CAUTION: Brainstorming session in progress

Click Ginger to Visit DA's blog for Author Interviews and much more.

Monday, January 30, 2012

HC Brown on Normalcy, BDSM, and her MM novel "Lord and Master"

HC Brown is a bestselling author in a variety of genres. Simply put... the woman can write. Now, HC likes to think she isn't normal, whatever that means. I captured this pic when she wasn't looking. Decide for yourself.

Okay. That's not really HC Brown. But I'm so jealous of the woman's talent I couldn't help myself. In truth, I envision her more like the picture below.


Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this brief glimpse into the mind of HC Brown.



Over the past few months, I've received some very personal questions regarding my lifestyle.
Okay, I admit, I'm not "normal" -thank God! How boring to be "normal".
My mind insists I'm twenty-one, it's just my body that looks old.
How did I become involved in writing gay BDSM? What triggers that particular desire in a happily married woman?
To be honest, I have no idea.
 BUT, I love writing gay BDSM.
At first, I had the impression, like most, that the D/s relationship was one of pain and suffering.  After meeting and discussing various forms of BDSM with those men who enjoy such sports, my entire world exploded into a realm of stories. The loving, respectful partnerships I've witnessed were a far cry from the stereotype D/s we see in movies etc.
Respect and trust is the basis of any BDSM relationship and often glossed over by many writers.  Today society is slowly becoming acceptable of the fact that everyone of us is unique, with our own thoughts and decisions.  As consenting adults, don't we have the right to love whomever we chose?
Alas, in Georgian England life was a little different to what we enjoy today.
My new release, Lord & Master came about after reading some English, Georgian era court cases.
 I enjoyed researching the Georgian era in the U.K. So many stories are set in the Regency period, and yet so many historical events happened in the world during the Georgian period. England was at constant war, the American War of Independence, the destruction of the Scottish Clans at Culloden during the uprising, to name but a few.
The Georgian era sparked the Anti-Sodomite Movement, a time when the mere accusation of sodomy was enough for a life sentence in Newmarket Prison or a trip to the hangman.  This being the case, a man might show his affection toward another (man) in public by an imperceptible brush of his sleeve or a hooded gaze across the dinner table.
My story is about these times of forbidden love.
Lord & Master

Blurb:
Lord Reynold Wilton, fearing exposure after a public argument with his sex slave, Lord David Litchfield, leaves England for the Americas. On his return, he finds his delicious man in the hands of a brutal sadist. In a time when homosexuality is a hanging offense, Reynold must use every trick in the book to regain the possession and trust of his young lover.
 Excerpt:
Prologue

