All tied up...

Hope you had a peaceful holiday. I realize it's not quite the new year yet, but after surviving (and thoroughly enjoying) the holidays, today felt like a good day to wade back in. Since it's Tuesday, that means a sexy picture is due...Yumma!

In gearing up for a productive new year, it seemed like a great idea to tie up my inspiration and take him for a ride first!

Climb on...looks like he's ready for anything!

Weird dream

Last night I had the strangest dream.

I was in our city's public library. Now you have to realize that our library is a gorgeous three-level structure that is an absolute joy to enter. This building in my dream...yeah, not so much. It much more resembled a carnival fun house. There were so many levels and no elevators...just dozens of narrow, spindly staircases that led nowhere, weird turnstiles, and all sorts of traps and sharp obstacles sticking out from everywhere. Every turn brought something new and terrifying.

I'd like to say that I made it through the maze unscathed, but that wasn't the case. It was difficult. Torturous. And the goal - the prize - was just to get in there, to be surrounded by the books, the words, and the knowledge.

The meaning of the dream probably has something to do with riding the rollercoaster of terror that comes when you put yourself "out there" to be accepted or rejected by others...as well as fighting my own fears and insecurities.


Most of us dream...occasionally we even remember them. What odd dreams/nightmares have crept into your sleeping mind? Leave a comment and be entered to receive a copy of Open Proposal!

5 Things

5 things I'm into right now:

• NCIS (yes...still an addict)
  
• Jason Aldean (I've been on a country thing lately...and I *love* this guy!)
  
• Naps (always nice if I can manage one)
  
  
  
• Holiday movies
  
  
• Laughing (I've never been one to try to smother laughter, but recently I realized that there hasn't been nearly enough going on)
  
  

"But I love you..."

"...so how can I find pleasure in what you're asking me to do?"

In my next book, Salvage My Heart, Frank and Lydia are tempted to push boundaries that most couples are content to honor. Frank's a "nice guy" though. He loves women. Would never dream of physically hurting one. He enjoys making love gently. To complicate everything, Lydia has stirred up all sorts of new feelings in him, and phrases like forever and happily ever after are being given serious thought. He goes along with the role-playing and is finding it all highly erotic, but some of the things Lydia is asking of him have Frank wondering if deep down he's just some kind of sick pervert to be finding such intense pleasure in these acts.

Have you discovered that the sexual boundaries you had years ago are still in place, or have you expanded them a bit?

Sunday ride

Enjoy the ride...

"Nymph"ty!!

Open Proposal received a wonderful review on the blog Literary Nymphs Reviews Only! Click the link to check it out!! Thank you!

Yours for the Night by Jasmine Haynes

Jas is my very dear friend and her book Yours for the Night released on Tuesday!! You need to run to the store and pick up a copy of this delicious triple treat and enter the world of Courtesans, where the fantasies are bought and the sex is scorching hot.

Look at that sexy cover! And believe me when I tell you that Jasmine's stories are guaranteed to raise the temperature in the room and send you running for your S/O!

Congratulations, Jas!!

We have a winner!!

Congratulations to Gem Sivad! Gem is the winner of the "First 3 Words" Giveaway and has received a free copy of my book, Open Proposal! Enjoy!

Gem is also a romance author, so be sure to check out her website: Gem Sivad

Thank you to all who commented!

"First 3 Words" Giveaway!!

What are the first three words that pop into your mind when you look at this photo?

Post your three words in a comment and you'll be entered in Sunday's drawing when I'll be giving away a free copy of my book, Open Proposal!

To be eligible for the drawing, you must include your email in the comment -- after all, that's how you will receive the book! This format will be fine:  rosemary_gunn @ yahoo dot com

[happy dancing]

Yes, I do a hilarious happy dance around the house when I'm excited about something! The "something" today came from the lovely ladies of Loving Venus - Loving Mars and the incredibly awesome review that they posted on their blog! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Please be sure to check it out.

Double, double...

Double, double, toil, and trouble
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble
-- from Shakespeare's Macbeth

Getting into the spirit of the upcoming holiday! How do you celebrate Halloween? Do you pass out candy? Attend a costume party? What kind of costume will you wear?

