Blakely’s Friday Interview with Celeste Carrara

Posted on September 6, 2013 by blakely

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Please give a warm welcome to Celeste Carrara, author of Give Me Pleasure.

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I am a stay at home mom to 2 awesome kids. Now that they are older (10 & 15), it’s my time to chase my dream. My husband and my children have been hugely supportive as I do that. What’s my dream? Honestly, I don’t have that dream of becoming rich off of my books. I don’t even need to see my books on a bookshelf to feel like I’ve made it. You know what I want? I want people to love my stories. I want fans that can’t wait for the next book to be released. I want people to relate to and fall in love with my characters. When I read a review that says all of that, that’s what makes me happy. That’s what reinforces that I am on the right path, chasing the right dream.

I’m currently promoting my book Give Me Pleasure. It is the 4th book in my Paranormal City series. Feel free to read them out of order or even pick one that looks interesting to you. Yes, it does help to read them all in order, but you don’t have to!

What genre is your book? Do you write in other genres as well?
My books are erotic paranormal romances, but I will be releasing an erotic romance in the coming months. No matter what I write, there always has to be explicit sex and romance! I can’t help it 😉

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 self-published and I use a professional editor. Her name is Lindsay and she completes me lol. I don’t know what I would do without her. My stories would be one giant run on sentence if it wasn’t for her!

Do you use test readers? If so, how many?
Yes I do. I have 2 test (or beta) readers that I use. They are wonderful ladies who take time out of their busy schedules to read my work and do it all for nothing in return. Well, I do give them shout outs at the beginning of my books as payment lol.

What advice do you have for writer’s just starting out?
My advice to writers just starting out would be to write what you want to write. Don’t let genre rules dictate how your story goes.

What project are you currently working on?
Currently I am working on Give Me Your Love. It will be the 5th book in my Paranormal City series. This one is tough to write and has been kicking my butt, but it’s going to be a great book. The characters are some of my favorite supporting characters from my other books in the series.

Do you base your characters on people you know?
Yes I do! That’s bad, no? I can’t help it. I know some pretty interesting people in real life and their personality traits show themselves in my characters. I have talked about this in my blog, but in book 1 of my series, Give Me Forever, my main character Serena’s father Sebastian is my father. His personality and the relationship between the two are very similar to my relationship with my father. It was actually therapeutic to write their scenes.

Is there a message in your book(s) that you want readers to grasp?
Oh yes there is! Even though I write about vampires and witches, my characters go through real life struggles. At the core, my books are about relationships. The struggles one goes through when they have a difficult relationship with a parent. We can all relate to trying to find our own way in life, finding our own voice and place in this world. Everyone has their cross to bear in their lives. We love, we fight, we live, we die, we party, we cry, you get the point lol. My characters go through their share of strife, but in the end, they persevere. Just like we all do.

Who or what inspires you?
Music is my biggest inspiration. It has always been a huge part of my life, but when I started writing, I thought it would be a distraction. I was wrong! I almost always have music playing while I’m writing. I even created a playlist for each book and have it on my website! As for who inspires me? I would have to say, my husband and our children. They are my life and they inspire me everyday to be the best I can be.

What do you do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing I’m promoting myself. I’m all over social media! When I’m not doing that I am doing all the normal things moms do. Oh, I can’t forget that on my down time, or “me time” I like to plan our family vacations. Every year we go to Disney World because it is my happy place and I love it. 🙂

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 Celeste on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, AllRomanceEbooks, and Goodreads.

Click on the cover below to buy Give Me Pleasure:

The Nature of Reality

Posted on August 26, 2013 by blakely

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I’ve skirted around this topic before, talking about people’s differing perceptions of the same situation. Do we ever really perceive reality as it actually is? Without filtering it, altering it through our filters of life experience? I really do not think so.

My husband and I watch Through the Worm Hole with Morgan Freeman and they had an amazing episode on reality. The part I remember had to do with the sounds “fa” and “ba”. Say fa and ba and see how differently they sit in your mouth. So, if you watch a video of someone saying the ba sound but is actually mouthing fa, you will actually hear fa. However if you close your eyes and don’t watch the mouth moving, you hear the actual ba sound. What does that all mean? Well to me it means that our brain filters information beyond just what is present.

My husband and I are on the opposite spectrum when it comes to storytelling. For me, accuracy (as accurate as I can be given my perception of reality) is most important. However, for my husband, who comes from a family of storytellers, the enjoyment of the story in humor or intensity is most important. So facts and details sometimes get over inflated or understated if it suits the story better.

