Coming Together: Through the Storm Inspiration - Naomi Bellina

Well today I have Naomi Bellina over to talk about her inspiration for her story Take Me Like A Hurricane which can be found in the charity anthology Coming Together: Through The Storm.

So here's Naomi:

I was inspired to write about the aftermath of a hurricane in Florida because after living through several, I can tell you, afterwards is the worse part. During the storm, it's awesome to see Mother Nature going all out and showing her power. After, it's hot, messy and miserable. There's no electric so no air conditioning, people run their noisy generators nonstop so you can't sleep, nothing is open, you have no hot water for a shower, it's awful. What would happen if there was only one hotel room with AC left? I know I would turn into a she-bitch to get it! I had a great time writing this story and putting my hero and heroine through a little hell. When they finally get to taste heaven, it's that much sweeter!

All about Naomi:

Naomi lives in beautiful sunny Florida with the love of her life and a magical calico cat. She writes for various fiction and non-fiction markets, but finds she is drawn to romance because her characters insist on canoodling and falling madly in love. So she lets them. Occasionally, however, they go to dark and strange places. She lets them do this also. Most of her stories will surprise readers with unexpected twists and turns, because isn't that what makes life exciting?
 

Her interests include dancing, hula-hooping, drumming, and creating healthy meals. She takes the opportunity to play, have fun, and indulge in the pursuit of passion whenever possible. She hopes you enjoy her stories and would love to hear from you at naomibellina(at)live(dot)com. Visit her website at http://www.naomibellina.com/ and chat on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/NaomiBellinaAuthor

Thanks Naomi for coming over!

Please don't forget that you can buy Coming Together: Through the Storm from Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and many other places. All links can be found here: http://www.eroticanthology.com/throughthestorm.htm

Competition/Give Away

If you happen to be so kind to buy the book (you should, it's really good if I do say so myself!) and then review it send me the link to my email address reliefanthology '@' gmail 'dot' com I will put you into a prize draw to win any one of my ebooks/books (you get to pick which). Which means not only do you get to donate to charity (all proceeds of Coming Together: Through the Storm go to Mercy Corps) you may well be getting two books for the price of one - and that can't be bad at all.

Coming Together: Through the Storm Inspiration - Skilja Peregrinarius

Today I have Skilja Peregrinarius here talking about his inspiration behind the story Inside the Eye. It is a steampunk style story and you can find it in Coming Together: Through the Storm.

So here is Skilja Peregrinarius to talk about Inside the Eye

There are many tiny influences for Inside The Eye: I wanted to have a culture that wore great kilts, I wanted to show how people kept their humour, sense of fun and nobility in the harshest of conditions, I wanted to show a situation where an elite class was absolutely relied upon to keep the world working - food in one direction, raw materials in the other - etc. In addition, I find storms exciting.

But the key part of the setup is that long, long ago I read a space opera story about a couple sailing through the stars. That's not a euphemism: They had a sailing ship that needed trimming and tending, with sails that caught starlight. They were also genetically different, to be able to tolerate radiation, while somehow having no trouble breathing or talking. What struck me most was the atmosphere of the story: It was a fantasy for adults, in the tradition of Lord Dunsany or H.G. Wells' Tales of the Unusual. There was a complete lack of explanation of the mechanics of the story; there was simply a patently absurd tale about two people having a romance while sailing in outer space.

To this day I have no idea who wrote it, what it was called or what compilation of stories I read it in, but the basic details and the surreal atmosphere stuck with me. So when I thought about "weather being central to the story", of course I thought of a permanent storm, then I thought of a world defined by a storm, then I remembered this old story and started thinking about a couple who have to fly through the storm, in a craft that is never explained but simply is, built of wood and belonging to a secretive, elite group who are apart from the people they serve but still intimately part of them (double entendre intended). I normally write quite hard, precisely detailed worlds, so this story was an enjoyably refreshing change for me.

About Skilja Peregrinarius

Skilja Peregrinarius is the Coming Together nom de plume of a speculative fiction writer whose first published piece was in Coming Together: Arm in Arm in Arm. He recently also contributed to Coming Together: In the Trenches. He tends to write, with wild lack of discipline, in any speculative genre, about any situation, that seems interesting. Far-future SF, steampunk, alternative history, space opera: it's all good. He likes to explore the ways people react, adapt, and grow, in situations that might otherwise destroy them or their humanity.

Thanks to Skilja for popping in!

