Hello B&N eBooks!

This past week Barnes and Noble jumped into the eBook market in a big way. Personally, I’m very excited about this as not only do they now carry the print version of my Science Fiction / Futuristic / Paranormal, Frozen, but they have all three Morgan O'Reilly Lyrical Press novels in eBook format.

What’s even more exciting, their free eReader is very easy to operate. I use it on my laptop and tonight Tielle St. Clare, a chapter mate of mine, said it works very well on her iPhone. No special eReader needed. The free software is also available for Blackberry. And it comes with free classic books and a dictionary. I'm particularly excited about the books -Dracula, Last of the Mohicans, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and the M-W Dictionary.

EBooks are all about versatility and this latest player in the eBook market brings another option to readers everywhere.

And that can only be a good thing!

Morgan Q. O'Reilly
Get Some Tonight

Available from Lyrical Press, Inc.
Frozen
Chinook Wine and Sink Her
Cowboys Dream Too
And coming August 19, Six Foot Hero

Whose Side Are You On?

Today, a note for new writers, particularly those submitting their work for publication. (If you think Deep Third sounds like a sci-fi novel or something kinky, you need to read this!)

My first critique partners taught me a rule which, as a reader, I'd never noticed: There can be only one point of view character per scene.

Say what?

Yes, it's true. It's called Third Person Limited, which means we the readers are like itty bitty Littles riding around inside one character's head per scene, experiencing only what he or she does. That means when Tom is our POV (point of view) character, we see that little scamp Jerry from above, experience Tom's acute embarrassment when Jerry bests him - again! - and our tail hurts like heck when the big ole bulldog slams it with a sledgehammer. We don't, however, get to listen in when Jerry has a light bulb moment and sics the bulldog on Tom. That would be a POV slip.

One point of view in today's popular fiction.

When we get deep, meaningful thoughts and feelings from one particular character (Stinking Jerry, why can't he find a hole in another house to live in?), it brings us closer to him/her. We relate. This is a good thing.

Yes, Third Person Omniscient still exists. A positively snoozeful literary novel I read last year was written in omniscient third. Did I mention the snooze part? I could've cared less about the characters in that book.

If you want your work accepted at Lyrical, or if you write any type of romance and want it contracted anywhere, you must learn Deep Third. One comment about recent submissions keeps surfacing: "Headhopping nightmare". Which means, it's not even worth our time trying to edit and clean up this work. It's so much work keeping track of what's going on in the story, we simply don't care. The author needs to learn the rules of popular fiction.

Today's readers do not want to be told a story Odysseus-style. We want to get inside your character's heads.

Take us there.

Piper Denna
Romance is sexy!
http://www.piperdenna.com/
http://piperpatter.blogspot.com/

For great info on writing in third person, check out this article

Happy Birthday, Renee!

Happy Birthday to our fearless leader.

In honor of this auspicious event, I declare July 24 Birthday Limerick Day on the LPI Blog.

There once was a girl named Renee

Who turned a year older today

The dense candle smoke

might make everyone choke

but we'll still eat the cake anyway.

Enjoy your day, love. Have a good one.

EPIC decision

I'd pretty much sworn off contests until today. My past experiences with RWA sponsored contests haven't been great - either as an entrant or a judge for the Golden Heart,or an entrant in chapter contests. Too often, these have poor judge training and sub-stellar point systems. (I do judge a smaller chapter contest with better criteria, but that's another topic entirely.) And entering local writing contests - which I have to admit have been good to me - just seems silly now that I'm published.

But then I heard (read: was reminded) about the EPICs, aka EPPIES, and kinda got that competitive flush going on. Fantasy Mountain has done quite well with reviewers. Do I dare send it out to a handful of ebook-loving readers to compare with other ebooks? Yeah, I think I do. What the heck! The entry fee is much lower than most contests, and the potential for publicity is....awesome.

If anybody else is interested, here's the contest info: EPICauthors.com

Best of luck! (unless you're entering the erotic romance category, LOL)

Piper Denna
Romance is sexy!
www.piperdenna.com

New from Lyrical Press! 07/20/2009

Don't miss these new titles available from Lyrical Press!
http://www.lyricalpress.com/

July 20th releases on sale now!
http://www.onceuponabookstore.com/



Morgan Hall by Ann W. Tseng
http://www.lyricalpress.com/morgan_hall
Genre: Paranormal/Horror/Gothic
Length: Novel
Price: $5.50

Revenge never sleeps in Morgan Hall.

