Tag Archives: robin covington

I might be a Scandal fan . . . or maybe not.

Robin Covington, Uncategorized,

Okay friends – I’ve been writing non-stop forever so I don’t want to talk about writing. Let’s talk about TV instead.

I am a TV snob. I admit it. I watched every episode of all ten years

Photo courtesy of ABC

Photo courtesy of ABC

of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (oh – the genius of Whedon) and gave up TV for an entire year after it went off because nothing was good enough – I kid you not.

I give a show three episodes to grab me or they lose me forever. And if you piss me off with a stupid move in Season 7 (like say . . . Bones?)

***beginning of rant****

I mean really? I stay with you through 6 seasons of “will they/won’t they” . . . I CRY with Boothe when Bones says she can’t love him on the 100th episode . . . and you fast forward over the summer and rob me of all the pleasure of seeing them get together and drop right into a full-blown relationship with a baby on the way? Bones . . . you are dead to me . . .

****end of rant****

So, I am am not an easy TV viewer to woo.

I recently watched the first season of Scandal on Netflix and I thought it had some really great parts. Olivia Pope is an amazing female character – strong but flawed- and the cast of characters (her Gladiators) are all damaged people with hidden pasts. And Tony Goldwyn . . . I have loved him since he played the villain in “Ghost”.

I LOVE the fact that the main couple is interracial. It’s. About. Time.

The political intrigue of the show doesn’t appeal at all. I live near DC and politics are tedious and not my idea of entertainment but I do love the twists and turns. I kept watching past episode three but I have to admit that my mind was wandering and I was resisting the urge to fast forward during episodes 6 & 7.

So, right now I’ve tagged Season Two for placement in my queue and I’m going to give it three more episodes.

So die-hard Gladiators – tell me why you think I should keep watching?

Robin

Robin Mermaid

Robin Covington Gets Lucky in the Waterworld Mermaid Lagoon

Avery Flynn, Interview, mermaids, Robin Covington, ,

Friends, mermaids, romance readers, I have cornered the always fun Robin Covington in the lagoon to get the goods on all the really gossipy stuff about her latest release, His Southern Temptation, including how often she checks her sales numbers, how she manages to write so much and if she’s ever dated her own Lucky.

Avery Flynn

You ready to rock the lagoon?


Robin Covington

You bet!

OK, we just left a Savvy Author chat about getting it done. So give us the secret to making writing work in your life.

Hmmm. I have a husband who likes to have attention now and then and two small kids (10&8) and a full-time job as attorney for the Navy. So, my writing fits in around soccer, school, work etc. My only secret is learning to write anywhere with any snippet of time I can steal.

I love the e-mails I get from you about how you write in the car outside of the kids’ activities. Have you ever gotten any strange looks from the other parents?

Oh yeah. They all think I’m a little weird (and they are right) but I live in a small town and most know that I am writing one of “those” books and they just laugh.

LOL. Speaking of “those” books congrats on His Southern Temptation booking it up the charts. Tell the truth, how often do you check the numbers?

I have no shame – hourly. My iPhone makes my mania easy to maintain.

God, you make me laugh. OK, I’m biased when it comes to Lucky, your hero in His Southern Temptation. Did he start out as a spark of an idea or burst to life in living color?

I loooove Lucky. He burst to life in full, annoying, pesky color. He badgered me to write him first – I mean, why wouldn’t I? Right? But, Jackson (of the four men) spoke to me as the one to set the tone for the series and to give the perfect backdrop to bring all these guys back together. So, Lucky had to wait . . . and even when I wrote him, he surprised me with some of the twists.

I think just about every woman dated a Lucky at one point. Did you?

Oh yes – and I married him.

And no . . . Lucky is NOT my hubby. But I would kill to have Taylor’s bod.

He’s looking over your shoulder right now isn’t he? *waves* Hi Mr. Covington.

Ha! No – he’s watching MMA fights.

Speaking of Taylor (who I would also consider going Buffalo Bill for that body), she is a woman who is really dealing head on with the craziness of her life. She’s ballsy as hell. I saw a poll recently of readers and most said they wanted to see more strong heroines in contemporary romance. Do you think that’s true?

