Eppie Finalist

A Wolf at Her Door is up for an Eppie Award! I never expect to final in contests, so I was flabbergasted when I got an email from the EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) people notifying me that my book was a finalist in the paranormal erotic romance category.

There were seventy-eight other paranormal erotic romances entered, which, I believe, makes it the largest category they had this year. Nine made the cut. Except for Jackie and the Beanstalk, the other paranormals are dark.

Since it's the Christmas season, I'll pimp them here:

N.J. Walters's Eternal Brothers
Paige Tyler's Animal Attraction
Cindy Spencer Pape's Curses
Eden Rivers's Nature's Pentacle
Jacqueline Meadows's Jackie and the Beanstalk
Vivien Dean's Mercy of These Bones
Jamie Craig's Mosaic Moon
Monica Burns's Dangerous

They announce the winners at their EPIC conference, this year it's in March in Las Vegas, and I think someone upstairs wants me to go because hubby's National Conference is in Vegas at the same exact time.

A Wolf at Her Door Review

Heather at Night Owl Romance loved my book and made it a Top Pick! Yay!!!

Here's a little condensed version of her review:

Kate Willoughby’s latest release, A Wolf at Her Door, is a hilariously funny, charmingly romantic paranormal read.

This book has some of my favorite concepts when it comes to the paranormal: werewolves, fairies, wishes fulfilled, magical mishaps, love and happily ever after. Kate Willoughby writes enchanting characters with red-hot passion and emotional depth. The concept of this series fascinates me... After reading this book I really want to go back and read the first book in this series, All In, just to get more info on Paige and her friends.

This book is definitely a keeper and I recommend it wholeheartedly.

For the whole review, click here.

SECRETS OF JIN HAKKU :: Today's the Day

What the heck are you doing here? You should be HERE, buying my book. LMAO. Just kidding.

At long last, my fourth Ellora's Cave release is out. :) I am anxious to see how it sells, since it's my first menage story, and curious to see how readers react to the unusual (but still very happy!) ending.

Read the public excerpt here to answer today's question.

Today's Question: Kai offered Joran a choice of lemon grass, star amber, or jasmine oil to use on Hana. He chose star amber, a scent I made up. Heh heh. But even not knowing how that smells, which of the three would you choose?

Any comments made between now and the end of the month enter you to win this Italian charm bracelet with a special dragon charm to commemorate JIN-HAKKU's release. :) Winner to be announced Dec. 1. (Sorry about the crappy picture.)

SECRETS OF THE JIN-HAKKU :: An All-Time High

If you didn't already know, my newest release, SECRETS OF THE JIN-HAKKU, comes out tomorrow! (Squeeee!!!!) This is the fourth of five posts about it.

I always like to calculate the amount of sex I have in my stories, just out of curiosity, and this book gets the prize.

Sex scenes: 5

Shortest sex scene: 919 words

Longest sex scene: 4228 words (OMG. That's enormous, but it has three parts, so I hope it isn't tedious.)

Sex percentage: 45%!!

Today's Question: Have you read books that have too much sex?

Any comments made between now and the end of the month enter you to win this Italian charm bracelet with a special dragon charm to commemorate JIN-HAKKU's release. :) Winner to be announced Dec. 1. (Sorry about the crappy picture.)

SECRETS OF JIN HAKKU :: The Shinwa Culture

This marks the third of five blog posts about my newest release SECRETS OF THE JIN-HAKKU, coming out on Wednesday!

I had long wanted to write a menage story, but was always stymied by how to create a happily-ever-after without jettisoning the third guy at the end. Of course, there are menage stories written where all three remain together, but this is one area where I have trouble separating our real world from the fictional. I have a thing about giving kids two daddies and a mommy, full time. (Not to be confused with step-daddies and/or divorced daddies.)

So, I created a world in which triads are the norm. I even went a step further and made it physiologically impossible for them to reproduce without two males and one female. Building this world turned out to be so much fun. My crazy brain kept coming up with idea after idea, and I felt a bit of nostalgia for the days when I read science fiction and fantasy almost exclusively. So, I thought I'd present a few of the words I had to make up.

budo - a form of martial arts

kachi - pussy (not the cat!)


konsu - an instrument used in anal play

omaka - a tub used only for soaking

sansou - a flowering plant with a prickly stem

sakei - the very deep sleep that occurs when a woman fails to become pregnant, normally only a few hours.

sakei-ma - the more serious consequence of continued infertility, during which the woman body shuts down almost completely to survive on body fat.

sakei-ma-sa - the most extreme stage of non-pregnancy. To say more would be a spoiler. :)

suki/suko - a term of endearment

tama gi - a high class prostitute

tingtze berries - named for their peppery sweet flavor

yumata - robes worn in days gone by whose fabrics, colors and/or knotted sashes depended on the activity.

