You are invited!

Happy Friday! I'm inviting you over to the Love Your Authors event. It's a Valentine's thing and it runs from Feb 1 (tomorrow) to Feb. 14th. Authors will be stopping in often to do giveaways, contests, and a bunch of other stuff. 550 authors total (me included)!

Please share the event and invite your friends! https://www.facebook.com/events/1446870482192642/1459050750974615/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity

My Very First Sex Scene!

When people first learn that I'm a romance author they usually have questions... and a lot of those questions are often about the sex scenes in my books. While writing one of those scenes yesterday, I started thinking about the very first time I ever wrote a sex scene. My great critique partner, Buffy Christopher, was working with me on Jesse's Brother. It was the first project we'd done together. Jesse's Brother did not have any sex in there... very "closed door" type of hinting about the act. At that time (in 2008) I was very hush-hush about sex in general, so writing about it was difficult. I didn't think I could pull a sex scene off.

So I sent Jesse's Brother to Buffy.
And she called me on the phone. "Where is the sex?" she asked me.
"Sex? Well, there isn't any," I said.
"No sex?" she asked, her voice full of shock.

You see, Buffy wrote some pretty steamy books. She liked A LOT of sex in her books.

"Nope," I said. "They don't have sex."
"Well, I'm not reading any farther until you put some sex in there."
And then I freaked out. SEX? In my books? And then I stressed over the idea. I later came to the idea that the story would benefit from a little sexual action. I added the scenes and Buffy was happy.


I don't have any problems writing them now. Actually, my books range in heat level. In His Embrace is the tamest book while Cross the Line has a really hot swimming pool scene in the beginning. All the rest fall in between.

What heat level do you prefer your books?

If you haven't checked out Jesse's Brother, grab a copy here!

Fantasy Casting- Danielle Montgomery

One of my biggest dreams is to have one of my books made into a movie. Well, I decided to play a fun little game... a Fantasy Casting for my Desert Secrets series! This week we have Danielle Montgomery. She is the oldest of the three Montgomery sisters and holds a more exotic darker flair.

"Call Backs"

Crystal couldn't decide which would be better for the role of Danielle, so she sent into which made it to the call back round.

We have Eva Longoria. Yes, I was a huge fan of Desperate Housewives and enjoyed Eva's role in the show. Eva almost had the role, but I didn't pick her because she is several years older than Danielle.








The next call back was Jessica Alba... another actress I really like! Danielle has curves in all the right places and not as toned/athletic as Jessica.














And the role goes to Jenna Dewan-Tatum... I loved her in Step Up and Witches of East End. Jenna has just the right sass, charisma, and the looks to fit the role of Danielle.













Next up is the role of Allison Montgomery! She is blond, sporty, and a whole lot of in-your-face attitude! Send me those pics and you can win a swag bag or be entered for the big prize! Please send all pictures by this Saturday. Email them to authorwendyely@gmail.com


Want to read The Desert Secrets series? Grab Confessions here!

















Note: I do not own any of these pictures. They were sent in by readers.

What They Said...

I asked Dan, Trevor, and Alexis to let you guys know 3 things about me. Here are their answers (good or bad!):

Dan:

1. She is very loving and caring! 
2. She loves her nightly back massages that I give her. 
3. She gets stir crazy when she is in the house for too
   long. 

Alexis: 

1. My mom likes cats and talks to ours. She tells us what our cats do while we are not here during the day. 
2. She over-exaggerates stories. Every story she tells is descriptive and dramatic. 
3. My friends like talking to her. Whenever I have a party I find my friends gathered around her. 

Trevor: 

• My mom is clever. She knows when someone is lying. 
• She loves the Sims 3 game. 
• She loves her Dan. 

My Secret Saturday- Dangerous Desires

I wrote this scene just for My Sexy Saturday. It's unedited, but I hope you like it! This is going into the "extra scenes" file for Dangerous Desires, Mafia Hearts Book 2. Maybe it'll make it in. If you want to get hooked on a new naughty series, check out Dangerous Flames, Mafia Hearts Book 1. You can buy Dangerous Flames here! 

