My Love/Hate Affair with Reviews...

A good review can make my day. If I get a bad one, it can ruin my week.

I think I've got better at taking bad reviews though they do always feel like someone has just socked me in the stomach. As my husband reminded me a few days ago, six months ago I phone him at work in an absolute panic because someone had left me a three star review. At that time, it felt as though the world had collapsed. Now I can see a three star and think, oh well, it could have been better, but at least it wasn't a two!

Even so, getting bad reviews can be hard to take, but they can also be learnt from if the reviewer gives some constructive criticism. However, there are some things reviewers do that drive me nuts. Here are my pet hates in no particular order (cause they all piss me off!)...

1.) Leaving a one star but not saying the reason why they thought the book only deserved a one star!
2.) Complaining there is too much sex in an erotica novel. I mean, seriously, its erotica, of course there is going to be lots of sex!
3.) For free books; complaining it wasn't long enough or that the author then tried to sell one of their books afterwards. It was FREE! Of course authors want to get something back.
4.) Not even bothering to read the actual book but giving it a one star because the didn't like something in the product description.
5.) Mentioning random things that don't even happen in the book. One of my friends had a review complaining about all the anal sex in her book when there wasn't any!

So there they are. Have you got any pet peeves when it comes to reviews?

Business Cards!

I just ordered my first business cards! They let me have a free online business card as well (clearly to promote their own company, but what the hell!) so I thought I'd share it here...

Can't wait to get them in the post. I think they're looking good!

Writing Short Stories...

Hi guys, I'm over at Delilah Delvin's blog today, posting about how I write my short stories. I've always enjoyed writing shorts - there is so much satisfaction in writing a few thousand words that encapsulate a moment of time in my character's lives - and reading them as well. With these busy days, it's often hard to find the time to sit down and read a whole novel and dipping in and out of short stories can be a way of getting a good hit of fiction.

I've been thrilled this week that one of my short story collections, Some Love it Hot, hit the Amazon top one hundred bestsellers for Erotica. It's been dipping in and out all week, but I'm hoping it's on the climb.

Next month, I'll be getting ready for the release of the follow up to Some Love it Hot, which will be entitled, Some Love it Rough. As you can imagine, these shorts have been lots of fun to write. I'll be posting a preview of one of the shorts on Everything Erotic this Wednesday.

Hope to see you there!

Deadly Beauty

So, my vampire novella, Deadly Beauty, is almost done and I'm super excited about it. Initially it started off as a short story, but I simply couldn't let my sexy vamps go!

You ever write something you simply love? Well, I feel like that about this one and I hope my readers will feel the same way. Technically it's a lesbian vampire romance, though there's plenty of m/f sex as well. There's also plenty of violence and suspense, so I hope it's as good fun reading it as it was writing.

Here's the blurb:

When erotic dancer, Nadine, is attacked and stabbed in a dark alley, the last thing she expects  is to be ‘saved’ by lesbian vampire, Adrienne.

While Nadine had sworn off men as a human, now a newly turned vampire, she struggles with her new desire for both sex and blood. And when River, a sexy, but dangerous male vampire, is thrown into the mix, Nadine has to wonder if she really wants to be with another woman for the rest of eternity...

I'm also loving my cover, which C.J. at Red Hot Publishing did for me!

Thanks C.J!

Some Love it Hot!

This weekend will see the release of my second short story collection, Some Love it Hot.

Here's the blurb:
Erotica author, M.K. Elliott, brings you Some Love it Hot. Three short stories of girls who know what they like and know how to get it. Meet the air hostess who can’t get enough of the mile-high club, the personal assistant who discovers she shares a love of anal sex with her boss, and the best friends who love each other just as little too much—much to the delight of the boyfriend.

I've been amazed at how well my first collection, Rescued, has been received. It's already surpassed what I had expected, sales-wise, and it's only been out for a couple of weeks. People who have read the collection have contacted me, asking for more, and because of this I have decided to put togther a second collection, running along the same theme, entitled Saved.

You can buy Rescued at Barnes & Noble, Amazon and Smashwords.

Finally, I'd just like to say a special thanks to my fellow Everything Erotic author, C.J. Ellisson, for all her help in getting my work out to the public. She's inspired me in so many ways, and is always there to offer a helping  hand, even when she's dealing with her own stuff. She's also super talented and is a fantastic author. You can check out her super sexy novella, Johnny Living Dangerously at Barnes & Noble. It's worth it just to check out the seriously hot cover!

Pull The Trigger, by Melissa Ecker: Review

Rebecca Harper is making a clean break. The ink is dry on her divorce decree and her dream job has finally come to fruition. In two weeks, she will be on a plane to St. Louis. All her plans are set until sexy cop Justin Cain, her former high school crush, asks her to dinner.

 This one night out instigates a roller coaster ride of hot sex, serious soul searching and heart breaking decisions.  Will Rebecca leave Justin behind to follow her dreams?  Or will his love be enough to keep her in Memory Grove?

 I read this novella in one sitting. The sex is steaming hot, delving into Rebecca letting go of some of the inhibitions and bad experiences she has had in her previous marriage. There is a little bondage (with the cops handcuffs--handy!) and some anal, but all of it is done in a gentle and loving way.

I enjoyed how Rebecca wasn't perfect. She has some body issues (though you wouldn't think it from the sex this girl has) and isn't adverse to drowning her sorrows in a bottle of wine and a take-out pizza. In short, she is like the majority of us, which makes her a very likeable person! Justin is sweet and sexy, with a hot body and the authority of being a cop. He also isn't afraid of standing up for her and punching out her ex-husband when the time comes!

I found the final scene at the airport to be wonderful. It totally captured all the emotions of being parted from someone you love, and it even brought a tear to my eye.

It is a thoroughly enjoyable read, especially if you love erotic romance. The best thing is that Pull The Trigger is only the first part of a three book series, so there is plenty more to come. I'm looking forward to reading the rest.

You can buy Pull The Trigger at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Everything Erotic Paperback Preview!

I'm so thrilled to be able to give everyone a preview of the new Everything Erotic paperback!

The paperback is a culmination of three volumes of the Everything Erotic e-books and has a whole heap of tantalising tales within it's gorgeous cover. I personally have four short stories in the book, and I can't wait to get a copy in my hands.

The publication date is yet to be released, but I'll be sure to let everyone know about it as soon as it is available!