Playing by His Rules
Blog Tour
**Hosted by, The Book Nymph PR**
Author:
Glenda Horsfall
Your
latest/current work: Playing by His Rules
Date:
7th April 2015
Publisher:
Black Velvet Seductions Co
1. Tell us about your Latest Book/Book about to
be released? Release Date? And can you give us a teaser?
My
latest book is Playing by His Rules which released on 7th April
2015. It is the second book in the ‘Playing’ series and is a tale of romance
between two people who have had reason to distrust in the past. Chloe is
recovering from an abusive relationship and is wary of anyone physically
stronger than herself. Xander is a naturally dominant person who needs to
be in control. Circumstances throw them together on an isolated island and the
fun begins. This book is about the developing romance between the two, and
their internal struggle as they learn to trust again. It is also an erotic
story with explicit sexual scenes of a light bdsm nature, so is really only
suitable for mature adult readers. I love a good romance story, but I also like
a bit of spice! {wink, wink}
Thanks
for asking for a teaser… here’s a small excerpt from the first meeting between
Chloe and Xander.
No matter how devastatingly sexy she found him, she still
refused to give her name. The desire in his eyes was obvious and she hadn’t yet
decided whether or not she would accept the promise they offered. She was
tempted. What girl wouldn’t be? If he didn’t have her name and no way of
contacting her again after the night was over, she could walk away without
entanglements.
It was getting late and she was conscious of the fact that
she needed to get a good night’s sleep in order to be at her best for her
interview in the morning, but she was reluctant to draw the evening to a close.
She was having fun. He was an intelligent and entertaining conversationalist.
When his opinion on a play or a film they had both seen, differed from her own,
he would debate good humouredly with her. Not once did he belittle her
ideas. It had been so long since she’d
been able to express her own opinions without fear of being mocked and doing so
felt good. For the first time in months she felt light hearted and relaxed,
euphoric almost.
If he made her feel this good just talking, how good would
he make her feel if he took her to bed?
The thought alone had her insides trembling and she squirmed in her seat
as her internal muscles pulsed. Damn, her panties were wet now. What would she say if he asked if he could
spend the night with her? Did she dare accept?
She caught herself looking at his hands. They were large with long
fingers; his nails were square cut and looked immaculate. What would it feel like to have those hands
on her skin, cupping her breasts? Her nipples beaded in anticipation and
moisture pooled at the juncture of her thighs as her wayward thoughts caused
her to tremble in anticipation.
If she was successful at her interview then she would be out
of circulation for a while as the position she had applied for was located on a
remote island. It could be a long time before she had the opportunity to have
male company and she doubted she would ever meet anyone as gorgeous as this
man. Surely it couldn’t be wrong to enjoy just one night of passion before she
cloistered herself away.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes briefly as she
clenched her thighs together. She had to get herself under control. Maybe he
didn’t want to spend a night with her.
She was surprised at the disappointment that thought caused. She cast a
quick look at her watch. It was nearly midnight and she really must be thinking
of calling the evening to a close soon.
She realized that her internal thoughts had caused a lull in their
conversation and cursed herself when she realized he was watching her
quizzically. She felt herself blush and
hoped he hadn’t guessed what she was thinking.
2. What other books/short stories have you
written?
My
debut novel Playing for Keeps was the first in the ‘Playing’ series and
released in August 2014. I also wrote a
short erotic story that released in the Masquerade anthology in November 2014.
3. Do you publish in e-book, print, or both?
I
publish in both and although most of my fans buy my ebooks as the print costs
make the print versions so expensive, it is nice for fans to have a signed
paperback copy in their hands. I am more
than happy to sign and send out copies on request and quite often feature
signed books as giveaways on my page or blog.
4. Where can readers find your books?
My books are available at Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, Smashwords, All Romance Books, Blushing Books, iTunes and of course on
my own website.
5. What do you think are the biggest challenges
for the type of writing that you do?
My
biggest challenge is promotion. I’m basically a fairly shy person, until I get
to know you well. I’m not the type to stand up and say ‘hey, look at me!’ in
fact the very idea makes me feel sick.
