Blakely’s 5 Star Review for the Documentary Kumare

Posted on April 21, 2014 by blakely

Kumare is an intriguing documentary by American film maker Vikram Gandhi. He studied religion in his higher education and firmly believes that no person needs a priest, pasture, rabbi, guru, etc to have a spiritual connection and that there is a high cost to blind faith.

He sets out to prove this by transforming himself into an East Indian guru and garnering a following in Arizona. Through his “teachings” he is constantly professing how he himself is an illusion. What ends up happening in the process not only surprised Vikram, but me as well. He ends up forging such deep connections with his followers that he struggles to reveal his true self when the time comes. Continue reading →

Blakely’s Friday Interview with Blue Stour & Sidda Lee Rain

Posted on April 18, 2014 by blakely

Please give a warm welcome to Blue Stour & Sidda Lee Rain, authors of Stranded at Third.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
Blue: My name is Blue Stour; I’m a 43-year old, born in TX, and lived mostly in MI and FL I graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a degree in writing and British Literature (Big Shakespeare fan, NOW stop laughing at me).

I recently began writing w/Sidda Lee Rain on an erotic romance series, Game Time, where sports and sex collide. The first book, “Stranded at Third,” is a baseball novella, which has been a chore, but we think the blending of our styles has worked.

Sidda: I’m Sidda, Sidda Lee Rain or S.L. Rain depending on which of my series we’re talking about. I’m a true blue-actually purple Minnesota girl (little Minnesota Vikings reference there). I’m on my fifth year at age twenty-nine and loving it. I’m currently working with Blue Stour on the Game Time Series, our first novella, will be released Saturday, January 25th. This is my first co-writing experience and so far nobody is dead so we are managing. I also just started working on my third novel Roping Him In in my Dirty Denim Series. Continue reading →

My Review of Reviewers and Myself

Posted on April 14, 2014 by blakely

I keep promising myself (a losing battle) I will stop reading my reviews. Most are good (if not excellent) for Stuck in Between, but if I take to heart what reviewers say, I would live in a constant state of ambiguity.

I am stunned when a reviewer chooses my book, with a cover of a naked woman sandwich between two mostly naked men, and then is aghast that within the storyline there is ménage à trois. Someone even said it made her blush. Why, oh why are you reading erotica in the first place? Carefully put the book down and move over to the romance section.

If I sound like I’m ranting, I am, and mostly at myself for reading the reviews in the first place.

If you know me, then you know my favorite part of being an author is connecting with my readers so this isn’t a slam against them. I love you! It is me trying to sort through all the differing opinions. “Is it that way for everyone?” I ask myself, but then I know it’s not so for my husband’s novel, Geared to the Present. I haven’t read one disunited view.

I’m never going to write cookie cutter erotica or romance. It’s not my style. I want people to say, “I’ve never read another story like it.” And luckily, most people do say that. Also, I refused to make every character perfect and likeable. Not only is that not real life but it’s not interesting either—at least not to me. I like my characters to be intriguing and flaw with a past that still needs to be sorted through.

If you think I’m going on about nothing, I’d like to present a few examples and I will paraphrase:

You use too many terms to say cock. Stick to one. VS Your word choices for cock are redundant. Find more words.
Your sex scenes were smoking hot and each one was completely different (most reviewers, thankfully, agree with this one) VS Sex scenes were redundant and I expected them to be hotter.
Someone actually had the gall to say Red shouldn’t have suggested the arrangement he did. THAT’S the story. Feel free to write your own.
Many, if not most, couldn’t put the book down, even those that thought the story was “just okay”.

I promise to get off my high horse in a minute but I have to say this and get it all out of my system: If you can’t put a book down, read it in one day (350 pages), and plan to read more in the series, it is not a 3, 2 or 1 star book. It’s not. I’m sorry and you can’t convince me otherwise.

Okay, girl, take a breath and be done with this. Stepping down. I think you can all see why it would be much healthier for me to stop reading my reviews, and how it’s really like a bad addiction. As my friend Tami said, “It’s like that crash where you know you should look away but watch anyway.

I just need to get next to the fact that my stories provoke strong emotions from my readers.

I’ve come to realize that sometimes, not often but sometimes, I don’t feel appreciated for the hard work I do. I’m working on writing my stories and letting the chips fall where they may.

Just like my characters, I’m a work in process. I’ll get there eventually.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

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Blakely’s Friday Interview with Andrea McKenzie Raine

Posted on April 11, 2014 by blakely

Please give a warm welcome to Andrea McKenzie Raine, author of Turnstiles.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I have been writing since childhood, as many writers do, and studied Creative Writing and English Literature at the University of Victoria. I earned a B.A. in English Literature, and have been actively writing poetry and attending a successful long-standing poetry series called Planet Earth Poetry (formerly known as Mocambopo) in Victoria, BC since 1997. I published my first book of poetry, A Mother’s String, through Ekstasis Editions in 2005. I am also a member of a poetry writing group called The Waywords – we have been meeting every second Sunday for 11 years. I’ve also studied with Canadian poet and novelist Patrick Lane at several Glenairely writing retreats held in Sooke, BC. My first novel, Turnstiles, was published by Inkwater Press in December 2013. Currently, I am promoting my novel, as well as revising the first draft of a prequel novella to Turnstiles. Continue reading →

Review of Brie Learns the Art of Submission: Submissive Training Center (Brie Series) by Red Phoenix

Posted on April 7, 2014 by blakely

WARNING: You are about to embark on a very dichotomous review, but I promise to explain myself along the way.