I keep that in mind when I listen to people relating details to me. First off, I remind myself that there are many sides to an issue. When people talk in extremes and absolutes like, always, never, every day, for hours on end, etc., that’s a sign to me that they are inflating the details of the events.

I think reality TV is much like reality and if you are scoffing, please give me a moment to explain. In reality TV they reshoot scenes to make them better, just like we replay scenes in our head (which can actually alter our thinking of a situation when we are emotionally charged and reviewing events). Throw in other people who are equally emotionally charged and lots of drama and rewriting of history can ensue.

The best personal example happened to me in my early twenties. In a dorm I lived in where you had to sign up to use the laundry facilities. One day, during my time-slot, another woman was doing her laundry and seemed rather angry. I had never met her before. We had a very brief interaction where, at least to me, she seemed pissed off with me.

As a few weeks past, every time we crossed paths she seemed to be glaring in my direction. One day, after I couldn’t take it anymore, I drummed up the courage to ask her why she was angry at me. Turns out, she didn’t even remember who I was. All the rest of the drama, I created for myself. It was definitely one of the most eye opening experiences that really changed my outlook on life, perception and reality.

As a writer, I have to remember that it’s incumbent upon me to create a believable “reality” that readers can buy into. My characters are usually a great guide in letting me know what the “reality” of the situation really is. I tend to trust my muse but still do research when necessary.

So do we every truly know the true nature of reality? I don’t think so because we can’t help but filter it through our own life experiences.

Thanks for taking the time to read and please share your thoughts on the matter.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
And like the My Body Trilogy Facebook page.
Find me Twitter & Pinterest.

2000 Likes Giveaway

Posted on August 13, 2013 by blakely

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Please join me in celebrating the approaching 2000 likes on the My Body Trilogy page on Facebook. There are many free books for giveaway and you can also join the event page for 2000 Likes Giveaway where I will be updating the prize pool.

Thanks so much for all your support!

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
And like the My Body Trilogy Facebook page.
Find me Twitter & Pinterest.

My Body Trilogy Virtual Book Tour Continues

Posted on August 5, 2013 by blakely

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I’m reposting the list of stops on the virtual book tour and will blog again once the tour has ended.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

July 29 Interview
Tanya’s Book Nook

July 30 Interview
Vision + Verse

July 31 Reviews
Compare our Men. book whores

August 1 Review
Romance Addict Book Blog

August 2 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

August 3 Spotlight
Momma’s Secret Book Obsession

August 5 Guest blog
Roxanne’s Realm

August 7 Guest blog and Review
Erzabet Bishop

August 8 Spotlight and Reviews
Faerie Tale Books

August 8 Guest blog
Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust

August 8 Guest blog
Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews

August 9 Character Interview and Review
Nightstand Novels

August 12 Guest blog
The Official Blog of A.C. James

August 12 Spotlight and Review
My Daily Romance

August 12 Guest blog
Smoldering Heat

August 12 Interview
Malfunction Erotica

My Body Trilogy Virtual Book Tour

Posted on July 29, 2013 by blakely

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I’m very excited to share that my virtual book tour is starting today. There will be an ebook giveaway at each site so make sure to comment!

Below are all the links for the coming days. You can also hit the tour button on the right sidebar on the home page which will take you to the most current site. You can also join the My Body Trilogy Virtual Book Tour event on Facebook where I will be posting updates each day.

If you come across a blog you would like to comment on or have other questions for me after reading one of the interviews, feel free to post your questions here or on Facebook.

I’m excited about the guest blogs, interviews and reviews. Let me know what you think!

Warm hugs,

Blakely

July 29 Interview
Tanya’s Book Nook

July 30 Interview
Vision + Verse

July 31 Reviews
Compare our Men. book whores

August 1 Review
Romance Addict Book Blog

August 2 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

August 3 Spotlight
Momma’s Secret Book Obsession

August 5 Guest blog
Roxanne’s Realm

August 7 Guest blog and Review
Erzabet Bishop

August 8 Spotlight and Reviews
Faerie Tale Books

August 8 Guest blog
Fangs, Wands & Fairy Dust

August 8 Guest blog
Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews

August 9 Character Interview and Review
Nightstand Novels

August 12 Guest blog
The Official Blog of A.C. James

August 12 Spotlight and Review
My Daily Romance

August 12 Guest blog
Smoldering Heat

August 12 Interview
Malfunction Erotica

Blakely’s Friday Interview with Leanna Harrow

Posted on July 26, 2013 by blakely

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Please give a warm welcome to Leanna Harrow, author of A Beautiful Liar~Book One of the Maggie West Series. She has been incredibly supportive of yours truly and I consider myself lucky to know her. She also host author interviews, so give her a shout out if you are interested. Without further ado:

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you’re currently working on or promoting.
I’m currently promoting A Beautiful Liar~Book One of the Maggie West Series. It’s an erotic romance about a woman who encounters a “catfish” online and embarks on a willful deception and becomes involved in long distance romance with him.

