Taylor Tryst's Blog, page 5

Every Little Bit Helps

I lost my sister too young and too early. My heart goes out to this family. May God bless them
and give them some solace, some peace.

Thank you,
Taylor

Never Tempt Fate by Fran Lee

Christine Lange thought she’d found a white knight, only to learn there’s no such thing. And even though her world’s falling apart, she decides she can make it on her own—until a gorgeous guy appears out of the blue, offering a helping hand. Christine grabs it, pride be damned. Surely her heart will remain safe because Tonio’s gay. At least, she assumes so. Why else would a man who looks like that need a temporary wife?



Tonio needs a wife and the sexy redhead is perfect. She’s attractive, desperate…and since she doesn’t like men, there’s no danger of her falling in love with him. But Fate likes to play with those who tempt her, and an agreement to see to each other’s physical needs soon has them scorching the sheets. Christine gives Tonio her body, but it isn’t long before he realizes what he really wants is her heart.
Note: This book was previously published as Dictated By Fate and has been revised for Ellora’s Cave.  Excerpt:

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this site.


An Excerpt From: NEVER TEMPT FATE
Copyright © FRAN LEE, 2012
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
Adriana Rodriguez flounced into the second floor office her brother preferred to use when he was working at home. Her brother pointedly ignored her as he sat behind the sprawling walnut desk, the phone receiver propped on his shoulder as he riffled through a sheaf of documents. She leaned on the low windowsill, arms crossed, and waited to be acknowledged. He shifted the phone and reached for another stack of papers.
“Yes—Antonio Rodriguez for Clarence Damien.” He glanced up as his call went through and his eyes locked with his sister’s. “You have something on your mind?” He frowned.
Adriana frowned back. “You know exactly what I want to talk to you about, Tonio, and it is time you took this seriously!” She paced across to the edge of the desk and drummed her scarlet-tipped fingers absently on the satin-smooth finish of the wood. “You know only three eligible females who could possibly make a match for you, Tonio, and two of them you can’t stand!”
“Correction,” he drawled in a bored tone, “three of them, I can’t stand.” He stopped his sister’s indignant retort with a raised hand as his father’s business manager picked up on the other end of the line. He said quickly, “Damien, Rodriguez here. I need you to have all of my father’s business records available so that I can review them when I arrive on Monday.” His gaze slid over his sister’s livid complexion and he wondered if she had always been so foul-tempered, or if he simply always managed to bring out the worst in her. “Very good. I’ll see you in three days, then.”
As he hung up, Adriana gave him a narrowed glare that might have withered another man’s resolve, and she rasped, “You know very well that Maria Vargas would make you an excellent wife. She has breeding, looks and all of Ricardo Vargas’ money! She is the obvious choice. She is your perfect match, socially and financially.”
He drew a deep breath and frowned at his beautiful, extremely self-serving sibling and wondered if it would be illegal to strangle her. Most likely. She had been after him for these past eight months to marry that fish-cold, supremely selfish bitch. Perfect indeed! He barely managed not to give a disgusted snort.
Instead he replied coolly, “I do not wish to spend the remainder of my existence tied to the apron strings of that sour-faced bruja. Perhaps old Vargas was desperate enough to take your dear friend to his bed, but I prefer women who are capable of some sort of response. The only time I ever saw Maria Vargas show so much emotion as to smile was when she told us that old Vargas had finally gone to his grave.” He rose from his chair and shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “She is about as responsive as a cadaver.”
He knew he had pushed her a trifle too far as her dark eyes flared and her voice rose to a shrill pitch. “Maria Vargas loved her husband! She was a good wife to him! She gave him five years of her life and she gave him the son his first wife could not! How dare you speak of her so?”
Fighting the urge to throttle her with both hands, Tonio shrugged with studied indifference. “Yes, she gave him a son—whose, no one will ever know.” He shook his head, his voice low.
His sister was furious as she hissed, “So? Ricardo Vargas was an old man. He cared little who fathered the boy. He simply wanted a son. She did what she had to do to please him. She did her duty as a wife.”
He laughed unpleasantly. “How very dedicated of her. I’m certain she preferred it to the alternative.”
“Alternative?” She glared at him.
“Losing his millions,” he replied absently, wishing he were miles from here.
“How dare you speak of her this way? You are hardly the one to preach on moral values, dear brother. Isn’t this a trifle like the pot calling the kettle black?”
Tonio was not about to get into another long discussion of his lack of morals or the terms of their father’s will, both of which he knew all too well already. “I have no time for this today, Adriana. You can lecture me on having no sense of duty or decorum when I return from the States.”
His statement made her pause, as did the set of his mouth and the look in his dark eyes. She knew him too well to continue to press him. It would be like butting her head into the stones of the pasture wall. She decided to let it drop for now. After all, their father’s will made it very plain that he must marry before the year was out or lose his inheritance to their cousin Luis. There was nothing for him to do but capitulate, for there were few worthy choices for a man of his social status and wealth. He would come around.
She knew he had no intention of allowing their greedy cousin to take possession of this house, the attached properties, the Coldwater Canyon estate and all the Los Angeles properties. He enjoyed his lifestyle. He would not allow it to vanish simply because he did not wish to be tied to a wife. She knew he would not allow their fortune to be given away. She grimaced at the thought of having to leave her comfortable home and live on the pittance her mother had left to her. Tonio was obligated to think of her too! Who could live on a paltry half a million for long?
“I think you and Maria would do well together,” she said offhandedly. “She would be no burden on you financially, and she would seek her pleasure elsewhere if you could not find it in yourself to take her to your bed. She’s not in love with you, thank God! She sees the joining of the two families as an important thing and she can rise above her own selfish desires to make certain that she weds well.”    
       Antonio stared at her thoughtfully. Did she really think him totally incapable of finding a female he was compatible with? Was she so desperately terrified of having someone beneath her social station become part of the all-important Rodriguez family? Or perhaps she was more worried about Luis taking over this house and losing her precious status? All of the above, most likely.