Yes, I do. When we take workshops or read about the craft of writing romance – we are told that we need to write women characters that our reader can relate to. The hero should be someone you could fall in love with and you should want to be the heroine. I think that women today are strong and brave and so talented in every way. They are also juggling so much stuff – so a heroine like that is what resonates. It might take the entire story for her to get there – but that is a ride they want to take.

So what makes Taylor relatable?

Oh – she is like so many of the women I grew up with in the rural South. We were good girls – not too good- but we did what was acceptable. I know that I and so many of them really found our own voice when we left home. Taylor did that and followed her own dreams – maybe to the extreme – but she found her way to be her true self.

That’s awesome. OK, I’m wrapping it up with the most important question I’ve ever asked you. You ready?

Ummmm . . .

Matt Bomer or Joe M?

Ha! Ummm . . . I don’t get the Bomer thing at all . . . and Joe is my boyfriend so . . . totally Joe!

Don’t get Bomer? That gives me a sad. OK, let’s toast to your poor decision making. There has to be a bartender hiding somewhere in this lagoon.

Pabst Blue Ribbon please! ; )

Now that really is sad.

His-Southern-Temptation-900px-e1363619689936
His Southern Temptation by Robin Covington
Some women are bad. Some women are a bad idea. The best ones are both…

As a Black Ops assassin, “Lucky” Landon has had more than his fair share of close calls. Now he’s turned in his sniper rifle for the simple life of his small hometown. So the last thing he ever expected was to end up at gunpoint. Or that the woman holding the gun would be his best friend’s little sister and Lucky’s on-again/off-again lover.
Taylor Elliott is Trouble, and she likes it that way. And seeing Lucky again? Well, he’s been her dirty little secret for the past few years and everyone knows that secrets in a small town are almost impossible to keep. But Taylor has bigger problems on her plate. Like the local mob boss who wants her dead.
And right now the only thing standing between Trouble and disaster is a hottie named Lucky…

Kicking off the Most Wonderful Time of the Year-Mermaid Style!

Robin Covington, Uncategorized, ,

Life has been a little hectic for me lately. Back-to-back book deadlines and edits and promo and . . . well, I was little burnt out. So, the Main Man and I decided to shake things up this Thanksgiving and forego the larger family gatherings and opt for a smaller, vacation with the kiddos. The destination?  No brainer!

New York City!!!

You see, we had promised Little Man and Lulu a trip this summer but . . .you know the summer gets away from you. We never went and the kids were disappointed. So, three weeks before Turkey Day we started making plans and it all came together just perfectly.

We treated the kids to their first train ride and took it straight into Penn Station. They were beyond excited and we only had one minor hiccup while waiting for a taxi to the hotel – the Hustler Club van went by with a HUGE ad with some chicks fake double-D’s on it and  . . . well, you can imagine the questions.  The Main Man got to handle that one. ; )

While there we were total tourists. We went to the Central Park Zoo and climbed the big boulders all around the lawns and splurged on a carriage ride.  We watched the parade and had Thanksgiving dinner at Rockefeller Center.

 

 

 

No trip to NYC is complete without taking in a show or two.  We went to see Mary Poppins and the Rockettes. Both were spectacular -shocker- and the kids eyes were bugging out the whole time.  When Mary Poppins “flew” across the theater and ended up right in front of Lulu, I thought she was going to come out of her seat with excitement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, none of you who know me will be surprised that I was in the city less than hour and I ran right into the Naked Cowboy. Yep, a city of all those people and I find the hot guy dancing in his tighty-whities. He’s done pretty well for a guy who prances around in his undies. He’s a franchise now and has a “cast” of Naked Cowboys and if you want him to marry you in Times Square – he can do it!  $400 and you can be joined forever with your sweetie by the Reverend Naked Cowboy . . . seriously, I couldn’t make this stuff up.

We had a blast and the whole time my Plotmonkeys were running around my head with ideas.  I jotted down tons of notes and took lots of pics for future reference.

Good times.

The city was dressed for Christmas and it put me in the mood for my fave season. Are you in the spirit yet? How are you ringing in the Holiday season?

Robin

Tuesday Top Five – What I love about the Fall

Robin Covington,

Hello Friends!  I’m deep in the middle of a book deadline (due September 15th!) but I came out of the cave long enough to realize that summer is waning and we are headed into the next season.