What genre is your book? Do you write in other genres as well?
Erotica, but I am currently working on a strictly romance book with a friend and bestselling author for Christmas!

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 self published my first two books early last year, announced it on LinkedIn and an acquisitions editor for a publisher saw my post and asked to read my manuscript. Two days later, I received an acceptance letter. They will have five of my books out by November of this year. It’s been a pretty hectic year that’s for sure!

Do you set writing goals and if so, what are they?
I can’t set goal, or follow guidelines or adhere to deadlines. I am not built that way. I write when I want and when I don’t I can’t. I don’t suffer from writers block; I suffer from “writers don’t want to”. I can’t force myself to do anything anymore. My mind and my body won’t allow me to. I guess it’s due to old age 😉

Who is your favorite author and why?
That’s too easy…Stephen King…because he’s as weird as I am 😉

Do you see yourself in any of your characters?
I modeled Maggie West after myself…literally. I used my life’s story as the back story in Book One and I knew that she would be someone that everyone, men and women alike could relate to because she’s strong, independent and tough. Everyone knows someone like Maggie. She’s someone’s mother, sister, aunt, cousin, grandmother, cousin. She’s someone everyone can say “Hey, that’s ______” and fill in the blank.

Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
In my erotic thriller “Killing the Desire” the serial killer was hard to write because a lot of research had to go into it…I know a lot about serial killer due to my fascination with them and the amount of time I’ve spent reading and watching stories about them but I wrote a story unlike one I had ever heard of so I had to really look into what I was writing about to make it believable.

Do you base your characters on people you know?
I try and always give someone I know a cameo…the usually figure it out 😉

How much time a day do you spend on social media?
Way, way too much!

What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?
“Another 10 year old trying to write” and this review left on Amazon for Killing the Desire: “This is one saucy number that will have you drenched with equal parts suspense and passion. A little bit of Carolyn Keene meets Zane with just a touch of E.L. James makes for quite the interesting romp on the hotter side of erotic suspense. You definitely want to give this author a shot.” I had to Google the authors as I didn’t know who they were…Seriously…I didn’t know who E.L. James was as I don’t read erotica 😉 I look at criticism, both good and bad like I do publicity…it’s all good 😉

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.

Barbara Winkes
Barbara C Rowe
Blakely Bennett (Because she seems to have a hand in everything…like me 😉 {THANKS LEANNA!}

Please be sure to check out Leanna’s Amazon Page, Author Tease Readings Blog, Facebook and Twitter.

Click on the covers below to buy her books.

Mourning the end of the My Body Trilogy

Posted on July 15, 2013 by blakely

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Today is the official release day of My Body-Mine, the last book of the My Body-Trilogy. I have completed novels and projects before, but this is the first time I have experienced a kind of sadness at the end. I’m pretty sure that the feeling stems from saying goodbye to Jane, my protagonist but maybe a little bit for Marcello as well.

I didn’t quite understand the phenomenon until I heard an interview with Daniel Day-Lewis. He spoke of his portrayal of Abraham Lincoln and how he missed seeing the world through his eyes.

I have been viewing the world through Jane’s eyes for a good bit of time now, three novels worth, and I will miss her, am missing her.

Some readers struggled with the fact that Jane stayed so long with Luke and yelled in their heads that she should get out, should run in the opposite direction, but Jane, like many women, chose to stay in a sometimes abusive relationship with the hopes that she would eventually get the love she truly needed. I love the story she set before me of struggle, self-reflection, perseverance and ultimate empowerment. Many of my readers have identified with her story and will be cheering her on in the end.

Some of my fans are hoping I write more of her journey in the future, however, Jane and I have parted company because I feel her story is complete, hence the mourning. On the bright side, if the trilogy does really well, I do have plans to write a prequel about Luke and Janice’s relationship prior to Jane. I personally would love to be in Luke’s mind and get to know more about him and his motivations.

