What do krakens look like? I had this discussion with my sister, who is very literal minded as well as a friend of mine…both felt my kraken seemed more like a giant octopus. I snorted. I mean, we don’t know what a kraken looks like. We’ve all seen what the movies show us, but come on! Since when has the movies ever really got it right?

Legend shows them as giant squid. Greek mythology (and the movies) show them standing on two feet, with horns… pshaw!

The real clues about kraken lie in real world cephalopods. Which are fascinating!

Cephalopods are known for the flexibility of their behavior. They exist in every ocean of earth. And are very social creatures, will shoal with fish if isolated from their own kind. They are true masters of disguise.

For example, cuttlefish are sneaky. Males protect their females from other males so some males have learned to camouflage themselves as females in order to sneak past the guardians. And the females don’t object to mating with these clever guys…because they are so smart? I think so!

Octopus are brainy, they figure out how to unscrew jars, use tools, and are masters at survival.

Squid are predatory and quite ferocious!

Well, if you put all of this together, you may have the real character and building blocks of the kraken. The Great Albino Kraken is a character in my book…a sort of guardian to the pirate world, the center of which is Tortuga.

It is the great Albino Kraken that brings Emily to this place, by using a portal through time and space. When Emily finds this portal she doesn’t realize what it is…but it still intrigues her!

She turned the frame over to examine the intricate pattern she’d felt there. Health issues: tadalafil 20mg no prescription Obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity amongst others. tadalafil online uk In case of type 2 diabetic patients, both ACE inhibitors and ARB are used for treatment. cialis rx VItamin D is experiencing a kind of resurgance in popularity in the nutrition world these days as some newer studys tout its cancer fighting abilities. The pharmaceutical market has been loaded with a large number of useful options which have been helpful for men dealing with tadalafil online canada prostate problems later to radiation treatment as well. It was fascinating, a bright white, like bleached bone. Carved or molded, she wasn’t sure which, into a nest of tentacles. After a moment, she figured it out. A great ocean monster wrapped about the frame. On the front, suckers lined the circlet. The backside was bumpy, yet it seemed like a real sea creature, slick and smooth. Touching it reminded her of stroking a starfish at the aquarium.

She dug into her leather sack for a slender strap. Usually, she carried a few—never knew when she might find something to use one on. She secured the frame to her belt, quite pleased at her little five-dollar trinket.
excerpt from The Kraken’s Mirror, available from Decadent Publishing

www.maureenobetita.com

That is my sort of kraken!

Maureen O. Betita

In part one, I shared unconventional ways to use whipped cream. In this installment, we’ll talk about a more familiar way to use whipped cream–as a food ingredient.

Apricot Cream Dessert

1 pound apricot halves
1 tbsp unflavored gelatin
3 tbsp cold water
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 container of Cool Whip

Place apricots in a blender and process until smooth.

Soften gelatin in cold water.

In a medium saucepan, combine apricot generic cialis levitra Amongst the various diseases, erectile dysfunction is considered as the worst condition of men’s lives. cialis tabs 20mg It is not a process of occurring erection only once. Total thyroidectomy might take an hour to two hours under general or generic levitra australia partial anesthesia. When higher than required amount of blood gets accrue in penis, it gets harder & stiff which is counted as an order cheap cialis erection. puree, gelatin, lemon juice and sugar. Heat over low and stir until gelatin and sugar are dissolved.

Remove from heat and refrigerate for about 30 min.

Fold in whipped cream, pour into 4 dessert bowls and refrigerate until serving.

Check back to find out the most exciting way to use whipped cream!

Em Petrova
~where words mean so much more~
http://www.empetrova.com/

Runes: http://tiny.cc/rh5yl
Tattoo Dream: http://tiny.cc/lsxr3
My Sexy Valentine: http://tiny.cc/2w5ea

Let’s admit it, very few of us have a first hot lovin. I’m talking virgins here. But once we get some experience under our belts, no pun intended, the first hot lovin with a new significant other can be wild! And greatly satisfying.

In Breathless Surrender, Reid and Alexis first time together is what some fantasies are made of.

Blurb – Months of running into her sexy new neighbor takes a toll on Alexis’ libido. There’s interest in his smoky gaze every time they meet, but he seems reluctant to ask her out. And other than a slight nod, and a polite hello, that’s all they share. About to take matters into her own hands, she finds herself thrown into a situation that could end her life.

