June 19, 2015 · 12:33 pm

Ramblings of a Lifelong Elvis Fan – Part 49 – The Movies 14-16 (1964) – Kissin’ Cousins ~ Viva Las Vegas ~ Roustabout

Kissin’ Cousins:

I hate to say it, but not only is this probably my least favorite Elvis movie, I really didn’t like it at all. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed watching it because I had the pleasure of watching and listening to Elvis, but the movie was silly, not just ‘fun’ silly like some of his movies, but really, really silly. And, the romance was a sub par. It seemed like he just decided between the two girls and chose the dark-haired one and suddenly they were a couple. I did love that there were two Elvis’, even though the hick in the blond wig just didn’t quite measure up to the ‘other’ Elvis. Critics have said that this was the beginning of the downhill spiral of low budget, bad Elvis movies, but I loved most of the ones that came after, so I beg to differ.

About: Elvis plays two roles. One of them was Josh Morgan, an army officer who is sent to the Smoky Mountains to convince a backwoods family to allow the Army to build a missile site on their land. He is chosen because he is from the area. As it turns out, the family is his kinfolk, including a lookalike cousin, Jodie Tatum, played by Elvis in a blond wig. Elvis falls for one of the hill girls and the Army gets their site, but the family also benefits. Happily Ever After, etc.

Side notes: Elvis hated wearing the strawberry blond wig.

Yvonne Craig, who was his co-star and leading lady, was also in “It Happened at the World’s Fair” although she was not his main love interest. When asked what it was like working with Elvis, she said:

“I did two movies with Elvis – “It Happened at the World’s Fair” and “Kissin’ Cousins” and both times not only was he an absolute joy but the experience itself was wonderful. He was extremely professional – always on time, knew his lines, and was very much a part of the cast, never pulling rank as the “star”. He had a great deal of self-deprecating sense of humor and was very much a “southern gentleman” as far as good manners were concerned. Because he surrounded himself with his friends from Memphis, it was for me like always having about ten playful but protective big brothers on the set.”

Favorite Song: Tender Feeling

Favorite Scene: I suppose it’s the end where Elvis is singing Kissin’ Cousins and looking adorable.

Viva Las Vegas

This was one of the most well-loved Elvis movies, and is one of my favorites. I believe a lot of it had to do with the chemistry between Ann-Margaret and Elvis. It has been rumored, and I believe it to be true, that they were deeply in love in real life. I think she would have been a perfect mate for him. They had a lot in common, and dear Lord, what a gorgeous couple they made.

About: Elvis plays Lucky Jackson, a race car driver trying to earn money to put a new engine in his race car in time for the Grand Prix. He meets and falls for Rusty, played by Ann-Margaret, who fears for his safety and wants him to give up racing for her.

Side Notes: Viva Las Vegas grossed more than the Beatles movie “Hard Day’s Night” even though they were released in the same year, when Beatle Fever was in full swing.

The tabloids released images of the Elvis and Ann-Margaret wedding scene, claiming that the two had actually gotten married.

This was Elvis’ highest grossing film.

Favorite Song: I had a few favorites in this one, among them: The lady loves me, If You Think I Don’t Need You, and C’mon Everybody.

Favorite Scene: Lots of favorite scenes, but one of my top ones is when Rusty goes on a date with the Count because she’s angry with Lucky. Lucky is their waiter for the evening, and he’s ornery and adorable while serving them.

Roustabout:

GREAT movie! Lots of fighting and hotness and emotional moments. I love in his movies, when he’s performing and troublemakers come in. Of course, a fight breaks out and Elvis says cute things and punches people. 🙂 Another plus for this movie; Elvis wore a lot of black leather and was a smarta$$, which created some sexy and funny moments. I wasn’t wild about Joan Freeman, who played his love interest, Cathy. Not sure why, maybe it was the dorky head scarfs.

About: Elvis plays Charlie Rogers, a man with a troubled past who finds trouble wherever he goes. After being fired from a singing gig, he encounters carnival owner, Maggie (played by Barbara Stanwyck). She is with Joe, her friend and co-worker, and Joe’s daughter, Cathy. When Joe runs Elvis off the road because he’s flirting with Cathy, Maggie offers to have his motorcycle fixed and put him up at the carnival until it’s ready. Elvis sings at the carnival and brings in customers, helping them out of their financial bind. But, he and Joe butt heads and Elvis leaves, only to return to claim the girl and save the day.

Side Notes: Elvis insisted on doing his own stunts.

Raquel Welch played a college student in the opening scene:

Mae West was first offered the role of Maggie, but declined when they refused to rewrite the script to make her one of Elvis’ love interests.

Favorite Song: One Track Heart

Favorite Scenes: Actually, they are favorite lines…

College student to Elvis (Charlie): This is a real crummy joint, I’ve seen more action in a zoo.
Charlie: From which side of the cage, pal?

*************************

After they pull Elvis off of the guy he’s fighting at the carnival:
Cathy: “What are you trying to prove? You know you can beat him.”

Charlie: “He doesn’t know it.”

*************************

Charlie, when Madame Mijanou, played by Sue Ann Langdon, is putting the moves on him: I can only make love outdoors. The first girl I ever tried to make love to was hooked on the outdoors. I had to take the top down before she’d let me kiss her.

Madame Mijanou: Did you ever kiss her?

Charlie: Three hours later.

Madame Mijanou: It took you three hours to take the top down on a convertible?

Charlie: It wasn’t a convertible.

Thank you for joining me. Have you seen these movies? What did you think?

