the way I see it

Author interview with Lee-Ann Graff Vinson

2011-12-14T08:10:00.005-07:00

Welcome my friends. Lee-Ann has graciously consented to be my first interviewee. So without further delay I present Lee-Ann Graff Vinson.
Welcome.

Q. Tell us a little about Lee-Ann other than she wants to write a best seller and become fabulously rich and famous. (Chuckle)

A. Let’s see. I have two children, a new puppy, and a loving husband who supports my writing habit. During the day, I try to quell the crying, whining, and intense need for affection, (and that’s just the dog!) as well as get some type of writing, reading, reviewing or blogging done. For most authors, I’m guessing the majority of writing occurs at night, as does mine. Once it’s lights out for the family, I hole up in my office and type away until the vision doubles or my laptop starts squealing because I have fallen asleep, my cheek pressing down on the spacebar key.
Why do I do it? Have you ever bitten into a piece of chocolate, (not just any piece mind you) one of those fabulously expensive dark or milk varieties that melts in your mouth and rockets those taste buds of euphoria to the moon? If you have, you will know what I’m talking about when I say this. You know that first second when the flavor hits just the right spot, and your eyes close. Then sounds that should be kept only in the bedroom are released from your throat. Well, that second where bliss is at its maximum is how I feel when I write “The End” on a piece. Even better though, is when I get a response from someone who has read my writing and likes it. It’s a high like nothing else. That is why I write.

Q. What is the main genre you choose to write? Paranormal, SciFi, contemporary romance, historical, nonfiction, etc.

A. Well, I like to think I’m a pretty versatile chick. The only two genres that I won’t attempt are SciFi and Historical. That would be like me dressing up like one of King Henry the VIII’s wives and telling everyone I’m from the future. I’ll just stick to what I know (or at least what I think I know).

Q. I know you like to write military/romance. Is there a particular reason you have chosen this unique theme?

A. In all honesty, the very first book I penned was the story of my Mother’s life. She suffered greatly and in the end, she suffered more. My writing is best when there is emotional or physical conflict. Life is what interests me, and what I want to write about - real people experiencing real life issues. And guess what? We all have those. We may not want to talk about them, but have them. The knowledge that we aren’t alone in life’s struggles is a powerful thing.
I choose to write about the military, because that is about as “real” as life gets. It is a difficult path and one that does not disappear from your memory just because you decide to retire. Somewhere out there, someone might read my work and be comforted or helped in some way. If my words can heal, help, move, tickle, or even get a bountiful guffaw from someone in need of them, I have more than accomplished what I’ve set out to achieve.

Q. Do you outline your stories before you start writing? Do you know a beginning, middle and end in advance or do you just start writing and let the story unfold as it wishes?

A. Yeah. I did that once. Then the whole story took a nosedive and the time I spent writing the twenty-five page outline and typing the meticulous descriptions of my various characters was pretty much wasted. So, now I typically sit down with an idea. Then I write the first few paragraphs or even a chapter or two. The characters evolve, the story I thought I was writing changes, and now I’m on a completely different ride than I’d paid for at the start. I let the characters lead me. After all, they are the stars of the show, and they do so demand their close-ups.

Your latest book is Callie’s Fate. Please tell us about it.

When Callie takes the red-eye home to surprise her husband for their anniversary, she finds the surprise is on her. She watches as a blonde tart in six-inch heels teeters out from her home and toward a cherry-red Mustang, which is parked in her spot.Enraged, Callie does the only thing she can do. She drives to her favorite coffee house, scrolls through divorce lawyers who claim to eat cheating husbands for breakfast, and cries. Her only consolation is Christian, a Marine, whom she befriended on a chat site almost a year earlier.While waiting for her marriage to end, Callie agrees to finally meet Christian in person. She has always been a woman in control, but the mere touch of this man has her begging for more. Christian is only too happy to oblige, leaving Callie agreeing with the motto ‘The Few and The Proud’. She has never experienced a man who could make her see stars, but Christian does his duty, and does it well.Unhappy circumstances bring them together. A week of sexual bliss makes it impossible for them to part, leaving them to wonder how they can, once again, test the hands of fate

Read more about Lee-Ann and buy her books at

http://www.gypsyshadow.com/Lee-AnnGraffVinson.html#top

http://www.amazon.com/Callies-Fate-ebook/dp/B005NWRJYK/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1322942718&sr=1-3

You can contact her on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#!/lgraffvinsonauthor

Q. Callie’s Fate is a contemporary romance and nonmilitary, although there is a handsome marine in it. (grin) The story has snarky humor and sizzling erotica. Was there anything in particular that inspired you to write Callie’s fate?