With nothing but erotic fantasies of Alexis to warm his bed at night, Reid knows he has to stay away from her until his undercover assignment is over. But when a coldblooded initiation to prove he’s trustworthy forces him to involve her, there’s nothing to keep him from claiming her.

Excerpt –
She caught her breath. Reid brushed the hair behind her delicate ear, inhaling a subtle fragrance that teased his senses further into overdrive. Holding her gaze, he removed the knife he carried in his pocket. Her eyes widened with fear, but before she had a chance to react he reached up and cut the rope above her wrists. As she fell, he caught her against him. Then he gathered her into his arms and headed straight for the bed. He dumped her onto the thin mattress and stood above her, eating her up with his eyes. Giving her time to run her gaze over him to confirm for herself that he wasn’t kidding.

Reid damn near lost control when her eyes reached his hard-on and lingered. His cock throbbed and he damned himself for the raw lust coursing through his veins. Maybe he was a little more like Juan than he thought.

There was no disguising the fact that Alexis was frightened. But there was something else in her eyes too, a kind of excitement, perhaps an acceptance of things to come. Maybe her instinct to survive had kicked in and she figured she’d do whatever it took to stay alive. Even if it meant giving herself to a man she didn’t know other than a polite acknowledgement when they passed in the hallway.

Aware time was slipping by, Reid pulled his tee shirt over his head and reached for the snap to his jeans. He hesitated only a second when her eyes flared, then kicked off his shoes. Before long his jeans were joining his shirt on the floor. A whimper escaped her but nothing else. Reid couldn’t tell if it was a sound of fear or pleasure. He decided to leave his briefs on, lowering his body until he covered her. The second his raging cock came in proximity to her pussy it strained and pushed in a demand to be released.

A grunt escaped him before he could stop it and Reid ground his hard flesh between Alexis’ thighs. She cried out and she pushed against his shoulders. He slapped his mouth down on hers, easily forcing his chest down against her breasts. When her hands came up, her long nails scraping the flesh at his sides, he took hold of her wrists and pinned them to the bed above her head.

“Easy, baby,” he breathed against her lips. His mouth skimmed down to her breasts. Transferring both of her wrists to one hand, he brought the other one down to her bra, surprised at how easily he was able to unsnap the front hook. When her full globes broke free of the restraint, Reid nuzzled his face between them, drinking in the musky fragrance of her warm, silky flesh.

“Please,” she gasped, arching into him.

Reid could only hope her plea sounded like a protest from where Juan was standing on the other side of the mirror. He knew Alexis’ compliance wasn’t what the drug lord was looking for. “Fight me, damn it!” he grated against her ear before giving it a not-so-gentle bite. Maybe he needed to get a little forceful with her to get the reaction Juan was expecting. He began to move his free hand over her curves roughly, exploring from her breasts to her waist, hip and down her thigh, then sliding beneath her body to squeeze her ass.

He took a full breast into his mouth and suckled like it was sweet, ripe fruit. Her flesh was sweet and responsive. He rolled her nipple with his tongue and when he was done loving one he slid his open mouth over to the other. Nibbling and sucking, he took that nipple into his mouth too, tugging on it fiercely.

“Nooooo,” she drew the word out on a long breath. “Please stop, Mike! This isn’t right!” She gasped and arched her body wildly beneath him. Reid knew when a woman was receptive to his advances. His gut told him she was unwillingly turned-on by what he was doing. He’d been about to remind her to fight him again, but her squirming made him think of only one thing. Completing the journey to losing himself in her body.

He continued to torture her nipple, his hand slowly gliding to her pussy. You cialis online can’t afford to continue suffering silently while your relationships are slowly crumbling. Delirium tremens are primarily recognized by its two symptoms, i.e., delirium and tremors. cialis buy on line The lovemaking performance is optimized with the consumption of high cholesterol cheapest cialis in australia foods is not enough. Sildenafil canadian pharmacy sildenafil Citrate is the main ingredient in the blue pill. A thin triangle of lace covered her mound and it was soaked. He curled his hand around the fragile lace and with a violent jerk he tore it from her body. Before she had time to react, he slipped a finger inside her, finding more proof of her desire.

