THE WORD IS I am having a chat today...

Sooooo, Hello, everyone.

THE WORD IS that I am having a chat today. It was short notice, so I'm sorry about that. Vicktor Alexander and I will be on a Facebook chat today at 12:00 EST, so come and see us. LORD it will be a fun time.

We will be giving away some fun prizes, so come and enjoy an hour with us.

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

BDSM Blog Hop

Hello, everyone, and welcome to my little corner of the blogverse. I'm a late with this post and I am so sorry about that. 

This week, we are talking about something that is near and dear to my heart: BDSM. 

Why is it near and dear, you ask? I am a submissive. 

You may be thinking, "Oh, that means she likes pain," or "she is weak and let's people control her," or "she want's someone to tell her what to do all of the time."

You'd be wrong on all counts.  

Hold on and I'll explain. 

Beyond some hair pulling, nipple clams, and a light flogging or spanking, I am not into pain. I have no desire for someone to whip me and I dread the cane with every cell of my body. BDSM is a spectrum; a sliding scale, if you will. Bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism - BDSM - can involve any and/or all variations of each term. You may like bondage and that's it, or you may long to be a slave and give up all of your power to another person. That is okay too. 

The main rule of BDSM is safe, sane and consensual. Which basically means whatever you and your partner agree to is perfectly acceptable within the realms of a safe environment. A good Dom will know when to push for more and when to back off, and will always - ALWAYS - have the safety of their Sub in mind, including their limits. 

Shibari

 As for being weak and letting people control me - try to take my power away and see what happens. I am a strong, independent woman. I'm Sicilian which means that I have a temper - although I typically have a very long fuse - and come from a matriarchal culture. If someone were to try to walk all over me, tell me what to do without my permission, or control me without my consent - hee hee - let's just say that hands would be flying and I would not be responsible for the words spewed from my mouth. On the other hand, I have some Doms who are my friends. They care about me and I trust them, so when they go all Dom on me, I allow it and usually immediately submit. It is my gift to them for the care and trust we have formed. It's by no means required and I could easily tell them to stuff it, but I don't want to. 

My power, my choice. 

 I am a natural submissive. I have a natural tendency toward service and people pleasing to the extreme. My mother used to tell me how I lost numerous friends from age four to age eight because I was constantly wanting acceptance and reassurance. But that wasn't the whole truth. I was always asking if they were okay; If they needed anything. If I could do anything for the them to make them happy. Were they still my friend. 

In my child's mind, I didn't understand. I just wanted so badly to please them. 

When my parents disciplined me, I would nearly always start crying before they spanked me. I remember numerous times where they would say, "I haven't even touched you yet." I was so upset that I disappointed them to the point where they felt the need to punish me that I was inconsolable. I also self-flagillate.  Not literally, but in my head. I will obsess over my failings and if I hurt someone it will torture me for quite some time. I am not exaggerating when I say my eyes well just thinking about it. 

It's not a need for perfection. It is a NEED to please, to serve, to make others happy. There is  reason I love to help people and offer to beta and edit without recognition or pay. I get more out of it then people realize, just from the idea that I'm helping and making someone happy. It fulfills that need to please. 

Oh, God! I'm a freak!

I've written about how I grew up in an extremely conservative Christian home. Sex was not even discussed other than to say that it was something one only did in the confines of marriage and it was a sin otherwise. So I thought I was just a needy freak and I tried to hide it and become "normal." 

  

I discovered what I was from a Sean Michael book. THANK  YOU, SEAN!! 

Now, I had played before that discovery, without realizing it. I wanted to be held down, to be spanked, and to have my hair pulled. I wanted someone to take control in the bedroom and if they didn't, I didn't enjoy it. I couldn't ask for it though. I just followed along and hoped for the best. Remember, I had no clue BDSM even existed at that point. After those books, I researched, joined Fetlife and read everything I could get my hands on. I'm not talking about just Romance novels either. I read articles and searched for more.

It was a miracle. I wasn't a freak. There was an explanation for all of my internal struggles and I couldn't get enough. Now, I was lucky because I had an internal warning system where I knew when something was not quite right. Maybe it was just because I knew myself, and what I did and did NOT want, I don't know. 

Here is where this becomes important. A lot of BDSM books have it all wrong. 

What I love the most about BDSM is the trust and communication. With a good Dom and in a good D/s relationship, it's give and take. The Dom should be concentrating on the Sub, what makes them happy, what they need (even if it's not what they want). In the same way, the Sub should be concentrating on the Dom. They would discuss what works and what is just not happening. The Sub trusts the Dom to take care of them and not to go to far, and the Dom trusts the Sub to communicate both verbally and physically. 

It's a circle and no one is left out or used.  

I love that!

Pretty rope work

A lot of books focus on the physical aspects of BDSM. The bondage with whipping, or spanking, or whatever. The discipline is sometimes silly and sexual, even when both parties are upset and dealing with a very real issue. 

There is so much more to it than that. 

The bad BDSM books can be detrimental if someone like me gets a hold of them and doesn't do their research. They could very easily think abuse is normal, when it is not!! They also cast a stigma on the BDSM community and the lifestyle, which up until recently was just as closeted as homosexuals, because of those same stigmas. 

It's important if you think you are a Dom or a Sub to do your research. Don't take everything you read as fact. And authors, please, if you don't know anything about the lifestyle, do your research or don't write it at all. I know it's popular right now, but you could do some real harm. 

If you have any questions, I'll be happy to answer anything. You can comment here or PM me on Facebook. All of my information is on my website and if I don't know an answer, I will find it for you.

