When it comes to a good story, I always start with character. Well, characters. My hero and heroine. If I can see them. Get inside their heads. Then I can’t write their story. Back when I used to do Pern fan fiction, the first thing you had to fill out was the character sheet. If your character was interesting enough then you were accepted to be part of the writing group and the more complete the sheet. the more interesting the character and the more you had to write about. I’ve found this is true now, too.

While I don’t do a formal “persona sheet” anymore, I do still do character sketches so I know my characters’ background. Here are the character sketches I developed for Joe and Mandy, my hero and heroine for Cupid Rocks. I hope you enjoy them!

***

Joseph Schwarzerwulf / Joe Blackwolf.

Joe was born February 9, 1973—just turned 40. He plays guitar. He’s 6’1” and 190 lbs.  He has large hands.  Left hand has short nails and calluses on the fingertips. Right hand has long nails and no calluses.

He feels like he’s the family “disappointment” because he went into rock music instead of becoming a classical guitarist.  He legally changed his name to Joseph Blackwolf when he started playing in rock bands at the age of 20.

He is the oldest of three sons born to Leopold and Maria and his brothers are Jacob (opera singer) and Julian (trumpeter).

Joe’s musical influences:  Andres Segovia, Christopher Parkening, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen – since joining The Pack he’s discovered blues guitarists due to Eddie Goldwolf’s encouragement.

Joe practices four to six hours daily.  If he can manage it, he practices eight. He’s a disciplined musician who is determined to be technically excellent.  He’s driven to prove that he’s as good a musician as his father even though he doesn’t play classical music.  If he doesn’t have time to practice enough before a gig he can play well but doesn’t feel as “prepared” as he thinks he should be.

When he left home (and college) at twenty to pursue rock music his father gave him a Les Paul sunburst Gibson guitar.  Joe has many guitars but he practices and almost always performs using the LP.  He still has the Hauser acoustic guitar his father gave him when he began playing classical guitar.  When he practices classical music, he’ll pick up the Hauser to practice on.  He also takes the Hauser on stage to play acoustic tunes.

***

Mandy Goldwolf

Mandy was born July 28, 1977 – she’s 35 years old. Mandy is a plus-size female who makes the most of her curves. She knows males love her full breasts and round butt, but she still sometimes worries about her body. She is the only pup of Eddie and Carly Goldwolf and while she knows she is well loved by them both, her childhood wasn’t simple or idyllic.

Her parents, Eddie and Carly, met when they were twenty and eighteen, respectively, and have been together ever since. Their mating wasn’t an easy one, despite the fact that her parents were—and are—True Mates. Eddie resented finding his mate so young because he didn’t get the chance to get wild with females and live out the whole “sex, drugs and rock and roll” dream. Also, Carly’s father looked down his regal nose at Eddie and Eddie responded by going on benders and disappearing for days. When Mandy was ten, Eddie finally chose to dry out. Now, Eddie regrets putting his mate and his daughter through such hell, but Mandy remembers it and it colors her budding relationship with Joe.

Mandy loves music. She was born in The Pack and sang with the band from a very young age. However, when she was eighteen, she had a traumatic performance experience. She participated in a competition and forgot the words to a song, completely freezing on stage. It was so bad that Carly had to come onstage to help her off. From then on, Mandy developed stage fright. It grew worse and worse until she quit performing in public.

Since she could no longer perform, she chose to follow her second love…photography. She shoots portrait work to make money, but loves to do art photography too.

***

Mandy and Joe together

When they meet, the attraction is immediate and fiery. But there are some bumps along the way because Joe still views himself as the black sheep of his family and keenly feels his father’s disapproval. Mandy is still fighting her stage fright and has some baggage about her parents’ history. Joe and Eddie have built a friendship, but Eddie has an almost pathological fear that his daughter will end up with a musician like him and this fear rebounds on Joe, when Mandy’s parent’s find out about the relationship.

Cupid Rocks revolves around the family issues in Mandy and Joe’s life and how they work through their problems to end up strong and together in the happily ever after they deserve.

* * * * *

Here’s the story blurb:

Cupid Rocks

When her parents’ rock band, The Pack, performs at Zach’s bar, Mandy discovers her True Mate, Joe Blackwolf, the band’s lead singer and guitarist. All she has to do now is convince Joe that she told a little white lie to make her mom happy, her father that rock musicians aren’t all alike, and her new mate’s family that rockers aren’t all that different from classical musicians.

Joe Blackwolf is celebrating his 40th birthday. And what he wishes for when he blows out the candles is to find his True Mate. He succeeds when he meets Mandy Goldwolf. Problem is…she belongs to someone else. Finding out the truth leaves him free to explore every inch of her smokin’ hot curves, but now, Joe and Mandy are neck deep in overbearing relatives and everyone is in for a rockin’ Valentine’s Day!

* * * * *

Excerpt:

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

An Excerpt From: Cupid Rocks

Copyright © FRANCESCA HAWLEY, 2013

All Rights Reserved, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.

