About S.J. Maylee

S.J. Maylee fell in love with storytelling at a young age and with it came a deep-seated desire for everyone to find their happily ever after. She’s finding the happy endings for her characters one steamy story at a time. When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her caring for her garden, laughing with her two young sons, or dancing to her husband’s music. She’s a PMP (Project Management Professional), Nia instructor, and coffee addict. As a writer she has a tendency to break hearts, but she always glues them back together

Daily Picspiration – Stay

Posted on June 24, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I’m back at Daily Picspiration today ~~> http://picspiration.blogspot.com <~~ with a brand new flash and it’s there First Anniversary. Wahoo! A whole year of daily flashes. I’m kicking off the new year with a flash I’ve titled Stay.

Fireworks by Melissa Bowersock

Remember, Daily Picspiration has new posts everyday. Each member posts once every other week. I post every other Monday. A couple of pictures are chosen and the writer chooses the length, genre, and subject matter, but we have to tie in one or both of the photos into the story.

You’ll have to let me know if you’d like to read more from this story.

Visit Daily Picspiration to read a little about each author. You can go back daily for something new and, of course, go today to read my new flash, Stay. Enjoy.

Interview and Giveaway: Altered Frequency by Joya Fields

Posted on June 19, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Please help me welcome Joya Fields. She’s here today with the details on her latest release, Altered Frequency. She’s answered a bunch of questions from me, she’s so interesting. Plus, she’s kindly offered two GIVEAWAYS. See it all below. 🙂

Altered Frequency
Hauntings at Inner Harbor #2

by Joya Fields

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: 137 pages

Released: May 17th 2013

Publisher: Decadent Publishing

Blurb:

After losing her father and brother in the line of duty, Missy Prescott vows never to get involved with anyone who has a dangerous job. Blessed with a golden voice, she takes a job as a disc jockey with her own late-night lovelorn dedication show on a popular radio station in Baltimore.

Blake Decker has never had a family. He has come to count on the only family he knows—his brothers on the police force. He’s a one-night-stand kind of guy when it comes to relationships.

Betty McAllister, the caring woman who used to live in Missy’s apartment, is now a ghost. She refuses to cross over until Blake—whom she viewed as her own son—is happily in love. She thinks Missy is the perfect girl for him.

Missy and Blake need to keep each other at a distance as they work together to help Betty find a way to cross over. But when danger lurks, will Missy and Blake lose everything?

Interview:

What was the first book to make a lasting impression on you?

What a great question. I read lots of books growing up, but I think the book that made the most lasting impression on me was the first book in the Little House on the Prairie series. I think it was Little House in the Big Woods. I just loved reading about Laura Ingalls and her Pa. Their family endured so much hardship, but Laura sure had a can-do attitude.

Laura Ingalls, that brings back some fabulous reading memories of my own. Which one of your characters would you NOT like to meet in real life?

Well, I would certainly NOT want to meet the evil presence from Hereafter (Hauntings at Inner Harbor, Book 1). It’s dark, scary…and wants to hurt the heroine. Heck, I watch horror movies from behind my hands. I definitely don’t want to meet a scary paranormal being.

Good choice, no thank you, lol. Which one of your characters would you most like to meet in real life?

While book one in the series has some scary paranormal activity, Altered Frequency (Hauntings at Inner Harbor, Book 2), has a very different tone because of a matchmaking ghost. I pictured someone like Betty White. So I would love to meet Betty McAlister, the ghost, because I think she’d be a hoot. I’d sure like to meet Betty White in person, too.

I would too. She’s fabulous inspiration for a character, love it. What turns you on creatively?

Injustice. I know that sounds strange, but when I hear about an injustice, or view one, I want to highlight it and bring it to people’s attention through a fictional story. Often, my characters have a disability, or something that makes them have to work harder at abilities the rest of us take for granted.

That’s very admirable. What quality do you most admire in a friend?

Good listening skills. Sometimes you don’t want opinions or suggestions, you know? You just want someone to listen. So I think a good friend knows when to sit quietly and let you vent. Lots of my characters are good listeners.