London 1769

A rush of pain radiated from Lord Reynold's clenched teeth and into his temples. The burn from over exertion raged across his shoulders. His sweaty grip slipped on the leather handle of the cane, a narrow strip of birch he had commissioned especially for discipline. With lust, he gazed down at his slave, savoring the crisscrossed, red welts marking the porcelain flesh, the raised prints of his hand on each tender buttock. He bent over the slim figure tied so deliciously on the bench, and licked each crimson cut, using his mouth to soothe and caress. Reynold lapped, enjoying the taste of sweet skin, the rise of gooseflesh under his tongue. The man's scent of soap mingled with the warm aroma of male sex filled his nostrils.
With the man tied this way, stretched out with both arms and legs secured, Reynold had complete control. The power of dominance surged through him. In truth, he could easily draw blood with his cane if he chose to, yet he loved this man and gave his slave what he craved. This session had been different from those long nights of bliss they'd enjoyed so often before. He needed to conquer his slave, to take back his role as master in a relationship teetering on the brink of disaster. With slow, deliberate moves, he stalked around the bench, running the cane over the sub's quivering body. He stopped at the head of the young man. "Why do you question my loyalty? I will not tolerate such behavior." He grasped a lock of the man's long, blond curls. "Speak."
"I am jealous, Master."
Reynold brought the birch down in two swift cuts across the slave's pristine back. The prone man's cry sent blood rushing to his cock. Christ, he loved to hear his submissive moan. He threw down the cane. "Of whom are you jealous this time?"
"Lord John, Master." The slave drew a shuddering breath. "I don't want you to continue your friendship him."
"When you are tied to my bed, I am the master." Reynold met the man's cornflower blue gaze. "I will not tolerate such demands from my slave. If you continue in this manner, I will have no option but to take my leave." He ground his teeth. "I warn you, do not think to use my devotion as a weapon to manipulate me to your will. If needs be, I will take a commission abroad to be rid of you."
"Reynold . . . I beg you—think of my feelings."
"You would have me weak?" Reynold dropped his breeches. "I think not."
"No, Master, not weak—never weak." David's gaze fell on Reynold's shaft. "I do not care to share you with Lord John." He licked his lips. "When you are in his company, I fear I will lose you."
Reynold growled. "I regret now confiding my relationship with Lord John Henley to you before we became involved. The man is a dear friend but you are my lover. If you don't believe this to be true, the trust you claim to have in me does not exist." He sighed. "Perhaps it is you who wants to end our relationship."
"Christ, I would have no other touch me in this way, and you know this to be true." David poked out his tongue, and swiped it across the head of Reynold's cock. He moaned. "I beg your forgiveness."
"You have my forgiveness, but I cannot allow you to dictate which friends I have. You know I have no desire to fuck any of them. Arguing with me in public has already put us both under scrutiny. Christ, David we can't be seen together. The risk is too high. What reason would I have to be in your company?" Reynold stroked David's cheek. "If you cannot trust me, this time we have together—our relationship as master and slave, as lovers, will not survive." Reynold groaned. "I care for you deeply but I won't allow you to risk the hangman's noose because of youthful foolishness. I will not offer you another chance, do you understand?" Reynold tugged David's hair. "Do you?"
"Yes." David smiled. "Master, will you allow me to pleasure you? I crave the taste of your seed."
Palming his shaft, he guided it toward his slave's rosy lips. He sighed as the man's hot, wet mouth surrounded him with absolute bliss. He loved the way David's flushed cheeks pulled tight with every withdrawn thrust. Later, he would take the man's tight arse, and hear his intoxicating screams of delight. He could never have enough of his luscious young submissive. Reynold rolled his hips, his hands cradling David's, sweat soaked cheeks. Lord, this man knew how to take him to heaven. Tipping back his head, he plunged deeper, fucking the man's delightful throat.
This session with David had been brutal. Reynold wanted to stamp his authority over the young man. Of late, the possessive nature of his delicious sex-slave had become out of hand. David had grown too demanding. Reynold had no option but to take a stand. The submissive's teeth raked a path up his aching cock, the man's agile tongue flicking over the sensitive tip. Reynold bit back a groan and fell into the darkness of forbidden bliss. His slave's mouth became a whirlpool of ecstasy spinning him into an uncontrollable, shattering conclusion. Christ, David, for once, do as I say. Your jealousy is leading us down a path of damnation.

Chapter One
Three years later—London 1772


Chapter One
Lord Reynold Wilton opened his pocketbook and paid the tailor's account, grateful to be finally out of uniform. He met the gaze of Mr. Joseph Brown. The man had produced every inch of clothing he had worn since a boy. "Have everything else sent over to Spencer Street. There's a good man."
Donning the new hat he'd purchased from Locks in Bond Street, Lord Reynold pulled on his gloves and turned to look in the mirror. The new, delightfully comfortable, clothes fit well. Soft and fresh against his skin, the linen provided a welcome change from his stagnant, uniform shirt and stiff smalls. At last, after three despicable years, he resembled a gentleman again. The new clothes, ordered by letter some three months prior, had surprised him with their elegance. Mr. Brown had tailored each garment in the height of fashion, right down to the fine, lawn ruffles and silver buttons. White silk stockings and a cloak of the finest, black wool lined in silk completed his dress. He rubbed his chin and smiled ruefully at his reflection. The breeches stretched tight about his thighs and bottom, and Mr. Brown had pinched the jacket in at the waist to enhance the width of Reynold's shoulders. The cravat lay in exquisite folds. Dressed as such, in blue velvet, with his hair tied in a neat queue, he knew how men of his predilection would react to his appearance. Christ, I look like a peacock. In truth, his body had changed from soft to hard and muscular, but a commission in the Americas did that to a man. His face had altered too, but not in a bad way. He had not suffered any serious injury during his time abroad, but the man with haunting eyes in his reflection had replaced the innocent expression of youth.
Although, relieved by the sale of his commission and consequent arrival in England, his thoughts were not on returning immediately to his country estate in Surrey. Rather, he had spent the last two days in his townhouse close to Hyde Park, not wanting to endure the immediate duties of lord of the manor.
Lord Reynold stepped from the shop and glanced down Oxford Street. Nothing of note had changed in London during his time abroad with exception of women's fashion and the volume of carriages barreling along the dusty roads. He drew a deep breath to enjoy the scents of normality after enduring an eternity of stinking jacks and sweat. The smell of gunpowder and the unforgettable stench of a military camp had combined with horrors a man could never forget.
For three long years, Reynold had remained abroad. Christ, he had little choice. His role as master had become impossible after another very-public argument with David had threatened to expose them both. To avoid the scandalmongers and the chance of prosecution for the act of sodomy, he made the heart-wrenching decision to leave his lover.
Reynold stood for a few seconds to enjoy his surroundings. There had been a meager amount of birds brave enough to negotiate the noisy camps, and his heart lifted to see an abundance of sparrows feasting on a discarded crust of bread on the footpath. Above a blue sky peeked briefly through a profusion of white fluffy clouds. A stream of sunlight bathed a rose bush sitting in a large, yellow glazed pot beside the milliners next door. The rich perfume from the red blooms mixed with the pungent odor of horse dung squashed on the road. The hay infused clumps thrown in all directions by the constant stream of carriage wheels. Everything is so normal, as if no one knows a war of great proportions is looming.
Moving toward the curb, Reynold called out to his driver to take him to Charters, a gentlemen's club in Vauxhall, and climbed into the carriage. He sighed, rested his head on the back of the seat, and closed his eyes. A familiar memory flooded his consciousness. The vision of a young man, exceptionally featured, with a soft gaze the color of a summer sky, hooded with long, tawny lashes. He groaned, recalling his sweet slave's sated expression from hours of glorious sex. The young body so deliciously secured his skin damp and flushed from his master's cane. David.