“Am I dead, Angel? Cause you look like you’re straight from heaven!”

“That has to be the worst line I’ve ever heard,” Mandy laughed, looking up into warm brown eyes. She shivered as he settled into the chair beside her.

“Maybe, but it made you laugh.” He took her hand. “Can I buy you a drink?”

Joe waved over a waiter and ordered for them without once releasing her hand. She could feel the rough calluses guitar playing had created on his fingers, but they turned her on. He turned her on.

This was Joe? “Good ole Joe” as Eddie called him. He was neither good nor old. No. He was gorgeous…and talented. Zach wasn’t kidding when he’d said this Blackwolf was a great guitarist and singer. For the first time since Carly bugged her, she wished with all her might she hadn’t lied about Zach being her mate. Zach might be handsome, but Joe made her throb in places that hadn’t throbbed in all of her thirty-five years.

“So what’s with the camera, Angel? Fan or reporter?”

Mandy looked down at her fingers clenched around her camera strap. If she told him who she was, he’d back off so fast she’d see skid marks on the floor. Just this once, she wanted to pretend she was someone else. Just tonight. She leaned forward pressing her lips against his ear.

“I’m more than a fan. I’m a groupie. Can’t you tell?” He shuddered, turning his head he met her gaze. The fire glowing in his eyes set her boiling. Yes. She had to have him. Now.

“A groupie? For just any rock musician?”

“No, Joe. I want you.”

“Fuck, yeah,” he growled, standing so abruptly his chair toppled over. No one nearby noticed as he dragged her to her feet. “Where?”

Mandy looked over toward the hallway leading to Zach’s office and smiled. They had a clear path. She pulled him after her and they ducked into the shadowy space. He pressed her to the wall and took her mouth in a deep kiss. Their mouths meshed together. Joe pulled back to nip at her lips, then ran his tongue along the inside edge of her lower lip. She caught his long dark hair in her fingers, holding his mouth to hers.

Fire. Heat. She’d never felt anything like this in her entire life. She moaned as his mouth slid to nuzzle her neck. Mandy wrapped her free arm around him, clutching his leather jacket. She lifted her right leg along his hip. He stepped into the opening she’d created, thrusting his hips against hers.

She shivered as his rough fingers slid along her leg and under her skirt. He slipped his fingers under her panties and cupped her ass. Grasping her, he pulled her more firmly against his hard cock. He reached up to her peasant top, untying the drawstring to bare her bra covered breast. His hot breath teased her neck and then his warm tongue grazed her skin as he licked his way over her curves

“Hey. Anyone seen Joe?” Mandy and Joe froze as she heard Eddie’s voice. He was close. Too close. She looked out of the entrance of the hall. She didn’t see him, but he was right there. She knew it. Mandy closed her eyes, fighting to keep her panting excitement from giving them away.

“I think I saw him with a hot chick earlier. I didn’t get a good look at her though. Just noticed she was his type.” Tom responded with a laugh.

Joe groaned in her ear, and kissed her cheek. She turned to look up at him. He was still on fire, she could see it but there was a definite question in his dark eyes? Stop or go?

She lowered her leg and he sighed, then she smiled and grabbed his hand. “This way,” she whispered.

Mandy knew there was an empty unlocked office back here and she wanted this wolf and she wanted him now. He chuckled as they moved into the darkness. She found the door on the right and turned the knob. Hearing the click, she pushed, wincing at the creak when the door stuck. He pushed her through and they shut the door behind them. Mandy flipped the light switch, blinking a bit to adjust to the table lamps that came on. She’d been expecting an overhead. They looked at each other and grinned.

Joe pulled her over to the empty desk and she climbed up onto it. He stroked her cheek. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. I don’t want to stop. Not now.”

* * * * *

Released from Ellora’s Cave on February 22, 2013.

* * * * *

Francesca Hawley, author bio

I’m Francesca Hawley and I’m a fat chick. A woman with dangerous curves just like my heroines.

I first began to read romance when I was in my teens. I loved the genre, but the heroines were all thin. Their thighs didn’t rub together…had never rubbed together…and frankly I had trouble relating to these ladies. The stories were great—full of emotion and well told, but the heroines weren’t like me and that was a major disappointment.  I kept wondering where were the fat heroines? I found some occasionally, but to have their Happily Ever After they usually had to lose weight and go from ugly duckling to swan.

Well, I wanted a fat heroine who loved herself—or at least learned to love herself—and a hot alpha hero who liked her jiggly bits just the way they were. Since I didn’t find many big girls to read about, I decided  to write about them myself. After all, I loved to write anyway and had been writing almost as long as I’d been reading, so Francesca Hawley – author of Romance with Dangerous Curves was born.

