Friday, August 30, 2013

Sneak Peek and Cover Reveal of the M/M #Erotic Short Story From Author Lia Michaels @HouseofTaboo #LGBT #shifters



Welcome to Sassy Vixen Publishing! I'm The Vixen (aka Tammy Dennings Maggy) and your host today for a very exciting cover reveal.  In just one week my alter ego, the Lucious Lia Michaels will release her very first short story. It's a M/M erotic romance about Native American eagle shifters. One of them is actually a creature of legend and the other his Chosen Mate.  

Here's a bit of their story. It will be told in it's entirety in the novel Call of the Thunderbird (Fearless Love), but you get a nice teaser in the form of Forbidden Destiny. Take a look at the cover and tell us what you think?




Ethan Quaderer is the Great Thunderbird, the creature of Native American legend. He grew up knowing exactly who and what he was thanks to his grandfather. At a very young age, Ethan could merge with the bald eagles and soar with them high across the land. Eventually he would learn to shift completely from human to one of them...only larger and more powerful. His destiny as the Great Thunderbird was to find his soul mate and together they would save their people.

Abraham Tuttle didn't grow up in a household where being different was acceptable. For years he hid the fact he was "berach" or Two Spirit. For many Native American tribes, being Two Spirit is considered a blessing. It's actually a third gender classification, not male or female, but both.  Two Spirits are often honored and revered, considered to be highly spiritual and often take on leadership roles within their tribes as healers.


Where Ethan's spirituality and Two Spirit nature were embraced by his family, Abraham learned early on his would be shunned by his family and many others within his tribe. He kept his true self hidden and did his best to fit in, all the while dreaming of the Great Warrior who would someday rescue him from all of it. He dreamed of courting eagles night after night. Their majestic free fall toward the ground took his breath away each and every time. It was in those dreams the Warrior would come to him as the Great Thunderbird and claim him as his mate.

Look for Forbidden Destiny on Friday September 26th on ARe, Amazon, Smashwords and other major outlets. Congratulations Lia!

~The Vixen

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Freedom of Speech vs. Malicious Slander: How Do You Navigate This Slippery Slope?



Welcome to Sassy Vixen Publishing. I'm Tammy Dennings Maggy aka The Vixen. It's been quite a week around here and in the publishing cyber world in general. As you can see, SVP has another fabulous logo/banner courtesy of our friend and fellow Seduced Muse, Nicole Morgan. I wanted to show it off a bit and get you all used to seeing it. It'll be appearing from time to time whenever we here at SVP feel the need to address some issues going on around all of us. 

Oh and you better believe you'll be seeing this or some version of it on all our covers! 

full article HERE
Back to the reason for today's post. I'm sure many of you have at least heard of an author confronting a reader on Goodreads for the low rating she gave to her book—one that wasn't even published yet.  How about the huge mess with another author after a controversial guest post she did about "selling out" to write erotica? 

In the latter case, several readers rated her books 1 and 2 stars simply because of the statements in the blog post and not on the merits of the books in question. Yet again, some of the ratings were for the next books in the series—NONE of which had even been written yet.





Sounds crazy doesn't it? How can anyone rate or review a book, music,  or any other product for that matter without having at in their possession? Isn't it against the "rules" of the review sites?

They do it because they can and yes it actually is against the rules of the sites in question. The site owners and administrators just choose to ignore it and let the unfair behavior continue. Well, that's not entirely true. The admins will step in if the one who has been targeted by the low ratings complains...to either delete their objections or even delete their entire accounts.

That's right. You didn't misread that. Goodreads, Facebook, and even Amazon have taken the side of the "bully." Their acceptance of this bad behavior simply reinforces it and makes it worse...much ,much worse.

What starts out as a claim to rate books they DON'T want to read has turned into a brutal mud slinging-high school-mean girl/boy mentality. Not only do both sides launch attacks on each other, but in some cases author and reviewer reputations have been damaged beyond repair. The whole thing becomes a "he said, she said" issue and the lines are drawn. You can try to stay neutral, but eventually you'll have to decide how to handle it when the bullies come knocking on your door.




Now the flip side—authors and their minions going after a reviewer because they disagree with their opinion/rating of their book. In this case, I'm referring to an actual review based on reading the ENTIRE book in question.  These reviews are OPINIONS folks! You can't please everyone all the time. 

