Get DEAD SEXY and Show a Zombie Some Love!

Thanks so much for letting me guest blog today!

Readers often ask me how I come up with ideas for my books, so I thought I'd give you a little behind-the-scenes peek at how I came up with my new release, a paranormal erotic romance from Ellora's Cave called DEAD SEXY.



Before I say anything else though, isn't that cover too hot for words?! When the art department sent it to me, I probably gazed at it for a good ten minutes in mouth-drooling appreciation before I could email them back telling the artist it not only rocked, but totally fit the book. The hero is "Dead Sexy," after all!

Okay, back to the story and how I came up with it. First, to set the stage, I need to share a little something with you about myself. Well, about my hubby and me, actually. We love zombie movies, from the George Romero gems to Shaun of the Dead and everything in between, including "Walking Dead," the new series on AMC. You just can't go wrong with a movie full of walking dead people, can you? Well, if you've ever seen a zombie movie (or even you haven't), then you know the creatures aren't the heroes of the film. I mean, how can they be, right? They're all dead and decayed and downright unattractive, not to mention pretty damn scary. Which was why you can imagine my surprise when my hubby suggested I write an erotic romance about a zombie hero. I was like, you're kidding, right? What woman in her right mind would fall in love with a dead guy? No way could that possibly work, or so I thought.

Turns out, my hubby wasn't kidding. In fact, he started working up ideas for the story.

"The hero didn't have to be a zombie all the time," he told me. "Think outside the box - take a little literary license!"

Okay, I thought. I suppose I could be open minded.

My hubby told me that in his out-of-the-box world, the hunky hero got cursed by an evil Voodoo priestess and only turns into a zombie sometimes.

"I'm listening," I said.

"And when he does go zombie, he doesn't have to be like the kind in the movies," my hubby added. "Well, he has to look like one, you know all dead and stuff, but he doesn't have to be a mindless creature or attack humans or eat anything gross."

So, brains are completely out, thanks goodness!

"Think Jensen Ackles or Jared Padelecki, with a really, really, really dark tan - (yes, my hubby knows I've got a thing for the Supernatural hunks!) - well, maybe more gray and black than tan, but you get the idea."

I thought about that for a minute. "So, the hero's dead, but he's still sexy, is that what you're saying?"

"Exactly," he said, giving me a grin as my eyes lit up with understanding.

By that point, my hubby had pretty much sold me on the idea. Of course, I knew if I ran with it, I was going to have to sell it to a publisher, and I knew that could be tough since the hero is a zombie. But I ran with it anyway and ended up with a full-length novel. And it came out pretty damn good, if I do say so myself! I still had to find a publisher for it, though.

About this same time, It just so happens that several of my other books were in the process of being picked up by Ellora's Cave and I thought what the heck? Why not pitch it to my editor there and see what she thinks? So I did, and she told me to send it to her. She was interested to see how I handled the whole zombie-thing. Well, long story, short, she liked it. A lot! My zombie romance with it's dead-sexy hero had a home! I was thrilled and my hubby walked around for a week with a smug, "I-told-you-so" look on his face.

I've been getting the word out there about DEAD SEXY ever since I signed the contract for it and I'm thrilled with the interest from readers who can't wait to get their hands on it! I can't wait for them to read it, too!

Now that I've revealed the story behind the story, I thought I'd share the blurb and an excerpt just to whet your appetite for more!


Blurb:

Romance author Simone Kent thinks she might just have found the most perfect guy in all of New York City - in bed and out. But Drake Parrish is about as far from perfect as any man can get. Eight years ago, he was cursed by an evil Voodoo priestess to live part of his life as a zombie. Since then, he has lived like a recluse on New York’s Upper East Side, afraid to go out for fear he’ll suddenly turn into one of the walking dead.

