It's Alive!

I'm so happy to announce that the Dirty Scot is live!

Jocelyn Pearson is determined to spend her last month as a twenty-something doing everything she's too busy or scared to try. Her imagination runs wild and then fixates on Ian Baird. He'll be working at the Langston Museum for a short stint as a consulting curator. He's Scottish. He believes sex is fun to be had. He's the perfect choice for a fling. She only has to get him break his rule about sleeping with co-workers. Seducing a man was on her bucket list...

Ian is no one's fool and knows exactly what Jocelyn wants—him. If she didn't work for the Langston Museum, he'd be more than happy to oblige any and every fantasy she desired, but she's the curator. She's sweet, inexperienced and well liked by everyone including the museum owner and director. Ian can't risk losing such an important contact for his consulting business. Not even when everything within in him craves a taste of her.

When Jocelyn sets her sights on him, there's no way Ian can deny her. They agree their affair will end in thirty days. No emotions, no entanglements, just sex. The closer the end date looms, they start to question if it's possible to walk away. They'll either have to come to terms of what they've become or stick to their original agreement.

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The Making of a Cover: Under His Kilt

Some covers are incredibly easy to make. The stock photo is dang near perfect and I don't have to do much but crop it, play with the colors and then add my title and name. Font is key and that can take eons, but for the most part it's a day's worth of work.

Under His Kilt was not one of those covers. Let's start with talking about the lone and original stock photo. Since it's so not safe for work, I'll just say a man with a towel riding really low is, um...Yeah. So... the man needed a good shave before I could use it on a cover. I wanted the cover to convey this was an erotic romance, but not THAT much of an erotic romance (though it is pretty dirty). After spending hours photoshopping out pubic hair, I decided I still needed something to cover that area.

This is what I came up with.

By no means did I think this would be the final cover, but I had a core look. I wasn't a fan of all the red, but from all the black surrounding him any other color didn't quite work. I also needed to figure out how to get something with a tartan into the cover so it ties in with a title. But, this book could look like an erotic romance. A contemporary one at that, because we romance readers are hardwired to think Scottish = Historical.

I worked some more and came up with this:

I was ok with this and something or the other nagged me about the overall cover, but it was serviceable. I knew I'd revisit it the closer to the release date. The edits came in and I finished them. I got through my first round of proofing. There was no more waylaying the inevitable. I had to fix this cover. There was no way in hell I'd go with this as the final. 

So less than a month before the release, I scratched that as the cover. The two goals I couldn't budge on is that it needed to look like an erotic romance and it needed to look like a contemporary.

I liked it but it was still missing something. Plus, his coloring looked off because of the light. Plus, nothing about it really said contemporary. At this point I did something drastic because I honestly couldn't see then potential of the cover. Let's just call it the attack of the blue-green alien.

Now if I were writing a paranormal this could be fine, but I wasn't. I give myself brownie points for the simple fact you'd be able to see this sucker in thumbnail (from space), along with the title and my name. Needless to say, I scraped this sucker.

And then I called on a friend in the middle of the night to help me. The idea well had run dry. I'd helped her create a draft of her own cover she wanted to use a comp. She suggested I used the same technique and coloring. I honestly had nothing to lose at this point. She punted the idea of having a bed or a night stand and that meant moving him over. Also, that damn tartan needed to get in there. 

Now I'd gone a step too far to the left with his coloring, but I liked the idea of a woman instead of an object. It felt more personal. When you have a nekkid man in nothing but a towel you don't want him by a nightstand. Maybe a bed, but...you get the gist. Anyway, we were on to something. The woman didn't work because she didn't feel contemporary. She felt like a Geisha to me and ding, ding, ding that rings like a historical. We hit stock sites. At this point it was like 1/2 in the morning. So our emails were getting silly. 

Finally, I did this:

And that was the last draft or I'd end up screaming for bloody murder. Plus, I absolutely loved it. It looks contemporary. It looks erotic. It haz tartan. Booyah!

So, that's how a cover is made. Sometimes, because if it was all the time I'd hire out.

*This book will be released on October 10th.

It's Only Fair I Share

I was conflicted about what to blog. My next release isn't until the 10th and I'm not ready to do a cover a reveal. Really, I'd rather have anything other than a promo post on the blawg. As fate would have it, my friend sent me to an article.

Now, I'll snark the hell out of stock photo. I'll refrain from actual book covers, because most times they aren't as egregious as some make them out to be. And I know what a bad cover looks like. I've made some in the past.

I'm going to be honest here. I'm not sure what's...Ok. Lets start with the first one that I feel encapsulates what makes me speechless.

Why? Just why?



WHY?????






Is it just me or do you want to shower that man in some Nair?

I'm not going to lie. I sort of want to read a sample of this book just so I can say I did it. There must be some kind of street cred you get for reading dinosaur p0rn.

Whenever I come across these lists I waver on if every single cover is really that bad.