Please enter to win below using the Rafflecopter. For the registrations to Authors After Dark, you must be able to get yourself to Charlotte, NC and you must be able to immediately reserve a hotel room at the Con Hotel. I will need your registration confirmation before I can get you the conference registration and you cannot share a room with someone already attending the con. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Check out the other BDSM hop blog posts here and make sure to leave some comments, ask questions and discuss. That's the reason we are doing this after all.

Hugs and Spanks,

Taylor

Write On The Edge

Hey everyone!!

I am going to be on Write On the Edge with Vicktor Alexander and Katherine Johnson tomorrow. I'm so excited. I've never been on the radio before, and with the questions that I've heard asked, I have a feeling it's going to be an interesting show.



I also just learned that every time you laugh or curse, you have to take a shot. And every time B.O.B. is mentioned, you have to finish your drink.

At this point, I'm not sure if it is just me that they are doing this for, or if it is really the rules of the show.

Me thinks maybe someone just wants me drunk.

Which will just make me laugh more.

Which, in turn, will cause me to take another shot.

And.....chaos will reign.

I've also heard there may be a hostile takeover. Okay, so maybe it won't be so hostile, but still.

You may not want to miss it. I'm sure there will be enough embarrassing material to hold over my head for years to come.

Oh, boy!

Thursday night, June 12th at 10:00 p.m. CST or 11:00 p.m. EST.  Click here for the link. 

Don't miss it.

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

HAHAT Contest Winner

         I hope everyone enjoyed the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia. I loved some of the posts and learned a lot. I think that is what it was all about.

         Thank you to everyone who read and commented on my post. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day.

         I put the names of everyone who commented on my blog into Random Picker and the winner of an ebook version of My Lord's Judgment and a $20.00 gift card to Amazon is.....

                 Drum-roll please....

            Yes, I am milking this...he he

                Rodney Batterman!! 

Woot!! Congratulations, Rodney. I am in the process of sending you an email, so check your inbox.

I hope everyone had a good weekend and Happy Humpday!

Until next time.

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

I Need to Snuff Out the Fag

Hello peeps and hoppers. 

I am here to talk about something that is near and dear to my heart. Today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and I am part of the Hop Against Homophobia. Click the links on the names to check out their websites.

“What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are.” ~ C.S. Lewis

I thought of this post during a conversation with my friend Vicktor Alexander about the Bible. I know. I can hear the mass groan from here. hee hee   It was a good conversation though. 

I know that my title probably shocked some of you. Although, most of you are readers, so this may not work ...smarty pants that you are.  I am going to set up a scenario for you. I do have a point, so hang in there with me.  

Ready? Here we go...

Walking by a wooden church on Main Street, I glance over at the door as I pass. Two men are standing there, looking agitated and somewhat angry. I frown and slow to a stop as my curiosity gets the better of me. 

"Let's go, William. We need to leave." The smaller of the two men, pulls on the other's arm, trying to drag him away.

"Who brought that thing here, Thomas? It shouldn't be here." The larger man sneers, looking through the door at an object I cannot see. He seems more upset by the moment.

Confusion clouds the smaller man's face. "What? The fag?"

"Yeah," his friend grunts. "It shouldn't be here. They're bad."

The younger man rolls his eyes. "Let's just go, William."

"No, I need to snuff out that fag first." He states, while striding purposefully toward his prey. 

Now, if you were walking by and heard this, what would you think?

If it were me, I would think that some bigoted jerks were going to hurt someone because they were homophobic.

What if I told you that this scene happened in the U.K., and the time period was in the 1950's? What if I also told you, that even today, the word "fag" is used some places instead of the word "cigarette."

If you exchange those two words, the meaning behind that scenario changes dramatically. William was actually extremely upset, because someone left a burning cigarette in a wooden church.

This is one reason why, as a Progressive Christian, I cannot find it in me to take the Bible word for word. First, it has been translated numerous times into many different languages, and people are not perfect, no matter what they think. Also, things change, language included. There are many words out there that do not mean the same thing they did in the past. Unless we know the specific meanings in that time period, along with the culture and social structure, there is no way we can understand the full meaning. Lastly, perception, social standing, culture and background change so much about how things are interpreted. If I have PTSD because I was physically abused growing up, someone who yells and speaks with their hands would freak me out. Whether or not they meant to. 

Society has changed so much in the last few hundred years it's astounding. Some things haven't changed much though. Such as our human reaction to fear.

"The more things change, the more things stay the same. ' ~ Alphonse Karr

The Webster's dictionary defines phobia as....

Phobia:   Noun

:  an extremely strong dislike or fear of someone or something

:  an exaggerated usually inexplicable and illogical fear of a particular object, class of objects, or situation.

And what do people do when they are afraid of something? They destroy it. They hurt it before it can hurt them. A great example of this is the witch trials.

"Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." ~ Sir Winston Churchill

If something is different, weird or odd, it must be bad. If it is bad, it can hurt us. So we must control it and hurt it first. There are so many examples of this in the past, that we would be here all day if I tried to lay them out.

I think the reason that we are making steps with gay marriage, and the QUILTBAG community is becoming more open and accepted, is actually very simple. People are starting to realize that it's okay. They are losing some of the fear. Their neighbor, whom they always liked, is gay. A favorite cousin is gay. Their child, a loved one, even their parent, comes out of the closet. They are starting to come to the realization that it isn't a disease. They are not going to catch it and it's not going to hurt them.

But if you think the struggle is over and we can get lax, you are wrong. My parents, whom I love with all my heart and who are good people, were worried because my son was going to stay with my gay friend for a few days during spring break. They were afraid for my son. They were worried that my friend, because he is gay, could act out and become a pedophile.

