it will be in eformat only. This is not self-published book but a decision Kensington made based on my sales. I was selling really well in ebook, far better than in print. For all those who say they don’t want a Kindle, my 84 yr old mother received one for Mother’s Day and loves it.

Here’s the cover for Bewitching the Duke, which I just received yesterday from my editor. He was concerned that she wasn’t pretty enough but I really like her because she portrays more of a country woman, not a member of the society.

Anyone else out there opening a door or chapter in their life? Do you think a book model had to be drop dead gorgeous?

The prize winner of Sex Help Wanted is bn100.  You get the choice of a download of IN A HEARTBEAT, my one and only contemporary romance, or an autographed copy of REDEEMING THE ROGUE.  Please visit www.DonnaMacMeans.com and let me know your choice and your contact information.

Thanks everyone for stopping by!

Thanks so much for the invitation to blog! I’m absolutely thrilled to be here.

 My twenty-first book was released May 1^st, Where There’s Smoke. This is the first book in a brand new series so I’m even more excited.  

 Sometimes an idea takes root, then slowly grows over time. That’s how it happened with this new series. I read something similar to this: Angels mated with beautiful mortal women and their offspring were called nephilim. Some thought they were heroes.

 I was hooked. An idea began to form. The heroes would be demi-gods. They could answer prayers. Now I ask you, who wouldn’t want a sexy man showing up on her doorstep to answer her prayers? But the nephilim wouldn’t live by the same rules as mere men. They’d break

more rules than they kept and then make up new ones. Nothing would be able to stop them. Well, almost nothing.

Chance decides to save the soul of a wannabe demon. This is how her story starts:

 Destiny Carter was six years old when she had the first inkling that her life wouldn’t be a fairy tale. That was the day her mother left her in a
grocery store and never came back. Destiny was right, her life went downhill from there. Bad foster homes, bad boyfriends, and really, really bad choices.

Then she died and went to Hell.

 Until she was kicked out.

Now you know a little more about the heroine. She only has a week to steal a soul so she can become a full-fledged demon with all the rights of a demon, like living a life of luxury and having sex.  

 Destiny has no idea that Chance has a very different agenda and he doesn’t plan on letting her win, but the best laid plans have a way of unraveling and he just might be in danger of losing his own soul.

From Night Owl Reviews:

You’ll read this book in no time, enjoying every minute…and be dreaming of the next book in the series. Ms. Kelley knows her stuff when writing erotic romance. I highly recommend Where There’s Smoke and I look forward to reading more! 4.75

 From Publishers Weekly:

Bestseller Kelley (the Princes of Symtaria series) launches a sultry paranormal series with this smoky, sweet, and surprisingly touching tale… The plot is strong and fast-paced, and the romance as deeply sensual as it is playful and sweet…

 From RT:

Sensuality: SCORCHER

Kelley burns up the pages with this hot series starter…  this book is witty, sexy and a lot of fun. Readers won’t be able to wait to read the next installment! 4 Stars

You may have noticed the belt buckle on the cover.  I set my book in Texas because I love cowboys.  Tell me about your home state and the best thing about it.  One person leaving a comment will win a copy of Where’s There Smoke.

You can find out more about my books at www.authorkarenkelley.com Check out all the fun giveaways, the recipes and crafts…and check out my new video of Where’s There’s Smoke. 

Here’s the deal.  I’ve been asked to teach a workshop on how to write sex.  Sex scenes tend to be something of a problem for new writers because it’s difficult to shake that “good girl” editor off your shoulder.  Some things are only whispered about – you know?  Then to actually describe what the characters are doing – Whoa Mama!

I remember in my very first manuscript I avoided the issue altogether.  The hero in that book carries the heroine up to his bedroom a la Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind.  I figured the reader would know what was going on up in that room so I didn’t need to describe it.  We call that “closing the bedroom door.”  

Then I decided that if I intended to be a romance author, then I’d better get over this avoidance of writing a sex scene.  In my next book, the big love scene lasted twenty pages.  Twenty pages!  Of course, it wasn’t all about the biological intricasies of procreation.  It was mostly the foreplay that leads up to “the act.”  To this day, I’m pretty proud of that scene.  It’s in my only published contemporary suspense IN A HEARTBEAT under a pen name Donna Richards.  Before anyone rushes to download it, please remember that was my second manuscript ever.  I like to think my writing has improved since then.

