Sasha White's Blog, page 15

Cathryn Fox’s Summer Heat story

I’ve known Cathryn for years, and have always loved her. However, I love her hero’s even more. This lady knows how to give readers a man worth drooling over. For example…. Cowboys’ Way.

Tired of the bachelor lifestyle, sports medicine doctor, and weekend cowboy, Chase Cooper, is ready to settle down. Late one night over a few drinks, he and his buddies come up with a plan. Invite the girls from their past-the ones that got away-to a weekend of fun at the ranch and see what happens next.

When lawyer, Julia Blair finds herself on a dude ranch half way across the country, only to discover the invitation was meant for her vivacious twin sister, she knows she has two choices. Go home alone, or walk a day in her sister’s shoes. When she sets eyes on sexy cowboy Chase Cooper, the choice becomes easy.

Coop can’t believe the mix up, but when he discovers Julia wants to play he decides to go for it. Except playtime leads to so much more and when he realizes she just might be the girl who got away he sets out to show her how good they can be together. And he’s not above using a set of leather horse reins and a few tricks of the trade to prevent her from fleeing again.

 

 

Continue on to read the Excerpt:

As Julia watched Coop’s retreating back, her stomach plummeted and she wondered what the hell had just happened. One minute they were talking, the next he was walking away, looking like a little lost puppy-one that she’d just kicked. His Houdini act was becoming something of a habit, except this time it wasn’t Tessa who’d come along to drag him away. No, it was Julia herself who’d sent him fleeing in the opposite direction.

What the heck had she been thinking?

While everything inside her wanted to say yes to his proposition, God knows her body was urging her to invite him in to experience his brand of lovemaking, the sobering reality was that it was Mari he really wanted which had her blurting out, “I think you’ve got the wrong girl.”

The second the words left her mouth, Coop backed off, but she didn’t miss the dark, tortured look in his eyes. Her sharp words had confused him. Hurt him. And why wouldn’t they? It was clear to anyone within a fifty-mile radius that her entire body had reacted with urgent need when she first caught him watching her.

Then, as he continued to stand over her, shirtless no less, looking like sex incarnate in his low-riding jeans, it was all she could do to drag in air, let alone engage in intelligent conversation. The mere sight of him distracted her, aroused her, and had her conjuring up sexy images of the two of them coming together. Over and over again. Those delicious visions had her body burning up from the inside out and not even the cool water lapping at her hot flesh could put out that kind of fire. In fact, she was pretty damn certain the pond had started to bubble up around her.

There was no denying that Coop was a perceptive man, and that he’d picked up on her interest in him. Since they were both consenting adults, he’d simply been responding to the want he’d read in her eyes, the way any red-blooded male would.

And she’d turned him away.

God, I am such an idiot!

Especially considering the fact that he’d given her the perfect opportunity to live a day in her sister’s life. Was she really going to pass that up?

She took a good long minute to mull that over. Okay, so Julia might not have been the one Coop had been expecting to get off that plane, but maybe this wasn’t about him anymore. Maybe this moment was about her and what she wanted.

With that last thought urging her on, Julia climbed from the pond, quickly towel dried her body and pulled on a borrowed pair of denim shorts and a pretty pink T-shirt that was a little too snug around her breasts. Once dressed, she followed the path Coop had taken and soon found him alone inside the barn, the warm morning light drifting in through the open doors and falling over his hard body.

With his back to her she watched him for a moment, watched the way he quietly talked to his horse, the way he stroked the gelding with care. While Coop might be tough and rugged on the outside, there was a reflective side of him, a side that was both sweet and caring. A side that made him so easy to be with. And it was that side that drew her in and had her aching to place herself in his hands.

Okay, so she couldn’t deny that she wanted to indulge in him physically, wanted to step out of her comfort zone and throw caution to the wind. Just once.

“Coop,” she said, trying not to sound breathless as she imagined those capable hands of his on her body, taking her to places she’d never before been.

He spun around to face her and when his glance met hers, he raked shaky hands through his hair. “Julia,” he began. “Jesus, I’m sorry. I misread-”

She took a deep breath and blurted out, “You’re not the one at fault here.”

He cast his eyes downward. “It’s my fault-”

“No, the only one at fault here is me.”

His gaze flew back to hers and he drove his hands deep into his pocket. She tried not to react when the hard muscles along his arms flexed and relaxed again. “What are you talking about? I shouldn’t have-”

“Yes, you should have.”

He gave a slow shake of his head. “Julia, I don’t understand.”

“Tell me something Coop. What would Mari have done?”

He glanced past her shoulder for a minute, and she caught the far-off look in his eyes. Julia briefly wondered if he was relieving the night he spent with Mari at Hubbard’s Cove. Although her sister wasn’t one to kiss and tell, Julia had heard all the salacious rumors the next day at school.