You may have thirty 4 and 5 star reviews under your belt written by your friends, family, and a few others who truly enjoyed your work. These don't negate the 2 and 3 star reviews given. There may be legitimate reasons for the ratings and if you'd bother to read the review with a critical eye, you'd find out and just maybe learn something in the process. 

Go ahead and complain about the review—privately. Don't vent on any social media, website or blog about the reviewer or how their review was totally unfair and couldn't possibly have read the same book you wrote.  All this does is add fuel to a fire that could rage out of control. You may THINK you're not commenting on the review itself, but by talking about it with your followers, you're basically asking them to stick up for you and your book. 

Don't you dare think the rest of us haven't figured this out yet! I've seen it time and time again. When a reviewer is swamped with comments on their blog or their submission on a review site from your fans, it's blatantly obvious they're there because YOU told them about the review and how badly it made you feel. 

Do you really think you're better than Stephen King, J.K. Rowling or even Shakespeare? How about George R. R. Martin or J. R. R. Tolkien? Each and every single one of them have low rated reviews for their most famous works to go along with the 4 and 5 starred ones. That's part of the process and the reality of being a published author.

article with this photo is HERE


So buck up, buttercup! You are NOT all that and a bag of chips. If you don't like bullies, then don't be one yourself and most certainly don't create them by being the puppeteer. Bullying will only stop if we all take a moment and THINK before we react.  

Take home message here: Your writing won't be everyone's cup of tea. You will get some low ball ratings and reviews. That's a fact of life. You can choose to look at them with a critical eye and LEARN from them to become a better writer, or you can jump head on into the cesspool and resort to the grade school behavior of name calling and asking your friends to join you in the fisticuffs.  

You've worked too hard to build up your reputation as a writer, reviewer or blogger. Take a moment or three to think before you react publicly. I'm not saying don't be upset, just do it privately. 

So what's it gonna be? Handling all of it with grace and dignity or get sent to the principal's office for detention or even expulsion? The choice is yours.

~The Vixen

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Our First #CoverReveal of the Now And Forever Series! #eroticromance #LGBT

We're absolutely bouncing in our seats with excitement over today's special treat. Author Tammy Dennings Maggy (aka The Vixen) is about to release the next book in her Now and Forever series. As you know, the first two books were published by and are still available from Siren Bookstrand. Starting with The Surrender of Julia (Now and Forever 3), Sassy Vixen Publishing will take over the reigns. We're excited with the challenge to help Tammy realize her dream and to prove there is an audience out there for F/F erotic romances,  In this case, the heroine Julia Santos is bisexual and has sex with both men and women. Unfortunately, some publishers don't feel that readers of M/F romances will be interested in F/F and vice versa.  

Tammy feels they're wrong and Sassy Vixen Publishing agrees 1000%.  So look for The Surrender of Julia to be released within the next few weeks. Until then, we have the stunning cover created for Tammy by LMK Graphics.  Note the name. You'll be seeing it a lot around here!



BLURB


L.A. artist phenom Julia Santos appeared to have it all. After a nearly two year long dry spell, her creativity was at its peak and she had her muse and model Jacob Hartley to thank for it. He brought the fire and raw sexuality back to her sculptures and into her bedroom, and a sense of security that only one other person in her life had ever given her. At last she had found the perfect balance between her professional and private lives, until the day a single call from someone in her past threatened to tear her world apart.

Fearful of losing all she’d worked so hard to accomplish, Julia delved deeper into the hedonistic lifestyle she’d come to rely on to give her an escape from the horrors of her past. Instead of bringing her comfort, her sexual urges lead her down the path of destruction; not only for herself, but those around her.  With Jacob fighting for his life after a near fatal motorcycle accident and Julia on the brink of death herself, Fate and her Guardian Angel Daniel intervene and transport her to a safe haven called the Island.

There she’s given a choice: stay on the Island and wait for her next rebirth, or go back and fight to be with the one who has been there for her through every lifetime.  Will she take the easy way out and leave all the pain behind, or will she choose the long and hard road reliving the horrors of her childhood in order to have her happily ever after with the Mistress of her dreams?


Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Wild And Wicked #BookBlitz Continues for Author R.L.Kirk's New #Paranormal Adult #Romance Blackwood: Lily



It's the middle of the week and appropriately named Wild and Wicked Wednesday. What other day of the week can also lay claim to the nickname "Hump Day?"  Welcome to Sassy Vixen Publishing. Today we're participating in the book blitz celebration for R.L. Kirk's new release Blackwood: Lily This is actually the first book in the Blackwood wolves series so you don't want to miss getting this one for yourself.  If you love those hot blooded wolves, you're going to drool over Lily's story.  Let's take a look at it, shall we?


Blurb


Amidst a war of attrition and a struggle for power

Lily Blackwood is torn between two strong men...

One, Wallace is her perfect idea of a partner, loving, loyal and handsome. The second, Bryn, is her true mate, the man chosen for her by nature and her family. Denial and naivety for nature’s choice, sends her into a rage of independence against the laws of her own destiny, family and her own father.

Wallace Kirk is assigned to protect the beautiful Lily since her birth...

His loyalties are tearing him apart. His own mate, dead, taken from him, fills his thoughts as Lily begs for his attention. She needs him, but not as much as the wolf that prowls in her flesh.

Bryn Kemp's nature and need fill his flesh...

Yet his true mate, the woman chosen for him, denies her destiny. His battle for her and his own pride must overcome her feisty rebellious streak.


Both men must fight for her in the throes of oncoming battle and she must make the right choice. A decision that will shape the war.



Excerpt


“Night.” Waiting a few seconds, he waited until she slipped inside and closed the door. The lights were already on. Bryn turned and smiled, feeling warm inside. He sighed and sniffed the air. Despite his youth, he did have thirty odd years of experience, but his reactions just weren’t quick enough.

Before he could move, Wallace was in his face. “So, you decided to bring her home at long last Mr. Kemp, proud of yourself?”

“Wallace Kirk I presume, I expected you to be—”

“Bigger?”

“Better looking.” Bryn felt the heat against his face but didn’t relent, he stood his ground. Wallace was everything he expected and more. He could feel the raw power coming from him. It was so strong he felt he might waver. Bryn was six foot two, yet Wallace towered over him. There was a great deal of confidence too, hitting him in the face like a wave. However, Bryn never stood down, in his short wolf life he knew that to stand firm and strong was as good as any swing of a wayward fist. Wallace wasn’t going to intimidate him, he was determined to give as good as he got.

“Smart ass too, I like smart, but ass…no. I guess I’m going to have to drill some manners into you, boy.”

That particular word pissed Bryn off a little, yet this wolf facing him overwhelmed him. He knew if he used more than harsh words, he’d have harsh wounds to match. “I’m not a boy.”

“Compared to me, you’re a kid in nappies. Hell, you haven’t even reached the twinkle in your Daddy’s eyes yet. You’re thirty. That makes you my pup.”

Bryn’s lip curled at the edge. “There a point to this? I got her home safe.”

Wallace moved forward. “Good job you did. You decide to come back after spending a pitiful five years with her and expect to replace me, just like that.”

Bryn had no choice but to shift back to avoid being touched. “I was just—”

“Following orders pup, yeah sure. Lily is a young woman, she’s impressionable, thinks she’s ready for anything. Then you come along and her fucking hormones and her wolf are in turmoil. I sensed it earlier, she was out of control. You come here when she’s in heat, bringing her mate to the door in that big bold exterior, sending her emotions all over the place.”

“She is my mate, my chosen mate, Wallace. You have to live with it okay? You have to go, you have to move on and let Lily and I become one. Your time is done here. I’m sorry about what happened to you five years ago, I’m sorry your bitch was taken from you, but that’s not my fault or yours.”

Too late, Bryn felt himself hoisted up against the stone, lifted a foot off the floor.


“You don’t get it do yer? That isn’t a question smart ass, it’s a fact. I have protected her since the day she came out of her mother’s womb. I was always there, her big bad wolf, ready to die for her.”




Aren't those beautiful? Those are handmade Shcpherd's hook bookmarks with the book cover as the bead. You could be the lucky winner of a set of these. All you have to do is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter to get your entries.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Author Bio

R.L. Kirk is the brain child of two authors, working together to bring you urban fantasy novels with a kick.

It has been quite a journey to get here, trying to find the right ingredients. A little action here, a bit of flirting there, an intense storyline with characters you want to be with.
Male characters with bite and females not afraid to go that extra mile.

