Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Cover Reveal: Stained by Elizabeth Marx
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Newsletter
Keep up to date and read the super secret Desert Secrets book (Secret Admirer) by subscribing to my month newsletter.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
What people are saying about Dangerous Flames...
"I absolutely loved this book! Wendy definitely had me hook line and sinker. The story of Gabbi and Mik starts out when they were kids and continues on into their adult lives. I'm afraid of getting into to much detail for I don't want to give anything away! However growing up in a mafia family and not really not knowing what is going. Gabbi learns things on her own and thinks she wants to become involved. Is it a good idea? Mik has loved Gabbi from afar and is dying to tell her. Will he? Gotta read it to find out. You WILL NOT be disappointed. Looking forward to more from Wendy Ely! I absolutely love her books."
*
"I love this BOOK!! Wendy Ely did a fantastic job of weaving fact with fiction and romance.. The main characters in the book, Gabrielle Medini and Mikolas Russo are not only believable but are exciting to read about and see how their story started together and progresses. Gabi is an intelligent business woman yet very naive.. but has very strong feelings for her childhood friend Mik... who works for her Dad as a "Hitman".. And Mik aka Mikolas is handsome, smart and deadly..but has one weakness..his feelings for Gabi.. Then there is Daddy..Enrico.. know as the "Don" of the Medini Crime Family who had threatened Mikolas to stay away from his daughter.. But what is a "Hitman" to do when a "Woman" takes the situation into her hands and turns the tables and a gun on him when she thinks her "Daddy" is in trouble..No More Details..you got to read it yourself.. and you will be glad you did..Get Dangerous Flames (Mafia Hearts) soon!!"
*
"I won this book in a giveaway and wasn't entirely sure it was my cup of tea. It was. The first chapter had me hooked and the characters kept me reading until the last sentence on the last page. I can't wait for the next book in the series to be released. This is on my auto-buy list now!"
Dangerous Flames blurb:
Mikolas Russo is one hit away from becoming part of the Medini crime family. But is this what he really wants? Killing people for money is what he has been trained to do even though he’d give anything to trade the nightmares for sweet dreams of the forbidden Gabrielle. Thinking he has the chance to reveal his feelings to her, he arrives at her house to find her brandishing a loaded gun, ready to take control.
During Gabrielle’s teen years, she attended a private school in Italy. This is where she learns the meaning of Mafia but believed crime families no longer existed. Now back in Las Vegas and demanding answers to the hard questions, she quickly learns that the Mafia still has a hand in controlling society and her father is the Don of the largest mob in the area.
The Mafia doesn’t seem so glamorous any more after a hit is taken out on her father, especially when Gabrielle has reason to believe that her secret love's safety is in jeopardy too.
Will the truth fulfill her desires, or will Mikolas be the one to shatter everything?
Get your copy here: http://amzn.com/B00DUJ21HS
*
"I love this BOOK!! Wendy Ely did a fantastic job of weaving fact with fiction and romance.. The main characters in the book, Gabrielle Medini and Mikolas Russo are not only believable but are exciting to read about and see how their story started together and progresses. Gabi is an intelligent business woman yet very naive.. but has very strong feelings for her childhood friend Mik... who works for her Dad as a "Hitman".. And Mik aka Mikolas is handsome, smart and deadly..but has one weakness..his feelings for Gabi.. Then there is Daddy..Enrico.. know as the "Don" of the Medini Crime Family who had threatened Mikolas to stay away from his daughter.. But what is a "Hitman" to do when a "Woman" takes the situation into her hands and turns the tables and a gun on him when she thinks her "Daddy" is in trouble..No More Details..you got to read it yourself.. and you will be glad you did..Get Dangerous Flames (Mafia Hearts) soon!!"
*
"I won this book in a giveaway and wasn't entirely sure it was my cup of tea. It was. The first chapter had me hooked and the characters kept me reading until the last sentence on the last page. I can't wait for the next book in the series to be released. This is on my auto-buy list now!"
Dangerous Flames blurb:
Mikolas Russo is one hit away from becoming part of the Medini crime family. But is this what he really wants? Killing people for money is what he has been trained to do even though he’d give anything to trade the nightmares for sweet dreams of the forbidden Gabrielle. Thinking he has the chance to reveal his feelings to her, he arrives at her house to find her brandishing a loaded gun, ready to take control. During Gabrielle’s teen years, she attended a private school in Italy. This is where she learns the meaning of Mafia but believed crime families no longer existed. Now back in Las Vegas and demanding answers to the hard questions, she quickly learns that the Mafia still has a hand in controlling society and her father is the Don of the largest mob in the area.