Some of you may say, "What? They are bigots." I say no...they were afraid. They have never tried to stop me from being friends with or from writing about homosexual men. But that fear is still there. There is still so much they don't understand and they don't know, that it causes them to be afraid. The more they learn, the more they see, the more they meet my friends and realize that they are good people... the more their minds are changed. They lose that fear, and in turn, become more open to everyone.

It's not over. It will be a long time before it is, but by people making a stand, things are changing. We need to keep talking, keep showing people that things are okay. Homosexual and Transgender people are not the boogieman.

They are just people, who want to love and be loved. Like the rest of us.

Aaaaand...end rant.

So for my part of this blog hop, I am going to offer an ebook version of My Lord's Judgment and a $20 gift card to Amazon. Please comment below for a chance to win. This contest will go until May 27th. On the 28th I will post the winner here, and on Facebook, so check back to see if you've won.

Also, be sure to check out the rest of the blog posts below to see what else you can win, and to learn more about Homophobia and Transphobia. We can all make a difference, no matter how big or small. 

Hugs and Spanks

Taylor

1.	Erica Pike (M/M)	2.	Cherie Noel (M/M)
3.	K-Lee Klein (M/M)	4.	N.J. Nielsen (M/M)
5.	Embry Carlysle (M/M)	6.	Kracken (M/M)
7.	Zathyn Priest (M/M)	8.	Caitlin Ricci (MULTI)
9.	CR Guiliano (M/M)	10.	Tyler Robbins (MULTI)
11.	H.L. Holston (M/M)	12.	Gay List Book Reviews (MULTI, REV)
13.	DP Denman (M/M)	14.	Bronwyn Heeley (M/M)
15.	Moonbeams Over Atlanta (MULTI, REV)	16.	Jade Crystal (M/M)
17.	Rawiya Erotica (M/M)	18.	Smoocher's Voice (REV, MULTI)
19.	Dianne Hartsock (M/M)	20.	L. J. LaBarthe (M/M)
21.	Anna Butler (M/M)	22.	Andrew Ashling (Gay)
23.	Sophia Martin (BI)	24.	Kendall McKenna (M/M)
25.	Rory Ni Coileain (M/M)	26.	M.A. Church (M/M)
27.	Lori Toland (M/M)	28.	Lex Chase (M/M)
29.	Caddy Rowland: Slice of Life (Gay, LGBT inclusive)	30.	Tempeste O'Riley (M/M)
31.	Lizzie Eldridge (Multi)	32.	Louisa Bacio (M/M F/F Bi)
33.	Leigh Ellwood (MULTI)	34.	A P Massie (BI)
35.	Adrian J. Smith (F/F, Bi)	36.	Anastasia Vitsky (F/F)
37.	Boys in our Books (REV)	38.	Grace R. Duncan (M/M BI)
39.	Joelle Casteel (MULTI, REV)	40.	Charley Descoteaux (M/M, Bi)
41.	Vona Logan (M/M)	42.	S.A. McAuley (M/M Bi)
43.	CJane Elliott (M/M, BI)	44.	Katey Hawthorne (Bi, M/M, F/F)
45.	Lily Sawyer (M/M)	46.	Draven St. James (M/M)
47.	Morticia Knight (M/M, M/M/F)	48.	Whitley Gray (M/M)
49.	The Novel Approach (M/M REV)	50.	Victoria Zagar/Infinite Love (MULTI, REV)
51.	Chris Cox (GAY)	52.	J.P. Bowie (M/M)
53.	Iyana Jenna (M/M)	54.	Evelise Archer (M/M)
55.	ND Wylders (MM)	56.	N.S. Beranek (Gay)
57.	Jane Wallace-Knight (M/M)	58.	Julie Lynn Hayes (M/M)
59.	Anne Barwell (M/M)	60.	Lou Sylvre (M/M)
61.	Wicked Wolves & Dreaming Dragons (M/M, REV)	62.	Bending the Bookshelf (TR)
63.	Get Freaky With Me La Drama Princess (F/F, M/M, BI, TR) - NSFW	64.	L M Somerton (M/M)
65.	Beth D. Carter (MMF, M/M)	66.	Joanna Darrell (Rev)
67.	B. Snow Procrastinates (M/M, F/F)	68.	Andrew J. Peters (Gay)
69.	Elin Gregory (M/M)	70.	S.J. Frost (M/M)
71.	DeeJay Arens (M/M)	72.	Prism Book Alliance (M/M, Rev)
73.	Meredith Daniels (M/M)	74.	Lynley Wayne (M/M)
75.	Guilty Indulgence (REV)	76.	JC Wallace (M/M)
77.	Sharing Links and Wisdom (REV)	78.	Taylor Law (M/M)
79.	Barbara Winkes (F/F)	80.	Postcard to Putin
81.	S.K Logsdon (Multi)	82.	For Once & Forever (MULTI)
83.	Dee Tass (F/F)	84.	KC Burn (M/M)
85.	Kim Fielding (M/M)	86.	C.C. Williams (M/M)
87.	J.R. Loveless (M/M)	88.	Tali Spencer (M/M)
89.	Kimber Vale (M/M)	90.	Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese (M/M, F/F, BI, TR)
91.	KT Grant (LGBT Romance)	92.	Teresa Wymore (F/F, DES)
93.	Alex Jones (M/M)	94.	Vanessa North (Multi)
95.	Leigh Ellwood (M/M, F/F, Bi, TR)	96.	Viki Lyn (M/M)
97.	J.L. Gaynor (F/F)	98.	Harper Bliss (F/F)
99.	Carolyn Gray (M/M)	100.	Thorny Sterling (M/M)
101.	Megan Linden (M/M)	102.	Patricia Logan (M/M)
103.	Michael P Thomas (Gay)	104.	Jolynn Raymond (F/F)
105.	Nikka Michaels (M/M)	106.	Jayson James (Gay)
107.	RJ Scott (M/M)	108.	Tina Blenke (M/M)
109.	Rainbow Gold Reviews (REV, M/M, F/F, BI, TR)	110.	Heloise West (MM)
111.	VJ Summers Writes Smut! (Multi, M/M, M/M/F)	112.	Jessie Lansdel (M/M)
113.	Kayci Morgan (M/M)	114.	Rooster & Pig Publishing (PUB)
115.	Vicktor Alexander (MULTI)	116.	Dean Pace-Frech (M/M)
117.	Tara Lain (M/M)	118.	Alexis Duran (M/M)
119.	J. Osiris Baldwin (M/M, TR, F/F)	120.	Angel Martinez (M/M
121.	Westbrook Jameson (M/M)	122.	ScuttlebuttReviews (M/M, REV)
123.	LYLBTB (M/M, REV)	124.	Eva Lefoy (M/M)
125.	Shiloh Saddler (Multi)	126.	Andrew Jericho (M/M, TR)
127.	Michael Mandrake (M/M)	128.	Lipstick Lesbian Reviews (REV)
129.	Amelia Bishop (M/M)	130.	Julie Bozza (M/M)
131.	R.A. Padmos (m/m)