Mia finished drying the last her hair and turned the blow dryer off, allowing her to hear the frantic knock on the front door of her apartment. Glancing down at the towel covering her naked body, panic formed into her chest. She rushed into her bedroom where her new red satin robe waited on the bed. She slid the smooth sleeves up her arms and let the towel fall to her feet. The knocks sounded again.

“I’m coming,” she called. “Just give me a minute.” She secured the belt around her waist as she scurried down the hall. Flinging the door open, she froze. There he was, the very man she wanted with her tonight. 

“Sebastian.”

“Please don’t think I lack manners for dropping by so late. I tried calling first.” Without waiting for a reply, Sabastian stepped past her to enter her living room. His boldness in invading her space following such a nice statement made her giggle.

“I would never think any such thing. Why did you decide to stop by at--” She glanced at the clock on the Blu-ray player, “almost midnight?”

He ran a hand over his unshaven chin. “Listen, Mia. I think you’re way over your head here.”

As she listened to his words, she couldn’t distract her mind from wandering over the length of him along with her gaze. His tousled dark hair looked as if he’d recently climbed out of bed, the stubble on his tan skin claimed the same, and his t-shirt and designer jeans looked like he’d pulled them from the hamper. This side of Sebastian was a different one she knew… and she’d never seen him look sexier.

“Way over your head,” he repeated, taking a step closer. His gruff voice pulled her from her thoughts but did nothing to zap the passion building in her. “Listen to me.”

“Over my head with what, Sabastian? Wanting to work with the Mafia or trying to seduce you?”

He took another step closer. “You haven’t tried to seduce me.” His gaze traveled over her face and rested on her skin showing from between the folds of the satin robe.

“I am now,” Mia said, pushing the delicate fabric from her body.

Booksiging!

I invite you to stop by and see me at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire in Glendale, Arizona. I'll be signing 3 different novels at the event.

My schedule:

Friday, February 7th:
5:00 pm to 10:00 pm


Saturday, February 8th:
2:00 pm to 10 pm.

Flowers in the Attic Remake!

When I saw the commercial for the remake of Flowers in the Attic I was delight. You see, V.C. Andrews was my favorite author as a kid. Yes, I said it. As a kid. I started reading her books when I was about 12 or 13. She helped me fall in love with reading.

Anyway, when the movie premiered on Lifetime, I made sure I DVR'd it so I could have some uninterrupted viewing of the new Flowers in the Attic. I turned the movie on once the kids left for school.

Here is what I liked:

• Some of the plot was changed. The mother doesn't die in this version. They also showed the romance between the brother and sister in the movie which stays true to the book series. In the original movie this wasn't mentioned at all. In that version Chris walks into the bathroom once when Cathy is in the bath. 
• The mother doesn't act innocent in this movie. In the first one, she always has an excuse and never actually harms or threatens the children. The shocker is when it shows her poisoning the cookies. In this version the mother starts acting like the grandma. She threatens the kids and stops making excuses. This is more believable given their environment. 
• This version actually explains why the grandma won't go into the attic and the kids eventually use that against her. The first version doesn't mention that fact at all. 

What I didn't like: 

• I have never liked the beginning of the movie. Both versions have a beginning that drags on for a while. What is worse is that this second version has a longer beginning. Big yawn fest. 
• The mother's character is really shallow which comes across as bad acting most of the time. 
• They took out Cathy's passion of dance. It is mentioned in the beginning, but in the first version, ballet was her salvation. It wasn't important in the second version. 
• In the first version Chris wanted to be a doctor. In the second version he is an artist. When Corey is poisoned, Chris just knows this medical stuff instead of looking it up in his books. 

Overall, it was a great movie. If they ever make Petals in the Wind, you know my DVR will be set to record! 

Pouty and Sore!

Let me just say... I'm pouty and sore. On Christmas Eve, I was stepping into the shower when I slipped. I landed on the edge of the bathtub. My leg was bruised up pretty bad and I couldn't put much weight on it for the first week. The bruising went away and then I was able to stand on my leg but pain shot through it. Yikes. Almost a month later and I'm still in pain. As long as I sit for the majority of the time the pain is nearly. It's when I'm out running errands and doing a lot of walking/standing that my leg really starts to ache. I'm tired of this.

