Musical Inspiration

As an author I get asked quite often whether or not I write with complete silence or with background music. Sometimes it depends if I'm trying to get into the "mood" for a scene. Sometimes I need silence to just let the words flow.

However, music is a big part of my life. I love listening to instrumental music just to soothe my soul. Anything that has romantic undertones is great. Sometimes I love a good raunchy rock tune, and I always like a song that inspires me in some way or speaks to something I'm going through. I've provided links to some of my favorite songs at the moment so please listen, or just comment if you are familiar with the song.

One current fave is Katy Perry's Part of Me
"This is the part of me that you're never ever going to take away from me"
Throw your sticks and stones, throw your bombs and blows,
but you're not going to break my soul" 
POWERFUL! Love it!

Another fave, Kelly Clarkson's Stronger
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger,
stand a little taller, doesn't mean I'm lonely when I'm alone,
What doesn't kill you makes a fighter,
footsteps even lighter,
doesn't mean I'm over because you're gone"
Words every woman should remind themselves after a break up!

Nickelback's Lullaby is a great song for those who feel they are alone - a good reminder that we're not!

"I know the feeling of finding yourself stuck out on the ledge,
and there ain't no healing, from cutting yourself with the jagged edge,
I'm telling you that, it's never that bad,
take it from someone who's been where you're at,
laid out on the floor, and you're not sure
you can take this anymore
Just give it one more try..."

Let's kick it up a notch, shall we?
I refuse to be a Belieber, but I grudgingly admit that there is something I like about Justin Bieber's new song Boyfriend (sorry everyone, LOL)
"I'd like to be everything you want, Hey girl - let me talk to you.
If I was your boyfriend, I'd never let you go,
Keep you on my arm, girl, you'd never be alone"

So, perhaps this choice speaks to my hopeless romantic side (hopeless being the operative word) who does want to find that special someone who won't let me go ;)

Now that I've made you gag, how about I propose a break up song? This one of the best I've heard. In fact, I bought their entire album because I love their unique sound.

Gotye's Somebody I Used to Know
"But you didn't have to cut me off,
make out like it never happened and that we were nothing,
I don't even need your love but you treat me like a stranger
and that feels so rough"
Great duet!

Let's really kick it up a notch with some sexy!

Chuck Wick's Hold That Thought - I know this isn't a new release but I still love how sexy this video is and the romantic words in the song.
"Close your eyes, picture this,
lying in bed in the candlelight, 
we start to kiss
pulling your body in close to mine,
pictures us - that moment before we make love"
*sigh* *swoon* Oh yeah, baby - I'll hold that thought ;)

And the last song I'll torture you with is Jennifer Lopez featuring Pit Bull Dance Again
What a sexy dance tune and even though I'm not a huge Pit Bull fan, but when he whispers "Make love to me", I'm about ready to get naked and jump on the bed!

All right - I've given you a few of my faves. What are you listening to right now? Share your playlist with me and the other Angels.

www.kelliekamryn.com

What a Great Community

Monday, March 26, was like Oscar nomination day in the romance world. The Romance Writers of America announced the finalists in the RITA and Golden Heart contests. *Happy sigh* The excitement, the flurry, the tweets and Facebook statuses (stati?) blowing up with congratulations and heart-pounding messages. Even those of us who didn't have entries in these prestigious contests watched with obsessive anxiety, ready to congratulate or console our friends.

Speaking of...CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR VERY OWN ANGEL, CECILY!! She finaled in the Golden Heart, YA category.

What struck me as I watched my Twitter and Facebook feeds scroll at highway speeds was how supportive everyone was. While I should be used to it by now, it never stops amazing me. Perhaps because I've seen several writing communities become wastelands of trolling and mud-slinging. Or other writers (not romance) non-constructively rip an excerpt to shreds, because s/he "had studied the craft for years," despite never having published any of their work. I've also worked in offices with a lot of women, and within weeks, the atmosphere is replete with back-stabbing, gossip, and politics.

Not in the romance community. At least, not that I've ever seen, even at a national conference, where approximately 2000 women (and a handful of men) are in the same building for four days.

Instead, I've had readers offer to beta read my stories, for no other reason than they love to read. Published authors have offered to critique my work, with no expectation of anything in return. My first online forum was on the Eloisa James/Julia Quinn bulletin board, where I met some of the most amazing women, and Eloisa and Julia often answered questions themselves. Every day, there's a Twitter hashtag where you can go to get motivation to write in the form of a #1k1hr (1000 words in 1 hour) challenge. This one isn't all romance authors, but a lot of them are. Published and unpublished alike.