Please don't forget that you can buy Coming Together: Through the Storm from Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and many other places. All links can be found here: http://www.eroticanthology.com/throughthestorm.htm

Competition/Give Away

If you happen to be so kind to buy the book (you should, it's really good if I do say so myself!) and then review it send me the link to my email address reliefanthology '@' gmail 'dot' com I will put you into a prize draw to win any one of my ebooks/books (you get to pick which). Which means not only do you get to donate to charity (all proceeds of Coming Together: Through the Storm go to Mercy Corps) you may well be getting two books for the price of one - and that can't be bad at all.

Coming Together: Through the Storm Inspiration - Leigh Ellwood

Well today I have Leigh Ellwood over at my blog talking about the inspiration behind And Lily Makes Three. One of the many great stories in Coming Together: Through the Storm.

So please join me in welcoming Leigh Ellwood

Leigh Ellwood: Coming Together for a Great Cause

I am thrilled to be here today to talk about my involvement in Coming Together: Through the Storm. This is the third Coming Together volume in which I have contributed work, and surprisingly it's the first story that is strictly an M/F pairing (the other two are menage and F/F respectively).

I wrote “And Lily Makes Three” on the fly, following a call from Nicole Gestalt for weather-themed stories. A typhoon had hit the Philippines, and Nicole wanted to work through Coming Together to raise relief funds. Having recently come off a wonderful experience with CT editing Coming Together: Girl on Girl, I wanted to try for another book, and thankfully Nicole accepted my story. “And Lily Makes Three” is about a vibrant, amorous woman who takes advantage of a stranded, visiting co-worker. A hurricane traps them, and they have to find some way to pass the time. Wink.

One look at the title and you might think it's a menage, but just you wait. Read the story; I hope you will enjoy it. I also highly recommend other works in the Coming Together catalog, including With Curves, Arm in Arm in Arm, and For Equality. Each book tackles a specific theme and benefits a charity, and I can't wait to read my counterparts in Through the Storm!

For more information on my erotica and romance, visit me online here:

Web - http://www.leighellwood.com

Blog - http://leighwantsfood.blogspot.com

Twitter - http://twitter.com/LeighEllwood

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/LeighEllwoodAuthor

Thanks Leigh for popping along!

 

Please don't forget that you can buy Coming Together: Through the Storm from Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and many other places. All links can be found here: http://www.eroticanthology.com/throughthestorm.htm

Competition/Give Away

If you happen to be so kind to buy the book (you should, it's really good if I do say so myself!) and then review it send me the link to my email address reliefanthology '@' gmail 'dot' com I will put you into a prize draw to win any one of my ebooks/books (you get to pick which). Which means not only do you get to donate to charity (all proceeds of Coming Together: Through the Storm go to Mercy Corps) you may well be getting two books for the price of one - and that can't be bad at all.

Coming Together: Through the Storm Inspiration - Annabeth Leong

Well today I have Annabeth Leong over to talk about the inspiration behind her story Sinkhole. The story can be found in Coming Together: Through the Storm.

So without further ado here is Annabeth Leong

On Sinkhole

I lived in a small Florida town for a long time, and my story for Through the Storm, "Sinkhole," is based on my memories of what it was like there. Like the main character, I spent a lot of time wandering around exploring overgrown, out-of-the-way places, particularly sinkholes. For those who've never encountered one, a sinkhole forms when the surface layer collapses. They result is a tiny valley which, in Florida, soon teems with plant life. I'd never seen them before I moved to that town, and they seemed magical and otherworldly. I was fascinated and terrified.

You don't have to walk very far into a sinkhole to feel as if you've gone into a different place. The trees are usually so thick and the drop so steep that, only a few feet in, you already can't see the road. I used to hide in sinkholes when I cut school. I once climbed down to the bottom of a sinkhole that was part of the yard of a really nice house and had a weird encounter with someone else hiding out down there. And, most memorably, there was really a time I went down into a sinkhole with a lover in a rainstorm (though I think what happens in the story is hotter than what I did). I remember kissing and kissing, feeling wild from the power of the storm.

It's not just the place that rings for me, though. "Sinkhole" isn't just a hot scene in the rain—it's also about the hidden parts of a person's life, and so the sinkhole represents more to me than just a location.