I’m
not ashamed of the genre I write. Everyone nowadays reads ‘smut’. Following on from FSOG, erotica is no longer
hidden; people no longer hide the fact that they read it, and women are very
open about discussing it. However, even though many big businesses have made a
lot of money out of erotica, many of them still refuse to advertise or promote
erotica books. Trying to place a
straight advert becomes a major challenge in diplomacy and tact, making the job
a lot more complicated than it should be.
I
am forced to rely on many good friends to help spread the word about my books,
all of which means that recognition will take a lot longer. If I could
advertise my books as easily as I would any other item I wanted to sell, then
life would be sweeter. But, I am shy and
I know I would make a lousy saleswoman… so yes, promotion is the biggest
challenge I face as a writer.
6. How did you get started in writing?
I
have always enjoyed writing for myself, but mainly wrote poetry. I am a big
reader and could easily read 3 or 4 books every week, even when I was working
full-time. I always fancied that one day I would sit down and write my own
stories… but to be honest, I thought it was something I wouldn’t get around to
doing until I retired. I’ve got to say I’m really glad I didn’t wait that
long.
My
first book came about because I was going through a stressful period in my life
– my son was very ill and awaiting a major brain op – and I just couldn’t
sleep. I played on the computer in the
middle of the night, and one night came across an online writing class. I
needed a distraction, so I signed up. I
live in the UK, the class was in the US, so my working on it in the middle of
the night kind of worked out right time wise. I took the class – worked on and
polished the piece over several months. I subsequently went on to submit and
sell my first book, and to gain a contract for a series of books which I had
already planned.
7. Where and How can readers get in touch with
you?
Readers can catch up with me and get the latest
news from:
8. So with your latest
work released/or being released, what comes next? What can we expect from you
in the future?
I have another two books in the ‘Playing’ series to
finish off. I am working on the two concurrently at the moment, when I hit a
wall in one, I switch to the other until I have worked out the kink.
{grin} I am hoping to release Playing
with Fire by the end of this summer, and the final book (title yet to be
determined) by the end of the year.
9. How much of your
personality and life experiences are in your writing?
To be honest, I’m not sure! I like my women in my novels to have a bit of
back bone and to be able to stand up for themselves. I love alpha males – in
and out of books {wink}, and I definitely like a man who knows how to take
charge. I would say that quite a bit of
my personality comes through in my books – but which parts of my books are
based on experience? I’m not telling! {giggle}
10. Do you have a set
schedule for writing or do you just go with the flow?
I have to be in the mood! I do try and write every day
– even if it’s only for half an hour, but if I can’t get into the zone – then I
may as well not bother. I rarely plan or plot out my books beforehand, so I
have definitely to be in the right frame of mind before the words start to
flow. Some days are easier than others, and it is definitely better if the
house is quiet and peaceful. I do some of my best writing in the wee small
hours, when all is dark, and I have little chance of being interrupted.
11. What is your routine
once you start writing a book?
I don’t have one! I just go with the flow... which
probably annoys the hell out of my publisher, but I have to be in the right
frame of mind to write. I can’t just sit down and make myself do it, because I
feel that I should. Some days are easier than others… and some days I don’t
even want to switch on my pc. But when I do get there, I will keep writing for
hours on end until I hit ‘the end’. Then it’s into editing, proof-reading,
cover design and finally the release day!
13. What about you in
general? What is it that makes you tick? Makes you you? Things you like to do
and what prompted you into writing?
I’m a very simple person on the whole. I have a
demanding day job for a large national company, but recently took a step back
and reduced my hours to enable me to spend more time with my grand-children.
I love to cook and would be quite happy to be tied to
the kitchen sink. I can spend all day in the kitchen, baking bread or cakes and
trying out new recipes, and never get bored. I like to garden – but the
emphasis is definitely on veg not flowers. I am the kiss of death to anything
floral in the garden, but, will tend to my veg plants manically. I then
cook, freeze, preserve with jams, chutneys and sauces like a madwoman at
harvest time safe in the knowledge that I am only feeding my family natural
products. I am a really foodie and passionate about good quality, chemical
free, produce.
14. Where do you see
yourself in five years?
Hopefully working less
hours on my day job and being able to spend more time writing. I would like to think that by the time five
years has passed I will have quite a few more books under my belt, and that I
will have gathered a loyal following of readers. I already have some really
wonderful fans who write regularly asking for news of upcoming books and I am
hoping that they will help to spread the word and I won’t have to promote so
hard.