A. Callie is my first erotic romance. It is not a genre I thought I would ever write, but rather one I wanted to see if I could do (that and my writing tutor told me to write one, so I did). In my mind, writing is for enjoyment, but the main goal is to help people deal with troublesome issues or just be able to relate to others. However, in writing Callie, I learned that erotica can also be a release of the mind, not to mention it’s extremely difficult to do well (thank you for your patience, Charlotte). I will attempt another erotica novel for the simple fact that it is a definite challenge for me.

Q. You are a multi-published author. What are you working on presently and what are your plans for the future?

A. Well, currently I’m writing the sequel to my soon to be released novel, ‘Love And Liberty’, a military/romance/suspense set in Iraq. Once that is done, I will write the third in the series. I have two children’s books I’ve written about my daughter which I will attempt to get published. The ‘Warrior World Series’ that I have written on my blog will be made into a series of short stories in a novel. Once that is edited, the novel will be sold with full proceeds (well my share anyway) going to help Veterans who suffer from PTSD/CBI. I’ve had an offer to turn my second book ‘Love’s Trust’ into a script so I may look into getting that done. I’ve also written a graphic novel which I would like to turn into script format as well. I’ve been approached by a friend to edit his grandfather’s memoir of his time in the Army in Germany in WWII, and get it ready for a publisher. Oh, and my critique partner and I have started writing a novel together which will be military/paranormal based. So, I have a few things lined up that should keep me out of trouble for the next few months (kidding – years perhaps?)

Thank you for being my guest Lee-Ann and for being my first.

The pleasure is all mine, Gary. You know me, I like to share.

Happy dance

2011-12-09T11:52:00.002-07:00

Two days, two book contracts singed. I'm doing a happy dance.

Don't miss my interview next Wednesday the 14th with Lee-Ann Graff Vinson.

Have a great day my friends.

Gary

Interview on Lee-Ann's blog

2011-11-13T08:25:00.002-07:00

I'm interviewed on Lee-Ann's blog. Here is the link. Stop by and comment for a chance to win a gift certifiate.

http://leeanngraffvinson.blogspot.com/

Reviewer says of my book titled Not Good Enough

2011-10-28T07:05:00.004-06:00

Not Good Enough by G. E. Stills
Best friends, Trish and Sheila, set out to go on a cruise to Australia. The mission: to find Trish a man—not just any man—he needs to pass Sheila’s rewuirements of being rich and sexy. Before they board the ship, Sheila manages to disgruntle Jason, the man with the sensual, deep-blue eyes who happened to peak Trish’s interest. In Sheila’s eyes, her friend could do better.

A twist of fate intervenes. Trish gets a chance at redemption when an act of sabotage leaves her stranded with Jason on a deserted island. She learns Jason is just as beautiful on the inside as he is underneath his dress shirt, and much to Jason’s surprise, Trish is nothing like her loud-mouthed, vulgar friend. Love is born from months spent in each other’s arms.

Upon rescue, Trish learns Jason is the wealthy heir and partner in J. R. & Son, a very successful shipping company. Fearing she is now not good enough for him, she disappears out of his life. Jason is miserable when he finds there is no way to contact her. His true love is a woman who doesn’t want to be found. Will he ever find her, or has he lost Trish forever?

In ‘Not Good Enough’, Author, G.E. Stills explores the sensuality of self with this romantic love story. The depth of his characters draws you in, making you feel each soul-searching kiss. If you like to read about love in all the right places, you need to read this book!
—Lee-Ann Graff Vinson, Author of Love's Trust

Not Good Enough.wmv

2011-10-25T21:02:00.001-06:00

Book Trailer for Not Good Enough

Not Good Enough my new book release

2011-10-24T18:19:00.003-06:00

The pleasure cruise is turning into a nightmare. The evening before, Jay asks a pair of attractive ladies to dance. One of them heaps insults on him and tells him he’s not good enough. He doesn’t even know their names but in his opinion, the two are nothing but trouble. After being thrown overboard, he drifts ashore on a island. To his dismay, he discovers that one of them has washed ashore with him. Swallowing his anger and cursing his rotten luck, he assists her away for the surf and sets out to find help.
While trying to apologize to Mr. Smiles, Trish sees the two men throw him overboard. She tries to rescue him and is tossed over herself. When she regains conscious, she is looking up into his non-smiling face. Stranded alone with him on an island, she wonders if he will assist her or leave her to fend for herself.