Anyway, back to my workshop.  When presented with a challenge such as this, I fall back into my comfort zone and critically analyze the dickens out of how others do it – especially if the “others” do it really, really well.  What emotions come into play in a powerful sex scene?  How long should it be?  Are there similarities in the characters?  How graphic is the scene – and need it be graphic at all?  Is there a difference between historical romance and contemporary romance when it comes to intimacy?  What about paranormal?

So I’m coming to you, dear readers, for answers.  Not so much about the above questions, though I’d love to hear your opinions of same.  Rather, who do you think writes a really, really good sex scene.  Give me titles and authors, if possible, as I’ll be checking them out.  I’ll choose a winner from the comments to receive either a free digital download of IN A HEARTBEAT or an autographed print copy of Redeeming the Rogue.

So come on  - let’s talk sex!

Charles Dickens is arguably one of the world’s greatest English writers, right up there with Shakespeare.  We remember him best for his vivid characters, along with the subtext of social commentary in his stories.

But the characters – that’s what got me hooked on Dickens when I was a young reader.  Other than “A Christmas Carol,” my first encounter with the writer was freshman year in high school when we read “Great Expectations.” 

How I loved being at the graveyard on the moors with Pip when Magwitch accosts him.  Especially the part when he threatens the young boy with the “secret” friend who’d rip out his heart if he revealed where the escaped convict was hiding.

When Magwitch asks Pip where his parents are and Pip replies, “Right there, sir,” I could vividly imagine the convict jumping up and peering over his shoulder when the boy meant his parents were lying in their graves.  I loved the strict sister, who “raised him by hand” and gentle-hearted Joe Gargary. 

“Great Expectations” is a beautiful coming of age story.

I moved on to sophomore year during which required reading was “Silas Marner,” and while I enjoyed the story’s themes, I was more intrigued by the fact that the author George Eliot was a woman!  Hey, I was fourteen. 

I didn’t return to Dickens again until “A Tale of Two Cities.”  By then I was firmly entrenched in my “historical fiction” period and loved the backdrop of the French Revolution, which I thought of in elevated romantic terms.

BBC America recently produced another version of “Great Expectations,” in which Helena Bonham Carter plays the wonderfully mad Miss Havisham.  I remember teasing my young brother by walking around my house, cackling, “Walk me, Pip, walk me.”

Dickens is one of those fortunate writers who received popularity while he was still living even though his reputation as a literary author became firmly cemented by twentieth century scholars and critics.

While I was pondering how to promote my latest release, “Weak Flesh,” I wondered what in the heck Dickens did to rise to such popularity during  his lifetime. 

If only Dickens had had social media, I thought.  Imagine what he could’ve done to pimp his books!

Wait!

He did!

A particular kind of social media has vanished in the 21st century.  It’s gone the way of motion pictures that no longer feature newsreels or serial episodes.  As a girl I went to the movie every week to see the next clip of whatever story was continuing after the heart-throbbing cliffhanger from the previous week.

What was Dickens’ social media, you ask?

Serialized episodes of  his novels, for one.

His books were published in magazines, one “chapter” at a time, which was the popular mode for delivery of novels in the Victorian Era.  Have you ever wondered why Dickens’ book chapters end on such an exciting note?  We modern writers are told that’s a key to good plotting – always leave your readers hanging at the end of a chapter so they’ll read “just one more” section before lights out.

Dickens also gave countless “public readings” of his own works, something we rarely see/hear from today’s novelists.

Finally, Dickens listened to his readership. He often changed characters and events in his stories based on feedback from his readers.

Something you might not know about Dickens’ “Great Expectations” is that he initially wrote a different ending from the traditional one we read.  If you remember, Pip was infatuated with Estella from the moment he saw her at Miss Havisham’s, and truly believed that the old gal intended Pip to marry her adopted daughter. 

In the original ending Pip chances upon Estella on the street.  She’s remarried after her brute of a husband died.  They then part never to see one another again.  This ending is completely consistent with Estella’s character; after all, Miss Havisham reared her, taught her to to be heartless, to use men, but never love them.  Pip reflects that Estella’s suffering was stronger than Miss Havisham’s teaching. That she might finally understand what his heart used to be.

Dickens was not a romance writer so he felt no obligation to give his protagonists a happily ever after.  But since he gauged the pulse of his reading public and readers were so enraged at that ending, he wrote a second one in which Estella and Pip meet at Satis House where it is hinted that they end up together.

