Hey You Under the Shade Tree

Buy Something to Howl About HERE

 Written by Azura Ice 

I’ve written two paranormal western/steampunk books and one sci-fi romance historical set in the mid 1800s. Research is a must when writing these sub-genres. It’s a challenge to find pieces of information about the 1800s, but the most irksome topic for the 19^th century—I believe—is men’s and women’s clothing. The names and uses of various pieces are interesting and baffling. For example, the U shape that goes around the ankle to hold spurs is called the yoke (some refer to it as a heel band) and the piece that sticks out to secure the spur is the shank (sometimes called the neck).

Now delve into more intimate things and you have your work cut out for you. Sometimes it’s quite difficult to find accurate information. Birth control of the 1800s is a topic often leaving the writer scratching h/her head. In 1844, rubber was vulcanized, and soon after rubber condoms appeared, but what about the women who couldn’t afford such things? My mother has helped me research this topic and she discovered pennies were used like a cervical cap. Bear in mind pennies of the 1800s were much larger coins than we use today. Here’s another one I found—and it’s very disgusting—crocodile dung and honey were mixed and inserted into the vagina as a contraceptive. Even sea sponges soaked in vinegar were believed to prevent pregnancy.

But what about the actual “Wild West” and how people lived? What are the parts of a stagecoach? What are the various pieces of a dress ensemble? Hmm…guess what? Wealthy women had more pieces to their clothing than farm women. And then there’s men’s attire. What is the chain of a pocket watch called (there’s another term other than fob) and how is it attached to his vest? Can you name all hat styles men wore during the 19^th century? [runs screaming into the night]

Yeah, writing time period manuscripts can test your determination as well as your patience.

Oh, speaking of stage coaches, here’s some info you may or may not know. The passengers who held the lowest class tickets were the ones who had to change a wagon wheel if it fell off or busted. The first and second class ticket holders sat in the shade passing around canteens and sometimes even sandwiches kept in a picnic basket.

Nice, huh? Well, I’ve had four kids and they’ve kept my wallet drained dry, so remind me NOT to book passage on a stagecoach, okay? I’d be hollering, “Hey you under the shade tree! Get your petticoats over here and help me change this tire!”

I thought it would be fun to write a 1Night Stand book with a paranormal steampunk theme. One involving—dare I whisper it?—werewolves. Basil of Something to Howl About doesn’t really worry about such things. Madame Eve has a steam coach pick him up and drive him to a desert resort owned and operated by the Castillo family. He’s even supplied with an authentic western costume to wear at The Cursed Revolver’s bash, a lycanthrope celebration where he encounters pure evil and also undying love.

What’s next in the way of historical westerns and steampunk? I’m not sure yet, but rest assured I’m still doing a lot of research for the next one I write.

Fuzzy Psychics

 by Azura Ice

When I’m hanging around Facebook, I see many writers posting about their pets who are their writing companions as they sit with a laptop or at the pc (I say ‘who’ because they’re people to us, right?). I have such a pal. His name is Radar, and he loves to climb up on my glider-rocker and lay on my laptop, my hands pinned beneath him. Although he might understand what “glib bloc donnnnnnnnnt morm;hsic.” means in dialogue, I don’t and neither do my readers, lol.

The other day our newest furry kid, Voodoo, leaped from my hubby’s nightstand and landed in the middle of my keyboard. First, it scared the bejeezus out of me, and second, she opened up so many programs with her crash landing that it took me a couple of minutes to shut them all down and fix the part of my manuscript she’d messed up.

It makes me wonder: do animals somehow pick up on your thought patterns like they do our emotions?

LOL, many strange notions like the one above skitter through my mind at odd moments. Perhaps it’s the burst of adrenaline that causes them when said cat frightens me. But seriously, I sat and pondered this thought after Voodoo startled me—of course this was also after a few choice curse words.

If our fuzzy companions are so attuned to us, maybe, just maybe, they can zero in to our thoughts as we write.

Who knows? Maybe one of Hemingway’s many cats helped him write his classics?

However, I doubt Radar or Voodoo have helped me write any of my 1 Night Stand books. If they had, it would’ve burned their fur off!

LOL!

Check out my 1NS: 

Lace, Lightning and Multiple Orgasms 

When Jagger Castillo sees Ellecia Lightmaiden trying to call lightning from a clear night sky, he knows she’s a perfect candidate to experience the Castillos’ new resort on Planet Vyzani. Stuck on Earth, Ellecia has never been able to find a man who sates her sexual appetite to generate the power she craves. Goaded into going on a date her boss has paid for, she relents once she learns Madame Evangeline has chosen four younger men for her.

However, the method in which Ellecia must travel to Vyzani is terrifying. Can she trust science to send her through cyberspace without losing her body or reassembling it wrong? And if she does make it to her waiting men, will they be compatible and quench her need for incredible sex?

Perhaps Madame Evangeline’s perceptiveness has sent Ellecia across a galaxy to love.

Double Heat Wave

Buy Lace, Lightning & Multiple Orgasms HERE

by Azura Ice

During the last week of June and the first few days of July, much of the U.S. was gripped by one of the worst heat waves in over one-hundred years. I wrote my latest 1NS submission during those horrible temperatures and high humidity. How’s that for ironic? Super-hot temps and a super-hot story. That, my friends, was a double heat wave, lol.

