5 Hearts for Regency Romp

http://www.loveromancesandmore.com/reviews/June2007/regencyromps_dawn.htm

Another great review for my baby, Regency Romp Volume One. Dawn says:

"This is one of the best Regency anthologies this reviewer has read in a long time. Full of captivating characters, sinfully passionate sex and a love that will transcend the pages. Each story is a true gem in this anthology and each author delivers her own spin on this time period. Be swept away into the regency period with these fine authors in REGENCY ROMP VOLUME 1, you won't be disappointed!"

And about "Unspeakable":

" Ms. Jamison captures the characters perfectly and delivers a spellbinding story in this anthology. Wickedly witty, hauntingly passionate, be prepared to turn on the cold air for this hot story that shows love needs no words to convey its meaning."

Coming Soon: Eyes Like Yours

EYES LIKE YOURS

Soulmates Series: Book One

Kayleigh Jamison

Red Rose Publishing

Coming July, 2007

http://www.redrosepublishing.com

Each night is the same. A handsome, mysterious stranger visits Catherine in her dreams, never allowing her to see his face, and leaving her body satisfied, but her heart wanting more. When a chance encounter in the smoky confines of a night club puts Catherine face to face with a man whose eyes seem eerily familiar, dreams and reality collide in a way that frightens and inflames her. Are her dreams real? Is Blake the key to her future – and her past?

The atmosphere in the club is intoxicating. Dark and smoky, with the only source of light an occasional multicolored flash from the strobes recessed high in the vaulted ceiling. The aroma is a violating assault of smoke, booze, sweat, and sex. The music pounding through the speakers is hard core hip hop, a rhythmic cadence of words and beats, the bass cranked so loud that I feel, rather than hear, the pulses reverberating through my body and vibrating into my bones. Here, now, beneath the haze of intoxication and desire, anyone can be sexy. Anyone can be the one.

I grab a drink from the bartender – vodka martini on the rocks, double olives – and make my way back out onto the dance floor to find my friends. Halfway across the sea of people throbbing in time to the music, I feel strong hands grasp my waist, halting my progress.

"What's the rush, baby?" a voice murmurs in my ear. I'm amazed that I can hear him above the heavy beat pumping out of the speakers, but his words are clear and vibrant within my mind.

Why the hell not? I shrug, falling back against the assailing hands to find them accompanied by a hard, lean chest. He's tall, my 5'5 frame doesn't even reach his shoulders.

His hands circle my front and press into the exposed midriff of my stomach, pulling me closer. My free hand floats up behind me to caress his neck.

"Let's see how you move, sweets," he whispers.

Obediently, I let my hips sway to the music, pushing my ass into his groin with a suggestive tease. In response his hands pull me tighter against him, and I feel the telltale sign of his arousal through the clothes that separate us.

My head falls against his chest and I close my eyes, swept away by the music. His lips trail up my neck and I shiver. I've played this erotic game half a dozen times tonight alone, but this time…it's different. I'm as turned on as he is, without even seeing his face. The way his hands sweep along the curves of my hips, the hot puff of his breath against my ear, it's all strangely familiar.

The music ends, far too soon for my tastes, and reluctantly I begin to withdraw; this is how it's done – a dance, a tease, perhaps a drunken, slobbering kiss, but never anything more. It's the art of 21^st century flirtation, and the anonymity of it all is what makes it exciting.

His hands don't let me go, so I rotate my body in his arms, prepared to explain the rules to him, with a swift kick between the legs if necessary.

"I don't like rules," he says with a grin, and again his voice is eerily clear in my head, almost as if he is speaking inside my mind.

http://www.redrosepublishing.com

I'm the Featured Author at Tease!

Hey ya'll, I am the featured author this week over at Tease Publishing. Check me out!

Chat live tonight with the authors of Aphrodite's Apples at The Romance Studio!

Monday, June 4
9 PM EST
Aphrodite's Apples @ The Romance Studio
http://www.theromancestudio.com/chat.php

See you there! ;)

Make a Difference!

