taking the time to say thank you

I did something this week I've wanted to do for a long time. I wrote a thank you note to a writing tutor I had many years ago before I was even published.  His name is Felix Baron and he tutors for a Canadian writing school called Quality of Course. It's based in Ottawa and offers correspondance courses for different genres. I took their Erotica course, and I recommend them highly. I learned so much. www.qualityofcourse.com

At the time, I was working full time at my day job, taking the odd writing workshop when I could, and harbouring a dream to one day be published. I hadn't actually even seriously considered writing erotica. It just seemed like a really fun (and slightly naughty) course to take. What was great was that what I learned in that course crossed over all genres. Good writing is good writing, no matter the genre, so I've applied many of the techniques learned from Felix to my romance writing, my non-fiction writing, and even the play writing I did for a while.

Because life can sometimes throw monkey wrenches into plans, I never managed to complete the entire course. I finished about 2/3rds before being struck down by a series of serious illnesses, one of which put me in hospital for six months. I was never able to get back on track to finish the program. But what I had gleaned from the course to that point did help when I finally made the jump into the publishing pool in 1999.

I'm now published by multiple small press publishers in both the romance genre, and erotica. I'm enjoying a good level of success. And I'm loving the writing journey.

So, Felix, again I say thank you. Your expertise, patience, and encouragement helped me forge a career in a field I love. You're the best!

Happy days...

A Happy belated Thanksgiving to my US readers. I hope you had a wonderful day and are nursing calorie hangovers from too much turkey and pumpkin pie.

I've been enjoying the "new for Canada" concept of Black Friday. To combat the yearly exodus of Canadian shoppers across the border this weekend, Canadian stores are now offering Black Friday deals.  I equate it to our "Boxing Day" which we have the day after Christmas...sales galore everywhere...massive crazed crowds of shoppers...traffic jams, no parking, line-ups, exhaustion. In other words, a chaotic nightmare. I've been indulging in a little shopping online though, and loving the savings...useful on this upswing to Christmas.

Black Friday also brought me three new reviews for two of my stories: Focused Desire, and To Sir With Lust. Three stars for Focused Desire and a lovely 4 nymph review for To Sir. Among other things, these reviewers said:  (TSWL)"...an amusing and occasionally raunchy erotic romance that is surprisingly sweet and sexy at the same time..." ;  (TSWL) "...a spicy scenario that’s tasteful and tantalizing " ;  And my very favorite, (FD) "Focused Desire is a good story and Paige Bennett is an excellent writer." I want to put the underlined bit on a t-shirt. (Brag much? lol)

It's responses like these to my work, that keep me going. Thanks so much to these wonderful reviewers for taking the time to read my work and let the world know what you think.

Another contract...whoo hoo

I just signed a contract with Cambridge Press US for my short story, Aural Sex. Yes, I spelled it correctly. It's my attempt at a clever little play on words. The story revolves around a couple on opposite work shifts, who spice up their intimate life with some imaginative phone sex.

This story is the first of three that will comprise my next Hottest Heat volume. I already have a cover for it, and I haven't even finished writing the last story yet! (Truth be told, I haven't started writing the third story. Shhh, don't tell my boss.)
I did finish story number two today...the first draft, at least. Entitled, What Are Friends For?, it is a sequel to the story Perfect Stranger that appeared in Volume One. Each story stands alone, but it's more fun to read Perfect Stranger first and understand the relationships between characters. WAFF? contains the first ever threesome scene I've written. It was great fun to write, although technically challenging...all those extra limbs and orifices to deal with, and still keep in the correct POV. Quite the challenge. I hope I did a creditable job.

In other writing news, I have made some headway on my non-NaNo project (see previous posts on the subject) I've managed to add about 8000 words to the manuscript, but still have a long way to go to be finished...at least another 30-40,000 words. It's exhausting just thinking about it. And I got sidetracked back to my Hottest Heat stories, especially when my publisher sent my cover proof. Nothing like a little pressure to fire up the writer. I'll get back to the novel again, and I will finish it before year's end. I have too many planned projects for next year, I don't need any of this year's carrying over.

Oh, and a little reminder, my paranormal interracial story, Obsession, comes out Nov. 27th. If you happen to read it, I'd love for you to stop back here at my blog and post a comment.

Well, back to the salt mines, kids! LOL 
Till next time...Paige.

Now for something completely different...

Well, we're halfway through National Novel Writing Month. I've been chipping away at my romance novel. I admit, it's been hit or miss (more miss than hit, I'm afraid). I have added 7500 words, which isn't too shabby, but not near what I'd set out to accomplish. Life, as they say, happens. I'll keep plugging away.

On a happier note, the 27th of this month, my short story Obsession is being released through Phaze Books. This has been a long time coming.

This story is a departure from my usual contemporary romances. I actually wrote it several years ago, and had it sitting under contract with Mundania for a single story downloads project they'd considered at the time. Their direction changed and my story languished.

Jump forward to a couple of months ago. In discussion with my editor, it was decided that with a revision, Obsession would fit nicely at Phaze. It had the interracial romance angle, after all, which my readers at Phaze expect now.  So we made the decision to move it over to Phaze.

And now it's all ready to be released. Here's a little blurb:

It is New Orleans, 1850, and Blanche Paradis, a free woman of color has carved out a good life, including a job she enjoys, and a man she loves, gambler Bart Donovan. One small blemish mars her happiness, the obsessive interest of a mysterious aristocrat, Lucien St.Clair. 

In a moment of weakness, Blanche falls into Lucien’s bed, sealing her fate and that of her lover. For Lucien is much more than he seems, and his lust for the beautiful Blanche knows no bounds.

I really love this story, probably because it's so different from my usual stories. I wrote it in first person. I set it in New Orleans, a city for which I have long held a huge fascination. It is my first paranormal story. And it deals with obsession, betrayal and revenge, all themes I like to explore in my work.

I hope you check it out:  www.phaze.com, Nov.27, 2012.

~Paige

To NaNo or not to NaNo...

NaNoWriMo is upon us. For the handful of you who may not know what NaNo is, it's National Novel Writing Month, where writers all over the world with a shared level of insanity, pledge to write 50,000 words of a new WIP in thirty days. Like I said, insane!  I've taken part (or rather, my alter self romance writer did) five years running...only managed to reach the goal twice. It's exhausting, but when you succeed, exhilarating. And of those two finished pieces, I went on to get them both published...so, yay me.

This year, I decided I couldn't do the whole commitment thing...too much real life stuff to deal with at the moment. But I do have (or rather my alter self has) a half finished book that has been languishing for a couple of years. I'd like to finish it. So I thought NaNo would maybe give me the kick to get it done. I decided to enter 'informally'. In other words, I didn't sign up, I don't participate in the forums and I won't have a chance at the nice certificate at the end. What I'm doing is writing like mad on the days I can, and posting my progress via Twitter. So far, five days in, I've written almost 5000 words. Not earth-shaking, but 5000 more than I had Nov. 1st.  So, wish me luck, kids. I'm going to need it.

In other news, I have been offered a contract for the first story for my next Hottest Heat collection for Cambridge Press. It's entitled Aural Sex, and explores the naughty fun of phone sex. Oh, the memories...but I digress. I have the second story partially written, and an idea for the third story. 

Also, Phaze Books has accepted my novella, An Appetite for Seduction. And here I have some great news that makes me giddy when I think of it. I've been told that it will be coming out in print as well as ebook. The print version will also include my currently available short stories, making it a collection of my work to date. This is huge!! I'm so thrilled.

On a side note, I hope that the east coast is recovering from the onslaught of Sandy. My thoughts and prayers have been with you. Take care.