~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~* ~*~*~*~*~*

EOLS Charity

Elvis was known for his giving heart and charitable work during his lifetime. Lisa Marie and Elvis Presley Enterprises have continued that tradition with their involvement in various charities. In 1984, The Elvis Charitable Foundation was formed. The EPCF created a scholarship fund for students majoring in the arts. The charity also contributes to one of Elvis’ favorite charities, Goodwill Homes, a Memphis facility that provides counseling and services for abused children and their families. The EPCF also assists numerous other charities, especially focusing on arts, education and children’s programs.

Learn more here, including how to donate:

http://www.graceland.com/epcf/

END OF LONELY STREET – Now Only 99 Cents!

On Elvis’ birthday this year, I released a Vintage Romance short story set in 1957, and of course, my heroine is an Elvis fan. 🙂 As a tribute to Elvis’ generosity, and in order to assist with this worthy cause, 10% of my proceeds for End of Lonely Street will go to the EPCF.

All Toby Lawson wants is to go to college to become a teacher and to be free of her alcoholic mother and some painful memories. But when her mother nearly burns the house down, Toby must put her dreams on hold and return home to care for her. The only time she isn’t lonely and miserable is when she’s listening to her heartthrob, Elvis Presley. His music takes her away and helps her escape from everything wrong in her life.

Noah Rivers has always loved Toby, but no matter what he says, she can‘t get past the fact that her drunken mother once kissed him. He soon realizes the true problem lies in Toby’s belief she’s not good enough for him and in her fear she will be just like her mother.

What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

Click Here for Kindle

Click Here for Nook

3 Comments

Filed under Elvis Presley, Entertainment

Tagged as 99 Cents, Alicia Dean, Amazon, Ann-Margaret, Beale Street, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, End of Lonely Street, EPCF, Graceland, Kindle, Kissin' Cousins, Memphis, Rock and Roll, Roustabout, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, Vintage Historical Romance, Viva Las Vegas, Wild Rose Press

June 17, 2015 · 5:00 am

No Brakes: On the Wing – New Release and Book Giveaway!

I am very pleased to introduce Ellen Ann Callahan and her brand new release, No Brakes: On the Wing. I had the pleasure of editing this story, and it’s fantastic. An engaging novel with unique characters. You won’t want to miss this one.

*** Ellen is giving away a print copy of her book to one lucky commenter (U.S. Residents only). Winner will be draw on June 19th.

Blurb:

Lucy Prestipino has only minutes to deliver a lawsuit to the Baltimore City courthouse. She’s a twenty-one-year-old bicycle messenger on a mission—saving a crying lawyer from missing the statute of limitations. She’s promised to file the lawsuit before the court closes, no matter what.

No matter what propels Lucy into a horrific crash with handsome and charismatic Romero Sanchez. She becomes romantically entangled with Sanchez until Rick McCormick, the chief of the new gang unit of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, warns her of the depth of Sanchez’s criminality. Her relationship with Sanchez violently disintegrates. A brutal murder draws her into a ruthless vendetta between Sanchez and McCormick. She’s convinced the police are on the wrong track and launches her own murder investigation. The long-kept secrets Lucy unearths during her hunt for a killer force her to confront choices that may destroy her.

Excerpt:

Lucy passed the morning browsing inside Surveillance Spyware, the largest spy-equipment retail store in the world, according to the ad she saw in the Los Angeles Times. She wanted to buy a tiny, covert camera so she could secretly record her conversations with Romero.

The store was massive. There were nanny cams in coffee pots and clocks, recording devices tucked into everyday household items—air fresheners, computer flash drives, and tissue boxes. She considered buying the baseball hat with the pinhole-sized recorder implanted above the rim. No, Romero’s not dumb. He’ll have me searched.

The personal protection department was by far the largest. Stun grenades and pepper blasters. Taser guns disguised as pens, key chains, and lipstick cases. Three aisles over, Lucy found her heart’s desire: a Flashbang bra holster. The holster attached to a women’s bra, between the breasts, concealing the gun. Even under a T-shirt.

Lucy debated buying it. Wearing the holster in LA was out. Romero would find it in a second. Besides, she’d left her gun in Baltimore. She decided to buy the holster anyway—sometimes a woman needs to spoil herself.

“With practice, you can draw your gun in under three seconds,” the saleswoman said.

“I’ll take it.”

*************************

And now, let’s get to know the author…this is her first ever blog interview, so make her feel welcome!

Where did you get the idea for No Brakes: On the Wing?

Three years ago, I retired from the practice of law to become a writer. My book was inspired by a client who consulted with me over a terrible dilemma. My story takes the dilemma to an extreme.

Why did you choose this genre?

I need to give credit to my father. While I was a growing up, my father liked action movies (he called them “shoot ‘em ups”). My mother didn’t care for them, so my father took me to all the shoot ‘em up movies. I spent my formative years watching Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, Charles Bronson and Gene Hackman movies. I loved the car chases and the fights. I later developed an interest in crime fiction novels.

One of the first things I learned from my writing classes was “write what you know.” Crime fiction is what I know, so that’s what I decided to write. I have a chase scene in my book, but it’s on a bicycle and not in a car. Of course, there are fight scenes and a “shoot ‘em up.”

What’s the most difficult thing about writing a book?

For me, it was making the basic decisions about how to tell the story. Each decision triggers a story path that leads to another and another. Sometimes, after writing many pages, I decided I didn’t like the path the book was taking and changed the decision that triggered the path. For example, what should be the occupation of the protagonist, Lucy Prestipino? She started out as a reporter. After I wrote fifty pages, the story just wasn’t working. It was boring. Once Lucy became a bicycle messenger, the story speeded up. I went through the same decision-making process with every scene.

What was the most difficult thing about this book in particular?

