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Release Day for Desire in Deutschland!

It’s release day for Desire in Deutschland, the smuttiest thing I ever wrote, and my first traditionally-published novella! Your inner pig-dog wants to read it!

Never again. University student Birgitte Schumacher swore off men, after an American GI seduced her, then left Germany for good. But when she runs into a sexy military policeman on the streets of Kaiserslautern, he just might be her ruin.

Just one beer was Lee Klein’s plan. Yet when he sees the woman outside the pub, she’s all he wants. Birgitte’s irresistible pull leads him into a steamy rendezvous. He hopes for more until a conflict of interest ignites a culture clash of simmering attraction versus duty.

EBOOK universal link

AUDIO universal link Or get it direct from the author!

Um, how smutty is it?Fair question! Readers are calling it “naughty but nice”, “smutty in a good way” and say it “leans closer to erotica than Chloe’s previous stories.”  This is true: it has a higher sex scene percentage, is more explicit (though much of the “terms” are Deutsch), and Konstantinos’ “dirty talk” crown has been passed to Lieutenant Lee, I’m afraid. It’s shorter than my other novellas, too.Is it still a Holiday?

Yes, because

It’s…educational in multiple waysIt’s different than your average story  It’s funny and has a happily ever after.Want to help with the release?I’m so grateful for my early readers and those who get the book and audio but there are other ways to help, too! You can help with exposure by:Downloading graphics from the Reader Hub to share on social mediaSharing and “Liking” the release post on FacebookAdding it to your “To Be Read” pile on GoodreadsAsking your local library for the ebook and/or audioWriting a reviewTelling a friend you enjoyed itOn NetGalley? Upvote the cover!

Every little bit can make a huge difference for a new author! Thanks so much for any help!

Check out the blog for some behind-the scenes background!

 

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Culture Shock, Germany: so CLEAN!

Culture shock, Germany: so clean!

I don’t know where this picture was taken. The one thing I do know is it wasn’t in Deutschland.

I have a confession. Housekeeping is not my forte. Sometimes it’s better, sometimes worse–there’s a reason I could imagine Grant’s surprise by Hope’s “cleaning” technique in A Boy & his Dog–but I tell myself it’s clean where it counts. That means bathrooms, the kitchen, the fridge are all good, and I vacuum up the dog hair and grit tracked in from the damp Pacific Northwest outdoors. I dust, including under the refrigerator and oven once a week. I give myself a solid C. Maybe even a B minus.

Yet when I came to Germany, there was no way I was ever going to be able to measure up.

That grate above, with the spotty paint? It wound have been scrubbed to bare metal. Cigarette butts and leaves? They would have been fished out and disposed of. The first week we lived in Obermohr, I was astonished to see the lady of the house across the street on her hands and knees with a bucket. She was scrubbing the street grate. It still boggles my mind!

Heaven knows what a bunch of slovenly heathens the Germans thought we were. In three years, I never scrubbed the street grate–not once! I suppose there’s a chance they had to brace themselves to come to dinner at my house, at the sight of toys strewn from the toybox, and a laundry basket visible over by the washing machine. But they loved my children, and were friendly and gracious to us despite our obvious shortfall in tidiness, and I’ll always remember my time there fondly.

Desire in Deutschland releases tomorrow! You can get the links to both the audiobook and ebook in the book section of my website.

 

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Culture Shock, Germany: Electicity

Culture shock, Germany: Electricity!

Photo by Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash

Nowadays, most devices are dual-voltage, so travelers might have to take an adapter or two, but the device itself will function well despite going from the 110 volts/60 Hz in the US to Europe’s 240 volts/50 Hz, but back when we moved there, one had to get transformers half the size of a shoebox to “step down” the current. They were bulky and potentially dangerous if they malfunctioned, and even with transformers, there would still be issues with some appliances: clocks and timers didn’t keep time right, and microwaves didn’t function properly. In addition, devices which heated up were inefficient and expensive to run (irons, hair dryers, electric pans, waffle makers…). The plug-ins were different, too, with two round prongs and a couple of grooves at the top and bottom which served as a ground.

This is why I went in search of a slow cooker on the local economy, only to disgust the shopkeeper upon finding out that ‘Mericans had created a device to allow a cook to be so lazy.

Why the different systems? There are different accounts, and some say it’s because Edison’s perfected lightbulb did best with 120 V/60 Hz. Costs undoubtedly contributed, too: A 220-volt supply can transmit the power more cheaply because a smaller current is needed, and so you can use thinner cables and/or lose less energy through heat generated in the cables.