I hope this whets your appetite to read the book, which comes out on the 26th!!

Today's question: The Shinwa people love to bathe. Do you prefer to take baths or showers?

Any comments made between now and the end of the month enter you to win this Italian charm bracelet with a special dragon charm to commemorate JIN-HAKKU's release. :) Winner to be announced Dec. 1. (Sorry about the crappy picture.)

SECRETS OF THE JIN-HAKKU :: Mysterious Kisses

Today I'm abandoning my usual Friday art offering in order to give you a small snippet from the book, different from the one that will appear on the Ellora's Cave website. I hope you enjoy it.

“Who will be first to taste your lips, Imperial Highness?” Kai asked, his eyes smoldering with frank desire. His costume consisted of the black dragon wings, headdress, and tight-fitting trousers, leaving his battle-scarred torso bare, except for the straps for his wings. This had caused quite a stir among the female guests, Hana included. While she shuddered to think about the horrific wounds that had caused them, his scars honed his masculinity to a keen edge.

“I don’t know. I don’t think I can choose,” she answered honestly.

“Let us choose then,” Joran said in a silky voice. “Close your eyes, suki. We’ll kiss you one at a time and when we’re finished, you tell us who went first.”

With a deep breath, Hana let her eyes fall shut. “Very well.”

There was rustling as they shifted positions and gently spun her around to disorient her. When at last they all stood still, her entire body hummed with anticipation. The music and chatter from outside in the grand ballroom seemed muted as she waited breathlessly for the first touch of someone’s mouth. But instead, the first thing she felt was a warm hand on her cheek, a thumb stroking softly, like a brush of a flower petal. She sighed. Someone moved behind her. She could feel his body heat through the fabric of her gown. He stood close, but not close enough to touch. Yet.

The man in front of her cupped both cheeks and stroked her lips with his thumbs, outlined her mouth. Expectation gripped her so completely she felt as if her life had come to a halt and that nothing could happen to her until he kissed her.

She smelled cinnamon on his breath as he brought his face closer and whispered, “Do you know how long we’ve wanted to do this?”

“No,” she breathed.

“Since we first met,” came the reply. “Not a night goes by that we are not hard from thinking about you.”

Their soft, growling whispers were impossible to recognize.

“You inhabit our dreams,” said the one behind her, “always out of reach.” Warm breath tickled the hairs on her neck. She felt something brush against her bottom, then her breasts, but so lightly she might have imagined it.

“But no matter how many times we find our relief without you, we are never satisfied.”

Hana took in a ragged breath, picturing that in her mind—the two of them, holding their erect cocks in their hands, stroking as they fantasized about her, groaning in frustration even as they climaxed.

Her breath came faster. “Then end it. Kiss me now.”

Today's Question: Have you ever played a kissing game, like Spin the Bottle or the like?

Any comments made between now and the end of the month enter you to win this Italian charm bracelet with a special dragon charm to commemorate JIN-HAKKU's release. :) Winner to be announced Dec. 1. (Sorry about the crappy picture.)

SECRETS OF JIN HAKKU Thursday 3: Three to Tango

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

Whenever I have a new release, I traditionally celebrate by dedicating a week's worth of blogging to that book. This post marks the first of five about SECRETS OF THE JIN-HAKKU, which comes out on November 26!

JIN-HAKKU is a menage story. So to start things off I thought I'd post three menage images.

This is probably from a Greek piece of pottery. My friend, Evie Byrne, would be able to tell you much more about this. Maybe she'll pop in and comment. I chose this image because in JIN-HAKKU, Hana gets to enjoy this position with her conjugal pair, Kai and Joran, however, in my book the heftiness of the figures is reversed. This Greek woman is Amazonian compared to Hana!

Here's another menage image. This one made me chuckle. Cats gang-banging. Who knew?

Lastly is a Photoshopped image of me a friend made as a joke. Check out that rack! My chest has never looked that...prominent. Those things look like they could break a window.

Today's Question: Who do you like better? Pitt or Damon?

Any comments made between now and the end of the month enter you to win this Italian charm bracelet with a special dragon charm to commemorate JIN-HAKKU's release. :) Winner to be announced Dec. 1. (Sorry about the crappy picture.)

Liquid Silver Eye Candy

I'm a doofus. I forgot that I had signed up to participate in a Liquid Silver Halloween blog party! I'm (belatedly) participating in a round robin blog hopping party thing! I was supposed to post some eye candy in honor of the big Candy Holiday and then send you on to the next blogger.

Here's my eye candy picture. He seems to be saying, "Oh my, what's this I have in my pants?"

Or maybe he's saying, "Want some...candy, little girl?"



Anyone who comments will get a chance to win their choice of any two of my books. I'm going to give away two because I feel bad for doing this so late. :) You may want to wait for my next release, coming from Ellora's Cave on November 26. Here's a short blurb:

Erotic pleasure is so central to the Shinwa culture that one is considered uneducated if not well-versed in the Jin-Hakku, an ancient sexual reference. As a bonded triad, Kai, Joran and Hana have long enjoyed the carnal pleasures it describes.

However, infertility can be a death sentence and Hana has yet to conceive. Desperate, the men turn to an obscure volume of the Jin-Hakku. What they find is daunting—three nights of exquisite sexual “torture” that will test the limits of their stamina and self-control, but for Kai and Joran, failure is not an option.

Now, off with you. Go to the next Liquid Silver blogger, the fabulous Shara Lanel. You can win cool stuff!

Thursday 3: Research

There's a popular meme called Thursday 13 in which every Thursday you make a list of thirteen things. I did this for a few months, but I don't have time for thirteen! So, I whittled it down to Thursday 3.

I am in the midst of writing the third book for my Ellora's Cave Be-Wished series, tentatively titled Asking For It. In the course of my writing, I typically research many many things. This Thursday I'm listing three sites that I saved in my favorites file for convenient access.

1. I needed to find out how much the yolk of a goose egg might be worth if it was made of gold, and here is one of the sites I referred to. The picture of the little bars provided some scale for me.

2. Here's a list of fairy tales that has come in handy.

3. Finally, my hero is a military guy and I found this site on Aviator Slang really interesting, even though I think that he isn't in the air force after all.

Pre-Buzz

My Ellora's Cave editor, Suz, told me this morning that the final line editor (the person who does the final proofing of the manuscript) emailed her the following about Secrets of the Jin Hakku (and I quote!)

Please do me a favor, next time you "talk" to this author, could you let her know she has a brand-new fan? I absolutely LOVED this story!

The book has a fan and it's not even out yet! How cool is that? See that cloud up there? The ninth one? That's me on top of it. :D

Still Smiling

Last Thursday at literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog, M.J. Rose stated, "...more than 85% of all books sell less than 1000 copies."

Well, hot diggety. That makes my news here even better. :D You know, I think about what it would be like to see a list of the 1656 people who bought my book and it boggles my mind. That would be a pretty damn long list. *grins*

TOP SELLER!

I just got word today from my Liquid Silver Books editor, Maria, that Hostile Takeover was the number one best seller for the third quarter of 2008. Hooray!!! 1656 copies sold so far. I'm not sure how that compares to other authors or other electronic publishing houses, but that's a nice quantity for me at LSB. :D

Doing the happy dance...

She Likes Me, She Really Likes Me!

Ooh! This just in: a fantastic "5 bookmark" review from Jennifer Ray of Wild on Books. I can't help loving the woman because she loves my books. Here's part of what she said about Wolf...

This author has a knack for spinning romances that are both fun and sexy – a combination I am a complete fool for. Ms. Willoughby kept me giggling with the wit she infuses into each page of the book, obviously having as much fun with this story as her readers will. She manages to keep the story amusing, never silly, and yet infuses it with a great big dose of sex appeal.

There's more, but that's the good stuff. :D

The First Sparkle of the Topaz!

Here's the cover for my next release!!! Squeeeee!!

I'm currently in the last round of edits for this Topaz themed novella, due out in November and I'm really excited. It's the first time I've ever created an entire world.

In All In and A Wolf at Her Door (the Be-Wished series) there's a fairy world that I made up, but it co-exists with our world, so it feels more like a half-world. And within Wolf, there's the werewolf shifter sub-culture, but again, it had to jive with Earth and us pitiful, non-paranormal humans.

But in Secrets of the Jin-Hakku, everything's new. I was God. It was so cool.

Anyway, I digress. The real subject of this post was supposed to be the rockin' cover. View it. Admire it. Allow the subliminal message to fully enter your brain. (BUY IT IN NOVEMBER...BUY IT IN NOVEMBER...)

P.S. I need to apologize for hijacking my own blog. I was supposed to post about why Grant Wood's painting "Young Corn" has significance for me, but the arrival of my new cover disrupted the plan.

A WOLF AT HER DOOR: Artist unkown

I had copied this picture into my hard drive some time ago for a blog about its artist. I have since lost the name of the artist, which truly pains me. I don't like posting art without giving credit to the person who created it, but I figure some exposure is better than none. (If you are the artist, please contact me and I'll be glad to give you credit and post a link to more of your work.)

Anyway, I thought this image was perfect for A WOLF AT HER DOOR week and Art Friday. This wolf is different from Adam in that he has his wolf head, but the rest of him is human. When Adam changes, he goes completely "to the dogs." Heh heh. Yet, this wolf is slighly dangerous, but clearly possessive. Yeah, baby, that's Adam all over.

Okay, she's obviously Little Red Riding Hood, but work with me here. In my book, Paige never wears a hooded cape, but she does put on one little item that Adam requests she wear especially for him. This item, something women rarely wear anymore, turns him on in a big way.

What do you think this item is?

(Every comment made this week gets you a chance to win a free copy of Wolf. Winner to be announced 9/29.)

A WOLF AT HER DOOR: And the Answer Is...

Welcome to Day 3 of A Wolf at Her Door Week at my blog. Today is the big day! You can actually go buy it!!! Of course, I know some of you will be waiting until next Monday, because that's the day I'm going to pick the winner of the free copy. But that's okay. I'm guilty of the same money-saving strategy, too! The cost of the book is a little more than a gallon of gas these days, but I promise you that you'll have a heck of a lot more fun reading my book than you will driving 25 miles anywhere (your mileage will vary.)

As promised, here are the answers to yesterday's shapeshifter trivia quiz.



1. Today, some people truly believe that they are humans with the souls of animals. What do such people call their belief system? Answer: B. Spiritual therianthropy.

2. In 1992, a poll of Russians found that ____________ of respondents believed that werewolves existed. Answer: D. 80 percent

The werewolf story has long been a staple tale of Russia, where wolves were (and still are, in many places) plentiful.

3. In Celtic folklore, men were often seduced by the selkies, beautiful women who were really... Answer: B. Seals

The selkie turned into a woman by removing her sealskin. If a man stole the skin, the selkie could not transform.

4. In the Amazon, one hears legends of the 'boto', which can transform into a young boy or a handsome man. In animal form, the boto is a... Answer: D. Dolphin

In the Amazon, a dolphin called the 'pink dolphin' can be found. Legends about this creature abound.

5. In Japan, many legends tell of the kitsune, who often appeared in the form of a beautiful woman. The kitsune was a .... Answer: C. Werefox

The kitsune often had many tails. The more tails she had, the older and wiser she was.

6. What is the psychological term for a person who thinks that he is a wolf? A. Lycanthrope

From 'lycos'- wolf and 'anthropos'-man.

7. From what material were werewolf-slaying instruments supposed to be fashioned? Answer: A. Silver

Silver probably got this reputation because of its supposed purity and association with the moon.

8. Quite a few physical signs were taken to be indications that one was a werewolf. Which of the following was NOT a sign that one harbored 'the animal within'? Answer: D. Eyes that relfect red light in the dark

Other signs are an unusually long third finger, tattoos in the shape of a crescent moon, an uncut, clawlike left thumbnail, and tiredness in the morning.

9. One of the common beliefs about werewolves is that if you are bitten by one, you will also become a werewolf. What disease is responsible for this belief? Answer: Rabies

Rabid wolves often foam at the mouth and bite whatever crosses their path. After the bite, a human who contracts rabies may exhibit the same behavior.


10. What do you call a werewolf from the southern United States? Answer: B. Loup garou

There are many Cajun legends and songs about the 'loup garou', which is often said to resemble a rabid dog.

So, how'd you do? (Every comment this week enters you to win a free copy of Wolf, the winner to be announced 9/29.)

A WOLF AT HER DOOR: Test Your Knowledge

Welcome to Day 2 of A Wolf at Her Door Week on my blog. Today I'm presenting a fun quiz to see how much you know about werewolves and other shifters. Answers will be posted tomorrow.

1. Today, some people truly believe that they are humans with the souls of animals. What do such people call their belief system?

A. Lycanthropy
B. Spiritual therianthropy
C. Lycanthrophilia
D. Werephilia

2. In 1992, a poll of Russians found that ____________ of respondents believed that werewolves existed.

A. 10 percent
B. 35 percent
C. 50 percent
D. 80 percent

3. In Celtic folklore, men were often seduced by the selkies, beautiful women who were really...

A. Horses
B. Seals
C. Deer
D. Swans

4. In the Amazon, one hears legends of the 'boto', which can transform into a young boy or a handsome man. In animal form, the boto is a...

A. Jaguar
B. Maned wolf
C. Cougar
D. Dolphin

5. In Japan, many legends tell of the kitsune, who often appeared in the form of a beautiful woman. The kitsune was a ....

A. Wereswan
B. Werecat
C. Werefox
D. Werebadger

6. What is the psychological term for a person who thinks that he is a wolf?

A. Lycanthrope
B. Zooanththrope
C. Lupine
D. Anthrolobos

7. From what material were werewolf-slaying instruments supposed to be fashioned?

A. Silver
B. Platinum
C. Gold
D. Tin

8. Quite a few physical signs were taken to be indications that one was a werewolf. Which of the following was NOT a sign that one harbored 'the animal within'?

A. Eyebrows that meet over the bridge of the nose
B. Sleeping with your mouth open
C. Excessive body hair
D. Eyes that relfect red light in the dark

9. One of the common beliefs about werewolves is that if you are bitten by one, you will also become a werewolf. What disease is responsible for this belief?

10. What do you call a werewolf from the southern United States?
A. Alabama wolf
B. Loup garou
C. Wendigo
D. Shapeshifter

How do you feel you did on the quiz? Have you ever even read a werewolf book before? Just wonderin'. :)

(Every comment made this week gets you a chance to win a free copy of Wolf. Winner to be announced 9/29.)

A WOLF AT HER DOOR: Bring On the Sex!

Whenever I have a new release, I dedicate an entire week to that book and A Wolf at Her Door, the second book in the Be-Wished series, is coming out on Wednesday!

Here's a blurb:

In this second book of the Be-Wished series, Paige gets her wish – a hot night with a sexy alpha male werewolf—and Adam more than fits the bill. But with the quirky wish fairy Davina in charge of the magic, something’s bound to go wrong.

If you haven't read the first Be-Wished book, no worries. While I personally prefer to read series books in sequence, you should not have a problem understanding this book at all if you haven't read All In.

Oh wait. Forget I said that. You should DEFINITELY buy All In (the first Be-Wished book) AND A Wolf at Her Door. Yeah. That's it. Buy them both. :D Buy Hostile Takeover, while you're at it. Heh heh.

Okay, back to the reason we're here today-- A Wolf at Her Door.

I always get a kick out of analyzing the amount of sex that occurs in my various books. Here are the Sex Stats for Wolf.

Number of Sex Scenes: 5

Shortest Sex Scene: 1602 words

Longest Sex Scene: 3801 words

Sex Percentage: 31%

Wow. It's one third sex! I think that's the largest percentage I've ever had. And yet, don't think that it's just a bunch of mindless bonking. It's not. This story got much more serious than Book One of the Be-Wished Series, All In. So perhaps I should describe this as bonking...with heart. LMAO.

Regarding sex scenes, do you prefer them from the female or male point of view? Or does it matter?

(Everyone who comments this week will get a chance to win a free copy of the book. The winner will be announced 9/29.)

Coming Soon!

*SQUEE* A Wolf at Her Door is on the Coming Soon page at Ellora's Cave. The countdown has begun!

"Hopelessly Capitvated"

Here's the newest review on ALL IN, first in my Be-Wished series. Boy, did I need this. In the past two weeks, Ellora's Cave rejected two of my submitted manuscripts.

Fairies and magic wishes don’t really exist – do they? When the little woven wish bracelet Mariah bought with her friends in Cabo falls off her wrist, the Fairy Davina appears in her life, promising fulfillment of the wish she made that drunken night in Cabo and handing her a brochure detailing the terms of the wish fulfillment. Now the very man she wished for is back in her life and seemingly can’t get enough of her. But Mariah soon realizes that one short fling with Tucker will never be enough and knows her heart will be hopelessly broken when the wish expires…

I absolutely LOVED this book! Kate Willoughby left me utterly delighted with her whimsical tale of love and magic in the first story of her Be-Wished series, All In. From page one, I was hopelessly captivated – not that I minded one little bit. Mariah was just adorable. Sweet and guileless, it was no surprise to see Tucker fall completely in love with her. Likewise, it was just as easy to understand why Mariah has never been able to stop thinking of Tucker since that one night they spent together years before. He is kind, fun, and thoughtful – and still as sexy as a man can get.

I can’t tell you how happy I am that this is only the first book in a series. I will be first in line when the next magical story in Willoughby’s Be-Wished series comes out!

I'm doing my darndest to finish the second Be-Wished book. I'm at the end, but struggling with how this one scene will play out.