I totally agree. Allowing someone to vent and know that’s all they need is a venerable quality. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Farming. I love being outside, admire the hard work it takes to raise crops and livestock, and enjoy seeing progress when I work. My kids were in 4-H when they were kids, and I think I had more fun than they did raising pigs and chickens and growing vegetables.

I too admire their hard work and I’ve heard many good things about 4-H. I’d love to spend all day in my yard tending my gardens. What is your greatest extravagance?

A bubble bath with candles. Sooooo relaxing.

I haven’t had the opportunity for a nice long bath in a long time. Calgon take me away, lol. What is your motto?

I like borrowing Henry Ford’s motto and I have it taped near my computer. “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.”

That’s a great quote of Henry Ford’s. He also wrote another of my favorites: Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a writer?

Another great question. I seem to be able to write books pretty quickly, but it’s the revisions that take me a while to complete. Lucky for me, I have great critique partners who step in and help me make the stories the best they can be. Other than that, I’ve been very lucky and haven’t faced too many writing challenges.

Revisions can be tough, especially when you realize a large change is needed. I often stumble at this point, but once I let the change soak in and get over the shock at face value, it often isn’t as horrible as I originally made it out to be, lol. What is the one thing you do after finishing a story?

High five our pug, Peanut! And then we go for a celebratory walk. Since I work from home, she’s the only one around, and she gets very excited when I say “the end!” Or…on second thought, maybe she gets excited about the part where I say, “want to go for a walk?” haha. Then, I get back to writing.

That’s awesome. Peanut is such a cute name for a pug. Tell us a bit about the projects you are working on now?

Thanks very much for asking! I just received a contract for book 3 in the Hauntings at Inner Harbor series, so we’ll be working on those edits soon. My work-in-progress is a farm trilogy. Hot, sexy, muscular guys who are working hard to keep their family farm in business. I’m having a lot of fun visiting local farms in Maryland for the research on these books.

Author Bio:

Joya Fields has had over 100 stories and articles published in local and national magazines. Her debut novel, a romantic suspense, was a NJRW GOLDEN LEAF WINNER FOR BEST FIRST BOOK OF 2012 and was nominated for RT Book Reviews 2012 Indie Press/Self-Published Contemporary Romance award. She’s since released three more books.

Over the years, Joya has taught arts and crafts, worked in public relations, owned a daycare center, helped her children raise prize-winning 4-H livestock, competed in three marathons, and even spent a year as a Baltimore Colts cheerleader. Joya loves spending time with her high school sweetheart/husband of over twenty-five years, two very supportive children, and a pug who follows her everywhere. www.joyafields.com

Find Joya:

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=joya+fields

Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5395700.Joya_Fields

Twitter: @joyafields https://twitter.com/JoyaFields

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/JoyaFieldsAuthor

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Frequency-Hauntings-Harbor-ebook/dp/B00CSXJ2GU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369272959&sr=8-1&keywords=altered+frequency+joya

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/altered-frequency-joya-fields/1115318179?ean=2940016586243

Decadent Publishing: http://www.decadentpublishing.com/product_info.php?products_id=778&osCsid=6v09v6em02ct5d9r6t7k212767

AllRomance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-alteredfrequency-1211906-149.html

GIVEAWAYS

#1 – One lucky commentor will receive trading cards for the book. I’ll number the comments in the order they were received and utilize random.org to select a winner on the morning of Friday, June 21st.

#2 – GRAND PRIZE: $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to one winner
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight & Review: Surrender to Me by Ella Jade

Posted on June 17, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

It’s release day for one of my favorite authors, Ella Jade. I have all the details on her latest release, Surrender to Me, including the Blurb, Buy Links, Trailer, Excerpt, Ella’s bio and links, a Giveaway, AND my review of Surrender to Me. I loved it and hope you do to. Enjoy.

What happens when a Dominant falls for his not-so-submissive attorney?