Ah, the power of the reading public!

Not only was Dickens a great writer, he was a prominent philanthropist and social commentator.  Clearly a Renaissance man in a Victorian society.

Some questions for today’s readers: Do you enjoy Charles Dickens as much as I do?  Which of his works do you enjoy most?  Would you like to read serialized novels or are you too impatient?  Which Dickens character is most memorable to you?

Do you think today’s fifteen year old would enjoy reading Dickens after being mesmerized by Harry Potter, the Twilight series, and the Hunger Games frenzy?

But enough about you

This is about my Mom. The wonderful lady who raised me to be the woman I am, whose gifts of love, kindness, determination, creativity and passion helped me through her loss 12 years ago. Helps me through NOW when I get wistful esp. on this double wammy weekend (The 19th anniversary of my Daddy’s passing was yesterday).

She was my rock, my adversary (sometimes), my friend and….well…..my MOM!

Mommy!

So, I thought I’d make it easy and share 5 things you might not have known about my Mom.

1. She made the best chicken and dumplings in the world! Didn’t even use fancy technique, just boiled chicken, added refrigerator biscuits and thickened. Voila! Instant yummy.

2. I didn’t find this out until her later years but my Mom loved the rodeo! Who knew? I remember stories of her going on a trip to a CO dude ranch before she married my Dad. (Dude ranch? OMG…..). How she went trekking out on a horse ride only to have the horse take off at a hard gallop and leaping a stream. At least I HOPE it was a horse 8-O  I never KNEW she liked the rodeo. I could have taken her to the one that happens every year in Louisville. I mean cowboys in tight jeans…anything for you Mom!

3. The creative arts. Yep, she taught me how to embroider, crochet and do crafts. My favorite ornaments from my childhood include felt covered toilet paper rolls to look like Xmas drums ala Good Housekeeping. She taught me how to sew though my interest in it fizzled out. A great disappointment, I know but she HAD to get tired of me whining “Come thread my machine” every ten minutes. But I also remember the pride in her voice when she’d tell her friends about the beautiful jumper I made in Home Ec. She made a lot of my clothes growing up and I STILL have several dresses that I’ll never throw away. And her sewing machine.

4. Reading. Lord, that woman loved to read. She took us to the library, she took us to the Bookmobile. She subscribed to the Book of the Month club equivilent.

5. Strength. Thelma Kayse was a strong woman. She didn’t take any guff. She stood up for her family. She stood up TO her family for those she loved. She hated people who were fake or untruthful. She stood strong for us through a mastectomy coinciding with her little boy being hit by a car! She carried on when my Dad was on strike. She spring cleaned so that her daughter could come home from school on a spring day and lie on the couch with the smell of wax melding with the breeze. She stood by that daughter through a scary spine surgery and 3 months of caring for the bedridden child. Her example helped that daughter through all of it and it broke that daughter’s heart when she confessed several years prior to her passing that she’d always “blamed” herself for the scoliosis that has no cause.

No, Mom. You had nothing to do with that, but you had everything to do with me being who I am. For granting me that same determination and passion and creativity that sent me on the trip to being published…traits that I’ve needed. You’re still with me (I think Cricket sees you sometimes) and you’ll be with me on that day that I sign my first contract.

Love you Mom. Always.                                                                                  

Mom and Daddy

Tell us something about your Mom. Have you ever found out something surprising about yours?

*This is a picture my cousin Bobby posted on FB. She reminds me of Lucille Ball with her snazzy ’50′s ensemble. My brother found a box of pics from her single life. She was stylin’ !  She wore NAILPOLISH on her toes! I never knew that.

I’ve got a special guest in the Lair today!  I hope you’ll help me welcome debut author Ava Flynn.  *applause, applause!*

You all know that I’m more of a “BOOM!” girl than anything else, but since our own Bandita Suz published her historically focused Lacy Morgan and her cowboys with Ellora’s Cave, I’ve been branching out.  On the recommendation of a friend – and because I DO like modern day Cowboys too – I downloaded Ava’s In the Cowboy’s Bed.

It should have come with instructions to put the ceiling fan on high and get a cloth for my brow because it is Hawt, Hawt, HAWT!!!  Grins.

Jeanne:  So, Ava, welcome to the Lair!  Tell us how you got started writing such incredibly hot romances!

