Vote for Me!

My very first BDSM short story, Belle Behind Bars got a totally awesome review from Whipped Cream Reviews.  As if that wasn't enough to make my day, I got an email telling me that the story was up for Book of the Week at the site!!

So between Saturday morning and Sunday evening, you can vote for it if you want my undying gratitude.

I hope you have a great weekend, too!

My Big, Awesome Week

This is a big week for me. Tomorrow is my birthday and today is release day for my first book from Carina Press, Protective Custody. I'm also doing a blog tour and will be all over the blogoshere. If you'd like to find me and have a chance to win some of the prizes I am giving away, here's my schedule for the next couple of days:

Monday: Not Your Usual Suspects, You Gotta Read, Book Junkie. Tuesday: Manic Readers. Wednesday: Carina Press Blog, Romance Junkies, The Romance Dish. For a full list of blog stops and interviews, check my website.

Here’s a little about Protective Custody from Carina Press:

Witness to a murder, but no one will believe her…

Shocked by the brutal crime she witnesses through the window of her small office, Megan Jackson calls the police and is devastated when they question the truth of her story. With no body and no evidence of a crime, she’s written off as a nutcase.

Megan suspects the killer saw her face. Terrified, she calls the only person she can trust—her ex-boyfriend and former police officer, Will McCoy.

Despite a devastating breakup, Will jumps at the chance to help the woman who broke his heart. When the killer ramps up the stakes, Will is forced to take her into hiding—where the passion they once shared reignites, deeper and hotter than ever. But can Will keep Megan alive long enough to win back her heart?

Text Copyright © 2011 by Wynter Daniels

Cover Copyright © 2011 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover Art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Treading New Waters

I've been hearing so much about established authors trying out self-publishing that I decided to give it try. My friend Jax of Jaxadora Design made me this lovely cover.

So here goes:

Game of Smoke and Mirrors

When Jia Mason’s estranged husband turns up missing from their Florida vacation home, Jia is the prime suspect in his murder. Afraid she’s being railroaded by the police, she flees to New Hampshire in search of answers only to be arrested there.

Zack Sizemore is tasked with extraditing the beautiful fugitive until a blizzard strands them with nothing but their mutual attraction to keep them warm. When they stumble upon a deserted cabin, Jia sees her opportunity to charm Zack long enough for her to escape. What she doesn’t count on is falling for the handsome lawman. Or the danger that awaits them in the remote cabin.

Buy it HERE or HERE

What do you think of self-published books? Do you buy only authors you know? Does self-publishing a book affect how you feel about an author?

A FREE Read!!! The After Party is now available for your Kindle HERE

Or download other ebook formats HERE.

Victoria meets a handsome stranger at a relative’s wedding. When he asks her out for a drink after, she invites him to her place. After a steamy encounter, they discover they have more than their profession and their love of cats in common. Their paths have crossed before. But will that connection end what they’ve just begun?

Branching Out

So I took the plunge. I started my own blog - no other contributors to keep me afloat. Why is this a big deal for me? I've done it before but it's been a couple of years. Being part of group blog means the responsibility to keep it fresh and interesting (and up-to-date) rests in the hands of many people. But an individual blog - well, if I screw that up or neglect it, I only have myself to blame.

So here goes. You can find me now at http://wynterdaniels.blogspot.com/. If it's not updated at least once a week, you have my permission to give me a serious tongue-lashing. Please, stop by and say hello.

A Two-Fer

I lucked out this week with my Ellora's Cave books. First - my editor extended a contract offer on my first BDSM story, Belle Behind Bars. Also, I found out I have TWO releases in the next couple weeks! One is a Quickie titled Blackout that will be available February 3. The other is a freebee. That's right - you can order The After Party for FREE from Ellora's Cave. That book, releasing on January 31 is a super short erotic vignette. So please - whether you plan to read The After Party soon or later, please download it! You can also get it shortly after the release date on Amazon as a Kindle book. So go for it.

Here's a little About The After Party:

Victoria meets a handsome stranger at a relative’s wedding. When he asks her out for a drink after, she invites him to her place. After a steamy encounter they discover they have more than their profession and their love of cats in common. Their paths have crossed before. But will that connection end what they’ve just begun?

And here's a blurb for Blackout:

Kendra learns that her boyfriend thinks she’s a cold fish. To make matters worse, he’s made plans to go away with one of her coworkers for a long weekend. When a blackout strands her in an elevator with sexy Latin maintenance man Jorge, she sets out to prove she’s more hot dish than cold fish.

Happy Reading!

Do it Your Way

Have you ever been reading a book, having a perfectly good time indulging in a sexy love scene when you hit a word that turns you so off that you actually cringe? I know I have. Even though I write both erotic romance and erotica, I sometimes run into names for body parts that turn my stomach. I think everyone has a line they're not comfortable crossing in that regard. But what turns my stomach might just turn you on -- and vice-versa.

And what about certain sex acts. Most publishers of erotic romance and erotica have a list of taboo activities they don't want to see in submissions because they cross nearly every reader's line. But that leaves a host of other naughty behaviors wide open and many of us enjoy being "bad" to some degree. Unfortunately in our culture, there seems to be more that's considered bad than what's considered good!

Our sexual mores have been influenced by ancient cultures, political movements and religious teachings. The ancient Greeks' ideas about sex centered on penile-vaginal penetration to the point of male orgasm. Too bad for the ladies.

Most Western religions teach that male-female sex within the matrimonial relationship is the only acceptable way to do it. Many governments even dictate what people may or may not do in the privacy of their bedrooms.

As long as the parties involved have a fully consensual relationship and have safe, fulfilling sex, why should it matter to politicians or clergy? Sex is one of the most fulfilling endeavors we humans engage in and it is an important part of our health and happiness. So whatever you call it, just do it!