Martin Abrams, owner of Master M’s BDSM club, has become unfulfilled with his lifestyle. Ever since his sub, Gracie, left to marry her true love, Martin has lost his way. Living the life of the head Dominant in his circle isn’t as appealing as it once was. Something seems to be missing.

Sassy lawyer Arianna Covington relocates to New York City after a humiliating divorce. She’s looking for a fresh start when she agrees to become Martin’s exclusive attorney. She’s intrigued by his domineering personality and wants to know why women kneel at his feet.

Their attraction is undeniable despite Ari’s initial beliefs that she will never submit to Martin’s desires. But Martin is up for the challenge. Arianna is more than he ever imagined in a woman. He vows to claim her heart, with or without the games. Who will surrender first?

Featuring Cade and Gracie from Make Me Stay.

BUY LINKS:

Beachwalk Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Check out the hot and sexy trailer for a peek into the plot.

Excerpt

“All the subs act that way around you?” Arianna asked.

“It’s the only way they know. It’s what’s expected of them.”

“I don’t understand how any woman would bow down like that. It’s not normal.”

“Maybe not for you.” Martin understood Arianna’s position. Most who didn’t participate in a Dominant and submissive relationship didn’t get it.

“It’s degrading. She can’t use the phone. She’s a grown woman.”

“Arianna, this is a lifestyle you can’t possibly comprehend because you know nothing about it. A submissive gets just as much as he or she gives. The arrangement they enter into with a Dom is consensual. Roxy is not forced into being here. Her Dom respects and cares for her. She has a very good life.”

“He punishes her.”

“When she disobeys. It’s in her contract.”

“A contract that can’t possibly be enforced in court.”

“Spoken like a true lawyer.” He finished his scotch. “The contract is to protect them both. It lists what is expected of a sub and what the Dominant’s responsibilities are. They outline hard and soft limits. We create a safe, sane, and consensual environment, and that contract maintains trust between the two parties. As long as it is upheld between the parties involved that’s all that matters.”

“To each his own, I suppose.” She shrugged. “I’m your real estate attorney. What you do here is none of my business.”

Then why are you here, kitten?

“I’m very open, Arianna. If you have questions, I’ll be happy to answer them. People should be educated in my lifestyle. It isn’t as uncommon or bizarre as you may think.” He reached for her hand. “I hope you won’t judge me without getting to know me.”

“Um, no.” She looked down at their joined hands. He liked the way her cheeks turned colors when he flustered her. “Of course not. This whole environment is different. It’s going to take some getting used to.”

“I understand.” He ran his thumb over the soft skin of her hand. “If you’d prefer not to meet here anymore—”

“It’s not a problem.”

“Very well.” He smiled because as he suspected she wanted to be there. “Will you join me for dinner?”

Martin couldn’t remember the last time he’d asked a woman to have dinner with him. He usually just summoned a sub when he was in the mood for company. Gracie was the last woman he’d spent any time with at all. Perhaps it was time to explore his options. Obviously, Arianna would be different than the women he dealt with, but he liked the change. When Gracie left him for Cade everything changed. He hadn’t been interested in another sub. As a matter of fact, he hadn’t been interested in another woman until now.

“I’d love to join you for dinner, Mr. Abrams.”

“I’d like you to call me Martin.” Allowing people to use his name wasn’t a privilege he granted often, but everything was different with her. He stood from the bar and picked up her briefcase. “I hope you like Italian. I ordered enough for six people. I wasn’t sure what you would want.”

“Italian is fine.” She took his extended hand and walked to the back of the club with him. “Why didn’t you just wait and ask what I would want?”

“I’m not used to asking.” He motioned for her to take a seat in the huge u-shaped booth that overlooked the Manhattan skyline.

“Oh, Martin.” She giggled. He liked the way his name tumbled off her lips. “You have a lot to learn about non-submissive women.”

Surrender to Me is the sequel to Make Me Stay but both books stand alone so the reader can choose to read either one first. You may want to start with Make Me Stay to get the back story.