15. What kind of
research do you when writing one of your works?
I don’t think anyone needs to research romance as such
but I enjoy researching the latest gadgets and sex toys {giggle}. I am fairly
broad minded, and it’s very rare that something will make me blush, but I am
amazed at the news things that are always coming out – especially the advent of
remotely operated toys! I like to incorporate something different into each
book… to give people ideas for something new they can try out at home. After all erotica is meant to titillate and
stimulate creative juices.
16. What does your
significant other think of your writing?
He tells me he is very proud, which is lovely. As he
says, many people dream of writing a book, but not many get around to actually
doing it. As for the subject matter, he thinks my books are sexy and a bit of a
turn on, so as long as he’s happy… so am I.
17. Do you ever ask them
for advice or ideas to go into your works?
No! He thinks my mind is far too kinky… he’s still
wondering how I come up with the things I do.
18. Have you ever
experienced Writer's Block? If so how
did you work through it?
Yes, unfortunately. I have a great editor who will sometimes talk
through the part of the book where I am having trouble – we will bounce ideas
back and forward – until I can see a way forward. Sometimes it is just a case of it not feeling
right to me. In Playing by His Rules I
wasn’t happy with the feel of the last couple of chapters… yet everyone else,
my editor and my publisher said they were fine. I couldn’t let it go, something
was off and I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I knew I had to change what I
had already written. After a full day at
work, when I was cross because I couldn’t concentrate on the job at hand due to
worrying about where my story had gone wrong, I arrived home and in a moment of
complete madness I hit the delete button on the last couple of chapters! Yes,
it was scary. It was also very liberating. This was my story and I could
re-write it any way I wanted, so I did just that. I sat down and wrote nearly
15,000 words straight off, working into the middle of the night, and I was a
lot happier with the finished article than I had been with the original.
19. Who are some of your
favourite authors to read?
I have very mixed reading tastes. I enjoy Science
Fiction and read Isaac Asimov and Greg Bear, I like a good mystery especially
if it is written by Patricia Cornwell. I enjoyed Terry Pratchett’s Disc World
and read The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit by J R Tolkien. I grew up reading Enid Blyton and Robert
Louis Stevenson as a child and went on to read the same books to my children
and now my grandchildren, hoping to instill a love of reading in them
also. I was and still am a romance freak,
and have read hundreds if not thousands of Harlequin / Mills & Boon books
over the years… though I must say I do enjoy the spicier Blaze and Cosmo series
more and more. {big grin} If I want something a little kinkier to read then CP
Mandara is my author of choice.
20. Anything else you'd
like to tell our readers?
I would like to say a big thank you to those who have
bought my books, who have left reviews, and have written and encouraged me to
keep writing. I am humbled and amazed at the number of people who have engaged
with my characters, and who have made contact with me. Through my writing I have made many new
friends, from near and afar, and they inspire me to produce the best work I
can.
21. Lastly do you have
any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?
Don’t give up the dream. It
may take you longer than you thought to write your first book… but never give
up.
Don’t put off until
tomorrow what you can do today! I wish I had started writing 20 years ago
instead of putting it off. I used to tell myself I didn’t have the time, that I
would do it when I retire, when I have less distraction… the excuses were
endless. The truth is I still have those distractions, I now have
grand-children instead of children, I still work more or less full-time, I
still run a home… but I have now managed to write my books. I didn’t do it
overnight… it was a slow process of an hour or so every evening, but in even an
hour you can get down 1000 words – if you do that every day at the end of 3
months you will have the draft of your first novel. So give it a go… if I can do it, so can you!
About
the Author:
Glenda Horsfall was
born and brought up in the beautiful city of Edinburgh.
From an early age she was an avid reader. She
became engrossed in reading romance novels in her early teens and promised
herself that one day she would sit down and write her own.
That dream has now been achieved with the
publication of her first novel 'Playing for Keeps'. A tale of Domination and
submission, the story is also a romance with a Happy Ever After ending!
Glenda now lives on the Fylde Coast of England
with her own hero. She has a grown up son and three beautiful grand-daughters.
Having worked for many years as an Accountant,
she loves being able to let her creative imagination run wild as she creates
romantic stories for you to enjoy.
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