Menagerie Authors: Monday Author Interview ~ Roz Lee!!!

Menagerie Authors: Monday Author Interview ~ Roz Lee!!!: This week on the couch is our dear friend, ROZ LEE!!!! We couldn’t wait to have her come by, so we hope you enjoy the interview as much as...

Six Sentence Sunday 6/12/11

Thanks for stopping by today! My six are from the second book in the Lothario series - SHOW ME THE ROPES. Richard has gifted Fallon with a rope ensemble.

Enjoy!

His hands skimmed her midriff, across the swell of her hips, pausing to test the rope at her waist. His fingers swept across her abdomen and brushed across the top of her mound. Glory to God she was beautiful. He couldn’t wait to see her body criss-crossed with more ropes. One hand cupped her. She trembled again, and he fought the need to take her right then.

Read more.

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Give Me a Break

I drive a certain stretch of Interstate Highway on a regular basis. It's two lanes each way that wind through some of the most beautiful scenery you've ever seen. I try not to take this beauty for granted by speeding past it. Today was no different. On the way home from the pit (gym) I was behind a tractor-trailer rig for a good portion of the way. We were in the right lane, going along at the speed limit, maybe even a little below it which was okay with me. The turns on that stretch can be treacherous. We came around the last big curve where the road widened out to allow a decent right shoulder. Suddenly, the truck in front of me signaled and moved into the left lane. I immediately saw the reason - a NJ State Trooper was parked on the shoulder- lights flashing.

As is the law in many states, drivers are required to move over when they see flashing lights on the shoulder. I signaled to do so - checked my mirrors and over my shoulder and saw that it wouldn't be possible to move over until a few cars passed. I decelerated which ticked off the people behind me, who quickly moved to the left lane, blocking me from doing so. Time and distance to safely move over had run out - I had no choice but to pass the Trooper without changing lanes. I did so, and went on about my business.

The next exit was mine. I took it. A glance in my rear-view mirror showed the Trooper on my bumper. No lights, just riding my bumper. I made the necessary turns toward home, and still he remained close behind. (This is not a busy area, so it was not coincidence). He followed me for nearly a mile and I'm sure he was running my license plate while doing so. I continued on my way. I even came to a complete stop at the stop sign near my house that no one can figure out why it's there. He remained on my bumper until I turned onto my little street. By then I guess he knew my grocery-grabber was registered to someone on that street, and I was going home.

So...I have to wonder. Was I suspicious because I tried to obey the law? Should I have buzzed by him without making an attempt to move over? Honestly, I wouldn't have given it a second thought had the news media not recently reported about State Troopers cracking down on motorists who fail to move over. Seems, they've decided to enforce that particular law in these parts, even baiting motorists in order to do so.

I applaud their efforts to nab unsafe drivers, especially the ones who drive like maniacs along that particular stretch of road. There is no margin for error there. No shoulders to rely on if you take the curves too fast, only unforgiving concrete rail on one side, and a river on the other, but honestly? Me? In my six year old, almost too small to be an SUV, SUV? Really. Give me a break.

I hope he found his way back to the freeway. I'll likely see him tomorrow on my daily trek. Will he remember me?

Six Sentence Sunday 5/1/11

Today I offer a snip-it from my femme dom novella, STILL TAKING CHANCES, which releases October 1, 2011. I know it's a long way off so I shouldn't be teasing you like this, but I can't help myself. I absolutely love the characters in this one!

In this scene, Elgin thinks he's in charge of what's going to happen. Yeah...right...

No, he had nothing to fear from Ms. Frost Your Balls Winters. He’d go in there, tell her what was what, and have her naked under him in minutes. Maybe he’d let her spank him a little first so she’d feel like a real femme dom. He smiled. Yeah, she’d like that, and he would too. He knocked on the door. When she called out as if she’d been expecting him, he opened the door and stepped inside.

You can see what else I'm up to at my website - www.rozlee.net

Thanks for stopping by!

Six Sentence Sunday

I’ve been a follower of Six Sentence Sunday for a while now, but hadn’t gotten up the nerve to participate – until now. So…

Welcome to my blog. Hope you enjoy this little excerpt from my debut novel, THE LUST BOAT. Ryan has arranged an erotic massage class for Candace. Thor is the instructor.