Available at Gypsy Shadow Publishing

Boston review

2011-10-06T20:08:00.000-06:00

I just got a review on Boston

BOOK REVIEW – ‘BOSTON’ – G.E. STILLS
Boston is an earth witch who worships the goddess Artemis and follows the strict code of the Rede. She never uses her magick to harm others. Boston is also a very lonely girl.
When the sexy and alluring Destin asks her to accompany him and his best friend on a sailing vacation to Hawaii, it was an offer she couldn’t refuse. She boards his private vessel, but gets more than she bargained for when she’s introduced to Sondra, a witch of the water, who is also along for the ride.
The three of them have wild plans for Boston, if she will agree to have them all in her bed. But the fun has to wait when the ship is boarded by kidnappers who demand a ransom for the return of the wealthy Destin. The two women work together and use their powers to bring the lives of their captors to a bloody end.
As their punishment for violating the Rede, the bond between Boston and Sondra is consummated as they share their fate from the goddesses. Their lives become joined. Anything Sondra experiences, physical or mentally, Boston in turn feels just as strongly, including hot, fiery orgasms.
Author, G.E. Stills takes us on a wild ride of wanton abandon in this captivating, sexual fantasy. Boston experiences sensual delights she’d never dreamed possible. The heat is bewitching and will make you rush to reach the explosive finish.
Lee-Ann Graff Vinson – Great Minds Think Aloud

Callie's Fate Book Review by G.E. Stills

2011-10-05T18:41:00.002-06:00

Callie's Fate book review by G.E. Stills

Lee-Ann Graff Vinson’s story is a mixture of anger, humor, vengeance and romance. The reader is taken from the deepest valleys of despair to soaring heights of happiness. Callie’s cheating husband, Donald is an unemployed plumber and throughout the story, plumbing terms are applied to things having nothing to do with plumbing.Callie is a workaholic who, contrary to her dreams, has settled for a husband who is not tall dark and handsome. The couple are total opposites, and yet their marriage has lasted for fourteen years.Callie returns from a business trip early to surprise her husband on their anniversary. She arrives early in the morning and observes a woman leave their house with a wrinkled skirt after having obviously been there keeping Donald entertained. Callie decides enough is enough. She drives away to a coffee shop in anger and hurt, her life and marriage in a shambles.I nearly choked on my own coffee with laughter at Lee-Ann’s words when the Barista asks for her drink order. Callie invents a new one. The one bright spot in her life is in the form of a handsome Marine, but is he just a character in her steaming hot dreams?Through Lee-Ann’s words you share Callie’s emotions of anger, frustration, vengeance and humor. I highly recommend it to readers.

Avaliable at Gypsy Shadow Publishing, Amazon.com, Barnes & Nobel and other fine book stores.

Boston contest

2011-09-20T16:23:00.005-06:00

Contest

To participate in drawing comment at the end of this blog entry with the correct answer. The answer can be found in the excerpt below. The contest will run from September 20th through September 26th. On the 27th the winning entry will be picked at random and announced here and on Facebook. The prize awarded will be a free copy of the book Boston.

Content Warning: Contains violence, coarse language, and explicit scenes of sexuality. This is a ménage story containing M/F, MFM, F/F, MFMF, anal sex/play, and double-penetration.

Question: How does the character Sondra destroy pirates with her magick?

Boston excerpt
R rated for strong language and violence
A commotion out on deck drew their attention. By the light outside, Boston judged it to be mid-morning. They looked out the porthole window and saw both Destin and Jared on their knees, hands bound and dog collars with leashes attached around their necks. Four armed men guarded them.
The women watched as the male members of the crew were marched out to the railing, their hands also bound. In horror, they watched as the attackers forced each man to his knees and placed a gun against the base of his skull. One-by-one they were executed, their bodies kicked over the side.
One of the captors filmed the whole thing. When all four had been executed, through the open porthole they heard one man say, “That should prove to your fathers we mean business. I’m sure it will motivate them to pay the ransom we demand. If not…well there’s always your girlfriends.”
Destin struggled and was punched in the head for his efforts. “Put them back in their cabins,” the man growled. Three men hauled Jared and Destin to their feet and marched them off.
Both women looked at each other in shock and disbelief. They spent the day trying to think of some way to get free. That night they lay awake and listened to blood curdling screams of terror and agony and the grunts of pleasure of their assailants. It wasn’t hard to guess the fate of the two female crewmembers. In the early morning, the screams stopped. They watched as the women’s bodies were tossed over the side to join the male crewmembers in the deep.
Sondra turned to Boston. Her expression changed from horror and sorrow to intense anger. “I knew every one of them. They were all nice people. Fuck the Rede that says we can’t harm others with our magick. This is one witch who’s going to do as much harm to those sadistic bastards as possible. They may win in the end, but they’re sure going to get a sample of my magick. Maybe I can take a few of them with me into the next life. All of my life, I’ve been nonviolent. Now, I’m pissed.”
“I’m with you,” Boston said. “I don’t know how much I can do in all this water since I am an earth witch, but I’ll help in any way I can.”
****
Sondra sat on the floor and closed her eyes. She didn’t know what all the men looked like. She hadn’t seen their faces. She knew very well what Jim and Felix looked like though. She’d watched as the two of them felt her up. She formed a picture of Jim in her mind. Then she formed a picture of water. She combined the two. Reaching out with her thoughts she located him and linked.
* * * *
Sondra felt it when, unable to breathe, Jim stumbled and fell to the floor. She could see it in her mind when each time he opened his mouth to scream in pain, water poured from his lungs. She felt him claw desperately at his throat. More water formed in his lungs. His eyes bulged. She heard “What the fuck?” flash through his mind. With a final gurgle, he lay still. Visibly shaken and feeling some of Jim’s final moments of pain, she opened her eyes and shook herself. I’m learning though. Next time I won’t link so tight.
A humorless grin creased Sondra’s face. One down. She sought out Felix next and felt his mind, linked with him. He was sitting in the galley. She almost felt his cup of coffee touch his lips. Her grin widened as she sensed his reaction to his lungs suddenly filling with water. Without compassion, she sensed his panic at not being able to breathe. In her mind’s eye she watched the bastard struggle to his feet, only to drop to his knees and quickly die. This time she didn’t share the pain.
* * * *
Boston watched Sondra attentively as a humorless smile formed on the other woman’s lips.
“What are you doing?” Boston asked.
Sondra didn’t open her eyes. “Using my water magick to drown the bastards where they stand. Why don’t you see what you can do? I just took out Jim and Felix. A word of warning though, don’t link with them too tight.”
“I can picture the cameraman.”
“Good, then that will be our next target. I’ll help you all I can.”
Boston felt magical energy reach out from Sondra. Goddess, forgive me for what I am about to do. Boston formed a vision in her mind of the cameraman. She sat next to
Sondra and closed her eyes to concentrate. Her mind reached out on a seek and destroy mission. He was seated on a bunk. She sensed he was not alone.
The same humorless, almost predatory smile stretched her lips.