“What would Mari have done?” she asked again, bringing his attention back.

His head came back with a start and his brow furrowed. “What?

“What would Mari have done?” she repeated.

A moment of silence and then, “Why do you want to know that?”

“I just do.”

While she waited for him to answer, they exchanged a long, heated look, one that could undoubtedly set the hayloft on fire. He rocked back on his heels, and everything in the way he was studying her made her feel exposed, vulnerable, like he was privy to her deepest darkest desires and knew exactly what she was up to.

He took a step toward her, the lines around his eyes deepening. “Julia—”

She lifted her hand to stop him before she lost her nerve. “I’m serious, Coop. Just tell me what she would have done?”

Another few steps brought him closer, and his warm masculine scent seeped under her skin and elicited a shiver from deep within. The hard planes of his face softened, and he looked so warm, so honest. So damn handsome.

“Do you really want to know?”

Julia swallowed and her voice was barely a whisper when she answered, “I really want to know.”

Another long pause and then he finally said, “She would have invited me in.” His rough palm closed over her cheek. “But she wouldn’t—”

“The answer is yes, Coop.”

She watched his throat work as he swallowed. “Yes?”

“Yes, I would like some company.” She stepped into him, and when she aligned her body with his, positioning her pussy against his cock, he slid his arm around her waist, tugging her against him.

His glance moved over her face, assessing her and she could feel the heat in his body, as well as the hardness between his legs. It excited her. It aroused her. It made her feel bold and adventurous.

Blue eyes darkened as they locked on hers. “Are you sure, Julia? Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

No. She had no idea what she was doing, but she appreciated his concern, nonetheless. All she knew was that he was easy to trust, easy to be with and she wanted to spend the next few hours doing it the cowboy’s way.

“I want this,” she answered honestly.

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Starting July 1st!

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Summer Heat

Visit my blog from July 1st – July 14th for a chance to win a loaded up Alurateck eReader in my Summer Heat Giveaway.

Every day from July 1st- 14th there will be an excerpt from a fabulous author like Cathryn Fox, Joey W Hill, Eden Bradley(also known as Eve Berlin), Vivi Anna and many more who have donated stories that will be on the eReader. All you have to do to enter the draw is comment not the excerpt. Each comment will get you one entry into the draw with a maximum of one entry per day.

For anyone interested in more information on the eReader itself, you can read a review of it from Geek.com here http://www.geek.com/review/review-lib...

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Summer Heat

I know, I know, it’s been way too long since I’ve posted. I’m sorry. However, I think you’ll forgive me when you learn why I’ve been too busy to blog. You see, I’ve been planning. Yes, planning some stories, and promotions – and both will be happening very soon. Yep, 2013 is going to be full of Summer Heat, starting with a giveaway you’re going to want to check out on July 1st!

Things you can expect to find here this summer, plenty of excerpts from me and my friends, some cool giveaways, new releases, and maybe a few laughs. ;)

See you soon!

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Good versus Great

Does anyone here watch Project Runway? Did you watch this season, with the Teams? I did, and I just finished watching the finale, and in the middle of the last runway walk, which was Stanley’s, I had a bit of an epiphany.

When I decided to take a break from writing and publishing, many of my friends in the writers world told me I was crazy. My career was going strong, even when other multi-published erotic authors were getting rejected by their editors, I was selling. My agent told me I was lucky to keep selling because others were losing contracts, yet I was unhappy with where I was. It seemed like nobody understood why I was unhappy with myself, or why I was struggling so much, and that added to my stress and was the ultimate reason why I quit.

The thing is, I could’ve kept writing. I did have some story ideas, and chances were very good I could’ve sold them, but *I* was unhappy with them because whenever I started to put the ideas on paper it felt like I was regurgitating things. The characters were too familiar and not unique, the situations weren’t ones that touched me or inspired me. To be blunt, I was worried my stories were staring to feel too similar, and I didn’t want to turn into an production assembly line author pumping out the same or too similar of products each time.

Years ago Loveromances.com (a site I can’t even find anymore) said this in a review of one of my stories. “Ms. White has the ability to write one great story after another with effortlessness!” and it’s a quote I’ve always been proud of. I wanted readers to always believe this, and since I’d stopped believing it, I stopped writing for a time.

When I was watching Stanley’s models walk that final show at Fashion week, all I could think was, they’re good, but not great. I really hope either Patricia or Michelle wins. I couldn’t choose between the two of them as to which I wanted to win, but I loved them both because they were original, and daring, and I felt Stanley’s were, well…assembly line.

I picked up a book by one of my favourite erotic authors last week, and started reading it today. Sadly, by Chapter 2 I was bored because it had that same assembly line feel, and it broke my heart. This is an author I know can be original and great, and this book felt like anyone could’ve written it. I won’t finish it. I have no interest in finishing it, and I blame the media and the publishers, editors and agents that are so blinded by ‘the big hit’ of one thing that they jump on the bandwagon and encourage their authors to produce something similar, instead of striving for something unique, new and great.