Thor’s hand left her, taking his heat with him, only to be replaced by Ryan’s hand that burned even hotter. She’d never been more embarrassed in her life, but oh God it felt good. Ryan’s touch overwhelmed her, reduced her to a mass of raw nerve endings. Thor continued to issue instructions to Ryan. His voice faded away in the sensual haze Candace drifted in. Lost in the incredible warmth and the need building inside her, she moved her hips, lifting against the delicious pressure Ryan created.

If you want to know more about me, or my books, stop by my website www.rozlee.net

Have a wonderful day!

Roz Lee

I Bought It – Why Can’t I Share It?

By Roz Lee

The world is changing, and along with it, my bookshelf. One upon a time, I bought real books. You know the ones—they’re made of paper and you hold them in your hand and actually have to turn the pages. When you’ve read them, they gather dust on your shelves; take up space in drawers and in boxes in the garage and attic because you can’t bring yourself to part with them.

Now I have one of those fancy electronic books. I click a few keys, and before I can find my reading glasses, a dozen new books appear on my virtual bookshelf. I can carry my entire library on vacation with me. I can add to my collection from anywhere, whether I’m at the beach or riding in the car. It’s a miracle. It’s technology.

It’s also the bane of every author’s existence.

EBook Piracy undermines the existence of the publishing industry. Readers download their favorite titles, and then share them with the world, and see nothing wrong with doing so. I’ve had a hard time understanding why it’s wrong too, but bear with me for a few minutes and I think I can explain.

There are two parts to a book. The first part is the physical book. Its sheets of paper bound together. The other part is the CONTENT. That’s the ideas, the story printed on the pages. The Book is what you purchased, the paper and the binding. The CONTENT belongs to the person who owns the copyright. Nine times out of ten, this is the author.

Back when, you went to the bookstore and came home with a book you could hold in your hand. You read the book, and you liked it so much you wanted to share it. You handed the book to a friend or relative to read. You no longer have possession of that book. There is still only the one copy you purchased, whether you gave it away or loaned it. You have not separated the CONTENT from the BOOK. You have done nothing wrong.

Now, let’s consider another scenario. You bought the book and brought it home. You read it. You loved it. You wanted to share it with everyone you know. You take it to work and use the copy machine to run off one, or two dozen, copies and give them away. You have violated the author’s copyright. You have copied the CONTENT of the BOOK. You may give away or loan the paper and binding, but the CONTENT is a separate entity and belongs to the author.

So now, you’ve moved into the modern world and purchased an eReader. You went online and purchased an electronic book (eBook). What you downloaded to your eReader is the CONTENT of the book. If you give or loan your eReader to someone else, and allow them to read the book you purchased, you have done nothing wrong, the same as loaning the paper and binding type book. The CONTENT you purchased the right to read is still in the electronic device you used to read it.

Scenario #2. You download an electronic book to your eReader or computer. You want to share it with one, or a million people you know, because it’s the best book you’ve ever read. You copy the file (CONTENT), attach it to an email and send it to everyone on your contact list, or to just your best friend. It doesn’t matter if it’s one copy, or ten million. It’s still copyright infringement. You have separated the CONTENT from the delivery method – in this case, and electronic device of some sort.

Why is it copyright infringement? Because you have copied the CONTENT of a book and given it away without the consent of the person who owns the copyright (the author), nor has the copyright owner received payment for the use of the material they spent countless hours creating. It’s the same as if you’d taken a physical book and made copies on the office copy machine. It’s just infinitely easier, and faster. And if you can do it, what’s to stop the people you sent it to from doing it too? Nothing.

This is what authors are up against today. Too many people believe that the intellectual work of another should be given away for free. Let me give you a simple example. Let’s say you invent a really great gadget. It’s something everyone needs, or at least, everyone wants. You’ve put in countless hours thinking about it, drawing sketches, making prototypes, testing, perfecting, until it’s the best-darned gadget it can be. You spend your life savings having some professionally made, and you invest in a marketing plan to sell them. People buy them. You are ecstatic! You’ve made a difference in the world. People will know your name!

A few weeks after your initial success, you see that everyone in the world now has one of your gadgets, only you have not sold that many gadgets. Someone else has made these and given them away to everyone on the planet. Now, no one is going to buy yours. You will never be able to reap the profits you deserve for all the time and intellectual talent you put into the concept and creation of your gadget.