I know as a reader, I have encountered this emotion before … of not wanting a book or a series to end. It’s rather more personal and intense on the writing side of things for me. There have been books, though, that I love so much, I had to read them again and still wish they wouldn’t come to an end. The Time Traveler’s Wife, Siddhartha and Replay come to mind.

Colin Firth put it so brilliantly: “When I’m really in to a novel, I’m seeing the world differently during that time – not just for the hour or so in the day when I get to read, I’m actually walking around in a bit of a haze, spellbound by the book and looking at everything through a different prism.”

Have you, as a writer or reader had the experience of mourning the end? Please share with us.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
And like the My Body Trilogy Facebook page.
Find me Twitter & Pinterest.

MY BODY-MINE Press Release

Posted on July 11, 2013 by blakely

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Catherine Treadgold
Publisher
Fanny Press
PO Box 70515
Seattle, WA 98127
206-414-7673
catherine@fannypress.com
www.fannypress.com

Fanny Press announces the July Release of MY BODY-MINE: A Story of Lust, Love, and Liberation

Seattle, WA—On July 15, 2013, Fanny Press will release MY BODY-MINE ($15.95, 324 pages, ISBN: 978-1-60381-534-5), by Blakely Bennett, the final episode in the MY BODY erotic suspense trilogy. In Books 1 and 2 Jane abandons her mundane existence as a successful businesswoman and willingly becomes the financially-dependent sexual plaything of two charismatic men, only to discover that their exhilarating game poses unforeseen dangers to both her body and her mind. In Book 3 she discovers what she truly desires from life and love.

“The story is exciting and enthralling and deserves to be a formidable success.”
—Ashley Lister, Erotica-Readers.com.

“Dark erotica at its best.”
—Bookie Nookie Reviews.

“Hot, scorching and delicious!”
—Erzabet’s Enchantments

Jane has accepted that her relationship with her husband Luke, who drew her in to the dark side of BDSM, is over. She has taken refuge at the home of Luke’s powerful friend Marcello and his submissive, Janice. With Marcello’s patience exhausted, Jane must either submit to his demands or move on from his household and his support. Ultimately, she signs a six month contract of sexual servitude but, as Marcello and Jane grow closer, Janice feels neglected and jealous, creating tension in their normally easy daily rhythm.

In an effort to help Jane, her best friend Parker introduces her to Chase, a confident and flirtatious man who lacks the arrogance of either Luke or Marcello. Jane’s rapport with Chase is lighthearted and subtle, allowing her to gain a new perspective on men. She is intensely attracted to Chase but does not feel free to consider him as more than a friend.

Once Jane gets a real picture of Marcello’s extremes, she knows what she must do. Her feelings about Luke and Marcello and her own sexuality must be resolved before she can find true love with a man who appreciates everything she has to offer. Can she possibly find the kink she has come to desire without the full-time submission?

“I experienced a mix of emotions upon completing My Body-Mine,” says Blakely. “I accomplished my goal, which was in itself gratifying. I also felt sad to say goodbye to Jane, my protagonist. The most interest part of the journey to becoming an author has been meeting people who think my novels are true and my characters are real. I’m flattered that they feel the stories so deeply that they believe the My Body Trilogy is based on actual events.”

Blakely Bennett has been residing in the great Northwest for over seven years. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University with a degree in psychology, which accounts for her interest in crafting the personalities, struggles, and motivations of her characters. You can find Blakely on the Web at: BlakelyBennett.fannypress.com.

MY BODY-MINE is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.com. After July 15, it will also be available in eBook and 5×8 trade paperback editions on BN.com, the European Amazons and Amazon Japan. Bookstores will be able to order through Ingram, Baker & Taylor or by contacting info@fannypress.com. Other electronic versions will be for sale on Smashwords and from most major online eBook retailers.

About Fanny Press—Based in Seattle, Washington, Fanny Press is a new publisher of quality erotica—fiction, adult comic books, memoirs and nonfiction—the coolest books on the market.

-END-

Push Through or Walk Away?

Posted on June 24, 2013 by blakely

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I consider myself to be self-reflective. I try to look past what I’m doing to why I’m doing it or why I’m reacting. I also like to explore what motivates a particular response or even how I can behave differently.

The hardest part for me is when I continuously hit up against the same stimulus with the same response even though I am working hard to move past it. It’s the most frustrating when I feel like I have grown only to find my emotions stirred up again in the same way as before.