Tuesday, January 24, 2012

The Power of Muse & Inspiration - by Michael Mandrake

Michael Mandrake is one of the three writing muses and persona of Chicago's Sharita Lira, a woman and writer of incredible depth. 
Be sure to check out Rawiya and BL Moricia's books as well. Yep. Same person, totally different styles - all great.

 


Blurb:

No such thing as vampires! William Chatterley is an up and coming author looking for a partner after many dead end dates. Finally, he believes he’s found a suitable mate in Andrew and they see one another.


Jude the vampire is weak from being without love in his life. When he sees the author, he desires him right away but his companion is a stumbling block.


How will he get passed it and when he does, will the mortal want to be his partner? What will he choose? Will Jude convince him to become his eternal lover?

 

Excerpt

"Yes, yes, come to me my child!" Jude lay his head against a dead tree. He sensed two virile young men he might like to enjoy for a double entree. Since he couldn't have love why not fill up his belly with young blood for nourishment. He waved his long fingers and opened his eyes, gazing around the open field till he caught sight of the two he'd seen in his mind's eye.

As always the faces were skewed when he looked deep within to see his prey but now that they'd come into view, he noticed one he didn't want to destroy.

"Wha...I..." At a loss of words was Jude, gawking at the handsome man running away from another. "My, I've never seen in all my years a more gorgeous sight." That moment the old immortal felt his muscles strengthen and his face tightening. A new feeling of love and inspiration came over him.

A mortal, so lovely and beautiful, the desire to live started to return.

Michael's Blog
Buy Link
Amazon.com Link

Monday, January 23, 2012

Dead Kitties Don't Purr - by Amber Green

Today the curtain rises on Act Two of Lesbians vs Zombies: The Musical Revue.  This piece is called Dead Kitties Don't Purr.

Blurb:

People who take their shots and do as they're told have nothing to fear. Right?

The Rabies Z epidemic began and ended in Miami this past summer, didn't it? And that guy my daddy saw at the Jacksonville airport last week was just having an epileptic fit. No cause for alarm. Epilepsy always causes an eighteen-hour hazmat shutdown at a major airport.

So while my twin tours to flog her newest album, here I am, Camie Invisible, parked at this nice, safe college—as far as I can get from the infection and still pay in-state tuition. Only now, my studies have become focused on the fascinating Risa Ruiz. And she has eyes for me.

Isn't this the perfect time for the zombies to show up?


 
Excerpt:

The dorm's safety rules echoed in the back of my head. Never leave campus with someone you've just met. If you see anyone walking strangely, having convulsions, or standing too still, run as fast as you can to where the people are. Never approach anyone lying down, or anyone sitting in the wrong place. Stay on well-lit streets. Let someone know where you're going, who you're with, and when you'll be back. Keep a phone on you at all times, and never turn it off.

And I, the careful one, the most timid freshman in the quietest dorm on campus, didn't give a shit.
I had my hand on the top edge of Risa Ruiz's gauzy skirt, feeling her flank muscles stretch and contract.

We reached another corner and turned into one of those dark cul-de-sacs that don't even rate a single working streetlamp. I blinked, trying to see.

She pulled me off the sidewalk.

I wondered for half a second, but then a bicycle whispered by.

She was paying attention—something I should be doing, as well. But there we were, off the sidewalk, away from the streetlights and headlights, and the crickets rasped as if giving coded messages, only all the messages overlapped and competed with one another, and the moonlight glittered on Risa's pectoral of claws and fangs while it shimmered on the swirling lace below.

"I want to kiss you," I said, my voice a stranger's. I swallowed, waiting for her to laugh at me, to push me away.

Instead, she pulled me closer, hip-first, and tilted her head. "What's stopping you?"