One year, my hubby and I went to a costume party dressed as scarecrows. So much fun! What costume brings about a favorite memory for you?

Dedication

One element that didn't make it into the final edit of Open Proposal was the dedication. It's important to me that it's "out there" for people to read, so here is the dedication as it would have appeared:

Dedicated to Carrie Clemons for daring me (as only a best friend can) to finally finish something for her to read, and to Jennifer Skullestad for her friendship and patience as she pushed (dragged) me through this incredible journey. Huge thanks to Terri Schaefer for believing in me and to Lynne Anderson, my editor, for her wonderful support and expertise. You all ROCK!

Kisses...

soft lips
warm breath
sharp teeth
hot skin

I'm partial to that often stubble-rough, sensitive area right beneath the jaw. What spot on your lover's body is your favorite place to kiss and nibble?

Saddle up...

Yes, I believe this tempting cowboy would make a wonderful saddle...Cowboy, Up!!

5 Things

5 Things I'm into right now:

1. Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach
2. 10-Minute Trainer (don't be fooled by the name...this thing kicked my butt!)
3. Pippy Longstocking braids in my hair
4. caramel apples (I know, kind of defeats #2, but caramel apples are a must this time of year)
5. high school football

Silver Star Award!!

Heather Nestorick from Just Erotic Romance Reviews gave Open Proposal an incredibly beautiful review!! I read it to my husband, then promptly burst into tears! JERR's Silver Star Award is the highest honor they hand out...reserved for "the best of the best," according to their website. I am positively ecstatic over this!! Thank you so much, Ms. Nestorick!

Open Proposal jumped out at me from the first page. This book explored something we see so often between two men and one woman. The author made the characters come alive and showed the distinction between how two women can each love one man and each other completely. I love books with female/female scenes and I could not wait to get into this one. Sam and Eve are a great couple and they match each other perfectly. I was captivated with them from the moment I saw them. Eve reminds me of myself and Sam is a woman I would be deeply attracted to. Roman is perfect; he is secure with his masculinity and his sexuality enough to know that pleasing two woman must involve all three of them. The plot of the book was romantic and quick, allowing you to fall for the characters and giving you a satisfying ending to a wonderful love story. A night that started off as pleasure for Sam became a night where three people found true love. Their relationship builds quickly but feels very real because of the raw emotions the characters show for each other. I have never been so turned on when reading a work of fiction as I was with this one. Ms. Gunn provided enough detail to set the scene but left enough to the imagination that mine was racing and drawing so wonderful pictures! I loved the interaction between the characters and the gentle probing of each ones deepest fantasy. The sex in this book showed how physical intimacy can make emotional and physical attractions very real. It reminded of what true love really means. Open Proposal will tug your heart strings and will make you melt; especially if you enjoy the fantasy of two women pressed together. Without a doubt, Open Proposal is Silver Star Award material.

Heather Nestorick
Just Erotic Romance Reviews

Rating: Silver Star Award
Heat level: Orgasmic!!

Impatient

I'll admit to not being the most patient of drivers on occasion, but in my three years of driving [LOL!!] I have rarely blown my horn, sworn at another driver, or used earthy hand signals.

While out running some errands today, I was exiting a parking lot onto the main road. I had looked down the road to where the light had changed at just about the same time that I entered the road. I've got a sporty little car, so it wasn't doggin' on picking up speed. I had to make a right into another business, so put my turn signal on well in advance. The guy that had been first at that red light though had to accelerate so quickly (not sure what he was trying to prove in his big SUV) that he was now right on my bumper. Sure enough, there came the bird.

I hadn't done anything wrong. It's like just by my turning out well ahead of any of the cars starting out at the light, I had in some way pissed him off. And for what? I would say that I had somehow slowed him down by 1 or 2 seconds, but in reality I don't even think that's the case. I suppose I could have waited for the whole line of cars from the light to pass, but really that wasn't necessary. There was a lot of both time and space for my entry onto the road.