Today's the last day of Brenda Novak's Auction for Juvenile Diabetes. It's your last chance to help make a difference and scoop up some great eBooks while you're at it! Check out our the Aphrodite's Apples eBook packet -- It includes includes titles by Nikki Watson, Katrina Strauss, Kayleigh Jamison, HS Kinn, Yolanda Sfetsos, Candice Gilmer, LA Taylor, Alisha Steele, Ivana Peters and many more!

Hope to see you there, and happy bidding!

It's a Two-for!

Two great reviews in one day.

TRS gives Leading Her to Heaven Five Hearts and says " I absolutely loved it! I highly recommend this story to all the readers."

Erotic Escapades gives Svetkavista Four stars. PJ says, "Ms. Jamison pens a solid but enthralling plot with vibrant characters. This story is a definite keeper in my ebook collection for future reading, again."

You scored as Fall, You are FALL. You appreciate all that you have, and are willing to share with others. You are a friend in the truest sense of the word, and can easily focus your attention on those who need you, placing yourself on the back burner. You make sure your responsibilites are met before you allow yourself \'free time\'. Fall 90% Winter 70% Summer 55% Spring 25% What Season Are You? created with QuizFarm.com

Habitat for Humanity Rebuilds the Gulf Coast

Hello everyone!

What has Kayleigh been up to for the last week? Read on for a long, detailed description.

A little background: In 2000, I traveled with 9 other students from Gettysburg College to Cajamarca, Peru for two weeks. We lived with families in a small village and started construction on what is now a free health care clinic. When I returned, I encouraged my family to do something similar. Dreambuilders is an interfaith organization started by my father in 2001 at a tiny church in Maryland as a way to get their youth to give back to the community. That first year, ten teenagers and three adults spent a week in West Virginia working with Habitat for Humanity. The following year, they returned to West Virginia with 40 people, and the year after that with 50. In 2004, 50 people from St. Marks Episcopal Church, 80% of them high school students, spent a week in Albuquerque New Mexico with Habitat. Last year, the number was up to 75, and included people from two other churches, and from the Jewish community of Temple Isaiah. Dreambuilders focuses on what is called "blitz builds," where an entire house is built in a week to two weeks, from foundation to finished product.

Habitat for Humanity is a non-profit Christian organization that helps build homes for low-income families throughout the world. Habitat homeowners are selected on a needs-basis, and pay only for the cost of materials, all labor is volunteer donations. The homeowners are given a 30 year, interest free mortgage through Habitat, and are also required to give 350 "sweat equity" hours, meaning they work with the volunteers in the construction of their homes. All appliances are donated by Whirlpool. The Gulf Coast Habitat for Humanity has added an additional requirement to qualifying for a home: you must have been affected by Katrina in some way. Prior to September 2005, Mississippi Habitat was building 2 homes per year. They are now building more than 20 homes per month.

This year, Dreambuilders will be working with Habitat in three different locations - a house was gutted and renovated in Howard County, Maryland, this past April. 120 volunteers will be spending two weeks in Albuquerque next month blitz building three houses. And last week 48 of us worked on two dozen houses in Biloxi, Mississippi with Habitat for Humanity, Gulf Coast. Again, participants included people from three episcopal churches, one synagogue, and one...me. I am agnostic with pagan tendencies on an optimistic day, and completely athiest the rest of the time. While Habitat is a Christian organization, you don't have to be a Christian to volunteer. Next year, Dreambuilders will be returning to the Gulf Coast, to New Mexico, and traveling to Panama City. We will be adding to our ranks a group of Muslim volunteers from a community in Washington, DC. Our goal is to have 500 people ready, willing, and able to go anywhere in the world at any time.

After Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, Dreambuilders wanted to go and help. But it wasn't until this year that they had the infrastructure to support a group of our size. Before houses could be built, the debris had to be cleared away, and only now, 21 months after the storm, are they at the point where that is possible.