In the past, I have held this belief that I can move past any issue if I’m willing to dig to the core of me. Because of this I sometimes take on more of the responsibility when an issue comes up than may be warranted (according to my husband).

Now I realized that sometimes the best thing, the healthiest thing, is to move away from the stimulus. I don’t mean from a ‘hiding’ standpoint but from acknowledging that the situation isn’t healthy and it’s time to move on. I had previously held the position that moving through the issue was always the best way to go but now I’m not so sure that’s always the right course of action. Reactions aren’t always just the mirror of our past but maybe a way of protecting us in the present.

Anytime I have a reaction that I don’t like, I tend to assume that I need to do something to change the circumstance or myself. Maybe all I need to do is remove myself from the situation. Unfortunately, it’s not always so black and white and easily discernible.

If you’ve read my novels, then you can probably see where Jane gets her introspection. I played with this concept of trying to evolve past the current situation. Sometimes we must, even in the case of family and friends, extract ourselves from the situations that don’t support us and our wellbeing. You will see Jane evolve in this manner throughout the arc of the trilogy.

The best example I can think of to illustrate the challenge happened when I worked in “corporate America.” I had a job and a half to get done in the traditional 40 hour week and as much as I tried and struggled, I couldn’t handle the stress of all the work not getting done that kept getting heaped on my plate. I had to rush from one thing to another never fully feeling satisfied with the outcome. Being away from the situation, I can now easily see that the job was an awful fit for me and the struggles I put myself through were simply me trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Back then though, I truly thought I should be able to change something within myself to make it work.

Fortunately, I now get to chase the dream of a published author (thanks to my wonderful husband) and that is far more satisfying. There are still times I run up against myself and other people’s personalities but at least I’m working for myself now and setting my own schedule.

Life continues to astound and amaze me and I am fascinated to continually learn more about the facets of myself and others.

How do you handle something you would like to change about yourself? Do you spend the time trying to figure out what motivates you?

Thanks for reading and please share your comments.

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook.
And follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page.
Find me Twitter & Pinterest.

Our Own Worst Critics

Posted on May 6, 2013 by blakely

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Not long ago, my husband and I had a discussion about how I perceive myself and my body in contrast to how he perceives me. During that discussion, I truly wished that I could see myself through his eyes. Even for an hour, if I could see myself the way he sees me, I believe it would change my world forever.

Recently on my Facebook wall, I had the opportunity to read a poem that spoke to that very phenomenon so perfectly for me. Please follow this link to read the poem called Within by Michael Peter Smith aka Mikeywine: http://mikeywine.wordpress.com/2013/04/17/within/

In addition, my wonderful step-daughter V, posted this incredible video where an artist sketches women based on their verbal description of themselves from behind a curtain and then based on another person’s take of them, someone whom they met just briefly. Call me sappy but the short video made me cry and I hope you’ll check it out as well: http://www.wimp.com/forensicartist/

Let me ask you why, as women, are we our harshest self-critics? I’m sure some men are as well but my general experience with the male gender is that they don’t waste much time wishing they would show up differently or that their bodies looked better. Why don’t we find satisfaction with our own uniqueness?

For myself, my weight fluctuated in my younger days and that had an impact on how I felt about myself on any given day. Fortunately the up and down of 50 lbs. has been reduced down to a 10-15 lbs. yo-yo depending on the season and my internal motivation. I don’t find it odd that we care about how we look since our appearance is what we present to the world, however, I must say, I’m looking forward to the day that my weight matters far less in my own self-evaluation.

In the My Body Trilogy, Jane’s view of herself changes and evolves through her character arc. Her mother often referred to her as Plain Jane in her childhood and that was the image she carried of herself until she met Luke and then Marcello.

As authors, being critiqued is unavoidable, and now anyone with Wifi can fancy themselves an anonymous expert. It’s imperative for our peace of mind that we maintain positive regard for ourselves and our work in the face negative criticism.

I know for me, early rejection as a child definitely affected how I viewed myself but as an adult I’d like to think I have something to say about how I perceive me, my life, and my writing.

At any rate, I plan to adopt my husband’s view, he who adores me and thinks I’m the coolest woman he knows. 🙂 Thanks love.

Are you a harsh self-critic? Has your opinion of yourself evolved over time? How do you handle negative reviews of your writing?

Warm hugs,

Blakely

Please feel free to friend me on Facebook by clicking here.
And follow the My Body Trilogy Facebook page by clicking here.
Find My Body-His (book one) for sale on Amazon here.
Find My Body-His Marcello (book two) on Amazon here.

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