Lady Christie Morgan is not the only occupant in this desolate English estate. A young apparition appears, sparking a chain of horrifying occurrences involving Christie and the two men closest to her: Anthony Longfield-Lothian and Tristan Ely.

A saga of mystery and sordid family history weaves intrigue for the passionate love triangle. Past and present war as the secrets of three aristocratic families come to light.



Point of Distraction: Final Collection by ACindy Jacks
http://www.lyricalpress.com/point_of_distraction_final_collection
Genre: Erotica/Contemporary
Length: Novella
Price: $3.50

Can Ana take the plunge and find her happily ever after at last?

The Kindness of Strangers finds Ana on an impromptu vacation with Todd to celebrate her newfound freedom. A mysterious stranger helps her open her eyes to who she really is--and close the door on who she used to be.

Dr. Jordan Christiansen makes a long-awaited return in Perfection of Pursuit, but if Ana has everything she thought she wanted, why can’t she stop thinking about Nikhil?

In Ana’s Choice, she has finally decided between Jordan and Nikhil. Now, the heat is on to make this relationship last forever. Amid the pressure of opening her own business venture, can Ana settle down with just one man?

Warning: This book contains hot lovin’ on the beach, hot lovin’ in the shower, and hot lovin’ that results in an accidental broken nose. Ouch! But, hey, who hasn’t broken her soul mate’s nose in the throes of passion, right?



The Gathering by Antonia Tiranth
http://www.lyricalpress.com/the_gathering
Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Shifter
Length: Novel
Price: $5.50

Can Gem and Shirak find their way through madness and sorrow to forge a new peace?

Gem Tunuviel thought her father's insane quest was at an end. She was wrong. He is resolved on destruction. Driven to escape him, she seeks the faces in her visions: other Rikashi, dragon shape-shifters like herself.

Shirak Gwindor, haunted by nightmares of half-remembered tortures, is also following a vision. He struggles to keep his attraction for Gem buried under his rigid sense of duty.

As a force draws the Rikashi together, can Gem find acceptance with others of her own kind, or must she keep her true self hidden?




Hell's Bells by Lesli Richardson
http://www.lyricalpress.com/good_will_ghost_hunting_hells_bells
Genre: Romance/Paranormal
Length: Novel
Price: $5.50

When you fall in love with the Devil's henchman, 'personal demons' gains new meaning.

Kalyani Martin was a good Baptist minister's daughter, intent on saving herself for the right guy. In her new producing gig on a ghost hunting show run by Ryan Ausar, she might have just found him: Will Hellenboek, co-star on the show.

Will and Aidan, cousins and co-stars, are archdemons, working for Ryan. Their common past has been a long and sometimes bloody one, but the three men share an unbreakable bond.

The dark and crazy days of their past are returning to unleash vengeance upon them all. As Ryan struggles to keep things together behind the scenes, can he protect the fragile joy lighting his friends' lives, without revealing the soul-crushing truth and risking all they hold dear?

Warning, contains graphic M/M and M/F sex, anal sex/play, frequent snarkage, silly boxer shorts, hot archdemon lovin', and toe-curling soul mate deflowering.

***

New eBooks release the first and third Mondays of the month. Watch for them on sale at Once Upon A Bookstore!
http://www.onceuponabookstore.com/
Keep up to date on Lyrical Press and Once Upon A Bookstore!
Talk to our authors:
http://www.lyricalpress.yuku.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lyricalpress/

Call for submissions: Steampunk

Lyrical Press welcomes authors to submit their brilliant blending of 19th Century steam power with science-fiction/fantasy. In a word – Steampunk.

What’s Steampunk? You know that movie/comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? That’s Steampunk. It’s the perfect marriage of an era when steam power was in use and science-fiction/fantasy elements. It’s goggles, gears and corsets. It’s fun, adventure and excitement.

Lyrical Press is accepting all forms of Steampunk, with a focus on romance and erotica.

If you’re manically mad about mechanical masterpieces set during the Victorian age we’d love to hear from you.