Find-A-Rainbow Day Scavenger Hunt

Do you feel lucky punk? Do ya, Do ya? Hee hee.

Well, you should, because today Rainbow Gold Reviews is doing a major scavenger hunt as part of their Debut Extravaganza.

Some lucky people out there are going to win some pretty cool prizes.

What do you have to do to participate you ask?

Good question. Just look for the RGR logo hidden on the participating blogs and author pages. The logo is on these pages somewhere. I made it obvious actually.

Once you find the logo, write down the location and try to find the others.

Pretty easy right?

For more information go to Rainbow Gold Reviews. While you're there, look over some of the reviews and find yourself a new favorite author.

If you are here because of this awesome hunt and have no idea who I am, please check out my site. It's still a bit of a work in progress but I try to have some fun things for my members. I'm also doing my own little giveaway, on top of the one through Rainbow Gold Reviews. Say hello in a comment below, tell me if you have read my books before, and I will name a character after you in my next book. Yep, you're name will be in print for all to see.


Shameless plug time : Also, check out My Lord's Judgment - now available at your favorite crack...urm...I mean book dealers. Stick around for a sneak peek.


I wish you the best of luck! May you take home some amazing treasure today.

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor



My Lord's Judgment at Amazon here Blurb:

Samael is a centuries old archangel. Falsely accused of misusing his powers, he was banished to earth with no clothes, no money, nothing except a dagger to his name.

Brandon was betrayed by his boyfriend and is running from thugs who are going to kill him, if he doesn't pay them twenty thousand dollars. He has no way to get that kind of money, and doesn't know what to do.

When Samael crashes to earth, nearly landing in Brandon's lap, things get complicated fast, flipping Brandon's life into a chaos that he has never known. Danger and intrigue lurk around every corner, and nothing is what it seems.


Excerpt:

Brandon was slammed up against the alley wall so hard his head bounced, and floaters danced across his vision. Before he could get his bearings, a fist landed a disabling blow in his abdomen, bending him in half. His breath left him in a whoosh. Almost immediately, he was face to face with the muzzle of a handgun.

“I told you, you had a week,” Carlos spat at him. “Time was up yesterday. So where is my money, hmm?” The hot, rancid breath coming from the thug almost caused him to lose his dinner. The thrashing he was getting wasn’t helping either.

Panting, he tried to respond, but had to swallow down bile before he could get the words out. “H..he won’t give me the m..money. I…I tried, but he just laughed in my face.”

“That’s not my problem, now is it!? You borrowed the money for your boyfriend,” the man sneered. “Now you have to pay it back!”

“B..but, I don’t have that kind of money!” Why the hell he’d gotten himself into this situation, he didn’t know. He knew the “how” of it though. Trust.

Bran gave trust too damn easily. He had met a guy, but not just anyone…oh no! A damn DJ. DJ Jammin’, the hottest disc jockey in downtown L.A. Chris was his real name. The ass had picked him up after hours and they’d been inseparable for months. He never thought of the fact that, as a DJ, Chris had his pick of fans to choose from on any given night. Or that he was using that benefit as often as he could, even while they were ‘together.’ But he just had that realization smashed into his face.

Two weeks ago, he’d gotten a collect call; Chris was in jail for drugs. Apparently, he had enough on him that they thought he was a pusher. Looking back now, it was probably true.

Hindsight, baby. What a bitch!

Bail was twenty thousand big ones, and DJ Fuck-face couldn’t get a Bail Bondsman to take him on. No co-signer or some such bullshit. The Dick had promised that he had the money, just couldn’t get to it. So, Brandon did as asked and contacted Master C. Now he was stuck owing big to the most ruthless gang leader around. If it was illegal, the C-gang did it, and Master C didn’t know what the word mercy meant.

He was totally screwed!

A fist to his face brought him back to the situation at hand. Thugs. Guns. Eating his own teeth. Right.

Fuck!

He spit blood from his mouth. “What do you want me to do?”

Carlos leered at him. “Well, Master C said you have twenty-four hours.” The nasty piece of shit started undoing his pants. “But I don’t think you would mind making it worth my while to leave you still standing, now would you.” The other gang members were snickering and the one with the gun pushed down on his shoulders.

Ewe! Awe, hell no!