The sex is the hottest either of them has ever experienced and Simone discovers just how naughty she can be with Drake, while he finds himself feeling things for her that he hasn’t felt in a very long time. When the Voodoo priestess learns of their relationship, however, she comes after him again. She is determined to make sure he won’t have a future with Simone, even if that means killing both him and the woman he loves.




Excerpt:

As she led him up the steps to the second floor, Drake found himself wondering if she would ask him in. And wondering what he’d say if she did. When they came to a stop outside the door to her apartment, Simone turned to give him a smile.

“I had a great time tonight.”

“Me, too.”

She caught her bottom lip between her perfect white teeth and chewed on it thoughtfully as if unsure what she wanted to say next. It was probably an unconscious gesture, something she did whenever she was thinking, but to him, it was sexy as hell and all he could think about was kissing her.

Surely, one kiss couldn’t hurt. He desperately wanted to. He hadn’t kissed a woman in so long. It would be nice to see if he still remembered how.

Before he could stop himself, Drake tilted Simone’s face up to his and pressed his mouth to hers.

She tasted just as sweet and delicious as he thought she would. Her lips were soft and pliant under his as she kissed him back, her tongue eagerly seeking his out.

Drake groaned and slid his hand into her hair, deepening the kiss. Simone sighed into his mouth, running her hands up the front of his shirt to grasp his shoulders. The feel of her touch was like a tonic to his deprived soul and he let out another groan, deeper this time.

He ran his free hand up her side and around to her breast, cupping it through the soft material of her dress. He couldn’t stop himself and apparently, Simone didn’t want him to. She moaned and arched against him. He could feel the heat of her pussy through their clothes as she pressed up against his hard cock. Damn, she felt good.

Drake drew her bottom lip into his mouth and gently suckled on it before slowly kissing his way along the delicate curve of her jaw. Simone clutched his shoulders and tilted her head back. He eagerly trailed a path of hot kisses down her neck, then back up, his mouth finding hers again. Simone looped her arms around his neck, pulling him in even closer as their tongues met.

Down the hall, a door slammed, reminding him where they were.

Drake dragged his mouth away from hers, his breathing ragged as he tried to regain control. He had to get it together because he was about five seconds away from doing something really stupid. Like taking her to bed. “I should go.”

Her lips curved into a sexy, flirtatious smile. “Or you could stay.”

God, how he wanted to. But as much as he’d love to spend the rest of the night exploring every inch of her body, he couldn’t take the chance he might go zombie on her right in the middle of sex. Talk about coitus interruptus, And it had already been almost four days since he last turned, which meant he was already pushing his luck.

“You don’t know how much I want to,” he groaned. “But I can’t.”

Simone looked up at him with those big, blue eyes. “Why not?”

“Because I…” He hesitated, trying to come up with something that would sound believable. “I have a column due in the morning and I haven’t even started on it yet.” She knew all about deadlines, so she would understand that. Besides, he did have a column to write, it just wasn’t due until next week. “Rain check?”

She looked disappointed, but she smiled anyway. “Absolutely. How does coming over for dinner tomorrow night sound?”

It would be crazy to agree when he could be so close to having an episode, but he couldn’t say no. Not when she asked in that soft, sultry voice. “Sounds great.”

“Good. Be here at seven.”

“Seven it is.”

She pulled him down for another long, slow kiss on the mouth. “Don’t be late.”

His mouth twitched. “I won’t.” He bent his head to kiss her again, then groaned. “If I don’t go now, I’ll be here all night.”

Simone laughed. “Would that be such a bad thing?”

“Not to me, but my editor at Money Issues might not be too understanding when he doesn’t find my column sitting in his inbox tomorrow.”

She sighed. “Deadlines can be a real pain in the butt sometimes. Okay, go home and write your column. I’ll cuddle up with a bowl of ice cream instead.”

He chuckled. “Sounds better than taking a cold shower, which is what I’m going to be doing when I get home.” He closed his mouth over hers once more. “See you tomorrow night, beautiful.”