I reached up and gathered fistfuls of that hair, cool and warm at the same time, and I pulled her face down into reach, and I touched her lips with mine. And there it had to end, because I'd never opened my mouth to a kiss without wanting to gag.

But there it didn't end. She cupped my head in her hands, opened her mouth, and gently sucked my bottom lip between hers. My pulse pounded in my lips, in my temples, in my breasts where they nestled against hers. For what seemed a long time, she played with my bottom lip, licking it, then licking inside it.

She tasted of popcorn, or maybe that was me, and she smelled of something deep, woody, and rich—sandalwood or cedar, or both, or something I'd never encountered before. I desperately wanted to wash in whatever soap made her smell like that.

She pulled back, disengaging my trembling fists from her hair. "You're not used to this, are you?"

My skin shrank against my face. "I'm sorry."

At least I hadn't gagged on her. Hadn't had the first inclination to gag, come to think of it.

She brushed a kiss over my cheekbone. "Don't be. Don't be nervous, either. And whatever you do, don't hesitate to tell me to slow down if I take this too fast."

Dead Kitties Don't Purr - by Amber Green

Amber's Web Site
Buy Link

Friday, January 20, 2012

Author Pender Mackie on Resolutions and "Wishful Thinking"

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Lao-tzu, The Way of Lao-tzu
Chinese philosopher (604 BC - 531 BC)




I’ve been thinking about New Year’s resolutions and how hard it is to keep them.

I can see why a lot of people decide the start of a new year feels like a good time to make changes. Especially after a month or so of indulging in rich food and extra treats.

I’m no stranger to the culinary indulgences of December, but when January comes and the excitement of the holiday season is over, my natural inclination is to cocoon or hibernate. I want to curl up under a blanket with a good book and a mug of hot chocolate. The last thing I feel like doing is starting a new exercise program or make radical changes to my diet.

And from all the griping I’ve been hearing at work, I’d say my coworkers aren’t having a whole lot of success with their new and improved lifestyles.       

In the past I’ve had plenty of unsuccessful resolutions. Now I realize that if I want to make changes in my life I will. If I’m not motivated to make a particular change it’s not going to happen regardless of the time of year. I’ve learned that I can’t just think I should make a change. I have to want to change.

When I was twenty-one I started smoking. I picked up the habit at my first full-time job. My breaks were at the same time as the cute guy in the mailroom. One day he casually offered me a cigarette. I took it, enjoying the feeling of camaraderie. Stupid I know, but hey, he was cute and I was mildly smitten.

Sadly my crush was doomed. He wasn’t remotely interested. My smoking habit, on the other hand, was a phenomenal success. Three months after I’d started, I was smoking a pack a day and loving it.

I smoked for five years before I quit. I knew smoking was bad for me from Day One. I stopped a few times, but only for a couple of weeks before I’d start up again. The problem was, I didn’t want to quit. Not really. But then after three or four years I started to dislike smoking. I grew to hate being nicotine dependent and spending money I couldn’t afford on something I was literally putting a match to.

Eventually I was successful at quitting: not because I knew I needed to quit, but because I actually wanted to. That was a couple of decades ago and I’m still a non-smoker.

All those failed resolutions I made in the past were unsuccessful because I was trying to make changes I knew I should be making instead of working on things I wanted to change.

I know I should lose a few pounds and get more exercise, but I don’t want to give up chocolate or pasta or—God forbid—the occasional glass of wine. I don’t want to get up at the butt crack of dawn to run in the cold, dark winter mornings. Hell, in winter I don’t even want to get up, period.

But I do want to develop a healthier lifestyle. So instead of making unrealistic resolutions (at least for me) to lose twenty pounds and hit the gym three times a week, I’m taking baby steps. 

At work I’m taking the elevator instead of the stairs. I’m trying to pack crackers and cheese or a piece of fruit to snack on instead of buying a high calorie muffin or a cookie to go with my morning coffee. And so far it’s working.  

In fact, it’s working so well I’m thinking of trying this approach with my writing. Lately I never seem to have enough time for my works in progress. But if I spend one or two of my lunch hours each week working on my writing instead of socializing in the lunchroom, that adds up to a couple of hours of uninterrupted writing time.  At the moment that’s more time than I get at home. If I keep that up, I’ll be able to finish at least one of my stories that much sooner.

So if you’ve made a resolution and you’re struggling, don’t sweat it. Remember the purpose behind your resolution—a healthier lifestyle, getting more organized, whatever it is—and make one or two small changes. Try something manageable. Something you’re willing to do to work towards your long-term goal.

Try kicking off those seven-league boots and taking baby steps.



Pender’s most recently completed work is Wishful Thinking.

Here’s the blurb and excerpt.