“Oh!” she gasped, trying to close her thighs to his invasion while at the same time arching into the finger buried deep inside her. “Not right…”

Reid pulled back slightly to meet her eyes and then lowered his gaze to her mouth where he watched her teeth sink into her bottom lip. “I’m glad it’s you.” He barely heard her whispered words.

Why? Will it make what I’m about to do to her any easier to endure? Damn, I need to get on with it. Before common decency takes control and I blow the whole damn thing. Angry at his thoughts, he slipped another finger inside her.

She whimpered, yet surprisingly kissed Reid back when he joined his mouth to hers. With one hand manipulating her pussy, he let go of her wrists and curled the other around her breast, caressing her roughly. The fire in his blood demanded he screw her, and when her small hands began to travel over his body it only fueled the beast in him. He removed his fingers to replace them with his cock. She stiffened slightly. She must have sensed what he was about to do.

He continued to kiss her, their tongues battling. Her hands were moving over the scars covering his back, going lower each time until she reached his boxers. He couldn’t wait for her to take the initiative, though something told Reid that she wouldn’t even if they had more time. He reached between their bodies, freed his cock and with a violent thrust, buried himself deep inside her wet body.

Her nails raked his back, her hips arched to accept him, he swallowed her cry. She was so small and tight, slick and warm with desire. Her body sheathed his hungry cock like it was made for him. Every thrust threatened to end it for Reid and he purposely held back. It felt too damn good, and it would probably be a long time before he felt anything half as good again. His hands went to her hips, she turned her head to gasp for breath and Reid used the pause in their kiss to take a breast in his mouth. Each time he entered her body with a downward thrust over her clit, making sure he pleasured her. Her rapid pants began to escalate, warning him she was about to come.

Crying softly, she bit down on her bottom lip. Her nails scraped along his flesh again. Her climax fed his hunger. Wanting to ride the wave with her, Reid let himself go, unleashed his burning desire, and before long he was filling Alexis’ body with his release. Their bodies worked against each other, their movements out of control as the violence of their orgasms caught them both by surprise. The room was filled with the sounds of their labored breathing, their bodies were covered with a sheen of moisture. Gradually the convulsions slowed and Reid collapsed against her.

He’d gone off like a rocket. As if he hadn’t screwed anyone in a long time. The force of his climax surprised him. He needed a minute to gain control, knowing at that moment that he was vulnerable. If anyone made a move against him he wouldn’t stand a chance. He was wiped out, and by a little slip of a woman. Realizing he might be crushing her, he lifted the top half of his body. She was breathing deeply, her lips swollen by his kisses. At that moment Reid was mesmerized by the sheen in her lovely blue eyes, the color in her flushed cheeks.

He wondered what was going through her mind. Her calm acceptance at what had just happened surprised him. Their gazes clung. Without being obvious, he reached for his jeans on the floor and felt for the pocket that held the small syringe. Slipping it out, he brought it up toward Alexis’ hip. “I’m sorry, Alexis.” Something prompted him to kiss her as he stabbed the needle into her flesh. She stiffened, but only for a second. And when she relaxed completely beneath him, Reid knew the drug had worked and she was out cold.

Tory Richards

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If you’re in an established relationship and like to kick up the heat now and then, there are so many things you can do. Rather than hiring a sitter and going out, let the kids stay overnight with grandma or your best friend and you two stay in. Stock up ahead of time with a new toy or two, or a movie, and some fun finger food. Or, for kicks, buy a few of your favorite erotic romances (or dust off the tried and true faves you haven’t, uh, tried yet) and act out the good parts.

Seriously. Maybe you don’t want to invite a friend to try the menage a trois scenes, (or maybe you do, but shouldn’t admit it), but why not invite your love into the fantasies you enjoy so much? The positions, the pieces of furniture, or interesting foodstuffs might be just the thing. Or they might send you both into fits of laughter at how wrong it really is. Either way, your night won’t be remembered as the same old box of chocolates, fifteen-minute roll in the sack and nod off to sleep event as last year.

And of course, I can suggest a book to test-drive. In Honey, I focused on a married couple who wanted to add a little spark to their evening, but through lack of coordination ended up with his boss coming to dinner. But Rick was never a patient man. Just how long can he wait to break out the toys?

Now, I’m turning the tables on you. Readers always ask authors about how they research their sexy scenes. I want to know if you’ve ever tried something you’ve read, and what book it came from. I need to stock my own shelves, dontcha know!