Best of Luck to all

Gary/G.E. Stills

2011-09-06T20:34:00.003-06:00

My book

Not Good Enough

Coming soon to Gypsy Shadow publishing

After having insults heaped on him by the pair, the last thing Jay wanted was to be stranded on an island with one of them.

Have a Fantaboulous day friends

Gary

Boston excerpt

2011-08-10T09:07:00.002-06:00

Don't mess with a witch

R rated for strong language and violence

A commotion out on deck drew their attention. By the light outside, Boston judged it to be mid-morning. They looked out the porthole window and saw both Destin and Jared on their knees, hands bound and dog collars with leashes attached around their necks. Four armed men guarded them.
The women watched as the male members of the crew were marched out to the railing, their hands also bound. In horror, they watched as the attackers forced each man to his knees and placed a gun against the base of his skull. One-by-one they were executed, their bodies kicked over the side.
One of the captors filmed the whole thing. When all four had been executed, through the open porthole they heard one man say, “That should prove to your fathers we mean business. I’m sure it will motivate them to pay the ransom we demand. If not…well there’s always your girlfriends.”
Destin struggled and was punched in the head for his efforts. “Put them back in their cabins,” the man growled. Three men hauled Jared and Destin to their feet and marched them off.
Both women looked at each other in shock and disbelief. They spent the day trying to think of some way to get free. That night they lay awake and listened to blood curdling screams of terror and agony and the grunts of pleasure of their assailants. It wasn’t hard to guess the fate of the two female crewmembers. In the early morning, the screams stopped. They watched as the women’s bodies were tossed over the side to join the male crewmembers in the deep.
Sondra turned to Boston. Her expression changed from horror and sorrow to intense anger. “I knew every one of them. They were all nice people. Fuck the Rede that says we can’t harm others with our magick. This is one witch who’s going to do as much harm to those sadistic bastards as possible. They may win in the end, but they’re sure going to get a sample of my magick. Maybe I can take a few of them with me into the next life. All of my life, I’ve been nonviolent. Now, I’m pissed.”
“I’m with you,” Boston said. “I don’t know how much I can do in all this water since I am an earth witch, but I’ll help in any way I can.”
****
Sondra sat on the floor and closed her eyes. She didn’t know what all the men looked like. She hadn’t seen their faces. She knew very well what Jim and Felix looked like though. She’d watched as the two of them felt her up. She formed a picture of Jim in her mind. Then she formed a picture of water. She combined the two. Reaching out with her thoughts she located him and linked.
* * * *
Sondra felt it when, unable to breathe, Jim stumbled and fell to the floor. She could see it in her mind when each time he opened his mouth to scream in pain, water poured from his lungs. She felt him claw desperately at his throat. More water formed in his lungs. His eyes bulged. She heard “What the fuck?” flash through his mind. With a final gurgle, he lay still. Visibly shaken and feeling some of Jim’s final moments of pain, she opened her eyes and shook herself. I’m learning though. Next time I won’t link so tight.
A humorless grin creased Sondra’s face. One down. She sought out Felix next and felt his mind, linked with him. He was sitting in the galley. She almost felt his cup of coffee touch his lips. Her grin widened as she sensed his reaction to his lungs suddenly filling with water. Without compassion, she sensed his panic at not being able to breathe. In her mind’s eye she watched the bastard struggle to his feet, only to drop to his knees and quickly die. This time she didn’t share the pain.
* * * *
Boston watched Sondra attentively as a humorless smile formed on the other woman’s lips.
“What are you doing?” Boston asked.
Sondra didn’t open her eyes. “Using my water magick to drown the bastards where they stand. Why don’t you see what you can do? I just took out Jim and Felix. A word of warning though, don’t link with them too tight.”
“I can picture the cameraman.”
“Good, then that will be our next target. I’ll help you all I can.”
Boston felt magical energy reach out from Sondra. Goddess, forgive me for what I am about to do. Boston formed a vision in her mind of the cameraman. She sat next to Sondra and closed her eyes to concentrate. Her mind reached out on a seek and destroy mission. He was seated on a bunk. She sensed he was not alone.
The same humorless, almost predatory smile stretched her lips.