Sensuality level: All – with a focus on romance/erotica
Length: 30,000 – 80,000 words
Key Characteristic: 19th Century steam power blended with elements of science-fiction/fantasy
Deadline: None

Please follow Lyrical Press’ guidelines found here: http://www.lyricalpress.com/submissions when submitting. Send submissions to submissions @ lyricalpress (dot) com.


Lyrical Press, Inc. is a New York based small press owned by the husband and wife team of Frank and Renee Rocco. Our goal is to provide authors with a reliable and pleasant home for their books and offer readers an eclectic mix of quality titles. LPI publishes in both electronic format and Print On Demand for select titles over 70,000 words.
http://www.lyricalpress.com

The lure of the story

People often ask me why I write and very often, when I answer, I'm not really happy with what I'm saying. I tell them that I like it, it's fun, etc, but really it goes far beyond that.

I'm addicted to it. There's just something about a new story. The shape of it, the feel, heck it even has that 'new story' smell about it when I shuffle all my notes and settle down to write.

New stories almost always go down on 'paper' faster at the beginning. Like in that initial rush of creation the story's writing itself. But it's not all plain sailing, at some point, lurking just around the corner is the dreaded blank spot. The spot where the words have to be dragged kicking and screaming onto the page and no amount of cajoling or threats will make the characters do anything. Then it becomes a long hard slog, chipping away at the story little by little until it's on the page.

A glorious first draft in all it's unweilding beauty to be polished and refined. Rounds of self edits, before it's ready to be shown proudly like a newborn to others.

Then, your wonderful infant story gets scrutinsed and dissected by editors. Your ego gets a bashing here if you're not careful. They're not personal but, by heck it feels like it sometimes. I recommend vodka (or alcohol of your choice), chocolate and a very good sense of humour. A freind waiting on the other end of the phone is also a good idea.

Then finally, after rounds and rounds of edits and copyedits, your story is here in all it's edited, shiny glory with new covera art. You can bask in it's radiance, your writerly scars forgotten for now.

Except, your eyes slid sideways. There's a new story waiting to be written...new characters to be played with and the rush of writing just waiting for you.

Writing is hard. But it's one of the greatest highs in the world.

Living With A Stubborn Muse

The Muse. The source of one's artistic inspiration. Everyone has one and every, single flipping one of them is stubborn. No exceptions. You get the urge to write, paint, draw, or however it is you express yourself at exactly the moment you don't have the time to do it. Or you sit down with plenty of time and nothing. So what do you do? How do you deal with a stubborn muse? Well, to be honest, there isn't much you can do except wait. You try to force it and everything turns out to be utter crap. I've learned to deal with mine by oddly enough writing. Yes, writing. Whenever I feel a stuck I write me interacting with my muse, as follows :

The cat sized purple dragon lay sprawled out on the desk. He didn’t look up as the door opened and a girl charged into the room. She tossed backpack and jacket into a corner and then came to sit at the desk, staring at the dragon. He opened one eye to look up at her, a short chirp escaping his lips in greeting, and then closed his eye again. Shirak’s eyes popped wide open and let out an indignant shriek when the girl’s hands closed around him, lifting him from his napping place. She turned him over, lifted him over her head, inspected under his wing, his leg, tail.

“Where the heck is it?”

Every inch of his purple hide was examined. Finally after many high pitched protests from the small dragon, she set him back on the desk, where he extended his wings and hissed at her.

She folded her arms, pursing her lips. “Hmm, guess you don’t have an on/off switch after all.”

Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't but it almost always makes me feel better. So if you're stuck try it. Paint your muse, play some random notes in an ode to him, write a little scene. See what happens.

My muse and the main character of my second book, The Gathering coming out on July 20th, share their name. Here's a little taste of Shirak the character's story :


The sleek black limo rolled to a stop in front of the giant granite steps, and I opened the car door, not waiting to be assisted. I left my bags, knowing they would be brought in, likely to my old rooms. Once a room was claimed, it remained yours to use whenever you wished.

I hurried up the steps and into the manor house. With little conscious effort I walked the path to Calidan’s rooms. The hallway approaching his bed chambers was lined with sobbing Rikashi of all three remaining clans. Whatever troubles were brewing, sorrow was quelling it for the moment, at least here.