Four days before Katrina, the Salvation Army purchased an old high school football stadium in downtown Biloxi, with the intention of transforming it into a youth sports camp/program. After the storm, it was first a shelter for victims, and now serves as "base camp" for volunteers working with both the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity. Bunk houses were constructed on the field, and the bleachers enclosed and air conditioned. The picture below is of my sister, Kelly, in front of our bunk house, which housed 20 female volunteers, with two toilets and two showers. Dreambuilders weren't the only volunteers there. I had the opportunity this past week to work with Chip Carter, the son of former president Jimmy Carter. Keep in mind I was born after Jimmy Carter left office, so I am not too hip on his political history, but Chip was extremely nice (albeit a bit strange), and a lot of fun.







So many things have happened since September of 2005 that the world seems to have forgotten the Gulf. Things are not back to normal there. Thousands of people are still without houses. While the debris has been cleared away, the destruction remains, and the devastation is indescribable. I'm not sure I can adequately put into words what it's like to walk and drive through miles of abandoned buildings, crumbling walls, empty lots...but, being a writer, I have to try.

Wednesday evening, we drove to New Orleans. We passed miles and miles of devastation. An abandoned Walmart building stood like an eerie sentinel at the outskirts of the city, an empty shell where people once were, and now, simply...aren't. A house, with jagged tears in the brick walls, and "HELP US" written in bold white letters on the roof, where people were stranded in the rising water for god only knows how long. An Olive Garden restaurant sign, hanging crooked from a bent metal pole in front of a slab of concrete where the restaurant once was, and is no longer. The swell from the gulf in Biloxi was 30 feet high, with waves 15 feet tall on top of that. "When we evacuated, I took three changes of clothes and a book," one woman told me. "I expected to come home to a debris filled yard, and perhaps some roof damage. Maybe I'd lose the top floor of my house. I came home to a slab of concrete, and nothing else. My entire house was gone. Everything was gone."





I spoke with a man in a small shop on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter. "I was living in a three bedroom apartment with my wife and three daughters. We were evacuated, and lost everything. I spent the next year living in a one bedroom apartment in Mississippi with a friend of mine, his wife and two children." When I told him I was there with Habitat, he wanted to give me my purchases for free. I wouldn't let him; he lost everything, I had lost nothing.

Once you get into downtown New Orleans, it's business as usual. Bourbon street is as crazy and alive as it's always been. But go three blocks off the beaten path, and you find entire streets of boarded up buildings, piles of brick, fractured buildings.

Tolouse Street

Decatur Street in the French Quarter

This one is for Katrina Strauss; I thought of her when I saw it!

Jackson Square

Our group was divided into three work teams, and each team was sent to a different area of the Biloxi region to work. My father, mother, sister, aunt, and I were part of a 15-person team working in the town of Gautier, in a neighborhood called Hickory Hills. Habitat currently has 12 homes in construction in Hickory Hills in various stages of construction. Each home has three bedrooms, one full and one half bath. We did not blitz build this trip. Six of the homes were nearly completed and required "punch list" items, such as painting, laying trim, installing closets and doorknobs, etc. to prepare for inspection. Throughout the course of the week, we obtained Certifications of Occupancy for all six homes. We closed and locked their doors on Friday afternoon; the next people to open them will be their owners.

We also worked on the other houses, which were less finished. We installed insulation, installed doors, and installed roofs. Yes, I was on a roof laying shingles. There are pictures of it out there, and I will post them as proof as soon as they've been sent to me. For now, you can see the houses we worked on. Hickory Hills is not in the flood plain, which is another goal of Habitat's: to not only provide homes for the victims, but to place them in locations where they won't be destroyed again.

4 Lips for Svetkavista

This review just in from TwoLips Reviews for Svetkavista.

Julianne says, "...the more I read, the more fascinating the story became. ...This is a riveting story; I couldn't stop reading it and really didn't want it to end. I am so glad that I read this book by Kayleigh Jamison. She definitely knows how to write hot and steamy sex scenes that will make you turn the air conditioner up a notch or two! I would gladly recommend Svetkavista to anyone."

Read the whole review here.

The Viewer's Choice Award voting is live for the Romance Galleria's Cameo Awards and the trailer for Leading Her to Heaven is one of the nominees! I expect you to vote. For me.

Also, you can enter to win crap if you do.

http://www.theromancegalleria.com/cameoawards/

Fight for a Good Cause, and Win Hot Reads!