R. L. Kirk a progression. Full length novels are coming, bigger ideas with bigger worlds.

R, a man with a need to get his world in print. A Yorkshire man, an accent to die for. Loves to work and dream, bringing both together. Loves listening to music and watching Game of Thrones and obsesses with Heisenberg.

L, a woman with writing dreams and ambition. Loves her daughter. Loves to read until she falls asleep. Loves Disneyland and making jewelry. Loves swimming and second hand book shops.

R. L. Kirk. Bringing imagination to life.

You can find R.L. Kirk on Facebook and their website.

Look for Blackwood: Lily on AMAZON, AMAZON UK, NOOK, KOBO, and ARe


Blitz Schedule


August 5
August 7
August 8
August 9

Friday, August 2, 2013

Author @dxluc Brings the #Fantasy to the Free For All #eroticromance #paranormal #futuristic


TGIF...Friday Fantasy Free For All to be precise. This is the day where we focus more on the fantasy involved in the writing world of our Sassy Vixen authors and those of our friends. This week we're excited to welcome back author D.X. Luc. She has another new release and this one is set in a futuristic world filled with odd flora and fauna...but that's only one portion of this fantasy world. You see, it's the 45th century and MEN are the weaker sex, except on this one island...

Here's the blurb...


In the year 4411, females dominate the world. Men are now the weaker sex and all roles have been reversed. 

Angela is an accomplished defense attorney and has grown up in a world dominated by women but she craves something more. She secretly yearns for a strong dominant man…not a simpering wimp.

Nestled on an island far from the world Angela knows are a group of mighty male Hunters. They're strong, dominate and sexy and each Hunter is waiting for the goddess Seraphim to grant him his mate. 


After waking from a drug induced sleep, Angela finds herself on this jungle island, playing a game of cat and mouse with Jadin... the sexiest man she's ever seen. He claims she's his, but she wants the right to choose. Will Angela be able to give into her hearts desires or will a lifetime of embedded teachings prevent her from having the man of her dreams? 

I bet you're all wondering what it would be like on a world where women ruled and men were the weaker sex...yeah I know that's what's really going on here and now, but in Angela's world the women don't control things from behind the scenes. hehehehe  To give you a little more of a idea of what life is like for some of the "weaker sex," here's a page from another character's journal.


Diary from the help

August 12th, 4411 a.w.w. IV

Ryland here, 

I'm feeling a bit on edge. I can't seem to get past what I've done. Sending women to the island for sport. It's just not right. But, Seraphim says that I'm a hero. That in me doing this, I'm helping people find love. Then why do I feel bad?

I guess I shouldn't. Love is so hard to come by in my city. Especially for someone like me. I'm different. I don't know why since I'm adopted. All I know is no woman thinks I'm a good enough candidate to duo-link with. 

Why can't I be soft and small like the other men here? I'm lonely. I guess it's a good thing that Seraphim took me in and helped me find work in any field. And since I'm a hero of sorts, I shouldn't be so mopey. 

I did get a new mop today, so that's exciting! 

But I do hope maybe one day, I'll have my queen who'll come and take me. It really sucks being an innocent still when many men my age have already married and had children! 

Well, off to clean. I have to get my chores done so I can watch another fantastic episode of New World Island. 


Later!


About the Author


An avid reader since I was a child, I never found a book I disliked. Mostly, you could find me lost in Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, or Ernest Hemingway, and my most favorite, Ancient Greek literature. Taking my love of books, I started writing poetry, short stories, and even helped with screen writes for my drama club.

By the time I was in my teens, my older sister introduced me to my first romance novel, The Hawk and the Dove by Virginia Henley. The moment I fell into the world of love, I was hooked, and my addiction for more grew until I found myself delving deeper into the erotic.

After being convinced that I had the skills to try my hand at writing, I went to work on my first story Down the Yellow Brick Road: Finding Home. And since being published, I've not looked back.


Now, as a busy mom of three, that homeschools, drives to activities, and manages to find time to just take a breath, I have to say, I love being naughty when I get the chance. It's freeing and I wouldn't want it any other way! 


Buy Links


One more thing before I go. D.X. will be on our sister blog Behind Closed Doors in just a few days (August 5th) for Oh My! Monday. Make sure you stop in for a steamy excerpt!