Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Night Owl Romance TOP PICK Review For DON'T CALL ME BABY!




My novel "Don't Call Me Baby" was named a Top Pick review at Night Owl Reviews! I'm psyched!

I ask myself all the time what do I want from my writing career? I'm sure many writers do. Some see writing as a cathartic process so they may exorcise their demons. Putting their feelings and thoughts down on the written page is a way to make them less threatening. Most of the time, their scribblings aren't meant to be seen by others.

Other writers, myself included, want readers. Readers are the holy grail. How on earth do you attract them? You have to engage them. I've learned through trial and error that bombing potential readers with promotions only drives them away. My favorite way to engage readers is through chats. I'm often a guest at Night Owl Reviews and Coffeetime Romance chats, and I enjoy hanging out with many of the same readers each time. I also enjoy Yahoo group chats, although they're a bit less personal. People lurk, so I know they're reading. Other effective forms of engaging readers are through radio shows and blog hops.

Lastly, I want recognition for my hard work. This Top Pick review delights me for that very reason - "Don't Call Me Baby" has been highlighted for being especially good. The best combination in my opinion is recognition and readers.

In honor of my Top Pick review, "Don't Call Me Baby" is now available at the Naughty Nights Press web site and All Romance eBooks for 25% off until May 31. That's $4.49 instead of $5.99. A real steal! Make sure you pick up your copy while the going's hot.

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Night Owl Reviews
Top Pick
4 1/2 stars
HitherandThee

Don’t Call Me Baby is a fast paced, very adventurous romantic novel that will take readers on a roller coaster ride of scorching romantic fun. The main character, Catherine, is a woman after my own heart. She is young and fiercely independent, and beyond gorgeous. She is not wealthy, but she wants to live the good life and is not afraid to go get it. She is also very sexually liberated, and in the 1980’s this was sometimes a good thing, and sometimes a not so good thing. The story is so blisteringly hot and steamy; it’s difficult to put down. It took me back to a better time, and a time I enjoyed much more. It is a novel I truly enjoyed reading, and will definitely be reading time and time again. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s also not to be missed.

So many men, so little time. Catherine has a long list of men that she sees on a regular basis, and at the top of the list (for the moment, anyway) is Brian. He’s one of her professors at Quincy, and a married man, but that’s never been a problem. But he’s so demanding! So maybe some time apart will be just the trick. A summer theater camp at another local college for local teens should make him realize that Catherine is not his possession, right? That is, until she gets to the camp and meets the other counselors. Ryan is gorgeous, and the rest? Well, what’s a girl on her own to do? Why, enjoy as many as she can! In the meantime, Catherine will come to grips with her mind and her heart, and will figure out what she really wants in life.

Book Blurb for Don't Call Me Baby

DON'T CALL ME 'BABY' is a fast-paced, quick-witted, sexy, novel about a young woman exploring her sexuality and the cultural morรฉs she collides with on a daily basis.

It's 1983 in Maryland and Catherine Stone is sex on wheels. She plays the field the way men have done for aeons. Not content to strive for her MRS degree like so many young women her age, she seduces men of all stripes – married college professors, theatre students, virgins, complete strangers who intrigue her. She has already cost one man his job.

She asks herself lots of questions on her search to enjoy her sexuality. Why don't other women enjoy their sex as much as she does? Why do so many women and men look down on sexually free women, calling them sluts while sexually free men are called studs and Lotharios? She bucks at the double standards! Catherine has made no commitment to any man. She's free to explore and she gladly does so. No man can tie her down and no woman's judgment will stop her from playing the field to her heart's content.

Does she meet her match in a new man who introduces her to sexual bliss she had never before experienced? When she tries multiple partners and bondage for the first time as a submissive, she believes she's found the sexual bliss she is looking for – and with a man who not only introduces her to the fineries in life but also cares about her like no man ever has before.

Buy Links

Naughty Nights Press

All Romance eBooks

Excerpt

[Intro: Catherine Stone is my heroine and the book's main character. She has taken a summer job at a college camp. Ryan is the older college professor in charge of the camp. KC (aka Casey) is one of the counselors who becomes one of Catherine's closest friends. DJ teaches drama at the camp. They are currently in an orientation meeting before camp begins.]