Right before his knees touched the ground, the sky lit up like the fourth of July. A light came out of nowhere, so bright it blinded him. He heard the thugs yelling, and he could have sworn the world exploded. The sound of a bomb going off split the night, and a shock wave knocked him on his ass.

He was still alive though. The pain let him know that at least.

Blinking, trying to focus through the white blur and dots that clouded his vision, he thought he saw Master C’s crew falling all over themselves, trying to get away.

Fuck it. If he was going to die, he was going to see it coming. Bran squeezed his eyes shut and waited a few seconds before opening them.

Better.

Looking around, he saw that the dumpster at the end of the alley had one side torn off, and cardboard and papers that had been inside, now littered the ground. Not knowing what was happening, but pretty sure the apocalypse was not set for today, he got to his feet, ready to bolt.

Before he made it three strides, he heard a loud moan and froze. Bran listened but refused to turn around. He was just about to leave when he heard it again. Shit! He fought himself for a minute, part of him wanting to run for his life and the other too curious not to check it out.

He was an idiot, and he knew it.

Slowly, Brandon turned around and walked toward the mangled dumpster, stepping over miscellaneous junk. When he was close enough to the edge, he followed along the side until he reached the wall that was missing, and looked in.

Holy shit, it’s Thor!

Serials: Love them or hate them

I read two books this week that were part of a trilogy serial and it made me start thinking. Before I get started, let me say that this post is all my thoughts as a reader, curiosity as an author, opinions and just plain rambling. I mean no offense to anyone, reader or author. Second, the books were great. They could have used a professional editor and some polish, but the emotions and storyline were lovely. It was a M/F romance called The Driven Trilogy by K. Bromberg. I really enjoyed them, but ...of course there is a 'but'... the last book is not yet out, it comes out in March, and she left with one hell of a cliffhanger.

Cliffhangers always suck...always...but this one made me so mad. I'm not going to elaborate, just in case you want to read them. They really were very good, I would just recommend starting them after the third comes out so you don't want to throw your Kindle, Nook, Phone, or computer across

the room while simultaneously cursing the gods and all of creation.

Yes, it was that bad.

A few years ago I read another series that had a similar cliffhanger, and I was crying so hard at the end of that book that I had ugly face and wrenching sobs, yelling out loud no! No! And then the book ended. I had to wait 8 months, or something like that, for the next one. I was so upset by this, I read that last book for closure, and never bought another of her stories again.

The reason I was so upset is that I need that closure. This is why I try to read angst books when I have the time to read the whole thing. I can't stop in the middle. I just don't have that capacity. If I don't know the book is really emotional and will make me cry before starting it, I have been known to stay up on work nights until ungodly hours to finish. I can't go to sleep otherwise. I love a good cry, but I want to feel better afterwards.

This unsaid author made me ball my eyes out and then made me wait 8 months for, what was to me, the ending of the book. I don't mind waiting. I completely understand. I read the Outlander series and Diana's books take two to three years to come out. I get that. And I don't always need a happily ever after or happily for now story. On the contrary, I quite enjoy dark erotica. I usually read the happy-ending type stories more often because books are my escape from reality. I know life doesn't always end well, but I don't necessarily always want to read about it. I like that sigh at the end, when you feel okay with how things turn out. Even if it isn't what you wanted to happen, or what you thought would happen, you can move on.

Don't get me wrong, I love my feels. I think an author's main job is to cause some type of emotion - love, hate, fear, and yes...even sadness. The author did her job, both of them did. My problem with this is that I feel like the book isn't complete. Especially if it's under 500 pages and you end with some huge issue. Basically, you left the story in the middle of highest part of the arch of a book. Why? So that the reader has to buy the next book?

To me, that feels kind of wrong.

I like serials and I really enjoy series, mainly because I don't have to let go of the characters I fall in love with just yet. I get to see more of them. We always want more, don't we? I get that complaint a great deal with my stories and most of the time I take it for a complement, because the reader enjoyed my characters and story so much they didn't want it to end. That is fantastic! I did my job. I have never ended a story with a cliff hanger though.

I feel like novels, movies, stories, they are all snapshots of people's lives. We only get the portion we are shown. Most of my stories can be continued. I can make them longer, but no matter how short they are I try to make sure there's an ending to the snippet that is shown. Then I can pick the characters up again in the next book if I see more, or it can end there and the reader doesn't feel jilted. Even my series, I may leave a little taste for the upcoming story, or a question unanswered or something for a transition into the next book, but I try to give my readers an ending.

These new kinds of serials, with the huge cliffhangers in between books seem to be the new thing. I don't like them. I don't think that I would ever do that to one of my readers. I would have to have one hell of a good reason. I will still read them, but only if they are reasonably priced and all at once. Because to me, it's just one big book split into parts.

I want to leave my readers wanting more, of course I do, but I don't want them to feel like they got ripped off either.

What do you think? Do you like the serials with the cliffhangers, or do you hate them and feel jilted? Let me know. I'm really interested in hearing the

different perspectives out there.


Have a great week everyone!

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

Happy New Year

Hello everyone.

I cannot believe that 2013 is almost over. It seems it flew by so fast and so much happened in my life that sometimes I can't reconcile everything. Life is definitely a rollercoaster and this year has been all over the place. It turned completely around for me and I'm so grateful.

I started this year with a move, a broken heart and going to physical therapy, not certain if I would be able to write again. At one point, I wasn't able to even read a romance novel -- and I'm a romance novel junkie, I have no problem admitting to it and don't really want help...thank you very much. But every book I read pissed me the hell off. I couldn't even think about writing, because my poor characters would have suffered greatly. I wanted to go sadistic on everyone of the male persuasion and since I write M/M romance stories, that is not very conducive to a good book. I had to take a big step back from it all. It didn't help that I had hurt my back and neck so badly that migraines and numb hands were the norm. I couldn't even hold a glass or silverware some days. It sucked, but slowly over this year I have healed. I am now reading and writing regularly again, and feel much more myself because of it. I don't feel whole without my books and my writing.