I found it challenging to write the romance scenes. My parents were old-school Irish-Catholic and I was raised in that tradition. Sexuality was not discussed. PDA’s consisted of little kiss-pecks. I knew my book needed romance, but the idea of writing it was very intimidating. I took a romance-oriented writing class and studied romance novels like they were textbooks. Reading Fifty Shades of Grey helped (a lot!). Once I found my comfort zone, the writing flowed. A male reader described my book as “saucy.” I never imagined I could ever write anything saucy. I had a blast adding sauce to No Brakes: On the Wing.

How did you develop the protagonist, Lucy Prestipino?

I like books about female protagonists who prevail over obstacles through resourcefulness and intelligence. Since I was writing a page-turner, Lucy needed to be a risk-taker. She seemed to develop her quirky personality all on her own. She’s savvy, but naïve; strong, but vulnerable; attractive, but a hot mess. The bundle of contradictions made her fun to write.

What’s your favorite scene in No Brakes: On the Wing?

I loved writing the courtroom confrontation between Lucy and the prosecutor. It’s also the favorite scene of lawyers who’ve read my book. Any trial lawyer who claims she/he has never had a similar courtroom experience is fibbing. It happens to all of us, no matter how prepared we are for court.

What surprised you the most while writing the book?

I was surprised how the characters took on lives of their own. I’d heard other writers talk about the phenomenon, but I didn’t understand it until I wrote my book. Lucy, Rick, and Romero became very real to me. Whenever I typed a false word, the character would shout inside my head, “I wouldn’t say that! I wouldn’t do that!” It was a little spooky.

Are any of the characters based on real people?

Most of them are, in one way or another. Every character has the personality, appearance, or traits of someone I know. Most of the vignettes in the book are based on true stories. The bichon frise is modeled on my dog, Davy. The character of Dr. John Michaels is based on my brother of blessed memory, John Michael. He owned a dog named “The Old Gentleman.”

Are any characters based on you?

I share a lot of traits with one of the characters, but I won’t say which one. It’s not Lucy’s mother.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read No Brakes: On the Wing?

My goal was to write an entertaining story about an important issue, with elements of humor and romance. If readers come away feeling the book was well-worth their time and money, I’d be happy. That’s my personal standard for spending my time and money on something—whether it’s a seminar, meal, movie or book. I want to come away feeling, “Yeah, that was well-worth it.”

What is one word you would use to describe yourself?

Persistent. It took me longer to write No Brakes: On the Wing than to go to law school, study for the bar, and pass it! I wrote every day, knowing that one day it would be finished. The next book will go much faster.

Are there any tricks or habits you use when creating a story?

I write a lot of random scenes in my head while walking Davy. After the walk, I write them down.

Your favorite…

Movie: Witness. It has everything I love in a movie—conflict, romance, a compelling story, even a shoot ‘em up. Harrison Ford is a bonus.

Music: Anything that makes me want to dance. My current favorite song is “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon.

Place you’ve visited: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. It’s the only museum where I’ve spent eight hours straight—twice!

Place you’d like to visit: I’d love to go on road trip across the United States.

TV show from childhood: The Fugitive.

TV show from adulthood: HBO’s The Wire. My guilty pleasure is Say Yes to the Dress.

Food: Chesapeake Bay soft-shelled crabs. Yummy!

Sports team: This is a tough one. I grew up in the Washington, DC area. My favorite teams are the Baltimore Orioles and the Washington Nationals. I dream that one day they’ll oppose each other in the World Series, but I don’t know who I’d root for. Talk about a dilemma.

Recreation: I like going to rock concerts, especially those featuring bands of my youth. Strangely, I’ve noticed the audience keeps getting grayer.

Author Bio:

Ellen Ann Callahan is an author and freelance writer. Her articles and essays have appeared in Maryland Life Magazine, The Washington Post, Washington Family Magazine, and Chicken Soup for the Breast Cancer Survivor’s Soul. She was an adoption attorney until she retired to pursue the writing life. She lives with her husband in Deep Creek, Maryland.

Buy links:

PAPERBACK:

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/kcaytbr

Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/p34alhe

eBOOK FORMAT:

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X6FSMRE
Nook: (Nook): http://tinyurl.com/kcp7fp6
Apple iBook: http://tinyurl.com/oodjsxz

Contact links:

Follow Ellen on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/ECallahanAuthor

Like Ellen on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/EllenAnnCallahan

Visit Ellen at http://www.ellenanncallahan.com

33 Comments

Filed under For Writers, New Release

Tagged as Baltimore, bicycle messengers, crime fiction, gangs, homicide, prosecutors

June 12, 2015 · 10:31 am

Ramblings of a Lifelong Elvis Presley Fan – Part 48 – Elvis in June

On today’s post, I thought I would share some important events in Elvis’ life that occurred in the month of June, along with a few interesting tidbits…

June 5, 1956 — Elvis appeared on the Milton Berle Show and sang “Hound Dog.” His performance caused quite a stir, not all of it positive. The “Elvis the Pelvis” nickname came about shortly after this performance.

Here is just one of the many scathing reviews that resulted:

By Ben Gross of the Daily News:

“Popular music has been sinking in this country for some years. Now it has reached its lowest depths in the ‘grunt and groin’ antics of one Elvis Presley. The TV audience had a noxious sampling of it the other evening. Elvis, who rotates his pelvis, was appalling musically … He gave an exhibition that was suggestive and vulgar, tinged with the kind of animalism that should be confined to dives and bordellos.”