Join Brenda Novak and Aphrodite's Apples Press in the search for a cure for diabetes! Brenda's Third Annual On-line Auction for Diabetes Research is on now, and Aphrodite's Apples has an eBook packet, worth $50 up for sale! It includes includes titles by Nikki Watson, Katrina Strauss, Kayleigh Jamison, HS Kinn, Yolanda Sfetsos, Candice Gilmer, LA Taylor, Alisha Steele, Ivana Peters and many more! Bidding is open now at http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=815257&_UserReference=D1D0771246B6E52DD2A5BD883CFD4638CAAA !

I also urge you to check out the rest of Brenda's auction, she has some simply amazing goodies! http://www.brendanovak.com/auction_index.php

Diabetes affects over 20 million people in the United States alone, and someone you know and love is affected by this disease. I'll be bidding for my mother-in-law, who has diabetes. Do it for someone you love, and do it now!

Genre Definitions? Easy!

One of my publishers has asked the authors to come up with definitions for the various subgenres of romance. Here's my list. Feel free to add what you like:

historical: past sex
contempo: present sex
sci-fi: space sex
paranormal: creepy sex
shifter: furry sex
vampire: bloody sex
inspirational: religious sex
BDSM: blasphemous sex...with whips.
f/f: spermless sex.
m/m: extra spermy sex

(caveat: No, I'm not being serious :P)

The Dark Side of RT

Last week, as many of you know, was Romantic Times' annual convention, this year set in Houston, Texas. I wish I could have attended, but with final exams (which I am now in the thick of) it wasn't feasible. Many friends were there - Stella and Audra Price, Adra Steia, Skyler Grey, Wendi Felter, and more. They seem to have had a fantastic experience, only increasing my jealousy at being stuck in sweaty Florida studying Civil Procedure and Property law.

Not so for Laura Baumbach, an award winning author of m/m erotic romance. She was subjected to a rather nauseating series of discriminatory events that makes my blood boil.

Read her experience here: http://sensualwriter.blogspot.com/ and join me in the dignified wtfery.

I don't write m/m, nor do I have any interest in it. But that does not mean I don't support people who do. In retrospect, it's a damn good thing I wasn't there, because if I'd caught wind of this, my big mouth would have raised a stink the likes of which they've never encountered before.

Contest!

In celebration of the launch of their new group, the Sultry Sirens are having a huge contest! The rules are simple:

The first One Hundred (100) people to join the Sultry Sirens Yahoo! Group will be entered into a drawing to win a virtual book basket with titles by the Sirens, including:

Your Choice of any title by Kayleigh Jamison

Your Choice of any title by Emma Wildes

Your Choice of any title by Cheri Valmont

Your Choice of any title by Katrina Strauss

Your Choice of Crimson Ambrosia or Crimson Heart by Sabrina Luna

Immortal Reveries by HS Kinn

The Summoner by Alisha Steele

The Wrong Man by Bonnie Clarke

Apocalypse Woman by Tyree Kimber

And More!

Join today and you're automatically entered for your chance to win!

I woke up earlier than desireable this morning with a raging headache, and apparently, the urge to wax philosophical in my blog. It's slightly refreshing, as I've not felt that pull for quite some time, but as usual, it comes at an inopportune time. Doesn't it always?

Various statistics and such have shown that authors generate readers from their blogs. Even if no one is commenting (and no one ever is), they are reading. Aphrodite's Apples website traces a large portion of its incoming traffic back to our blogs. And, I guiltily acknowledged at 6am this morning when a raging migraine tore my brain out of sleep, I hardly ever post anything of substance in my blog aside from news. But folks, here's why:

Law school.

Some of you know a great deal about my tribulations as a law student. Others don't. So, if you listen to me bitch and moan on a daily basis, feel free to skip the rest of this diatribe. It's going to be a doozy.

I am about three weeks away from finishing my first year of law school, and quite successfully I might add. Last semester I ranked in the top 30% of my class (that's all first year students), and got the highest grade in one of my classes, which we fondly refer to as "booking a class." That's quite an accomplishment if I say so myself - and I freely admit my ego is huge. I know what I'm good at and what I'm not, and I try to stick to those things with which I can shine. Who doesn't?