Boston blurb

2011-08-10T09:00:00.003-06:00

The following is a blurb from my Boston book. An erotic story that involves witches, pirates, romance and menage.

What starts out as a wonderful romantic cruise to Hawaii for two beautiful women and their two handsome boyfriends takes a terrible turn. Pirates attack in what seems to be overwhelming force. Helplessly the four watch while the crew of their ship is killed. The pirates have overlooked one thing… The two women are witches and they won’t surrender meekly to terror and imprisonment. A terrible struggle ensues. To learn the outcome read Boston by G.E. Stills

Boston book trailer

2011-08-09T21:07:00.004-06:00

My new book Boston is now available at Captiva Press

Available now at Captiva Press

Busy, busy, busy

2011-07-20T09:47:00.003-06:00

I have been so terrible remiss about blogging. I've been keeping so busy. I joined a local writing group and have been promoted (dubiously I say promoted) so I am now scheduling meetings of my own every other week. In addition I have been caring for my ailing mother, watching one of my granddaughters occasionally and of course, doing my favorite thing, writing.

I'm thrilled. I just signed a new book contract with Gypsy Shadow Publishing and am looking forward to edits. I can barely wait to see book cover and will post it here and on Facebook when available. I made a new Book Trailer for it and will post it here and on Facebook once it's approved.

Take care
Gary

Hints

2010-08-20T09:02:00.002-06:00

So whip me with a wet noodle. It's been a long time since I posted. (chuckle)

Hints
Women have a tendency to hint at things. What they want to do and what would please them if it happened. Most often subtle hints. I don’t know if they do it to see if men can guess, to tease them, to see if we’re paying attention or just for the fun of torturing us. Lol

Yeah okay, sometimes we men do not notice these hints. Duh…Either we’re preoccupied thinking about work or that shiny new car that we saw, or that hot looking new employee at the office. (oops okay I’m married not dead…yet) The list goes on.

Sometimes we’re just dumb and don’t see. We’re not mind readers. But then women aren’t mind readers either…I don’t think… Gads, that’s a frightening thought…okay I digress.

What I’m trying to say is that sometimes we dumb men need unsubtle hints. A smack between the eyes so to speak. Lol

If you’re uncomfortable coming out and saying what you want directly to us, then perhaps leave little notes around that we’ll be sure to find. Be creative here. Articles cut out of magazines. Photos of places you’d like to go, etc. You could even disguise them as notes to yourself. Dream fantasies. Something you’d like to do, somewhere you’d like to go. And of course, something you’d like to have. Just suggestions.

I’ve been married a lot of years. I won’t make any smart comments here because I’ve learned not too. I’ve had bruises on my arm and ribs when she’s jabbed me to prove it’s not a wise thing to do, no matter how funny it seems to make those comments at the time. You never want to forget the number of years you’ve been married and be able to tell her in private but at the same time you never want to say IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME in public. chuckle.

Even though I’ve been married for some time, I still miss a lot of those hints. Guess I’ll never develop the knack for picking them up. I'm not receptive of ESP either. Lol Anyway, I’ve probably missed a lot of hints over the years and she got peeved because I didn’t follow through… Sorry! I’m just being a dumb man. Lol

Have a fantaboulous day
Gary

Valentines Day

2010-02-12T07:44:00.007-07:00

Valentines Day is coming up. This time rather than do the writing I am going to let my readers do it. So ladies what would you like to have your significant other do for you Valentines Day? Gentlemen if you read this you may get ideas on how to please your lady.

*********************************** Dinner?

************************************Chocolates?

*********************************A bouquet of flowers?

*********************************All of them? :)

Breakfast in bed? Be catered to all day? Something else? You tell me. Because for one thing I am looking for ideas too. Lol

Reveal your thoughts and wishes. Mild to wild whatever you wish to say. How would you like to spend the day and evening?

