May Titles Bloom Into Life

Posted on May 22, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

For your reading pleasure!

Six Feet Under meets Stephanie Plum in Amy Andrews’ fresh, funny, sexy urban-family noir about a country singer who almost made it, a private investigator who’s seen too much and a mother who will cross all barriers to save her child.

Revisit Swallow’s Fall in this beautiful short novel from Jennie Jones about an ex-military man, a single mother and the impossibility of dreams coming true.

From the author of the romantic horror debut Beckoning Blood comes the gripping sequel that mixes blood, sex, and magic.

Finally, all the Housewives are together at last – with four bonus stories…

Secrets Revealed! Bonus four epilogues, exclusive to this digital bind-up!

You’ve never met housewives as hot as these…They’re wealthy and glamorous. The elite of society. But appearances can be deceiving.

Works Well With Others…5 Reasons to Seek Out Group Projects

Posted on May 7, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

by Cate Ellink

I’ve had the pleasure lately to be involved in a few group efforts. Each has been a unique experience because of the different people involved changing the dynamics.

No matter what the dynamics, here are a few of the reasons why I enjoy these experiences.

Brainstorming sessions are heaps of fun. You never know what you, or someone else, might come up with. Someone’s idea might spark something really crazy in your mind.
You never really know people until you work with them. Writers are notorious introverts, so it’s not easy to get to know us. But working in a group allows for interaction, communication, and an online form of ‘bonding’. You cyber-meet, sometimes become friends, with people you may never have met otherwise. You’re working towards a common goal, which immediately gives you something in common – that’s great for introverts.
You learn. My writing always improves. Sometimes it’s because of someone in the group’s feedback. Sometimes it’s watching how another works with critique. Other times it’s learning how people develop stories. Or how much importance some writers place on factors you had dismissed, or hadn’t thought of. There’s always something to learn.
You’re exposed to story ideas/characters you’d never have thought of yourself. Take Lana from the Sydney Housewives. I would never have thought of, let alone tackled, a character who was an older woman who loved young men. Yet that was my task. It was challenging. Lana stretched my writing ability and my imagination. I had to work with a character a long way outside of my experience. She was a challenge I’d never have had if I hadn’t agreed to the project.
You share the promo with others. Promo makes me shudder, sweat, wriggle and squirm. When you can promo in a group, it takes the pressure off. I’m not shoving my book down people’s throats…I’m sharing our group project with the world.

That’s why I love group projects. Do you like group projects, or reading books from group projects?

Secrets Revealed! Bonus four epilogues, exclusive to this digital bind-up!

You’ve never met housewives as hot as these…They’re wealthy and glamorous. The elite of society. But appearances can be deceiving.

Eleven women are members of the influential Double Diamond Dinner Club. They are wealthy, elegant, poised and constantly in the public eye. But what goes on behind closed doors, in the private homes and parties where the cameras and paparazzi aren’t welcome?

Each woman has everything to lose if their fellow members learn of their needs, desires, and bedroom inclinations.

Eleven stories from eleven of Australia’s hottest authors — a scandalous, sexy collection that uncovers the privileged lives of Sydney’s affluent housewives: their work, their families, their friends and their men. Nothing is hidden, nothing is forbidden — and nothing will ever be the same.

Featuring: Rhian Cahill, Cate Ellink, Cathleen Ross, Tamsin Baker, Lexxie Couper, Shona Husk, Keziah Hill, Viveka Portman, Christina Phillips, Mel Teshco and Tracey O’Hara!

You Know It When You See It: Romance, Erotica, and Porn

Posted on May 5, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

In a post 50-Shades world (and, indeed, in a pre-50 Shades world, but let’s not quibble), one thing in romance publishing is for sure: things are getting hot in here. But not all sizzle is created the same, so when it comes down to getting down, what is the difference between romance, erotic romance, erotica, and porn?