Now, I love summer – the heat, the pool, the smell of sunscreen and chlorine – but  am glad to see the change happen as well.  And, here are my top five reasons:

1.  Fall food.  I love good, old fashioned comfort food and when the summer salads are gone, give me stew, soup, or yummy casserole.  My favorite is my homemade chicken pot pie.

2. Fall TV shows:  Five words.  Hawaii 5-0. Alex O’Loughlin shirtless.

3. Bad weather: Nothing like a good snow storm to force us inside to do nothing but hibernate. yes. please.

4.  Turtlenecks:  Love the ribbed kind that hug my body and look good with jeans and work pants.

5. Christmas: Best holiday ever. I deck my house out like freakin’ Macy’s and run up an electrical bill that makes my husband cry.

See you later,

Robin

 

Book Review – Forever in One Second by Finn Marlowe

Book Review, ,

Hello friends! it’s book review day here in the lagoon and I am thrilled to review a wonderful book from an author who became an auto-buy for me with her first book, “A Thread of Deepest Black”. Finn is a wonderful storyteller who has a gift for drawing you into a story and allowing you to walk with the characters.  You feel it all, see it all, live it all.  It is an amazing reading experience.

Her second book, “Forever in One Second” starts off as a sweet, sizzlingly sexy book about two childhood frenemies who meet again and fall for each other – hard. The story has a slight paranormal/mystical element to it but you aren’t going to have any vamps or wolves walking the pages. Nope, this is about real, relatable, flawed, lovable everyday men.

It isn’t until 40% into the book that Finn tips your little chariot of love over and pulls you into a gripping, fun, fast-paced thrill ride.  But, she never lets go of the strong, character-driven storyline even in the midst of danger and intrigue. the sweet, romantic and emotional vibe stays with you – like the melody playing in the background.

In fact, that is when you realized that she got you.  She lured you into loving these two men so much that you can only turn the pages faster in your desire to know that they will be okay and get their happily ever after.

Dane Harper is a fast-talking, good-looking, rascal who never met a stranger. He has a heart as big as his smile.  The book opens with this fun, vibrant man facing down a tornado and losing the battle with a door on top of him and a crushed chest in the middle of mud and debris.

Court Woods is a kind, selfless man who has terrible secrets, a heartbreaking backstory and a gift that allows him to bring Dane back from the precipice of death.  Court tears you up with his disgust at himself and his gift and his genuine belief that he is undeserving of anyone loving him – especially someone like Dane.

Finn draws out the course of their relationship in a lyrical manner, the ebbs and flows are natural and you believe that they are the one the other needs to make him whole. And, as sweet as the romance is . . .  the sex is just as hot. Whew!  They will burn you up.

This was a book that I read in one sitting, put it aside and couldn’t stop thinking about it – so I read it again.

If you are looking for a well-written book with a great plot and a beautiful, hot and sexy love story – here it is.

Favorite quote:

“Stop that for a sec.” Court gasped. “Hold still, damn it.” Before they went any further, he had to know—had to. “What do you want to finish?”

Bending down again, Dane kissed him, deep and dark, his tongue flicking and tasting and giving back his own flavor in return, the raw emotion of it sucking the air right out of his lungs. And he wasn’t smiling anymore when he released him.

“I want to finish falling in love with you.”

Shocked, Court forgot all about the tingle on his lips and the spiraling pleasure radiating out from his groin. His eyes flew open. That was not what he’d expected to hear, not at all. Dane was serious. There was no laughter in his eyes, no tease, only sincerity. Court’s niggling, annoying inner voice decided to chime in when he hadn’t heard from it in a while, only this time, it had something good to say. Don’t be afraid. You deserve to be loved. What’s there to be afraid of? You’re safe. Dane’s reasoning was sound. A man should finish what he started. “Let’s do it together.”

Finn is such a sweetie – she is going to give a copy of “Forever in One Second” to a lucky commenter.

You can find Finn at Goodreads and the book on sale at Amazon and B&N.

Robin Mermaid

 

And, now the work begins. . . .

Motivation, Writing, ,

Whew! I feel like I just emerged out into the light of day – much like that rabid rodent in February who is supposed to be a weatherman but is really just a scared rat-like creature who probably just wants to bite somebody. Hard.

I just emerged from the frantic, whirlwind of promoting my debut release and I feel like I want to bite somebody. (Did I say that out loud?) It was fun, exciting, a new adventure and I loved every minute of it. I took the advice of my published friends and cherished every moment, every new thing that came along. But, it was also exhausting, tedious, and time-consuming. The same published friends has told me this as well and I now know they were 150% accurate.