I was lucky enough to be able to go to two conferences this year, Authors After Dark and Gay Romance Lit. I can't really explain what it meant to me. I came home feeling fulfilled, happy, hopeful and blessed. I met some amazing people who I will never forget. Their smiles, kindnesses and friendship mean so much. Even the few authors and readers that I wasn't able to keep in touch with since, I remember everything and it makes me smile and keep striving. Never stopping.

Most importantly this year, I learned. About myself, about my craft, and about my hopes and dreams of the future. I learned I had skills that I didn't know were there, and weaknesses I need to watch out for. I am hopeful this new year. It's a great place to be.

I can't wait to see what 2014 will bring.

I want to say thank you. To my family who are always there for me and support me. To my friends new and old, who have lifted me up, and listened to me overanalyze things, given me advice, and were there for me. You guys mean so much to me and I would do anything for you. I'm so blessed and I know it.

Lastly, to my readers. I still have a hard time comprehending that anyone would want to read what I write and want more. It blows my mind!

Thank you so much, and I hope you all have a safe and fabulous New Years, and that 2014 brings all of your hopes and dreams into fruition as well.


Oh, I almost forgot. I have one last giveaway for New Years. A couple extra books and swag that I was lucky enough to get from the conferences I went to.

Comment below, and I will put your name into a drawing. Again, you have to be willing to email me your mailing address to win, because it will come in a box.

Happy New Year!


Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

Winner of My Christmas Giveaway.

Hi everyone,

I hope that you had a fantastic holiday filled with fun and laughter.

I'll get straight to the point of this post. The winner of the Christmas giveaway is.....drumroll......

Claudia!

Congratulations! I will be emailing you to get your information.

Thank you to those who entered. I will be having one more giveaway this Sunday, because I missed it the week I was sick. Stop by and enter. There is a great chance you will win, because I am still relatively unknown, I don't have much traffic yet.

I'm hoping that won't always be the case. So take advantage of it while you can. :D


Happy Friday!


Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

My Christmas giveaway.

Hello everyone.

Sorry I missed you last week, I was extremely sick.

No, not only in the head. I had the plague.

Really, it was just a sinus and upper respiratory infection, but it affected my eyes. Anything electronic gave me a headache and I wound up with a couple of migraines. Migraines are never fun, but migraines when you are coughing up a lung....HELL.

Anyway, I'm feeling much better. Lingering cough aside, I can see. Which makes me want to do a happy dance, let me tell you.

This past weekend, my family did our Christmas. I live about two hours away from them, and I work Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. A few others in my family have the same issue, so it was just easier to pic a different day and pretend.

It was a fantastic time!




My family is large, loud, obnoxious, loving, and hysterical. I always say it's like a mix between "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and "The Godfather," and I'm not kidding.

I love watching "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." It makes me crack up every time, because I can point out family members as I'm watching. I grew up plucking my grandmother's and my mother's chin of stray hairs. Yeah, I know - great picture in your head now, right? Happy dreams!! Muahahaha!

Listening to the Italian version of Spanglish is standard operating procedure in our household. Also, everyone drifts back into a New York accent, even though we haven't lived there in decades. It really is very strange, now that I think of it.

I am actually one of the quietest people in my family, if you could imagine that. We all get loud and boisterous. It's learned at a very young age, or you will be forgotten and not get a word in edgewise. We also talk with our hands. That joke about tying an Italian's hands to make them shut up has some background in truth, although I'm not so sure it would work.

The Latin culture is so different from other cultures, even the American mix. I've been to enough households where everyone sat and stared at each other, and politely commented on the food, to know. It is extremely awkward for me, but I try. I'm generalizing of course. I'm sure there are other families out there that are like mine.

One of the differences that I noticed was we have "the more the merrier" mentality. We are always adopting people. If someone doesn't have family, they do now. Last minute person shows up, no worries. Our house has an open/revolving door policy. It's not like we won't have enough food (that thought is laughable), and we will pull out random dishes and drink out of wine glasses if we have to. We had my piano bench and several folding chairs pulled up to the table this past weekend. Everyone was squeezed in elbow to elbow, and had to be cautious not to poke someone's eye out when we started talking, hands flying.

We laughed a lot, argued some, got annoyed with each other a little, and shared a ton of love.

That is what Christmas is all about to me. Love!

I didn't get any presents this year. No one had the money to buy for everyone, so we just did gifts for the kids. But watching those children open their presents and squeal, that is my gift. Being able to be with my family, and watching my mother smile and get bossy, that is my present. She is not a healthy woman, and I don't know how many more years I will have her in my life. I want to take every moment I can get.

Our Christmas tradition revolves mostly around food. We all get together, whenever we can. Sometimes on Christmas Eve, sometimes Christmas Day, but just as often it is the weekend before or after. Everyone comes and we take a ton of pictures. Usually, I'm not in many because I have a tendency of being behind the camera, but this year a friend came and took family photos in the park on Sunday. They came out awesome! I will try to put some up on Facebook when I get them.

Every Christmas it is the same menu. It's the only time of year we eat this food and we wait all year for it.

We start with our version of appetizers. We have antipasto, which is lettuce, tomato, onion, genoa salami, provolone cheese, ham, sometimes pepperoni, and black olives. It's stacked on top of each other and we eat it with a homemade red wine vinaigrette, like a salad. We also have fresh mozzarella cheese, and tomato that is layered and drizzled with olive oil and fresh basil, and usually an olive salad and/or a red pepper and anchovy salad with bread. It taste better than it sounds, to me at least.