Haha, so, in other words, he’s extremely sexy… 😉

June 10, 1958 — Elvis was on leave from the military and held a recording session in Nashville. He recorded the following songs:

I Need Your Love Tonight

A Big Hunk O’ Love

Ain’t That Loving You Baby

(Now And Then There’s a) Fool Such As I

I Got Stung

This would be his last session until after his discharge from the army in 1960.

June 26, 1977 — Sadly, Elvis gave the last concert of his life on this date at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. I’d seen him March 25 of that year in Norman, Oklahoma at the Lloyd Noble Arena, not knowing it would be the last time I would ever have the pleasure of attending an Elvis concert. 😦

Elvis Bites Reporter

Elvis was in Charlotte, North Carolina for a concert in June, 1956. A female reporter walked up to Elvis, who was sitting in a car, to take a picture. Elvis leaned his head out the window and bit her on the hand. Not at all pleased, she called him a “big bruiser” and asked him ‘what’s the big idea.’ He said, “I was only being friendly, like a little puppy dog.” The reporter told him no one had ever bitten her in friendship, and he replied, “Lady, if you want to get ahead, you gotta be different.” The reporter didn’t file a lawsuit, but in this day and age, I would imagine the outcome would have been quite different. 🙂 (It’s unfortunate that he chose to bite one of the very few young women who did NOT like getting bitten by him :))

This is a picture from that same trip to Charlotte (this girl is not the reporter :))

Elvis dog tags

While Elvis was in the army, tons of merchandise was released to keep him in the forefront of the public’s mind. One of the more unique items was Elvis Dog Tags. They were available in either silver or gold and included Elvis’ Army serial number, his blood type, a picture, and copy of his signature. The tags weren’t made available until July, but the buzz for them began in June. A deejay in Boston had the idea for a gimmick where he offered six tags to the first three girls who came to the station wearing a bathing suit and to the first three boys who arrived with guitars. More than 600 people showed up on the rainy night at the studio. Three police vehicles were dispatched to maintain order. Among the crowd were twenty-two boys with guitars and sixteen girls wearing bathing suits.

Can you imagine what those would be worth now? I wasn’t born yet, or I definitely would have one. 🙂

Thanks for joining me…have a fabulous weekend!

*********************************************

EOLS Charity

Learn more here, including how to donate:

http://www.graceland.com/epcf/

*********************************************

On Elvis’ 80th birthday this year, I released a Vintage Romance short story set in 1957, and of course, my heroine is an Elvis fan. 🙂 As a tribute to Elvis’ generosity, and in order to assist with this worthy cause, 10% of my proceeds for End of Lonely Street will go to the EPCF.

What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

Click Here for Kindle

Click Here for Nook

6 Comments

Filed under Elvis Presley, Entertainment

Tagged as #ElvisForever, Alicia Dean, Amazon, Beale Street, Charlotte NC, Elvis Army, Elvis Bites Reporter, Elvis Dog Tags, Elvis fan, Elvis Kiss, Elvis on Milton Berle Show, Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, Elvis the Pelvis, End of Lonely Street, EPCF, Graceland, Hound Dog, Kindle, Last Elvis Concernt, Memphis, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, Sun Studios, Vintage Historical Romance, Wild Rose Press

June 8, 2015 · 6:55 am

Why is Writing so Hard? Jane Leopold Quinn – New Erotic Romance – ANCIENT TIES

I’d like to welcome Jane Leopold Quinn and her new release, ANCIENT TIES – An Erotic Time Travel Romance – http://amzn.com/B00WFTJYPG

Thanks so much for hosting Ancient Ties and me today, Alicia.

My pleasure!

WRITING IS HARD!

Why is writing fiction so hard?

Why is writing romance so hard?

Why is writing erotic romance so hard?

I don’t know except maybe anything that’s creative should be hard. I don’t want to live in a garret. I don’t want to be a “starving artist.” But I’d like to have somewhat less angst about my writing. Even after several years, I still feel unsure about a finished project. While I’m working on it, I’m constantly revising, changing sentence structure, varying the first word of the sentences, putting in commas, taking them out.

I write erotic romance and have from the minute I first put pen to paper because that’s how I wrote in the beginning. Others write hotter, others write more PG so I’m kind of in the middle. Then the question becomes is it hot enough for the hot lovers? Do readers consider the love scenes ordinary which isn’t my intention at all? I can spend hours on one or two paragraphs in love scenes to get the wording, movements, and most importantly the emotion right. Even after years, it doesn’t get any easier.

Critics say it’s putting “slot A into slot B”. It’s not! At least it’s not if you write it properly. The slots are the least important component. They’re important, but the road to the slots is what’s lastingly memorable. The road is what makes the reader forget her living room, her bus or train ride, what she’s eating for lunch, because the scene she’s living through her reading is so powerful. Words matter, phrases matter. Putting them together so they flow and make the reader close her eyes and sigh in pleasure is what matters.

And I’ll admit that sometimes I get tired of writing a hot love scene. That’s a bit discouraging. I consider myself a writer of good, hot love scenes but sometimes you just have to change your focus to a good murder or shoot out or just a simple walk down the street with your characters so they can get to know each other better through conversation.

I guess writing is hard because we’re constantly challenging ourselves to be better, to go the extra mile to give a scene even more of a lasting impression on the reader. I know I’ve done a good job when the scene turns me on. I also know I’ve done a good job if I make myself cry because I’ve written an effective scene for my character. Thirty years of being a secretary and I don’t need to look at the keyboard most of the time. So when I’m deep into a scene, I close my eyes, sway in my desk chair, and type.