But, now my baby is out there and doing well and I am down to the blogs posts that I do normally here with the Mermaids and other places. Whew. Normalcy. Routine.

Writing.

Yes, I am back in the full-mode of writing everyday. Exercising that muscle and improving my craft. It is fun, it is exciting, a new adventure everyday. It is also exhausting, time-consuming, and tedious at times. Hmmm . . . sound familiar?

That is because it is not only my passion, my calling . . . it is my job. Now, I have an EDJ that pays half the mortgage and saves for college but this writing gig is also my job because now I’m working under deadline with 6 more books contracted through now and 2013. (I am going to pause here and do a little happy dance) I have people who are counting on me to deliver the best book I can write on time. Whew!

So, yes, I’m back the hard work of writing a story that is compelling, romantic and very sexy. I am in the process of falling in love with my hero and wishing I were my heroine. I am up late at night or up early in the morning and sneaking my lunch hour to get my daily page count. This is the business of my glorious avocation and I love it.

So, I say that the work begins now . . . but it is also a hell of a lot of fun.

What is your agony and ecstasy with your writing?

Hugs,

Robin

A Night of Southern Comfort – an exclusive, sizzling excerpt

mermaids, ,

Hi!  My debut release, A NIGHT OF SOUTHERN COMFORT, was released on June 15th and so far it has been a roller coaster! A fun roller coaster.

I want to thank all of you who bought the book, left a review or sent a message to me about how much yo enjoyed AN0SC – it means so much.  Reviews have been amazing – 27 5-star reviews! WOOT!

So, since my brain is too fried to think up an original post, I’ve decided to post an exclusive excerpt here at the the Lagoon!  Enjoy! Robin

Pink tinged her cheeks as she shook her head and looked down at the tabletop. Her hands gripped the edge with white-knuckle tension. He guessed she struggled with whether she should stay here in Elliott. She was too smart not to have a backup plan. The fact that she needed one pissed him off. He’d been on edge since the meeting with the governor in Richmond and now he was wound so tight he either had to fight or fuck the anger out of his system before he blew.

Jack moved in his seat and jostled the table, causing Kayla to look at him.The jolt of cellular recognition crackled between them like a live wire. He’d read about it—that crazy moment when your body remembers where it has been, whom it connected with, and yearns to be there again. Frankly, he was surprised that the Formica covered table hadn’t gone up in flames.

“I guess this is a pretty crazy coincidence.” With a shaking hand, Kayla smoothed her hair back from her forehead.

“I don’t believe in coincidence.”

A furrow creased her brow. “What? How can you say that? The bar? My father’s house? This town?”

Jack leaned forward and placed his hand on the table, only a hair’s breadth from where hers lay. It took everything he had to resist closing that gap. “Doc, you went to the bar looking for a man and I happened to be in the right place at the very right time. That’s not kismet—that’s just probabilities.”

“No.” Her voice was a hoarse whisper that curled around his gut in a tight clench. “I wasn’t looking for a man at all. That changed when I saw you. I picked you because I couldn’t not pick you.”

At her words, his entire focus shifted to include only her. Kayla’s expression was defiant, daring him to refute what she’d said. He couldn’t. He couldn’t even speak, much less argue. Frankly, he didn’t know if he wanted to. The thought that someone like Kayla might actually want him scared the hell out of him.

His mom approached the table and “tsked” at the untouched pie on his plate. “Y’all want anything else?”

Never breaking eye contact with Kayla, Jack closed the distance necessary to cover her long, delicate fingers with his own.

“Dr. Roarke will take the pie.” He briefly calculated just how dumb his idea was, but with all of his blood flowing to his crotch, he couldn’t count that high. “To go.”

Blurb:
One night of passion…
Detective Jackson Cantrell never imagined that one night with an irresistible stranger would turn his life upside down. He’s spent years living in the shadows, but Dr. Michaela Roarke awakened a passion inside him he’d buried years ago.
He never expected the woman would turn out to be the governor’s daughter…and his next assignment. The governor blackmails Jackson to secretly watch over Michaela and protect her from a stalker, or kiss his dream job at the FBI good-bye. Swearing to keep things strictly professional, Jackson moves in with Michaela. Too bad his heart can’t keep the same promise.
But when the stalker’s attacks quickly escalate beyond mere photographs to bodily harm, Jackson must race to save Michaela’s life. And he’ll have to figure out how to keep her once she discovers his lie.