Resisting the urge to pull her into his arms again, Drake turned and walked down the hallway toward the stairwell. At the top of the steps, he glanced over his shoulder to see Simone standing where he’d left her, a sexy curve to her lips.

It took every ounce of strength he possessed not to go back and pin her against the door for one more long, lingering kiss. God, what he wouldn’t give to spend the night with her. Man, it was going to take more than a cold shower to get her out of his head.



Hope you enjoyed the excerpt and that you can't wait to read more! You can get DEAD SEXY from Ellora's Cave at http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-8917-50-dead-sexy.aspx

You can also check out the trailer here!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5D_YH6bYrE


If you decide to pick up DEAD SEXY, let me know how you like it!


*hugs*
Paige

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

BREAKING TABOO at 4pm PST/7pm EST with guest Teri Ahlstrom discussing "The Scarlet Tramp Stamp", also the unholy Rev. Jeffrey Brunk with Legalizing Prostitution live streaming out of LA on New Dissident Radio Come get your Dissident on.
http://newdissidentradio.com/

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Top Story -The Scarlet Stamp Tramp

As a society we still embrace the ridiculous notion that “good girls don’t” while “bad girls do.” What is it they do or don’t do? Sex. Plain and simple. It doesn’t even have to be wild, kinky, bondage sex. If you’ve bumped naughty bits with more than a few men (exact number depends on who is judging you) you’re a ….slut. Pass me the scarlet tramp stamp please.

Slut’s a word that is spilling from a lot of lips lately, thanks in part to the on-going hysterics over a Duke University man-eating power point, AND the recent media tittering over right-wing female political candidates denouncing female sexuality or being covered in mud due to their own past “indiscretions.”  Why is it that the slut stamp can still be flung at women as a weapon? Some of the worst abusers ARE women.

The stereotype and name calling is stirring up a shit storm and bringing into question what exactly is feminism these days. It’s not about women’s domination over men, revenge for past wrongs, or even proving who is better. AND it shouldn't be about slut-bashing. The era of the femi-nazi is over...despite certain factions whining in morale outrage.

We’ve finally, finally entered a time in our society when a large number of women, particularly women in their prime, are becoming comfortable with their own sexuality. They are tossing off the restrictions placed on them by the values of others and making up their own minds about what they like, don’t like and who they want to do it with and how often. What right does anyone have to call women who are discovering their own sense of empowerment and equality, sluts? Think about the mixed messages this is sending to teen girls. No wonder we’re all fucked up.

Like priests who rant against gays while hiding little boys in their closets, me thinks the judgmental protest too much.

On the plus side I'd rather be called a slut than a narrow-minded, shriveled up, judgmental prude. Just sayin.

http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=28829

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Douche Bag Island - News link:http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/08/world/asia/08burn.html?_r=1&hp

Here you're shunned as a slut, there you're stoned. or set on fire.

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"We Love You Long Time...."

Contributed by the Unholy Rev. Jeffrey Brunk

Recently, the United Nations Human Rights Council dove little head first into the plight of sex workers in the United States. The report submitted by the Best Practices Policy Project, Desiree Alliance, and theSexual Rights Initiative focuses on civil and human rights violations of those engaged, or perceived to be engaged, in sexual trade and sex work in the U.S.

Prostitution is a dirty word, much like Cancer, colonoscopy and Snooki. Cancer is an unwelcomed reality of life. Colonoscopies are an unwelcome result of that reality and, well, Snooki happens whether we like it or not. However, the question of whether prostitution should be legal, even decriminalized, is a moral issue. Sex workers do not sell themselves. They sell a service and are paid for that service. 

Agreed, there is a plethora of pros an cons, tangent arguments and a seemingly insurmountable mountain of education needed in order to bring the stigma of those who choose to engage in sex work to the masses for consideration.