The main dish is manicotti. My parents make gravy, which is a homemade meat sauce. Sicilian meat sauce has nothing to do with ground chop meat. It's a red sauce that is cooked all day long, and it has meatballs, sausage, pork, beef, and hard boiled eggs in it. It simmers from morning until night. My dad makes several hundred manicotti from scratch - I mean he even makes the shells. We pull the meat out of the sauce and have it on the side. Hard boiled eggs are my favorite. It sounds really weird, but most people who try it really enjoy it.

Lastly, we have coffee and some kind of sweet treat. Pie, cookies, cake, pastries, nuts, fruits...etc.

We don't eat like this all of the time anymore, and actually three courses for an Italian dinner is nothing. I remember going to my grandparent's house and there would be six courses, and it would be an all day marathon eating session. I still don't know how they did that.

We had enough food left over, even with guests and unexpected visitors, to eat it for lunch again on Sunday and the guests all took some home, and my parents are probably going to eat it again at least one more night. We usually can feed an army with no worries.

It was delicious and satisfying in a way that really has nothing to do with food. It is our tradition, and we fulfilled it. I can't really explain that thought process properly, but I am sure that some of you will understand what I mean. Some people bake, others do crafts, some go specific places, and all of it is a tradition. If for some reason you are not able to do "Your thing" one year, for whatever reason, you feel like something is missing. The Holiday is just not really perfect, it's lacking.

My Christmas was not lacking in anything, and I came home feeling an abundance of love. I am very lucky and blessed, and I know it!

Again, this week I have an amazing giveaway. I was blessed to be able to attend two conferences this past year, and I was at the right place at the right time. I obtained some books and swag. I have five books, and a bag full of swag to giveaway this week. It is my Christmas present to you. All of the books are ones I have in my collection. Some I have read, some I intend to read when I get the chance. All of them are from authors I completely respect.

Comment here and tell me your plans for the holiday. What are your holiday traditions? It doesn't have to be Christmas. That is what I celebrate, but it could be Hanukkah, Kwanza, Diwali, whatever. Tell me what your plans are and if they are a tradition. I will be drawing a name from the comments on Friday night. You have to be willing to email me your address to win, because this is something I will be shipping out.

Whatever your plans, I hope everyone has a fantastic holiday filled will love and joy!

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

Winner of the Gift Card Giveaway

First, I want to thank everyone who signed the petition and reposted the link. There were a ton of you, most of whom didn't comment here for whatever reason, and I am so appreciative of each and every one of you! I just hope that we can get enough names to do some good. The problem hasn't affected me personally....yet, but numerous friends have been harassed. I don't like bullies in any form and that's why I created the petition. Not for any kind of gain, just to make some kind of change, a difference. Hopefully.

As for the winner, I put the names into this random name picker and the winner of the Amazon gift card is....drumroll please....Michele Jarrach!

Congratulations sweets! You can order yourself something nice for Christmas. :D Either email me or PM me on Facebook, so I can get your prize to you.


Everyone, make sure to come back Sunday for another giveaway. I still have two more weeks left and some great prizes to give out.

Until next time.


Hugs and spanks,

Taylor


Because I wish I could give everyone a prize, here is a pretty man to make you smile.

Week Two of the December Giveaway

Hello all of you lovely people out there. I'm back again for the Sunday Fun-Day post and I'm going to be giving away an Amazon gift card. Read to the end for instructions to win. I know...I'm a brat.

If you haven't seen it yet, I started a petition on Change.org. The petition is to Facebook, asking for them to change their reporting policy. The reason I did this is twofold. Several of my friends, or their friends, or people I've seen have been bullied, attacked and harassed by random people. We've been talking about it on Facebook for months. It hasn't affected me yet. I say yet, because this type of thing is a slippery slope.

What that means is: if we let it happen, things will snowball and before you know it, you too are being attacked. You could have anyone report you, for anything at all, and there is absolutely nothing for you to do about it. That is not right!

This is not just happening to people who post provocative pictures. Did you know satirical cartoonist, clothing designers, photographers, body painting artists, and even photos of well-known artwork, that is hung in museums all over the world, are being banned, simply because someone was offended by it in one way or another?

In my mind, this is wrong, it is regression on all of the work people have done to have the right to freedom of expression. I've always marched to the beat of my own drummer, and I try to stand up for what I feel is right. I'm not one for talk with no action.

Below is the link to the petition, just below the picture. Yes, I'm going to bribe you. No, I'm not above it. Please go to the link and sign the petition, and then share it. After you've done that, please let me know in the comments. Everyone who comments will be entered into the drawing to win a $25.00 Amazon gift card. I will do the drawing Friday night.

Change.org Petition

If we stand up together, we can make a difference. We've shown that countless times in the history of mankind. One voice turns into thousands, and changes are made. This might not be as important in the scheme of things as world hunger, and peace, but to a large number of the victims, this is taking away their means of advertising, and as such, taking away their bread and butter.

I appreciate all of you!

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

And the winner is......

I put the names into a random name picker online and the winner for the K-lee Klein giveaway is Jessica Lingo. She Facebooked me her response, because for some reason Blogger kept eating her comment. It must have been very hungry that day. :D

Our conversation:

"Jessica Lingo: It kept eating my comments, but I'm really glad your doing this. I don't always see when new books come out or old goodies that I might not have found yet.
December 2 at 2:00pm via mobile · Unlike · 1

Taylor Law: I know, me too. I find most of my reads by recommendations. I'll make sure you are on the list Jessica
December 2 at 2:38pm · Like · 1"

Jessica, I hope you like Unbreak My Heart as much as I did!