There is a sore author over here and she is not happy! 

Write at the Merge- Dangerous Desires

I used two different writing prompts for this scene. I'm actually going to use this scene as part of my next book in the Mafia Hearts series. Enjoy! 

*

Sebastian grabbed Mia’s hand and guided her down the sidewalk under the dreary evening clouds. They tried to stick to the shadows looming between the tall buildings where alleys started their own pathways, but that wasn’t always plausible. She patted her 9mm for the fifth time since climbing out of Sebastian’s black Sedan. The cold steel in the waistband of her jeans and Sebastian’s large frame towering over her gave her a sense of security while away from the bright lights of the Vegas strip. Sebastian was taking her on her first real mafia job. And she didn’t know if she should be excited or scared. Maybe a little bit of both, she supposed.

“One thing to remember,” Sebastian said with a wave of his hand as if they were talking about the weather instead of serving as mafia enforcers, “Sometimes legends make reality. Our boss, Enrico, made this reality for us. He is our legend. As long as you remember that, you’ll do well in the biz.”

 The dimly lit “open” sign flickered against the dirty window up ahead. A sign announcing Las Vegas’ best massages hung above the door. No business name. None was needed here. Everyone knew you went in, picked your woman, paid for a massage, and ended happy. Simple as that. Even the cops knew. What people didn’t know was that the Medini crime family had a hand in this particular business and Mia came for payment.

Her hand trembled as she reached up to twist a strand of her straight ponytail around her finger. Sebastian pushed her hand back down to her side. “Don’t be nervous,” he hissed. “If you are not tough they’ll walk all over you.”  

               

“Sorry,” she mumbled as he reached for the nod. Before turning it he paused and then stepped back.

 “You go first. I want to see how well you do with introductions.”

               

She pushed the door open and stepped inside, trying not to gag on the mildew laden air. A row of empty chairs lined one wall. A desk in the center of the room. One painting, as dingy as the front window, hung on the far wall. A string of bells hanging from door handle banged against the wood when the door swung shut behind them. A scrawny man, who appeared to have taken one too many hits on a meth pipe, scurried into the lobby.

                

“You lookin’ for work, sugar?” He offered a broad grin while he kept his fingers busy by running them through his greasy hair.

                

“Not hardly,” Mia said, a frown etching the corner of her lips. 

               

He snapped his fingers, signaling five females to file one-by-one into the room. “Take your pick then. I have everything you want.” 

                
She held out her hand. Upon contact she pulled up the hem of her shirt, revealing her gun. “The name’s Mia. I came to collect the rent.” Before the man could get a word out, she twisted his wrist, turned him around, and shoved his face against the cheap desk. “Do you have what I came for?”

* 

Want to start the series from the beginning? You can find the first book here: Dangerous Flames, book 1

Fantasy Casting- Chelsea Montgomery!

I'm so excited to post this!

Here are the "call backs" for the fantasy casting for The Desert Secrets Series.


Chelsea Montgomery is a petite red-head. Here are the call backs for the fantasy role of Chelsea Montgomery.

Karen pictured her as Rooney Mara. Rooney didn't get the role because I felt she is too thin.

When writing Chelsea's character, Amy McAdams came to mind.
















But then Crystal sent in Isla Fisher! Isla totally fits the role of Chelsea!

Up next is the role of Danielle Montgomery. She is more exotic looking with wavy dark hair and tan skin. she has curves in all of the right places. Send in pictures of Danielle Montgomery by Friday so the casting call can be announced on Saturday!


You can buy The Desert Secrets Series here: Confessions, Book 1

                                                                     Midnight Secrets, Book 2

My Sexy Saturday- Confessions

What is sexy? Seduction. Here we have Chelsea trying her best to avoid the temptation between her and Jordan while he is trying to push things further. Grab a copy of Confessions here  and check out the other authors' blogs listed at the bottom!

You haven’t been around me for ten years.”

“But I still know you. Nothing you say can change that, so quit your lying and tell me what’s on your mind.”

