Mari Carr's Blog, page 98
July 25, 2011
Quote of the Day
"If you really want to hurt your parents, and you don't have the nerve to be a homosexual, the least you can do is go into the arts." – Kurt Vonnegut
July 24, 2011
An evening with the Comptons
Join Silas and Seth Compton from the Compass Brothers series as they take over the Samhain Cafe tonight, 8-9 EST. Come on and spend the evening with a couple of red hot, alpha cowboys. You know you want to….
July 23, 2011
Saturday Snippet
Today's snippets revolve around uniforms–any kind of uniform. Thought it might be fun to share a silly snippet from Friday I'm in Love, where Natalie is recruited to wait tables at Pat's Pub.
Friday I'm in Love snippet
"Time is money. I've brought your uniform up here. Thought you might want to try it on first."
"Uniform?"
"Well, actually it's just a Sunday's Side polo shirt. I brought you a ladies medium. Figured you might need a little extra room to contain the girls."
He followed his dirty joke with a quick leer at her breasts and she fought to restrain her laughter. It wouldn't do to encourage his bad behavior.
"Although in hindsight, I wouldn't have minded watching your pretty tits strain against a shirt that was just a bit too small all day either."
She held up her hand to ward off any more of his comments. "Okay, number one, ew. And number two, my girls are none of your concern and I suggest you focus your attention of what's residing above my neckline or you might find yourself with a crotch full of my knee. Got it?"
His mischievous grin proved he wasn't about to change his ways.
She gave him a dirty look. "Why would I want to wear a Sunday's Side shirt?"
"All the waitresses wear them with khaki pants." He suddenly looked concerned. "Do you have khaki pants in your luggage?"
"I think so, but I'm not a waitress."
"You are today," he replied.
Friday I'm in Love is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony and All Romance Ebooks.
Now march on over to these sites to read about some more uniforms. 
July 20, 2011
Story Soundtrack
I was folding laundry, listening to my iTunes the other day and I realized that during the course of about thirty minutes, I heard three songs that reminded me of books I'd written and more specifically, the characters. It's as if my heroes and heroines have their own songs. I cannot listen to music as I write. I'm one of those authors who needs relative peace and quiet. However, I typically do a lot of "plotting" time, which consists of me playing Hearts on the computer and listening to music that puts me in the mood of the characters/stories while I figure out what comes next. Obviously, a lot of those songs have stuck.
So…for fun, I thought I'd share a list of "that's our song" songs from some of my books.
And So It Goes by Billy Joel - Sky and Teagan's song from Ruby Tuesday
Falling Slowly by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova – Ewan and Natalie's song from Friday I'm in Love (runner up for their song is I Got You Babe by Sonny and Cher)
The Grass is Blue by Norah Jones – Jon, Night and Carly in Retreat
You're My Home by Billy Joel – Troy and Faith's song in Do Over
Because You Love Me by JoDee Messina – Bridget, Mark and Matt's song in (shocker) Because You Love Me. This is the sequel to Because of You and I'm praying my editor at Samhain contracts it.
Stuck in a Moment by U2 – Trey and Ellie in Slam Dunk (coming to Samhain on Sept. 27)
Love's Recovery by The Indigo Girls – Caleb and Jessie in Because of You
Redneck Woman by Gretchen Wilson – Seth and Jody in Southern Comfort
Late Night Grande Hotel by Nanci Griffith – Ben and Tori in No Regrets
In Spite of Ourselves by John Prine and Iris Dement – Jamie and Grace in Happy Hour
If I Know Me by George Strait – Max, Shaw and Keri in Inflamed
Love Has No Pride by Linda Ronstadt – Hayley and Jack in No Recourse
Waking up in Vegas by Katy Perry – Aaron and Riley in Saturday Night Special
I Do by Colbie Callait – Leah and Sawyer in Western Ties (I'm planning a viral wedding march for the last book with this song. How much fun would that be?!)
Come Monday by Jimmy Buffett – Keira and Will in (surprise!) Come Monday.