More than a dozen books – novels, novellas, short stories – later and I’m here to talk about my latest release, Ancient Ties, an erotic time travel to 2nd Century Roman Britain. This book was first published in 2005, then with a different publisher in 2008, and now I’ve self published it. I’m very proud of the cover. I bought the top picture from http://romancenovelcovers.com. The two lower photos are ones I took on my trips to England and show scenes from the book.

Blurb:

Nursing a broken heart, Janney Forrester flies to England for a much needed vacation. She gets one—and much more. A drive through the countryside and the sight of a mysterious heavy gold bracelet found nestled against ruined walls draw her across the crumbling stone threshold of an ancient villa where she beholds a Roman room in perfect historical detail. To add to the unreality, there’s the most gorgeous, masculine man she’s ever seen, her every sensual fantasy personified. Confusion by what’s happening to her vies with attraction when Janney is thrust two thousand years into the past.

Roman soldier Marek Benin Verus considers the woman suddenly appearing before him as a gift from the gods. Zeus knows he needs one! Battle fatigued and emotionally scarred after fifteen years in the army, he’s on a leave of absence and has all the time in the world to devote to seducing this beautiful woman into his bed. He doesn’t plan on the powerful and dangerous emotions she inspires in him.

Marek’s hard, muscular body is too luscious to resist. Janney decides to risk the comfort of her safe life and carpe diem—seize the day. Marek seizes her body and takes her to the edge—and over—to an ecstasy she never knew existed. Can a new world for her, timeless desire, and a loving exploration of each other’s bodies forge a passion that survives centuries of separation?

Excerpt – PG:

Setting the scene: Janney visits the baths in ancient Aquae Sulis,

the same baths she saw in her own time just a few days before…

Raising her gaze to the temple’s pediment, the Gorgon’s wildly flowing mane of hair and mustache, his wide surprised and sad eyes were familiar. “He’s the most well-known symbol of the baths. Anyone who’s ever visited them recognizes this carving. Don’t you think it’s amazing it lasted two thousand years?”

“Yes, it is.” Augusta said thoughtfully. “That’s the way I feel when I see the ancient stones near Marek’s villa.”

“Stones? What kind?”

“Tall, in a circle. Some sort of Druid religious site.”

“Stonehenge? Marek has a villa near Stonehenge?” She had to see it. Her heart thumped excitedly. A sexual-like ecstasy heated her from the inside out.

Stonehenge.

She forced her mind back to where she was right now. The baths.

One miracle at a time.

“Augusta,” she tried to keep her voice steady. “I saw a lot of this.” She closed her eyes. “There were enough fragments to piece together to get the idea of what it must have looked like.” She sought the other woman’s gaze. She could handle all these new experiences but needed to know someone else knew who she really was and where she came from.

“Janney, let’s go inside and bathe. I’m sure you’ll be delighted to see the baths as they were originally intended. And we’ll meet my husband and Marek,” Augusta added in encouragement.

She nodded, then stopped, her gaze following Augusta’s retreating back. She sucked in a quick breath, heat roiling in places he’d touched last night. Was he in there now? Naked?

Whew! Now that would be a sight.

“Janney,” Augusta called. “Come on.”

People jostled her to pass on either side. All this was so strange and yet not. She’d read about the baths and had studied their layout. Now, incredibly here was her chance to see them as the Roman’s saw them.

The history was incredible. But every time she told herself it was the history that fascinated her, the truth slammed into her. He fascinated her.

Augusta had to come back and tug her along. “Let’s go. I’m looking forward to a massage. I imagine you are too.”

“I’m coming.” She closed her eyes a moment and took a deep breath. Whatever was going on here, Augusta was her lifeline. Just follow her, do what she does, learn how to live here in the second century. You don’t have any other choice at the moment.

Strolling past the sacred spring, she could only gawk at the statues surrounding the pool like eerie specters rising from the swirling mist of the hot water. “I don’t have anything to offer the gods.”

“You know about this?”

She laughed aloud shocking the people crowding around her. “I’m sorry,” she giggled, delighted that she struck Augusta speechless. “Yes, I do. We know a lot about your time, this time.”

Sensual fantasies were locked in my mind for years until a friend said, “Why don’t you write them down?” Why not, indeed? One spiral notebook, a pen and the unleashing of my imagination later, and here I am with more than a dozen books published. The craft of writing erotic romance has become my passion and my niche in life. I love every part of the creative process—developing characters, designing the plot, even drawing the layout of physical spaces from my stories. My careers have been varied—third grade school teacher, bookkeeper, secretary—none of which gave me a bit of inspiration. But now I’m lucky enough to write romance full time—the best job in the universe! And I’m fortunate enough to have found my own happily ever after husband.

Jane Leopold Quinn

My Romance: Love With a Scorching Sensuality

http://janeleopoldquinn.BlogSpot.com

https://twitter.com/jelquinnauthor

Amazon Author Page http://amzn.to/1DfiXkP

I have several more blog posts scheduled to celebrate the re-release of Ancient Ties and to continue the conversation. Please feel free to go to any posts. There are several different topics:

May 28, Sabrina York – http://thedecadentdivas.blogspot.com/2015/04/ancient-ties-erotic-time-travel-romance.html

May 28, my blog –

http://janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com/p/ancient-ties-erotic-time-travel-romance.html ~~~

http://janeleopoldquinn.blogspot.com/p/the-tower-of-london-1999-jane-leopold.html

June 3, Anna Markland – http://www.annamarkland.com/

June 4, Kryssie Fortune – http://kryssiefortune.wordpress.com

June 5, Tina Donahue – http://www.tinadonahue.com/

June 10, Romance Lives Forever – http://romancelivesforever.blogspot.com

June 12, Delilah Devlin – http://www.delilahdevlin.com/blog/

June 19, Jessie Clever – http://jessieclever.com/blog/

8 Comments

Filed under Entertainment, New Release

Tagged as ancient Britain, Erotic romance, Roman soldier, small town school teacher, Time Travel

June 5, 2015 · 10:39 am

Ramblings of a Lifelong Elvis Presley Fan – Part 47 – New Elvis Postal Stamp Coming

Most of you probably recall, or have heard, about the Elvis stamp that was released on his 58^th birthday, January 8, 1993. Well, now, a brand new Elvis stamp is coming. The postal service has announced that Elvis will be the sixth entertainer featured in the Music Icons series. So far, the series has released stamps of Johnny Cash, Lydia Mendoza, Ray Charles, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin.