About Annabeth

Annabeth Leong's erotic altruism includes her fairy tale retelling The Six Swans for the Coming Together: Neat line, which benefits Kiva; a story of two cosplayers at a comics convention for Coming Together: For Equality, which benefits the Planting Peace - Equality House; a story of a woman soldier on leave for Coming Together: In The Trenches, which benefits Protect Our Defenders; and a dirty, disturbing Bible story for Coming Together: By The Book, which benefits Darkness to Light. She also writes for cash and glory, and a full list of her work can be found on her blog (annabethleong.blogspot.com). She lives in Providence, RI, and tweets @AnnabethLeong

Thanks Annabeth for popping along!

Please don't forget that you can buy Coming Together: Through the Storm from Amazon, All Romance Ebooks and many other places. All links can be found here: http://www.eroticanthology.com/throughthestorm.htm

Competition/Give Away

If you happen to be so kind to buy the book (you should, it's really good if I do say so myself!) and then review it send me the link to my email address reliefanthology '@' gmail 'dot' com I will put you into a prize draw to win any one of my ebooks/books (you get to pick which). Which means not only do you get to donate to charity (all proceeds of Coming Together: Through the Storm go to Mercy Corps) you may well be getting two books for the price of one - and that can't be bad at all.

Win a copy of Summer of Fire or some cards made by me

Since it's the time of giving and sharing I thought I would run a little treasure hunt through my journal. If you would like to take part please email me the answers to the following questions:

1. In 2007 which month has the most posts?

2. When did I get my first acceptance this year?

3. What is it called?

4. When did it come out?

5. What was the characters name that I picked in the 'Name a Character' competition?

6. At the end of the first Seventy Days of Sweat how many approximate words had I written?

7. What charity anthology is my story Melting Point going to be in?

Please send the answers to: spanknicole@hotmail.co.uk with the heading TREASURE HUNT (please make sure you do this otherwise it will be eaten up as spam).

I will pick the winner out of the correct entries and then post the result up on here on the 1st January so you have until then to find all the answers.

The winner will be able to chose between a pack of handmade cards or a copy of my e-book Summer of Fire.

Good Luck and have fun!

Hint: Every answer can be found within this journal if you get stuck check out the themed posts down the side of the window.

Name a character result

Well i had some really great names and it was hard to pick a winner. However I have decided to go with the name Kevalan which was suggested by Brenna Lyons.

If you can get in touch with me Brenna I'll send you over your copy of Summer of Fire, and of course will let you know when I have more information on the story and the now named male character :)

Well done everyone for entering and I hope you all keep reading

Name a character UPDATE

The deadline came and went and I had some great names. I've placed them all in one file so that I can look at the names objectively and then once i've picked a name I will place up here who suggested the name. If a name has been suggested more then once I will give the prize to the person who suggested it first.

The winning name will be put up tomorrow.

Name a character and win a book!

My current WIP is based in a fantasy world very similar to Earth. The main male character lives in an ice palace. He keeps himself away from the rest of the world. After rescuing a young woman he falls in love with her.

At the moment he is unnamed - since he lives in an ice palace I don't want to use the name Jack (as in Jack Frost etc...). So I would like people to suggest names for him. The name I feel fits the best or is the most interesting will be used within the story itself (although I will keep all authorship over the characters involved and the story etc..)

The person who suggests that name will win a copy of my recent ebook Summer of Fire (published by Phaze).

Good luck everyone and get creative! The deadline is midnight (EST) Sunday 5th, the winner will be announced Sunday night / Monday morning.I will announce the winner here.

Nicole

Summer of Fire competition

Now that Summer of Fire is out I wanted to announce a competition I'll be running during the month of August. All you have to do is answer a question relating to something that happens during the book. At the end of the month I will take all the correct answers and place them in a hat and draw out one. The lucky winner will win an encaustic painting done by me - examples of the type of pictures can be found here: http://www.lady-morbannaon.deviantart.com/gallery

The question is:

What is the one thing that Mark would never admit to anyone?

Please send your answers to spanknicole@hotmail.co.uk with the heading Summer of Fire competition (otherwise it will get eaten by the spam filter and I might not see it).

Good luck!

Summer of Fire by Nicole Gestalt
Force - Contemporary $2
1-59426-477-5 978-1-59426-477-1
Release 7/30/07
2 Nova

Published by Phaze

Helen is a young, sexy policewoman. Mark is a handsome, widowed fire-fighter. Together they are investigating a series of arson attacks that have earned themselves the nickname The Summer of Fire. As the tension between them gives way to passion, they soon find that its not just the flames that have been getting them hot, but will Helen live long enough to give Mark a second chance at love?

It can be bought at:
http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Summer+of+Fire+by+Nicole+Gestalt