I paused at the closed double doors that led to his bedroom, needing a moment to make certain I was in control of myself. Before I could knock, the door swung inward on silent hinges. A golden-haired female stood on the other side.

“You must be Shirak,” she said with a sad smile. At my nod, she stepped aside. “He’s been asking for you. He hasn’t much time left.”

“There is nothing you can do for him?” I asked, assuming she was a Surion.

She shook her head. “All my powers cannot rescue a body ravaged by time, youngling. Go see him now.”

I nodded again and stepped into the bed chamber. It smelled of cinnamon, Earl Grey tea, and death. I did not think I would ever be able to drink Earl Grey again.

My feet made no sound on the thick carpet as I moved forward. Calidan’s son, Severick, rose from a chair in the corner, glaring at me as he left the room. I shook my head; that one had never liked me.

Calidan lay on an impressive gilded four-poster bed, his eyes closed, and for a moment I feared I was too late. But then I saw the slow rise and fall of his chest, and I could hear his labored breathing as I moved closer.

“Calidan?” I called, keeping my voice low.

His eyes fluttered open, and a smile touched his lips. He lifted a hand and waved me forward. I knelt at the edge of the bed, taking that hand carefully in mine. “Lazing about in bed when there is work to be done, sir?”

A rolling exhalation of breath was all the chuckle he could manage. The old Rikashi’s mouth worked up and down, but his voice would not work.

“Do not try to talk. You need to rest so you can get well. You said when I left I was not finished with my training.”

He shook his head. Whatever he needed to tell me was important enough for him to make an attempt while on his death bed. I reached for his mind and found it as feeble as his body looked. I could only pluck a few words from his fading thoughts—tariel, jewel, protect.

Another frown pulled the corners of my mouth. “I do not understand, Calidan.”

He sucked in a rasping breath, letting it out with the words he tried to speak. “Jewel…duty…protect.” His hand went to his throat, tugging at a chain there. “Yours now.” He placed something warm in my hand and with a sigh, closed his eyes again.

I looked at the amulet nestled on my palm. It was a beautiful star shaped gem. A myriad of colors sparkled within its depths. It seemed to pulse with a light of its own.

“Calidan, I cannot accept this.”

“Yours to protect.” The words rang in my mind, and the amulet flashed. A wave of dizziness took me briefly. A tone, sharp but not unpleasant, sounded in my ears. Faces flashed in my mind, twelve of them. Five were male. Five were female. The final two faces were blurred and difficult to make out. To my surprise, Aerandir’s face was one of the visible ones. My own face flashed last in my mind, the image lingering before fading. It was over as quickly as it had begun.

“What in the hell was that?” I murmured, staring at the amulet.

No answer came from my mentor. I put a hand on his shoulder, and I knew. Calidan was dead.

Come visit me on Twitter, Facebook, or my own blog. My website will be going live very soon.

Call for Submissions

I always crave well-written erotic fiction, but currently I crave well-written erotic fiction from a male character’s point of view. I want to be in the hero’s head in a believable way, although of course I won’t shy away from a story told about an intriguing heroine or from her perspective. Strong preference is shown toward creativity—send me something I’ve never seen before. I want to read something witty, artful and intelligent.

Follow the submission guidelines here and send the synopsis, manuscript and compelling cover letter to stephanie.szymanski@lyricalpress.com with the Subject Line reading “LPI Submission.”

I believe that an erotic story can be both romantic and realistic, so no falling in love in a day, no acting out of character to fulfill a romantic fantasy and so on. Just keep it real and show me what you got.

-SS.

What's in Your Ereader?

You know what's kind of cool about ereaders? Nobody can tell what you're reading in there. It could be the latest bestseller, Twain, a Stephen King classic, How to Drop 50 Pounds in as Many Days, a tabloid, or a smokin' romance (the racy cover of which would normally confine it to at-home-only reading material). Point is, it's Your Little Secret. Your escape, your time to enjoy and tune out the world, whether you're in a crowded restaurant at lunch time, or sprawled across a lawn chair at home.

So, go ahead. Buy whatever ebook strikes your fancy, load it up, and take it along with you. Let 'em wonder what you're reading in there!

