by Mlissa | Feb 2, 2018 | 5 Things, re-releases, Simple Need
Since this is an older series of stories, and the one I’m focusing on re-releasing and writing a new story in, I thought I’d give up a few facts about it … 
One…The idea for these came from the song S. E. X. by Nickelback from their Dark Horse album. During the writing of all the stories, I listened to Nickelback over and over and over and… well, you get the idea. I loved writing these stories. They were sex excessive. Full of lust and tenderness and so much…sex. They weren’t meant to be more than what they were. They were meant to be fantasies. Unbelievable with a touch of real personality.
Two… It was not supposed to be a series at all. Readers and my editor at Ellora’s Cave asked if I would be interested in writing more. Okay, well, the readers didn’t exactly as so much as told me they wanted Dallon’s story. And, after Dallon, they wanted to know about Jaz. And … after Jaz, they really wanted Mac’s story. Unfortunately, Ellora’s Cave and its authors began having issues around this time and continuing a beloved set of books I may never (at the time) have in my possession again made no sense.
Three… Vinter was who put me on whatever map there was a the time (9-10 years ago). Vinter was my first four figure royalty check. Vinter inspired a couple other authors to take the plunge into writing. Vinter made people drool. Literally. I saw it first hand at conferences.
Four… Vinter was based on a real person whose name was…Vinter. He had a heart of gold and was filthy as could be. He had piercings exactly as I described in the story. As well as the tattoos described in the story. The same color hair. And the nails painted black. And his fiance at the time was a buttoned up, older, college professor. Dallon and Jaz are also based, very loosely, on real people. Carrie, the heroine in Dallon, is based on a real girl I knew in college, though she never strayed from the path of righteousness.
Five… The cars that I talk about in Jaz are based on cars my mother and my grandfather had when I was growing up. I remember riding in the white Dodge Charger with its leather seats and white interior. I didn’t know a thing about cars at that age, but I loved that one. Thinking back on it, while I was writing the story, looking at pictures of it… It was a sexy car.
Of all the books I’ve written, a lot of my early ones, like Simple Need, were among my favorites. They were raw, erotic escapism. They didn’t have to be based in reality. They could simply be fantasies. I love that about reading and I love that about writing.
If you’ve never read them, I hope you’ll give them a try. If you have read them, then I’m sure you’re anticipating the release of Mac in March.
Jaz will go up for pre-order on February 12th and release on February 22nd.
Mac will go up for pre-order on March 5th and release on March 15th.
And don’t forget, Dallon is Now Available in the Kindle store and through Kindle Unlimited!
Buy Dallon Now!
What started out as a pretty typical day, quickly spiraled when Dallon saw her. Buttoned up, full of curves, with a voice smooth as honey and eyes so innocent the flames of Hell warned him to keep on moving.
But then she walked into his bar, out of place and full of determination, and asked him to teach her all the things a downy, pure girl like her didn’t need to know.
What’s a guy like him supposed to do when temptation herself exits the Heavenly Highway straight onto Sin Street? He does the only thing he can do …
Warning: What’s done with a beer bottle in this little story may be illegal in forty-eight out of fifty states…and at least two territories. But they won’t tell, if you don’t.
Author’s Note: This novella was previously published by Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc. It has been lightly revised and edited from it’s original version.
~lissa
by Mlissa | Jan 25, 2018 | 5 Things, re-releases
… that you may or may not have already known.
I am re-releasing a lot of older titles this year (following 7 re-releases last year through Entangled Publishing) that I have the publishing rights back to. So, in light of this, I thought I would share a bit of information with you so you’ll know what to expect, especially if you’re a more recent reader or not a reader yet.
1. I started publishing in 2008. I had a lot of books come out with 4 different publishers in a relatively short time frame. mostly 2009 and 2010. The books I’m re-releasing this year and some that I have already re-released were published around that 
same time. (Stick Shift, Arresting Holli, Melting Jane)
2. I wrote about small towns and a few big towns. Blue collar, hard working, tattooed, pierced men. Full figured, small business/boutique business owners, independent, submissive, sometimes shy, sometimes kinky women. I wrote the every day character. They cooked, they slept, they had sex with whomever they wanted to have sex with. They weren’t polished or posh characters. They were real.
3. I wrote fun books, sexy books. There wasn’t a lot of drama. There was snark. There was a lot of sassiness. Most of my characters were Southern. They were overcoming an issue, not trying to save anyone else or save the world. They wanted happiness and fulfillment and someone who cared enough to try.
4. I wrote back then, as I do now, primarily novellas. That means between 18,000 words and 40,000 words. Many of these hovering around the 20,000 to 32,000 word range. They’re not long books. They’re short. They’re to the point. They can be read in a weekend, in one night. They’re happy for now and happily ever after.
