Soap 101

This is my latest obsession! I discovered handmade soap at the Renaissance Faire this year. I never expecte to go ga-ga over it, but once I tried it, I was hooked! I had two failed experiences, but this is my first success. So what's in it you ask? An exra virgin olive oil with a little bit of coconut oil for added hardness. Its considered a castile soap and will be very mild on the skin. I did add half an ounce of a masculine fragrance oil so my hubby would try it, but that's it. There's no additives or detergents, besides the Sodium Hydroxide that kickstarts the chemical reaction turning the oils into soap. After the oils have saponified, there is only soap, no lye. (Which I doublechecked using a lye calculator)


There were air bubbles in this batch, but that's probably because I stirred too long. I am new at recognizing the stages. It was the consistency of thick pudding when I put it in the mold. Each time I make soap, I learn a little more and perfect the skills.



From reading on the internet, I built my own mold. This makes a loaf that made about ten bars. The ends come off to aid in removing the loaf from the mold. It cost less than $3 to build, and I borrowed the tools from my hubby's garage. Oh yeah, it's also lined with wax paper to ease the release.



The first step is to liquify the oils, so I heat them up the allow it to cool to a little more than room temperature. Close to the same temperature of the lye solution.Which may have cooled by now. The pan I bought specifically for my soap making project so I wouldn't contaminate my food cooking utensils. Cost less than $6 at a thrift store.



This is today's project, and look how simple it is! Most of these ingredients you can get locally, at your grocery store and hardware store. I picked up the lye crystals (Sodium Hydroxide) at Ace Hardware for $3.99.

This baar will be 100% vegetable bar of soap, with no animal fats or byproducts. Now tell me that's not fun?

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to everyone, but especially my man. DH works hard to be a good Dad, so he deserves some recognition and it's just one of the reasons I love him.

Life has been made even better when we remember to laugh along the way. Which is why I could laugh at this picture. Enjoy!

Sometimes we need to laugh and let loose a litte, and it was my father who first taught me this lesson. It's tough being a parent, but every child needs that father figure, or a male mentor in their life. I don't think it's impossible to grow up right without a Dad, but it sure makes life go smoother. It's easier to believe in yourself when someone else does first.

I grew up in a family with four sisters. We had our bumps and bruises in life, and I know there were times that I tested my father's patience, but I never once doubted he loved me. He supported my endeavors and encouraged my dreams. It was my father that planted that seed in my brain that I should grow up to be a writer. He was the one to see my love of words and I don't know where I'd be in life without him.

Thank you Dad, for all you do, and all those Dads out there that make time to play such an important role in their kids lives.

Happy Father's Day!


--In the mood to read something spicy? Go to www.missylyons.com

All about my side job as a cover artist

Well writing is fun, but I don't make enough to pay the bills just yet. I got to work since hubby lost his job this spring. So writing is really just a side job to my other part time jobs. I think I told you about my job at the restaraunt, that I occasionaly secret shop at various businesses, but not everyone knows that I also work as a cover artist for a few publishers. For fun, I am sharing my latest cover for a book titled Maxwell's Mansion by Donna McClaire.

So, in between the deadlines, I work on graphic designs for artists, authors, and publishers. Often at very odd hours of the night since I am also a full time mommy. It's convenient to have the ability to work from home, but it also means you never get away from your work

Yeah, this is one job you really can call moonllighting.

Do you work? I think being a housewife an a mother is a full time job that not many women get creit for, but the reward is well worth it.

Favorite excerpt from Straight Up

I am drowning in edits right now, but I hit a really good spot in the manuscript that made me want to share. It totally made me crack up, but what would you do when you were suddenly propositioned with a foursome? With three very hot men heating up the room? Read on to find out what Sarah does:

*******

“So,” Jake pressed a full drink back into my hands, while Tim held a basket out for me, “it wasn’t you who left this gift basket filled with naughty surprises?”
“Umm.” Holy cow. Naughty wasn’t the word. Kinky maybe. This welcome basket went well beyond naughty. There was two bottles of champagne just to warm you up, lotions, bottles of aphrodisiacs, handcuffs, and WAY too many dildos for one girl to enjoy. A mountain of condoms filled the base of the basket. Not in my wildest fantasies could I dream something like this up, but someone had an idea that I could be talked into it. “No.”
“Then who did?”
Rob’s grin was wide as a high school boy discovering his first hard-on. “Someone who wanted us to have lots of fun.”
“Here’s a clue. There’s a card.” I opened the card to read what was inside. “It’s from my boss! This has to be some kind of mistake. Unless he thought we were going to have an orgy in here.”
“Is that a proposition?” Tim’s wide smile shared his enthusiasm.
“I’m up for the idea if you are.” Coming from Rob, that was surprising. Working as a stripper usually caused problems in a relationship. Jealous boyfriends were a common cause of breakups, and most guys didn’t like their girls to continue working even if they knew nothing sexual happened at work. Rob didn’t seem jealous in the slightest. He even sounded like he was looking forward to sharing.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” I tried to control my breathing, focusing on slow even breaths. The air was thick with tension—and testosterone. All I could think of was sex and talking about it was not helping.
Rob rubbed my leg affectionately. “I know something that could warm you up to the idea.”
I evaded his gaze, downing my second drink of the day. I wasn’t immune to the alcohol. I was feeling a buzz and slightly lightheaded. Part of me wanted to tell him to do it. Hell yeah, I was up for an afternoon round with him and his boys. Another part of me—the part that wasn’t drunk enough—was saying no way. They would think I was a slut. They would never respect me after this. They would expect sexual favors at the drop of a hat, and for me to put out every time I saw them.
Apparently, I was beginning to really feel the effects of the alcohol, because I couldn’t see the downside of having three lovers.
“Mmm, what exactly did you have in mind?”

Straight Up--coming to Phaze Publishing in August 2009

CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY

Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned From the Cat
101 Stories about Life, Love, and Lessons

Cats have always been wonderful companions and playmates that brighten and enrich our lives but they are also amazing teachers. We want cat lovers, both lifelong and reluctant, to share the lessons they have learned about life from their furry companions. The stories in this book will delight readers with the often humorous, heartwarming, poignant and always inspiring lessons taught to us by our feline friends and family members.

We are looking for true stories and poems written in the first person of no more than 1,200 words. Stories can be serious or humorous, or both. Remember, these stories should be about lessons learned from your cat rather than general stories about your cat.

If your story is chosen, you will be a published author and your bio will be printed in the book if you so choose. You will also receive a check for $200 and 10 free copies of your book, worth more than $100. You will retain the copyright for your story.

SUBMISSIONS GO TO
http://chickensoupf orthesoul. com/form. asp?cid=submit_ story.

The deadline for submissions is March 31, for publication in September 2009.

CONTACT US

Please do not reply or send questions to this address. For any further questions or correspondence, contact webmaster@chickenso upforthesoul. com or visit our website at
http://www.chickens oup.com.

Samhain wants a space opera

Call for Submissions: Samhain Publishing Space Opera anthology

Get your outer space on! Intergalactic wars, space battles, alien cultures, and love (and lust) across the cosmos.

I’m very pleased to announce an open call for submissions for a new, yet-to-be titled spring 2010 space opera anthology. I’m looking for fast-paced, action-adventure space opera romances. Don’t know what space opera is? Think Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica or my personal favorite, Firefly/Serenity. For more information on space opera, you can check out the entry on wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Opera

I’m open to M/F, M/M, or multiples thereof, and any sexual heat level. The only rule is the story should be set mainly or entirely in space and the romance must end happily ever after or happy for now.

The anthology will include novellas from 25,000 to 30,000 words in length and will be released individually as ebooks in April 2010.

Submissions are open to all authors, published with Samhain or aspiring to be published with Samhain. All submissions must be new material—previously published submissions will not be considered. Additionally, manuscripts previously submitted, whether individually or for past anthologies, will not be considered either. Please be aware that manuscripts submitted to this anthology cannot be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from an editor.

To submit a manuscript for consideration, please include:

The full manuscript (of 25,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-5 page synopsis. Please include a letter of introduction/query letter. Full manuscripts are required for this as it’s a special project.

As well, when you send your manuscript, please be sure to use the naming convention SpaceOpera_Title_MS and SpaceOpera_Title_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission doesn’t get missed in the many submissions we receive, and makes it easy for me to find in my ebook reader.

Submissions are open until August 10, 2009 and final decision will be made by August 31, 2009. Please send your submission to editor@samhainpublishing.com and include Space Opera Anthology in the subject line.

Questions can be addressed to Sasha Knight sasha@samhainpublishing.com

ETA: Copied from the Samhain submissions page. The "I" in here is not Sela!

My fortune cookie today

You are a lover of words. You should write a book someday.

Loose Id Submission guidelines

SubmissionsLoose Id is actively acquiring stories from both aspiring and established authors. Before submitting a query or proposal, please read the guidelines below. Please don't hesitate to contact us at submissions at loose-id dot com for any information you don't see here.

What is Loose Id?
Loose \'lüs\, adjective - 1. not rigidly fastened or securely attached; having relative freedom of movement. 2. free from a state of confinement, restraint, or obligation. 3. lacking in restraint or power of restraint; lacking in moral restraint. Synonyms: unleashed, unfettered, unbound, unfree.

Id \'id\, noun - the one of the three divisions of the psyche in psychoanalytic theory that is completely unconscious and is the source of psychic energy derived from instinctual needs and drives — compare ego, superego. Synonyms: subconscious mind, lizard brain.

Loose Id \'lüs id\, noun - 1. an unfettered unconscious mind; 2. a publisher of electronic and print romances that unleash your fantasies by striding to the edge of the abyss and taking the plunge. Synonyms: There are no known equivalents, only imitations.


About Our Books
Loose Id takes romance to the edge: the edge of the genre, the edge of convention, the edge of the abyss. And then we throw it right on in. A Loose Id romance is deliberately, specifically, and insistently erotic. It ought to make you blush and squirm in your seat, while keeping you turning pages because you have to find out what happens next.

We're looking for stories that unleash the power of fantasy and the id. New twists on old favorites, both erotic and romantic. Whether it's that hotass cop and the speeder he pulled over, a threesome with your two best gay friends, anonymous sex with the guy you saw pumping gas, capture fantasy, sex slavery, cowboy and city slicker, secret babies, secretary and sheikh, we want stories that tap specific reader fantasies and make them as erotic as the plotline will support.

Your story should have a clear romance hook, even though we encourage plots that have a broader external conflict. Readers love sprawling stories, but they want to know from the outset who is going to fall in love, what's going to get in their way, and why it's important that they resolve it. Remember, the idea is to indulge the id by fulfilling familiar reader fantasies in a new and unique way, so those fantasies need to be recognizable and powerful.




Accepted Genres
Contemporary
Historical
Paranormal
Science Fiction & Fantasy
Mystery & Suspense
Gay, Lesbian & Transgendered
Menage & Polyamory
BDSM & Fetish

About the contemporaries and historicals
Because we're sharpening our focus on reader fantasy, we're reopening submissions to contemporaries and historicals that are sufficiently erotic to meet our desire to have readers squirming in their seats. No inspirationals, no sweet romances, no category romance. But, feel free to take those standard romance tropes and plotlines and make them as erotic as the story will support. We'd prefer historicals and contemporaries to include multicultural elements, interracial elements, full-figured heroines, menage, bdsm, alternate lifestyle, lgbt themes or polyamory, but we will happily look at your hot heterosexual Alpha heroes in single-partner relationships, so long as they're hunky and HOT.

About paranormal, sff, mystery & suspense
While we encourage broad, inventive plots, please remember that we publish erotic ROMANCE. No cozy mysteries, no urban fantasy with sex for titillation, no sprawling space epics with the occasional love story. We expect every story to have a fully realized romance with conflict and resolution, even if you're not taking them all the way to happily ever after. Stories with a large external conflict must have a romance hook - one that is specifically erotic. As with contemporaries and historicals, we'd prefer these to include multicultural elements, interracial elements, full-figured heroines, menage, bdsm, alternate lifestyle, lgbt themes or polyamory,but we're perfectly happy to look at your sky pirates and outlaw heroes who find the girl of their dreams, so long as the story makes us squirm.

About LGBT, menage & poly, bdsm & fetish
Everything we've said about romances, hooks, and fantasies still applies when dealing with LGBT, menage & poly, bdsm & fetish themes. While some of our books in these categories cater specifically to the relevant community, we still expect them to be accessible to and enjoyable for the bulk of our female readers. Romance is the key. At Loose Id, we believe love is love is love is love. The heart wants who it wants and the id wants what it wants. Tell us a story about someone or someones getting their heart and id's desire. It's not enough that it's two guys, two girls, a drag queen and a pre-op transexual, three or more lovers, or there are whips, chains, clamps, pony play. Turn it inside out and show us the hearts that make it work. Show us the rainbow and make us believe - and squirm, don't forget the squirming.

Specific Guidelines
Length
20,000-120,000 words. Flings of less than 20,000 words and shorter stories are by invitation only to authors currently publishing with us. Stories of 55,000 - 70,000 words will receive an advance and be automatically considered for print.

Re-releases
In very rare circumstances we will accept previously published manuscripts that meet our guidelines, however they will only be considered in conjunction with a complete, unpublished manuscript meeting our guidelines by the same author.

Series and Serials
We're not generally interested in serials or series beyond three books at this time. While we'll still look at manuscripts intended to be part of a much longer series, each story must stand alone and subsequent books will be judged on their own merit as well as the sales for previous books in the series.

Anthologies/group projects
Loose Id no longer accepts anthology or group project proposals from authors. Loose Id authors may inquire of their editor but should be advised that even if the proposal is approved, individual books in series will be judged on their own merit and author invitations will be made by Loose Id.

Absolutely no:

Short stories, see above.
Pedophilia. That is, sex between adults and underage characters.
Necrophilia. Undead doesn't count.
Bestiality. Sentient shifters, aliens and paranormal creatures are OK.
Scat or golden showers. Territorial marking may be acceptable in extraordinary cases. Inquire before submitting.
Rape or incest (as defined by the culture in which the story occurs) calculated to arouse the reader. Villains may commit rape or incest to demonstrate malicious intent, but it should occur in a manner that is not arousing, or offstage. Rape or incest can have occurred in a character's past, but the hero or heroine should never perpetrate rape or incest during the scope of the story. Forced seduction, capture, or dubious consent are acceptable.
Snuff.
At this time we are specifically looking for:


m/m, specifically contemporary, cowboy, and paranormal, but we'll look at any genre, including mystery and suspense.
multicultural, where one or multiple partners are non-Caucasian and the story has strong elements of cultural immersion. Whether the book is set in Korea Town for example or the heroine is a brilliant young Arab emigree, we want the culture of the characters to be more than window dressing. This should not be taken as an invitation to exotify other cultures and make them sexy and alluring through cliche, generalization, and stereotype. Rather it should reflect a deeper understanding of the culture. Obviously, fantasies about the foreign prince or princess, the sheikh or the visiting dignitary does trade to some extent on the mystique and allure of the exotic. That's fine, provided that by the end, the "local" partner gets to know their "alien" partner and their culture better.
menage, specifically m/m/f. If you are creating a menage out of an established pairing, be very careful that it doesn't feel like cheating to either partner or that it's not a "concession menage" ie something one partner does to save a failing romance. Fidelity is important to our readers. If you have two men in a committed relationship looking for Ms. Right or the feisty third to bottom for them both, that's fine. But bringing in an old ex-lover can cause hurt and jealousy that make it emotionally yucky to read about. Be sensitive to how you would feel and try to make sure that you're establishing a menage that (assuming you were comfortable with them in the first place) you would want to be a part of.
screamingly hot contemporaries and historicals, where the premise plays to specific tropes and well-known fantasies. In particular, hot Alpha heroes, capture fantasy, rescue fantasy, submission, but also old favorites like secret babies, boss and secretary, marriage of convenience, and so on.

Sending a Proposal
Please submit exactly and only the following:

A Query Letter with:

Your name and contact e-mail.
The name of the manuscript you are submitting and the name of the series it is a part of, if any.
The completion status and expected length of your manuscript.
The genre, the premise, and the degree of sensuality present in your manuscript.
A short but complete Synopsis focusing on the characters' goals and motivations, the major story events, climax and ending.

A Partial which includes the first Three Chapters of your manuscript. A short prologue should not be counted. If all of the major characters are not represented in the first three chapters or the love story has not yet begun, please send through those points to the nearest chapter break.

Authors with multiple previous publications may submit a proposal which includes a Query Letter and an expanded Synopsis. Please note that acceptance on proposal, while it does occur, is not the norm.

Formatting Your Submission
Please follow these simple formatting guidelines precisely.

RTF files only. Submissions in DOC or in the body of the e-mail will not be accepted.
Double-spaced. Standard 12 pt serif font. Times New Roman or Courier preferred.
Emphasis and foreign words may be underlined or italicized.
Place the Query Letter only in the body of the e-mail; you may address it to the Editor-in-Chief, Treva Harte, or to a specific editor of your acquaintance. Attach the Synopsis and Partial to the e-mail (RTF files only).
Include your name, pen-name and contact e-mail in the Query Letter, Synopsis and Partial.
Send the submissions package to submissions@loose-id.com.
You will receive confirmation of receipt within one week. If you have not received confirmation at the end of one week, please e-mail Editor-in-Chief Treva Harte at alterego@loose-id.com.
Our current submissions' read time is three to four weeks. If you have not heard from an editor at the end of one month, inquire by e-mail to submissions@loose-id.com as to the status of your submission.

Virtual Tales is looking for submissions

Virtual Tales is looking for Romances, Westerns, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Action Adventure and many others.

Please take a moment to visit our web site at www.virtualtales.com and if you would like to submit please follow the following guidelines.

To submit your manuscript to Virtual Tales Publications, please go to the following web address: http://www.virtualtales.com/Apply-to-Join-...aff/Author.html for complete submission guidelines. Please take the effort to follow our submission guidelines as it makes it easier for our editors to review your work in the same light as other submissions.

Not following the submission guidelines may cause us to reject your manuscript.

We look forward to hearing from you reviewing your manuscript.


Jake George
Acquisition Director
Virtual Tales Publications
www.virtualtales.com