Untanglin' My Mind by Clint Black – Wes and Jill in Three Reasons Why (runner up for this is Cowboy Take me Away by the Dixie Chicks)
And…if you were curious, my husband and I also have two songs - Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton and Ol' 55 by Tom Waits.
July 18, 2011
Quote of the Day
This one seems appropriate for a friend. Happy birthday, G.
"The world breaks us all. Afterward, some are stronger at the broken places." -Ernest Hemingway, Farewell To Arms
July 16, 2011
Saturday Snippet
Today we pay homage to music. My snippet gives a shout out to good old fashioned country music and a drunk woman and a pool table and a redneck bar. Yee Haw!!! It's from Southern Comfort, my latest Samhain release and book 2 in the Compass Brothers series.
Snippet from Southern Comfort:
Seth walked into Philly's and immediately tried to process what he was seeing. Jody was wearing tight jeans, cowboy boots and a low-cut T-shirt that barely contained her breasts. She was also dancing on a pool table to "Redneck Woman". She was gyrating, lip-synching to the song and moving like the most seductive cowgirl he'd ever seen. He would have bet his family's ranch every guy in the place was sporting a hard-on watching her. His cock filled instantly at the image, then his anger kicked in as he watched his ranch hands surrounding the table, cheering her on.
Obviously, Paul hadn't exaggerated about her alcohol issue. His temper rose to think none of the men she'd grown up with could recognize the fact she was out of control. He pushed his way toward the table, patrons giving him dirty looks until they saw his face, and then stepping out of his way. A couple of cowboys tried to shove back and he clenched his fists, ready to pound them into dust.
"You don't wanna go there," he warned one asshole who looked like he was itching for a brawl. The man told him to fuck off, but moved aside.
Chase grinned when he saw him as Seth finally managed to get to the table.
"Hey boss. You got here just in time for the fun."
Seth scowled, and Chase's grin faltered. "How much has she had to drink?"
Chase shrugged. "Not that much actually. She's a pretty cheap drunk."
Chase's words were the straw that broke the camel's back. Seth curled up his hand and threw the fist before he could think about it. Chase staggered back, his hand flying to his jaw. "What the fuck was that for?"
"You think this is funny?" Seth yelled, pointing to Jody, who was oblivious to anything going on in the bar. A guy Seth didn't know hopped up on the table and started dirty dancing with Jody, his hands roaming over her body in a way that made Seth see red. She started dancing with the stranger, stealing the cowboy's hat and putting it on her head.
Chase looked chagrined when it was apparent things had spiraled out of control. "Sorry, boss," he murmured, but Seth didn't acknowledge his words.
He reached up and attempted to grasp Jody's waist to pull her off the table. Her new dance partner took offense and put himself between Seth and Jody. The move was a mistake.
Seth hopped up on the table. The patrons of the bar started to cheer, making crude comments about a cowgirl sandwich, encouraging Seth and the other cowboy to do a little double-teaming.
Seth's temper exploded as the other man grabbed Jody and tried to kiss her. Seth reached over and shoved Jody behind him.
"What the fuck, man?" the cowboy bellowed.
Seth was furious, but more than ready to take on every prick in the joint if they tried to touch his woman. "If you're smart, you'll go back to your table. If not, stand there another three seconds and see if I don't beat the fucking shit out of you."
The man wanted to argue, Seth could see it.
"Is she your wife or something?" the cowboy asked, apparently trying to decide how far he wanted to push things.
"Or something."
Southern Comfort is available at Samhain, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Sony, and All Romance Ebooks.
Why don't you boogie over to these authors' site and enjoy more snippets?!
July 13, 2011
Secrets
Series blurb:Centuries ago shifters were created to become guardians against the evils of the world. One fateful day a discarded vessel changed the very balance of the guardian's existence. Evil is brought fourth and sides are chosen.
Fast forward to present day and the threat is back. Evil is once again filtering into the shifters world. It will take a pack descendent from the original guardians to stand up and face the horror invading them. They must take a stand for something that has been forgotten over the years. They are about to get a very brutal reminder that could pull their world apart.
The Master Pack is in for a battle, but love may help them along the way as they fight for survival.
