Samhain Publishing

LOVER’S CAROUSEL
By Ann Cory
(copyright 2006-2010)

Soft hands glide where I long for them to
Caressing my flesh with a gentle touch
Up your fingers creep,
Down your lips sweep
Around my playground you hungrily explore

Bodies tangle around the hard, steel dowel
Thrusting wildly like a mare in heat
Up your fingers trace
Down your arms embrace
indulge this nocturnal urge like none before

Objects blur as temperatures rise
Delighting in the strength of your desire
Up your kisses stain
Down your rough terrain
A sensual ride where time exists no more

STILL MOMENTS
By Ann Cory
(copyright 2006-2010)

Flashes of white light
Rapid blinks of the eye
Fragments of your form
An hourglass of splendor
astride my naked sex.
Hand upon breast
Stiffened peaks
Soft cries for more
Lost in the rumble
of distant thunder.
Catching glances of
glinted pale flesh
there one minute,
gone the next.
Your electric beauty
forever burned
in my mind’s eye,
like still moments
in time.

~Ann Cory www.anncory.com

Tomorrow it all goes away. The pretties come down. I always get a little sad when it’s time to take down the Christmas decorations from the tree and around the house. For one month the house is all festive with vibrant colors and cute snowmen figures and an assortment of nutcrackers because I collect them. I don’t go overboard, but I do enjoy the change of scenery around the house. It seems to add to the magic of the season.

The majority of my decorations have stories behind them. Fond memories of how old I was at the time, where I was, or who bought it for me. The tree ornaments are all different shapes and colors, also with their own stories that accompany them. I definitely prefer decorating the tree rather than packing all the pretties up. But, it’s that time. The holidays have come to a close.

It’s also the one time when there’s something in our living room. Since we bought our house a couple of years ago, we’ve had a bare living room. Well, it’s bare except for 2 bookcases and a few pictures. But there’s no other furniture. It’s the room where the cats sleep, especially on a sunny day when the sun shines through the window. We always lived in apartments before, so we’ve never had extra furniture to furnish another room. Maybe someday we’ll get a loveseat or a big armchair, but in December our great big tree fills the space nicely. For the next few weeks the room will look exceptionally bare, and then it will be what I’m used to and I won’t think anything about it until next Christmas.

Come to think of it, if we did get a loveseat or chair, I’m not sure where the tree would go.

Hubby often asks me what inspired my latest story. Inspiration can be a funny thing, and can be drawn from almost anything. I’m never far from a pen and paper, just in case it strikes.

I’d started the day checking out the weather, reading some of the news online, and noticed an article that was talking about a person’s moral compass. I only read a little of the article and decided to check my email. As I deleted a bunch of spam, I couldn’t help but be distracted. Inspiration had struck. I just needed to figure out what it was.

The words moral compass kept replaying in my mind. I do like a play on words title. Some of mine include Bawdy Talk, The Howl and the Pussycat, Witching Well, and Breaking in Levi. By changing the word moral into mortal, the title of my book was clear: Mortal Compass.

Once I have my title, I’m good to go and like to type out a few lines of what I’d like the book to be about. It’s not quite a synopsis or even a blurb, just some jumbled thoughts I get out before they’re forgotten.

The word mortal immediately made me think of vampires and I knew it would be a vampire story. I then took the idea of a compass and thought of a woman – the mortal – drawing the attention of a vampire, or vampires. But she needed something that would interest them. A reason to come after her. So I thought of an object that would mean something to one party and be of interest to an innocent bystander. A gem came to mind and the moonstone is very dear to my heart. Hubby and I had a long distance relationship in the beginning. When I flew over to be with him for a couple weeks, he took me to a jewelry store and bought me a moonstone for safe travels for when I went back.

Moonstones represent many different themes: a sacred love, good luck, and protection for a traveler. It is also known as an energizer – to ward off fatigue and weakness. Taking those elements, I knew they’d all need to tie into the story in one way or another. So my woman character was travelling to find a place where she could recharge her batteries. I decided to make her a healer.

Once she found the moonstone she would crave the energy flowing through her to the point she didn’t want to ever let it go. And when she did, it would make her weak all over again. So she would find the stone that is sacred to a vampire clan. They of course would want it. But there was something missing. An alpha vampire who would also be the hero.

Hot sweaty, lusty sex would have to be thrown in there, and the end result – eternal love.

And add in the Amazon rainforest in South America and I got right to work.

For the rest – you’ll have to read the story.