In a Francesca Hawley romance, my readers will find authentic, sensual, fat heroines who love and are loved by their intense, passionate, and seductive Alpha heroes. I hope you enjoy their dangerous curves just as much as their hunky heroes do.

web site – http://www.francescahawley.com/

blog – http://francescasmindstream.blogspot.com/

facebook – https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaHawley.author

twitter – https://twitter.com/francescahawley

goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/608399.Francesca_Hawley

pinterest – http://pinterest.com/francescahawley/

yahoo group -  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/francescahawley/

Hi everyone – Francesca Hawley here!

My latest release is Cupid Rocks and it takes place in my shapeshifter universe at Valentine’s Day.
My hero, Joe Blackwolf, is a lead singer/lead guitarist in a rock band. The story opens on his fortieth birthday where he’s wondering what he’s got to show for his life. Years of touring, but no home and no pups. Complications arise when he meets his True Mate, Mandy Goldwolf. He  discovers she is the only daughter of two True Mated musicians in his new band, The Pack. Even worse in Joe’s eyes, he thinks Mandy is a cheater and he has some negative experiences of that.

Mandy isn’t mated, but she told her mother she was in order to get some breathing room on the ever present topic of “when am I going to get some grandpups?” Well, Mandy has some ‘splaining to do because she doesn’t tell Joe the truth right away. Instead, they do the wild thing in an empty office between sets. Now she has to straighten out the mess she created by lying to her mother and not telling Joe the truth before he found out in a very public way.

Music always has a really important role when I’m writing. I use it to get myself into the right frame of mind, to help me deal with rough patches, and the get those pesky love scenes just right. So what do I listen to in order to get in the mood to write this story? Well, I’ve created a playlist of songs that I might expect to hear The Pack play during a concert. Here are some of the songs I used for inspiration and why. I’ve collected a number of these into a playlist on YouTube. Click here to see the video playlist!

Sweet Child O’Mine – Guns and Roses

This one opens the concert at the opening of the book. One of the most recognizable opening guitar riffs ever. I can see Joe playing this clear as day. He hasn’t met Mandy, but this is who she’ll come to represent to him. (No, not his child – find the lyrics and you’ll know what I mean).

Joe Fabulous – Bad Company

This one should be pretty self-explanatory. Joe Blackwolf is fabulous. At least Mandy thinks so and this song is a great showcase for Joe’s guitar playing.

Wanted Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi

Great guitar riffs at the opening and it describes life on the road really well. It fits Joe’s mindset at the opening of my story. Tired, jaded, but loving the life he’s led for the last twenty years. Like Bon Jovi – Joe’s “seen a million faces and he’s rocked them all.”

Turn The Page – Bob Seger

Another song about life on the road. The mood of this song is mournful. I love the sense of “other” Seger sings about when going into restaurants. “Is that a woman or a man?” Joe’s always had long hair so this is part of his background. Sometimes listening to the right songs, gets me inside the core of a character faster than anything else, and when he sings it, his parents get a sense of who he is.

Bouree (J.S. Bach) – performed by Yngwie Malmsteen

When I first started writing this story, I didn’t know who Yngwie Malmsteen was. I’d heard of Hendrix, Beck, Clapton and Van Halen. I sat down with musician/guitarist Dorian Michael and shared info about my guitar player and picked his brain for ideas. Little things that would be useful to know. As I described Joe, Dorian mentioned Malmsteen and how the Swedish artist was a heavy metal guitarist and shredder to the nth degree who had a classical background. It was almost like he was describing Joe to me and I knew that Malmsteen would have been a huge influence on Joe when he was starting out as a musician. So when The Pack plays, they always include at least one Malmsteen cover so Joe can rock out.

My Father’s Eyes – Eric Clapton

Since Joe joined The Pack, the band has always opened the second set with two songs about fathers. Joe sings these songs in tribute to his own father but he never expected his father to hear him sing because of Leopold’s disapproval for rock music.

Leader of the Band – Dan Fogelberg

At the concert that his parents attend, the band begins the second set the way they always do, despite Joe’s uncertainty. Joe loves his dad a lot but he’s never been able to tell him. This song allows him and his brothers, who join him on stage, to tell Leopold how they feel.

Malaguena – Steven Pasero

Originally the sixth movement of the Suite Andalucia by Ernesto Lecuona. I heard a live version played by Steven Pasero and it evoked Joe in classical mode.  I knew the passion and intensity of this performance was in Joe’s soul and it would inspire and arouse Mandy when she heard him perform it. She’s a guitar chick, after all.

Rockstar – Nickelback

This is just tongue in cheek funny. Joe’s a working rock musician, not a rock star. He almost can’t imagine the “Rock Star” life. He’s good enough to have made it but wasn’t really willing (as he feels ) to lose a piece of himself to make it. So he makes fun of the life by singing a cover of this song. Most of his band mates are influenced by the sixties and seventies greats. Joe is more eighties and nineties because he’s always been the oldest member of a band in the past.

