Wednesday, March 26, 2014

A Quick Look Back

In a few days I will mark the anniversary of the day I joined Amber Quill Press as one of their authors!  At the urging of a dear friend who had also entered the first contest the firm held to find some new authors for their erotic romance line, I had entered my fanciful myth-based story, Karola's Hunt. To learn that I was one of the winners and that my tale would soon be published just took my breath away! I got the call, or in this case the email, on April 1, 2004.

At that point, I'd struggled through five months without my partner and best friend of thirty two years who had passed from this world on November 3, 2003. Delving into the then-newly emerging genre of erotic romance was an effort to break free of a major writers block. We'd been working on some stories together and he had also been my first reader, biggest fan, technical adviser on military, law enforcement, weapons and other subjects and most of all my support, inspiration and sometimes butt-kicker as needed. It was damned hard to pick myself up and try to move forward. That surprising email--which at first I thought was an April Fool's joke--was a shot of vitamin B-12 that I sorely needed. Before 2004 was over I had some other tales submitted and accepted and a couple even on the market., Pickup Man, the first of my Rodeo Girls series, and The Taming of Jaelle'n, a fanciful novella set on a different but perhaps parallel world to ours.

 Wrenching was, by my count, my sixty fifth release, counting nine anthologies (print collections of previously e-published stories), so my fifty sixth original erotic romance under Amber Quill 's Amber Heat and Amber Allure imprints! What an amazing and rewarding ten years. My first gay romance was Treading Dangerous Ground, which came out in November 2006. It became my best seller to that date and was soon followed by Doggone Love, the first of my very popular Canine Cupids series. It's been quite a journey!


I've scattered along in this post a few covers to celebrate this ten years that I've been writing for Amber Quill. I cannot say too much about the wonderful folks there. They treat authors very well, always pay on time with a full accounting of what sold where, provide totally awesome cover art and have editors that are keen-eyed, tough but also kind and willing to discuss things when they and the author whose work they are improving disagree, AQ staff, I love you guys to the max!!!

In my next few posts I'll share a bit about others in this list of my books and since some of my more recent fans and readers may not have fully explored the back list, I'll try to tickle your fancy into going after a few from that collection! It won't be long until this blog hits the 125 posts mark, too, and I do plan a bit of a celebration! Stay tuned. I guarantee Deirdre plans to be around telling hot and sweet stories for a long, long time. Love is the One True Thing and I love to write about it in all its diversity and glory.

Sunday, March 16, 2014

It's for sale!

Wrenching and its four companion tales are now for sale! I would say get them while they are hot but I do not think the heat level is going to go away any time soon. But they are hot off the presses... Actually Wrenching is not the hottest of my gay romance stories although there is quite a lot of sexual tension and a bit of sizzle here and there. Just as they tell me their story, my characters also set the limits of how far they are willing to go in sharing the intimate details of their bond with the world. These guys were a little bit shy, I guess, but I don't think you will be disappointed! They do go well beyond a chaste smooch or two!

Be sure to stop by over at www.amberpax.blogspot.com to see all the cool covers and read excerpts and this coming week, some inside scoop from the authors. I always share some story-behind-the-story there and this time is no exception. Others may share all kinds of odd tidbits so be sure to take a look. Freebies are up for grabs as well.  Here's one more look at my cover with the hunky mechanic and his big ---wrench!!! He can adjust my attitude any time!

Friday, March 14, 2014

Wrenching out this weekend!

Time flies when you are having fun! I've been busy the last ten days following the Iditarod sled dog race of which I am a very avid fan. Once again my favorite musher, Aliy Zirkle came in second but this time by a mere two minutes--over eight plus days and nearly 1,000 miles of the world's most rugged terrain that can actually be traversed, that is awesome. But in that passion, I let time get away from me. All at once release day is here!!

Anyway, Grease Monkeys Inc. --the PAX--will be on the street by sometime Sunday, This is five stories about mechanics who find love in probably unlikely seeming places! My guy ends up on a ranch trying to help his hero and secret crush find who has been trashing his nice new pickup with nasty sabotage. All five stories will be featured on the special Amber PAX blog starting .like yesterday--actually the week leading up to and that following the release. You can click out to www.amberpax.blogspot.com and read all about each of the five stories in last week's posts and then hear from the authors themselves in alphabetical order of the five titles this next week. Since w for Wrenching comes kinda late in the twenty six letter sequence,  I'm last and my post will appear on Friday the 21st--the first day of spring, as it were. Just a coincidence although my story does happen in the spring, one place mid March is mentioned.  But to make up for coming last, my cover and excerpt appears first right now since it was the last one for this week! If that makes any sense...

Anyway I hope to get some comments about this story either here or over at the Amber PAX blog so I can pick a winner for this story or the winner's choice of my rather extensive back list. With that in mind I'll just mention one of my past tales which could fit right in with these mechanic stories. It is called Muscle Car Man and came out some time ago but has been very popular. Here is the cover and a blurb:.

(Yep, I am a Ford gal. Mustangs and old T-Birds really start my motor!!)  Anyway, a glimpse of the plot here:

Jeff Castle has changed lanes from the high tech world to that of the classic muscle cars and their fans when he inherits his uncle’s glorified junk yard. His new life is complicated when help is hard to find. An impulse leads him to pick up a hiker on a remote road, and the man turns out to be just the kind of muscle Jeff needs in every way.

Released from prison after three hellish years, Mike needs help. All he can offer is his willingness to work and his background in repairing and racing stock cars. He gives this freely to Jeff and soon finds he wants to give more. Will his benefactor be willing to accept the love of an ex-con who still has a blot on his name? Mike is scared to ask but nature takes matters out of his hands.  Together they begin racing toward an amazing future.

Chck it out! It's on my backlist page at Amber Allure: www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/bio_ODare.html