He did not answer her. How could she know why he had no desire to wed? His sister knew virtually nothing about his private life beyond sheer gossip—and he preferred to keep it that way. Gossip was easier to bear than pity.
He made a point of ignoring her, walking through the arching doorway to the airy hallway and heading for the library. He wanted to be alone and the library was Adriana’s least favorite room. It contained books and his sister had no use for books. Her tastes ran to clothes, jewels, and parties—none of which could ever come out of a book. He could hear her raised voice behind him as she told him once more that his time was running out.
As he closed the library doors he drew a deep breath. He rubbed his temples with one hand, closing his eyes to shut out the thought.
That damn will!  Buy Now    

 

Frost

Our first real frost.September 18, 2012

Mushrooms

Took these yesterday. The south face of one of our trees.Have a great weekend,Taylor

My Favorite Time of Year

Here we are again. Fall. My favorite time of year.
The colors of the trees, the leaves changing from vivid green to burnt oranges and gold, reds and browns, bristling in the wind. The nip in the air. For the first time in a long time I get to wear sweaters and boots. Pull on my warm socks and change my sheets to the flannels in preparation of winter. No, it's not really cold yet, not in Minnesota, and that's just how I like it. Perfect cuddling weather, perfect, staying in a reading a good book with a cup of coffee weather. Or getting out and enjoying the nip in the air. The farmers' market is just getting good, though it'll soon be over. Lot's of delicious veggies and fabulous jams. Oh, and Pumpkin Spice coffee. I LOVE Pumpkin Spice coffee and creamer. I can't get enough. That reminds me of Pumpkin Pie, but I'm getting ahead of myself here!

This was the first year I have ever attempted canning anything. We did tomatoes this year. The first time we made a big mess, but we came through and now we have many jars of fabulous, ripe tomatoes for pastas and Mexican food well into the winter. Plus, my son, who's been away this summer, will be able to enjoy some of the fruits of his labor. He tilled the ground, after all. It'd be a disgrace not to share.

Fall in Minnesota is also a time of preparation, however. Moving the lawn furniture up onto the deck as to avoid it being 'snowed in' and cutting the grass once or twice more. Collecting more firewood, stacking and moving it, preparing the vehicles for a downright frigid winter. Clearing out the garden and preparing the ground for months of a hard freeze.

Though, a friend told me that the Farmers' Almanac is calling for a dry and warm winter in Minnesota this year. I'm holding them to it!

What about you? What's your favorite time of year?   

A Short Lesson

I had a short and dirty lesson in writing, well, a short. It was fun and I was encouraged by my dear friend, Barb. She's a pro at writing short. Me? Not so much. lol

The biggest thing I realized is not to over think it. Usually I have plots within plots and twists. You can have those elements in your short story, but there's a trick to it, I think. You need to be able to write it in and resolve the issue within so many words. And, not my usual 60,000 plus. lol

It was a challenge. It was fun. I wrote YA, though after pondering it a bit, I wonder if I shouldn't have made the story a bit darker. But, I'm going to look at it as a writing lesson. My first story as Sandra Williamson. Something my nephew could read. How cool is that.