Both Books available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and ARE

Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can’t be stopped.

Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she’s not chasing after her kids, she’s busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking. She hopes you’ll get lost in her words.

You can find Ella here…

http://ellajadeauthor.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ella-Jade-Author/186959391390708?ref=hl

GIVEAWAY

During this tour I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card to help feed your reading addiction.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

SJ’s Review:

I fell in love with Martin in Ella Jade’s Make Me Stay. I was excited to read more about this elusive and exciting man and we get it here. He is the Master Dom and everything demanding and sexy I dreamed him to be. Ella didn’t go easy on this guy though. She put Ari in his path, a woman meant to be his, but she’s not a submissive, or is she?

This story is all romance and then some, yum. Surrender to Me is a sexy hot ride. Watching two strong characters fall in love with the type of person they were least expecting is captivating. I enjoyed watching Ari melt and give in to Martin’s dominating hand.

Ari’s insecurities are tested. Martin’s dominance is tested. These two push and pull and, well, you’ll have to read it for yourself. I recommend this book to all BDSM erotic romance readers.

Plus, we get to catch up a little with Gracie and Cade from Make Me Stay and I’m hoping we’ll be able to read more about Ari’s cousin, Hunter and a character from this book. I give no spoilers, you’ll have to read it. 🙂 This is another excellent, Ella Jade book.

Weekend Writing Warriors – The Gentlemen

Posted on June 16, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click here to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Click the logo to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. 😀

Once again, I’m sharing from my just started WIP…Gina’s still healing from divorce. Although she gets along with her ex, it’s his best friend, Marcus, that’s the last person she’d want to see on her night out at the local BDSM club, but that’s exactly who she ran into. Last Week Marcus noticed Gina and basically called her a liar, nice. This week. I’ve skipped nothing.

“Always the gentlemen.” This had to be a new record. In less than a minute, he had her loathing herself. It didn’t matter he was working on incorrect data. “Hope not to see you again.” She waved as she turned to go.

“Wait.”

She kept moving.

His hand came down on her shoulder and pulled her around. “I said wait.”

Wait for what? I think I know, lol. Hope you’ll come back and find out and I hope you enjoyed my eight today. Poor Gina, she’s still looking for release. Maybe next week, maybe. 😉 Here’s a tweet, if you want to share.

Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. Don’t forget to check out the other Weekend Warriors, the Snippet Sunday Facebook Group, and Saturday Spankings too.

Flash Fiction #43 A Commitment

Posted on June 14, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Thanks for stopping. Another picture…another 100 words.

Stockvault

“The place on Cedar Street closed?” Tad’s eyebrows raised and he tilted his head.

“A coffee house opened on Cherry a while back. It’s pretty good.”

Candy’s childhood crush was even cuter than she remembered. The way he listened had her convinced, he was just as pleased to see her. Excitement danced across her skin. Her body shook and her robe slipped, revealing her shoulder.

He reached out and caressed the tattoo now peeking out. “When did you get this?”

“Slowly over the last year.”

“That’s a commitment.” He pulled her robe down a smidge. “How far does it go?”

Hope you enjoyed my flash today!! Don’t forget to follow the link to get to the other FFF posts. Flasher Fiction Friday. Or click away on the links below.

Ray Sostre: http://theafterdarkworld.blogspot.com
Angelica Dawson: http://angelicadawson.blogspot.com
J S Morbius: http://morbiussworld.blogspot.co.uk/
Gemma Parkes: http://gemmaparkes.blogspot.com/
Sherri Hayes: http://www.sherri-hayes.blogspot.com/
Doris O’Connor: http://thetardisscribbles.blogspot.co.uk/
Pablo Michaels: http://www.pmmanmanromance.com

Writing Wisdoms: How Cliche Can Harm Your Creative Writing

Posted on June 12, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Author Pam Johnson is here again today offering up some more of her writing wisdom.

How Cliche Can Harm Your Creative Writing
Whether you recently submitted a creative writing assignment or did so in the past, your professor or teacher might have written the word “cliche” on it. A cliche is a saying that is generally overused. For example, “Life is short” has become a cliche in modern society. Why do these phrases hurt your creative writing?