BTW, if you’ve never seen the video for this song, seek it out. It is hilarious. You’ll see one of the guys from ZZ Top, Ted Nugent, Gene Simmons, Wayne Gretzky, blond Playboy bunnies and many more in cameo appearances. Nickelback doesn’t even appear in this video until the last couple of bars of the song. It is a killer video. (You can’t tell I’m a Nickelback fan, can you?)

The Load Out/Stay – Jackson Browne

Encore time. More life on the road, but this is dedicated to the audience. Kind of a “thank you” for coming. I’ve always loved this song, and I’m sure a lot of bands have covered this tun through the years. Mandy’s mom plays the keyboards, but Joe sings it. I love the way The Load Out just segues into Stay. It’s a great encore tune.

Faithfully – Journey

Mandy has never liked life on the road, but Joe is a musician. He can’t stop or he’ll stop being who he is. In his past, long distance relationships have crashed and burned. But with Mandy, he’s willing to try…Faithfully. Mandy is willing to give up some of her security to travel with him at times, while she provides him a home base to come back to. The love and passion between them

Angel Eyes – The Jeff Healey Band

Joe’s view of Mandy. He can’t believe she could or should want him. I’ve loved this song ever since Jeff Healey was featured in RoadHouse. This song has a real blues flavor mixed with the rock and Healey’s rough voice makes this song a must hear. It fits Joe’s view of Mandy – untouchable – yet there’s nothing he wants more than to touch her. Love her. sigh… Yeah, I love this one.

Angel – Aerosmith

Angel is Joe’s nickname for Mandy. Great love song with good guitar riffs. He’s crying and aching for her. He wants her to come and save him. Totally fits the story and the characters. I love Aerosmith. Between Steven Tyler’s vocals and Joe Perry’s guitar, they’re gold practically every time they perform.

Wonderful Tonight – Eric Clapton

This song is bittersweet for Mandy and Joe because of the context of its appearance in the story. I’ve made up my mind to have it make a reappearance late in the story. This kind of becomes “their song.”

***

Hope you enjoyed my playlist. When you are writing what do you listen to? Do you create a playlist? Do your songs have words or are they classical so they don’t distract you?

If you’re a reader, do you turn on background music when you’re reading or do you prefer silence so you can immerse yourself in the story?

Here’s the story blurb:

Cupid Rocks

When her parents’ rock band, The Pack, performs at Zach’s bar, Mandy discovers her True Mate, Joe Blackwolf, the band’s lead singer and guitarist. All she has to do now is convince Joe that she told a little white lie to make her mom happy, her father that rock musicians aren’t all alike, and her new mate’s family that rockers aren’t all that different from classical musicians.

Joe Blackwolf is celebrating his 40th birthday. And what he wishes for when he blows out the candles is to find his True Mate. He succeeds when he meets Mandy Goldwolf. Problem is…she belongs to someone else. Finding out the truth leaves him free to explore every inch of her smokin’ hot curves, but now, Joe and Mandy are neck deep in overbearing relatives and everyone is in for a rockin’ Valentine’s Day!

* * * * *

Find me online!

web site – http://www.francescahawley.com/

blog – http://francescasmindstream.blogspot.com/

facebook – https://www.facebook.com/FrancescaHawley.author

twitter – https://twitter.com/francescahawley

goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/608399.Francesca_Hawley

pinterest – http://pinterest.com/francescahawley/

yahoo group -  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/francescahawley/

Hi All! Francesca Hawley here and I’m pleased to tell you all that I FOUND a place to live and I start my new job TODAY! I’m thrilled and excited but nervous as can be. It’s a good kind of nervous though. The kind where new horizons are opening and the possibilities are endless.

The move was every kind of crazy. From last minute decisions, to packing the night before, to getting a late start and the entire time schedule for the day being shot. It took way longer to load. One of my friends who was going to help with the driving got evil sick the morning of the move. So my friend, Annie drove the truck and I drove her vehicle. Then I rode BACK to the old place after we finished unloading (after 8 at night) and I picked up my car and drove back. I finally got back  home at about 5 am.

My cats who had remained at the new place were happy to see me and I fell into bed but had trouble falling asleep. Really. That was Saturday and today. Today after I woke up, I spent the day unpacking and rearranging. But, I’m here. I’m happy. And I’m feeling hopeful.

I’m grateful for the friends that helped with the packing – Robin, Denise, Vicki, and Annie – and to those that helped me on moving day – Annie, my new boss Amy and her family who came over to help unload, as well as new neighbor Dale, Todd and his wife and my landlord who helped line up moving help.

All in all, it was a good experience that has made me stronger and I’m grateful for the friends and potential new friends I’ve met.

Oh – before I forget – and HOW could I forget – I have a new shapeshifter erotic romance from EC coming out on Feb 22 called Cupid Rocks. No cover art yet, but I’m excited about this book too.  Here’s the blurb!

The winner of Alpha vs. Alpha (or one of my back list books – readers choice) is Quilt Lady. I’ve sent you an email. When I hear from you, I’ll send you an electronic copy.  Thanks so much for commenting!