The advocates make a case for the humanizing of those holding fast to the oldest profession. Their reasoning "isn't that prostitution is great for women, or that trafficking and abuse aren't real threats. The proposition is pretty sane and simple, from a workers' standpoint: The sex trade, like many other "legal" jobs, falls on a wide spectrum of exploitation within a capitalist labor system. The work itself may represent realities that people find immoral or disturbing. But the people doing the work are more than mere proxies in a culture war; they're human, and that alone entitles them to equality before the law."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michelle-chen/sex-workers-try-to-enter-_b_779925.html

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Guests Today:

Teri Ahlstrom - 

I’m a regular gal who grew up all over the place as an Air Force brat. I married at 21, had three fantastic children and divorced after 18 years of a bad marriage. My kids are all in their twenties now, and have given me two beautiful granddaughters. At age 50, I’m living and loving in Virginia and learning to adapt to the southern lifestyle (after many years in Southern California). My wonderful partner of five years lives with me and I refer to him as Yummy (or Master, depending on the game we are playing). It was never my intention to become involved again in a long term relationship but he is an exceptional person who lets me be who I am, making no demands. I’ve discovered by observing other good relationships that the key foundation is mutual consideration and respect. I’ll now have no other kind of relationship in my life. I’m in the process of writing a book called, “Give a Man an Inch and He’ll Try to Give You All Six!” It should be completed by the time I’m 65. ;)
I have two main beliefs about men and women.
One is a quote by Katharine Hepburn ~ “If you want to exchange the admiration of many for the criticism of one, then go ahead and get married.” The other is that pussy is always the commodity.

And of course our favorite unholy Reverend, the one and only disfunctional genius Jeffrey Brunk. You can keep in touch with him when he's not breaking taboos on the air by visiting his blog: http://yelpsfromthecloset.blogspot.com/?zx=24ff6d78ec2c363c

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Don't forget to check out the weekly novel review by KZ here: http://breakingtaboobooks.blogspot.com/ for a Little Triple P

Breaking Some Taboos - Topics and Guest for Nov. 1

LINKAGE TO PODCAST of this show: http://www.newdissidentradio.com/breaking_taboo.html#archives

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Today on BREAKING TABOO we'll be discussing Male Stereotypes and Prison Myths, with an inside look at what prison is REALLY like with special guest Maury Lipschitz. Only on http://NewDissidentRadio.com Monday 4pm PST/ 7pm EST

Happy Day of the Dead!

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Alpha Who? Male Gender Roles

Shockingly little attention is given to male stereotypes in current society. Its as if men have fallen through the crack of awareness with ALL the focus on fixing the female roles. Which should be fixed, don’t get me wrong. There is still a glass ceiling in many industries and women are second class citizens in many cultures. BUT, the neglect in addressing how men are “defined” and how they define themselves is disturbing.  Because as the female role changes, so does the male.  A sociological imbalance has been created between what is taught to men and what they have to deal with in reality. Remember – we are constantly shaped subconsciously by the gender role messages and attitudes of our media, our education systems, our peers, and our families.

There is a serious catch 22 that is mostly ignored by not only society but by men themselves. The empty well that now exists creates an environment where some men long for the "good old days, when men were men and women were women" as illustrated by the popularity of shows such as Mad Men. But the men are left feeling incomplete and off balance, because of course, those days are gone.

It isn't that the male gender, specifically their subconscious, longs for women to be second class citizens and know their place. (Okay – some here in the south do, but they’re Neanderthals.)  To my mind, it is more of a hunger for a clearly defined role in society.

