“Being a Full Time Writer” by Ella Grey

A year or so ago I hurt my back. No, I didn’t slip on ice or do something stupid. Me and daredevil aren’t two words that you’re likely to hear in the same sentence. No, I was cutting up fabric on the floor and I stood up. That’s it. The sheering pain across my lower back was the result. The doctors called it a ruptured spinal disc which means I can’t carry my son for very long. I can’t sit in the same position for hours on end and I can’t wear high heels. Okay that last one probably doesn’t sound like such a big deal but I liked wearing them. I’m not the world’s tallest girl and heels make me feel pretty.

Typewriter

Typewriter (Photo credit: munhitsu)

But I’m getting off the point. Originally I worked in a bar. Yes I used to be the person who delivered food and generally looked miserable, which when you think about it includes most of the people who work in the catering trade. I wasn’t too sad when I had to leave that job. I’d worked there for seven years but I’ve always known what I wanted to be. I’d already had a few stories published and I planned on writing more. So, that difficult decision of leaving my job to write full-time was completely taken out of my hands.  It does have its upsides. I get to spend a lot of time with my son. I generally don’t write until he’s in bed. We do puzzles together, have pretend sword-fights and pretend to be dinosaurs. I wouldn’t trade that for the world.

My latest story is called The Schoolteacher and the Dom and it’s a part of Evernight Publishing’s Romance on the Go line. I like the idea behind the line. Being a mum means that sometimes there isn’t enough hours in the day to read, especially when I need to write as well. These stories are meant to be read in one sitting and are the perfect length to keep you satisfied.

So I’m giving away a free copy of The Schoolteacher and the Dom. All you have to do is tell me about the crappiest job that you’ve ever done. I’ll pick a winner by the end of the week.

Thanks Lila for having me.

***

You’re very welcome, Ella!

Let’s learn more about Ella’s book, shall we?

schoolteacherDom
Nola Pryce didn’t expect much to happen over the Christmas holidays. She planned on spending it alone, eating too much chocolate and watching bad TV. She certainly didn’t expect Alex, a man with a secret that’s sure to change her life—if she lets it.

Alex Winchester runs The Black Rose Club with his business partner and friend Lilith Yee. It caters to every dark fantasy. But Alex is a Dom without a submissive, until he meets Nola. He invites her to The Black Rose Club Christmas party. A lot rests on this one night. Alex is giving Nola a choice. It’s up to her if she wants to say yes.

Excerpt

Nobody likes being alone on Christmas, which was the only reason Nola Pryce was on a date with tall, dark, and dull. It had been a moment of weakness that made her say yes. Looking at him across the table made her wish she’d said no.

She’d stopped listening to the conversation about ten minutes ago. Now she was just randomly nodding and taking sips from her cup. Her attention wandered to checking out the bar that they’d decided to meet at. She liked it even if it was obvious that Tim didn’t judging by the way he wrinkled his nose as he’d walked in. It had a homely feel to it. The customers chatted with the staff, which created a low-key but friendly atmosphere. Her attention drifted to the framed newspapers on the wall. There was a history here that she liked.

It was the only good thing about the date. At least it’s an early evening dinner date. There wasn’t going to be that awkward moment at the end of the night when she didn’t invite him up for coffee. There was no way in the hell this would be turning into one date of many.

He’d been talking about himself for nearly an hour, his latest subject being a business trip to Japan. Somehow he’d even managed to make that sound boring.

“I just need to go to the ladies’. I’ll be right back.” Nola got to her feet, collecting her bag. She needed to fake an emergency or something. If she sat through anymore of this bullshit, she wouldn’t be responsible for her actions.

She noticed the guy looking at her from the bar as she went in search of the ladies’ room and smiled at him. When she finished up in the restroom, she headed back to the bar. A plan had already begun to form in her head.

“I need a favour.”

The man’s eyes widen at her forwardness. He put down the burger he’d been eating and used a napkin to clean sauce from his lips. “And what would that be?” he asked as soon as his mouth was empty. He was smartly dressed in a suit which had an impeccable cut but he looked much more relaxed than stuffy Tim. At that moment he looked like he was trying hard not to smile.

“I need you to call my phone in about five minutes.”

He looked around her, checking out Tim. He didn’t look unimpressed. “Trying to get out of a bad date?”

“You’ll be saving a person’s life.”

He looked a little surprised, “Yours?”

“No, his. I might actually have to kill him. Somebody that boring shouldn’t be allowed to live. I’d be doing the world a favour.”

He looked back at her solemnly but his eyes twinkled with supressed laughter. “I’ll call it. I wouldn’t want you to get yourself arrested.”

Nola leant on the bar and ordered another cup of tea from the waitress and placed her card in front of her.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

He really didn’t need to know that but the smile intrigued her. “It’s Nola Pryce. Yours?”

“Alex Winchester.”

She touched his arm. “Thank you, Alex. I owe you.”

The intriguing smile set her heart racing. Now if Alex had been her date, she wouldn’t be looking for the nearest exit. “It’s my pleasure, Nola.”