You never know your Significant other just might read this and make you wishes come true.

At this point my wife has told me she wants to go see AVATAR. Not very romantic but it's what she wants to do. :)

Thank you

2010-01-29T07:45:00.002-07:00

Thank you

I have been writing for a long time but never tried to publish. I got an anonymous suggestion at my other Myspace account that I should try. I figured what the heck. So I submitted a story. Of course it was rejected. Then it was rejected again and again. Well maybe my stories aren’t good enough to publish, I thought. Then a publisher accepted one of my stories. Joy of joys. My joy was short lived though. The publisher went out of business before my ms was even done being edited.

Devastation was a mild word to describe my feeling at that point. Self doubt? Oh yes. Big time self doubt. Did I really want to start the process of rejections again? Were my stories garbage and only of interest to me. In the mean time I had created an author Myspace and an author web site at the suggestion of the now defunct publisher. Nothing on them but they were there. (chuckle)

I started sending out friend requests to other authors from my Myspace account and by chance encountered Stephanie who advertised she was an editor. We started corresponding and I sent her a sample of one of my stories to look at. I was prepared to be told that it was crap because that was my frame of mind at the time. To my surprise she thought is was ok. She said good but I think she was just being kind. (chuckle) It needed a lot of edits. No surprise there (chuckle)

Over the months we became friends in addition to her editing. She virtually slapped me around and kicked me in the butt until I was able to say that maybe my stories weren’t so bad after all. I started the submission process again. I submitted one to a new publisher that was formed by one of the authors I had met at the now defunct one. To my surprise they published it. I don’t know how well it is doing since I had and have little idea of the promo process. I am learning though thanks to my new friends.

I submitted another story to EP and it was accepted. Wow. Woot woot. I haven’t been published there yet but I have gained something. Something that is of very great value to me. I gained a bunch of very good friends. I won’t list the names because for sure I would leave someone out unintentionally. I will only say that the list is long and it is getting longer each day. I have another contract with yet another publisher and have good friends there also. All of my new friends are helpful, understanding and a joy to correspond with.

If there is anyway I can help you then you have but to ask. I could go on writing this but then it would not get posted in a timely manor. Maybe some of you will think this post is rather silly or even mushy. I can only call your attention to the name of this blog (the way I see it) I felt compelled to post it.
I will end this blog entry by saying simply. Thank you. :)
Gary

Just a little Funny

2010-01-22T11:32:00.002-07:00

A little something I came across.

Who wears the Pants
A young couple was on their honeymoon and staying in the honeymoon suite.
As they were undressing for bed the husband, a big burley man tossed his trousers to his new bride.

He said, "Here put these on."

She put them on and the waist was more than twice the size of her small body.
"I can't wear your trousers." She said.

"That's right," said the husband, "And don't you ever forget it. I'm the man who wears the pants in this family."

With that, she flipped him her panties, "Here try these on."

He tried them on and found he could only get them as far as his knees.
"Hell," He said, "I can't get into your panties."

She replied, "That's right. And that is the way it's going to stay until your attitude changes. "

The ladies that read this will probably get a chuckle. The alpha male types ...well maybe not so much. :)

Why don.t many men read our books?

2010-01-15T08:35:00.002-07:00

Why don’t many men read our books?

Okay I know that is not all men. I read and I’m a man. But a large number of men don’t. Why? I write Contemporary romance, SciFi and paranormal and yes most of them have an erotic flare. But men like erotica just as much as women. In fact statistically men think of sex more often than women. So why don’t they read it? Stay with me those of you that write other than erotica because believe it or not men do think of other things too.

Time and again I have been aptly informed by my editors that the primary target readership is female and I should write my stories accordingly. Okay okay I will.
I guess most men are too busy watching sports on TV or reading magazines about sports. I think a lot of them are looking at magazines like SI swimsuit edition. Lol

A lot of the books I read have handsome hunks in them. Yeah, well, go figure. Look who the target readers are. Duh! There are also some fantastic female characters in the same books. I don’t know, maybe men don’t think it is manly to read a book. That’s silly. There are vast worlds to explore by reading. It is extremely enjoyable and a lot less expensive than many other forms of entertainment. Like going to the local exotic dance clubs for example. Now that is expensive.

I have been reminded by many of my female friends that women primarily process things emotionally while men primarily use sight and touch to process. So maybe we should add photos to our books. If they are in print maybe pop-up photos and scratch and sniff. Lol

So ladies, I’m sure women are the primary ones that will read this, the next time you are curled up on the couch or in bed, nudge that man next to you and ask him what would motivate him to read books. If we answered that question and dealt with it, we might just increase our readership and sales by nearly fifty percent. So how about it ladies? What are your thoughts?