Romance: For all its bad reputation, romance is not synonymous with sex. There are whole subcategories of romance where the characters don’t have sex. There are also whole subcategories where the characters have sex, but it doesn’t get written about. There’s also romance where the characters go at it like rabbits and all the gory minutia are shared in deep, graphic detail. This is because romance isn’t defined by sex. A genre romance novel is defined by two things: a strong emphasis on a romantic relationship, and a happy, emotionally uplifting ending. If it doesn’t have these two things, then it’s not a romance.

Erotic Romance: At it’s base, erotic romance still leans heavily on the romance aspect of the novel. Sex will play an inherent role in the story, character growth, and relationship development, and can’t be removed without undermining or damaging the story. The sex is normally frequent, graphic, and often explores varying degrees of kink, but it still needs to conform to genre romance conventions.

Erotica: Erotica is often the story of the individual, discovering aspects of themselves through sex, and this is the most significant divergence from romance, where the story is focused on the development of a relationship. Sex plays a major part in the character development, and often the plot as well. Without sex, there is no story, and even if a romance eventuates, the overall focus is on the individual.

Porn: There is no expectation of character or plot development. This style of writing is designed to titillate and arouse, with the focus on sexual gratification. Good porn can accomplish more, but that is incidental, as the focus is key.

For romance, erotic romance and erotica, sex has purpose in the context of the story: it provides growth, exposition, or plot . For porn, the story is merely a vehicle to deliver the sex.

For a quick, easy reference, I really like this short definition from Janet/Robin of Dear Author:

Pornography: the exploration of the physical body through sex
Erotica: the exploration of the self through sex
ER: the exploration of romantic relationships/love (self+other(s)) through sex

Escape publishes hot romance and erotic romance. Looking for something sizzling? May we recommend the below?

You’ve never met housewives as hot as these…They’re wealthy and glamorous. The elite of society. But appearances can be deceiving. Bonus four epilogues, exclusive to this digital bind-up!

A guarded recluse, some dirty pictures and a spark of curiosity that leads to a dangerous attraction.

A gripping, blood-drenched saga about twin brothers, the men they love, and the enduring truth that true love never dies — no matter how many times you kill it.

Regency England gets just a bit raunchy in this novella about a gently-raised lady who wants to feel like a woman…

March Madness – New Releases!

Posted on March 22, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

Books! For you! Available now!

From ground-breaking, breath-taking author Ainslie Paton comes a new contemporary romance: She could have him sacked quicker than licking her lips. He could ruin her reputation with an email. But the worst thing a man can do is not be with the woman he loves.

From the best-selling Darkon Warriors series comes an enemy-to-lover story about a brother, a best friend, and the precious gift they leave behind.

Not up-to-date on your SE Gilchrist, but love your romance out of this world? Check out The Darkon Warriors Bundle, four great books, one hot price!

In Children of the Mist, we discovered the secret history of the Children. Now, in the wilds of Scotland, one of them has come of age…

From award-winning author Alison Stuart comes a stirring historical trilogy about soldiers, spies, and the strong women that love them.

All of the Housewives have revealed their secrets – have you learned them all?

To all of Sydney’s society, she’s just the upstart, gold-digging waitress that somehow managed to snare one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors.

In the final instalment, Darla, our sad, funny housewife finds that being a little neighbourly can lead to so much more.

#SydneyWives – Delectable Darla

Posted on March 21, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

reblogged from AusRomToday – This is your last chance to win the MAJOR prize. Get in it to win it!

Tell us a little more about your housewife, Darla:
Darla has not been lucky in love. Her ex-husband left her for a younger woman he got pregnant after refusing to discuss having kids with her. Her family business and her part in it has gone from strength to strength, now she wants a family of her own to share in it as her father did with her brothers and her. But with the way her dating history is going of late, the only kids she will be having will be a Popsicle baby (donor sperm). But while she is having a disastrous time on the dating front, it is giving her plenty of stories to entertain the girls at the Diamond Dinner Club.

What inspired Darla’s story:
I was involved with Kate in developing the concept when she brought it to me. I wanted Darla to be part of the story continuity. I wanted her to put on that brave face and smile with the other housewives, while she is afraid she will never find love.