***

If you want a chance at winning a free copy of The Schoolteacher and the Dom at the end of the week, don’t forget to comment below (click on the little callout balloon in the upper right corner of this post) on the topic Ella requested above.

If you can’t wait that long, you can buy the book NOW, here:

Evernight Publishing  |  Amazon  |  All Romance eBooks

ellagreyAbout Ella Grey

Ella Grey is a jack of all trades and has been published in multiple genres. With her first story published nearly two years ago, she’s written short stories and novellas and shows no signs of stopping.

Ella’s always loved reading and inspired by Christopher Pike, wrote her first story at the age of fifteen. Now a decade later she’s creating Paranormal and Steampunk worlds.

She lives in a tiny house in the UK, with her other half, their son and their cat. She leads a hectic life but disappears into the worlds she’s created as soon as she puts the monster to bed.

Ella’s Website

 

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Snippet from Wild West Succubus

I haven’t done Six Sentence Sunday in a while so I thought I’d post a short snippet from my current WIP, to give you a taste of what I’ve been so busy with lately. Wild West Succubus will be a longer addition to my Succubus Chronicles and not a Romance on the Go.

I don’t think a set up is needed for this bit.

Cowboy

Cowboy (Photo credit: Moyan_Brenn_be_back_on_Jan_20th)

.

Hugo turns his head enough to share a smile so dazzling, my heart does a double beat and my lady parts perk up. “I reckon so.”

Down girl, down. “But we can catch it when it returns, right?”

“That’s the plan. If it returns. Are you ready for lesson three?”

I grin and nod. Our eyes lock and hold for the longest time, and I swear I can feel his heartbeat pulsing and tugging me closer. Only when my balance is compromised do I realize I’ve been slowly leaning toward him like a lovestruck ninny. His ability to rile me up inside is gaining ground, and I don’t understand why. If all gargoyles are this charming, it’s a wonder there are any demons running around. Why he seems so keen on teaching me these lessons, I still don’t understand, but if it keeps him from killing me, I’m more than happy to keep learning. But for how long? How many lessons, and will there be a final exam?

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Regrettable Book of the Week™ — “The Widow’s Last Laugh”

Today I have the eighteenth in my “Regrettable Book of the Week™” series. For those of you new to my series, this is 100% parody. You are more than welcome to laugh, snicker and guffaw at my amateurish photoshopping and blurb writing. Bad is good. Good is bad.

I was exchanging comments on Goodreads with Tasmanian Jill and June Gray about Bared to You by Sylvia Day. Eventually the comments turned to the plethora of billionaire romances and how they were getting a little overdone. June and Jill said they wanted to read a love story where the heroine was the billionaire instead of the hero. I thought that sounded like a great idea so long as the heroine isn’t some drop dead gorgeous cougar who looks ten years younger. That, my friends, was the genesis of today’s Regrettable:

WidowsLastLaugh

The Tagline:

Money can’t buy love, but it can make a nice down payment.

The blurb:

Regina Dingler married for love. Too bad her husband married for money. When the philandering dirtbag dies, a succession of mistresses emerge, each with a sordid tale, an open palm, and a hotshot attorney. No point in buying the bimbos’ silence because apparently everyone except Regina has known all along. The last thing she wants, however, is pity and certainly not at her dead husband’s funeral.

For Lot O’Toole playing arm candy to a wealthy widow is just another day’s work for a top shelf gigolo. If some old gal wants to thumb her nose at a few of her hens, that’s fine with him. She’s paying top dollar for his time and any other parts of him she might require. He’ll just remind himself to “think of England” even though he lives in Phoenix.

When the mistresses join forces to challenge the late Mr. Dingler’s will and pre-nuptial agreement, Lot comes to Regina’s rescue. He is pleasantly surprised to discover the wicked sense of humor his client has been hiding beneath her plain Jane exterior.  Soon, thoughts of England turn into thoughts of E ticket rides at Disneyland. But can Lot ever offer the one part of himself he’s kept a virgin all these years–his heart? Will Regina ever be able to trust a man to love her for anything but her money? And what of the mistresses? Will there be a special edition The Bachelor reality show produced just for them?

 

Pretty Woman with a penis. Oh my! I could totally see myself writing this with a heaping dose of snark. Some day…maybe.

Do you have an idea for the next “Regrettable Book of the Week™”? Be sure to share in the comments if so.

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Disclaimer: “Regrettable Book of the Week™” is a completely fictional (duh!) creation for parody purposes only. I have no product beyond what you see in this post. Photos are free download proofs of stock photos or photos I have purchased, not to be used for commercial purposes. This is not a commercial purpose, however, I retain any and all creative story rights in the highly unlikely event I accidentally create something that might be worth a damn.

See all prior Regrettable Books of the Week HERE

The Next Big Thing — More Chronicles!

The Next Big Thing — More Chronicles!