In my opinion, good is just that, good. But sometimes good isn’t good enough. I’m glad I stuck to my guns and took a break, even thought that break has turned out to be much longer than even I anticipated, because now I feel like I can reach for great again, and have fun doing it.

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Quote for the week

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.” -Aristotle

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Must See Movie

About two months ago I saw this movie at a local Wal-Mart. The bright cover caught my eye, and I picked it up. Then I saw it was about surfing and I had an inner debate. I like surfing movies. I really know why I like them so much, especially since I failed miserably when I tried it. Maybe it’s because I sucked at it that I have such an appreciation for it. Or maybe it’s simply because they remind me of the vibe and energy of the surfers I got to know so well when I spent 6 months on the coast of South Africa. Either way, I love surfing movies, so I picked it up.

Now, despite being around surfers for a while, and watching many of the movies, the name Jay Moriarity didn’t ring a bell, and I deliberately didn’t look it up before watching the movie. I also let the movie sit for two months until I was in the mood to watch it. I watched it last night, and I have to say….loved every minute.

Not only was it based on a true story, but the story has every element that gets the viewer emotionally invested. Drama, suspense, a little romance, and some action.  I’m not going to say anything more about it, because I think you should all buy/rent this movie and watch it, then come back here and tell me what you thought.  Oh, and don’t google it to see how it ends ahead of time. ;)

Movie Blurb:

When young Jay Moriarity discovers that the mythic Mavericks surf break, one of the biggest waves on Earth, exists just miles from his Santa Cruz home, he enlists the help of local legend Frosty Hesson to train him to survive it.

(PS: Gerard Butler is awesome in this movie. Totally believable, and sexy…in many ways. That will make sense after you watch the movie. Or maybe I can just say that nothing makes a man more sexy than one who loves truly and deeply.)

Some of my other favorite surfer movies.:

In Gods Hands

Blue Crush 2 (The first Blue Crush was entertaining, but this one has more depth, plus it’s in South Africa so it brought back a lot of memories for me. )

Soul Surfer

Point Break

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Recommended Read

I was sick last week. Sick enough that all I did was work the day job, then go straight to bed where I stayed for 12-15 hours before going to work again. I finally started feeling human again on Thursday, but still had no energy. Friday was the start of my three day weekend off, which I’d been so excited about before because hey, I can write a novella in a weekend!-but uhmmm no, not when my brain had been fried for several days and it hurt to the point of distraction every time I swallowed. So guess what I did on my weekend off from the DJ? I slept, did laundry, slept, and read!

Mountain Echoes (The Walker Papers) I’m a big fan of the Walker Papers series. It’s very well written, with fabulous character and very unique and well researched plots that make me really want to believe in heroes like the Urban Shaman Jo, and her buddy Gary.

Deadly Sting was another of my recent top reads. No surprise here as I absolutely love this series, and I’ve yet to read a book and be disappointed.

I tried to read 12 Shades of Surrender and Naughty Bits but just couldn’t get into them. It was very disappointing for me because some of my favorite authors were in those collections. Not sure why they weren’t for me, but that’s what happened.

Now, I love erotic fiction, but I’ve been having a hard time finding some that I can really enjoy. Now, of course I love Sylvia Day’s Crossfire series, and pretty much anything by Eden Bradley/Eve Berlin, Lisa Renee Jones and Delilah Devlin, but other than that…I’ve been stuck and would love some recommendations from YOU.

So what are y’all reading that erotic and you think I might enjoy?

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Burlesque

Sometimes you just have to indulge and enjoy the cheesy goodness of a cliched, predicable, feel-good flick. Yes, I just watched Burlesque again, and still enjoyed it. :D

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Contradictions

I was watching a movie the other night. (End Of Watch for anyone interested) and in it, there’s a Drive-by shooting where, when it’s over, the one shooter is hyping the other one up saying how proud he was, how tough they were, and “no Fear” and all that sort of macho bullshit, and while this scene played out all I could think was “Do bangers really think doing a drive-by is tough? Do they really think it makes them seem tough, or cool or anything remotely bad-ass?” Because in my eyes, a drive-by is way too cowardly to be bad-ass. I mean, you hide in a moving vehicle, and shoot an unsuspecting target before speeding away. Running away isn’t fast enough, so you’re in a car.

Am I wrong?

Anyway, this whole contradiction in beliefs and actions made me think about good contradictions versus bad ones in storytelling. It’s often said that it’s not good to have your character act uncharacteristically. I know I’ve said it, too. Yet, I find sometimes that a character doing something that is unnatural to them not only creates a cool twist in the story, it makes the character more realistic. Real people often act uncharacteristically, so is it really that bad when fictional characters do?

What do you think? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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