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Blurb:

The plan was perfect. Slinky black lace dress. Leg-slimming stilettos. Some toys to expand the boundaries of their normal routine. Her husband’s favorite meal. The only point Lisa missed was telling him ahead of time.

When Rick comes home with his boss in tow, Lisa has to scramble to make herself decent. Now if only Rich would wait for the boss to leave before trying out the toys. But he’s never been a patient man where sex is concerned…

You can read excerpts and find buy links for most ereaders at my website:

http://arithatcher.com/honey.html

I’ve got a new book coming out March 8! It’s being published by a brand new press called Astraea Press. http://www.astraeapress.com Here’s a blur and the prologue from A New Dream.

Thanks for reading!
Elaine Cantrell
Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
http://www.elainecantrell.com
http://www.elainepcantrell.com

Blurb:

After an auto accident destroys his pro-football career, Matt McCallum struggles to find a new dream for his life, but nothing engages him the way football did. After a stint in rehab, he takes a job managing a grocery store where he meets Violet Emerson.

Violet works in the bakery department, but her dreams carry her far beyond the doors of Chef’s Pantry. As soon as she can save the money, she plans to open a catering business. And she thinks the new manager’s broad shoulders and blue eyes are simply divine.

Thrown together at work, Matt and Violet find a common dream for their lives, but a loose end from Matt’s past returns to jeopardize their future. Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare?

Prologue:

The red convertible cut a path through the moonlight, its headlights dancing along the arched limbs of the trees above the road.

“Oh, Matt, it’s such a beautiful night,” Stacey declared with a sigh. “I’m going to miss you when you leave tomorrow.”

Matt reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. Instead, it increases the width sildenafil best price http://djpaulkom.tv/dj-paul-attends-icon-manns-third-annual-pre-oscar-dinner/ of the blood vessels in the penile region to stay dilated for a longer time. Men, who are buy cheap cialis suffering from persistent erectile dysfunction, can be helped. Apcalis comes under a group of medicines called phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors. levitra 10 mg It relieves you lowest cost levitra from weakness and stress. “I’ll miss you too, but if I don’t report on time, I’m in trouble with the coach.”

“That’s what I get for falling in love with a pro football player,” Stacey teased, her blonde hair turned to frosted silver by the light of the full moon above them.

Matt squeezed the hand that wore his engagement ring. “It’s too late to back out now,” he intoned with mock seriousness. “You’re mine.”

“Mmm, do I like the sound of that!”

The car rounded a curve, and without warning a deer bounded across the road. Matt braked sharply to avoid the animal, but the tires slid on a patch of loose gravel in the road, and he lost control of the convertible. It fishtailed and started to spin in the road.

Matt made a tremendous effort to correct the slide, but it was useless. The car turned around once more and skidded backwards for a short distance before it slid off the road where it jumped a steep ditch, and went airborne. All Matt could see was a blur of trees and darkness as the car careened into the woods. It made a lazy turn in the air and came to rest bottom side up.

The last thing he remembered was the sound of Stacey’s screams.

thanks for reading!
Elaine Cantrell
Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
http://www.elainecantrell.com
http://www.elainepcantrell.blogspot.com

The Long and the Short of It is very pleased to welcome Sarah-Jane Lehoux, whose latest book Shades of War has just been released by Mundania Press.

I asked her to share the blurb from this second book in her fantasy series.

Sometimes the past can’t be forgotten. Sometimes the truth refuses to be buried. And sometimes the dead won’t stay dead.

It began as a simple request: Journey to the Northern Jungles and bring a wayward son back to the safety of his farm and family before the racial tension that is building between humans and dark elves erupts into civil war. But life is never simple for Sevy, and she soon finds herself entangled in a bloody battle of good versus evil, love versus hate.

Old friends and enemies reunite, familial bonds are broken, and loyalty is tested. And in the midst of the steamy, sultry jungles, the ghosts of a serial killer’s victims come out to play. Sevy, as petulant and irascible as ever, must overcome her personal demons in order to expose a madman and bring peace back to the kingdom. But just how much of her sanity must she sacrifice to help her friends? And how can she save anyone when she can’t even save her own soul?
Sevy was introduced in Thief, the first book of the series. It follows Sevy, a self-proclaimed bitch who has lost the man she loved above all others. She goes to some extreme lengths, including demonic pacts and black magic, to try to regain the happiness she once felt. But her obsession doesn’t come without a price, and she just might lose her soul, her sanity, and the life of her only friend in the process.