So how do I manage law school, editing, and writing? I honestly have no idea, other than the fact that I rarely sleep more than 5 hours a night. I spend a lot less time studying than I should. If I studying more, I could probably be in the top 5% of my class, or even the #1 big cheese. But I am just as dedicated to this persona, to being Kayleigh, as I am to being the next big thing in the legal world. Call me ambitious. I certainly am.

There are more romance authors in the legal profession than I realized when I first started this venture and that gives me hope that it's doable. But law school is not an easy task. It is, quite simply, hell. Three hundred or so pages of reading per week, plus attending class (which is required, if you miss more than a certain percentage you automatically fail), plus studying, plus out of class assignments, like the oral argument I have tonight at 7pm, which is a "mock trial," of sorts, where I argue against a classmate on a motion we've presented for a fictitious case.

First came the case assignment: a man and woman, unmarried, lived as a couple for several years. In the fictitious state where the case is being tried, there is no recognition of "common law" marriage, but think of it in those terms if it helps. After unsuccessful attempts at getting pregnant, the couple sought in vitro fertilization treatment, and learned that the woman suffers from a genetic condition which makes traditional conception nearly impossible. They underwent a round of IVF treatment and signed an agreement stating that any unused "preembryos" would be frozen and stored for five years; and tht if the couple separated the preembryos became the property of the woman. A daughter was born. Shortly thereafter, the couple did end their relationship. Now, the woman is 37 years old and wants to have a second child. She would like to use the frozen preembryos to do so. The man doesn't want another child. He has sued her, seeking a court order for destruction of the preembryos. She wants permission to implant them. I represent the woman.

Here's where it gets tricky. The 14th Amendment of the Constitution deals with the right to privacy. The Supreme Court has ruled this covers a person's right to procreate, or right not to procreate, decided in a little case called Roe v. Wade. I myself am vehemently pro-choice, and yet, here I am arguing that this man should be forced into fatherhood against his will. It's a slippery slope, to say the least.

Opposing counsel for this argument - another student from my class that I've been paired to argue against, who represents the man - is a friend of mine. I like her quite a bit, but the truth of the matter is that I'm going to rip her to shreds tonight. She frequently quotes Ghandi and preaches a "love and be loved" attitude whenever confronted by the competitive and somewhat immature atmosphere of law school life (yes, it's like being back in the 10th grade). That's all well and good. It keeps her sane, I'm sure. But I don't plan on going into this hearing tonight with a chai and a stick of incense chanting "ohm" and working everything out peacefully. I plan to win.

I'm going to win.

Now, don't misunderstand me. I'm not going to insult her, to raise my voice, none of that. But I am going to be subtly ruthless. It's how I won my last argument - the first I've ever done. It's how most battles are won in the courtroom. Come in with your claws sharpened, and hide them in your lap. Smile just enough to set them at ease, but don't let your fangs show. Attack their logic in polite, subtle ways so that you've got them backed into a proverbial corner before they even realize what you've done, and watch them sputter and squirm as they search for a way out - when they realize you are firmly planted between them and the only exit, they deflate like a day old balloon and it's at that moment that you smile just a little bit wider, fangs displayed this time, and think to yourself, "gotcha."

Success in this profession requires quite a bit of ruthlessness, in one form or another. Is that why lawyers have such bad reputations? Possibly. But we're not the only ones to dance this dance.

And the writing field is not much different. In fact, I'd say it's worse. For all the comraderie, there's a damn lot of backstabbing and maneuvering to get to the top. It's a tiered system, like anything else, with thousands of writers pining for that coveted status of "published author," and thousands of "authors" seeking that ellusive status of "bestseller."

Publication is not the top of the food chain; it's not even half-way up. And there's no way to avoid the fact that you will, at some point, climb on someone else to get to the top. But there are ways to go about this quest for fame that are better than others. Keep your claws in your lap. Smile without showing your fangs. And don't backstab your friends.