The Mafia doesn’t seem so glamorous any more after a hit is taken out on her father, especially when Gabrielle has reason to believe that her secret love's safety is in jeopardy too.
Will the truth fulfill her desires, or will Mikolas be the one to shatter everything?
Get your copy here: http://amzn.com/B00DUJ21HS
Saturday, July 20, 2013
My Sexy Saturday: Confessions
What is sexy? Passion comes to my mind when I think of that question and I'm going to show you with an excerpt from Confessions. After you read this, check out the rest of the authors' posts by clicking the links at the bottom.
Confessions:
She shot up from the couch. “Forget? You think I can forget you? Look at this.” She undid the zipper on her jeans to reveal the tattoo. “Remember this? I can never forget you with this branding on me! I can’t even look in the damn mirror without remembering!”
“I hope it haunts you like it did me for ten years.” His voice lowered but didn’t lose an ounce of anger. “I didn’t know what happened to you. I didn’t know if someone abducted you, or if I did something wrong to make you leave.” His arms crossed over his chest. The anger seemed to be dissolving a bit with each word. “I lay awake at night wondering where you were and what you were doing right at that moment. Every damned night, Chelsea.”
“I’m so sor—Oh, never mind.” She turned to go back to her chair but the heat of his hand on her shoulder stopped her. She covered it with her own. His fingers entwined with hers.
“I know you’re sorry,” he whispered. “I accept your apology.”
She turned toward him. She put her hands on his chest and fingered his wet t-shirt. “Take this off. You’re going to get sick.”
“I don’t care.” He wiped his tears away. “The only things I care about are you and Elizabeth.”
She moved her hand off his shoulder to pull his shirt up over his head so he wouldn’t be cold anymore. He might not care if he got sick, but she did. Before she knew it, her lips were against his moist flesh. She kissed his shoulder and then moved down his chest. She let her mouth nibble gently as she moved all the way down his abs to the waistband of his jeans.
Want to find out what happens to Jordan and Chelsea? Get a copy here: http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84
Confessions:
She shot up from the couch. “Forget? You think I can forget you? Look at this.” She undid the zipper on her jeans to reveal the tattoo. “Remember this? I can never forget you with this branding on me! I can’t even look in the damn mirror without remembering!”“I hope it haunts you like it did me for ten years.” His voice lowered but didn’t lose an ounce of anger. “I didn’t know what happened to you. I didn’t know if someone abducted you, or if I did something wrong to make you leave.” His arms crossed over his chest. The anger seemed to be dissolving a bit with each word. “I lay awake at night wondering where you were and what you were doing right at that moment. Every damned night, Chelsea.”
“I’m so sor—Oh, never mind.” She turned to go back to her chair but the heat of his hand on her shoulder stopped her. She covered it with her own. His fingers entwined with hers.
“I know you’re sorry,” he whispered. “I accept your apology.”
She turned toward him. She put her hands on his chest and fingered his wet t-shirt. “Take this off. You’re going to get sick.”
“I don’t care.” He wiped his tears away. “The only things I care about are you and Elizabeth.”
She moved her hand off his shoulder to pull his shirt up over his head so he wouldn’t be cold anymore. He might not care if he got sick, but she did. Before she knew it, her lips were against his moist flesh. She kissed his shoulder and then moved down his chest. She let her mouth nibble gently as she moved all the way down his abs to the waistband of his jeans.
Want to find out what happens to Jordan and Chelsea? Get a copy here: http://amzn.com/B00A3FVT84
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Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Camp Nano Update
This really should be titled Camp Hell-no update because when I look at my stats... that is exactly how I feel. If you are not sure what Camp Nanowrimo is... it is a "fun" program to get me writing. My goal is to write 50k words in the month of July. I was using this month to finish up the last books in my Desert Secrets Series. At this point I don't even know if I'll finish one of the books.So here are my stats: 5,242 words and I have 15 days left of this program.
Here is the funny part of the stats:
Saturday, July 13, 2013
My Sexy Saturday: Dangerous Flames
“I’m not
worried about food right now.” He pressed his lips against the curve of her
neck before asking, “Your first time shooting one of these?”
Her breath
came out in a rush as desire crashed through her, making her nipples pucker against
the fabric of her bra. “Yes.”
“How does it
feel in your hands?” he whispered in her ear.
“Hard.”