At that moment, a young man ran into the room in a blaze of jeans and oversized t-shirt. He tossed his backpack behind the chair next to DJ, and then plopped into a seat.
“Nice of you to drop by, KC.” Ryan said.
“Sorry I'm late. Ran a bit behind this morning.” He gave the crowd a big toothy grin, and leaned back in his chair until the front two legs were off the ground. Oh, boy. This guy is going to be fun. “Okay, alarm didn't go off. But I'm here. So… did I miss anything?”
“Not yet, but you did manage to be the center of attention again,” Ryan tried to sound miffed, but Catherine saw his dimples deepen as he tried not to smile. “We just did introductions. You can get to know everyone here a bit later. Now, I need to get started.”
The orientation went well. Catherine kept her legs up on the table, showing them off, and her stunt did not get past KC. His eyebrows shot up, and he blew a kiss in her direction. Catherine couldn't help but like him immediately. He seemed to be the type of guy who didn't take a thing seriously, and she liked to surround herself with people like that. KC’s silly mood was infectious, and soon with his carousing and smart-mouthed funny comments, everyone at the table was laughing. Monica and Ryan assigned each worker to a class. DJ and Catherine were to teach drama.
“I brought my accordion again,” KC said. “You know how much the kids loved me last year.”
“They cringed, KC,” DJ said. “Did you actually watch them when you played Freebird? On the accordion? You were not cool, dude. Try as you might.”
“I was the coolest guy in the room. You're just jealous because you can't pick out Freebird on that tin-plated noise machine you play.”
“It's a 12-string steel guitar, and I can pick out Freebird just fine.”
“Looks like Miss Longest-Legs-in-the-Universe here is also a guitarist. You two can play the theme to Deliverance to really get the kids in a good mood.”
“How'd you know I play the guitar?” Catherine stretched her legs in response to KC's ribbing. Her movement did not get past Ryan's attention. That pleased her to no end.
“I saw you arrive, and you hoisted that guitar over your head. I see a threesome in your future - no, not that kind! Get your mind out of the gutter!!” He laughed at his own joke, and so did everyone in the room, including Catherine. “Us, on guitars. You, DJ, and I. Scaring the kids to death with our bad renditions of Kumbaya. And there's no need to look so horrified. DJ is used to me picking on him. It's all in good fun. We've been best friends since we were in fourth grade.”
“And we've been at each other's throats ever since.” DJ said. “I'm glad we're going to teach the drama classes, Catherine. Your suggestion of improvs is perfect. After the meeting, want to do some brainstorming?”
“Sounds good to me. I have lots of good ideas.”
“Don't let him hog all the ideas,” KC said. “He's a born monopolizer.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“I do. All the time.” He winked at her, and DJ busted out laughing. It was good to see DJ's handsome smile. It made his demeanor seem less standoffish. She figured out his relationship with Casey. They balanced each other out very nicely. DJ was the imposing Pontiac GTO and Casey was the Triumph Spitfire.
When Monica learned that Catherine played the piano, guitar, and flute, she immediately added her name to the list of people to play music around the campfire at night. DJ would join her on the guitar and KC on the accordion. What is it with the initials for names around here? Did their parents name them by choosing two different blocks from a game of Scrabble? It wasn't required that she play every night, but it sure sounded like fun.
Once the meeting was over, and everyone left the room to go about their business, Catherine ran until she caught up with KC and DJ. But she didn't leave without giving Ryan a coy smile and a wiggle of her hips. His gaze traveled to parts of her body that would have been considered impolite in mixed company. She didn't turn to see Ryan watch her as she wiggled her way out into the hall towards KC and DJ.
“Here she is, the girl with the longest legs in the world. And damn! You're short!”
She looked up at KC. “I'm five foot nothing. Most of it legs. You are what? Six feet?”
“Six foot two. So you and my buddy DJ are going to run the acting workshops for the kids?”
“Sure looks that way. It sounds like fun. I know lots of theatre exercises we could try on the kids. They make great icebreakers, too.”
“Well, I'll leave you two kids to your theatre business,” KC said. “I haven't unpacked yet, and I want to get myself settled in. See you two at dinner?”
“Yeah. What does KC stand for anyway?”
“Kevin Collins. I go by '‘Casey,’ C-A-S-E-Y. Emphasis on the first syllable. I'll see you two later.”
He ran off before either of them could answer, which struck Catherine as something he did on a regular basis. Looks like you met your match, girl. Being around Casey could be exhausting, and she had only a little bit of exposure to him. How was she going to survive two weeks of “Whirlwind Casey”? She wasn't the least bit attracted to him, and she didn't want to fuck him, but he was far too much fun to ignore. He'd be a good friend to have in her corner if she needed one. And she wanted to make friends with him regardless of what gossip might erupt about her sexual activities, and there was bound to be some sooner or later.




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