Enjoy a Little Southern Comfort with Debut Author Robin Covington

mermaids,

Have you ever wondered what happens when two Waterworld Mermaids chat on Facebook? No? Oh come on, like you have a life. Wait, that’s just me without one? *slink swims away*

Ha. Like you could get rid of me that easily. 🙂

I have our own Robin Covington cornered under the waterfall. Her debut novel, A Night of Southern Comfort, came out June 15. Yay! If you haven’t bought it yet, you really should. The book is awesome! Recently, Robin and I chatted about A Night of Southern Comfort via Facebook and it went like this:

Avery FlynnAvery Flynn

Hey hot stuff you out there?

Robin CovingtonRobin Covington

Hey! I’m here. beer in hand.

Avery Flynn

Oh what kind are you drinking?

Robin Covington

Coors Light! We were out of Rolling Rock and Stella

Avery Flynn

That is a crap beer. I’m ashamed you even have it in your house. For your book release I’m buying you some real beer.

Robin Covington

I know . . . I know. I usually have Stella. poor me

Avery Flynn

OK, let’s talk about your book. I love the opening scene in the bar. Did that come to you full grown or did you have to write into it?

Robin Covington

I thought of the whole scene from beginning to end once I thought of the first line about her losing her Junior League membership if they knew what she was doing in that bar. I heard that and then I knew she’d go through with it.

Avery Flynn

Ha. Love it. I’m so excited to talk about your book that I jumped the gun. Give us the blurb and a bit of background about your characters.

Robin Covington

Okay. A Night of Southern Comfort is about two people, Michaela and Jackson, who give themselves one night to get what they really want instead of settling for what they think they can have. When fate throws them together again they have the chance to have the life they really want – if they can get beyond Jackson’s deception.
Jackson is a former Marine and Undercover FBI agent that is back in his little Southern hometown – where he never wanted to be. Michaela is the daughter of a rising politician and she is sick of living in a fishbolw so she goes to Elliott, VA to have a normal life.

Avery Flynn

If you had to pick one moment from A Night of Southern Comfort that stands out as one of your favorites, what would you say it is?

Robin Covington

Oh man! That’s like asking a mam to pick their favorite kid!

Avery Flynn

Suck it up. 

Robin Covington

I think it would have to be when Michaela wakes Jackson from his nightmare and they make love for the first knowing who their real identities.

Avery Flynn

Awwwwww, that was a really awesome scene. OK, were going to finish off with some Family Feud style quirky questions.
  • Thong or Panties?
  • One food you’d eat every day for a year if you could?
  • Top three men on your island?
  • Favorite guilty pleasure?
  • Number one thing you need for a cross country road trip?

Robin Covington

  • Thong
  • Haribo gummi bers
  • Joe Mangianello, Alex O’Loughlin and Christopher Gorham
  • Guilty pleasure: Sunbathing nude
  • My iPod!

Avery Flynn

Mmmmm gummi bears. Remind me to send you the gummi bears You Tube song. You’ll never get it out of your head. Thanks so much for doing this Robin. Give us the deets on your release dates and tell the fine folks where they can read an excerpt.

Robin Covington

It was my pleasure! The book will be out on June 15th (excerpt is TBD at this point!)

Avery Flynn

Well then I’ll end with a big naner naner boo boo because I’ve gotten to read the whole thing and it’s AWESOME! Have a great night Robin – even with that God awful beer. 

Robin Covington

Thanks! At least it wasn’t a Zima!
Check out the rest of our conversation on my Avery Flynn blog and enjoy some tunes that helped inspire A Night of Southern Comfort.

Hanging Out With My Guy – Hank Edwards

Interview, ,

I’m so excited to have one of my favorite guys here with me today. When I first met Hank Edwards it was through my my friend, Em Woods and the Story Orgy crew, and I thought he was one of the coolest souls I ever met. We started chatting on FB and I blazed my way through his awesome backlist. It wasn’t long before he became a big impact on my writing (he is a genius at writing subtle but amazing humor into scenes) and then my friend. Since I don’t live in Michigan and can’t just drop by to have a beer with him, to bitch about the Evil Day Jobs or watch a marathon of “The Walking Dead” – this is the next best thing.