The nature of this business is one of rabid incest, unending gossip, and fire-fueling secret fodder. My business moves for my writing career are just that - business moves, people. Don't read into it any more than is there. Don't interpret my signing a contract with one publisher or another as a way to involve myself in ongoing controversies. It isn't. I was not lured, seduced, or solicited in any way by any publisher. I am not now, nor have I ever been, embroiled in said controversy.

I'm just here to write.

And to win. I like to win.

With a smile.

More Exciting News!

Eyes Like Yours, a contemporary paranormal piece has been accepted by Red Rose Publishing and will be released this summer.

I have been extended an invitation to join the ranks of Tease Publishing! Tease is an invitation only publisher, who will not have more than 20 authors when all is said and done. So far I'm the only historical author they have invited, and I'm thrilled!

You're Invited!

Aphrodite's Apples Press is sponsoring a Marketing and Promotion Workshop, open to all who wish to attend!

Stella and Audra Price are a powerhouse sister team who write dark fantasy erotic romance. They have books published with Mardi Gras Publishing, PHAZE, and Forbidden Publications, and upcoming releases with Tease Publishing and more. They've got 8 books out now, and will have 10 by May. All of their books explore the Eververse - their self-constructed, gritty world with creatures from humans to demons, weresnakes to vampires, unicorns to fallen angels. Sugar & Sin: A Tale of the Eververse was LRC's Best Erotica of the Year and Best Book of the Year for 2006. Personally, I've read everything they've put out and love it all.

The sisters are also highly successful at promotion. When I purchased their most recent release, Fire in His Eyes, they sent me a promo packet, which contained magnets, book marks, book thongs, business cards, buttons, stickers (which say "I do it demon style"! i now have that clipped to my laptop bag and i cart it around law school) and more. Not only does Stella know what works and what doesn't, she knows where to get materials for her promo, and where to get it cheap, if not free. You do not have to spend a thousand dollars to promote yourself.

Stella has agreed to come and talk to us about how to promote effectively. Mark your calendars for Saturday May 5th on our Yahoo! Chat Group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aphroditesapples_chat/

Feel free to invite other authors you are friends with, and come ready to ask away.

-Kayleigh

Interactive Chat!

The authors of Aphrodite's Apples will be participating in a live 3-D chat at The Romance Galleria on April 30th at 9PM EST. This is a new venue, and it's kind of like chatting on WoW or Evercrack. *laugh* We are announcing this chat a few weeks ahead of time, because participants will need to download the site's special interface software. You will need to visit the site in advance at http://www.theromancegalleria.com/download.html for the download link and instructions. Once it's downloaded, you will be taken to a registration screen to choose your chat handle and create your 3-D avatar.

If you plan/hope to attend, please RSVP to our chat coordinator at kstrauss AT aphroditesapples DOT com and we will send you a reminder around the 27th. The more, the merrier! :)

Two Big Announcements!

First, my work is now availabe through FictionWise!

Your favorite Aphrodite's Apples titles are up for sale now at Fictionwise.com!

See what the buzz is about at http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/AphroditesApplesPresseBooks.htm and don't be afraid to take a bite!

Second, my short story, A Scandalous Arrangement, has been accepted for publication with Freya's Bower!

Lady Anna Boscawen has long known that her brother, the Viscount Falmoth, was squandering away the family fortune on gambling and women. She didn't realize his situation was so desperate that he was willing to sell her into the service of Madame Girou, owner of the most notorious brothel in London, to settle his debts. Furious and frightened, Anna finds herself catapulted into the scandalous seedy underbelly of the Ton. Like all of Madame Girou's girls, she is given a new name, and then auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Vere Fane, Earl of Westmorland, is no stranger to Madame Girou's establishment. Rich, powerful, and devilishly handsome, he visits the brothel often to indulge his carnal inclinations, inflicting both pleasure and pain upon the women he alternately ravages and worships. Vere is instantly drawn to Madame Girou's new girl, Rose. Most intriguing is the barely-restrained passion he senses in her, hidden beneath her well-mannered facade. And it seems the earl has a few secrets of his own.

Throughout the story, Vere leads Anna through a whirlwind of emotion, teaching her to find the ultimate freedom, in submission.