The military provided a couple of transformers per family, but there was a brisk trade on bulletin boards, as outgoing servicemembers shed the bulky devices they’d no longer need. The transformers were heavy enough to break a toe if you stumbled into one, and added a dull hum to the ambient background noise, and of course, if you had a baby, you had to put them away when they weren’t being used.

Still, they were a daily reminder that we were no longer in the US, and we should take advantage of what there was to learn and see, to be grateful for how spoiled we’d been up to then, and to strive to be good guests in our host country. I’ll always fondly remember my time there.

Never been to Deutschland? Take a trip with Lieutenant Lee with ebook Jan 16th or audio today!

 

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Culture Shock, Germany: the kitchen edition

To celebrate the upcoming release of Desire in Deutschland, here’s Culture shock, Germany: the kitchen edition! (you can read about our Intro to Soccer Fanatisicm here).

Photo by Annemarie Gruden, Unsplash

When we moved into the little town near the military base, we loved the rouladen shades (think mini-blinds crossed with a roll-up door), the clean, open space, and the little space for gardening out back. We got used to the commuter train, barely 10 yards past our back window–close enough that they could see when we got a new haircut! But the whole kitchen/food thing took some getting used to.

First, we found that having a dishwasher wasn’t a given–a LOT of homes simply didn’t have one. Same for window screens, even if there was a farm nearby, complete with flies.

Second, the refrigerator was barely bigger than one of those little “dorm-sized” ones that college kids take with them to school! Why? It’s because the women were expected to shop daily, for the ingredients for that day’s dinner, so it made no sense for them to have a huge fridge. In fact, I learned later that many of my neighbors were repelled to see us come home from the grocery store with bags and bags of food–a necessity with both of us working long hours.

I went to a local store to try to find a slow cooker, a lifesaver for me at that time. I tried to explain, in my weak German, what I wanted, but the clerk didn’t get it. Finally, as I told her and the supervisor again what it was, the lights went off, though they were horrified to find that someone could be so lazy as to throw all their food in a pot and come back hours later to dish it up!

In time, we got to know our neighbors well, and after enjoying their third or fourth dinner at our place, they confessed their initial reactions. “We said, ‘They eat food from cardboard boxes!'”

There’s a hint of the cultural difference in Lieutenant Lee’s dismayed reaction to his new place. You can preorder Desire in Deutschland “wide”, through this Amazon affiliate link , OR get it now direct from the author (least expensive) or your favorite audio retailers.

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Culture Shock: Germany

Culture Shock: Germany. Number 5.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Desire in Deutschland, the next few posts will be the Top 5 Culture Shocks we experienced moving to Germany. It was fun to write, having lived for three years in Germany! We moved there in ’95, so much has changed, but it was eye-opening to live in a new culture, in a country that was way older than the United States. We chose not to live in military housing, but rather “on the economy” to be immersed.

And immersed we were! Our very first trip to downtown Kaiserslautern, we were surrounded by a rowdy mob of soccer fans, who loudly demanded to know our team allegiance.

Photo by Connor Coyne, Unsplash

Not good, when we didn’t even know who was playing! But the happy crowd was glad to educate us when they found out we were American, and even invited us to join their post-game celebration.

At the time, we assumed that this level of enthusiasm was because someone’s brother or cousin was on the team, but it became apparent that to them, soccer was THE sport, like American football and basketball rolled into one. My baby was soon outfitted in a tiny team jersey, and was gifted a tiny little soccer ball by a neighbor. They were passionate about the game, but it was a bridge to communication, too, and though my Deutsch was shaky at first, just talking “football” was a sure way to open a conversation, as was the sight of my little boy in a Red Devils team jersey!

While I’m pleased that early reviewers who’ve lived in the area loved the authentic details, this story is NOT an autobiography! Certainly, I never did THAT in the local castle ruin! You can read more about the tumbledown schloss in this blog post.

Desire in Deutschland will be out on the 16th! You can get it on Amazon through this affiliate link (nets Gus more kibble at no cost to you) or “wide” here. 

Or get the audio now, direct from the author, through this affiliate link to Audible, or wide here.

Stay tuned for more Culture Shock moments!

 

 

 

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Your home is your…schloss?