Gary

Boston book trailer

2010-01-08T12:36:00.002-07:00

What starts out as a wonderful romantic cruise to Hawaii for two beautiful women and two handsome men takes a terrible turn. Pirates attack in what seems to be overwhelming force. Helplessly the four watch as the crew of their ship is killed. The pirates have overlooked one thing… The two women are witches and they will not surrender meekly to terror and imprisonment. A terrible struggle ensues. To learn the outcome read Boston coming soon to Captiva Publishing

New Book

2010-01-07T23:28:00.003-07:00

Book cover for my upcoming book from Captiva Press.

Take two beautiful witches, two handsome hunks, add some ruthless pirates and you get romance, magick and mayhem. Boston coming soon

Overwhelmed

2010-01-06T11:28:00.001-07:00

Recently I joined Facebook. Yes I know some of you my friends from other sites, are probably saying “about time”. You must understand that I am basically a shy person. No smart comments from those of you who know me. I’m not shy around my close friends. That is both informing and warning those of you who are not close friends yet. Lol

The response has been, using a poor choice of words to express myself, overwhelming! I have befriended and been befriended by more people than I could ever imagine in my wildest dreams. I’m still getting many requests each day. Yes, I know, those of you that have been in the business for some time and are multi-published are probably saying no big deal. It is however a big deal to me.

I want to thank Gypsy Shadow Publishing for releasing my first book. The people there are so nice and make you feel at home. Many of us there, met at another publisher and the outcome was less than desirable. The publisher went out of business. I was very disillusioned at that time but Charlotte dispelled my feelings of inadequacy and published me. Thanks.

I would like to say hi to my new friends at Eirelander Publishing. You are all wild and crazy and I feel honored to be a part of that family. I can hardly wait to publish there. Lee you have gathered a great bunch of people.

I have a third publisher named Captiva. It has not opened for business yet but will soon. The people there are very nice too. One of them is a special friend of mine (you know who you are) and the owner is quickly becoming one too along with her hubby.

So it all boils down too me being deeply touched and sentimental. Maybe guys are not supposed to show their feelings but this guy is. Thanks to all of you for the wonderful welcome and the growing friendships. Now where is my Kleenex. Lol If I fail to make it to each of your sites or your interviews and blogs please understand that it is not because I don’t want to be there but because I am overwhelmed. Before, when I was simply writing for my own pleasure and not publishing it was unusual for me to get more than a few emails per week and that was at only one address. Lol

Z the island girl says do not loose sight of your goals. Mine right now is to get back to my WIP which have been sorely overlooked this last week. Lol
Take care each and every one of you.

Editing

2009-12-11T10:08:00.003-07:00

Editing
So I have gotten beyond the rejection letters and the resubmit letters (J Hali Steel addresses this in her shared blog. at http://paranormalromantics.blogspot.com/ now comes the dreaded editing process.

I submit my ms after reading and changing it countless times. I have rewritten it if requested to do so. The ms looks great to me. I sit and wait for a response and it comes. A contract! A wonderful blessed contract! Happy dance. Over here at least I dance with my dog. I place her paws in my hands and dance around with her biting my hands the entire time.

So now I wait longer for the process to move forward. As I said before, I have read and reread my ms countless times. It has to be perfect. right? Wrong! I get my ms back from the editor that has been assigned to me. The subject line on the email alone scares the heck out of me. First Edits. Geez, I wonder, how many edits are going to be involved on something I thought was great looking in the first place.

With shaking fingers I open the attachment and what I see first thing, is a sea of red. Now maybe some of you authors don’t see this. I’m certainly not a polished author so I do. Yes, yes… I see many grammatical errors. So shoot me I’m not now and never was an English major. English was not one of my favorite subjects in school either. It was also many years ago that I was in school. Thank goodness for word processors. At least you can read my words. I got an F in hand writing in the fourth grade. I will fix those right away. Yes ma’am or sir, I say.

I scan down looking at the changes requested, picking a few out at first to read what has been written. I read my words again. And then what has been suggested. Now why the heck didn’t I see that error? I read this part more than a dozen times. Yes, I read right over it and supplied the words in my head instead of what was written on the page. Or, I read a different way to state what I was trying to say. Now why didn’t I write it that way in the first place?

I go through and make the changes asked for or make inquires to the editor. How many edits will it take I ask? That depends on how many times it takes to make it perfect or at least acceptable in the editors eyes. I just hope my editor has a sense of humor

The entire time this process is taking place I keep reminding myself in the words of a wise lady who also owns and operates a publishing company. If we didn’t like the story we would not have offered a contract in the first place. Yeah!

Editors gotta’ love em. I say that with deepest affection.

If an editor happens to read this and finds countless errors just remember this is a (expletive) blog and not a ms.