Come to think of it, when I wrote Lace, Lightning and Multiple Orgasms it was about the same time of year. I sat sweating on the porch with my laptop sliding around on my legs, and wrote about a Lightmaiden who needs lightning to rejuvenate her. She finds four incredibly handsome men who can wield lightning. Hmm, it’s a miracle my laptop didn’t burst into flames or shoot out a lightning bolt, lmao!

Weather often inspires me when I write. I’m not sure why, but I think it’s because it’s raw power, power we can’t control, so we’re at its mercy. It’s a lot like falling in love. We can’t pick the persons we fall for. Love reaches out and snatches us into its embrace before we realize what’s happening. Storms, lightning, tsunamis, tornadoes and the like are the same way.

Unexpected, hot, passionate love. Find out how Elecia Lightmaiden discovers her four special men.

Short, Category, or Full?

Buy Lace, Lightning & Multiple Orgasms HERE

by Azura Ice

Short fiction. Novellas. Category-length novels. Full Novels...

I write many novella and category-length novels. It seems as though these two lengths sell really well in the indie publishing world. My theory is this—people take their e-readers on the run, so they probably prefer shorter fiction. I see their point, too. Bus rides, train rides, turns commuting with neighbors driving into the city, subway trips, lunch hours, flights to other states all make good reasons to open a 30K novella on your iPad, Kobo, or Kindle. It’s read in one sitting.

But what about longer works? The—dare I utter the words?—full novel?

Like I was saying...I write novellas, and since writing for Decadent, I’ve been penning category-length novels of late, too. Of course each publisher usually has its own standard of what constitutes a novella, etc., but overall the lengths are relatively close.

This is just a guideline, so it’s not cut into stone, but it’ll give you an idea if you’re unfamiliar with the book lengths.

Short story - 3K to 7K

Novelette - 7K to 15K

Novella  - 15K to about 35K

Category length – 35K to about 50K

Novel – 50K and up

But what about the novel? Do you read long works? Do you have time? Also, do you think the full novel is a dying breed?

Personally, I feel the novel is geared for a different category of readers. There are the Readers On the Run, and then there are what I call the Sedentary Readers, the ones who don’t have to race here and there, so they read on their porch during the heat of the day or they lounge in the tub for a couple of hours or even read for a long time before turning the light.

I love it when I find a full novel that yanks me into the book and won’t let go until I read ‘the end.’ I’m writing one now that I hope to send to my agent very soon, but as I write it, I’m always working on shorter manuscripts and tossing around ideas for another 1 Night Stand book.

Decadent Publishing has developed a large readership following the 1 Night Stand books. They’re all awesome tales full of sexiness and wonderful characters. I’ve recently submitted another manuscript for this series—this one a paranormal m/m with steampunk elements—so my fingers are crossed, but until then you’ll find my first one, Lace, Lightning and Multiple Orgasms, at Decadent and most other e-book distributors. 

Grab a copy of it and while you do, pick up a few written by my fellow 1 Night Stand authors too.

Hot flash. Where are the frickin' ice cubes?

Hot flash. Jeez, is there no Long Island Ice Tea in this joint? And where the H.E. double hockey sticks is the ice?

*waves*

Morning! My name is Azura Ice. I write molten romances with ice. After all, you can only read so much molten romance without needing a few ice cubes or a cold shower to cool off, right?

What's with the hot flashes? Well, four super handsome, well-built Vyzani men—Judge, Rydder, Cavenno, and Staten—are the reason behind the super-intense temperatures. They're caring men, men who love to please their woman, a woman who earthlings would call a cougar. However, Judge loves older women, and so do the others. Why? Because women their age or younger just can't seem to keep up with their sexual needs.

Judge, however, is my favorite. He's tall, big (no that isn't what I'm talking about but he has a nice one of those, too) and he has beautiful, long feathery hair and dark, dreamy eyes.

{{{sigh}}}

Uh oh. Here comes another hot flash!

There's Judge crossing the Vyzanni's Castillo Resort now. *rubs hands together and straightens micro mini dress* Oh, baby! Come to mama!

Damn. He's talking to his new woman, Ellecia Lightmaiden. *grumps* I swear, give a woman a pair of vaporous, kickass wings and men fall all over her. And now Rydder, Cavenno, and Staten have joined them. *watches longingly as they walk inside* Hmm…wonder if they'd be willing to let an Earth woman join them? On second thought, they totally destroyed their hotel room the last time. I don't have their powers, so I think I'll skip on getting my ass scorched after all.

Seriously, though, I love writing sci-fi romance, and if you enjoy reading paranormal, steampunk, cyberpunk, and time travel romance, you'll not only enjoy reading Lace, Lightning, and Multiple Orgasms with Judge and his group, but you'll also enjoy my Crimson Bane Battles and the Sky Streamer Series written with my co-author, Maria MoonStar. I must warn you, however. Asbestos panties are a requirement when reading my books, and stock up on batteries for your vibrator if your partner isn't nearby.

Drop me a note at azura.ice@live.com and let me know what you think of LLAMO, or any of my other Decadent titles. I'm also on Facebook and Twitter and you can visit me at http://ablueice.wordpress.com. 

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