She had to lie or she would end up upstairs naked underneath his bulky tanned body. “Nothing. I’m reading.”

“Put the book down.”

“Hold on. This is an interesting part,” she said. As if she had comprehended a single word she had read. She couldn’t even think straight with his hands kneading her flesh. She could feel them working their way up to the edge of her bikini bottoms.

“Come on,” he urged.

His fingers play with the hem of the bottoms. The more his hands explored her body, the more distracted she became. “Nope,” she replied with a shake of her head. Her eyes continued to stay on the page even though her mind was totally on him. If she looked up, she would turn to putty in his hands.

In His Embrace

This novella started off as part of an anthology. The anthology is no longer available so I present you with In His Embrace!

Blurb:

When life’s glow threatens to die in a person, love’s light guides the way. 

Tori expected Friday to be completely ordinary: a quick goodbye to her best friend who was going away on a business trip for the weekend, a routine checkup at her doctor’s office, and the rest of the day filled with work. But she was wrong. Ben’s hand rested on her hips a little longer than usual during their goodbye, igniting sparks she’d tried to ignore for years, and then her tests came back abnormal. Scared and alone, she wishes for one person’s hand to hold–Ben’s. He is trying to make it back before her next doctor visit, but can he? 

Grab your copy here!

The Perfect Part of a Man

I was watching Fast and the Furious 6 with my son and my honey the other night. I commented how Dwayne Johnson looks like a tank. That man is HUGE! Anyway, my son said, "Oh, you think he is hot?" I told him that the guy is attractive, but he has slopey shoulders. Yes, people, I notice a man's shoulder first. He could have nice eyes, an attractive face, or great abs, but if he doesn't have boxy shoulders, he lacks the WOW! factor for me. A nice example of boxy shoulders is Channing Tatum. Yum.

What do you notice first? What gives a man the WOW factor for you?

Picture credit: Photo by Giles Keyte - © 2013 - Universal Pictures

A Makeover!

With the publisher transfering the rights back to Midnight Secrets, I decided to give the series a cover makeover. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with these covers. The talented (and so wonderful) Carey Doucet did this fantastic job:

If you haven't started this series, you can grab Confessions here!

Fantasy Casting for the Desert Secrets Series!

I've always dreamed of having one of my books made into a movie. No offers have been made yet, so I'm doing a fantasy casting and I need your help. No purchase is required. I'm providing the characters' description below and the book links at the bottom. What actors would fit these roles?


The females:

Chelsea Montgomery: red hair, fair complexion, petite, in her late twenties. She wears glasses on occasion.
Allison Montgomery: blonde, athletic, medium build. Also in her twenties. She is a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl.
Bailey Roan: Dark blonde/light brown hair, medium build, is a trend setter.
Lisa Palmer: dark shoulder length hair, in her late twenties/early thirties. She is your typical soccer-mom.

The males:

Jordan Case: tall, muscular, tan, dark wavy hair. He works in construction.
Miguel Perez: Hispanic, spiked hair, also works in construction, dark hair and eyes.
Seth Brite: Short light brown hair, glasses, medium build, and is a true crime author.
Zane Alder: Dark straight hair, tanned skin, muscular, nice smile, and is a movie star.

Here is what you do:

• Email me pictures of actors/actresses who you think would fit these roles in the fantasy movie of each book. My email is authorwendyely@gmail.com. 
• I'll decide on the "call back" who could play the part. If you get the "call back" card, I'll post your chosen actor picture on my blog and I'll send you some swag. 
• The final round of actors will be picked and the grand prizes will be announced at that time. It'll be a great stuff.  

I'm posting the first round of call backs for CHELSEA next Saturday, so hurry. Send in those actress pictures! You have to live in the US to get the swag pack. Don't worry, distant friends, if you're out of the country you can pick any one of my published ebooks! 

If you want to grab the Desert Secrets series, you can find Confessions and Midnight Secrets
 here and here!