Book two in the Seeds of Dawn Series
Secrets: They have a way of sneaking up on you.
Max Rockwell is the muscle. Give him a good fight and he is ready to go. Sick a sexy reporter on him and he is doomed. The pack secrets are safe with him. He wouldn't spill them even if his life depended on it. But what if it isn't his life he has to worry about?
Valerie Thomas wants a story and the smoking hot Max will give her want she wants. What she gets is more than she bargained for. Creatures she couldn't even begin to imagine are after her all because fate is a bitch.
Reader Advisory: This book is best read in sequence as part of a series.
Click here to read an excerpt.
Book one was in the Over the Moon anthology and was also released as a solo. It's called Dreams.
July 12, 2011
Southern Comfort
Southern ComfortReleases today!!
To celebrate, Jayne Rylon and I are planning an all-day event and there are several ways you can play along. One party participant will win a $25 gift card to Amazon. The winner will be announced Sunday, July 17 by noon EST.
1. Twitter-fest. All day on Twitter, we will post 140 character quotes from Northern Exposure and Southern Comfort. Simply RT the quotes to have your name thrown in the hat for the prize. You can follow us on Twitter @MariCarr and @JayneRylon.
2. "Pass it on, Southern Comfort-style" on your blog. Simply post the cover, blurb, and buy link on your blog and send me the link via email (carmichm1@yahoo.com) and your name will be thrown in the hat again!
3. We'll also be sharing quotes on Facebook, but unfortunately they don't allow contests on their site. Hope you'll visit us there too!
Caught between desire and a promise…
Compass Brothers, Book 2
Seth Compton knew from the first that his boss's daughter was all wrong for him. She was too feisty, too damned independent and, at six years his junior, too damned young. When she comes home with a college diploma and fiancé on her arm, though, he can't quite remember all the reasons he held her at arm's length.
It's not just his jeans-tightening reaction to her all-grown-up curves. Something doesn't feel right about her impending marriage, and he won't rest until he's stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
The morning after her wild bachelorette party, Jody expected a hangover. The surprise—waking up tied to a bed with sexy-as-sin Seth. He's got some wild idea about proving they belong together, but she's not buying it. Besides, she has a promise to keep that's too close to her heart to risk, not with a man who, until now, made his disinterest plain.
No one ever said Seth backed down from a challenge. She's going to make him work for it? No problem. Luckily for him, he has plenty of rope…
Warning: This story contains a bondage lovin' cowboy who kidnaps and hogties a cowgirl to his bed and does all sorts of naughty things to her. Fun, right?
Excerpt:
"Welcome home, Jody." He stepped forward and bent down to give her a hug. Her shoulder-length chestnut-brown hair smelled like honeysuckle. He had to force himself to keep the embrace quick and brotherly. His cock stirred, and he closed his eyes briefly, trying to ignore the usual arousal that accompanied her arrival. She was the boss's daughter and even at twenty-one, she was too damn young for him.
She'd been a tomboyish twelve-year-old when he first came to work on the ranch and the other hands had given him shit when it became obvious the young girl had a crush on him. Her infatuation hadn't abated until last Christmas, when he'd foolishly kissed her under the mistletoe and then shoved her away.
Since then, the easy camaraderie and innocent flirting they'd engaged in since her graduation from high school had evaporated. She'd only been home once since Christmas, but he could see in her face she was still angry with him. He was determined now that she was back to stay, he'd make things right again. He'd been thinking about her return a lot lately. Things were about to change between him and the little wildcat. He grinned at the thought.
"Thanks, Seth. Good to be back."
"Didn't get the impression you were staying," Thomas muttered.
"Daddy. Don't you think you were kind of rude to Paul?"
"Paul?" Seth asked.
"I mean we only just got here and told you our good news."
Thomas frowned. "Is that what we're calling it?"
Jody's eyes narrowed. "Yes, it is. Didn't you tell me you wanted me to find a nice man and settle down?"