He was probably angry with something that had nothing to do with me, but his actions instantly turned my good mood into a pissy mood. Rotten bastard. As is often the case though, just writing about it has improved my spirits and helped put the event in perspective. He was a prick. [grin]

Can you recall an instance where another driver ticked you off?

Simple Abundance

 

Many of you know of this book by Sarah Ban Breathnach. Some of you may even know that I had my own copy at one point...then it disappeared. POOF! I had absolutely no idea where it could have gone to, all I knew was that it was gone. Yes, I could have gone to the bookstore and bought a new copy, but wasn't ready to run out and repurchase because I had somehow lost or misplaced mine.

While browsing around the thrift store, thumbing through titles that included Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care, Laura Doyle's The Surrendered Wife, and Jackie Collins's The Bitch, I found my long lost treasure! Well, not mine because mine would have had my initials on the front page. But a beautiful like-brand-new-the-binding-creaked-when-I-opened-it copy of Ms. Breathnach's wonderful book. I am thrilled with my find and look forward to digging into it again.

Have you ever thrown away, sold, or lost something and regretted it to the extent that you repurchased it?

Rooster lovin'

Dawn (domesticwitch.blogspot.com) participated in a blog circle featuring decorative roosters. I didn't see it early enough to get into the round, but decided to post my rooster here anyway.

You may recall that I "hamster sat" several months ago while our friends visited the Grand Canyon. This fun guy was a thank you gift for taking care of Teddy. I love the vibrant color and think of them each time he catches my eye!

Fun

It has recently been brought to my attention that my life is lacking in fun. Not happiness. For the most part, I'm as happy as the next girl...but good, old-fashion F-U-N. It isn't that I don't know how to have fun. I love to hang out and laugh with my family and friends. It just isn't something that I've been doing much of lately.

I need some suggestions. How do you kick back, relax, and have fun?

Scent of a man

I love the way men smell. Walking behind a man this morning I could smell the tantalizing scent of his aftershave and it started my day off just right.

It's not just about the aftershave though. Give me that hardworking guy that's pitching straw, laying brick, or working the construction site. Or buttoned up in a suit and tie. There's absolutely nothing wrong with mixing that fresh showered, aftershave aroma with the scent of a man making an honest living.

Let's be truthful though. There's nothing that beats the scent of a man's skin while he's making love. Hot. Primal. Sexy.

5 Things

5 Things I'm into Right Now:

1. NCIS (I *heart* this show!)
2. Deepak Chopra's The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
3. Conscious eating (rather than grazing on whatever is around)
4. Red pens
5. Lucky Charms cereal

(Borrowed the idea for "5 Things" from my friend Dawn at www.domesticwitch.blogspot.com)

Tiny summer guests

We have a nest on the elbow of the downspout protected by the overhang, that has been home to several types of birds during the last five years. It was originally built by some robins and they build a pretty sturdy nest.

This year a pair of mourning doves scouted it out early and actually managed to hang onto it through their two broods. Since doves are known to build notoriously flimsy nests usually consisting of three twigs in the Y of a branch, this well-built nest must have felt like a mansion.

I love to watch the calm cyclical rhythm of Nature...and this little bird nest is visible from my favorite chair on my front porch. The parents were both up in the nest yesterday with the two fledglings. All of them were fluttering around and carrying on, when one of the babies fell out. A parent flew down and watched from some distance, seeming to be waiting to step in if the baby showed any signs of clear distress. The baby hid among the ferns and foliage, making small peeping sounds, but otherwise was okay. Later in the evening the parent was feeding the baby. It would appear all that fluttering earlier in the day was all part of the plan.

Soon our little boarders will be gone for the summer. Once the last brood has flown, the parents vacate the nest. Possibly another "couple" will move in, but it's doubtful so late in the season.

Have you been Nature-watching some little critters as they travel around the Circle of Life? Please share. One of the babies decided to "people-watch" me as I took his picture.

Comfort foods

The other day my daughter (who has been on her own for several years now) told me that peanut butter and jelly sandwiches never taste as good at her house as they do at mine. She said it really didn't make sense because the bread was the same, as were the peanut butter and the jelly. As we talked a bit more about this she told me that there were also certain things that she loved to eat at my home, but she didn't buy for her own place. Hmm.