Some people question why Romanceland is like this, wondering if it's because we are all in a group sneered at by other genre writers. I'm not going to question it, though, and instead be thankful I belong to such a great group of people. They motivate, inspire, and encourage. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Where do you get your motivation? Do you belong to a group like this, outside of the romance community?

Cleaning the Clutter

Realization hit a few days ago, as I helped the boys "shovel" out their room. We got rid of clothes they'd outgrown, bundled up toys they no longer played with, tidied and vacuumed 'til it fairly shone. Then I looked at a few other cluttered corners of the house. I mercilessly threw out garbage, got rid of toys the kids no longer played with, put things in their places and gave the dust bunnies a permanent residence in the vacuum cleaner bag. Then I called a cleaning company owned by a friend and made an appointment for them to tackle the larger chores in the house that as a single mom I don't have time for.

As I surveyed my domain, I realized that as I physically cleaned the clutter from my home, it was just another way I was de-cluttering my life. For the past year, I've been letting go of a twenty year relationship.  For a while after it ended, I just wanted to make it through another day. As time went on, I began to rid myself of old insecurities and past hurts. Then I began ridding my brain of old notions of love and relationships. I am twenty years older than when I went into that relationship, and I figured if I wanted something different, I'd have to think about things differently. Over the past few weeks especially, I've been reading spiritual books, embracing new ways of thinking, letting go of anger, and feeling good about life.

In my debut novel, Claire LeMay had to de-clutter her thinking to realize she's in charge of her life. Here's an excerpt:

Angry again, Claire said, “When is someone going to ask me what I want? When are people going to realize I’m the one who makes the decisions in my life?”

“What are you talking about?” Shelley propped her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand.

Claire sighed in exasperation. “You know how it’s always been.” She picked up her spoon again, scooped the tea bag out of her cup, and threw it in the garbage.

“Is this some childhood thing you’re trying to get over? I’ve only got so much time. Our flight leaves in a few hours.”

Claire shuffled over to a chair and sat across from Shelley. There was so much truth in that question. She’d always felt like everyone else had called the shots, while she'd dutifully agreed to their plans for her gymnastics career. Maybe the only reason she hadn’t jumped at the chance to move here to be with Justin three years ago was because he’d never asked her to, he'd just demanded it.

Last night she’d been upset that no one had asked her what she wanted. One of the parents had even suggested she could teach gymnastics anywhere, but at the time, she’d only been thinking of the job she had. Did she love her job more than Justin? Three years ago, she’d accused him of loving his career more than her. Now she supposed he thought the same about her.

What did she really want in her life?

Justin.

His name popped into her head before she even had time to consider. The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was true. Was she willing to give up the one thing she really wanted in her life simply because of her need to be in control?

Shelley drummed the fingers of one hand on the table top. “I’m waiting.”

Claire put her head down on her forearms. “Oh, God,” she moaned. “I’m so stupid.”

“There, there.” Shelley patted her on the back. “We can’t all be smart about everything.”

“No, Shelley, I have been stupid. I’ve been fighting so hard for my independence all these years, I didn’t realize I had it.”

Secret Cravings Publishing

Amazon

ARe

Bookstrand

Barnes and Noble

 As they say:  "To get something you never had, you have to do something you've never done." So, here's hoping that my new outlook on life will bring me things I never had before. So, how about you? Do you often find yourself repeating the same old thing? Or do you periodically clean out the clutter of your mind so you can look at life in a new way? I'd love to hear from people.

Building the Perfect Hero!

Welcome to the laboratory!
Today I want to talk about building the perfect man...er, hero. I saw the topic addressed on a friend's blog where she took votes, body part by body part! ;)
Seems we women have varied tastes when it comes to men.......a good thing or else you'd all be knocking on my door, chasing my hubby! LOL

Anyway, let start with something easy - something we can all agree on.
The Perfect Hero has to be Truthful, have Honor, be Loyal, a Hard Worker ( in whatever chosen profession), Kind, Sensitive to the Heroine's feelings, have Stamina in the bedroom......... What else???

Now comes the fun part!
Tall, Dark and Handsome?

Or Short, Blond and Handsome?

Long Hair, perfect for running your fingers through?

Or short hair, also perfect for running your fingers through ?

Facial Hair?

Or Clean Shaven?

Some Ink?

Or not?

Hairy Chest?

Or Smooth Abs?

And what about the Eyes?
Brown?

Blue?

 Or Green?

So let's hear it, ladies!!! Describe your Perfect Man! :)

New Year's Grand Prize

We Angels have one more BIG give away!!! All this week, you can enter to win ebooks from the five of us Angels who are published! The winner will be notified by email and will get to choose which books they want from our participating authors. All you have to do is continue this story that we've started. You can enter as many times as you want during this week and don't forget to leave your email addy so we can contact you if you win. While you're at it, if you haven't already please follow our site! A WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN JANUARY 1ST! What a fabulous way to ring in the new year!