I’ve been tagged by Kastil Eavenshade to play the meme of “The Next Big Thing”. First off, the graphic is of my own making and is not by any stretch the “official” badge.

1. What is the working title of your book?

Wild West Succubus

2. Where did the idea come from for the book? 

Just one of my many succubus chronicles that were originally an A to Z group of stories sampling all different genres and worlds whose heroine’s names followed the letters of the alphabet. Wild West Succubus is Priscilla’s story.

3. What is the genre of the book?

Paranormal western historical. ha! I made up my own genre.

4. Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie
rendition?

Ooh, toughie. I hadn’t thought about it until this question. Priscilla makes herself look forty but if she goes natural she looks closer to twenty. Never mind that she’s pushing one hundred. Off the top of my head, I’d tap Rachel Weisz for Priscilla Goodnight.

For her nemesis / love interest, let’s keep it in the family and tap her real life husband, Daniel Craig, for Hugo Desmond. He was in Cowboys and Aliens after all.

Daniel Craig in Casino Royale

Daniel Craig in Casino Royale (Photo credit: suanie)

English: The British actress Rachel Weisz.

English: The British actress Rachel Weisz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

A succubus demon consumed and embittered by guilt for her past actions, meets her match and her redemption in the gargoyle, one of an order of demon-killers, sent to deal with her.

6. Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency/publisher?

I’ll probably pitch it to my current Succubus Chronicles publisher, Evernight.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It’s still in process but nearing the end. I wrote a short story called Priscilla during 2011 NaNoWriMo, one of about ten short stories that I wrote during NaNo for the Chronicles. That short was in the 4000 words range. I’ve been expanding it for a few weeks now to its current 15k. It’ll probably be about 20k when I finish it. This one is too long to be a Romance on the Go so it will most likely be a novella and the longest to date of all the chronicles.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Probably Richelle Mead’s Georgia Kinkaid succubus stories, though hers are mainstream romance vs. erotic romance.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I love writing about succubi anyway and wanted an excuse to dabble in multiple genres. Priscilla is my first attempt at a western.

10. What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

The heroine is not very nice…not at first…but the hero sees something worth salvaging in her. With time and love, she begins to see it, too.

***

Ok, so I’m supposed to tag a few more authors to do this. I’ll tag ‘em but many may have already done this meme so no guarantees:

  • Sandra Bunino
  • Regan Summers
  • Doris O’Connor
  • Ella Grey
  • Siobhan Muir
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Regrettable Book of the Week™ — “I ABsolutely Love You”

Today I have the seventeenth in my “Regrettable Book of the Week™” series. For those of you new to my series, this is 100% parody. You are more than welcome to laugh, snicker and guffaw at my amateurish photoshopping and blurb writing. Bad is good. Good is bad.

This one is all about the bare chest, the male bare chest, specifically and in every sense of the word.

AbsolutelyLove2

The Tagline:

Beauty may only be skin deep but desire goes deeper than muscle.

The blurb:

Tina Theriot hates to exercise. It’s messy, smelly and the most uncouth grunting noises always seem to accompany exertion. No thank you. Walking the mall in search of the perfect high heel is the closest she’ll get and that includes frequent breaks to see and be seen in the Galleria coffee shop.

Tina is exactly the sort of woman Dick Manley despises–spoiled, pampered and more concerned with camouflaging her body flaws with expensive designer wear than in perfecting what God gave her. The only thing worse than women like Tina are women who hire him as their personal trainer and expect overnight results in time for their class reunion. He’s spent nearly twenty years battling his childhood pudge the old-fashioned way–through hard work. There are no magic pills or lotions or creams.

When Tina’s son is diagnosed with type two diabetes, the single mother realizes she must set a better example and seeks out Dick’s personal training services. Though he is quite possibly the rudest, most belligerent muscle-head she’s ever met, she’s determined to change for her son’s sake. At least Dick’s got a decent six-pack and a pair of buttocks tight enough to bounce a Jimmy Choo off.

Can Dick see the iron-hearted woman lurking beneath those extra pounds? Can Tina see beyond the hardbody exterior hiding the wounded soul of a bullied boy? And if they can, will that insight lead to contempt or love or just another transaction for both of them? Will Tina lose the weight? Will Dick set aside his fat prejudices? Does Jimmy Choo make a sneaker? Is Dick’s tummy divet and inny or an outie?

OK, I sort of devolved into wackiness with that last regrettable paragraph, but it was getting late and I was tired so you get what you get. Other than that, how’m I doing on the man-flesh this week? Nice, huh?

 

Do you have an idea for the next “Regrettable Book of the Week™”? Be sure to share in the comments if so.

***

Disclaimer: “Regrettable Book of the Week™” is a completely fictional (duh!) creation for parody purposes only. I have no product beyond what you see in this post. Photos are free download proofs of stock photos or photos I have purchased, not to be used for commercial purposes. This is not a commercial purpose, however, I retain any and all creative story rights in the highly unlikely event I accidentally create something that might be worth a damn.

See all prior Regrettable Books of the Week HERE