Hi all,

This is Francesca Hawley and I’m thrilled to announce that on December 21, I will have a new release available from Ellora’s Cave Publishing. My new book is titled Leader of the Pack. It will be my first new book in over a year. It’s a follow-up to Alpha vs. Alpha, but both can stand alone.

I’ve written many stories with male pack leaders, but in Protect and Defend, I indicated that females could be pack leaders. It just wasn’t typical. So in the back of my mind, I considered the idea of a female pack leader. How would that work? Especially if her True Mate was an alpha male? That’s where Leader of the Pack came from and I’m really happy with how it turned out.

Yohana is a kickass female who knows how to leader her pack and is willing to make sacrifices. Per (pronounced like the fruit – pear) is a healer who cares for people, but he’s also an alpha male. He loves Yohana’s strength, yet there’s conflict between them as they work out who holds the top position at any given time. I had fun reintroducing Predator-Match.com to my shapeshifter world as both Yohana and Per utilize the services of the matchmaking agency to find a Mate. I loved including Serena in this story, too. It was fun to revisit her and her relationship with Damien – if only briefly.

Here’s the blurb:

Surgeon Dr. Per Goldwolf needs a mate to make partner in a prestigious practice. Predator-Match.com—a matchmaking service for shapeshifters—not only finds him a mate, they match him with his True Mate. Yohana’s long legs and fair flesh make him lick his lips and her scent makes him rock-hard.

New packleader Yohana Whitewolf’s life goal is to follow in her sire’s pawprints and lead her pack. Leadership demands sacrifices. To calm her people, Yohana needs a mate. But finding an Alpha male who won’t take over is a tall order. Yohana doesn’t want the complication of a True Mate, but Per is a sexy, intelligent Alpha male and she wants to shred his clothes every time she touches him.

Everything should be perfect—except she’s a packleader, and the Whitewolf pack is nervous.

Read the excerpt – visit the Ellora’s Cave web site. Here’s the link…

* * * * *

To start new readers off right, I’d like to run a contest. If you comment today or tomorrow, you win an electronic copy of Alpha vs. Alpha for your reading pleasure. If you already own AvA, you can choose one of the other books from my backlist. I’ll announce the winners on Wednesday!

Last week I finally finished and submitted a new story to Ellora’s Cave. I wrote a follow-up to Alpha vs. Alpha using the Predator-Match.com matchmaking service as the device to get my hero and heroine together. I’m very pleased with this story and I really like my hero and heroine. What’s so important about this story is that it’s been over a year since I had a release out. With my health issues last year, my production went to nil. This year I have come back from it and feel kind of phoenix-like with regards to my writing.

My only worry is that my previous editor at EC left and I’ve been reassigned. Now, I have heard from my crit partner (and others) that my new editors at EC are awesome, but I’m really kind of nervous about what their response will be to the story. Changing editors is just a part of this business and I know this…intellectually. But emotionally…not so much. My previous editor was the one who pulled me out of the slush pile and offered me my first contract. Mary was great to work with and I wish her well, but I am kind of nervous about my reception. I really hope my new editors love it! Keep your fingers crossed for me!

One thing that’s very good is that I’m confident in this story. I like my characters. The sex is hot. The conflict works, the end makes sense and it’s emotional. That makes me very happy. I’m proud of myself and very pleased that my characters decided to cooperate with me this time. So what’s the story about? Let me give you a taste. I hope you like it.

* * * * *

Leader of the Pack

©Francesca Hawley

Surgeon Dr. Per Goldwolf needs a mate to make partner in a prestigious practice.  Predator-Match.com—a matchmaking service for shapeshifters—not only finds him a mate, they match him with his True Mate. Yohana’s long legs and fair flesh make him lick his lips and her scent makes him rock hard.

New packleader Yohana Whitewolf’s life goal is to follow in her sire’s pawprints and lead her pack. Leadership demands sacrifices. To calm her people, Yohana needs a mate. But finding an Alpha male who won’t take over is a tall order. Yohana didn’t want the complication of a True Mate, but Per is a sexy, intelligent Alpha male and she wants to shred his clothes every time she touches him.

Everything should be perfect—except she’s a packleader— and the Whitewolf pack is nervous.

* * * * *

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.

An Excerpt From: Leader of the Pack

Copyright © FRANCESCA HAWLEY, 2012

Leader of the Pack

Chapter One

Yohana Whitewolf paced Serena Goldwolf’s office barely containing her irritation and impatience. Between the flu plague sweeping through most of Denver, and her pack’s pressure to provide an heir, Yohana was ready to kill something.

Yohana knew the only way to prevent the pack from splintering was to find a Mate and soon, so she stayed in the deserted office. Her sire had died only six months ago, so she needed a firmer grasp on the job of packleader. A Mate and a pup were distraction to the vital work she must do. She sighed. Still, she needed to placate them in order to keep her place or the pack would disintegrate. She couldn’t allow it. She had a duty to prevent it, and she’d made a promise to Jeremiah—her father.