“And?” His
fingers slid down her arms and finally wrapped around her hands.
“Dangerous.”
Her thighs started to tingle, her panties dampened, while her core yearned for
him.Buy Dangerous Flames here: http://amzn.com/B00DUJ21HS
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Research for Dangerous Flames
This is a true story. I swear. When I was busy writing Confessions, another character popped into my head. Her name was Gabrielle Felice Medini. Okay, I thought, that's easy enough as soon as I'm done writing the rough draft of my current book. What happened next? The idea that Gabi is the daughter of a Mafia boss formed. Just great. So... I had a make-believe conversation with Gabi.
Me: Gabi, you're an awesome character to write, but you can't have any ties to the mob.
Gabi: Why not?
Me: Because I don't have any clue to Mafia life. I haven't even watched The Godfather.
Gabi: That sucks for you.
Me: It sure does. How does this sound? You're the daughter of the Mafia boss, but you have a life far from that lifestyle? It'll just be part of your history.
Gabi: That isn't what happens though.
Me: Okay. Hit me with it. What happens?
Gabi: I kidnap my father's hitman because I have been in love with him forever.
Me: Oh hell.
And then I started writing the story and doing the research. Out of all my books, Dangerous Flames took me the longest to write and I believe it was because of the research involved. I had to sink into the world through literature and movies. I read everything Mafia related I could find. I didn't limit the books to fiction either. I read biographies from crooked cops involved with the mob, investigators who specialize in crime families, and autobiographies from hitmen. I was reading this one book about a famous hitman, it creeped me out so bad that I had to stop reading and watched the interview on YouTube. His name is The Iceman. Check out the documentary here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXgi72W2H7U
Then I started watching Mafia movies and The Sopranos.... and got hooked on The Sopranos. My kids and the guy I had been dating at the time complained every time I watched a movie. "Another Mob show?" they'd ask. I was obsessed with the mob for an entire year. My biggest "help" in finding information regarding the Mafia were websites I found on Google. There are several informative sites available (or were when I wrote the book) that explained everything from the words in the Mafia world to the ranks in crime families.
I also needed to know about guns because I had always stayed away from them. One of my friends loved guns and asked if I wanted to tag along to a store. Of course I went! It was the first time I approached someone in public and said: I'm an author. Can I ask you questions about ____. The salesman was more than helpful. He demonstrated how a Glock worked and asked every question I could think up at the moment. Months later I was able to attend some workshops for authors put on by a local homicide detective who brought his guns.
My biggest surprise was when I was having a garage sale one afternoon. A car parked in front of my yard and this gruff looking man climbed out. He strode with a purpose across my grass and started checking out the things I had for sale. This man was different. Finally he said, "I'm really looking for some furniture. Is this all you have?" I told him it was and we started chatting. I found out that he was relocating to Phoenix after being let out of prison. He found out that I'm an author. "What are you writing right now?" he asked. "A Mafia love story," I said. He got excited and told me that back in the day, he had been a wiseguy which made my entire month! Was he telling the truth? I don't know, but he did give me enough believable information and that is what matters.
The book I dreaded writing at first is one I love now. It is the first book in the Mafia Hearts series. Dangerous Flames is now available! Read the following blurb and grab a copy of the book here: http://amzn.com/B00DUJ21HS
Mikolas Russo is one hit away from becoming part of the Medini crime family. But is this what he really wants? Killing people for money is what he has been trained to do even though he’d give anything to trade the nightmares for sweet dreams of the forbidden Gabrielle. Thinking he has the chance to reveal his feelings to her, he arrives at her house to find her brandishing a loaded gun, ready to take control.
During Gabrielle’s teen years, she attended a private school in Italy. This is where she learns the meaning of Mafia but believed crime families no longer existed. Now back in Las Vegas and demanding answers to the hard questions, she quickly learns that the Mafia still has a hand in controlling society and her father is the Don of the largest mob in the area.
The Mafia doesn’t seem so glamorous any more after a hit is taken out on her father, especially when Gabrielle has reason to believe that her secret love's safety is in jeopardy too.
Will the truth fulfill her desires, or will Mikolas be the one to shatter everything?
Me: Gabi, you're an awesome character to write, but you can't have any ties to the mob.Gabi: Why not?
Me: Because I don't have any clue to Mafia life. I haven't even watched The Godfather.
Gabi: That sucks for you.
Me: It sure does. How does this sound? You're the daughter of the Mafia boss, but you have a life far from that lifestyle? It'll just be part of your history.