Autumn Piper
Got romance?
Waiting for Revenge, now available
www.autumnpiper.com
Piper Patter blog

New Releases On Sale Now at Lyrical Press!

Happy 4th of July!

Don't mis these new titles availavle at Lyrical Press!
http://www.lyricalpress.com/

July 6th releases on sale now! (Yep, we know they're early this month)
http://www.onceuponabookstore.com/



The Feline Fugitive by Esmerelda Bisho
http://www.lyricalpress.com/the_feline_fugitive
Genre: Romance/Shifter/Contemporary
Length: Novella
Price: $3.50

You'll never look at a cat the same way again...

Claudette Richards adores Fluffy, her cat. Little does she know how much he adores her in return, nor that he's secretly a man named Luca Doyle, who has chosen her for his life mate.

Framed for murder, Luca hides out in cat form while he hunts down the real killer, a battle that could reveal him to Claudette before he's ready. If it happens, will she match his passion or send him to the pound?



Waiting For Revenge by Autumn Piper
http://www.lyricalpress.com/waiting_for_revenge
Genre: Romance/Contemporary
Length: Novel
Price: $5.50

One good heartbreak deserves another

Mandy plans to leave her husband the minute their month of counseling is over. How can she forgive his outrageous affair? It would almost be funny if the consequences weren't so harsh. They've got kids, and families with strong -- and warped -- opinions on marriage.

Her aunt thinks she should take a page from the black widow spider. Her brother's begging to avenge her broken heart, and their marriage counselor offers to play the willing victim in some payback sex.

While her clueless husband launches a campaign to win her back, Mandy meets Adam, the perfect shoulder to cry on. Will perfect justice prove just how sweet revenge can be when you wait for it?

Content Warning: Real people aren't all good or all bad. Neither are the characters in this story. The shade of right or wrong you see may depend upon whose glasses you are looking through....



Kaydana and the Ruby of Beguilement by Nyki Blatchley
http://www.lyricalpress.com/kaydana_and_the_ruby_of_beguilement
Genre: Erotica/Fantasy/BDSM
Length: Novella
Price: $3.50

How do you choose between love and desire?

Young sorceress, Kaydana, is caught in a darkly dangerous romance with King Makreth...one she longs to free herself from even while she enjoys it, and Makreth won't let her go without a fight.

Attempting to escape, she's seduced by an enslaved winged woman, and loses her magical staff in the process.

Emmerin offers to recover the staff in return for Kaydana's help, but will that deal come with a price she's not willing or able to pay? And how will she escape the dark desire when forced to face down Makreth again?




Playing With Fyre by Mina Carter
http://www.lyricalpress.com/playing_with_fyre
Genre: Erotica/Romance/Contemporary
Length: Novel
Price: $5.50

When you play with Fyre, you just might get burned.

Raelyn Borne has a fiery passion to save her home. Unfortunately, lawyer Logan Fyre, is as ruthless an opponent as they come. With him, she can't bribe or threaten her way out of this one.

When backed into a corner, Raelyn has a tendency to get sassy. And now she's desperate enough to enter into a dangerous game with Logan.

Does she have the strength to play with Fyre -- without getting burned?

Content Warning: Hot, ruthless lawyer, scorching sex and a woman with a secret. Chocolate cake optional.

***

New eBooks release the first and third Mondays of the month. Watch for them on sale at Once Upon A Bookstore!
http://www.onceuponabookstore.com/
Keep up to date on Lyrical Press and Once Upon A Bookstore!
Talk to our authors:
http://www.lyricalpress.yuku.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lyricalpress/

It's That Time Again

Lyrical Press is now accepting employment queries for the following positions:

Copy Editor (hiring up to 3 at this time)

Copy editors work directly with authors to tighten and polish stories. Other duties include admin, some minor production work, and acquisitions.

Line Editor (1 position open)

Line editors handle 2-4 books per month. They are the neutral "second opinion", working independently of copy editors or authors. Line edits are their sole responsibilitiy at this time.

How To Apply:

Because applicant screening happens in stages, all applicants need do to begin is send an email to emmawayneporter@gmail.com, requesting information on either the line or copy editor positions. There is no need to send anything else; we will request what we require when the time comes.

Questions? Email me at: emmawayneporter@gmail.com