Yo restrained her annoyance because most of Serena’s staff at the shapeshifter match service Predator-Match.com was out with the flu, leaving them short-handed. The flu was sweeping through the Whitewolf pack too, so she could relate. Serena rushed into the room, flopping into her chair with a sigh. Yohana smiled reluctantly at her long-time friend.

“I think I need roller skates today, Yo. I am so sorry I’ve kept you waiting. There are just two of us in the office and of course we couldn’t reach people to cancel.” Serena groaned.

“I don’t think your Mate would approve of a female in your condition on roller skates.” Yohana’s dry response elicited a laugh from Serena. Serena patted her rounded belly.

“Maybe not, but I still could use some skates.”

Yohana sat down, a faint smile on her face. She remembered fondly pupsitting Serena years ago. They had remained friends and were like sisters in many ways because they were both only children and daughters of pack leaders.

The biggest difference between them, other than height, was that Serena had no interest in following her father as pack leader. She was happy being the Alpha female allowing her Alpha Male True Mate, Damien, to lead their burgeoning family. Leading the Whitewolf pack was all Yohana had ever wanted. She felt a deep commitment to guide and serve the members of her pack so they could all prosper. She couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“You aren’t here for lunch, Yo.”

“How do you know?”

“Because you made an appointment with me. Are you finally going to let me put your profile together to help you hunt for a Mate?”

“I don’t want to hunt for a Mate. I need to find one.” Yo couldn’t stay in the chair any longer, so she rose to pace again.

Serena frowned. “Find one?” She pulled a pad of paper to her. “Okay, what’s going on and what do you want in a Mate?”

“My pack is what’s going on. They want a packleader with a stable Mate and me pregnant as soon as possible.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, they’ve been rumbling about my cousin, Dan, taking over if I can’t do what’s necessary. I’m looking for a male wolf who won’t fight me for my pack.”

“Oh, Yo, I’m sorry.” Serena started to get up but Yohana waved her back.

If someone hugged her, she’d break down and start crying. Yo just didn’t have time to let her emotions overwhelm her right now. “I know. I appreciate your concern.”

“You want a Beta then?” Serena blinked tears from her eyes starting to type into her computer database.

“I do, but every pack member I’ve asked about this doesn’t. They want me Mated to an Alpha.” Serena’s raised her gaze and her mouth dropped open, prompting a wry laugh from Yohana. “Yes, I know. Finding an Alpha not interested in running a pack is as likely as finding a needle in a haystack, but find him we must. I want a male who has a commitment elsewhere.”

“Elsewhere?”

“I don’t mean another female.” Yo shuddered. “Worried or not, the pack would never accept a male with another relationship. I mean an obsession with his career or a hobby. Something other than my pack.”

“You aren’t making this easy.”

“Life is hard. Even harder than finding a Mate obsessed with something other than dominating a pack, I want a male who is tall enough to look me in the eyes, not the tits. I’m 6’ tall, so I don’t want a short wolf. I’ve known some wonderful males who are short, but it won’t work for me to take one as a Mate. The Whitewolf pack will expect my Mate to be able to act as my enforcer if the need arises.”

“Some short males are extremely muscular and physical.”

“True. But when I date males who aren’t as tall as me, I seem to pick the ones who feel they need to prove something. I don’t choose well, which is why I’m here. I want a male with interests elsewhere and nothing to prove to anybody.”

“Every stipulation you add limits the pool.”

“I know, but I need to be Mated soon.”

“Why?”

“I’ll go into heat Friday or Saturday, and I want to get pregnant right away. It will ease the pressure if they know there is a new generation on the way.”

Serena shook her head. “Okay. What else? Let’s get everything out on the table.”

Yohana sighed as she paused by the window, crossing her arms over her ample bosom. Some females with her height looked like movie stars or fashion models, but Yo was built more along the lines of a linebacker. She was definitely her sire’s daughter. She glanced down, sighing. Correction, her sire’s daughter with her mother’s udders.

“He’s got to be able to Mate me. If I leave him cold, he won’t be able to impregnate me.” Yohana glanced at Serena, a wry smile on her face. “I know I’m no beauty queen. My features are too strong to be considered pretty or beautiful, and I’m not built like a model. Don’t match me up with a male who wants a gorgeous female to grace his bed.”

“Someone who’ll lie back and think of Whitewolf?” Serena teased.

“Something like that. In fact, if he wants a limited Mating, I’d accept it. My pack will be happy if I make the effort and produce a pup. Once those criteria are complete, any male I Mate can be free.”

“Yo, you are a good person and you deserve more than that.”

“Maybe, but not now. Later.”

“What about a True Mate?”

“Lord, no! I’m not looking for a True Mate. My attention will be on the pack and my pup. I’m not going to have time for some male who wants to bond and share with me,” she shivered.

“I used to think it would be awful, but I was wrong. You might be wrong too.”