Quiet, reserved Derrick has never had a date. That doesn’t stop him from wishing and dreaming, especially when he’s working a boring shift at the coffee shop. On a cold, rainy evening, the shop is deserted, and Derrick daydreams about his fantasy boyfriend, Rory, a fellow university student. Derrick doesn’t know much about Rory. They’re not in the same classes. They’ve never even talked.

When Rory is his last customer of the night, Derrick comes face to face with the man of his dreams. The real Rory is even better than the fantasy and he wants more than coffee… he wants Derrick. By the end of his shift, Derrick will find out if all his fantasies can come true.

Excerpt

I looked up automatically when a figure walked past the front window of the coffee shop. The person kept going—head down, huddled under an umbrella—thank God.
I didn't want any more customers this near to closing time. My current customers looked as if they were finally getting ready to leave.

They were a young couple that had probably just started dating. They'd spent their entire time in the shop sitting quietly, holding hands, and staring dreamily into each other's eyes. They were so wrapped up in each other, I could have tap-danced on the counter and they wouldn't have noticed.

Not that I'd be likely to dance on the counter. I'm too introverted to draw that kind of attention to myself.

I'd be relieved when they left and not just because it was almost time to close. That level of mutual adoration is hard to take when you're single. Especially when you're pretty sure you're going to remain single, at least for the foreseeable future.

I pretended not to watch as the girl reached up and gently touched her boyfriend's face. He turned his head and kissed her palm. I envied them. I wanted that kind of intimacy with someone special.

I hadn't actually ever been on a date. The closest I'd been to dating was sneaking into the dugout at the neighborhood baseball diamond with Jaden Agostini a few times, back when we were both fifteen. I didn't think a couple of fumbling kisses and a quick mutual grope session met the official definition of a date. Even if it did, that had been over four years ago.

Four years without a date is a pretty sad state of affairs for anyone, but I'm kind of shy until I get to know someone. If I didn't feel so awkward around new people, it would be easier to meet a guy, talk to him, get to know him, maybe work up the nerve to ask him out.

I had a particular person in mind, but that was wishful thinking. It would never happen. Even if I had the confidence to talk to him, to dazzle him with my knowledge of obscure sci-fi trivia or my unusual sense of humor, he was far too friendly and outgoing to be interested in someone quiet like me.

The shop's door opened. A current of cold, wet air and a few aggressive raindrops escorted a last-minute customer across the threshold. The heavy rain had kept most people home tonight. I hadn't had any customers other than the lovebirds and now this guy, dripping his way across the floor.

Damn. Now that he was here, even if the couple left, I wouldn’t be able to close up a few minutes early. I'd be stuck here right up to the last minute. That would suck because I'd miss the ten o'clock bus and have to wait a half hour for the next one.

I didn't normally try to cut out early, but I had a paper due before the weekend and I was scheduled to work almost every night this week. I'm not supposed to be doing homework when I'm working, even if the place is completely devoid of customers, but if I'd ignored the rules and brought my computer, I could have at least proofed the completed part of my paper. I'd left my laptop at the dorm though, so instead of being productive, I'd spent almost my entire shift hoping for diehard coffee addicts to keep me busy, and daydreaming about my fantasy boyfriend.

Of course, now, when it was least convenient, I finally had the customers I'd wished for.

I leaned on the counter and watched resignedly as my latest patron took his time getting settled at the table in the corner—the big one with the L-shaped bench and all the cushions. Even though he was short and slim and wearing a hooded raincoat, which hid his face, I knew it was a 'he' and not a 'her' by the clothes and the build. He had a backpack too, so it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out he was a student.

Double damn. The coffee shop was close to the university. I'd served lots of students. They always ordered something inexpensive and then sat for hours pretending to study or reading the out-of-date magazines. Now I'd never catch the ten o'clock bus.

He took off the backpack and casually slung it onto a chair on the far side of the table, across from the bench. He peeled himself out of his sopping-wet jacket and hung it over the back of the chair. Then he straightened and shook his hair out as if he were a wet dog.

As I stared at my customer my heart stopped, then started up again. It raced along as if I'd just guzzled a triple espresso.

I knew him. Well, technically I didn't know him, but I knew who he was. I'd seen him around. Seen him on the university's campus, hanging out, talking and laughing with his friends in the cafeteria or walking to class.

He was my fantasy boyfriend.


Thanks for reading and thanks, KevaD, for letting me ramble.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Want to Know Who Opposes Piracy & Copyright Infringement, Besides Me?