"What the—" Seth crossed his arms over his chest, suddenly worried about the direction of this conversation. "You were pissed as shit when Thomas gave you that advice. Said women these days didn't need a man to be happy and you didn't plan to ever get hitched." The fight she and her father had had at the end of last summer was epic. Seth had tried to stay out of it, mind his own business, but when Jody and Thomas went toe to toe, it was hard not to hear. Neither of them understood the concept of inside voices.
Jody glanced at him and gave him a small smile that seemed too sad to be genuine. "Turns out I was wrong."
Seth fought to restrain a growl from escaping his chest. She'd brought home a man? Paul? Seth's fists clenched at the thought. "How so?"
Thomas shrugged, the helpless gesture at odds with his legendary ability to handle anything. Of course, now that Seth thought about it, Jody was the exception to her father's confident approach to life. Her mother had died when she was five, and Thomas had struggled to understand and raise his daughter since then.
Jody lifted her left hand, flashing a diamond the size of Dallas in his face. "I'm engaged."
"The hell you are." The words left Seth's mouth before he could catch them. While Thomas laughed at his reply, he could see he'd sent Jody's temper into orbit.
She retracted her hand and studied the ring, sarcasm dripping from her tone. "Really? I'm not engaged? Because I think this ring and the fact Paul got down on one knee and said, 'Will you marry me?' sort of proves that I am."
"Who the fuck is this Paul character?" Seth took two steps toward the main house, ready to confront the asshole who'd dared to propose without even bothering to meet her family first, but Jody stepped in front of him, stopping him.
"Back off, Seth. You know perfectly well who Paul is. He's been my best friend since freshmen year of college."
"That Paul? What the fuck? I thought he was gay. Hell, he spent his entire last visit here flirting with the ranch hands."
Jody closed her eyes and took a deep breath. But long before a ten count, she replied, through gritted teeth, "Obviously, he's not gay."
"Since when?"
"Since he fucking proposed to me. Why am I even having this conversation? This is none of your damn business."
He bent down until his face was mere inches from hers. "Is that right? Well, I beg to differ."
She leaned closer, and he could detect the slight scent of chocolate on her breath. Jody clearly hadn't lost her sweet tooth, though he was beginning to wonder where she'd misplaced her common sense. "You are not my boyfriend and you are not my brother. Hell, you're not a part of this freaking family at all. You are my father's foreman, which means my decision to get married is none of your damn business."
He struggled to keep his hands on his hips, rather than reach over and prove to Miss Jody Kirkland how very wrong she was. His fingers were itching to take her over his knee and spank some sense into her.
She'd made herself his business the very first day he'd come to work here and she'd climbed atop Coy, her father's newest addition to the stable. The far-from-tamed horse had taken exception to its rider and bolted across the yard, jumping a fence and sprinting across the lower pasture. Seth had chased her on Charlton for close to a mile before managing to catch up and pull the fool girl off the runaway roan.
He could still recall the way she'd trembled in his arms and looked at him like he'd hung the moon for rescuing her. By the time they'd returned to the stable, they were laughing like old friends and his position at the ranch had been solidified. As he looked into her blue eyes now, he missed the admiration and wished to hell he could get rid of the anger that had crept in instead.
"Jody," Thomas broke in. "You know full well I consider Seth a part of this family. If he takes exception to your asinine engagement, then perhaps you should listen to why."
Jody released a furious breath. "You can't object to a man who's been my friend for years."
Seth leaned back a bit. "Don't you think it's a little strange that one minute the guy's gay and the next he's not?"
"He never said he was gay."
"That's not something we needed to be told. It was kind of obvious. Is he bi?" Seth could understand bisexuality. He'd seen glimpses of it in his older brother, Silas, when they were growing up and he suspected now that his brother was back home in Wyoming, Silas would be acting on some of the feelings he had for his best friend, Colby.
Jody sighed loudly. "No. He's in love with me. Just me."
Seth knocked his hat against his jeans in frustration. "Never heard you talk about him like he was your boyfriend. You were home for Easter, Jody, and you didn't say one word about dating him. When did this so-called love affair start?"
"It turned into something more than friendship recently."