Desire in Deutschland comes out in e-book form in one week, on the 16th! You can already get the audio on Amazon and “wide” to include direct from my website. The audio is also on sale right now via Apple, Google, Chirp, B&N, and Spotify through 3/31/23. See the blurb for the story here.

Part of the story takes place in the local schloss, or castle ruin, called Burg Nanstein. In German, schloss can mean castle or manor house, and burg was used to mean a true castle, while festung indicated a fortress. If the castle had a moat, it was called a wasserschloss, or water castle. Other terms included stadtschloss (a city castle), jagdschloss (a hunting lodge), or a lustschloss (a summer/vacation residence). So all those German cities ending in “burg” had true castles, some of which are still livable. There are lots of wonderful castles in Germany, of all ages and states of repair, including Neuschwanstein (New Swan Stone Castle, named for its white stone and graceful towers), which was built in Bavaria by “Mad King Ludwig” and was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s castle.

The one in Kaiserslautern is ruins now, but still worth visiting even if you aren’t in the company of an attractive foreigner. It was important in the conflict between Baron Von Sickingen, who wanted to restore the power of the knighthood, and factions aligned with the Catholic Church. His castle, thought to be impregnable, was not able to withstand the new heavy artillery and was destroyed within a week of the start of the siege, though poor Lieutenant Lee has trouble concentrating on history, with Birgitte at his side. If you are in K-Town, Burg Nanstein is definitely worth a stop, but if that’s not your destiny, there are some cool pictures here.

The post Your home is your…schloss? first appeared on Chloe Holiday.

Listen to Submerged Hopes on Indie Reads Aloud!

Guess what? You can listen to me read Submerged Hopes on Indie Reads Aloud! 

It’ll be coming to audio this year; for now you can get the ebook and paperback at Amazon through this link, which might net Gus a bit more kibble at no cost to readers! It’s in KU as well. If you read it, be sure to read the bonus epilogue through the link at the back of the book!

This time of year, I’m so done with winter, here in the rainy Pacific Northwest, so a beach escape is just the ticket! It was a challenge to try to depict the underwater world for non-divers, both the wonders of the experience, as well as the risks and dangers, and the excitement of an archaeological dig. I’m so grateful for my Deaf beta reader, who helped me make the depiction of Nerissa’s struggles accurate and respectful. You can read more about the story itself on the main page.

Happy New Year to all!

The post Listen to Submerged Hopes on Indie Reads Aloud! first appeared on Chloe Holiday.

Catch me on Indie Reads Aloud with New Heights!

Want me to read you a story? Catch me on Indie Reads Aloud with New Heights!

New Heights is one of my favorites, in part because of the suspense aspect, and I also enjoyed writing a “sports romance” that wasn’t about a ballplayer, and the challenge of depicting this particular heroine as well as some serious themes while keeping it a fun, pacey read. I was thrilled when a couple of book clubs chose to feature this story. Here’s a little bit of background on rock cllmbing. I’m grateful to have had 3 beta readers who helped me get it right!

I hope to bring it to audio this next year! For now, it’s on a Kindle Countdown Deal–this affiliate link will net Gus a bit more kibble!

Happy New Year to my readers and fellow authors! Thank you for being part of my journey. Best wishes for a safe and prosperous New Year!

 

The post Catch me on Indie Reads Aloud with New Heights! first appeared on Chloe Holiday.

Win an audio copy of A Boy & his Dog!

Check out my blog post at Long & Short Book Reviews, and comment for a chance to win an audiobook review copy of A Boy & his Dog–it’s the same one you can buy through all retailers–and get my family recipe for gingerbread! Winner announced January 2nd. Get more about the story here.

The post Win an audio copy of A Boy & his Dog! first appeared on Chloe Holiday.

Around the Fire Chat with D.V. Stone!

Catch me on D.V. Stone’s Around the Fire chat as we discuss Fly Boy (did you know you can get the audio direct?) and all sorts of things! I particularly appreciate her effort for this one, as the ether ate the data repeatedly, right up until the last moment. She’s got a new release, too–check it out!

One thing that’s fun about interviews is not only connecting with new authors, but also how each of them bring out different aspects of my work and background. This one’s got me in my ratty, fifteen-year-old hat!

https://twitter.com/donnavstone/status/1608135051736240130https://www.instagram.com/p/CmtPjftv7nm/https://fb.watch/hI9xdbzdl8/https://www.tiktok.com/@dvstoneauthor/video/7182191353663622442Around the Fire Blog

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