Character Interview and Contest for Bound Odyssey

Hey folks, I've invited Dalton Diaz to pop over to my blog to interview Roman Nash, one of the heroes from my new release BOUND ODYSSEY out at Ellora's Cave. And boy did she throw fantastic, if tough questions his way. Luckily, Roman can handle them.

Please visit. There's a contest to win a yummy vanilla scented massage candle. Until I found it in the store, I hadn't even known what a massage candle was (grin).

I'd love for you to meet Roman, he's quite the devil. Go to: http://www.michellepolarisblog.wordpress.com/



Later,

Michelle

BOUND ODYSSEY IS RELEASED!

Finally! It's happened. Release day for BOUND ODYSSEY at Ellora's Cave. I'm dying for everyone to meet Mira, Jace and Roman, my three protagonists. I fell in love with them from almost the first, and consequently, they fell in love with each other. Please visit my blog today to check out my post on the book. I'll be running a contest there as well. This book is for mature audiences, so no one under 18 need go any further. Heck, I've told my grandmother, who insists she wants to read the book, that she in fact may be too young to read it (grin). Although I'm only slightly prejudiced, let me say that this book is all that. Please check it out, check out my website at http://www.michellepolaris.com/, and join my newsletter. The link to join is available on my website. I can be found on Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter as well.


And for more fun, Dalton Diaz is planning to interview Roman on the Quirky blog next week on Tuesday. He's a kick in the pants, so plan to stop by. He'll probably be running a contest of his own that day.


Remember, safe, sane and consensual. Be well and join me in my personal happy dance about the release.


Michelle

MY BOOK COVER!

My book cover got released today at Ellora's Cave. Can you guess a bit about the subject matter from the lovely crop my heroine is wielding? (LOL) And my brand new website went live today. Visit me at www.michellepolaris.com.

BOUND ODYSSEY can be purchased as of 10/23/09, next Friday. Stay tuned for the date for my release party both here and on my blog at: www.michellepolarisblog.wordpress.com.

FEELING THE BUZZ!!!

Now that the champagne bottle is empty and I've slept off the aftermath, I wanted to touch base with our Quirky followers and share my good news. I've been offered a contract by Ellora's Cave for BOUND ODYSSEY, my futuristic romantic erotica. I wrote this story faster than any before it, despite the fact it is a full-length novel plus, a less typical length for romantic, erotic fiction. It has all the intrigue and plot, all the world building, all the characterization, all the romance, as any other futuristic. And, of course, all of the hot parts. Mira, Jace and Roman, my three protagonists, jumped off my keyboard onto the page as vibrant, fascinating, complex characters and it was a joy to tell their story. (Thank you, Muse.) I will share news about my cover and release date as I receive it. And, of course, tease you with more information about the book. But for now, I will continue to jump up and down and grin madly during that euphoric period after receiving the good news. Thank you for your momentary indulgence. May your days be filled with just as much good news.

BDSM Erotica Can Save Your Sanity

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted, but I’ve been getting slammed at work. Add to that a 2-year old whose decided to go into his first “Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, it’s all about MUMMY!” phase, a husband who works as long hours as I do, two dogs, one nanny whose idea of clean and organized is vastly different than mine, and a commute, and, well, something has to give.

What ends up giving, far more often than not, is my writing. And not just the act of putting words on the page. “Writing” and all that goes into it includes a lot of things for me: critiquing, writing blogs, reading, brainstorming, meeting with the Quirkies. All things I would rather be doing at any given moment than working at my job. (Sorry, boss. Hope you don't see this.)

It’s not that I can’t find the time to write my next story. It’s that work has me so wound up, I can’t find the words. This is not a pleasant state of being for me. It’s seriously stressful and pokes at me, continuously, until it’s resolved. The good news is that this feeling has often been what has brought me back to my keyboard. Pushed the next story from me. The bad news is that it can make me want to quit my job on the spot. Often.

Instead of risking my career, this time I devoted my time and energy to working on a different aspect of writing. Other than creating my own stories, reading and critiquing those of the other Quirkies is my favorite way to exercise my writing skills. I admit I’m a weirdo, but I simply LOVE to line edit.

I’m extraordinarily lucky that timing and Michelle allowed me do a full read-through of Bound Odyssey over the past few weeks. I think I would have gone stone-cold crazy sitting home at night, not doing anything because I was too burnt to write. Instead, I was submerged in the future and the lives of Michelle’s incredible characters. I fell in love with Mira, Roman and Jace. I despised the evil government and their nefarious plots. I rooted for the underdogs, in this case our characters and the entire D/s community in New Denver. I had the pleasure of reading mind-numbingly erotic love scenes. Lots of them. I’m not generally a reader of BDSM erotica, but Michelle creates a world, and a space within that world, where it worked for me. Where, I believe, it would work for almost anyone.

We all know the pleasure of losing ourselves in a great book. Of just tearing right through it. Line editing slows it down to 12-15 pages an hour for me, which for many would make the process insufferable. I love it. The story lasts longer. Means more. Sinks in deeper. Michelle can know she’s written a kick ass book because at the end, some 30+ hours into it, I was still sad to have to say goodbye (while totally delighted by a great HEA ending).

I started to volunteer to do full manuscript line edits because the success of each Quirky Lady matters to me. That’s still the case, but as a remarkable bonus, I derive an enormous amount of satisfaction from devoting myself to the process. Never more than in the last two weeks did I need to feel like I was still doing SOMETHING with my writing. That I was still moving my goal forward.

So come Tuesday, when I’m struggling through another week of hell at the office, I’ll be calm and get it all done (or, at least, will try). That’s a paycheck. My REAL work, my writing, will be waiting for me at home. If I can’t find the words yet, so be it. I think Vicki has something she needs me to look at anyway.