Yes. Yes. All 26 are THAT BAD. You've been warned, but I know you are going to click that ink anyway. I know I did.

Update: Releases to Come and Such

To keep y'all in the loop, Double Trouble is off for betas and crits. So, it's getting there. Looks as though Melissa Blue won't have a release until October. That one will be Under His Kilt, a very erotic, dirty, filthy book and what I'm going to call book 2 in the Bad Boy Shorts series. And that means Double Trouble should have a Nov/Dec release.

So, what will you have to read until then? Well, you can try out my alter ego's alter ego, Sofia Harper. Her first release. (And, yes, that's why I'm talking in third person. I'm not THAT crazy.) Hot Knight In Paradise is somewhat like Double Dare, in that the romance is a nice, slow burn. You can check out for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Stranded in paradise with no way to get home, Leah Smith needs a miracle, and fast. Instead, she gets Marshall Jackson, surely the sexiest man alive. Too bad he's got an emotional wall around himself--and her only hope of getting off the island...

Marshall has a strict no damsels in distress policy, but there's something about Leah that makes him want to break his own rules. He agrees to let her work in his bar until she earns enough to get home. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to deny the scorching attraction between them. Soon hot island nights provide balm to their wounded souls, but will these two flawed exiles make peace with the past in time to claim the future they deserve together--or will paradise be lost?

Hindsight: Tricia Drammeh

Three years ago, I was halfway through writing my very first novel, The Claiming Words. I put my heart and soul into it and the words flowed unencumbered by punctuation, correct sentence structure, or any consideration for plot. Needless to say it was a train wreck. I was so green then, I assumed the greatest challenge in writing was finishing the novel. I also assumed agents would be eager to sign me up and I’d have a huge publishing contract by the end of the year.

Um, no.

Back in those days, I didn’t use Facebook and wasn’t aware of the vast writers’ resources out there in cyberspace. I did absolutely everything wrong—from peddling a manuscript that wasn’t anywhere close to being ready for publication, to signing with a publisher I hadn’t fully researched. I’ve learned a lot in the last three years and I share much of that hard-earned knowledge on my blog in hopes new authors can learn from my growing pains.

Here’s my comprehensive list of advice for newbie authors:

1. Don’t query a first draft. I’ve seen authors make this mistake time and again. Though I read through my manuscript a few times before querying, my MS still wasn’t anywhere near ready for publication. Any draft that hasn’t been ripped apart by revisions is a first draft and not ready for agents, publishers, or self-publishing. Find good beta readers to read through your manuscript before you even think about publishing.
2. Learn the basics. I’m an avid reader. I always had good grades in English. But, somehow I forgot my first draft needed a plot. Hmmm. Writing a novel requires an entirely unique skill set. Brush up on basic grammar, read books with an eye toward showing-versus-telling, and maybe read a book about the art of writing.
3. Network with other authors. Authors are the most generous, helpful people you’ll ever meet. You can find other authors on writers’ sites (The Next Big Writer, Book Country, etc), in Facebook groups, or in local meetup groups. You’ll learn more from other writers than you’ll ever learn sitting in front of your computer.
4. Start your author platform early. Set up an author platform before you ever finish that first book. You’ll need Facebook, Twitter, and a basic blog. Agents and publishers will Google you to see if you have an author platform. If you choose to self-publish, it helps to build a following long before you finish your book.
5. If you want to be a professional writer, act like one. From the very second you decide to write professionally, you need to start self-editing your Facebook posts and other online posts. Anything you post online should be well-written and should reflect well on you as an author.
6. Don’t sign with the first agent or publisher who shows interest in your work. Don’t assume you’ll never get a better offer. Don’t assume the publisher shares your vision for your work. Publishers should be carefully researched and contracts should be reviewed by a lawyer. If you can’t find anything about your prospective publisher on the internet, they’re probably too new to have enough experience to publish your book. Say no and move on. A bad or inexperienced publisher can destroy your book, and possibly your reputation as an author.
7. Self-publishing is not the kiss of death to your career. There used to be a huge stigma in regards to self-publishing, but more and more authors nowadays are choosing self-publishing over traditional options. There’s nothing wrong with taking the traditional route, but don’t discount self-publishing until you research all your options. If it comes down to choosing an inexperienced publisher or self-publishing, I’d choose self-publishing every time.
8. Writing isn’t easy, but it’s worth it. There have been several times over the last three years where I’ve lost confidence in myself and considered giving up. There have been times I’ve put my writing to the side. But, I always go back to it. Why? Because writing isn’t just what I do, it’s part of who I am. Even if I never sell another book, I’ll continue to write because I love it.

Tricia Drammeh is a wife, mother, book-lover, and coffee-junkie. She’s an author of paranormal and mainstream fiction, including The Séance, The Fifth Circle, and The Claiming Words. When she isn’t writing, Tricia can be found interviewing up-and-coming authors on her promotional site, Authors to Watch. You can also find Tricia on her website.