They’re Not Creative
The fact that cliches drain all creativity from the sentence is the major reason why they should not be included in creative writing. The point of creative writing is to come up with your own ideas and to express yourself. When you are using cliches, you are expressing another person but certainly not yourself. Your audience wants to see that you brought your own spirit into the writing.

They Show Laziness
When you cannot think of something to write or say, what do you do? If you just throw a cliche in there to fill space, then you are doing a true disservice to your writing. Cliches show that you did not want to take the time to think of something poignant to put in there. As a result, your audience might feel that you really do not appreciate creative writing as an art. Cliches show that you think of creative writing as something you have to do as opposed to something that you want.

Cliches=Rushed Writing
People are taking the time to read the words you have written on the page. As a result, you should at least take the time to write them and express yourself properly. Throwing a cliche in there means that you could not think of anything else to write and that you did not want to wait awhile. Most people realize that you need to take the time to go back and revise a piece when you really care about it. Therefore, if you are using cliches, your audience is going to think that you actually don’t care about the piece or making it sound perfect!

Boring Writing
Cliches are also boring to read. People might not even bother to read them because they are just so superficial. At this point, so many cliches have been used time and time again that they do not have meaning anymore. People just use them as fillers in their conversations, and they do not care about what the words actually meant. When readers see a cliche in your writing, they will probably just pass over it. Sure, some readers might not notice if they are really just looking for a very casual novel or story. Ultimately though, you probably want to break beyond this barrier into a more sophisticated style of writing.

Should cliches be entirely avoided in creative writing? Well, writing dialogue is one exception. You may want to show that a character is a rather cliched individual or someone who uses these phrases all of the time. Still though, be careful of the overuse of any particular device when you are just breaking into the creative writing world.

Author Pam Johnson is a social worker who teaches children to write creatively as a way to cope with their difficult life events. She obtained his degree from one of the Best Top 10 Online Bachelor’s in Social Work Programs.

Daily Picspiration – Magic’s Trap

Posted on June 10, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

I’m back at Daily Picspiration today ~~> http://picspiration.blogspot.com <~~ with a brand new flash.

You’ll have to let me know if you’d like to read more from this story.

Visit Daily Picspiration to read a little about each author. You can go back daily for something new and, of course, go today to read my new flash, Magic’s Trap. Enjoy.

Weekend Writing Warriors – Who’s Lying Now

Posted on June 9, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Click the logo to go to the Weekend Writing Warriors blog

Welcome friends old and new. I’m glad you came. 😀

Once again, I’m sharing from my just started WIP. Last Week I introduced you to Gina She’s still healing from divorce. Although she gets along with her ex, it’s his best friend, Marcus, that’s the last person she’d want to see on her night out at the local BDSM club, but that’s exactly who she ran into. The first line is his.

“I’m not surprised you’ve come to the spanking benches. What have you done now?”

“Funny. I’d say it’s good to see you, but I’m not one to lie.”

“Really?” He shifted, squaring his hips in her direction, clasping his wrists in front of him. The paddle, still held in his hand, concealed his leather covered cock. “I haven’t observed that to be true.”

Ouch. Hope you enjoyed my eight today. Poor Gina, she’s still looking for release too. Maybe next week. Here’s a tweet, if you want to share.

Thank you so much for visiting me, it means a lot to me that you took the time to visit my little place on the web. Don’t forget to check out the other Weekend Warriors, and Saturday Spankings too.

ROW80 Check-in #64 Going for it

Posted on June 9, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

The writing challenge that knows you have a life.

From plot bunny to first, second, third… draft we toil over our manuscripts. It takes a whole heap of courage to come back day after day and write your heart out and a ton of commitment to edit it.