Brie works in a smoke shop and one day a very striking, mysterious man comes in and they experience an immediate connection. He leaves his card for her, which is for a submissive school he owns. Brie enters the program and the sexathon begins. Continue reading →

Blakely’s Friday Interview with Stephanie O’Hanlon

Posted on April 4, 2014 by blakely

Please give a warm welcome to Stephanie O’Hanlon author of Affaire de Coeur & Out of My Grave.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I have just completed a new manuscript, so I’m focusing now on catching up with the promoting I missed while I was in writer La-La Land! I’m excited for my next release, which is a werewolf-horror novel titled The Beast of Bradley Downs from Damnation Books forthcoming this year.

What genre is your book? Do you write in other genres as well?
I have done historical romance, vampire romance and horror. I’d like to try my hand at other genres as well though. Whatever sparks my interest!

Do you have an agent and/or publisher or are you self-published? If self-published, do you use a professional editor? If traditionally published, who is your publisher?
I am with an indie publisher, Eternal Press & their sister publisher Damnation Books, which provide high quality eBooks and paperbacks. I am always on the hunt for an agent though!

Is being an author your dream job? If so, how long have you been chasing the dream? If
not, what would be your dream job?
It really is my dream job! I never really thought of writing being an actual career for me until I attended film school. It turned out I wasn’t very good at anything but writing scripts & doing continuity! So, I got more into writing and that turned into actually diving into writing full-length novels. I hope to take my screenwriting abilities with me on my career.

What has been your best moment as a writer?
My first five star review for Affaire de Coeur! I felt validated as a writer, even though I had a publisher and the book was released. There’s nothing like a five star review!

What challenges have you faced in your writing career?
Mainly finding an agent and promotions. Every agent that I query loves to gush about how talented I am, but then say it’s not the right time or right for them at this time. It gets a little discouraging, wondering when IS the right time? But I don’t let it get me down. On promoting, it seems to take a lot to get things out there, a lot more work than I had anticipated. I’m very serious about making this my career though, so I take the time to do it.

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
I think there’s a piece of me in every single one. A lot of the time they are private pieces that no one else really gets to see. I also think that perhaps my past lives come through in my stories. I’m kooky like that!

Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Oh, yes! In one of my unpublished manuscripts, a character named Donatien, a libertine in 1766 France. He’s so much fun! He’s cocky, adventurous, sexy, daring. I can’t wait to share his story with everyone.

Do you base your characters on people you know?
I have, yes. Sometimes in not a very flattering light either! But, I never regret it, even if the person is upset by it. I held up a mirror, apparently they didn’t like what they saw!

What do you do when you’re not writing?
I work on promoting, as well as read, watch my favourite movies, spend time with my mum, snuggle with my cats and play with my dogs, try to work in some time with friends. Normal things!

How much time a day do you spend on social media?
Probably far too much! Haha. It’s hard not to when you rely on it for promoting your work.

What do you do to stay sane as a writer?
How silly, writers aren’t sane! We talk to imaginary people & tell real people about it. It takes a special kind of crazy to do it!

Do you read your reviews and if so, how do you cope with a bad one?
I love every review I get, whether it is a good or bad one. If it is a negative review I simply wish the person well and hope they will like something I write in the future. You can’t please everyone, sadly.

I have found the writer’s community to be very supportive and welcoming. Please share three writers that you recommend for us to check out.

You can find Stephanie on her Facebook and Twitter.

To buy Stephanie’s books click on the covers or links provided:

Nobody’s Perfect

Posted on March 31, 2014 by blakely

I love my family so much and would never trade them for the world, but I HATE watching TV or movies when both my daughter and husband are in the room. They are huge talkers and love to gab through the most important and/or intense scenes. This drives me crazy. The other option we have come up with is pausing while they have their philosophical conversation, but that too kills it for me. Like when reading a book, I like to lose myself in the story and the constant starting and stopping makes it very hard for me to do so. Forget it if it’s a show they really don’t like, then the conversation floodgates are open.

In the scheme of things in creating a life together and a loving family, the above matters very little. I bring this up because NOBODY is perfect. I’m certainly not. Continue reading →

Stuck in Between RELEASE BLITZ Day Three

Posted on March 27, 2014 by blakely

Click on the banner to follow the blitz and read the first THREE chapters of Stuck In Between by Blakely Bennett!

Title: Stuck In Between Continue reading →

Stuck in Between RELEASE BLITZ Day Two

Posted on March 26, 2014 by blakely

CLICK on the banner to follow the blitz and read the first THREE chapters of Stuck In Between by Blakely Bennett!

Title: Stuck In Between

Author: Blakely Bennett

Genre: Erotic Romance

Release Date: March 24, 2014

Cover Designer: Yocla Designs

Editing: Read Owl Continue reading →

Stuck in Between RELEASE BLITZ Day One

Posted on March 25, 2014 by blakely