~Ann Cory

While writing is my career, I’m also a full-time student of my craft. I learn something new every day. I’ve always had a thirst for knowledge, though I admit it’s more fun to learn things as an adult without the pressure of pop quizzes and semester finals. History didn’t hold the same excitement for me in school as it does now.
I have to be careful to not get too caught up in my research for a book, otherwise I lose writing time. Many of my characters are fortunate enough to travel to exotic locations, so when I look up those places I easily get lost in the culture and beauty of those places.

Aside from research, I continue to learn about writing, voice, POV, character development, character traits, adding sexual tension, and well the list goes on.
While there isn’t a book that will propel you to instant success, there are plenty of books out there to use as a guidebook, for motivation, to enrich, and support your efforts. Or perhaps you’ll find a book that helps you through a rough patch, shows you another way to look at things, or just plain entertains you.

I have a strange fetish for buying writing related books. Some I read, some I skim through, others I pour over, earmark, highlight, and live by. Here are some favorites:

The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman Buy Link

The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Novelists by Andrew McAleer Buy Link

Fabulous Creatures and Other Magical Beings by Joel Levy Buy Here

The Encyclopedia of Mythology by Arthur Cotterell Buy Link

Encyclopedia of Gods by Michael Jordan Buy Link

Idiots Guide to Writing Erotic Romance by Alison Kent Buy Link

A Field Guide to Demons by Carol and Dinah Mack Buy Link

The Synonym Finder by J.I. Rodale Buy Link

Those are just a few. I never know where I’m going to gleam inspiration so I also have a large selection of books on Celtic mythology, Tarot, divination, psychic abilities, witchcraft and magic books, vampire and shifter books, and more. My favorite finds tend to be at old mom and pop bookstores. The books tend to be faded, worn, well used, and a wealth of inspiration.

I have a huge wishlist of books I still want to get on subjects from writing queries, finding an agent, pitches, and plot points. I like to reward myself with a new or used book after I’ve had a book come out. Sort of a pat on the back for all my hard work.

Books truly are magical, no matter what they are about.

~Ann Cory

Who doesn’t love a good kiss? Whether soft and sensual, or body to the wall and animalistic, there’s something to be said about locking lips with someone. In these hard economic times it’s nice to know you can kiss anywhere and it doesn’t cost a thing. You don’t have to go anywhere expensive, either. Steal a kiss out in the rain. Under the moon and stars. As you pass one another in the hallway. Or when you’re all snuggled up together in bed.

Have you ever watched a movie where two people kiss and you think I so want to be kissed like that! Maybe it was a slow, lazy kiss with mouths closed. Maybe it was a clothes-pulling, passionate open mouth with plenty of tongue kiss that got your blood pumping and pulse racing. A kiss is a beautiful expression and there’s really no wrong way to do it. Plus, the more you practice the better you get.

Below are a few facts about kissing and a link to more fun facts:

The science of kissing is called philematology.

Approximately two-thirds of people tip their head to the right when they kiss.

French kissing involves all 34 muscles in the face.

Kissing is good for teeth.

It is possible for a woman to reach an orgasm through kissing.

http://facts.randomhistory.com/2009/01/22_kissing.html

~Ann Cory
http://www.anncory.com
Magical Seduction

12 Days of Christmas – by Ann Cory(copyright 2007)

On the first day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
an idea for an erotic story

On the second day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

On the third day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story

On the fourth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story

On the fifth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

On the sixth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
six scenes of laying,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

On the seventh day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
seven smacks with a paddle,
six scenes of laying,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story

On the eighth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
eight distracting daydreams,
seven smacks with a paddle,
six scenes of laying,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

On the ninth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
nine days to write it,
eight distracting daydreams,
seven smacks with a paddle,
six scenes of laying,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

On the tenth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
ten tosses of confetti,
nine days to write it,
eight distracting daydreams,
seven smacks with a paddle,
six scenes of laying,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
eleven lust-filled chapters,
ten tosses of confetti,
nine days to write it,
eight distracting daydreams,
seven smacks with a paddle,
six scenes of laying,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me,
twelve weeks before I hear back,
eleven lust-filled chapters,
ten tosses of confetti,
nine days to write it,
eight distracting daydreams,
seven smacks with a paddle,
six scenes of laying,
five screaming orgasms,
four naughty toys,
three sexy subplots,
two couples in love,
and an idea for an erotic story.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!
~Ann Cory http://www.anncory.com

My favorite subject to write about is shape-shifters. Sexy beasts. Nocturnal heroes. Flawed creatures. Humans with an ability to change form and can’t get away from their dark past. New lovers and those who are reunited. Magical Seductions.

Shifters can be incorporated into all genres from romantic comedy to historical, fantasy to of course the paranormal. There’s a whole world to venture into – a great place for a writer’s imagination to take off and explore. And it’s the imagination that is limitless on what can be created.

Werewolves have always been especially fascinating to me, well wolves in general, but then you add in the shape-shifting element and I’m all over the place with story ideas. When I first heard stories about werewolves, I loved the correlation between the moon and the changes that took place. I already believed the moon held all kinds of magic. As a child I believed I saw a man in the moon. Some nights he was more visible than others. I also believed there were moon people who could come down whenever they wanted and take any form. Spirits that could change from human to beast to any object they wished. They knew things we didn’t.

My father loved all things Native American, and as a result our house was filled with books on animal spirits and animal totems. My favorite was the wolf. To me, a wolf itself has so much character and personality. They have strength and grace. I can look into a wolf’s eyes and see wisdom. I can hear the stories about the lives they have led, and all they have seen. And I love to hear the howl of a wolf. When my family and I went camping, we heard that beautiful night call, way off in the distance. At that moment I felt safe. I felt I had a protector, a guide who would keep watch while we slept. I think it was the most peaceful sleep I ever had.

Over time, the stories that filled my head started to make their way onto paper. Sometimes they were poems, sometimes short stories, and other times just something to keep to myself. My newest release is The Howl and the Pussycat, available now from Samhain Publishing. This story encompasses all the traits I am inspired by from the wolf, combined with the traits I find appealing in a man. A man who is flawed. A man who is loyal, has a sense of purpose, is possessive but not overbearing. He knows what he wants and will fight for it. He is honorable, and yes, he is also a sexy hero with the heart of a wolf.

I have many more werewolf stories in the works, as well as more shape-shifter stories. For ongoing updates, be sure to stop by my website http://www.anncory.com and read my blog http://anncory.com/blog/. You never know what new Magical Seductions the muse is conjuring up.

~Ann Cory

With my time so limited, I try to grab little moments of soul food when I can, and for me that is poetry. I’ve always written poetry and had my first poems published in my school’s creative writing journal. At the time I wrote about nature and animals. Then I wrote poems about personal things I was going through and a lot of heartache.

When I met my husband, I was inspired to write a very different kind of poetry. Sensual poetry. We’ve been together seven years now and I have journals filled with poems. Some will only be meant for him to read, and others I don’t mind sharing. Here are a few that I hope you enjoy:

Fondue
by Ann Cory
(copyright 2006)

Warm strands of chocolate
trickle from a spoon
Spiraling and
glazing bodies
in sugary decadence.
Fervent tongues
pave the way
along silken passages
tasting sweet nectar
with each voracious lick.
Bodies press together,
swirling like pinwheels
as the sinful confection
streaks down writhing thighs,
pooling in the aftermath
of lust.

Seasons of Lust
by Ann Cory
copyright 2007

I.
Autumn Sunrise

As I fall into your arms
and kiss your golden skin
I am reminded
of our walks
in the park
where we fall
to the crisp ground
covered in soft, rich earth
playing games beneath
the cover of leaves.
Our bodies secluded, hidden
your fingers
between my thighs
brushing against
my sacred trove.

II
Fireside Lover

Bare as the trees
come winter
our limbs entwined
before a roaring fire
as we talk of desire.
The sparks ignite
my inner passion
for you
burning deep to
keep me warm
inside your blanket
of eternal love.

III.
Fervor of Spring

Alive with the scent
of fresh and new
Coy glances
Wild flirtations
Peeling away layers
Of our clothes
and inhibitions
as we explore
our love so strong
no longer dormant
from the kiss
of Winter.

IV
Sultry Heat of Summer

In the blaze
behind your eyes
lips of fire melt
my skin.
Love crashes
against the waves
while I lay drunk
from the liquor
between your thighs
and our glasses of
Sex on the beach.
Your nakedness,
Such beauty
to be explored
while wrapped in
my warm embrace.

Mosaic
by Ann Cory
copyright 2007

Translucent flesh
swept with
feathery wisps
of paintbrush tongues,
upon a flawless canvas
of afterglow.
The sensual ballet
beneath ivory sheets,
where my masterpiece
straddles atop
love-soaked contours.
Brazen fingers rove along
supple, lithe limbs,
lost in the
silhouette that is you.

~Ann Cory
Magical Seduction

1. My cute jar with colored paperclips – an absolute must. I am always printing things out whether it’s affirmations, guidelines, goals, whatnot – and not just any paperclip will do.

2. A favorite pen – which depends a lot on my mood that day. Sometimes I choose the big fat pen with the ultra cool clicky clicky sound, or sometimes it’s the sleek silver one that has its own felt holder, and once in awhile it’s the fuzzy one that brings out my inner child.

3. Day planner – and I’d be lost without it. While I’d much prefer a hunky male assistant to – err – well nevermind, I’ll save the rest of that thought for when I’m working on my WIP.

4. Box of tissue – especially now that spring is here because I’m allergic to everything.

5. Daily journal – which I write in every morning to get those pesky jumbled thoughts out of my head. This time around it’s blue and fuzzy. I also use it when I’m feeling overwhelmed or down on myself.

6. A small cardholder with a few of my business cards in it. I suppose I have it to remind myself of that wild and crazy persona I slip into. She can be such a diva.

7. Sticky notes – which like the day planner I’d be lost without. Titles and ideas are subject to bust out with no warning, along with reminders and other little bits of information of importance. I like an assortment of colors though I prefer blue and purple.

8. A drink coaster as I’m likely to have either chai tea or cocoa in the morning, pop or water in the afternoon, and wine in the evening. It’s a pretty ceramic one my hubby gave me a few years ago with maple leaves on it.

9. My Peace Lily – which I just love to pieces, heh heh – get it, okay bad morning humor, apologies. Seriously though, I have several plants in my office because I love to be surrounded by nature, but my Peace Lily gets front and center. Not only does it have lush green leaves but it’s a natural air purifier too. Look at the things you can learn from a blog!

10. And finally – a suede mousepad for my mouse. Oh my gosh the thing is so soft. It’s like my comfort food. It’s like the alternative to rubbing Buddha’s belly. It’s an essential.

And there you have it. Other than my monitor – I need the ten items above to have a successful and productive working day. Clutter truly does clutter my mind, so everything else – stray papers and such have to go in the drawer and out of sight. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to turn my thoughts back to that hunky male assistant and the things I’d ask him to do.
~Ann Cory

I love my hubby very much. He’s a hard worker and puts up with a lot. Especially when it comes to my unpredictable moods, and my bouts with insomnia. I’d like to think of myself as complex, though I’m sure he has his own word for it.

The big rule in the house is to always be home for dinner where we sit around the table and share about our day. It’s our main connect time, though others tend to be more connected than say…myself.

My son usually starts, and with gentle (verbal threats), we coax him into sharing something about his school day. Hubby on the other hand needs no prodding to talk about his day and what went down at work. I contribute where necessary, but on the whole I tend to be private about my writing. I might share a review here, a kind email there, but they’ve learned to not ask me too many questions or I get frustrated.

There are a couple nights of the week when I do engage in lively conversation. I might even go so far as to be quick-witted and have my son and hubby howling in their seats.

Then there are THOSE nights. The nights when I don’t hear a word that hubby is saying. I watch his sexy lips move, sometimes into a smile, or into a frown. I take note of the stubble on his chin and watch how the candlelight reflects off his glasses. When he’s really animated, his hands are all over the place, and his brows move up and down. I see it all happening, but I feel more like a spectator. Those are the nights when my muse has center stage and refuses to share the spotlight. She’s talking, loudly might I add, and very insistent that I pay close attention.

Occasionally I’m successful and briefly escape the muse. I nod my head, smile, and even laugh if I notice hubby’s eyes twinkling as they always do when he makes a funny. I’ve even found a way to unknowingly make a mental note about specific names and dates while filtering out the rest. But in reality, I’ve checked out. My body is still there, but my mind is wrapped around chapter three where I’m trying to decide if it’s the right time for said hero and heroine to get it on.

From there I’m wondering who’s one top, what’s the sex toy on second, and I don’t know how many orgasms they’ll have is on third. Once those details are set, I drift my attention back to hubby with my complimentary nod and smile and then switch back to chapter eight that now needs a complete overhaul because I’ve got something much more devious planned for the wayward lovers. Apparently it’s in my muse’s contract that she can take me hostage at her convenience. Must have been the teeny tiny print at the bottom that I somehow overlooked.

In all fairness, hubby is often aware when I do this. He says my eyes glaze over, my lip twitches, and I fidget. Of course I feel bad because it isn’t easy to juggle the two most important loves in my life – my family and my writing, but he’s a good guy. He tells me not to worry about ignoring him, but to hurry up and write that bestseller so he can quit his job and be a kept man. I try and tune that out too.