This conversation that really had to do with nothing really important, but was interesting just the same. It also made me wonder about some of the things that I grew up eating, but never made for my own family.

The first thing that came to mind was meat loaf. Let's just say that, try as I did, I never could get it to taste like my mom's. And the pb& j's that I make now are made on wheat bread (rather than the white I grew up on) and I use only jams now. (If I never eat grape jelly again, I'll be completely content.)

Do you find that you eat the same things as when you were growing up, or have you gone down a completely different road? Are there certain foods that just taste better when enjoyed in the place where the memories were made -- like my daughter's pb& j's?

Still blogging over at Jas's place...

In case you've just arrived to my blog, I have been guest blogging this week over at the Jasmine Haynes Files. Jasmine Haynes is a totally amazing author and truly dear friend. She invited me to celebrate the release of Open Proposal over there. Please give it a look and leave a comment, too!

Next step...

Finished the first draft of Salvage my Heart. Well, "finished" is probably not the right word, but it's done and will be moving into the next step: first read-through. That will begin tomorrow.

WhooHOO!!

Dreaming Big (Morning After blog)

Posted originally at SEx - Silver Expressions on the Liquid Silver Books website.

Oh. My. Gods. Dreams really do come true. Not just any dream, or someone else’s dream, but my dream. The dream I’ve had since I was a little girl. The dream of becoming a published author…of having my name on the cover of a book. That dream came true yesterday.

Like many others, I’ve written my whole life. Poems, articles, newsletters, even stories. I was making my way through the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2007, working away on a light-hearted romance, when suddenly it took a sharp turn into a dark tale filled with erotica and immortal love. I sat there staring at the words on the screen. Shocked. At that moment, I realized that was what I needed to be writing. At the end of the month, I was a NaNoWriMo winner…meaning I had successfully written 50,000 words in 30 days. Unfortunately, those words were stops and starts, freewriting, random scenes, and a lot of jumping around. After three months of trying to untangle the mess and create what I wanted for the story, I had to set it aside and start something new. It was a difficult decision to make.

It was soon after making that decision that my best friend said to me: “I don’t think you’re ever going to finish writing something that I can read.” That’s right. A challenge issued by my best friend. What could I do? I met that challenge. In less than three weeks the first draft of Open Proposal was in her hands.

In case you’re wondering about the book that got set aside…it hasn’t been forgotten. It’s a great story and deserves to be told in the form of an erotic paranormal called The Secrets of Stone House. Look for that sometime in the future.

Right now, I’m finishing up the first draft of Salvage my Heart, Book 1 of a trilogy, while the characters of Book 2, Tattered Hearts, wait impatiently for the chance to tell their story.

I’m ecstatic to be writing a Morning After blog for Open Proposal. Samantha, Eve, and Roman will live forever in the secret place in my heart where dreams grow.

Open Proposal debuts today!!!

My first book will be released as an eBook this evening through http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/!!!

I'll post more tomorrow about this dream come true, but today (and the rest of the week) I'll be guest blogging over at the Jasmine Haynes Files! Please hop over there and join me...

Release day!! WhooHOOO!!!

Guest blogging at Jas's place

Jasmine Haynes has invited me to guest blog at the Jasmine Haynes Files on Monday, so be sure to stop by and leave a comment! First book release and first guest blog...all in one day!!

Two days to go!!

Just realizing...

There is no way I'm only at 63% of the first draft SmH. I figure there's only two major scenes left, then the wrap up. Granted there's plenty of rewriting to look forward to after a thorough read-through, but it definitely feels like this is about done for the initial write.

So...YAY!

And just 2 days until Open Proposal is released. I think they release in the late afternoon or early evening. WhooHOO!!

5 days to go!!

Just 5 days until the release of Open Proposal!!

I was on vacation with my family last week, but did manage to get a little bit done.

Hopeless romantic...

The Phantom of the Opera (2004) is one of my favorite movies. It's with a bit of embarrassment that I confess to having watched it about 50 times [grin], but I simply LOVE it! So romantic and sexy. The lead actors are all gorgeous. Gerard Butler is mouthwatering as Phantom.