5. I’m re-releasing the books because I loved them and I was and am still proud of them. They were what got me into this business and they are how I’m going to find my way back. For the time they were originally published, they were hot and 
erotic. I don’t know, given some of what is on the erotic contemporary lists now, if mine would still qualify as such, but they are still sexy and graphic.
****Bonus**** Some of the characters are based on real people I know or have known personally. There’s light bdsm, but in general, it’s kink and hot sex. I touch on issues in the books, but I don’t delve deep. There was a reason for that. I wanted to write so that, for a night, a weekend, a couple of lunch breaks, someone could pick up one of my books and escape. They could just enjoy a light, sexy romance. I wasn’t trying to write the great American novel. I was trying to provide escape and happiness to people who liked to read.
All of the titles being re-released are revised and some are heavily re-edited. Price points have changed on them, as well. They are lower in price than what they were through their respective publishers to be more affordable.
In addition to the re-releases, there are a lot of new titles coming as well, starting March15th.
~lissa
by Mlissa | Jan 24, 2018 | erotic romance, re-releases, self publishing, Simple Need
Dallon: A Simple Need Story
Pre-Order Now!
What started out as a pretty typical day, quickly spiraled when Dallon saw her. Buttoned up, full of curves, with a voice smooth as honey and eyes so innocent the flames of Hell warned him to keep on moving.
But then she walked into his bar, out of place and full of determination, and asked him to teach her all the things a downy, pure girl like her didn’t need to know.
What’s a guy like him supposed to do when temptation herself exits the Heavenly Highway straight onto Sin Street? He does the only thing he can do …
Warning: What’s done with a beer bottle in this little story may be illegal in forty-eight out of fifty states…and at least two territories. But they won’t tell, if you don’t.
Author’s Note: This novella was previously published by Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc. It has been lightly revised and edited from it’s original version.
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by Mlissa | Jan 11, 2018 | Kindle Select, re-releases, Simple Need, Vinter
Vinter: A Simple Need Story
Available as an ebook:
Vinter is not your typical businessman. Tattoos, piercings and not a suit and tie in sight. One-third owner of a bar and a tattoo parlor along with being the bassist in a garage band, Vinter comes and goes as he pleases. He likes his beer cold, his music hard and his women scorching hot. Until he’s knocked off his game by a suburban doll he can’t stop wanting.
Elise needs a change. In men. The buttoned-up businessmen she’s been dating leave a lot to be desired—in romance, in respect and most definitely in sex. A recent text message from her now ex-lover drives Elise into a bar on the outside of town, where she meets Tattoo Guy. He’s just the kind of man she’s never had and definitely the kind she’s always fantasized about. Big, bad and oh so naughty.
Unexpected tenderness. Unimaginable lust. Being dumped has never felt so damn good.
*Vinter was previously published as Simple Need with Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.
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by Mlissa | Jan 6, 2017 | Author Friday, writing
When I get an older book back from a publisher or in the case of Christmas Wishes, out of an anthology, I tend to not release it back into the wild blue yonder of the book world without a few tweaks.
I often go back and add words. Most of the time, double what it was originally, or more. Different writers have different philosophies about revisions on older books, but here’s mine, or at least, here’s one of mine… There’s more to the story than was previously told.
Take, for instance, The Swing. It is a re-release from Ellora’s Cave. It was part of a line of theirs that limited word count to a certain number. No more than 13K or maybe it was 15K. I told the very basics of the story to meet those requirements. I did that a lot. I could write a fairly completely story in 15K words or less. I didn’t write a lot of extraneous words. I didn’t use a lot of backstory. I simply told what needed to be told right then and there.
Other things that were considered when writing for publishers, was price points. The longer the book, the higher the price and a lot of readers balked at paying $5 for a 20,000 word ebook.
With many of my older books, my first books, they were short for those specific reasons. But now that I self publish most of my writing, I can play with price and I can add length, give more story to the readers.
I don’t write long winded epics. I don’t write sagas. I don’t write 300 books in a series. I don’t write 400 page novels.
I write novellas. It’s where I’ve been most comfortable and happiest. I’ve been experimenting with length and series or on-going tales and I’ve enjoyed it and will begin incorporating more of those things in my work. But I primarily write novellas. 40K max for most.
My books don’t change the world, but for a couple of hours in someone’s day, they can change a mood, a moment, provide an escape from reality. Some readers don’t want to spend 3 days reading the same book. I don’t. I like all in one sitting books.
I have added new scenes and extended scenes and changed scenes in The Swing. I have added a bit more emotion. A lot more tears. The sex is still there and is still hot. But I am leaving the time frame of a few years after 9/11. It works for the book. It works for the story. It works for the characters. I’ve freshened things up some. And I think that’s important with books coming back from publishers. As indie authors, we have the freedom to make those decisions now and I like that.
And I’m glad that you, my readers, have enjoyed the books that I’ve re-released, re-worked, and made new again.
~lissa