All right - I'm going to start things off!

"Look at that Momma - a shooting star!"
She smiled at her son. "Yes, honey. How beautiful. Why don't you make a wish?"
"I wish for you not to be alone this new year."
Tears formed in her eyes. Now there was a thought she'd wished often over the last few months. Someone to come along, and share his life with her and her son. "That's nice, sweetie. But  you could have wished for something for yourself."
"I don't want you to be lonely."
"I'm not lonely. I have you."
He rolled his eyes. "Mom, you know what I mean."
She ruffled his hair. "Okay - time for bed."
"But I'm not tired." He let out a big yawn.
Famous last words for a tired child, she thought.

All right - you're up! What happens next?

All I Want for Christmas Giveaway #2

Hello everyone and welcome to the next two days of giveaways! Here's what I want to know: What is the worst Christmas gift you've ever received?

As a kid, I remember receiving a brown sweater. What's wrong with that you ask? Well, I didn't want to wear it because it was the color of poo and I was afraid of being teased by the kids at school. As an adult, I think the worst gift I ever received was...SOAP! (I apologize to all those little gymnasts and their parents who thought it was a good gift.) To me, soap is kind of personal, like underwear. You see, I'd never go to Victoria's Secret and purchase undies for a friend because of a thing called PERSONAL PREFERENCE! In my mind, different people like different scents so purchasing soap is kind of a crap shoot. Perhaps to the purchaser of said gift, it doesn't really matter because soap can be relatively inexpensive. But people have different skin sensitivities and some soaps can leave your skin dry and flaky if it's not the right kind for you.

Plus, if you're not purchasing those little $5 gift baskets from your local Wal-mart and going to places like The Body Shop, Lush or Bath and Body Works then you're shelling out big bucks on the hopes they'll like what you pick. I'm guilty of giving soap as a gift too (hangs head), and hoping that the smile the receiver pastes on their face is because they like it and not because it stinks! Because not all citrus scents are zestfully refreshing, some flowers should've stayed in the field, and - WHAT THE HECK IS THAT SMELL?

I really don't mean to complain. A lot of soap is packaged ever so pretty. Some of them are such vibrant colors and interesting shapes. When someone takes the time to at least remember you in a small way, it's a wonderful thing. And I have received some soap I absolutely loved. Any  I didn't like, I let my kids use, or I use it to keep my dresser drawers fresh. (Don't look at me weird - my grandma did that all the time!)

Okay - now it's your turn! What is the worst gift you've ever received? Tell us in a comment below, leave your email addy and you'll win.........not soap. LOL I've got a copy of Bridget Jones' Diary to give away and if you have that, I've got loads of other stuff you can choose from! And while you're here, please follow our blog and you can find us on twitter @AssCheekAngels  :)

Beach Love was our winner from the 1st days of giveaways! Congrats :)

Happy Holidays! Kellie Kamryn

Ass Cheek Angels All I Want for Christmas Giveaway

Beginning December 1st, we lovely Ass Cheek Angels are holding contests all December long with some fabulous give away prizes! Every couple of days one of the Angels will post about their favorite or worst Christmas something or other. All you have to do is leave a comment with your email addy to be entered to win!

The week between Christmas and New Years we are holding a bigger contest! We'll start off writing a Christmas story. To be entered, continue with a bit of the story and leave your email address. The more you comment, the more times you can be entered to win. The Grand Prize is an ebook from at least 4 of the Angels who are currently published! Four books!!  What a way to start the New Year!

We hope you'll join us this holiday season as we spread around the holiday cheer! Hope to see you on the blog :)

One Handsome Cowboy - George Canyon

A couple of week-ends ago, I worked an event where this man was the headline entertainment.

A down home Canadian originally from the province of Nova Scotia, his career and love story is definitely one of romance novels.

Originally employed as an IT, he worked his butt off for nine years to still do singing gigs in a country rock band while providing for his wife and two children. When the band broke up, he decided to return to a normal life. According to his bio, his wife said, "Nuh-uh!" and encouraged him to go solo. In 2003, he auditioned on Nashville Star and nearly won. Eventually, he signed with RCA records and recorded

in Nashville. And the rest is history....

If you haven't heard of him - well I'm proud to be called a Canadian alongside this burning hunk

of man!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABa2-lqErPs&feature=fvsr

And if you haven't heard his voice yet - click on the link to hear him sing a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". *swoon*

Heroic Hearts

What makes a hero/heroine? Is it their ability to save their loved ones from danger? Is it their physical strength or appearance? Do they have supernatural powers? Is it their profession?


