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 morés 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.
The game comes from the Write Brain Workbook.