Gary/GE Stills

Book released

2009-12-05T06:45:00.002-07:00

Just released book from Gypsy Shadow Publishing
http://www.gypsyshadow.com/GEsBooks.html#Forbidden

Thanks
Gary/GE Stills

Ponytails

2009-12-04T10:25:00.002-07:00

OK so I don't have a book yet to shamelessly promote. hee hee

Once again today I am on ponytail patrol. Of course when her dad (my son) drops her off at 6 in the morning there are none there. Her Grandmother leaves at about the same time so that leaves good old Grandpa for the duties. The girl seems to love ponytails and pigtails. Pigtails are just twice the work as far as I'm concerned. lol
My dilemma is this. Since I am far from an expert at putting them in. If I put them in too loose then they fall out the first time she jumps around. Four year old's have a tendency to jump around a lot. (Duh do you think. lol ) If I try to put them in tight it causes hair pulling. Ouch! I am not the sadistic type. I hate to cause her pain. Oh well one thing for sure. I'm getting a lot of practice. lol

Gary/GE Stills

another funny

2009-12-03T22:24:00.001-07:00

WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:

Men Are Just Happier People-- What do you expect from such simple creatures? Your last name stays put. The garage is all yours. Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack. You can be President. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to a water park. You can wear NO shirt to a water park. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because this one is just too icky. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt. Same work, more pay. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress $5000. Tux rental-$100. People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet. One mood all the time.

Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You can open all your own jars. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. If someone forgets to invite you, he or she can still be your friend.

Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. Everything on your face stays its original color. The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades. You only have to shave your face and neck.

You can play with toys all your life. One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife. You have freedom of choice concerning growing a mustache.

You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.

No wonder men are happier.

Send this to the women who can handle it and to the men who will enjoy reading it

The following are my answers to why men are never depressed. lol

1. our last name stays put so we assume the lions share of the risks
2. yes the garage is ours but that is because we are banished there from the rest of the house
3. Wedding plans may take care of themselves but we have to listen to all the complaints and somehow satisfy them
4. chocolate may just be another snack to us but who do you think buys the most chocolates.
5. yes we can be president but what kind of a thankless job is that?
6. we can not get pregnant but we have to suffer with raging hormones of those who do.
7. we can wear a white t-shirt to the water park but we suffer from eye strain watching the women who wear them.
8. if we are not wearing a t-shirt it is because we can't afford them after buying an expensive swim suit for our female date.
9. car mechanics only pretend to tell us the truth and we in turn pretend to understand
10. Who do you think is driving the car from gas station to gas station to keep their date happy
11. we don't have to stop and think which way to turn a nut we just twist it off and create more work.
12. not the same work. Men have to put up with PMS once a month and that qualifies as hazardous duty pay.
13. wrinkles add character is just an excuse because we are still paying for the face lift we bought for our wife.
14. who do you think pays for that 5000 dollar dress we are lucky to have 100 dollars left to rent that tux.
15. that's not a stare at your chest, our eyes are averted in submission to your demands. Did you not also hear the sigh of defeat.
16. we have to keep the phone line clear so the woman of the house can use it.
17. Tanks? That’s something that always reads “E” whenever she lets you use the car. Note: Be thankful if there is not a warning light on in addition to the “E”
18. Yes and the one suit case we have is half filled by the woman's overflow from the five she packed which by the way, we have to load and unload.
19. we open our own jars and all the jars we are handed, hence double the work
20. God forbid if we should forget a special occasion so we try our best to keep the list of thoughtful occasions short.
21. A three pack of underwear and three pairs are all we can afford. If you share a closet that is all the room there is for shoes anyway.
22. no strap problems but quite often we have other “fit” problems in a lower region requiring frequent readjustments.
23. We think wrinkles are the latest style.
24. It’s a good thing our face stays the same color because we do not have war paint to cover it up.
25. Getting hair styled is just an excuse to see hairdresser and keep up on gossip.
26. One wallet is all we need. It doesn’t require anything fancy to carry something that our wife or girlfriend has emptied anyway.
27. 25 minutes on December 24th is all the time we are allowed to have for shopping. The wife has the car the rest of the time using it for their favorite pass time “shopping”. Besides it’s called wise time management.

book trailer

2009-12-03T13:07:00.001-07:00

I just submitted my first book trailer today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crYzdmPvWzY
Be gentle on any critic you have. lol

Sex could kill you

2009-12-01T19:07:00.003-07:00

I came across this and I thought it was hilarious.

Sex COULD kill you.
Do you know what the human body goes through when it engages in sex?
Pupils dilate, arteries constrict, core temperature rises, heart races, blood pressure skyrockets, respiration becomes rapid and shallow, the brain fires bursts of electrical impulses from nowhere to nowhere, secretions spit out of every gland, and the muscles tense and spasm like you're lifting three times your body weight.
It's violent. It's ugly. And it's messy. And if God hadn't made it UNBELIEVABLY fun, the human race would have died out eons ago.