“Unlikely. Right now I don’t have time to hold out for the ideal. I need Mr. Right-Now. Not Mr. Right.”

“I’ll see if I can find him for you. Any clan preferences?”

“Whitewolf or Goldwolf…Redwolf at the outside since a Redwolf pack lives near us too,” she frowned. “Our entire pack is fair. It would disturb them to have a dark haired heir. Still, I’ll take what I can get.”

“Noted. Do you want your Mate to live in Whitewolf or here in the city?”

“He can maintain an apartment here in Denver if needed, and just come home at the weekend after he’s planted a pup.”

Serena opened her mouth to say something more, she stopped and slowly nodded.

Yohana could tell her friend disapproved but was restraining herself because of the situation. She walked over to Serena, setting a hand on her wrist. “Serena, I know this is unpleasant, but I don’t have any options right now. My pack needs this from me.”

“They expect a horrible sacrifice and it isn’t fair.”

“Being a pack leader demands sacrifices, and since when has life been fair?” Yohana sat down in the chair.

Serena shook her head, finally lifting her blazing green eyes. “You are a special female and you should be appreciated, not pressured.”

Yo smiled sadly. “Is that what you think they’re doing?”

“Yes.”

“You are judging them by your view of your own father, Drew. But, Serena, all they really want is stability and safety. If having a pup will give them that, I can’t deny them.”

Serena shook her head.

“I need them to relax so I can… With Father so recently gone…”  Her throat closed and she covered her eyes, fighting tears. She shook her head looking up at her friend. “Find me a Mate. Please.”

In a little over a week I’m headed to New York City for a writer’s workshop. I write erotic romance and when Dr. Charley Ferrer announced she was going to present a BDSM for Writers workshop, based on her book – I was all over it. I’m so excited to meet Dr. Charley and to get an opportunity to research BDSM for my writing. Dr. Charley is a Clinical Sexologist & Therapist and a radio talk show host too.

I’ve never been to New York before. I’m planning to go out a day early and stay an extra day to do even more research. There’s a Museum of Sex in New York. Did you know that? I didn’t until I watched an episode of Millionaire Matchmaker and one guy took a lady there for a date. I MUST see this museum. Not only does it sound like a lot of fun, but it’s research. Perfect. Grin…

I’ll be staying at a hotel in midtown just blocks from Central Park. Central Park will be gorgeous and it should be within walking distance of my hotel. There are so many things I want to see and do while I’m in New York. Of course, one of the coolest parts of the workshop will be opportunities to visit leather shops and other adult sorts of stores. We’re even scheduled to visit a BDSM club with our most excellent instructor.

But I plan to take in some “tourist” sites while I’m there too, like the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building. I’m feeling overwhelmed by all the possibilities though. I should take a trip on the subway. Experience a cab ride and maybe even a horse drawn carriage ride around Central Park. Are there any “research” sites or tourist places I should make sure to visit? I’m looking for suggestions. If you were headed for New York City, where would you want to go?

No, I’m not the Lorax (Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss – March 2), but I’m going to speak for the trees today, at least in a roundabout way. Sunday started the annual celebration of e-books, “Read an E-Book Week.”  I’ve always been an e-book author – even back in 2005 when the original version of Alpha v Alpha came out (now revised and released by Ellora’s Cave as Alpha vs. Alpha). When my first full length novel Protect and Defend came out, people reacted by asking when my book would come out for real, like being published electronically didn’t count as being published at all.That really ticked me off because I was just as published as every other published author.

Well, we’ve come a long way – mostly.  The Iowa Center for the Book would still not recognize me as a published author if my book was only available in electronic format because one of the criteria for inclusion in their author list is: “Author’s book is in physical format, printed and bound.” So self-published authors with print versions would count but being published by an all electronic publisher where I’m paid royalties or an advance would not. I will NEVER understand that one. Bitter much? Just a little. Sorry.   FYI, I’ve complained about it to them too but they still regard a “book” as a physical object. I don’t.

I own a Nook color and a 1st gen B&W Nook. I download most of my fiction materials to my reader and read from there. I prefer to read electronically. I have over 300 books on my reader…so far. It’s so much easier to carry around my library on one little reader than it would be to haul those 300+ books around with me to have whenever I want to read. Another cool part of this is that all I have to do is add memory and my library is expandable. No boxes in corners and hunting for shelf space.

And shopping for a book is simple. I access wi-fi and go to the B&N site and buy my book. Bam. I can start reading. I LOVE that. No shipping costs. No travel time. Just a book ready for my reading pleasure.

If I read a book and hate it I can just delete it from my reader. Of course, I don’t get the satisfaction of throwing the book at the wall cause I’d hurt my reader, but I can live with that. Another happy advantage is font adjustment. I can change the font or make it larger or smaller at my whim. And as I’m getting a bit older, that adjustment capability is sweet. I can also search for text in a way that I can’t in a print book and I can make notes without marking the book up.  I was one of those students who would get a textbook and by the time I was done with it, the whole darn thing was almost completely highlighted, with notes in the margins. It was a real bitch when going to resell the thing at the end of the semester.