Sarah-Jane is currently working on the third book in the series, Masquerade.

“I’m also working on a comedic fantasy called Red Rover,” Sarah-Jane told me. “It’s about a bored, twenty-something office worker who gets whisked to a crazy alternate universe by a Puck-like immortal. I also have a couple of short stories and a novella that I’ve been pounding away at to limited success.”

The characters, like the office worker above and Sevy, always come to Sarah-Jane first.

“I’m not a huge fan of plot driven stories,” she said. “I enjoy letting the characters themselves become the focal point. I think that helps to create a story with more heart, a story that readers can more easily relate to.”

“What inspired you to write your first book?” I asked.

“I had joined a thread online where around ten people took turns writing a story. That fizzled out thanks to lack of participation and overall suckiness, but I enjoyed one of the characters I had created and decided to tell her story from the beginning. And it just grew from there.”

And, thus Sevy and the fantasy series was born.

I asked Sarah-Jane if she ever suffered from writer’s block.

“I don’t really subscribe to the notion of writer’s block. I think it’s pretty much a cop out. ‘Oh, I can’t possibly write today, but it’s not my fault because I have writer’s block.’ Bull! The only way to get through slumps is to power through them or wait them out. They manufacture generic equivalents of a number of the patented medicines have their generic equivalents. generic soft cialis isn’t any exception to this. This way the necessary support for the penis to stay generico cialis on line erect for longer time and ejaculate at a normal interval. Anti-impotent medicines work by cipla generic cialis boosting the blood flow to the penis following sexual stimulation, which helps to cure all sexual health issues. Short intensive workouts if done on a regular basis, effectively improve metabolism cialis online sales & increase testosterone levels in the blood.Now that you are familiar with these natural ways to gain higher testosterone levels, let us remind you of the same. But most important is to accept the fact that it’s not that you can’t write that day, it’s that you don’t want to.”

Sarah-Jane told me that she writes at a small desk, completely free of clutter.

“It’s all rather bland and boring because I have a very short attention span and if my desk was too busy, I would lose focus,” she explained.

When Sarah-Jane was growing up she wanted to be: a pirate, thanks to Peter Pan; an actor, thanks to a local production of The Wizard of Oz; and an archeologist, thanks to Indiana Jones.

“I was a highly impressionable kid apparently,” she said.

“What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?” I asked.

“A good grasp of human nature and a developed sense of empathy. A lot of people throw around the saying ‘write what you know,’ but if that were true, I would only be able to write about a day in the life of a vet tech. I certainly wouldn’t have been able to write about fantasy worlds filled with murder and monsters and mayhem. To me, writing what you know doesn’t mean personal experiences. It means understanding how and why people react to events the way they do. Before the plots, before the prose and the poetry, writing needs to have a soul.”

Sarah-Jane shared with me that she would love to get a dog, but she thinks it might not work out so well with what she calls her “horde of evil cats.”

“They would murder any canine I dared to bring home,” she told me. “Luckily for me, I’m a veterinary technician, so I can get my fix of doggy breath and happy tails at my day job and not have to get mauled at home. Unless, of course, they smell the dogs on my clothes. Then I can look forward to stinky little surprises left around the house.”

She has six of them, which she says is an occupational hazard of working at a vet hospital.

“I can’t help but take home every sob story I come across,” she explained. “And do you think they thank me for it? Hah! Oh well, I guess that’s just part of their charm.”

“What is your strangest habit?” I wondered.

“I was raised Roman Catholic. For some reason, don’t ask me why, whenever I walk under a bridge, I have to make the sign of the cross. OCD? Just a smidge, I suppose.”

She told me she doesn’t consider herself either a morning person or a night person, but more of a “random half hour person.”

“I have fairly low energy levels most of the day, except for one little burst that happens sporadically. During that half hour, I enjoy a great deal of creativity and drive, and I also annoy my husband to no end. Especially when that half hour comes at midnight and takes the form of spontaneous serenades.”

Finally, I asked her, “What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?”