No matter the setting for a story, all romances have something in common - the characters

put their hearts on the line for love. To me, a true hero or heroine is one who allows love back into their heart again after it has been broken. They take that terrifying yet thrilling leap and stand before another person, offering their heart in their hand with the hope that the one they love will take care of it, cherish it, protect it. Whether in the pages of a book or in real life, it is a surrender of the sweetest kind.

Here are some of my favorite fictional heroes/heroines:
In Julie Anne Long's THE PERILS OF PLEASURE Madeleine Greenway, after losing her loved ones, kidnaps the dashing Colin Eversea for the money, only to risk more than her life--her heart.

SOMETHING ABOUT YOU by Julie James, Jack Pallas isn't thrilled to be working alongside Cameron Lynde the woman he thinks got him transferred to a shit post in the FBI out of spite. When he learns that she did it to save his job, he does whatever it takes to protect the love of his life.

And my new favorite couple are Maggie Monroe and Rafe McBride from RAFE'S REDEMPTION by friend and fellow angel Jennifer Jakes. (I <3 Rafe, and that's all I'm going to say ;))

Werewolf or vampire, fireman or doctor, writer or dancer, actor or fitness fanatic - the human heart has an incredible capacity to love. It takes a few hits but keeps on ticking with the eternal hope that next time will be forever.

I'm blessed to know people who have put themselves out there again after a heartbreak and have found their happily ever after. It is inspiring. So who are your real life or fictional heroes/heroines who put their hearts out there for love?

Suit and Tie or Jeans and T-shirt?

Which do you prefer? That's the question of the day.

Now I know you think I'm going to vote for jeans. I'm the one who always goes for the bad-boy look, right? But I have to admit there's something powerful - sexy powerful - about a man in a suit. Both of these men look like they have some bad-boy in them.

But let's make the case for a casual guy. He looks more approachable, more down to earth. He also wears his bad-boy for all the world to see, tempting women and daring men.

So no matter which look you choose, it's really the man beneath  the clothes that tempts us, isn't it? ;)

What do you think?

Something Cheeky

I thought for my first turn on the blog I'd post something, well, cheeky. I've had the pleasure of viewing these fine looking buns since they first walked by me in the hallway of my high school nearly 20 years ago. Yup - that's right. That's my DH's derriere.

He's such a good sport really. When I told him that I was joining the Ass Cheek Angels, his reply was a two part question - Is there a chapter in Manitoba and is leather mandatory? BTW, ladies - he's still waiting for that thong cozy that one of you promised you'd knit for him. And what guy would willingly put his rear-end on display for the amusement of others? Well, he would, and he did it just for me.

This just goes to show that he has a sense of humour. That is something I appreciate in a man once I've finished ogling his behind. I believe my man hooked me at a party with a dirty joke involving Little Red Riding Hood being eaten by a wolf, and I wish I could remember it, but what I do recall is the way he laughed when he told it. I love to laugh and I love a man who is not afraid to put himself out there to make me laugh. Laughter may not always make things better, but it makes things bearable while you're waiting for a solution. One thing I can always count on in my life is my DH making me laugh.

The third thing I check out in a man are his eyes. My guy has soft brown eyes, the kind you can get lost in when he's giving you that tender "I love you" look. Eyes truly are the window to the soul. You know those lines we use in our romance books like "flicker of desire" or "flash of annoyance", or the one I read in Julie James' Something About You "You know the Tom and Jerry cartoon where Tom hasn't eaten for days and he imagines Jerry looking like a ham?" They aren't just words, or pretty pick up lines. Words aren't needed when you can tell everything you need to know just by looking into someone's eyes. I'm fortunate that, even after nearly 14 years of marriage and 4 kids, my DH still looks like me like I'm the tastiest steak on the menu.

And speaking of eyes, I'd like to introduce you to my eye candy crushes. First, Mr. Connor Trinneer. I fell in love with him on the bridge of the starship Enterprise. Then after only 4 seasons they had the audacity to cancel the show, reducing me to searching the net to get my fix of this tall, blonde, hunk of man.

Second - Mr. Sam Worthington. (did you hear the gushing lilt to my voice, and the dreamy sigh there at the end?) I can't say that I liked the movie Terminator Salvation all that much, but seeing him shirtless certainly didn't hurt the experience. I enjoyed his performance in Avatar, and his voice is so sexy with that accent of his slipping in from time to time. I've rented Clash of the Titans tonight just to see him in armour. (Is it bedtime for my kiddies yet?)

So, there you have it. The three things I look for in a man - a fine rear-end, nice eyes (not to mention easy on the eyes), and a sense of humour.

To my fellow Angels, it was a great experience meeting you and I look forward to more great posts from you all! Visit me at http://www.kelliejwin.com/ or on facebook - just type in Kellie J. Winzinowich into the search bar.