Hindsight: Guest Post by Incy Black

I'm starting a new blog series. I'm nosy and was curious about the advice writers would give themselves three years ago. This is the first post. So, let's give a warm welcome to Incy Black!

The very slightly scary Melissa Blue (yes, she is that good), asked on Facebook: As a writer what advice would we have given ourselves three years ago, knowing what we do now? And of course, I had to pitch in with my nickel’s worth. Next thing I know, she’s got me pinned down for a blog post—told you she was good—which is more my map to surviving the route to getting published, than a guide to ‘must-know’ craft tips.

1.       Bite down hard, and assume the position – because as sure as water’s       wet, you are going to get your arse spanked with a nail studded paddle, and yes, it is going to hurt. Expect criticism, sometimes kind, sometimes downright cruel. Survive by taking what you want from the thrashing then, with all the dignity you can muster, pro-offer the other cheek.

2. Write for yourself first, the publishing house thereafter – it is one thing to allow a few of your words to be changed, quite another to allow anyone to change the cadence/essence of your writing, your ‘voice’. Your voice is unique, your best shot of rising above the choir for a solo spot. Rough and untrained as it might be,(trust me, with persistence it will develop) if it doesn’t fit, move on. Find a choir where it will. Hell, set up your own band if necessary, but have sufficient integrity to protect what you love, what you would want to read. Ban the Bland!

3. If you’re British (that would be me), accept the fact Americans can’t spell – Damn, do they hate double Ls. I had the hideous experience of having to call a friend to break it to her gently that the cover of her newly published book had a typo. ‘Unravelling’ has two Ls, I said stroking her with kid gloves. Bollock’s to that, was her reply, I’m writing American. Our US buddies aren’t fussed about Us either (colour/color, favour/favor), but jeez, do they love their Zs (realize/realize, magazine/magazine)…and what the hell is it with that word ‘gotten’? Poor use of English but it rocks in America, so unknot your panties (I had to discard mine altogether), America, after all, is the bigger market.

4. Learn Publishing o’clock – time moves very, very slowly on Planet Contracted. Hours become days, days become weeks, weeks become months (if you’re lucky), months become years. Learn patience. I’m told it’s a virtue.

5. Just because someone blogs with authority, it doesn’t mean they are an authority – intimidation is the serial killer of creativity, don’t become one of its victims. Don’t be afraid to disagree, trust your own instincts, break the bloody rules if you want to. Try and remember those who appear to know what they are doing are most likely lurching like a drunken sailor on the high seas we call craft, just like the rest of us.

I could go on, but I won’t. That wet nurse they call experience is shared by many, and I have no wish to hog the teat.

Thanks Mel, for inviting me to post. I so needed the reminder of all the occasions I’ve fallen on my arse. The only thing guaranteed, is that these are bruises I will continue to accrue…anyone offering to pucker up and kiss the booboo?

Author Bio:

To escape the frenzy of three children aged under 4 years, two mad dogs and four very odd cats, Incy committed to a law degree (University College, London), first to piss off those who said she didn’t stand a chance, and second, because she’s never learned to walk a hill when there are mountains to be climbed.

Armed with said law degree (of which she’s really rather proud), Incy works as a Marketing Director with a history in advertising agencies, property, publishing and education. (She also fitted in two more kids along the way, preferring with her final son, that people dismissed her as fat rather than careless).

In her spare time Incy writes fast-paced romantic suspense and thrillers. Contracted to write for Entangled Publishing in 2012 (well, January 2013, but she’s superstitious), her whoop could be heard across the British Isles where she leads a ‘quiet’ life.

* You can find Incy Black occasionally pouring out her heart (and sometimes her venom) at incyblack.weebly.com

The One I Want: Out Now (Mostly)

It's out! (For the most part.) (You can also check out the Pinterest board for this story. It has Idris. Yum.)

When Farrah Kane comes home from New York she doesn't plan to fall into bed with Micah Stamps. He's demanding, stubborn, her boss and...her best friend. Except she makes the mistake of agreeing to be his roommate as well as his co-worker for the next three months. It's not long before their days are filled with work and their nights filled with passion. The question is whether their friendship will survive the heat and his stubborn ways. She wants to take her time getting settled into home and their new relationship. He seems to have other plans in mind...

There's no getting around the fact that Micah's best friend makes his blood run hot. Their platonic relationship could die a slow death as far as he's concerned. The year she spent in New York made him realize two things: He missed his best friend more than he should have and he never wanted to live without her again. Now that she is in his grasp—in his home—for three months, there's no sense in waiting to take the next step. Micah only has to convince his impulsive friend to settle down with him.

Their work and home life brings out all the differences between them and drags them to the forefront. Their hearts get in the way of their their well-laid plans. Now, they have to figure out if it's possible to be friends now that they've become lovers.

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