“There is a difference between writing as a hobby and writing as a career. Research all aspects of writing, from first drafts to editing to finding and submitting to the appropriate publisher. Don’t expect any short cuts. This is a line of work that can take years before you see any tangible results. Be patient, be persistent and stay positive!”
You can keep up with Sarah-Jane on her blog, http://sarah-janelehoux.blogspot.com,

On the high end of the spectrum, inflammation can be seen as redness and swelling, as seen vardenafil online australia in a wound. Kamagra 100mg oral jelly has rendered a great way to treat drscoinc.com effects of levitra professional the condition and to allow men enjoying their sexual life. And as for ease of use, as well as being offered in the conventional tablet form, Kamagra has taken an innovative approach to drug delivery, and is also the best for erectile dysfunction is cialis no prescription cheap . levitra generika 5mg Storage conditions of the pill: This prescription must be put securely in place in order to build a secure structure. Ever since my romantic suspense novel was published, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers who happen to show up at my book signings, ask me the one question I can’t answer. “How long did it take you to write Buried Heart?”

They assume I have written just one story and BINGO! Got it published. I always confess that I have written LOTS of stories–short, long and in between; mysteries, humor and romances–all rejected at least once.

My motto was: I am multiple-rejected, but poised to be an overnight success.

While I was fiddling with the first draft of Buried Heart (variously titled “Slaves of Time,” “The Last Codex,” or “Thick As Thieves”), I was still writing a monthly newspaper column and working as a volunteer for several charitable organizations. Somehow, the volunteer jobs grew to fill the hours, and “Slaves of Time” clomped along like a donkey pulling a heavy cart.

Eventually I submitted the story to some literary agents and publishers. Result: nice try, but no cigars; “At this time we are not seeking…”, etc.

About that time a friend mentioned that a colleague of his worked with authors on their manuscripts. I decided to give him a try. For six months I re-plotted, tightened, re-crafted, increased tension, heightened conflict, added and subtracted scenes (especially love scenes).

The waste basket bulged. The cost of paper went up. Trees died. I should have included the trees in my dedication.

The following June I attended the Wisconsin Romance Writers of America (WisRWA) conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin. During one of my pitch appointments, I announced the title of my romantic suspense story as “The Last Codex.”
The publisher gulped and raised her eyebrows. “The last Kotex?” she asked.
“Oh, no!” I blurted with a blush. “I guess I have to change that!”

My next pitch session was with Rhonda Penders, founder of a new, author-friendly publishing house. Switching to one of my other working titles, I gave my pitch. Like other agents and publishers had done in the past, she asked me to email her the first three chapters and a synopsis, and I did.

Three weeks later I was thrilled when Ms. Penders emailed me asking for the rest of the manuscript. Though other publishers had done the same in the past, I hoped this time could be THE time.

In late July I got an email request for the whole manuscript! As Sally Field said at the Oscars eons ago, “They liked me!”

Keeping a lid on my ecstatic effusion, I tinkered with the rest of the chapters and then shot the whole works to The Wild Rose Press. I assumed I wouldn’t hear anything for months.

In early September I got an email wondering why I hadn’t responded after they sent me a contract. Was I was still interested in publishing with them?

I replied in a panic. “Contract? OMG, I didn’t receive it!”

And the next day, there it was! A contract. Which I signed.

I had to decide on my pen name. I had to suggest ideas for a new title. I had to fill in details for the cover art. I had to get a web site going. I was expected to join the TWRP authors loop.

I needed blurbs and a bio. I needed a good head shot, something other than the cropped version of last year’s holiday card. Best of all, I had to tell every cousin, friend, neighbor, as well as all the strangers in the grocery store checkout line, that my novel, renamed Buried Heart, would be published!

What was the very best part of the process?

Holding my novel in my hands.
And seeing someone reading my novel on an airplane trip.
And signing my book for someone.
And hearing someone say: “Have you met Anne Stratton? She’s an author.”

P.S. I still don’t know exactly how long it took me to write that book, but I know how long it’s taken me to write this next one: eight months and counting.

A. Y. Stratton grew up in Glenview, Illinois, and in Elm Grove, Wisconsin. She graduated from Vassar College with a major in English Literature. As a child she had trouble sleeping, so she’d make up adventures starring herself as the heroine and imagined she’d write stories like those some day.

Inspired by her visits to Mayan dig sites, much of the action in Buried Heart, Stratton’s romantic suspense novel, takes place on a Mayan ruin in the Yucatan rain forest. She still makes up stories as she goes to sleep, but now she saves them in her computer.

Visit A.Y. at her website