And many public libraries are partnering with Overdrive to make e-books available to readers 24/7. Well, that’s assuming the publishers don’t overprice their books – Random House, I’m looking at you – or make other sorts of outrageous demands on libraries to prevent it. And let’s not forget agency pricing and DRM. But I digress…

I love e-books. I love reading them. I love writing them.

Finally, you know what – here’s my Lorax tie-in – e-books are greener! No trees (truffula or other) died for my electronic book. So I speak for the trees and they say that e-books are what everyone needs! The Once-ler could learn a few things from the e-book industry. Grin…  So read an e-book this week and save a tree!

The only saving grace I see in February is that it contains Valentine’s Day. Otherwise I’d start a campaign to remove it from the calendar and divide the days up among more deserving months. But all things loved and lovely are part of that most romantic of holidays, things like chocolate, pretty cards, sweet murmurings, shared dreams, and oh,yes, chocolate. Did I mention that one?

In celebration of the only thing that makes the month bearable, I give you the ultimate

VALENTINE’S TRIVIA CHALLENGE.

What follows is a collection of quotations, book titles, movies, and love songs that carry the essence of love, romance, and five hanky memories. Can you connect them with the appropriate source? To make it easier, I’ll put the lists in sets. First person to get all the answers receives an e-pub copy of my new book, HALF PAST MOURNING, released this week.

Let’s start with the easy category:

BOOKS

1. Pride and Prejudice         a. Emily Bronte

2. Love Story                          b. Ernest Hemingway

3. A Farewell to Arms         c. Colleen McCullough

4. Wuthering Heights          d. Diana Gabaldon

5. The Thorn Birds               e. Jane Austen

6. Jane Eyre                           f. Erich Segal

7. Outlander                          g. Jane Austen

8.Persuasion                          h. Charlotte Bronte

Got all of those? Of course, you did. Next category:

MOVIES

1. Julia Roberts & Richard Gere                      a. An Affair to Remember

2. Audrey Tautou & Mathieu Kassivichy     b. The Notebook

3. Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr                          c. Pretty Woman

4. Kate Winslet & Leonardo Di Caprio          d. Amelie

5. Ryan Garling & Rachel McAdams              e. Titanic

Isn’t this fun? Brings back all kinds of wonderful memories, doesn’t it? Up next:

LOVE SONGS

1. I Will Always Love You                                a. Willie Nelson

2. The Way You Look Tonight                         b. The Beatles

3. Always on My Mind                                        c. Roberta Flack

4. Something                                                          d. Whitney Houston

5. I Got You Babe                                                 e. Elton John

6. Your Song                                                          f. Celine Dion

7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face     g. Sonny & Cher

8. At Last                                                                 h. Elton John

9. Can You Feel the Love Tonight                 i. Frank Sinatra

10. My Heart Will Go On                                   j. Etta James

Last category! And this is the one that showcases the die-hard romantics. Finally:

QUOTATIONS

1. Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.

2. I claim there ain’t / Another saint / As great as Valentine

3. Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.

4. kisses are a better fate / than wisdom.

5. Who, being loved, is poor?

6. Grow old with me! The best is yet to be.

7.Without love, what are we worth? Eighty-nine cents! Eight-nine cents worth of chemicals walking around lonely.

8.We loved with a love that was more than love.

9. At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet

10. All you need is love

11.The course of true love never did run smooth

12. Do you love me because I’m beautiful or am I beautiful because you love me

ANSWERS to Quotations

a. Ogden Nash

b. William Shakespeare

c. Oscar Wilde

d. M*A*S*H Hawkeye

e. John Lennon

f. Albert Einstein

g. Edgar Allan Poe

h. William Shakespeare

i. Cinderella

j. Plato

k. Robert Browning

l. e.e. cummings

Winner will be posted Thursday night–my time. Thanks for playing!

Hope all your Valentine wishes come true and that your sweetheart is never too far away. Happy romancing, Fleeta

DON’T CALL ME DARLIN’

BLACK RAIN RISING

ELOPEMENT FOR ONE

HALF PAST MOURNING

Hi all,
I know I’m late in getting my entry posted today, but I wanted to stop in to say “hi”. 2011 was a tough year for me. I think it was a year of hibernation – I focused on my health. I want 2012 to be different. My goals for this year revolve around returning to my writing. I hope to find the strength and energy to get one or more books published this year.

Sometimes, I worry about regaining my health but I think my trip to visit a friend in California last week helped me. I was slower than I’d been just a few months ago, but I still managed to do quite a bit of walking around San Francisco. My friend and I also took a trip to Monterey. The crashing waves were inspirational. As exhausted as I am tonight, I am still so glad I went. I had a great time and it was so nice to share the holidays with someone who has known me since I was four years old.

I’m going to keep my post short tonight. So, how were your holidays? Do you have many goals for the upcoming year?