Robin

 

 

 

1. Set the scene for us, where are you and what are your three favorite objects within arms reach.
I am sitting in my home office, feet up beneath the desk, birds at the feeder outside the window. My three favorite objects within reach are: both of my cats huddled beneath my chair, Riley the bruiser tabby and Emma the petite black domestic longhair, as well as a carnelian crystal given to me by a good friend, which provides protection, eloquence, and sexual energy.  ; )

2. Are you a plotter or a pantser? Why?
Oh boy. I try so hard, so very, very hard, to be a plotter. But every time, no matter how much I plot it out, the characters start acting completely differently and suddenly the story becomes something else entirely. So, most of the time, I’m a pantser, and I’m okay with that because, you know, life is lived by the seat of our pants, shouldn’t books be written that way? You need a starting, middle, and end, but along the way who knows what’s going to happen!

3. How often do you write and do you keep a set schedule?
I usually write on the weekends. In the summer it’s easier to write in the evening because I’m a big TV addict, so I watch a lot of TV fall and winter and spring. Been trying to cut back on that, though. Mostly I write in the mornings on the weekends. Some days I come home from the EDJ and am able to sit down and write, but not on a schedule.

4. What is your celebratory treat for finishing a book?
My man cooks a wonderful meal, we open a good bottle of wine and talk about it.

5. For the sake of this question, your best friend is single, which one of your heroes would you set him up with?
Oh, that would have to be Sir Gerard Fogg. He’s handsome, strong, loyal, brave, and willing to cross time for the one he loves. Sigh …

6. Why do think romance/erotica novels are so popular?
Escapism. Every one is pushed to their breaking point these days and we are all plugged in with mobile email and social media and being available 24/7, it’s exhausting. A good story with a bit of romance, a dash of sex, and a feel good ending goes a long way toward easing that stress.

7. You have an Evil Day Job (EDJ) too, what kind of support do you have as an author to help you with your website, e-mails, promotion and all the other non-writing parts of being a successful author?
My partner helps me with the graphics for promotion materials and banners for my Facebook pages and websites. I hired a friend of his to build me a website in WordPress and it’s easy for me to update. Emails and travel and things like that I handle on my own, so many days it feels like I have two jobs, but I love this second job. Lots of energy swirling around my writing these past two years.

8. Writing sex scenes – agony or ecstasy?
Just like having sex, I need to be in the mood. When I’m in the mood, it’s amazing. When I force myself to write them, it’s agony. A lot of time I’ll do the “XXX” trick, marking the spot in the book and come back to it when I’m feeling a little more feisty.  ; )

9. Briefs, boxers or commando?
Briefs at the EDJ, commando most other times.

10. If you could go anywhere to research your next book – where would you go?
My first thought is always Greece, but there’s so much turmoil over there right now. Instead, I would go with Italy, France, and England – the European trifecta.

11. What is your favorite word? Your least favorite?
Favorite word: conundrum. Least favorite word: then (I use it too much!)

12. You write a weekly short story/chapter for the “Story orgy” group. How does that fit in with your “regular” writing?
It steals a lot of time from my regular writing. But I’ve been revamping several of the stories published on my blog and submitting them to publishers. “Hired Muscle,” which started as a Valentine’s Day single post and then grew to a serial post, is coming out July 7 from Silver Publishing. Some times I take a week to get some posts written ahead of time and then use the free time to work on other writing.

13. What is your idea of the “perfect” romantic evening?
A nice dinner out so my man doesn’t have to cook, some good wine, a stop at a gay bar in our neighborhood for a cocktail, then home to the cats and some bossa nova music on the stereo. After that, maybe some nice, slow, smexy time, or just cuddling together as we fall asleep.

14. My understanding is that women make up a large number of the readers of m/m romance and erotica. Why do you think that is?
I was very surprised by that fact myself. I think they are drawn to the unique stories, and the fact that two men, two strong characters, falling in love and trying to make it work, is fascinating. Plus, just like straight men are turned on by two women together, straight women are turned on by two men together.

15. What are your strengths as a writer? What areas are you still working on?
I think I write comedy and suspense well. Areas I’m still working on are depth of view, different character “voices” and behaviors, and expanding my repertoire of characters. Always try something new with each book.