For the previous stamp, Americans were given the opportunity to vote on which artwork should appear on the stamp:

Young Elvis by Mark Stutzman

70’s Elvis by John Berkey

Young Elvis won by 75% and this is the stamp:

How awesome is it that the US Postal Service allowed the public to choose the image? That has never happened before, or since. The Elvis stamp is the most popular commemorative stamp of all time. Of course, I’m not at all surprised. 🙂

For the upcoming stamp, Graceland will hold a First-Day-of-Issue dedication ceremony on August 12, during this year’s Elvis Week celebration. The hashtag #ElvisForever is being used to tweet about the event.

Postmaster General Megan Brennan released this statement:

“Elvis is a natural addition to our Music Icon Series. His life and talents are an incredible story. Spanning from his humble beginnings in a Tupelo, Mississippi, two-room house to becoming one of the most legendary performance artists of the 20th Century, Elvis Presley’s works continues to resonate with millions the world over.”

I, for one, cannot disagree.

So…what image do you think should be used for the new stamp?

50’s Elvis?

68 special?

70’s Elvis?

I find them all delightful, so no matter what, I’ll be pleased. 🙂

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EOLS Charity

Learn more here, including how to donate:

http://www.graceland.com/epcf/

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**** LAST DAY to get my short story, End of Lonely Street, for 99 cents ****

What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

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June 3, 2015 · 6:52 am

Easily Connect with Authors and Readers with these 233 Hashtags!

Some great tips on using Twitter.

Nicholas C. Rossis

Image: http://jpundits.com/

Leeland Artra recently posted over at the FSFN group on Facebook a link to a list by Book Marketing Services, containing no less than 205 Author Hashtags to use on Google+, Twitter, Facebook etc. In short, you can use these hashtags to easily connect with other authors and/or readers on any social media platform. Since I added a couple of dozens more, they’re now 233!

How to use them

Hashtags are words or acronyms that serve like clusters, by allowing people with common interests to easily search for them. Some are rather esoteric, like #FF meaning #FollowFriday. This is commonly used on Twitter to suggest each Friday the people that have proven supportive in the previous week, therefore others may also benefit from following them.

Other hashtags explain what you’re doing (eg #AmWriting) or what you’re promoting (eg #FreeBook). This list allows you to select the most suitable, therefore effective, hashtag for…

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May 29, 2015 · 9:32 am

Ramblings of a Lifelong Elvis Presley Fan – Part 46 – Remix Songs

In the years following Elvis’ death, his producer, Felton Jarvis, recorded remixes of many of Elvis’ songs by adding some kind of 80’s techno mix sound. While I love the idea of Elvis music being re-released, I do not like these updated versions. They take away the pure, magical, unique sound that made Elvis so special. Some say it was a way to breathe new life into his music, and to have ‘new’ releases from Elvis. If that’s what they wanted, then they could simply take some of Elvis’ lesser known, but amazing, songs and remaster and release them.

Felton was a great producer, but actually, Elvis had a huge part in the production of his music. He had an uncanny knack for knowing exactly what a song needed to get it just right. I doubt that he would be thrilled about these new versions. When I hear some of these songs come on Sirrius XM Elvis radio, I can tell, in the first few notes, if it’s one of the new versions, and I usually turn off the radio. Why would I want to listen to that, when the original is so much better? Brings to mind the adage, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’

A few examples:

Blue Suede Shoes:

Now listen to it the way it was meant to sound:

Another, which was a big hit, but still, not as good as the original. A Little Less Conversation:

Now, Elvis singing the original movie version from Live a Little, Love a Little. And, you get to see his gorgeousness while he’s singing. You’re welcome!

Admittedly, these versions are fun, but they’re just not the way the songs were meant to be.

What do you think? Elvis Original or Elvis 2.0?

*********************************************

EOLS Charity

Learn more here, including how to donate:

http://www.graceland.com/epcf/

*********************************************

**** My short story, End of Lonely Street, is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time ****

What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

Click Here for Kindle

Click Here for Nook

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Tagged as A Little Less Conversation, Alicia Dean, Amazon, Beale Street, Blue Suede Shoes, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, Elvis remix, End of Lonely Street, EPCF, Felton Jarvis, Graceland, Kindle, Memphis, Million Dollar Quartet Musical, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, Sun Studios, Vintage Historical Romance, Wild Rose Press

May 27, 2015 · 7:48 am

“My Life as a Sperm” by Darrah Whitaker – Interview and GIVEAWAY!!!

I met Darrah Whitaker in April when myself and two of my editor friends, Cindy Davis and Barbara Wilson, presented workshops at the Las Vegas Writer’s Conference. It was a fantastic conference, an awesome group of people, and Darrah did a spectacular job as coordinator. He was also lots of fun! But you know what is even more fun? His book! It’s called My Life as a Sperm. How could I NOT want to read it? I am not very far into the book, but I’m hooked. It’s engaging and very, very funny. I don’t often laugh out loud while reading, but I have while reading his book. Here’s a peek at some of the funny snippets:

From a scene where the protagonist, Buddy Price, goes to see a wealthy TV evangelist at his compound/church.