What was your biggest challenge in writing Darla’s story?
My biggest problem writing Darla was not the story. I had a lot of personal stuff going on at the time that caused some issues. The easiest part is that I was the structural editor of all the other stories so I knew everyone’s characters by the time I got around to writing Darla.

Why will we love Darla?
What’s not to love? She’s sweet, cute and very funny. Just don’t ask her to cook for you.

The Housewives of Sydney series promises that we’ll “find out what goes on behind the doors of the most exclusive addresses in the country”. What was the appeal of joining this series? Similarly, what has been the biggest challenge?
The biggest challenge – especially for me – is that I was the series continuity/structural editor as well as writer of Darla’s story. I had to keep everything straight, make sure what someone said in one story was not contradicted in another. I had to make sure all the housewives’ characteristics were carried through the subsequent stories. I was lucky with the group of authors I worked with. They were all professional and fun.

From the hottest writers in Australia comes a scintillating new series. Enter the world of Sydney’s elite, and find out what goes on behind the doors of the most exclusive addresses in the country…

Meet the Housewives of Sydney. They are wealthy, elegant, poised, and constantly in the public eye. But what goes on behind closed doors, in the private homes and parties where the cameras and paparazzi aren’t welcome? Delve into the most personal details of their relationships, their friendships and their lives. The only question is: can you handle the heat?

Darla knows her place at the exclusive Diamond D dinners – she is comic relief, entertaining the rest of the women with tales of her dating woes. Since her divorce, she has been on one bad date after another, and not even a high-class dating agency can help.

But a massive storm front brings a visit from an old neighbour – and suddenly being neighbourly takes on a whole new meaning. When it rains, it pours, and it looks like Darla’s dry spell is about to become a thing of the past.

Secret Confessions: Meet Darla

Posted on March 19, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

our last housewife tells her tale.

This housewife loves to entertain your friends, and will admit to anything embarrassing to make them laugh. What she lacks in stature she makes up with heart, though domestic goddess she is not. While her search for the perfect man has not turned up the love she desires, who knows what she will find around the corner?

Meet Darla. She’s available today.

This is our last housewife, so this is your last chance to enter the amazing competition AusRomToday is running – five copies of each Housewife Title to win, and a fantastic, Sydney-focused major prize!

Sydney Housewives – Exclusive Excerpt: Darla

Posted on March 16, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

Darla stripped off her riding gear and lowered herself into the tub of warm water. The lavender-scented soap suds tickled and licked her skin like a lover’s kiss as she reached for the chilled glass and took a sip of the sparkling champagne.

Ah, better. Exactly what she needed after a day like today. Let it go. Stop thinking and allow the bath do its job. Right now nothing was more important. Not Julian, not dinner, and definitely not those Exclusively Yours loser dates. What she needed was a real man. Someone to come in and sweep her off her feet and take her to paradise instead of talking about social conquests, financial investments, or the effect the economy was having on the Dow Jones. She needed a real, red-hot-blooded man.

An image of Hunter Davis popped unexpectedly into her head. Now there was a hunk of male flesh she could really sink her teeth into. Too bad she wasn’t his type. From what she’d seen, leggy blonde model types seemed more his speed, not short auburn-haired divorcées. Besides, he was more on friendly terms with Julian than her. In fact, they’d barely spoken to each other since her ex-husband had moved out.

But man, oh man, did he have a body she could wrap herself around, and some.

Those broad shoulders and sculptured muscular arms. Those tight washboard abs, resulting in the most perfect six-pack she’d ever seen. He could sweep her off her feet any day. Both literally and figuratively. His 6’ frame would have no problem with her 5’2” slenderness. Her nipples hardened at the fantasy of him carrying her to bed. She brushed her palm across the tight nubs and sent a tingle straight to her core. It’d been so long since she’d felt a man’s touch. Just the mere thought of it made the apex between her legs throb with something akin to pain. That’s how long it had been.

Well…she’d taken this bath to relax. If she couldn’t have the real thing, she could damn well fantasise about it.

#SydneyWives – Charismatic Camilla

Posted on March 13, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

reblogged from AusRomToday – the competition ends soon! Have you entered?

Tell us a little more about your housewife, Camilla:
She’s young and sweet and totally in love with her much older husband. She pinches herself every day that she met and married such an adoring, handsome man. Of course he loves her too, along with her wild red hair and pale, freckled skin. She’s beautiful and sexy as hell. And she’s all his 🙂

What inspired Camilla’s story:
We were given a very basic outline of our characters and I simply ran with it. My characters and their personalities and backgrounds formed in my head really quickly. As for the plot – it’s the Cinderella story we’d all love to live 🙂

What was your biggest challenge in writing Camilla’s story?
Camilla and her husband, Drake, weren’t a challenge to write – they were so much fun. But tying in the threads of other characters from other books was a bit more complicated, making sure everything that happened slid neatly into the right time frame and corresponded with the other stories.

Why will we love Camilla?
Because she’s a character I think a lot of us can relate to, she’s got her insecurities and doubts, but she’s also strong-minded and won’t let anyone get in the way of her happiness. She’s living the dream life, a penthouse apartment, a rich, adoring husband, and a sex life she can’t get enough of. What’s not to love? *smile*

The Housewives of Sydney series promises that we’ll “find out what goes on behind the doors of the most exclusive addresses in the country”. What was the appeal of joining this series? Similarly, what has been the biggest challenge?
I thought the whole concept was brilliant. Plus I know a lot of the authors and love their work so it was a no brainer to come onboard. And I loved how the housewives all had their turn at the fortnightly Double D Dinners (a concept Camilla was frankly quite terrified of failing at). The dinners are for the elite group of friends only, so you can only imagine the gossip and scandals, the innuendos and cattiness. One other challenge for me was getting the dinner scene right. It’s not the biggest part of the story, but it is integral to the arc of the series and the flow-on effect.

To all of Sydney’s society, she’s just the upstart, gold-digging waitress that somehow managed to snare one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors.

Camilla can’t pretend that the gossip and the innuendo that follows her wherever she goes doesn’t bother her, but when the world gets too much, she just stays in her beautiful home, with her beautiful husband. After all, no one knows what goes on behind closed doors, and plenty goes on at Camilla’s house.

March Madness – New Titles!

Posted on March 9, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

Released today: come and get ’em!

The second saga in Scarlett Dawn’s bestselling, groundbreaking Forever Evermore series begins with Chosen Thief, where the life of a skilled lawbreaker becomes much more than she ever wanted…

A new Tarrin’s Bay novel from best-selling author Juliet Madison. She took a break from real life, and found what she didn’t know she was looking for.

A beautiful new short read in Jenny Schwartz’s romantic tour of Australia: It was a case of the right person at the absolute worst time – so he found a way to make time.

and in case you missed it, the second-last housewife:

To all of Sydney’s society, she’s just the upstart, gold-digging waitress that somehow managed to snare one of Australia’s most eligible bachelors…

Secret Confessions: Meet Camilla

Posted on March 4, 2015 by escapepublishingblog

Beautiful and youthful, the purity of this housewife’s soul shines through. She doesn’t invest in gossip and spite and instead focuses on the good in the people around her, and in spending time with the people she loves. Still, she can be easily hurt – and has been in the past. But the man of her dreams has helped heal old wounds and helped her confidence soar, and taught her a thing or two about herself as well.

Meet Camilla. She’s available today.

Can’t get enough?

The Housewives Lounge – excerpts, behind the scenes details, chatter.

Which Housewife Are You? – take the quiz and find out!

Secret Confessions: Sydney Housewives – meet the other housewives, pre-order, links.

And don’t miss out on the amazing competition AusRomToday is running – five copies of each Housewife Title to win, and a fantastic, Sydney-focused major prize!

The Escapades

The Escape Publishing Blog

Tag Archives: Sydney Housewives