Swag

Created some swag for Open Proposal, which comes out in just two and a half weeks!! Double-sided, printed on card stock. The plan is to give them to as many people as possible before August 3.

Attraction

We all attract various things. Some attract friends, others attract dirt, and still others attract wealth. It appears that I attract drama. Not just a little drama here and there either. Imagine drama as scrap metal in a junk yard...I am the magnet.

So...uh, nothing got written this week.

So many books...

I'd given Sarah Addison Allen's Garden Spells to my daughter to read on a recent trip and am re-reading it now that it's been returned. How about you? What wonderful book have you escaped into lately?

Healthier than I thought

This column was in the Woman's Day (6/16/09 iss., p. 44) and I found it somewhat reassuring. Hell, there are so many different things that we're supposed to or not supposed to do to maintain a healthy body and mind, sometimes it's overwhelming to even take the first step. In reality, you may be doing more good than you thought, just by doing activities in a typical day.

5 Signs you're healthier than you think

1. You have several cups of coffee each day A recent Swedish study found that people who drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee daily at midlife are less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's later on. (I usually drink 1-3, so I guess it's time to step it up.)
2. You say "thanks" A new study reveals that expressing gratitude may be the key to happiness and overall well-being. (This is something I do routinely, without thinking about it at all.)
3. You laugh a lot Research has shown that laughter expands blood vessels and might even lower your heart attack risk. (I love to laugh!)
4. You tidy up your house Just 20 minutes of sweeping, scrubbing and doing other household chores can boost your mood, not to mention burn calories. (Could step it up a bit on this one.)
5. You surf the Internet UCLA research shows that it stimulates brain activity. (Finally, a study that justifies my addiction!)

Independence Day!

Family, friends, barbecues, parades, fireworks, and fun! Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend.

The Card...

To be given to anyone who looks over the age of 18, stands still long enough, or I don't have to chase too far to tackle. Goes along with the simple, clean lines of my website.

Release date!

August 3, 2009 my first book will be available for purchase at www.liquidsilverbooks.com

Here's the SiN Forum thread for you to take a look at.

Calling cards

The idea of a calling card, also known as a visiting card, used during the late 18th and early 19th centuries has always intrigued me. If you wanted to make the acquaintence of someone, you went to their home and left a card.

Of course, just as with our modern day Facebook, Myspace, and emails, there was a very definitive set of rules that went along with the custom. Each folded corner held a different meaning, and the manner that the card was delivered was also noted. Was it presented to the occupant of the home by the card owner or did a servant deliver it? Was the card engraved or printed?

Modern day business cards have their place and serve a purpose, but as an author I am my business. What I want is an easy-to-carry-and-keep, attractive remembrance that will pique the curiosity, compelling the holder to go directly to my website: the cornerstone of my business.

This week, it addition to assembling my product (writing), I will also be designing a calling card. Be sure to follow this blog and you'll be the first to see it.

Are there any customs or rituals that you've introduced into your way of living? I'd love to hear about them.

GDRWA meeting

This evening I attended my first meeting of the Greater Detroit chapter of the Romance Writers of America. I met many nice women (and one guy), the majority of those in attendance (excluding myself and the other newbies) seem to be knowledgeable in the publishing world. This is excellent! The perfect place for me and the other newbs to learn how to maneuver our way through foreign territory.

Birth of a novel

[microphone in my face] Ms. Gunn, now that everything's set for the release of your first book...the editing, the excerpts, the website, the cover...what are you going to do?

[laughing] Oh, I'm going to Disney World!!

Yeah, that would have been nice. The reality is I took all the amazing energy that came from uploading my gorgeous cover to all the right places and used it to completely clean my house. [shaking head] I cleaned places that haven't seen the light of day in years -- like under the stove! Believe me, that wasn't a discovery that will be finding its way into any upcoming novel. [shrug] Although you really never can tell when something seemingly too mundane, too base, might weave its way in.

If at some point you read about the disgusting gunky, understove buildup in a future book...well, you are in the know as to where that hands-on reasearch came from.

Now to get back to the real way to celebrate the release of my book. Finish the next one!!