A waterfall added a melodic refrain as it cascaded over rocks into a shallow pool. Unseen birds chirped. I might have converted then and there, but I caught sight of speakers hidden behind the bushes.

AND

He sat at his desk. “How about I give you the real story. Truth is always better than fiction.”

I nodded, although I bet Oliver stone would likely disagree with that assessment.

Haha, love it! Can’t wait to read more! There are also some funny scenes with his not-so-bright assistant, Stacey.

*** Darrah is offering a free copy of My Life as a Sperm to one lucky winner. Two ways to enter:

Follow his blog here: http://wdarrahwhitaker.com/blog/
Comment on this blog below.

(You can will gain an entry for each if you do both) Winner will be announced Saturday. Please be sure to provide your email with your comment.

Also, please like his Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/wdarrahwhitaker

Now, it’s Darrah’s turn to tell you about his book. 🙂

Blurb

BUDDY PRICE, a Hollywood agent, dies in a car crash and finds himself in Heaven. There, he discovers God’s had enough with people and will pull the plug if we can’t learn to get along – a ‘love thy neighbor or else’ sort of message. An unlikely hero as there ever was, Buddy convinces God to let him fix things and gets a second chance. From the first few lines of the book, we know that he’s probably the last person we’d want to depend on to save the world, but God’s got his plan. Our fate rests in Buddy’s hands… or, who knows, maybe he’s just crazy and needs lithium or something.

Excerpt

On top of Hedgins’ glass desktop, skinny, white legs belonging to CFO Manor wishboned like a V for victory (or vagina, I suppose) toward the ceiling while Reverend Hedgins, with pants around the ankles, pounded away at her lady bits. Hedgins didn’t see me, his backside conveniently pointed in my direction, and, if their position had been reversed, he still wouldn’t have noticed since his head was kicked up as if looking for an attaboy from on high. CFO Manor let loose with a couple of ‘Thank you, Jesuses’ before she caught sight of me standing in the office doorway.

Interview:

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

This thing called “making a living”. It really cramps my style.

What do you want readers to come away with after they read My Life as a Sperm?

A greater sense of self-awareness. Maybe that’s all that matters. Everything else that follows should then fall into place. Oh, and also an overwhelming desire to seek out and purchase the sequel.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tom Hanks, but mostly because I would like to just hang out after a hard day of shooting and share a few beers.

What is your favorite quote?

“I’m a toaster” – Alan Arkin from the movie “Simon”

If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have 3 (inanimate) objects, what would they be?

A good book, a flashlight, and a time machine (for obvious reasons).

Your most prized material possession? Why?

I thought long and hard on this one and finally realized I don’t really have a most prized material possession. I tried to imagine a fire where I lost everything and what I would miss most. Honestly, there was nothing. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t have a prized possession. It just so happens that those possessions are digital in nature. From the software systems I’ve developed over the past twenty years to the books and stories I’ve written and the photographs I’ve saved of loved ones and past experiences. Funny, huh? Maybe I’m simply a creature of these times.

Your favorite…

Movie – Blade Runner, hands down.

Music – 70’s R & B

Place you’ve visited – actually, it’s not the place, but the journey. Caribbean cruise!

Place you’d like to visit – I want to say the Moon, but given the current state of NASA, I’ll settle for Antarctica.

TV show from childhood – Gilligan’s Island (I had a huge crush on Mary Ann)

TV show from adulthood – X-Files (I had a huge crush on Agent Scully)

Food – Lasagna and ice cream, not necessarily in that order.

Sports team – War Eagle!

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? The way I see it, it’s not as important what you’re doing, but who you’re doing it with.

Thank you, Darrah. I enjoyed getting to know you better. I also loved Gilligan’s Island, and I agree, Mary Ann was hot! 🙂

For those who have read My Life as a Sperm, what was your favorite part?

Buy Links

Paperback http://www.amzn.com/0986268100

Kindle http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PVL6430

Contact Info

Email: darrah@wdarrahwhitaker.com

Website: www.wdarrahwhitaker.com

Buddy Price Website: www.buddyprice-agent.com

Bio

Darrah Whitaker is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a B.A. in Foreign Affairs and holds two Master degrees (MA-Film/MBA) from the University of Texas. He has written five screenplays, one which was produced and another optioned. His short stories have been published in the Writers Bloc III, IV, and V anthologies. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers as well as the Henderson Writers Group in Las Vegas, Nevada serving as Conference Coordinator on their Board of Directors. His first novel, My Life as a Sperm, takes on notions of God and destiny in a most unusual way. He lives in Las Vegas where, despite the myriad temptations, he still finds time to write.

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May 22, 2015 · 10:03 am

Ramblings of a Lifelong Elvis Presley Fan – Part 45 – Memories and Tidbits

Today is random day. Thought I’d share some Elvis facts and some personal Elvis memories.

Elvis didn’t like to wear jeans, because they reminded him of when he was poor. He mostly only wore them for movie roles.

In the 1957 movie, Loving You

My dad used to tease my sisters and I unmercifully about Elvis, but after Elvis passed away, he said he’d never tease us again. My oldest brother, Eddie, also gave us a hard time about Elvis. I remember one particular remark that, while I probably didn’t think it was very amusing at the time, is actually pretty funny. Referring to the below album cover, he said “It looks like his face caught on fire and someone tried to put it out with an ice pick.” Ha! It totally does not, right? 🙂

Elvis wanted to perform in Europe but he never toured outside the United States. Supposedly, it was because Colonel Parker, his manager, was an illegal immigrant, and he was afraid he would not be allowed back in the U.S. Isn’t that crazy to think something like that prevented fans all over the world from seeing Elvis in concert?

