The Art of Procrastination with Elise Hepner

The Art of Procrastination by Elise Hepner

Hi everyone.  Sorry I have been absent for quite some time I am currently in the throws of writing Viva Pann Vegas.
I have asked my good friend from Secret Cravings Publishing to take over my blog for today, so please welcome to the Nook, Elise Hepner!

The Art of Procrastination: Otherwise Known As How I Wrote This Book

There were several instances where I worried that this book would never get finished, either due to my characters having meltdowns and self-actualization crises or because I had no idea what these meltdowns meant for the book. So we had a lot of fun together. The book languished, Chloe and Noah thought about it, and we both lived in a special land of procrastination.

What I looked like when I had the idea for Ex-Retreat:

What the look evolved into after I realized Chloe and Noah were going to put me through my paces:

This was me struggling with Chloe’s commitment issues. Even I wanted to do Noah and he’s fictional.

Come on, Chloe, work with me here.

For a little while, I was afraid to look or even type hoping she’d worked out her issues so they could get to the dirty, dirty sex.

Then she threw me for 180 that I was in no way prepared for during the book.

Yeah, that wasn’t in the cards.

But it all worked out in the end, otherwise we wouldn’t have a book

Warning: This book contains a geeky, secretly insecure but overly cocky handy-man with a penchant for pleasing, a dominatrix in training who’s on the rebound, and enough smut to strip a couple layers off your soul. Plus there’s mac n’ cheese with a smattering of self-actualization for good measure.

After Chloe Barrons’ fiancé cheats on her via webcam, she begrudgingly accepts her Type-A mother’s offer of a spur of the moment luxury spa weekend. But things don’t play out quite from point A to point B when she arrives drunk and disoriented on the front porch of a deserted North Carolina beach house. From the very start she’s caught off guard by Noah Knightly, a sinfully sexy, self-proclaimed commitment-phobe who’s a handyman for his sister’s relationship rehabilitation center—a rehab where Chloe is the sole guest during off-season.

But faced with temptation, to stay guarded she’ll have to call the shots.

Noah shouldn’t have taken Chloe’s reservation. But in need of a second pair of hands to fix up the beach house, he throws all his sister’s rules out the window. Soon he worries that maybe he’s bitten off more than he can chew: each day Chloe cracks more of his cocky façade bringing down his guards to reveal a stuttering geek who has a hidden will to please her in any way possible.

With no way to ignore her pain, Noah sets himself up as a guinea pig to prove to Chloe that not all men are created equal—in or out of the bedroom. As Chloe comes into her own through every sexual session, Noah needs to decide if he’s man enough to accept the one thing he never thought he wanted—love.

Bio: Elise Hepner lives with two spastic cats and a very supportive, slightly crazy husband. There is never a dull moment in the house, unless the caffeine runs out, which it never does. She’s a multi-published erotica author with Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Xcite, and Secret Cravings Publishing.

She’s driven by her tea addiction and a tiny stuffed turtle her husband picked up from Disney World that sits on her desk and “supervises” her work.

When not writing (which is rare), she’s watching countless hours of reality television, playing the Sims or shopping online. Plus there’s that odd obsession with the color purple. Everything is purple. Visit Elise at her website http://www.elisehepner.com to keep up with her naughty ramblings, random tidbits and future work.

She has a newsletter where you can sign up for sneak peeks, contests, giveaways, new release news and other fun things: http://eepurl.com/pW8Sj

Website: http://www.elisehepner.com

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Celebrating

Last month I submitted a Christmas novella to Books To Go Now entitled The Bed & Breakfast Man, and a short erotic parody, the first of my ‘eroticoms’ entitled Norty or Nice to Secret Cravings Publishing.

Earlier this month, I had the fabulous news that both of these submissions had been accepted, and so watch out everyone, there will be two …count them TWO…of mine to buy this Chrimbo.

Keep following as I will post snippets of the two works and perhaps, for any Pann fans out there, I there may be a tease or three.

Hope you are all as excited as I am.

Manda xxxxx

Soothing September…

Aaaah September.  I welcome you with open arms…but where the Dickens have you gone?

I admit, I look forward to the autumn months with childish glee for several reasons.  The children go back to school, the crunching of leaves underfoot on the school walk,  the weather starts to cool down and there is a freshness to the air.  Most of all, usually for me life begins to slow down in preparation for winter and the C word. It’s cool enough to enjoy my favourite comfort foods, and the stews, casseroles and crumbles that have been sorely missed through the summer months are back with huge hug.  Aaaah mashed swede, how I have missed you.

Now just as it seems to have arrived, so September is leaving us.  Life has been hectic here with the preparation for school, longed for visits to London and birthdays.  I fulfilled a dream to see my ultimate crush in person (within bottom pinching distance from me), and have visited one of the most beautiful stately homes in Hertfordshire.

During the hours I have spent alone while the kids have been at school, I’ve managed to achieve most of what I set out to do.  Two Christmas shorts have been accepted with the contracts signed, and the book info sheets filled in and sent back.  However come 1pm and I’m wiped.  Seems all the lack of sleep I have had during the past year has caught up with me.  So you will find me more often than none on the sofa cuddled up under a blanket with my eyes closed.  So that’s where September has gone.  In a blur of sleep and worrying about the kids.  I’m hoping Adam will settle down soon and have the great year eight we were talking about.

October will be here soon and so begins the Christmas prep, cakes, tins and jars of yummy stuff. Also the very long lists that need to be whittled down.

I guess the one thing that desperately needs to be done over the next month or so is Pann 2, so forgive me if I am awol for a while, but I need to do it.

TTFN and hugs xxxxxxxx

The Crucible

 

 

Yesterday my husband and I were front row in The Round at the Old Vic to watch a play called The Crucible.  It has been given amazing reviews and I can see why.

However, I must point out that I have never in my life seen a serious play, am not keen on any violence and much prefer much more light-hearted stuff that gives me a smile on my face.  I will also admit that I was there mainly to gawp and drool over one of the actors, Richard Armitage, which is a very shallow reason, but hey everyone has their reasons.  I went there with no idea what the play was about, and the only expectation was to come away thinking ‘ooooooh I’ve seen RA topless and be entertained’. 

The set is simplistic, the choreography is fluid, and the actors very much got into their roles.  I jumped each time there was a bang, or there was violence.  The hair grabbing made me wince a lot.  In fact the girl in the beginning on the bed reminded me of my own daughter having a major tantrum. No offence to the actors, but when there was an argument, because I was so close to the action, it was all I could do not to get up and send them off to cool down. Not the sort of thing one does.

As for Richard, at first I thought “OMG its Richard” and squealed inside.  As the play continued into the crescendo of the first part, all I could see was how knackered the poor bloke was. His voice raw, hoarse and it seemed at times he trouble swallowing.   I heard once how actors sometimes suffer for their art and boy does he look wiped.

Onto the second part, mostly set in a courtroom.  William Gaunt was amazing, and the chap that played the Judge, would make a fabulous Lord Vetinari (in discworld).

To be honest I felt like a duck out of water, a bit of a prat for jumping/wincing.  I admit I went in the deep end of the ‘play’ scale without dipping my toes in first.  It was a great performance, the actors were great, and I hope come September 14, Richard is somewhere being looked after, having a decent meal and plenty of tea!

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