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Showing posts with label A Vampire's First Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label A Vampire's First Christmas. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!



Although today isn’t the first day of the 2013 new year, it’s close enough. I’m sure most of us spent yesterday getting over the festivities of the night before. If not nursing a hangover from too much drinking, maybe too much eating, or catching up on some much need rest and sleep. Which brings me to today’s post—what are your New Year’s Resolution(s)?

I’ve seen this question bantered around over the past couple of weeks with all different responses. Some don’t make them, some do and don’t keep them, and others do and work real hard to complete them. I heard something yesterday about making resolutions. The piece focused on losing weight resolution, by the way is the number one resolution people make, but the tips I think work for any one you make. In my case, what I vow with my writing, and reading.


  • ·        Get encouragement from friends

  • ·        Make changes easier

  • ·        Reward for short-term achievements

  • ·        Don’t do alone

  • ·        Expect failure, but don’t give up, just don’t beat yourself up--start over

That’s real good advice, so for my resolution (I’m one of those who doesn’t, I just do what works for me) I’m putting these tips to work for my writing career, especially the last one. I’ll keep writing despite what others may say and write that strange story that doesn’t quite fit into any genre because, well, I want to and like it. May never sell to a publisher and may never have a sale to anyone other than family, but at least I did what made me happy, and my muse.

I hope the coming year will find me encouraging my fellow authors, reward myself for finishing that work in progress I’ve been writing for two years and still not finished, and expect I will fail and not finish it, but be happy I at least attempted to try. I’ll reward my readers by participating in a few more blog hops offering either a book, swag, or a gift certificate to purchase more books. Writing is a very singular type business, but for promotion needs a village! I’ve throttled back on promotion a bit the second-half of the year and sales slumped, so I’ll have to pick that up for the new year. Of course, I was busy writing during that time, but now have to find a balance so I can be more productive. Those are my goals, what are yours?

Happy New Year everyone, and hope your resolutions for the new year make you happy with the end results.

P.S.
Here’s a little snippet of my latest release. It takes place at Christmas time and can be read anytime because it is the first in the serial and the next one is due out Valentine’s or February sometime. The Misadventures of Dick Grewcock is a vampire comedy with a bit of erotic for some spice to the short story. Dick is in search of a girlfriend and a new beginning, sort of like a New Year’s Resolution.

Blurb:

Richard “Dick” Grewcock is a fledgling vampire, turned by choice on Halloween Night. He is a computer geek, thirty-two years old, and learns vampires are handsome, powerful, and have women falling over them—everything he's not. Problem is, after he turns he doesn't get any of those qualities and wants his money back. All he wants for Christmas is a girlfriend.

Christmas Eve he confronts his maker and as he argues to get his money back or at least fix his problem, a pretty young woman walks in and disrupts his train of thought.
Noelle St. Nicholas is on a mission to save her home and won’t take no for an answer. The only who can save her is Dick, the nerd staring at her and looking really weird.
On his first adventure to find love, Dick Grewcock gets a Christmas wish he won’t soon forget.


Mini-Excerpt:

In a blur, the fangs retracted into his gums. He reached into a jacket pocket and pulled out the VRU pamphlet. “Okay, it says here, ‘becoming a vampire is an opportunity to become a better you in every way. Besides, being the same age as you are at time of transformation for as long as you exist as a member of the Undead League, you will retain good-looks as well.’” Dick glanced up from the pamphlet and stared at his sire. “Hello? Look at me. What the hell are these red circles around my eyes? And what’s up with the pasty-white color over my entire body? I look like a Kabuki actor on his last legs that no kimono or red lipstick will help.”

“Oh Dick, don’t be silly. You’re a good-looking vampire, and you should try Blood Red by Maybelline. They have that long-lasting blend which lasts all night. Doesn’t smudge or rub off when you bite hard. I have that shade on tonight.” He smacked his lips. “By the way, speaking of actors, can you sing and dance? If so, I got a memo today from one of my clients looking to hire at both Disney World and Universal Studios, a great opportunity.” He leaned over the wooden desk and lowered his voice. “You know when you work for either company, you get discounts. Oh, such fun. I feel like a little kid when I visit the parks. I especially like the fireworks display during special events or the electric parade. Have you been to their night shows yet?”

Dick rolled his eyes. “Uh, no. Can we get back on subject here?”

“Oh sorry, I get excited about amusement parks. Okay, where were we? Oh yes, your pasty-colored skin. Are you feeding enough on whole blood, not that synthetic crap blood pushers sell on the corner streets?”