He tried to beat down the twinge of jealousy that accompanied the thought of her being more than friends with any other man. She was right. He had no claim staked on her. But it sure as hell felt like he did. "So why the rush? If you've only started dating, I don't see why—"
"Because I want to. I don't need any more reason than that."
"Just like that?" Seth tried to understand what the hell was going on inside her pretty head. The only thing missing from her haughty proclamation was for her to stamp her foot on the ground like a three-year-old. She wasn't like this. She'd never been a spoiled girl, never been prone to temper tantrums or selfish demands. She'd been a fun-loving tomboy who'd grown into his laughing, easygoing friend. This angry woman was a stranger to him, and he missed the real Jody.
"That's right. And we're not waiting. We came home to have the ceremony performed here."
"When exactly?"
Thomas cleared his throat. Bewilderment crossed his boss's face. He was sure the same confusion resided on his. There would be no help from that camp. "They plan to bring the justice of the peace out to make it official here at the ranch in two weeks."
Hell to the no! Seth would see her married to some stranger only over his dead body. He started to say exactly the same thing, but the argument that came out was much different than what he'd intended. "What about love, Jody? Do you love him?"
His softly spoken question seemed to jar her a bit and for just a second, he saw the trace of his old friend before she disappeared again behind the indifferent, cold woman who'd replaced her.
"What kind of question is that?"
Thomas leaned against the horse stall and crossed his arms over his chest. "A pretty valid one, if you ask me."
Jody turned to look at her father and shook her head. "You two really are a matched set, you know that? Way to gang up on me."
"Answer me, Jody," Seth persisted. "Are you in love?"
She studied his face and a glimmer of pain shone in her eyes. Then she nodded, turned on her heel and walked out of the stable.
It wasn't until she disappeared around the corner that it began to sink in. Seth had missed his chance with her. He'd pushed her away for too long.
"You realize you made a mistake there, right?" Thomas asked.
Seth nodded sadly. Mistake was putting it lightly. He'd fucked up. Big time. "Yeah. I guess I did."
Thomas studied his face and then chuckled. "Think we're talking about two different things. Of course, maybe not. She may be in love, son, but she didn't say with who."
July 11, 2011
Quote of the Day
Hee hee
"In my mind, I'm probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw." ~J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
July 10, 2011
Pass it on, Southern Comfort-style
Tuesday, July 12 marks the release of Southern Comfort, book two in the Compass Brothers series. To celebrate, Jayne Rylon and I are planning an all-day event and there are several ways you can play along. One party participant will win a $25 gift card to Amazon.
1. Twitter-fest. All day on Twitter, we will post 140 character quotes from Northern Exposure and Southern Comfort. Simply RT the quotes to have your name thrown in the hat for the prize.
2. "Pass it on, Southern Comfort-style" on your blog. Simply post the cover, blurb, and buy link on your blog and send me the link via email (carmichm1@yahoo.com) and your name will be thrown in the hat again!
3. We'll also be sharing quotes on Facebook, but unfortunately they don't allow contests on their site. Hope you'll visit us there too!
Southern Comfort by Mari Carr and Jayne Rylon
Caught between desire and a promise…
Compass Brothers, Book 2
Seth Compton knew from the first that his boss's daughter was all wrong for him. She was too feisty, too damned independent and, at seven years his junior, too damned young. When she comes home with a college diploma and fiancé on her arm, though, he can't quite remember all the reasons he held her at arm's length.
It's not just his jeans-tightening reaction to her all-grown-up curves. Something doesn't feel right about her impending marriage, and he won't rest until he's stopped her from making the biggest mistake of her life.
The morning after her wild bachelorette party, Jody expected a hangover. The surprise? Waking up tied to a bed with sexy-as-sin Seth. He's got some wild idea about proving they belong together, but she's not buying it. Besides, she has a promise to keep that's too close to her heart to risk, especially not with a man who, until now, made his disinterest plain.
No one ever said Seth backed down from a challenge. She's going to make him work for it? No problem. Luckily for him, he has plenty of rope…
Product Warnings
This story contains a bondage lovin' cowboy who kidnaps and hogties a cowgirl to his bed and does all sorts of naughty things to her. Fun, right?