 Companies Supporting SOPA:



  1. 1-800 Contacts, Inc.
  2. 1-800-PetMeds
  3. 2b1 Inc
  4. 3M Company
  5. ABRO Industries, Inc.
  6. Acushnet Company
  7. adidas America
  8. Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed)
  9. Allen Russell Photography
  10. Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
  11. Alliance of Visual Artists (AVA)
  12. Altria Client Services
  13. American Apparel and Footwear Association
  14. American Association of Independent Music (A2IM)
  15. American Board of Internal Medicine
  16. American Federation of Musicians
  17. American Gramaphone LLC
  18. American Made Alliance
  19. American Mental Health Counselors Association
  20. American Photographic Artists
  21. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)
  22. American Society of Media Photographers
  23. American Society of Picture Professionals
  24. American Watch Association
  25. Anatoly Pronin Photography
  26. Andrea Rugg Photography
  27. Anti-Counterfeiting and Piracy Initiative (ACAPI)
  28. Applied DNA Sciences
  29. Art Holeman Photography
  30. Association of American Publishers (AAP)
  31. Association of Equipment Manufacturers
  32. Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP)
  33. Association of Test Publishers
  34. AstraZeneca plc
  35. Australian Medical Council
  36. Autodesk, Inc.
  37. Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
  38. Baker & Taylor Ent.
  39. Bay State Psychological Associates
  40. Beachbody, LLC
  41. Beam Global Spirits & Wine
  42. Blue Sky Studios, Inc.
  43. Bose Corporation
  44. Braasch Biotech LLC
  45. Brian Stevenson Photography
  46. Brigid Collins Family Support Center
  47. Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
  48. Burberry
  49. C. F. Martin & Co., Inc.
  50. Callaway Golf Company
  51. Cascade Designs Incorporated
  52. Caterpillar Inc.
  53. Caveon, LLC
  54. CBS Corporation
  55. Cengage Learning
  56. Center for Credentialing & Education
  57. Center Stage Photography
  58. CFA Institute
  59. Chanel USA
  60. Christopher Semmes Photography
  61. Church Music Publishers Association
  62. CMH Images
  63. Coach
  64. Coalition Against Counterfeiting and Piracy (CACP)
  65. Columbia Sportswear Company
  66. Comcast Corporation
  67. Commercial Photo Design
  68. Commercial Photographers International
  69. Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment System
  70. Consumer Healthcare Products Association
  71. Copyright Alliance
  72. Copyright Clearance Center (CCC)
  73. Coty Inc.
  74. Council of Fashion Designers of America
  75. Country Music Association
  76. CropLife America
  77. Cross-Entertainment LLC
  78. CSA Group
  79. CVS Caremark
  80. Dan Sherwood Photography
  81. Danita Delimont Stock Photography
  82. Dayco Products, LLC
  83. Deluxe Entertainment Services Group
  84. Dennyfoto
  85. Derek DiLuzio Photography
  86. DeVaul Photography
  87. Direct Selling Association (DSA)
  88. Directional Insight
  89. Distefano Enterprises Inc.
  90. Doriguzzi Photographic Artistry
  91. Dolby Laboratories, Inc.
  92. Dolce & Gabbana USA, INC.
  93. Dollar General Corporation
  94. Don Grall Photography
  95. Dunford Architectural Photography
  96. Eagle Rock Entertainment
  97. Ed McDonald Photography
  98. Educational & Industrial Testing Service
  99. Electronic Arts, Inc.
  100. Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA)
  101. Eli Lilly and Company
  102. Englebert Photography
  103. Entertainment Software Association (ESA)
  104. ERAI, Inc.
  105. Eric Meola Studio Inc
  106. Evidence Photographers International Council
  107. Ex Officio
  108. Exxel Outdoors
  109. FAME Publishing Co., LLC.
  110. FAME Recording Studios
  111. Far Bank Enterprises
  112. Fashion Business Incorporated
  113. Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy
  114. Fender Musical Instrument Company
  115. Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA)
  116. Ford Motor Company
  117. Fortune Brands, Inc.
  118. Fred J. Lord Photography
  119. GAR Associates
  120. Gelderland Productions, L.L.C.
  121. Gemvision Corporation
  122. Gibson Guitar Corp.
  123. GlaxoSmithKline
  124. Gospel Music Association
  125. Governors America Corp.
  126. Graphic Artists Guild
  127. Greeting Card Association (GCA)
  128. Greg Nikas Photography
  129. Guru Denim
  130. H.S. Marketing & Design, Inc.
  131. Harley-Davidson Motor Company
  132. HarperCollins Publishers
  133. Harry Fox Agency
  134. Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
  135. ICM Distributing Company, Inc.
  136. IDS Publishing
  137. IEC Electronics corp.
  138. Images Plus
  139. Imaging Supplies Coalition (ISC)
  140. Independent Distributors of Electronics Association (IDEA)
  141. INgrooves
  142. Innate-gear
  143. International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC)
  144. International Trademark Association (INTA)
  145. IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries
  146. Ira Montgomery Photography
  147. J.S. Grove Photography
  148. James Drug Inc.
  149. Jaynes Gallery
  150. JCPage Photography
  151. Jean Poland Photography
  152. Jeff Stevensen Photography
  153. John Fulton Photography
  154. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  155. Johnson & Johnson
  156. Juicy Couture, Inc
  157. Julien McRoberts Photography
  158. K&R Photographics
  159. kate spade
  160. Kekepana International Services
  161. Kenneth Garrett, photographer for National Geographic
  162. Killing Jar Productions LLC
  163. Lacoste USA
  164. Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.
  165. Lexmark International, Inc.
  166. Light Perspectives
  167. Linda Olsen Photography
  168. Little Dog Records
  169. Liz Claiborne, Inc
  170. L’Oréal USA
  171. Lucky Brand Jeans
  172. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
  173. Macmillan
  174. Major League Baseball
  175. Marcia Andberg Associates LLC
  176. Mark Niederman Photography
  177. Marmot
  178. Marona Photography
  179. McLain Photography Inc
  180. Merck & Co., Inc.
  181. Messy Face Designs, Inc.
  182. Michael Stern Photography
  183. MicroRam Electronics, Inc.
  184. Minter Works of Art
  185. Mira Images
  186. Monster Cable Products, Inc.
  187. Moose’s Photos
  188. Morningstar Films LLC
  189. Motion Picture Association of America, Inc. (MPAA)
  190. MotionMasters
  191. Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association
  192. MPA – The Association of Magazine Media
  193. Mr. Theodor Feibel (sole proprietor)
  194. Music Managers Forum-U.S.
  195. Nashville Songwriters Association International
  196. Natalie Neckyfarow Actor/Dancer/Singer
  197. National Association of Broadcasters
  198. National Association of Manufacturers
  199. National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM)
  200. National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO)
  201. National Basketball Association (NBA)
  202. National Board for Certified Counselors
  203. National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation
  204. National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)
  205. National Football League (NFL)
  206. National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA)
  207. National Retail Federation (NRF)
  208. NBCUniversal
  209. Nervous Tattoo Inc., dba Ed Hardy
  210. New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.
  211. New Era Cap Co Inc
  212. New Levels Ent. Co. LLC
  213. News Corporation
  214. Next Decade Entertainment, Inc.
  215. NHL Enterprises, L.P.
  216. Nicholas Petrucci, Artist, LLC
  217. Nike, Inc.
  218. Nintendo of America Inc.
  219. Nissle Fine Art Photography
  220. North Dakota Pharmacists Association
  221. North Dakota Pharmacy Service Corporation
  222. Oakley, Inc.
  223. One Voice Recordings
  224. OpSec Security, Inc.
  225. Outdoor Industry Association
  226. Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI)
  227. Outdoor Research, Inc
  228. Pacific Component Xchange, Inc.
  229. Party Killer Films LLC
  230. Pearson Clinical Assessment
  231. Peavey Electronics Corporation
  232. Perry Ellis International
  233. Personal Care Products Council
  234. Peter C. Brandt, Architectural and Fine Art Photography
  235. Peter Hawkins Photography, Inc.
  236. Petzl America
  237. Pfizer Inc.
  238. PGA of America
  239. Philip Morris International
  240. Photojournalist Dave Bartruff
  241. Picture Archive Council of America (PACA)
  242. Pigfactory Music
  243. PING
  244. PNW Images
  245. Premier League
  246. Production Music Association (PMA)
  247. Professional Photographers of America
  248. Quality Float Works, Inc.
  249. Raging Waters Music
  250. Ralph Lauren Corporation
  251. Ramsay Corporation
  252. Rebel Photo
  253. Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
  254. Red4 Music/Doogs Rock Inc
  255. Red Wing Shoe Company
  256. Reebok International Ltd.
  257. Reed Elsevier Inc.
  258. Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
  259. Revlon
  260. Richard Flutie Photography
  261. Rite Aid
  262. Robin Davis Photography, Inc.
  263. Rodger Scott Craig, a member of Liverpool Express, The Merseybeats, Fortune, Harlan
  264. Cage, 101 South, and Mtunz Media
  265. Roger Smith Photography Services
  266. Rolex Watch USA Inc.
  267. Romance Writers of America (RWA)
  268. Rosetta Stone Inc.
  269. Saddle Creek
  270. Sage Studios LLC
  271. Sam D’Amico Photography
  272. Schneider Electric
  273. Sean McGinty Photography
  274. Secret Sea Visions (Photography)
  275. SESAC, Inc.
  276. SG Industries, Inc.
  277. Shure Incorporated
  278. SIGMA Assessment Systems
  279. Six Degrees Records
  280. Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
  281. SMC Entertainment
  282. SMT Corp.
  283. SoBe Entertainment
  284. Society of Sport & Event Photographers
  285. Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA)
  286. Sony Electronics Inc.
  287. Sony Music Entertainment
  288. Sony Pictures Entertainment
  289. Soul Appeal Records and Music
  290. SoundExchange
  291. Southern Gothic LLC
  292. Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
  293. SPI (The Plastics Industry Trade Association)
  294. Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
  295. Sports Rights Owners Coalition
  296. Spring Fever Productions LLC
  297. Spyder Active Sports, Inc
  298. Stenbakken Photography
  299. Stephen Dantzig Photography
  300. Stock Artist Alliance
  301. Stuart Weitzman Holdings, LLC
  302. Student Photographic Society
  303. Studio 404
  304. SunRise Solar Inc.
  305. Taylor Glenn Photographs
  306. Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
  307. Tednologies, Inc.
  308. The Cambridge Don
  309. The Collegiate Licensing Company/IMG College
  310. The Donath Group, Inc.
  311. The Dow Chemical Company
  312. The Estee Lauder Companies
  313. The McGraw-Hill Companies
  314. The Music People! Inc.
  315. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
  316. The Recording Academy (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)
  317. The Timberland Company
  318. The Walt Disney Company
  319. Tiffany & Co.
  320. Time Warner Inc.
  321. Tony Bullard Photography
  322. Toshiba America Business Solutions, Inc.
  323. TRA Global
  324. Tricoast Worldwide
  325. Trio Productions, Inc. / Songscape Music,
  326. Twist & Shout, Inc.
  327. U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  328. Ultimate Fighting Championship
  329. Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
  330. Universal Music Group
  331. Uniweld Products Inc.
  332. VF Corporation
  333. Viacom
  334. Vibram USA, Inc
  335. Virtual Chip Exchange USA, Inc.
  336. Voltage Pictures, LLC
  337. W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co.
  338. Walcott Studio, LLC
  339. Wal-Mart
  340. Warner Music Group
  341. Wendy Kaveney Photography
  342. Western Psychological Services
  343. Westmorland Images, LLC
  344. Wild & Associates, Inc.
  345. Wild Eye Photos LLC
  346. William Sutton Photography
  347. Willis Music
  348. WindLegends Ink LLC
  349. Winestem Company
  350. Winslow Research Institute
  351. Wolfe Video
  352. Wolverine World Wide, Inc.
  353. Woolrich, Inc.
  354. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.
  355. Xerox Corporation
  356. Zippo Manufacturing Company
  357. Zumba Fitness, LLC