Thank you to everyone who participated. I hope you all enjoyed the interview with K-lee. She is awesome, so be sure to check her out.

As a reminder, you can get Unbreak My Heart at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Amber Allure and All Romance.

Visit K-lee's website for more info. If you read it and love it, please be sure to let me know.

Don't forget to come back Sunday for another giveaway!

A present for you before I go! Happy Thursday.

Hugs and spanks,

Taylor

Sunday Fun-day with K-lee Klein and a giveaway

So, I was told by a very dear friend of mine that I needed to start blogging regularly. As you can tell, if you look at the history of this blog, I have been a very bad girl when it comes to posting. It has been random at best. The very, very best, if you look at it sideways and squint a little. Well, no more. From now on every Sunday will be labeled Sunday Fun-day by me, and you will get a post. It may just be a load of rambling, but it will be there and I will try my best to make it fun, entertaining and /or interesting. I can't promise all three, I'm just not that talented.

Also, I'm regularly asked by readers for book recommendations. So, I'm going to start incorporating that into this blog as well. I am not going to rate, review, or rank books. I just don't have the time or inclination to do so. But when I read a book I really enjoy, I will mention it or feature it on the blog, so that others may enjoy them as well. You can be sure that there will be no snarky comments about the books I feature. I will be honest, but I simply will not put a book on here that I do not like.

I'm turning over this new leaf at the perfect time. It's December 1st today...woot! No, no, no groaning! To get us all into the holiday spirit, I will be doing a giveaway every week this month. That's right, you have the chance to win something free each Sunday. Feel better?

To start us off, I'm going to incorporate two of the things I just mentioned. The lovely and talented K-lee Klein is here with me this week. She has a reasonably new book out, published this past August, called Unbreak My Heart.

I bought the book on the recommendation of another author and read it this past week. I read during my two 5 minute breaks and lunch at my Evil Day Job, and I had to literally pull myself away from the book when I got home, so I could write.

It was fabulously angsty, with so much feeling I was pulled into the story, like I was living it instead of reading about it. The start was a little bit slow, but that may have been because I had so much on my mind and couldn't give the book the attention it deserved. That didn't last for long though. It's got cowboys, which I have a tendency to avoid because I've lived in 'bless your heart' Florida for most of my life. I'm so glad I didn't know about that before I picked up this book. I would have missed out. The two characters are beautifully flawed, with layers to their personalities. They go through some rocky roads throughout the book. There was sexual tension that had me gritting my teeth. Brett nearly broke my heart but the ending made me smile. Nothing is better than that for a bookworm like me. I didn't cry, but it was close a few times.

After I finished, I hit up K-lee on Facebook to tell her how much I enjoyed it. I think, in this grumpy and gruff world, a little kindness and complement to someone who deserves it is important. We don't know each other, except for online, but she was extremely nice. We had a great conversation in which I informed her I was going to do this, and she offered to answer a few of my questions about the book and give away a free copy to one lucky reader.

So now that I have blabbed away, here is K-lee.

So K-lee, without giving away too many spoilers, what was your favorite part of Unbreak My Heart to write?

First of all, thank you for having me and for reading Unbreak My Heart. Usually the hardest question is saved for last but this one...it's a toughie. I think I'd have to say the first forms of personal contact between Brett and JT - first kiss, first hug, first more than a hug and kiss. And contrary to what you might think, the emotional upheaval Brett went through during the whole story.

What was the hardest part for you to write?

The hardest parts in general were Brett's confused, painful emotions and memories because he really destroyed me as I wrote him, sometimes in a good way but generally in a very tearful way for me. This of course contradicts what I just said about fave parts, but it's true because Brett's heart needed to run the gamut from depression to hope and back again. The singular hardest part to write was something Brett did purely out of emotion and in-the-moment pain, something neither one of us is proud of him doing.

Did you base the characters off anyone or did they just come to you?

The story itself was originally for a very specific submission call but it didn't turn out the way it needed to be, plus it was 65,000 words too long. LOL. Other than that it just sort of grew. But I can say that I had huge physical inspiration for Brett - his looks, accent, even some of his mannerisms came from the only country singer I like (love), Christian Kane. (see below- yummy!)

Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I am definitely a pantser. The only things I have before I start a story are my main characters' bios. They're always the first part that appears in my mind anyhow since my stories are built around them and I love getting inside their heads. I usually know my beginning and my ending, but nothing in between except maybe a scene or two.

Do you think we might see Brett and JT again?

I would love to write more about Brett and JT. I always have a hard time letting go of my characters and Brett, in particular, is still living inside my head and my heart more than any other character I've written. Maybe I should have JT's background come out of the woodwork a little more since Brett's is pretty well revealed now, and I do admit that I love writing established couples, especially newly established ones who still have so much to learn about each other.

Thank you so much for joining me today, K-lee, and for the giveaway. It was very sweet of you! You can find Unbreak My Heart at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance and Amber Allure. Check out K-lee's website for more info.


If any of you get online, you should definitely follow K-lee on Facebook and chat with her. She's awesome!

If you have stuck around this long, I thank you for your patience and perseverance. Leave a comment and I will randomly draw a winner for the book. You have until Thursday, 5:30 p.m. EST.

Also, I wanted you to know that My Lord's Judgment is now available at Amazon, All Romance and Smashwords, as well as in PDF form in the member's area of my website. I also updated the member's area with a few little extras while I was at it. I hope you enjoy!

Until next time. Hugs and spanks,


Taylor