Regency Romp Out Today!

Available today from Aphrodite's Apples Press with including a work by 2007 EPPIE winner and best-selling author, Emma Wildes!

Romance. Intrigue. Corsets.

Rakes and ladies, midnight trysts.

They say gossip is cheap, but the Ton knows better...Come explore its secretive, seductive world!

Rose Among the Heather

When Duke Edward Sinclair returned home from war with Napoleon he found his mother had a ball planned with the castle filled to the rafters with guests for at least two weeks. All Edward wanted to do was forget war without being forced to be nice to a bunch of people he didn't know. Without even a place to sit at the table of his own castle a Rose among the Scottish heather offers him space next to her. With her own husband dead from the same war, Rose knows how bad things were, she's not about to let Edward go without comfort in a house where no one understands. And some comfort only a woman can give.

About the author: Jennifer Mueller
As a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya a few years back I traveled quite a bit and now I just wish I was. A lot of the places I've written about I've been to, a lot of them I haven't. Rafting on the Nile in Uganda, living in a Montana ghost town, African safaris, European youth hostels, the Black Hills of South Dakota all fill my scrapbooks. Now a daughter takes up most of those pages, but I still travel in my head every time I write..

Laudanum

Frederick Barrington has it pretty easy. He's a regular patron at Madam Moon's establishment, as well as an opium dealer, which keeps him in with the amounts money he is accustomed to. Only one problem arises when at Madam Moon's establishment: Selina.

Juliana Williams has run away from her home, after her father's untimely death. Finding solace in the most unlikely of places, she agrees to go home with Mr Barrington when he pays Moon her asking price for a single weekend only.

About the author: Nikki Watson spends her time in candle lit, incense burning rooms where she sits in front of her laptop lifeline, writing away with a mad intensity that often has her forgetting to eat, sleep or remember what time it is she's supposed to leave for school.

She is currently in the middle of two diplomas; one in Professional Writing and Editing, which she will finish this year, and a second in Visual Arts, majoring in Photography.

Of Licorice and Decadence

Klauss von Alstyne is the most celebrated composer of the Empire – and recently, the most uninspired. Upon meeting stage beauty Nicolette Neville, he is soon caught in the wild rush of exhilarating pursuit. In chasing Nicolette, will Klauss also find his elusive mistress, the Muse? Of Licorice and Decadence explores the primitive lust of man simmering beneath a refined show of civility.

About the author: Katrina Strauss grew up on sneak-peeks at her grandmother's forbidden romance novels. As she matured, Katrina fell sway to the underground goth and fetish scenes where she was introduced to more scintillating erotica. Inspired to pen her own erotic twist on the timeless genre of romance, Katrina's resulting works explore the darker side of love. The characters from Of Licorice and Decadence also appear in Katrina's novel Lessons Learned, the Regency installment of her Eldritch Legacy series.

Unspeakable

Trevor Caufield has always prided himself on being a consummate rake…until a clandestine meeting with a mysterious, strangely silent woman in a darkened hallway. Setting out to pursue Emma Hatton with purely selfish intentions, he discovers emotions that transcend his formerly uncomplicated existence and teach him that true love has no need for words.

About the author: With a Bachelors degree in English and Philosophy and a Certification in Paralegal Studies, Kayleigh Jamison spends her days attending law school, and her nights immersed in the rich fantasy worlds of her imagination. Though some would consider her two chosen professions at odds with each other, Kayleigh wholeheartedly disagrees, citing the importance of both the written word and human interaction involved in both fiction and the law. She currently lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her two precocious felines, Angel and Jack.

At the Lady's Discretion

The Duke of Hartley is jaded, sophisticated, and fascinated by his new mistress. The lady in question is beautiful, but there is an edge to her that he has to admit is new to his experience. Louisa Drury experienced a less than perfect marriage. If she going to give herself to the wickedly dashing Duke, it will be on her own terms. Exclusively. Yes, the affair has to be entirely at her discretion...

Emma Wildes is the author of over twenty novels, most of them set in the Regency period. She loves history, and she loves to hear from her readers. Please visit her at www.emmawildes.com.