Uncovered

OhmyfreakingGOD!! Could this cover be any hotter? Thank you to April Martinez for creating this breathtaking work of art to represent my first book. I about had a heart attack when I opened the email yesterday!!

Be sure to check out the excerpt at www.rosemarygunn.com to see what's in store for Eve, Samantha, and Roman...the stars of Open Proposal.

And become a follower of this blog for updates on the release date!!

Nearly hyperventilating...

I received the first draft of my Open Proposal cover art! Ahhh!! It's gorgeous...lots of smooth, naked flesh...both male and female. [licking lips] Yummy! I'm not going to share it yet, but soon...I promise! Believe me though...you're going to LOVE it!

Each new discovery along this journey simply takes my breath away.

Interviewed!

I was recently interviewed by my beautiful friend, Dawn...aka Domestic Witch. Click here to read that interview.

Coming together...

Oooh, that sounds naughty! What I meant was that things with Open Proposal are really shaping up. The excerpt has been added to the Books link at www.rosemarygunn.com. Hope you take a minute to check it out!

Must-read magazines

There are several magazines that I gravitate toward every month, or season, depending on how often they come out. One is Real Simple. The entire publication appeals to both the writer and graphic designer in me. Another group of magazines that never fail to catch my eye are the Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publications. These are the ones with titles like Do It Yourself, 5 Ingredient Meals, Storage, Heart Healthy Living, and Secrets of Getting Organized. I'm constantly on the lookout for magazines that inspire me to be better and these are some of my favorites.

What magazines always seem to find their way into your shopping bag or mailbox?

Relax

I love soaking in a scorching hot bath to soothe away the aches and pains of my job. I work in receiving at a department store...that's right, unloading delivery trucks. It's satisfying, the people are funny, and I contribute to the overall productivity of my area.

But some nights, ohmyfreakinggod, I am so incredibly wiped out physically that it's all I can do to crawl home and fall into bed...or the tub. As far as I'm concerned, epsom salts are the gift of the gods. My absolute favorite: Dr. Teal's Lavender.

So what about you...how do you relax?

Critters

I've had animals of one type or another all of my life. Dogs, hamsters, cats, fish, a rabbit, guinea pigs, mice. It just seems like once you've had pets in your life, the idea of not having them is unimaginable.

Over the past several years, three of my beautiful critters have died: Mitch (Rottweiler), Luke (Siamese), and Albert Einstein (guinea pig). We have one cat...Torrey. I just don't know if I have it in me to acquire anything else right now.

But that doesn't mean I won't pet-sit if the need arises. We are currently hamster-watching. Teddy belongs to a couple of adorable little boys that we know. They wanted to make sure that Teddy knew where they were...so they left notes by his water bottle for him to read while getting a drink. [sigh] I thought that was one of the cutest things I'd ever heard!

Pets have such a way of burrowing right into our hearts. Just like my Mitch, Luke and Einstein, I'm sure you have had animals that occupy a special place in your memories. Please share.

Sweet treats...(explicit)

This is a comment that I added to Jolie Cain's post today at LiquidSilverBooks blog, Silver Expressions - SEx:

Meggie dipped a plump strawberry into the melted chocolate. “Open,” she said, holding it to Jared’s lips.

Rather than taking the treat, he lifted her to sit on the edge of the counter. “You open, baby.”

Jared spread her creamy smooth thighs, pushing the thin cotton skirt up to her bare pussy. He took the strawberry from her fingers and painted her tiny clit and labia. Leaning back on her hands, Meggie met his gaze as he licked and savored her like the sweetest fruit.

“Mm, my favorite,” he whispered, grinning against her soft skin.

Weighty issues...

This has nothing to do with writing, but since it has to do with my life I figured here is as good a place as any to share.

My daughter and I are three weeks into dancing our way thinner. Just about every day we have danced to the program called Rockin' Body (from BeachBody.com) and we are each down several pounds. It took a while to get the routines, but now that we know them, I'm optimistic that we'll be shedding weight in no time!