Gabi: That isn't what happens though.
Me: Okay. Hit me with it. What happens?
Gabi: I kidnap my father's hitman because I have been in love with him forever.
Me: Oh hell.
And then I started writing the story and doing the research. Out of all my books, Dangerous Flames took me the longest to write and I believe it was because of the research involved. I had to sink into the world through literature and movies. I read everything Mafia related I could find. I didn't limit the books to fiction either. I read biographies from crooked cops involved with the mob, investigators who specialize in crime families, and autobiographies from hitmen. I was reading this one book about a famous hitman, it creeped me out so bad that I had to stop reading and watched the interview on YouTube. His name is The Iceman. Check out the documentary here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXgi72W2H7U
Then I started watching Mafia movies and The Sopranos.... and got hooked on The Sopranos. My kids and the guy I had been dating at the time complained every time I watched a movie. "Another Mob show?" they'd ask. I was obsessed with the mob for an entire year. My biggest "help" in finding information regarding the Mafia were websites I found on Google. There are several informative sites available (or were when I wrote the book) that explained everything from the words in the Mafia world to the ranks in crime families.
I also needed to know about guns because I had always stayed away from them. One of my friends loved guns and asked if I wanted to tag along to a store. Of course I went! It was the first time I approached someone in public and said: I'm an author. Can I ask you questions about ____. The salesman was more than helpful. He demonstrated how a Glock worked and asked every question I could think up at the moment. Months later I was able to attend some workshops for authors put on by a local homicide detective who brought his guns.
My biggest surprise was when I was having a garage sale one afternoon. A car parked in front of my yard and this gruff looking man climbed out. He strode with a purpose across my grass and started checking out the things I had for sale. This man was different. Finally he said, "I'm really looking for some furniture. Is this all you have?" I told him it was and we started chatting. I found out that he was relocating to Phoenix after being let out of prison. He found out that I'm an author. "What are you writing right now?" he asked. "A Mafia love story," I said. He got excited and told me that back in the day, he had been a wiseguy which made my entire month! Was he telling the truth? I don't know, but he did give me enough believable information and that is what matters.
The book I dreaded writing at first is one I love now. It is the first book in the Mafia Hearts series. Dangerous Flames is now available! Read the following blurb and grab a copy of the book here: http://amzn.com/B00DUJ21HS
Mikolas Russo is one hit away from becoming part of the Medini crime family. But is this what he really wants? Killing people for money is what he has been trained to do even though he’d give anything to trade the nightmares for sweet dreams of the forbidden Gabrielle. Thinking he has the chance to reveal his feelings to her, he arrives at her house to find her brandishing a loaded gun, ready to take control.
During Gabrielle’s teen years, she attended a private school in Italy. This is where she learns the meaning of Mafia but believed crime families no longer existed. Now back in Las Vegas and demanding answers to the hard questions, she quickly learns that the Mafia still has a hand in controlling society and her father is the Don of the largest mob in the area.
The Mafia doesn’t seem so glamorous any more after a hit is taken out on her father, especially when Gabrielle has reason to believe that her secret love's safety is in jeopardy too.
Will the truth fulfill her desires, or will Mikolas be the one to shatter everything?
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Hot Prospects Contest! Open for Submissions!
Here is a really awesome contest I want to spread the word about:
****Permission to forward****
Looking to sign your first book contract, switch from a small press to a large
publisher or simply explore another genre of romantic fiction? Turn up the heat
on your writing career with the Hot Prospects Contest.
GRAND PRIZE: The grand prize winner of the contest will have their entire manuscript (400 pages, Courier, 12pt, Double spaced) reviewed by two professional editors at The Author's Red Room. TheAuthorsRedRoom.com
Announcement by a former winner:
I entered the Hot Prospects contest in 2011 and placed first in the Contemporary Single Title category and won the Grand Prize overall with my erotic legal thriller, Legally Mastered (now Legal Heat by Sarah Castille). The feedback I got from the contest judges was invaluable in helping me polish my book and that year I landed an agent, and a publishing contract with Samhain Publishing and then a second publishing contract with Sourcebooks Casablanca the following year. The Hot Prospects contest was very well run and I recommend it to all my romance writer friends.
Fee: $25 for Valley of the Sun RW chapter members
$30 for non-chapter members
Chapter website has PayPal capability. www.valleyofthesunrw.com
Postmark Deadline: September 1st, 2013
E-Submit Deadline: September 1st, 2013
Eligibility: The Hot Prospects Contest is open to any work uncontracted and
unpublished at the time of entry.