Most women KNOW what we are striving to achieve as women, and if we don’t there are a million magazines, Oprah, and self-help books and studies to tell us.  Men - on the other hand have been raised to believe that a real man cares for his family, gives them the good life, blah, blah, blah. But guess what, he struggles to achieve that in a society where women now contribute as much and in some cases more than the male in a family. So where does the self measurement of personal success come from then? The old gender models need to be addressed and not just discarded, but replaced with new measures. Because pressure to succeed as a “male”, to meet societal and familial expectations leads to shorter life expectancy, stress, heart problems, ulcers, alcoholism, crime, drugs, etc.  The fact is it is no longer needed or called for.  But society has failed to let the males of our culture know that.

http://manzine.org/2009/09/03/manliness-in-the-modern-age/

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Under the Big House - Prison Mythconceptions

American prisons and jails held over 2.3 million inmates in 2008. About one in every 18 men in the U.S. was behind bars or being monitored. The numbers have dropped in 2010 apparently do to reforms in sentencing but it’s still way the hell up there with the largest number of inmates by far being male.

Given the pressure to succeed at any cost, the innate aggressiveness that many males seem to have… and are encouraged to have – it really isn’t a surprise is it? As women step up to a more equal footing in society, the number of women in prisons is rising. Stress, fear, greed, anger, hatred, desperation – these are all factors that can contribute to someone making a bad decision that leads them down the merry road to prison hell.

I’ve now heard several times: the only difference between a convict and everyone else is that we were just never been caught. We all have done something wrong at one point in our lives. Something illegal. Something that breaks the law of the land.

Prison used to be the boogyman land. We were told you went to prison and had to work in chain gangs, survive knife fights, deal with being raped nightly. It was a place to live in terror of because the men came out worse than they went in.

Somehow that changed and suddenly prison is practically a country club, with inmates passing their time with free meals, television, gym, free schooling and no pressure to have to deal with the “real world.”  Especially for those white collar criminals. They have plush cells and their own internet. If it wasn’t for the prison gangs still trying to make everyone their bitches, it would probably be a damn fine vacation. That’s why criminals can’t be rehabilitated – they don’t mind going back in. Jail is a free ride for them on the backs of the tax payers. Oh and don’t forget, they all claim they’re innocent.

Guess what. We’ve got most of it all wrong. Maybe it’s the fault of the media, movies, television, word of mouth or a combination of all those. Maybe it’s the fault of fear.

http://www.honoluluweekly.com/archives/coverstory%202003/07-02-03%20Prison/07-02-03%20Prison.html

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What Maury sez about Maury Lipschitz:
"Maurice Lieb Lipschitz - 43 years old, ex-con, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud

60 month sentence-----early release 27 months

College athlete (Wrestler)

Went to Wall Street the day after graduation from college.

Started career at Lehman Brothers-----Institutional and retail stock broker for 13 years in NYC

Ran an OTC trading desk----produced daily research reports, managed investment portfolios

High School Rock and Roll star. Artist. Sometimes insecure, but always love people.

Over achiever----fear of failure sometimes becomes an obsession.

All-in kind of person....never goes half-way.

Catholic.....but chose the most Jewish sounding name I could think of to play the obnoxious super agent to the stars, as my alter-ego.

Hates religion...loves spirituality. Religion is a farce made up by men.....but I believe in the power of positive thinking and focus to achieve goals. Entrepreneur. Owner of several small businesses.

Likes to talk about the market------LOVES to talk about health and fitness.

I love to find things to laugh about every day.

Don't think I've ever turned my back on anybody that asked for my help.

I know prison life. It ain't fun."

My additional two-cents about Maury:

Part comedian, part smart-ass, part genius, part big-hearted softy (shhh - don't tell him i said that) - he knows about surviving prison life and coming out the other side with a renewed drive for life.

Massa Sage Where ARE you?

Southern Sage blog is gone, his facebook is closed, his email account deleted. It doesn't look good for finding out how one of my long time friends is doing.
It's karma in a way I suppose considering I have up on vanished online several times on people due to various  "issues". There is a real sorrow in losing someone you've known for years, knowing you are unlikely to hear their special brand of humor, delight in their wit and just know they are there for you to reach out to when you need them.
Where ever you are out there Massa Sage - hope you're doing well and thanks for the wonderful friendship.
~laying flowers on the grave of your alter ego and shedding a tear~