Sucks, doesn’t it?

What if you went to work every day for a week, a month, a year, several years? You put in long hours on the job thinking you would be paid when the task was satisfactorily completed. Only when you complete the task, someone takes the fruit of your labor, gives it away, and tells you thanks for all the hard work, it’s really top notch work, but I don’t want pay you. Oh, and by the way, could you do that again please? I really loved the first one!

Yeah, that sucks too.

Let me assure you, very few authors are getting rich from their book sales, whether they are physical books or eBooks. Even in an eBook, there are a lot of middle-men who get their share of the proceeds first. Still, money earned is how society measures success, and authors are no different than anyone else in that respect. A lot goes into writing a book. They don’t just spring out of our heads and then miraculously get published. Like every other worker out there, we want to be paid for our labors, and the way we do that is by selling books.

Fat Lady on a Treadmill - Moved to Tears

I was moved to tears today on the elliptical. No, it had nothing to do with that cursed machine, though I’ve been close to tears on it many times. Today, instead of daydreaming about my next novel, I tuned in to the newscast on the nearest television. This is the day Representative Gabrielle Giffords left the University Medical Center in Tucson. Thirteen days after a failed assassination attempt, she left the hospital. She’s far from recovered, but, and this is where the romance author in me comes out—she was moved to a hospital closer to her husband’s home.

I can relate to her long distance marriage. I have one of those too, but hers reads like the cheesiest (my favorite kind) of romance novel. The Congresswoman and the Astronaut. Even network news couldn’t resist that title. Congresswoman Giffords lives in Arizona and Washington D.C. Her astronaut husband and her step-daughters live in Houston. There isn’t a romance writer on the planet who isn’t kicking themselves for not coming up with that scenario sooner! No doubt, several manuscripts are in the works right now with a similar hero and heroine.

But this is more than a romance novel. It’s a real life drama that involves the entire nation. Thirteen days ago we were shocked when a man turned a gun on a gathering of citizens exercising their right to speak to their Congressional Representative. That representative was doing what was she was elected to do—listen to her constituents. By all accounts, Congresswoman Giffords did this on a regular basis, and with an open mind to hear what they had to say. No matter what side of the political fence you sit on, you have to admire that kind of dedication to the job.

It’s been almost two weeks since the tragedy, and the memorials continue to grow for the other victims, many of whom died on that fateful day. I’ve been touched by the memorials, but they grew out of the community’s grief. I understand that. It’s natural to mourn the loss of life, especially when it ends so abruptly and in a manner we can’t fathom.

What moved me to tears today was a different kind of emotional outpouring. Today, a cavalcade of vehicles escorted Congresswoman Giffords from the hospital to the plane waiting to take her to Houston. A group of motorcyclists from the local VFW led the way, along with a police and fire escort. The ambulance proceeded slowly, respectfully, taking tender care of the precious cargo. From a helicopter vantage point, I witnessed something that made me proud to be an American. People lined the route, some held signs or waved American flags. Others cheered, waved or applauded. Some stood in solemn respect as Congresswoman Giffords took a figurative giant step in her recovery. They were there because they wanted Congresswoman Giffords to know they respect her dedication to public service. They were there because they believe in miracles, and because they needed to celebrate triumph over tragedy. They were there to celebrate the invincible American Spirit.

I couldn’t see what was going on inside the ambulance, but I can imagine her husband by her side, holding her hand as he has for countless hours, witness to this demonstration of American Spirit. Perhaps he was describing it to her, or tucking it away to tell her about when she’s ready to hear it. It’s a love story between two extraordinary Americans, and a love story between Americans and America.

Today I’m grateful for American heroes. They come in all shapes, sizes, genders and ethnic backgrounds. They serve our country in many ways. Some serve in uniform, others in local, state or national office. Some pursue scientific knowledge. Some wear a badge or a stethoscope; wield a gavel, a scalpel or a textbook. What they all have in common is a love of the American people and the American ideal. Congresswoman Giffords is an American hero.

All romance novels end with a HEA—Happily Ever After. For many involved in this tragedy, there will be no HEA, but for this extraordinary couple, I hope today was one more step toward the larger than life happy ending they deserve.