Enter: 3-5-page synopsis and up to 25 pages of story (30 pages max). Entry or
synopsis may be shorter, but neither may be longer than specified.
Categories/Judges: Trained judges for preliminary round
Final round judges
1) Historical/Regency
Editor - Holly Blanck, St. Martins
Senior Editor - Esi Sogah, Kensington
2) Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
Assistant Editor - Kelly Quinn, Tor
Editor –Kristine Swartz, Assistant Editor, The Berkley Publishing Group
3) Romantic Suspense
Editorial Assistant- Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing
Editor Samhain -Tera Kleinfelter
4) Contemporary Long/Single Title
Editor –Deborah Werksman, Sourcebooks, Inc
Editor at large, Sue Grimshaw, Random House
5) Series Contemporary Associate Editor – Johanna Raisanen, Harlequin
Senior Editor Sweetheart Rose – Leanne Morgena, The Wild Rose Press
For More Information, entry form, and rules, see website at
www.valleyofthesunrw.com For questions please email Voshotprospects@yahoo.com
Those entries that do not final will be returned approximately October 30th,
2013 to help those who plan to enter RWA's Golden Heart.
****Permission to forward****
Looking to sign your first book contract, switch from a small press to a large
publisher or simply explore another genre of romantic fiction? Turn up the heat
on your writing career with the Hot Prospects Contest.
GRAND PRIZE: The grand prize winner of the contest will have their entire manuscript (400 pages, Courier, 12pt, Double spaced) reviewed by two professional editors at The Author's Red Room. TheAuthorsRedRoom.com
Announcement by a former winner:
I entered the Hot Prospects contest in 2011 and placed first in the Contemporary Single Title category and won the Grand Prize overall with my erotic legal thriller, Legally Mastered (now Legal Heat by Sarah Castille). The feedback I got from the contest judges was invaluable in helping me polish my book and that year I landed an agent, and a publishing contract with Samhain Publishing and then a second publishing contract with Sourcebooks Casablanca the following year. The Hot Prospects contest was very well run and I recommend it to all my romance writer friends.
Fee: $25 for Valley of the Sun RW chapter members
$30 for non-chapter members
Chapter website has PayPal capability. www.valleyofthesunrw.com
Postmark Deadline: September 1st, 2013
E-Submit Deadline: September 1st, 2013
Eligibility: The Hot Prospects Contest is open to any work uncontracted and
unpublished at the time of entry.
Enter: 3-5-page synopsis and up to 25 pages of story (30 pages max). Entry or
synopsis may be shorter, but neither may be longer than specified.
Categories/Judges: Trained judges for preliminary round
Final round judges
1) Historical/Regency
Editor - Holly Blanck, St. Martins
Senior Editor - Esi Sogah, Kensington
2) Fantasy, Futuristic & Paranormal
Assistant Editor - Kelly Quinn, Tor
Editor –Kristine Swartz, Assistant Editor, The Berkley Publishing Group
3) Romantic Suspense
Editorial Assistant- Lauren Plude, Grand Central Publishing
Editor Samhain -Tera Kleinfelter
4) Contemporary Long/Single Title
Editor –Deborah Werksman, Sourcebooks, Inc
Editor at large, Sue Grimshaw, Random House
5) Series Contemporary Associate Editor – Johanna Raisanen, Harlequin
Senior Editor Sweetheart Rose – Leanne Morgena, The Wild Rose Press
For More Information, entry form, and rules, see website at
www.valleyofthesunrw.com For questions please email Voshotprospects@yahoo.com
Those entries that do not final will be returned approximately October 30th,
2013 to help those who plan to enter RWA's Golden Heart.
Monday, July 1, 2013
Camp Nanowrimo
What is Camp Nanowrimo? A summer program of the November month of insanity. Yes, loads of authors try to write 50k words in 30 days. I guess you can change the word count for Camp Nanowrimo, but I'm sticking to the 50k.
How will I accomplish this? My plan is to squeeze in some writing time every day. It'll probably happen after my editing is finished and the family is doing their own activities. Probably after my brain is already fried and I can barely put a sentence together because, my friends, that is when I have time to write my own stuff! No fears! I will do this.
My project this month: to finish the last two books in the Desert Secret Series.
Want to watch my progress and get sneak peeks of these books I'm working on? I will be randomly updating my blog!
So... writer friends, are you doing Camp Nanowrimo this year?
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