By Leigh Ellwood (Guest Blogger)
Though I’ve had works published for
over ten years, I consider 2014 a clean slate for me. In the last
decade I helped launch a new publisher (Phaze Books, in 2004) and
contributed works to charity projects (see Coming Together) and have
dabbled in self-publishing. I’ve had fun along the way and made a
few dollars, but I have come to a point in my career where I feel
it’s time to get serious. This means I need to decide which path in
publishing is right for me.
Some authors swear by self-publishing.
They enjoy the freedom to sell their work as they see fit, and to
handle every aspect from cover design to promotion. Others prefer the
traditional route and loyalty to a certain brand. Still others take
on the hybrid role and have it both ways. Having experienced both
sides of publishing, I choose in 2014 to submit my works to
publishers and hope for the best. Like many authors, I’m my worst
critic, and I wish to put my trust in a professional to assist me in
offering quality stories with attractive covers. I like the idea of
an author community within a publishing circle, where I can connect
with authors in the same house and work toward promoting all of our
works. It can happen with self-publishers, too, but sometimes it gets
lonely.
Bear in mind, I’m not dissing the
self-pub/indie route. It works for some, and I’m happy for those
who succeed. My goal for 2014 is to have fun, tell the stories I want
to write, and hopefully share in that success my own way. These first
contracts with Ellora’s Cave and Decadent Publishing mark a new era
for me, one I hope leads to big things.
For now, I have a short story in ComingTogether: Through the Storm, which benefits Mercy Corp. Look for
“And Lily Makes Three” along with other great stories from CT
authors.
Just to give you feeling for my writing, here's a quick snippet from "A Taste of Vanilla", in Coming Together: Girl on Girl.
***
Hailie
watched the onscreen couple embrace and kiss, and swallowed back a
catch in her throat. She’d seen her share of love scenes in her favorite
soaps and movies, but never two women together, and this looked damn
near pornographic by comparison. When Veronique—Hailie assumed she was
the blond-haired one—sat back on her heels and slid a hand up the other
woman’s thigh, Hailie felt the touch in her heart, then down to her
pussy. She knew they were actors, but the emotion appeared genuine, and
it certainly moved Hailie.
Veronique edged closer to her lover, pushing out her shadowed pussy to connect with the
other woman’s thigh. The camera zeroed in just as their mounds pressed together and began a slow grind. Light moaning and breathing accompanied their rhythmic lovemaking, drawing Hailie deeper into this world of grainy black and white sin.
Something pressed against her knee. Hailie looked down at Cecile’s fingers tracing a circle on Hailie’s slacks.
She turned to Cecile, whispering despite their seclusion. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
“I wouldn’t call it a plan,” Cecile said. “More of a spontaneous action,” she lifted her hand, “but if you’re uncomfortable I’ll stop—”
“I meant the movie.”
Cecile laughed. “I don’t pick the schedule here.”
“You picked the meeting place,” Hailie pointed out, “and how convenient it was to hook up in time to catch this particular show—”
Cecile silenced her with a kiss, with soft lips and a gentle thrust of her tongue across the seam of Hailie’s closed mouth. She felt warm and the aroma of vanilla strengthened with their closeness. Blood pounded in Hailie’s head, muffling the background noise of Sapphic ecstasy. Hailie couldn’t move—unsure of what to do in return. Open her mouth? Reach over and pull Cecile to her?
Veronique edged closer to her lover, pushing out her shadowed pussy to connect with the
other woman’s thigh. The camera zeroed in just as their mounds pressed together and began a slow grind. Light moaning and breathing accompanied their rhythmic lovemaking, drawing Hailie deeper into this world of grainy black and white sin.
Something pressed against her knee. Hailie looked down at Cecile’s fingers tracing a circle on Hailie’s slacks.
She turned to Cecile, whispering despite their seclusion. “You planned this, didn’t you?”
“I wouldn’t call it a plan,” Cecile said. “More of a spontaneous action,” she lifted her hand, “but if you’re uncomfortable I’ll stop—”
“I meant the movie.”
Cecile laughed. “I don’t pick the schedule here.”
“You picked the meeting place,” Hailie pointed out, “and how convenient it was to hook up in time to catch this particular show—”
Cecile silenced her with a kiss, with soft lips and a gentle thrust of her tongue across the seam of Hailie’s closed mouth. She felt warm and the aroma of vanilla strengthened with their closeness. Blood pounded in Hailie’s head, muffling the background noise of Sapphic ecstasy. Hailie couldn’t move—unsure of what to do in return. Open her mouth? Reach over and pull Cecile to her?
If you comment below on your favorite genre to read, I’ll
draw a winner to receive a backlist title from my eBook catalog.
Thanks for reading!
~
Leigh Ellwood – Variety and Spice!