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

A Slow Return to Skinny Dipping - by Tom Williams

Ellen Jackson grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia raised by her grandmother in a simple but loving home. With her own personal determination and grandmother's encouragement she went off to college working harder than everyone else overcoming the financial constraints she had experienced growing up. Fifteen years later with 70 + hour workweeks she was the sole owner of an empire built from the ground up based on health, wellness, and personal empowerment. She had gained all the accolades that come with success, wealth, celebrity, and material possesions, but there was this nagging feeling that something was desparately missing. The professional corporate facade Ellen Jackson portrayed was secretly still just a shy country girl longing to have a soul mate, someone to skinny dip in the New River with her. She longed for wide open spaces, the sun setting slowly behind the mountain tops,the sight of golden red fall leaves covering the river valley in the dewey grass, and the juicy sweetness of biting into a fresh grown apple.


The pressures of her career took their toll in a meeting one long cold New York day as a panic attack took her over with little warning. A wise company doctor ordered her to get some rest. Ellen hadn’t taken any time off in the past fifteen years but relented and followed the doctor’s advice. She ventured out to the vast white sandy beaches of Florida in an effort to regain the woman she once was. On a walk down a long stretch of beach with an approaching FL thunderstorm she met an enchanting stranger.


A slow return to skinny dipping is a contemporary love story mixed with humor, difficult challenges, interesting characters met along the way, and a growing realization that we all need other. Guts, faith, hard work, and committment can change any equation. Real love is out there right now. Will you toss away your preconceptions and find it?

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

The Zombie with Flowers in Her Hair

Scheduled for release by Noble Romance Publishing January 16th.

The hardest part of being alone is realizing you are.

1969 was a busy year for the young woman nicknamed Isis. She graduated high school, engaged in a lesbian relationship, died, and rose from the dead as a pot-smoking, flesh-eating zombie in need of a good orgasm. Yet, in death she ended up as alone as she had in life. But when a beautiful zombie with flowers in her hair forgets her sweet butt on a toilet seat, Isis's undead life will never be the same. Nor will it be one she could ever have envisioned, even on the wildest acid trip. Because for Isis, her true reason for life lies in her death.