Cynthia Arsuaga
 Erotic Romance Author

 




Sunday, December 2, 2012

IT’S BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS




The Holiday Season is upon us! Yes, can you believe today is December 2nd and we have three weeks plus two days until the 25th. Yikes, but I do love this time of year. I really do. Great movies, old and new ones to tug at our heartstrings, at least mine, are on television. Black Friday for sales is behind us. The weather has started to turn, even here in Florida with cooler evenings. Junk mail is hitting hour mailboxes with ads on all the savings that can be had for those perfect presents. Neighborhoods are decorating with lights and scenes on their houses and front lawns. We’ve only put up a few lights because our granddaughter who lives with us likes to put up Rudolph and her other trinkets. Our house looks kind of pathetic sandwiched in-between our neighbors who go all out.

And then there are those holiday books hitting the bookshelves and E-tailers. That is another reason why I like this time of year. I received my first contract two years ago and my very first release, even as a free read, was a Christmas story. I wrote Christmas With A Stranger in the hopes of expanding it and re-releasing, but alas, that hasn’t happened. My muse went off on several tangents and doing other things. Since, I’ve written a Christmas story every year. Monday, I will have my third story come out, also a novella, but it is definitely slated as a serial and will continue throughout 2013 with the last one again coming out next Christmas. I think I have a trend going here.
 
I think why I’m inspired is because the time brings joy and hope for a new year. My faith in the spirit of Christmas always has me thinking of what I’m thankful for more than any other time. It is a spiritual time, a joy of giving back to my community through charities, and sharing love with my family. That pesky muse likes to express that sentiment in a story and I guess that’s what I’ll keep doing.

Hope everyone has a happy, joyful and loving Holiday and I’ll see ya’ll next year. Until then, enjoy a snippet from A Gift of Love, my story from last year. Based on a classic, the main characters and their situation have been modernized.

EXCERPT:



“If there is no joyous way to give a festive gift, give love away.” ~ Author Unknown

Christmas Eve. Yes, today is the day.
Blinking at first, Jennifer slowly opened her eyes. As she ran delicate fingers over the matted lids to wipe away the crust of sleep, a restless sleep peppered with unfinished dreams, she yawned. Long gone were the nights spent unstressed and uncomplicated to rest for eight hours or more. She stretched her arms above her head, and shifted position under the cotton sheets and down comforter. Slowly rolling onto her back, before settling onto a side, she glanced up and saw him staring back with a satisfied grin.
“Good morning, Angel. You’re awake.” Chris Bryant stood at the edge of the bed.
“Good morning, Sir.” Jennifer smiled. No matter how exhausted she seemed, the sight of her Sir always made the worst of nights a joy and never did she tire of looking at him. Even though their living situation had changed drastically over the past year and a half, Chris maintained his awesome physique. Gone was the gym membership, so he took to the pavement running every other day to stay in shape. She loved to gaze upon his muscular frame molding the crisp white shirt to his chest. Or, the black trousers that skimmed the strong long legs and wrapped around her tiny body, and she never tired at taking in his handsome facial features.
“What are your plans for today, Angel?” He leaned down and kissed her forehead, slipping onto the mattress beside her.
“Same old stuff.” She touched his lips with her fingertips and traced the edges. “Chris, what’s wrong? You seem deep in thought.”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he whispered.
Pressing her hands on his chest, she pushed back. “That’s good to hear, because before I leave for my shift around eleven, I plan on doing naughty things to you, Sir.” Pretty much the same she did every day—make love, pick-up around the apartment and head off to work. Once a well-paid, sixty-to-seventy-hours-a-week kind of gal, she worked as an accounts representative at a brokerage firm. Unfortunately, the economic downturn in recent years finally snagged her position and she had to seek employment elsewhere, doing something totally outside her field of expertise. Although, New York was the center of the financial world, finding viable work after the recent recession made securing a new job no less difficult. She began to search for anything to help bring in her share of expenses to the household. Unfortunately, the best she found included bartending for the lunch crowd at Elliott’s near Wall Street.
Chris’ experience mirrored hers. He had a job, but nothing like the arbitrage position he had when she first met him. Jennifer met Sir at a negotiations meeting between his company and hers. They locked eyes across the conference room table and six months later were deep into the relationship, a power exchange which fulfilled both their needs and desires.
After giving up her own apartment, she moved into his high-rise and started a new life with a man she fell deeply in love with. He offered a way to express her need to relinquish control of her personal life, which had been disastrous and almost non-existent before he came along. Her career demanded so much, she barely made time for her personal interests during off-hours, let alone make time for a healthy relationship with any man. A perfect life, up until a year or so ago.
“I’ll be home around seven tonight. I ask you be available to meet me at Rockefeller Center. I have plans for us and you can’t be late.”

Cynthia Arsuaga

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