In January, 1974, when I was 12, Elvis released a single, “There’s a Honky Tonk Angel,” which received a lot of airplay on country radio stations. Each morning before school, my sisters and I called a local Oklahoma City station, I think it was KEBC, but I’m ashamed to say I can’t recall specifically, and requested the song. The DJ would always play it for us before it was time to leave for school, and that started our day off perfectly.

Lisa Marie once worked for Jerry Schilling, one of Elvis’ closest lifelong friends and a manager/producer. They kept it a secret, and no one knew when they called, that she was the one answering phones. Jerry said that sometimes she would come into his office and say, “There’s a call from someone wanting to talk with you about Lisa Marie.” She got a kick out of them not knowing it was her. Somehow, word leaked and the media converged on the office. Lisa had to quit after that, and she was very disappointed. It was her first job, and she loved being able to live like a regular person. Side note: Jerry’s nickname for Lisa was “Memphis.”

My sister, Ruth, and my brother-in-law, Tom, took me to Memphis for my fortieth birthday (we won’t say how many years ago that was…), and we took a riverboat ride on the Mississippi. Unfortunately, there was no air-conditioning in the boat, and this was July. In Memphis. Yes, July. Anyway… We went to the outside top of the boat to get some air, although I will say, it wasn’t really ‘cool’ air, it was more like thick, sticky, humid air. And, the worse part was, while outside, we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes as big as our heads. For some reason, they especially attacked Ruth. We got back to the hotel and were riding the elevator up to our room. Ruth (who loves Elvis every bit as much as I do) was sweat-soaked and riddled with huge, itchy mosquito bites. She said, “I can’t wait to get out of this hell-hole of a town.” (or something to that effect). I said, “But, Ruth, Elvis LOVED Memphis!” And she said, “That son of a bitch had air-conditioning everywhere he went!” My mouth dropped open and I said, “You just called Elvis a son of a bitch.” She was immediately horrified and apologetic. And, of course, being the loving sister that I am, I have not let her forget it.

Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston’s mother, was an original, founding member of the Sweet Inspirations and sang back up for Elvis.

Jerry Schilling was once married to Myrna Smith, another member of the Sweet Inspirations.

My son, Presley, is a server in a restaurant. Recently, a couple came in and sat in his section. When he introduced himself, they said, “Oh my God, your name is Presley?” My son said it was, and they told him that, two years ago, their baby girl was born, and they named her Presley. This day was the two year anniversary of her death. Presley was very moved and a bit emotional. They felt there was a reason for them to connect with him that day. It was a sad, but special moment for the couple and for my son.

My kids and niece (the tall blonde in the back) in front of Graceland. My son, Presley is wearing the yellow Elvis shirt.

Thank you for stopping by. Any Elvis memories or facts you’d like to share?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

EOLS Charity

Learn more here, including how to donate:

http://www.graceland.com/epcf/

**** My short story, End of Lonely Street is on sale for 99 cents for a limited time ****

Click HERE for Amazon and Click HERE for Barnes and Noble

What will it take to prove to her that she deserves to be happy, and that he would give anything to be the man to make her dreams come true?

Click Here for Kindle

Click Here for Nook

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Tagged as 99 Cents, Alicia Dean, Amazon, Beale Street, Cheap Kindle Deals, Elvis fan, Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, End of Lonely Street, EPCF, Graceland, Jerry Schilling, Kindle, Kindle Sale, Lisa Marie Presley, Memphis, Rock and Roll, Sirius XM Elvis Radio, Sun Studios, the wild rose press, There's a Honky Tonk Angel, Vintage Historical Romance, Wild Rose Press

May 21, 2015 · 3:00 am

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Deadly Offerings by Alexa Grace

Anne Mason thinks she’ll be safe living in the Midwest building a wind farm. She may be dead wrong. Someone is dumping bodies in her corn field and telling Anne they are gifts—for her! Michael Brandt, the new County Prosecutor is the last person Anne can trust, but he may offer her only chance of survival from a psychopathic killer. But will she survive the passion that rages between them?

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One betta fish, two dead biologists, three trysts, four suspects and thirty-five pairs of shoes add up to complicated days in paradise for Special Agent Marcella Scott.

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Revenge by Dana Delamar

Mafia don Enrico Lucchesi struggles to preserve a fragile truce with the Andretti family. But when Kate Andretti flees from her abusive husband, Enrico won’t leave her in jeopardy. Can he save her without reigniting the bloody feud between the families?

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Tina Green’s missing husband is presumed dead on Maui and now she’s being haunted by strange dreams. When former boyfriend, Jamey Dunn, turns up at her Lahaina dive shop and offers help, she can’t believe his preposterous claim to enter dreams. As they piece together clues to her husband’s disappearance, secrets and lies rise to the ugly surface.

Soul Seducer by Alicia Dean – Sizzling Paranormal Thriller Romance

She spent her entire life fighting death. Now she’s falling in love with him…

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Love on the Ropes by Pat White

An undercover assignment as pro wrestler Jack the Stripper exposes more than Jason McBain’s six-pack abs. Will the DEA agent lose his heart to the woman who becomes his prime suspect in a drug smuggling ring?

The Good Daughter by Diana Layne

Most good daughters would say they owe their fathers everything. Marisa Peruzzo, Mafia princess, would.

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And she owed him for taking away her lifelong friend.

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Two men want her, only one wants her dead.

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Check out the fabulous trailer here: