#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Laura Tolomei

Good Morning,

Well, this crazy weather finally got to me. I'm fighting some kind of head cold with cough. Hit me yesterday all at once. Taking OTC right now but trust me, if this doesn't clear up within another day or so, it's off to the doctor for a Zpak.

Hope you all are faring better!

Today's guest has shared words with us and been in our spotlight so please welcome Laura Tolomei back to as she shares 3 Ideas for Using Niches to Sell Your Books Fiction Books.....

If you're like me you're always looking for new ways to sell your fiction books, and I'll bet you never thought of niches as a way to do so either have you? I know I didn't until recently. The idea of using niche marketing to sell your books has been around for years, though we usually associate it with non-fiction book marketing. For example, you have a cookbook and every week you post an original recipe on your blog for readers. But how do you use niche marketing to sell fiction books? It's easy than you think. Here are three ideas for using niche marketing to sell your books:

1. Understand your target audience. For example, did you write a romance set in the Regency period? You could target history buffs, people that visit museums that have displays from this period, or those who take tours of areas that were prominent during this period. Once you have your target audience, you could share a photo of a historical place from your book, and then link it back to your blog with an excerpt about the place in question. Knowing your target audience is crucial to figuring out what niche group you want to address.

2. Use blog posts on your blog that will be of interest to your target market. With the example of a regency romance, you could find public domain photos that show clothing for both women and men from the regency period, and share them on social media with a link to your blog post where you talk about the clothing pictured in more detail.

3. What does your main character do for a living? Is she a socialite, or maybe an interior designer, or carpenter, or secretary? Using the idea of an interior designer, then consider posting articles on interior design tips on your blog, along with excerpts where your main character uses one of the tips spoken of.


Using niche's and niche marketing to sell your fiction books is easy if you know how, and there are dozens of different ways to discover niches within your novels that you can capitalize on.

GREAT ideas, Laura! Now please tell us a little more about yourself....

If you really want to know, I was born in 1965 in Rome, Italy, but soon started my travelling career. At the age of five, my parents took me to Lagos, Nigeria, where I grew up free and hot like I've never been since. I loved it there and still think of it with nostalgia. Anyway, it was also where I learned English. 

After my African experience, I was ready to tackle the US. I lived in Atlanta, GA, five teen-age years, attending the Crestwood High School, where I started my writing career by publishing a short story Nostalgia on the Crestwood Journal. Very thrilled about discovering my new talent, I went ahead during college, writing for the Emory University journal The Phoenix. Three articles mark my first-and last-steps in journalism, "The peace Corps", "WAMM, Women Against Military Madness," and "Lesbism".

After my American experience, I moved back to Rome, but still kept living from time to time abroad, spending several months in Mumbay India, a country I always felt very close to me in more ways than one.

Today, I write both in Italian and English, mostly fiction of various genres, from fantasy erotica, to mysteries up to plain ordinary life stories.

Feel free to look over my current and future projects by visiting my website www.lallagatta.com.

Thanks for sharing, Laura! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your writing. Don't forget to leave a comment, friends and enter into my monthly gift card giveaway drawing!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Richard Quisenberry & Wobbly Willie!

Good Morning!

Well, ready or not, it's here. Christmas is 4 days away - count'em F.O.U.R! I'm sweating delivery of two gifts. One, I know is not going to make it here but the other .... I'll find out today. Otherwise it's a gift card for now and someone, two people actually will get a gift later in the year LOL!

Hey, no use stressing over something you can't control right?

My Christmas Scavenger Hunt is over and the winners announced on my website. I've also put up a new Christmas romance story for newsletter subscribers only so if you're not one, go ahead and sign up! The story will stay up until some time next year.

Today's guest is brand new to me and our blog so please welcome children's book author, Richard Quisenberry with his friend Wobbly Willie Cranford!

Join Wobbly as he embarks on a journey that not only teaches us how to embrace our uniqueness but he reminds us of how to be kind to ourselves. When we address these reminders head-on, the power of a being kind brings us together. Wobbly Willie’s differences help identify and bring awareness to what it truly means to be kind to one another. This book will help redirect the behavior and mindset of children who are having difficulty understanding the value of Kindness, which results in a community that now is aware of the valuable life skills necessary in order to make a positive impact for generations to come.  

Wobbly identifies what it truly means to make a conscious choice to be kind. Everyone has that option to choose kindness or bitterness. Wobbly shares how being intentional in his Kindness efforts creates opportunity, and if we are not as intentional as we can be in making that choice then we may miss these beautiful opportunities to be kind. Join Wobbly as he spreads his message across to the world and shares his story’s that help people find a way to be kind not only to others but to themselves. 

Wobbly Willie teaches both young and old alike that it is okay to be different and shows them that diversity is a beautiful thing. 
Wobbly Willie's Little Reminder: What makes me special, you may not see: my brain; my heart; the good in me. 

All covered by a layer of skin, embracing diversity is where change begins. 

Richard Quisenberry is an educator and John Maxwell certified speaker and trainer. He is passionate about helping students and adults identify and operate in their purpose and reach goals they thought unachievable. He has dedicated over 34 years to guiding others to develop talents that lie within themselves, helping to achieve their goals and dreams, and ultimately leading to personal, academic and professional success.

Richard has achieved a successful and varied career in education since 1983 serving in many capacities including Principal, District Compliant Coordinator, Crisis Prevention Instructor, Intervention Specialist, Health Teacher, Physical Education and Adaptive Physical Education, working with students on the Autism Spectrum, Lead Teacher, and Athletic Coach (basketball, football, track).

Richard is a published author of children’s stories and inspirational poetry. He is the Founder of Golden Recruit Elite Basketball Services, creator of the “Wobbly Willie Kindness Program” for students (Pre-K through 3rd Grade), and CEO/Founder of Unique Proposals Leadership and Transformational Life Coaching Services. He has been a diligent entrepreneur through his creation of Quisenberry Enterprise, LLC. Connect with him at the following locations...

Websites:

https://www.richardquisenberry.com/  

https://www.wobblywillie.org/

Social Networks

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/richardquisenberry

Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachquis1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9muVrPUKLznWo5jhyEywBg  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richard_quisenberry/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-quisenberry-5a6494114  

Wow, Richard, what lovely little books!

We certainly wish you and Wobbly Willie the best of luck and God's blessings!

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends. You can order copies of the Wobbly Willie books HERE. Might be a bit late for Christmas but they'll make great gifts for the young readers in your life anytime.

Hope to see you next week for another edition of Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight!

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends guest Laura Tolomei

Good Morning!

Four. More. Days. And I'll have made it through another Medicare AEP LOL!

Seriously I am counting the hours and am SO ready to get back to my 1-5 work schedule.

Enough about me though. Have YOU started your Christmas shopping yet? I have. Honestly I think this is the earliest I've ever done so. Still have to get my tree up and house decorated but that's going to have to wait until next weekend. I look forward to sharing this exciting time of year with you....

Meanwhile, Laura Tolomei was in the Spotlight earlier this year so please welcome her back to share some words with us on the publishing industry....

3 Insane but True Things About the Publishing Industry and Book Marketing

The publishing industry changes all the time, and it's often a constant battle to keep up with it when it comes to marketing your books. As publishing has evolved so has my approach to book marketing. Here are three insane but true things about the publishing industry, and book marketing, and some solutions to how to modify your writing and book marketing practices to get around them.

1. There are literally thousands of books being self-published to Amazon and other platforms daily. The way to handle this from a marketing perspective is to have a regular book marketing practice. The only way to compete with those thousands of new authors is to keep your books in the limelight as far as your target market goes as often as possible.

2. There are a lot of published books that are pure crap. That's right, people that have no business publishing are now publishing. They're rewriting public domain books, they're not taking the time to learn their craft, and they're attempting to do everything themselves without proper research into, for example how to make a good book cover, or how to edit a book. The only way to combat this, is to make sure you have a good book cover, and that you have your books professionally edited, or that you learn to edit and to find your own mistakes in your writing.

3. Self-published authors are churning out a book or more a month, and then only charging .99 per full length novel. This trend has made it difficult for traditionally published authors to sell books, but the solution is not for authors and publishers to lower the price of their own books, but rather to step up their marketing and approach it from a quality -vs- quantity perspective.  Readers are willing to pay more for books that are well written, while cranking out a book or more every month, and lowering your book prices may seem like the solution in the end it only leads to burn out, and lost fans because the books aren't well written, oh, and authors who quit writing. By writing quality books and having a regular marketing routine that includes your back list you have a much better chance of staying in the publishing game for the long term.

I hope an understanding of these trends and this advice helps you to stay ahead of the competition and sell more books!

If you really want to know, I was born in 1965 in Rome, Italy, but soon started my travelling career. At the age of five, my parents took me to Lagos, Nigeria, where I grew up free and hot like I've never been since. I loved it there and still think of it with nostalgia. Anyway, it was also where I learned English. 

After my African experience, I was ready to tackle the US. I lived in Atlanta, GA, five teen-age years, attending the Crestwood High School, where I started my writing career by publishing a short story Nostalgia on the Crestwood Journal. Very thrilled about discovering my new talent, I went ahead during college, writing for the Emory University journal The Phoenix. Three articles mark my first-and last-steps in journalism, "The peace Corps", "WAMM, Women Against Military Madness," and "Lesbism".

After my American experience, I moved back to Rome, but still kept living from time to time abroad, spending several months in Mumbay India, a country I always felt very close to me in more ways than one.

Today, I write both in Italian and English, mostly fiction of various genres, from fantasy erotica, to mysteries up to plain ordinary life stories.

Feel free to look over my current and future projects by visiting my website www.lallagatta.com.

GREAT advice Laura, thank you for sharing! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings on your writing career.

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back weekly for more Wednesday Words with Friends and another Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Dana Littlejohn & Tri-Romance

Good Morning Friends,

It's been a busy week and only going to get busier as Medicare AEP comes up next month. We've had several days of rain and our friends in SE TX are flooding again....much like they did with Hurricane Harvey. Please keep them in your prayers.

Today's guest is new to me and brought to us by Personalized Marketing Inc. so please give Dana Littlejohn, author of sensual, erotic romance a huge welcome!

Twin sisters, Opal and Pearl Jefferson, and their best friend Debra Flores were living blissfully by their no strings attached rule, enjoying the many comforts of a good life. All was well in their world until Frank, Jake, Doug and Rakim entered into it. When one of the girls abandons their well practiced rule and falls in love, does her decision throw a monkey wrench into the lives of everyone else around her? Or does it open up the possibility for love to capture them all?

Excerpt: Opal spotted Doug coming from the floor, but tried not to smile. The braids fit his head nicely. They made the almond shape of his eyes and cute rounded ears stand out more.

“So, what do you think?” he asked leaning across the counter.

“It looks great. Debbie always does a good job.”

“I’ll be in the car, man. See ya, Opal.”

“Bye, Rakim, remember what I said.”

Doug nodded at him then returned his attention to Opal. “Okay, maybe I should rephrase the question. What I meant was, how do you like the braids on me? How do you like me in the braids? How about just me, by myself? Do you like me?"

She chuckled. “You want to know all that?”

He laughed, too, a throaty, sexy sound that kept the smile on her face when she heard it.

“Well, maybe not all of that. How about just this one: will you go out with me?”

“I don’t know you, Doug.”

“I’m trying to change that, baby girl, if you give me the chance. Let me take you out so you can get to know me. People who know me like me, you know.” He flashed that beautiful smile again.

“They do, huh?”

“Yeah, girl. Come on, let me show you.”

“Well…”

He came to the other side of the counter and pulled her up. “Will ‘please’ help my case?” he whispered.

He held her firmly by the waist, pulling her closer. She put her hands on his chest to push herself back. The firmness of his torso excited her.

“Umm, okay.” She reached over to pull a business card from the desk and handed it to him. “Call me and we’ll set something up.”

He smiled again, dazzling her one more time. “Awesome, I‘ll do that.” Letting her go, he pulled a pair of shades from his top pocket and put the card in its place. He gave her a wink and walked toward the door.

“Doug…”

He stopped holding the door open and slid the glasses in place.

“You do look good in your braids, much better than that poof you started with,” she said with a teasing smile.

This book is sensual and erotic. NC 17 rating and can be purchased directly from Dana who is going to tell us a little more about herself in her own words....

Writing has always been a part of me...in my blood, my soul. As a child I wrote hickory dickory dock type poetry as i doodled on my papers in school. By the time I got to middle school I was writing full stories in weekly installments to entertain my friends.
I continued to write over the years but life and family took over. When my children grew up and moved out I had time to write again. I wrote my first real novel in 2003 and got it published in 2006. I haven't stopped writing and I don't plan to.

Come along on the wild ride through my imagination. You will not regret it!

Links for me-
Website: www.danalittlejohn.com 
Twitter: www.twitter.com/liljohndana 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liljohndana

Thanks Dana! We certainly wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with your writing career.

Thanks friends for dropping by. Hope to see you again next week for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Holly Bargo & her Immortal Shifters Series

Good Morning!

Last month I introduced you to Holly Bargo when she shared some words on writing with us. Today we're going to look at Holly's Immortal Shifters  (ADULT/EROTIC/PARANORMAL/FANTASY) Series.....


Tiger in the Snow (Immortal Shifters Book 1 - Duet with Barbary Lion)
By Holly Bargo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01D1Y4O62

Healing from a deserved drubbing at the hands of Atlas Leonidus, Siberian tiger shifter Dmitry Alkaev travels from Cairo to Virginia. The strange compulsion leads him to his mate and a fearsome rival. Faced with a modern woman's determination to remain independent, Dmitry unleashes charm and ruthlessness to claim her and, he hopes, redeem his honor.

Tessa Hart's romantic Valentine's Day weekend ends in utter disaster. Fate drops her into the arms of two big, handsome men who both assert their ownership over her. She wants to remain independent, but finds herself inexorably drawn to Dmitry. He's tall, sexy, overbearing, and absolutely certain that she belongs to him. The choice, eventually, is hers. Accepting him means the end of life as she knows it and the beginning of a life she cannot fathom.

The Barbary Lion (Immortal Shifters Book 2 - Duet with Tiger in the Snow)
By Holly Bargo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N310MZT

Once a king and always a hunter, immortal lion shifter Atlas Leonidas captures the woman he recognizes as his mate. Being a modern woman with modern sensibilities, Chloe doesn't believe him and she resents her captivity. The lion is wily and powerful, but the woman is strong, resourceful, and determined. He captured his mate, but can he keep her?

Tiger in the Snow

Tiger shifter Dmitry disgraced himself. Fleeing his disgrace, he travels to the Appalachian Trail and rescues the woman his tiger recognizes as his mate and claims her. Tessa acknowledges the blazing chemistry between them, but she's not sure she wants to be tied to this big, dominant male for eternity. Dmitry seeks redemption, but will he find it through Tessa?

***The Barbary Lion is now available as a free download from Project Gutenberg and the World Public Library.***

Bear of the Midnight Sun (Immortal Shifters Book 3)
By Holly Bargo
https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Midnight-Immortal-Shifters-Book-ebook/dp/B07HKQLK7M

After a thousand years, immortal polar bear shifter Sindre finally finds his mate—on a talk show. In the city where anything goes, an impromptu wedding is just a taste of what's to come. Startled into going through the ceremony, Miranda can't stop the big, virile man from staking his claim on her and releasing her bear. Sindre can't believe his good luck and will do anything to keep his mate at his side, up to and including taking marital advice from Atlas Leonidus. An independent woman with a successful career, Miranda melts at his touch and shuns his control, except she can't control her bear.

The Eagle at Dawn (Immortal Shifters Book 4)
By Holly Bargo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SLP5JGT

Rachel's brother uses her as collateral to settle a debt with an outlaw motorcycle gang. She flees to a local bar and pleads with a darkly handsome stranger to help her. His help results in homicide. When eagle shifter Diego's vacation is interrupted by the innocent young woman he recognizes as his mate, he flees with her across national borders because she's his and he's not letting her go.

Having essentially swapped one captor for another, Rachel knows the dashing, sexy Spaniard is keeping secrets from her. He showers her with kindness and generosity in exchange for her obedience. Diego's control over her and his secrets elicit her distrust and resentment.

When freedom beckons, Rachel answers its call; however, freedom brings hardship and indignity. Will she return to the controlling alpha male who stirs her blood or cling stubbornly to her freedom?


BIO: Holly Bargo never outgrew a love of fairy tales, legends, and myths. Or horses. However, one foot must remain firmly planted in the real world where Holly makes her living as a freelance writer and editor. She and her husband have two grown children and live on a southwest Ohio hobby farm with a menagerie indoor and outdoor animals.

Holly enjoys hearing from readers and other authors and may be contacted via the Hen House Publishing website: www.henhousepublishing.com OR her Amazon Author Page.

When she's not working on other people's documents or reading, Holly finds time to transfer the voices in her head to paper ... er ... computer. If she doesn't, there's a definite possibility her mind will explode.
And for those who might wonder from where the pseudonym of Holly Bargo came, it's quite simple really. Horses. Namely an elegant and temperamental Appaloosa mare who has long since crossed the Rainbow Bridge and is fondly remembered for guarding toddler children and crushing a brand new pager. 

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll check back weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#WednesdayWordswithFriends welcomes Holly Bargo!

Good Morning and Welcome to the final edition of Wednesday Words with Friends for August 2019!

Yep, this year is moving right along. Christmas decorations are out with fall and Halloween stuff. We don't even have time to enjoy one holiday without the others being shoved down our throats. Alas, that's the goal of marketing ... get it out there in their face!

UGH.

Don't get me started LOL! Instead, please allow me to introduce to you a brand new-to-me author, Holly Bargo, brought to us by Personalized Marketing Inc.

Take it away, Holly.....

‘I’m a writer’ is just the beginning

By Holly Bargo

When people ask me what I do, I tell them I'm a writer. Most of them follow that with a question as to how many books I've written. I understand that, but that direct jump from "writer" to "author" misses a lot of ground in between.

Just like medical professionals specialize, so do writers. The older I get and the longer I write as a professional, the more specialized I become. Whether such specialization arises from preference or experience or a mixture of both, anyone might speculate. However, I have discovered that my background and abilities do not suit some writing niches, such as technical writing or medical writing. Although occasionally funny, I have no predilection for comedy writing. Likewise, children's literature exceeds the scope of my skill as does that new breed of short story presented as a series of text messages.

(I suppose it would help if I texted, but I don't.)

While it's important to know what you can do and do well, it's also important to know what you don't do well and/or have no real inclination to master. I edit for a California fiction writer who, over the course of our association, has solidified his niche in writing westerns. He tried suspense. Although the stories adequately entertained, they did not have the enthusiasm of his westerns.

Knowing what you do well does not preclude learning to do something else well, too. Learning to master a new specialization, a new niche, a new genre takes time and effort: as Ringo Starr’s song goes, "It Don't Come Easy."

Writing well involves more than merely knowing how to string words together to form coherent sentences and express thoughts clearly. A complicated, layered skill, writing explores intellect as well as the senses. Sensory description, especially in fiction, immerses the reader within the story. Good writing informs, educates, entertains--although not necessarily all at once. Good writing grabs and holds the interest of the target audience of readers, regardless of the genre or platform. The hook may be Moby Dick's "Call me Ishmael" or a currently explosive topic. It may stimulate thought or give comfort, instruct or guide. It offers sufficient detail to ground the reader, but not so much as to overwhelm and distract.

A writer who has mastered his or her craft not only understands the conventions governing writing, but also understands how to break them to best effect. That writer knows how and why the rule was broken--a depth of understanding that many writers fail to achieve. Refer back to the song title hyperlinked above. Grammatically correct, it would be "It Doesn't Come Easily" and it would lose its punch.

Written content surrounds us, which means someone wrote it. The more effective the writing, the more it engages or persuades or convinces.

I'm a writer, but I don't only write books. I write newsletter articles, website content, B2B and B2C blogs, brochures, proposals, short stories, and more. My skills cover a broad range of topics, forms, and markets, but certainly not everything. I have yet to meet a writer who could write anything and everything and do it equally well.

Even William Shakespeare specialized.

Every word counts.
****
So true, Holly, thanks for sharing!

Holly Bargo never outgrew a love of fairy tales, legends, and myths. Or horses. However, one foot must remain firmly planted in the real world where Holly makes her living as a freelance writer and editor. She and her husband have two grown children and live on a southwest Ohio hobby farm with a menagerie indoor and outdoor animals.

Holly enjoys hearing from readers and other authors and may be contacted via the Hen House Publishing website: www.henhousepublishing.com.

When she's not working on other people's documents or reading, Holly finds time to transfer the voices in her head to paper ... er ... computer. If she doesn't, there's a definite possibility her mind will explode.

And for those who might wonder from where the pseudonym of Holly Bargo came, it's quite simple really. Horses. Namely an elegant and temperamental Appaloosa mare who has long since crossed the Rainbow Bridge and is fondly remembered for guarding toddler children and crushing a brand new pager.

The Eagle at Dawn (Immortal Shifters Book 4)
By Holly Bargo
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SLP5JGT

Rachel's brother uses her as collateral to settle a debt with an outlaw motorcycle gang. She flees to a local bar and pleads with a darkly handsome stranger to help her. His help results in homicide. When eagle shifter Diego's vacation is interrupted by the innocent young woman he recognizes as his mate, he flees with her across national borders because she's his and he's not letting her go.

Having essentially swapped one captor for another, Rachel knows the dashing, sexy Spaniard is keeping secrets from her. He showers her with kindness and generosity in exchange for her obedience. Diego's control over her and his secrets elicit her distrust and resentment.

When freedom beckons, Rachel answers its call; however, freedom brings hardship and indignity. Will she return to the controlling alpha male who stirs her blood or cling stubbornly to her freedom?

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends, and that you'll check back weekly for more Wednesday Words with Friends and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.
PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Laura Tolomei & Virtus Sex

Hhhhmmmmm, bet the title of that novel got your attention!

Good Morning Friends,

Today's guest is new to me and our blog and is brought to us by Personalized Marketing Inc. so let's see what it's all about.

This book was previously published as Virtus, The Sex but has been completely revised and doubled in size with the addition of many new scenes.

When Prince Duncan Caldwell loses his way home and knocks on a stranger's door, looking to find shelter, he doesn't know his life is about to change forever. Not because he can't tear his gaze away from the beautiful woman who opens that door, but more so because she's a stranger yet he can't shake the feeling she belongs to him. And discovering she's been banned from his home can't stop the vortex of his feelings nor the truth of his world from crashing down on him.

This is just the beginning of the Virtus Saga, where nothing is as it seems. Not the world, since its all-pervading sex drive hides a scary lack of violence. Not the people, since soul mates Prince Duncan Caldwell and Lord Christopher Templeton share a love that is unrivaled until that fateful knock on Ylianor Meyer's dilapidated shack.

This book starts the love and the passion that entwines fiery sex into this intricate three-way relationship. It's a unique connection, laced with jealousy and violence that are unknown to their world. This is not just another erotic dark fantasy series. This is the making of a trio. Of three remarkable characters that must overcome their uncontrollable lust to face the truth about themselves and their planet if they want to defeat the darkness about to devour them. To be as one whilst three! To share power and love in equal measures. This is their real challenge, the lesson they must learn. Otherwise, how will their world survive?

Excerpt  

First, there was music.

Sweet, mellow and smooth, it filled the void until he drowned in the velvety thickness of the notes, with the ever new and different tunes. And he loved it, even if it wasn’t his creation, taking pride in directing the exquisite songs, also guided by that one voice. A soft whisper ever-present in his system, it didn’t blend with the rest of the sweet melody. It kept to the fore, echoing above all other sounds.

Then there was light.

Not just one. Thousands of colored flashes dispelled the darkness and connected to each note, anticipating or delaying it according to the rhythm, shifting to adapt to the new melody. And he liked to watch how light matched the music, how it delineated the tune even before it became sound. It was all part of the novelty of being the mastermind behind this foreign world, so very different from his original one.

Control was never enough, though. The more I had, the more I craved. That was when the nightmares began. Filled with all sorts of violence, from torture to carnage, they were foul and terrifying, yet also exciting to the point I relished each and everyone like a thirsty man deprived of water for far too long. Best of all, they awakened a completely new pleasure that required immediate fulfillment in increasing dosage. 

Wow, Laura, this sounds like a fascinating series for those who read erotic dark fantasy, now tell us a little about yourself...

If you really want to know, I was born in 1965 in Rome, Italy, but soon started my travelling career. At the age of five, my parents took me to Lagos, Nigeria, where I grew up free and hot like I've never been since. I loved it there and still think of it with nostalgia. Anyway, it was also where I learned English. 

After my African experience, I was ready to tackle the US. I lived in Atlanta, GA, five teen-age years, attending the Crestwood High School, where I started my writing career by publishing a short story Nostalgia on the Crestwood Journal. Very thrilled about discovering my new talent, I went ahead during college, writing for the Emory University journal The Phoenix. Three articles mark my first-and last-steps in journalism, "The peace Corps", "WAMM, Women Against Military Madness," and "Lesbism".

After my American experience, I moved back to Rome, but still kept living from time to time abroad, spending several months in Mumbay India, a country I always felt very close to me in more ways than one.

Today, I write both in Italian and English, mostly fiction of various genres, from fantasy erotica, to mysteries up to plain ordinary life stories.

Feel free to look over my current and future projects by visiting my website www.lallagatta.com. Get your copy of Virtus Sex from Amazon.

Remember friends, check back with us weekly for Wednesday Words with Friends and another Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT