Welcome to Troublemaker Tuesdays!

I am beyond excited to announce that my debut novel is set to be released by Beautiful Trouble Publishing in June 2011. Beautiful Trouble is the brainchild of authors Jeanie Johnson and Jayha Leigh and home to some of the hottest new and established names in erotic romance (hence my excitement). In this regular weekly installment I want to give a little love to my new BTP family. Here you’ll learn about the books you should be reading and the authors who are writing them.

Who better to start us off than founders Jeanie and Jayha? Furthermore, what better book to highlight than one with my name in it? Hotter Than The Hates of Elle is one hot read and I'm not just saying that because the heroine has the best name ever. Elle is a girl I could definitely see myself hanging with because I know she’d have my back, not to mention she has a gun-toting Marine for a little sister. Oh, did I mention the  oil field full of roughnecks who think they're her personal bodyguards?

 The hero, Marius, is an alpha's alpha. He’s big, brash and ballin’. From a family of gorgeous men use to getting any woman they desire, Marius is intrigued the moment he lays eyes on Elle, even if she does lead him on quite the chase. If you like a heroine who doesn’t give a damn about conventional anything and a hero who isn’t afraid to take on all competition then you will love Elle and Marius. Pick up your copy of Hotter Than The Hates of Elle today!

photo credit: Beautiful Trouble Publishing

Welcome to Man-Candy Mondays!

I hate Mondays! So much so that I've decided to change the game and make Monday's something to look forward to. I brainstormed all weekend about a way to start the work week off right, but came up with nothing. It wasn't until the wee hours of this fine Monday morning that I finally had the epiphany I'd been waiting for. Man-Candy Mondays!

The principle is simple. Every Monday morning I want to provide you with a hot alpha male to ignite your imaginations and stimulate your daydreams. For this first installment of Man-Candy Mondays I'm proud to present the inspiration for one of my current works-in-progress (WIP) actor Hiroyuki Sanada.

Hotness personified, Hiroyuki Sanada is the silent type who may not say much but that doesn't mean he's a pushover. A martial arts master, he can kick butt when needed and will have you swooning when he steps into a tux.  

Whew! Yeah, I'm starting to like Mondays better already.

~Elle

photo credit: Internet Movie Database

Facebook Frustration!

Facebook is the top social networking site right now, but it isn't without problems. I love connecting with other authors and readers so the instant contact Facebook allows is wonderful. Unfortunately, it also has its glitches.

Recently I was suspended twice for making too many friend requests. Well excuse me for having too many darn friends and associates. There are restrictions in place to counter spamming. I get that, heck I applaud it. But I'm NOT a spammer. My requests are all legit. I'm connecting with other writers, book clubs and individual reading enthusiasts. Some of them were actually suggested by FB and others I'm already friends with on my personal site!

The first suspension was for two days. The second one was for four days. So now I'm strongly considering not sending any more friend request and just accepting request that come to me.

If you've dealt with this problem in the past leave a comment. I'd love to hear other stories so I don't feel like the village idiot. In the meantime, I'm off to add friends on MySpace.

~Elle

Chief Erotic Officer
http://facebook.com/elledhayes

My First Contract

Today has been a good day. I was offered my very first contract for a story that is near and dear to my heart. I've been floating on air most of the day and haven't come back down to earth yet. Even thoughts of "what now?" haven't dampened my spirits. If anything, my creative fire has been stoked into a raging inferno.

A tentative release date has been set for June 2011. I'll keep you posted.

~Elle
Chief Erotic Officer
http://facebook.com/elledhayes

Who Needs Sleep?

One of the biggest challenges I've had since I began seriously writing is finding a work/writing/personal life balance. There truly aren't enough hours in the day. I get up at 6:00 a.m. to get ready for the day ahead. I arrive at my full time job at 8:00 a.m. and don't leave until after 5:00 p.m. unless I take a lunch hour. Then it's home to do my family time. Once I've made sure everyone is fed and settled into their evening routines (usually around 8:00 p.m.) I get on my laptop and write/research until 11:00 or 12:00. On Saturday and Sunday I'm hard pressed to do anything other than write.

During a normal work week I try to write about two thousand words per evening and another five thousand on the weekend. I wish I could do more but until I have the luxury of becoming a full time writer this will have to do. I've been told it's not a bad start and I cling to that knowledge on days when I feel like a slacker for not meeting my goal.

One saving grace in all of this has been finally dealing with a long standing problem of procrastination. Now I don't put stuff off at work or at home. At work I deal with projects as they come in so they don't sit on my desk for more than 24 hours. At home I do a load of laundry almost every night so that I'm not face with a mountain of laundry on Saturday mornings. I also check my social networking sites daily to stay on top of what's happening in the publishing world. I tweet, I post on facebook and of course I blog.

Basically I spend 80 percent or more of my time writing and reading. For as frantic and chaotic as that may sound to others I'm thriving. I love writing and everything involved with the writing process. I love communicating with other writers and knowing I'm not alone in the universe. I love researching new characters/locales. I'm even learning to love the editing process. So again I ask, who needs sleep?
~Elle
Chief Erotic Officer

Welcome!

This is the online home of up-and-coming author Elle D Hayes. I write romantic fiction. I love hearing from other writers about their experiences and I also LOVE hearing from readers. 
~Elle
Chief Erotic Officer