16. What is your best advice for pre-published and newly published authors?
Be open to all feedback. Ask for suggestions and don’t take the responses personally. And never, never, never throw a temper tantrum on social media or a blog post. There will be good reviews and bad reviews, don’t take either type personally. Find one or two friends you trust with your raw, undercooked writing and beta read for each other. One other trick: read your work out loud. You’ll hear the awkward sentences and weird phrasings really well that way. Last bit of advice: write what you love.

BIO:
Hank Edwards is the author of the hot and funny Charlie Heggensford series: Fluffers, Inc., A Carnal Cruise, and the Lambda Literary Award Finalist Vancouver Nights, all available from Lethe Press. He has other books available from Loose Id: the thriller Holed Up and sequel Shacked Up, time travel romance Destiny’s Bastard, and romantic comedy Plus Ones. His self-published vampire and zombie Old West novel, Bounty, and short story collection A Very Dirty Dozen, are available at Amazon, Smashwords, and All Romance eBooks. Every Monday morning Hank posts free m/m reads as part of the Story Orgy, a group of writers who have banded together to deliver hot, heartfelt reads. The group has published three anthologies over the past year: self-published titles And the Prompt Is… Volume One, And the Prompt Is… Holiday Edition, as well as Word Play, which was published by Breathless Press. Hank lives in a suburb of Detroit with his partner of more than 15 years and their two cats. Find out more at www.hankedwardsbooks.com, or www.facebook.com/hankedwardsbooks. You can also follow him on twitter @hanksbooks.

Tiny taste of the upcoming Shacked Up, available June 5!
Buy link: http://www.loose-id.com/Our-Authors/Hank-Edwards/

Blurb:
FBI Special Agent Aaron Pearce is recovering from his injuries suffered while on assignment in Detroit, stuck in the offices of the FBI running database searches for agents in the field. He is bored and edgy, and takes it out on those closest to him, including Mark Beecher, who lives with him.

While Mark cannot deny the heat between them, he struggles to find his place in Washington, DC, and in Pearce’s apartment. When he notices a car following him back and forth to work, he panics, certain it’s the terrorist mole Robert Morgan who escaped them in Detroit.

As Mark and Pearce try to identify the driver, Pearce is drawn into an investigation concerning the disappearance of data cards from government employees. His research reveals that the catering company where Mark works may be at the root of the thefts and, when the company is booked to cater a prestigious party, Pearce realizes it is the perfect setup for an undercover operation.

He doesn’t think twice about disobeying orders to stay out of the field, and risks not only his career, but his life as well, to join Mark in an undercover operation that will change their lives forever.

Excerpt:

Pearce got out of the car, pulling the milk, his workout bag, and suit out with him. He had enough to deal with right now, and things with Mark at that time were solid; they were right. He didn’t miss coming home to an empty apartment, not like he had after Mark had first moved in. Now he looked forward to sharing dinner with Mark, talking with him, digging in a little deeper to understand more about him. He needed to make that clear to Mark, share what he was feeling with him so Mark would know he was welcome in his apartment.
His apartment.

Pearce shook his head as he dug in his workout bag for his keys. It was their apartment, his and Mark’s. The singular was gone now; he needed to realize that.

The sound of a car tearing up the driveway toward him caught Pearce’s attention. The engine revved, startling him enough to step between a couple of parked cars. He was surprised to see Mark’s car speeding toward him. He caught a glimpse of Mark’s face behind the wheel as he sped past: a pale oval, blue eyes wide, mouth a straight line of tension.

“What the hell?” Pearce mumbled to himself and walked after the car, wincing as Mark cut the wheel at the last moment to park in an available space. Pearce stood at the trunk of Mark’s car and watched through the back window as the man fumbled with the door lock. When Mark finally managed to get out and stand beside his car, Pearce tried to lighten Mark’s obvious tension with humor.

“Is there a sale on catering whites somewhere?”

“Do you see him?” Mark brushed past him and stood in the middle of the driveway, staring back at the street.

Pearce walked up to stand beside him and followed Mark’s gaze to the empty street. “See who?”

Mark turned wide, terrified eyes to him. “The red Escort. Morgan.”

Pearce looked from Mark to the street and back again. “Again?” Pearce dropped his belongings, squatted to dig his gun from inside the workout bag, and jogged down the driveway toward the street, Mark right behind him. They looked up and down the street, but there were no cars in sight—red Escorts or other models.

“Same car as before?” Pearce asked.

“Pretty sure.” Mark put his hands on his hips and looked in both directions. “I swear, Pearce, he tailed me through traffic from work. Two cars behind, just like always. He followed me right down our street here. It’s the same car each time.” Mark looked up at him. “I know it was him.”

“Morgan? Did you see him?”

“Not directly, but who else could it be?” Mark looked up and down the street again, then turned to stomp up the driveway. “And of course he’s gone now. I feel like a fucking crazy asshole.”

Pearce blinked and turned to follow Mark, then reached out to put a hand on his shoulder and bring him to a stop. “Hey, I don’t think you’re a fucking crazy asshole, okay?”

Mark dropped his gaze to the driveway and nodded. “Thanks, but… Now I’m starting to doubt myself, so I wouldn’t blame you for thinking I was just seeing things.”

“I don’t think you’re seeing things,” Pearce said. A car turned into the lot, and he realized suddenly how they must look, standing in the middle of the drive, Pearce holding Mark’s shoulder with one hand, his gun in the other. He tucked his gun into the waistband of his workout pants and led Mark off to the side of the driveway. The car crept past, and the young woman behind the wheel gave them a long, uneasy look that Pearce tried to dispel with a friendly smile and nod.
“
Let’s go upstairs,” Pearce said to Mark. “We’ll settle down and talk about this, okay?”

Mark nodded and walked off to grab his things without a word.

Waterworld Mermaid Anniversary Celebration – The Grand Splashy Finale

Giveaway, mermaids, , ,
It’s our one-year anniversary! The Waterworld Mermaids have dyed the lagoon hot pink, added glitter and cranked up the dance music for our weeklong anniversary celebration. Each day we’ll be hosting a mermaid scavenger hunt. At the bottom of each day’s post you’ll find three questions about the mermaids who blogged that day, the answers to which can be found on this site. Answer the questions and be entered to win that day’s prize. Plus, on Friday we’ll be giving away a $130 Visa gift card. To increase your odds of winning the gift card, answer each day’s scavenger hunt questions. Every entry you make Monday through Thursday will give you an additional entry in the big Friday giveaway of a $130 gift card. So jump in the lagoon and get swimming with your lucky fin!

Have you had fun this week? We have had a blast hanging out in the lagoon meeting all of you and celebrating our awesome Mermaidey-ess!  For our last hurrah we are featuring our own little cheer – crafted by the lovely and talented Kerri Mermaid:

M – is for May 2011, when we started this group blog.

E – is for Each one of us. We all have our own personal styles and write different things. Some are published and and some are pre-published. We have sweet, steamy and silly Mermaids. Even with our differences, we’ve come together to celebrate each and every one of us.

R – is for Reads. In October we did free garden reads, showcasing our different styles and talents.

M – is for Mayhem. With a dynamic group of talented, out-spoken Mermaids, we’ve been known to get a little crazy from time-to-time.

A – is for Author Interviews. We love having writers visit our site and we’ve been so lucky to have some of the best around.

I – is for Inspiring. Thirteen strong and very different women have achieved great things.

D – is for our Devoted followers. Whether you’ve visited our lagoon once or every day, we appreciate every single one of you.

S – is for success. Success is measured differently by everyone. Many of us crave to be published. Some want to finish their WIP. Others want to make their families proud. No matter how, where or when, it’s safe to say that one area where we’ve all succeeded is here in the Mermaid Lagoon. We’ve come together to create a special, safe and magical place.

Job well done and Happy Anniversary, Waterworld Mermaids!

 Fishy kisses!
Two questions to answer today:
1. What contest did Kerri Mermaid win?
2. What is your favorite romance novel?
Hint: The answer to #1 can be found in Kerri’s profile.
Giveaway:
Thanks for joining us in the Waterworld Mermaid lagoon! Answer today’s questions in the comments below to be entered to win our big Friday giveaway of a $130 gift card. Only one entry per day. Be sure to leave your e-mail address in your comment. You can also go back through the previous posts and leave a comment (one per day!) and answers for the drawing. You have until 11:59 p.m. EST May 13 to leave your answers. Contest open to U.S. residents only.