Then, there comes a time when you’re no longer helping your MS. Don’t stop. Bring in the big guns. Sure, sending your baby to be critiqued is nerve-racking, but the end result will be a cleaner manuscript. *happy place*

Courage, commitment, and a big dash of nerves isn’t enough however. At some point, it will be time to hit send. This is usually when I want to vomit, lol. I’m not sure how I got brave enough to go for it this week, but there was certainly a feeling of fearlessness in the act. I may have shut my eyes when I clicked send.

Are you one of the brave? Have you hit send lately or are you planning to hit send soon? Tell us how you do it. What gets you to push send?

The Goals – week-9 results

Spend at least 1-hour a day with my characters – done.
Daily progress in writing craft, word count, editing, and/or plotting – done. Although I wish I could do away with my evil day job, unless it’s pay day, I’m very thankful for its flexibility. Thursday I was able to spend almost the whole day on my WIP. After reading the notes from my brilliant beta, I cut all kinds of darlings. It was painful, but I sure do like the result. The MS moves much faster now. Whee!! 🙂 I hit send and moved on to my new WIP, adding 1k.
Workout a minimum of three times a week and round it out with plenty of water, sleep, and my calorie limit – done! I got in three workouts and kept to all my other goals here.
Weekly Nia study (i.e. studying the song/movement structure) – not done. WEEK 10 PRIORITY
Stay on top of my co-op preschool Treasurer responsibilities – done. I worked on several reports, paid several bills, and attended a parent meeting.
Organize something in the house each week – not done. WEEK 10 PRIORITY
Spend time in the Garden – done. It was a beautiful week here and I spent most of it inside editing, but by Friday, the day after hitting send, I spent several hours in the garden and yesterday too. Lots more weeding to do, but I’m making progress.

What you might have missed here this week:

The Trifecta: Liebster, Sunshine, and Versatility

Writing Wisdoms: 3 Tips for Improving Your Creative Writing Skills

Posted on June 6, 2013 by S.J. Maylee

Author Pam Johnson is here today offering up some of her writing wisdom.

3 Tips for Improving Your Creative Writing Skills
Creative writing is a field that so many people love. This subject allows you to express yourself and to have the chance of getting published one day. You can write your thoughts down and turn them into a story that many people may grow to love. What are some tips that can help you to improve these skills?

Just Write!
So many individuals have trouble getting those first few words down on the paper, but doing so is very important to your success. When you are first starting to write, you do not need to worry about making it sound perfect. You can always go back to edit later. For right now, just say what you want to say. You might find that you practically have a novel in no time at all! Of course, you can self-edit as you go so that you do not have a big mess later on. Still though, simply expressing yourself is often enough to help the creative juices come to life and to give you the motivation to write more. As with so many things in life, the first few steps are often the most difficult when it comes to creative writing.

Take College Courses
Yes, writing does come naturally to some people; however, you can still take a college class to brush up on your skills and to learn some new techniques. When you have never take a class in this subject matter before, you really do not know what you are missing out on. If you are a good writer, the techniques taught in the classes could help you to become a greater one. Perhaps you are a bit weary about your creative writing. Then, the classes will really help you to learn how to utilize your strengths. Do you feel that college class might be too expensive? Well then, look for classes that your community is offering for a lower rate.

Learn to Edit
Editing is a major part of the creative writing process. When you are free writing, making mistakes is going to happen. As far as the grammar and spelling, you really must be an expert. Publishers are not going to want to look at your works if they are full of mistakes. Even just for life in general, knowing how to properly communicate the written word is so important. Do not let it become a dying art. You also must know how to edit content. When you go back to read your manuscript, think about what an audience would enjoy. You want to be sure to express yourself, but you do not want to sound terribly self-indulgent either. Workshop classes are excellent ways to receive critiques so that you are able to really improve upon your own editing process.

Improving your creating writing skills is certainly a goal you can set for yourself. When you are willing to follow these tips and take the time to improve, you might be really amazed at the results you get.

Author Pam Johnson is a social worker who teaches children to write creatively as a way to cope with their difficult life events. She obtained her degree from one of the Best Top 10 Online Bachelor’s in Social Work Programs.