My Sexy Saturday- Cross the Line

Sexy... the best part of sexy is when it pops up when you least expect it. In Cross the Line, Leslie is moving into a new apartment in a new city. She is hot, tired, and in no way ready to find sexy in her life. Yet, there he is! Chris Matthews. Enjoy this scene. If you want to read the entire novella, grab it here and don't forget to check out the rest of the blogs in My Sexy Saturday (listed at the bottom!).

From Cross the Line:

Why I’d decided to accept the job offer in Phoenix was beyond me. But moving in the middle of the Phoenix summer? Even worse. Now I could understand why Arizona had earned the nickname “the devil’s playground.”

Playground? Not sure that would be the right word choice because I was convinced I’d arrived in hell itself.
A knock on the door made me jump up from the box, making every strain in my muscles and joints become more prominent. The pain quickly faded as a luscious vision in denim leaned against my doorframe, looking sexy as sin.

A shot of heat spread through my body. I had no idea why he instantly turned me on. I didn’t find goatees attractive, wasn’t into the whole tattoo bit, or the almost too tight t-shirt style, but it all looked perfect on this man. This man definitely had the talent to pull off the bad boy look that made women drop to their knees. Me included.

I quickly ran my fingers through my hair. It had once been in a complete ponytail, but was only partially bound by a hairband at this point. I looked like a mess and knew it. What a great way to start out meeting someone so handsome. But that’s my luck and I had accepted it long ago. To make the best of the situation, I wiped my sweaty palm down my jean shorts before holding it out to him. “Hi. My name’s Leslie Teague.”

“Chris Matthews.” He barely touched my hand before dropping it, as if scorched. He cocked his head toward the front of my apartment. “Need help with that truck out front?”

“I would’ve taken you up on your offer a little earlier, but I’m done now.” The lie floated from my lips as if the act came as a second nature to me. I never lied to people and never, ever asked anyone for help. So why did I find myself holding my hands out toward the room full of boxes as if presenting a prize? “Unless you want to assist in moving the mattress to my bedroom?” A few suggestions as to what we could do on that mattress came to mind, but I did my best to keep my mouth shut.

Say What?

If you read my blog often you might remember a recent post where I mentioned that authors might have their day, week, or month all planned out and then BAM! Someone throws something in the way. Well... yeah. I That happened to me last week. I had put together a great timeline for writing and editing and was heading out the door for a doctor's appointment when I paused to check the fantastic inbox. Imagine my surprise when I received an email from my publisher saying that she sold her company. SAY WHAT? I hurried out the door and got a second email before arriving at the doctor office. Wendy, here are the rights back to all of the books we had contracted. Not in those exact words but just as quick. But we had just published an anthology! What about that? And why had we done that when this deal was in the works for a long time? My head spun.

But I was delight. While some authors were on (and probably still are) Cloud 9 to be able to transfer their books over to the new division of one of the BIG publishing companies that my publisher has become, I want to keep the rights to my books. I had over year left with my publisher and I couldn't wait for the day to get my rights back... I wanted to be free. That day came! It's here!

Besides my regular work load, I've been working with my cover artist and doing formatting, trying to get these 4 books ready to be re-released. You see, one unexpected (but good!) email can throw an author's schedule way out of whack.

But please celebrate with me... I'm on Cloud 9 too!

Check out these new covers. By the way, these books are up on Amazon already.  You can find them HERE!!

2014 Releases!

Get ready to read some new stuff from me! Here are my releases for this year:

A Final Kiss (single title romantic suspense)

Jesse's Girl: the long awaited sequel to Jesse's Brother (contemporary romance)

Lost and Found, Desert Secrets Book 3  (romantic suspense)

Dangerous Desires, Mafia Hearts Book 2 (romantic suspense)

Happy New Year!!

Kazaaam! 2014 has arrived!! How are you celebrating? Any resolutions planned??











I don't really do resolutions, but I do make goals for each year. I do have a list made out. Don't worry, I won't bore you with the writing schedule that I planned out. I will, however, share this with you:

In 2014 I will:

Love more: not only my family, friends, and readers but myself more!
Create more. I have my publishing schedule that I'll post at another time!
Give more: to my family, my friends, readers, and my community.

And with all three of those things, I will have a fantastic new year!