Like many others, I've had love-hate issues with my body through the years. In the last year or so I've been able to come to terms with it and have learned to be happy in my skin. For me it's not so much an issue of how I look (though I want to look HOT this summer in skirts or a nice bathing suit!), I'm more concerned with how I feel. I'm tired of being tired.

Technically I haven't set a goal weight or date, but I'd like to see some serious results (down 20 pounds) by June. How about you? Got a weight loss success story or exercise program that you've tried with good results? Please share it here.

dot com

I've officially launched my website. Check it out: www.rosemarygunn.com

You did WHAT?

Some friends of mine were at a small local park tonight, just hanging out and talking. A couple of girls strolled into the park, pulled down their pants, squatted and pee-d right where they could be seen by my friends. The two guys were completely shocked by the girls' behavior. This is a lighted park in the middle of a quiet subdivision.

We've all done bizarre stuff in public places. What's something you've done that raised eyebrows of anyone watching?

Why erotic romance?

I've spent my life writing. As a kid I would make up tales about the little cutout scenes I created, then I moved on to poetry and essay-style stuff. For years I wrote a newsletter for my family and friends. Wrote some things for a local newspaper, and also had some short sweet romances published in now-defunct small press magazines.

Of course, writing isn't only about what we create, it's also about what we read. What we are drawn to when we have a few minutes of free time. I've been an avid reader all of my life, and a romance reader since my early teens. First YA (excellent stories that left me craving so much more), then Loveswepts and Desires (beautifully written stories that tried to push the envelope of the times, but still restricted in what they could contain), and also some single titles that were allowed a more liberal canvas. Penthouse and the like were okay for getting down and dirty fast, but lacked the emotional content I enjoy in a romance.

I read Twin Peaks in the summer of 2007 and loved it...so much I thought I'd spontaneously combust. All I could think was: Women really write like this? But I'd borrowed it from the library and one of the authors that I really enjoyed, Jasmine Haynes, didn't have any others available at the library. Now that I've read nearly all the books of my wonderful friend, I'm not surprised that the library doesn't carry them, though I'm sure not the only one in my community that would enjoy them!

In November 2007, I participated in the NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month, and won...which is to say I reached the goal of 50,000 words in thirty days. It was a huge cluster though that has yet to be untangled. What the NaNoWriMo showed me in the last twenty pages that month is that I like to write love stories, yes, but not with sweet or even mildly hot sex. The stories that I needed to write would be filled with playfulness and love, but also darkness and kink. Not always dark, but always lusty.

Why erotic romance? Because I love sex. It's fun and should be explored with all the senses, including the largest sex organ of all--the brain.

Next...

With the groundwork out of the way, I was able to begin writing my next book, Salvage My Heart, the first in a trilogy tentatively called Reclaimed Love. Be sure to watch the progress of this new one with the little Writertopia widget at the bottom of the homepage of this blog.

Possible OP blurb

Samantha and Eve have it all: a beautiful home, successful careers, and a loving relationship. When the use of a sex toy brings Sam's latent desires to the forefront, the women decide to find someone who can give Sam the one thing that Eve cannot.

Roman--Eve's best friend from childhood--is surprised by their unusual request, but agrees to play anyway. Eve has always been able to count on Roman to be there when she needed him.

What she hadn't counted on were her own feelings regarding him. Will an open proposal mark the end of a friendship or the beginning of something more than any of them could have anticipated?

Cover art

In order for the artists to create the amazingly sexy covers that they do, it's important for the authors to fill out all the tiny details about the book, characters, mood, tone, colors, etc. The LSB cover art form was quite specific about the needs and, after agonizing over it for several days, I returned it last night...well, very early this morning. Whew...another step in the process checked off.

House of SiN

So I've finally made it into the House of SiN (Silver Net Forum). I was tripping over myself, which is something that I tend to do on a regular basis. I have a link in the Books Coming Soon area: Open Proposal - Rosemary Gunn. If the link doesn't work, go to LiquidSilverBooks.com and click on the Coming Soon tab...there's a link to be redirected to the forum. Scroll down...it's there.

Sold!

Liquid Silver Books has bought Open Proposal, my first book!! I'll let you know more as soon as I know more. WhooHOO!!