Ava: Thanks for inviting me, Jeanne. I have heard nothing but wonderful things about the Banditas. Word has made the rounds that you all are a fun and rowdy group of gals to hang with.

Jeanne:  Ohhhhh yeah!  This is one rockin’ place.  Don’t worry, you’ll fit right in. 

Ava:  So fun!  As to writing,  I have a good friend who was writing erotic novellas, and she seemed to be enjoying the freedom to write what she wanted and just let her imagination go wild. So after thinking about it for a while, I decided to give it a go. I wasn’t sure if I could write erotic romance, but it ended up being a lot of fun and freeing to just indulge in the fantasy. Will it be for every reader? Of course not. But sales numbers are telling me that a lot of people are enjoying it and perhaps telling their friends about it.

 Jeanne:  Oh, I hope so, because it’s great.  Tell me, how did you come up with the concept of Pleasure Ridge Ranch?  I mean, it’s part dude ranch, part incredibly sexy Club-Med-in-the-desert, right?

Ava:  Pictures of hot, shirtless cowboys on the Internet were a big inspiration point. LOL! Actually, that’s not too far off. I’ve always loved cowboy stories, and it’s not a stretch to wonder what it would be like to have a hot, uninhibited relationship with a cowboy who looked really, really good in nothing but his jeans and cowboy hat — or maybe in nothing at all. The concept of Pleasure Ridge Ranch is that women can come for a weekend, a week, whatever, and indulge in her fantasies. For some, that might be as simple as playing at romance — candlelit dinners, romantic walks, etc. For others, it might be the first time they’ve actually let themselves explore their sexual fantasies in a safe setting. Even with writing erotic romance and pushing the envelope, there are boundaries I won’t cross as a writer. The woman will always be in control and never in any sort of danger from her partner.

Jeanne:  That sounds delicious – an really a wonderful cross between great romance and hot passionate reading!  Your heroine Erin, has had some seriously bad luck in relationships.  What changes for her with Justin?

Ava:  Even though it’s supposed to be this short-term, sexual relationship, it turns out to be a lot more. She senses in him another wounded soul, so much more than a sexual plaything. He brings out in her a part of herself that she never acknowledged, and she likes it. Being with him frees her from her normal routine and helps her see that she’s at a point where she needs to make a life change, to get out of the rut she didn’t truly realize she was in.

To me, erotic romance still needs to have a compelling story, even if there is a lot of fantastically hot sex going on. If it’s just sex with no actual story, then to me it’s no more than porn. There need to be real characters with real problems looking for a real happily ever after.

Jeanne:  I so totally agree!  So, now for the good stuff…have you ever been to a dude ranch?

Ava:  Alas, no. I would love to spend a vacation at one, though it wouldn’t be a Pleasure Ridge type ranch since I’m a happily married woman. But if the cowboys happened to be nice looking, hey, who am I to argue? We’ll just call it writing inspiration.

Jeanne: In the Cowboy’s Bed is set in the western Nevada mountains. Why did you choose this locale over other western spots?

Ava: I visited there a few years ago and fell in love with the natural beauty of the area. And in my mind, cowboys tend to go with rugged backgrounds. Maybe it’s all those old westerns I watched as a kid. I work Lake Tahoe into the story because it’s one of the most lovely places I’ve ever seen.  

Jeanne:  Oh, I love Westerns.  And some of the vistas out west, especially in the mountains are simply breathtaking.  However, before I turn this into a travelogue, can we expect more Pleasure Ridge Ranch stories in the future?

Ava:  Yes, I’ve actually started working on the second one, and new ideas for continuing the series are constantly popping into my ahead. I plan to write them along with some non-Pleasure Ridge Ranch stories I’ve been plotting.

Jeanne:  Wonderful!!  It’s great to know that you’re going to give us more, more, more from the fabulous Pleasure Ridge Ranch.  And we’ll look for other titles from you too.  Keep us posted, Ava!

And now, Banditas and Buddies, have YOU ever been to a Dude Ranch?

What about Club Med?

If you had a “hall pass” from your partner to go “play” for a day with a fun guy, would you choose a Cowboy, a Soldier, or a Spy?  Or something else entirely?

Have you ever been to Nevada?  (It’s gorgeous, in a desert-y kind of way….)

Do you ride?  Cowboys or Horses?  SNORK!!!