And, these characters are still swimming in my head. So, they have more story to tell. G & C Ghost Hunters series? Hmmm, it's very possible.

I realized I'd make a few typo's in my contest entry, but hey, I should've edited on the page instead of copy and pasting. Lesson learned.

And if nothing comes of the contest, I may just create my first YA series and release it on Amazon Kindle as a new YA series, errors corrected, of course. How cool would that be? And yeah, under Sandra Williamson. No pen name involved.

It's a bit terrifying not to have a degree of separation from your work. Usually I write as Taylor Tryst and I can hide behind Taylor. As Sandra, I'm, well, me.

It's kind of...empowering.

So, many lessons learned.

Own it, comes to mind.

Have a great day,
Taylor

RITA Category for Erotica: It's About Damn TIme!

Petitioning Romance Writers of America RITA CommitteeThis petition will be delivered to:Romance Writers of America RITA CommitteeRomance Writers of America RITA Committee: Create a RITA category for erotic romance.As per the RWA website, "the purpose of the RITA® contest is to promote excellence in the romance genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas". At the 2012 general meeting for RWA, changes were made to the RITA category lineup-- the Romantic Elements and Regency Historical categories were eliminated. While change is in the air, I would like to propose the long overdue addition of an Erotic Romance category-- no matter the nature of that erotic, romantic relationship.
We, the undersigned, call on the RWA RITA committee to, in future, include a category for the the very popular, long overlooked subgenre of erotic romance.
Website info: http://www.laurenhawkeye.com/eroticrita/

Sign the petition, please! It's the only way we as a people, as authors, as women, can change the future!

Sign Now.

Thank you,
Taylor
 

A Scot for Christmas by Taylor Tryst: To be released 10/26/12

My new cover. I'm so stoked!

More info to follow.

Thanks,
Taylor

Texas Passions in Print from Ellora's Cave

Eagle’s Run Book 1 in the Texas Passions series.
Her father was murdered by an unknown killer. Now Leah Morgan, the half-Comanche daughter of the owner of White Eagle Ranch, is faced with his unsolved murder, as well as two illegitimate half brothers who have each been left a share of the ranch. If not for Shane Duffy, the hot-looking, hot-blooded veterinarian, she’d be falling apart completely.
As she fights to retain control of the ranch and considers her heritage, Leah finds comfort in long nights of sweaty sex with Shane. And then there’s Grant Fallon, the geologist who wants to show Leah he can bring her more screaming orgasms than the hunky vet if she’ll just give him a chance.
But someone has an ulterior motive. Is it Shane? Grant? One of her half brothers? Leah might find the answer…if she’s not too busy chasing away the shadows in the arms of her lover.
Eagle’s Redemption Book two in the Texas Passions series.
Dash Hyde is a former Chicago cop, scarred both inside and out. When he inherits a share in a Texas ranch, the last thing he expects is to meet a woman who can see past the scars to his very soul—even though she’s nearly blind.
Carmen Whitefeather loves taking care of wildlife, but the damaged man she finds on her doorstep with an injured eagle fascinates her even more. The spark between them is instant and overwhelming, and she’s determined to enjoy every second.
As Carmen and Dash explore the passion they find in each other’s arms, they both take the risk of getting burned. When an old enemy of Dash’s targets Carmen, Dash will have to face his deepest fears and walk into the flames to fight for the woman he loves.
Eagle’s Refuge Book three in the Texas Passions series.
When Callista Hill settles in tiny Morgan’s Creek, she vows to make a better life for herself. She never figured lust and screaming-hot orgasms were part of the equation. One look at the local bar owner and she’s flooded with the need to have him in her bed. He burns her to ash with every erotic touch, bringing her sex-starved body achingly to life.
The instant dark, moody Mac Moreno claps eyes on Callie, he knows he wants her. Her lush curves turn him inside out and have his libido racing from zero to sixty in three seconds flat. Burning up the sheets with this sassy, sweet lady brings him back to life. But when her stalking ex hunts her down, will Callie run?
Not if Mac can help it.
Read an ExcerptBuy Now

A Moment

I planted this lily last year and I was worried it wouldn't survive the harsh Minnesota winter. It did. I'm definitely smiling about this and was grateful to see it sprout this spring.

Not only did it survive, however, it's thriving. It has multiple flowers blooming all around.

I sat on the deck, my rear planted on the stairs, in the silence of the country, and was overwhelmed by the beautiful fragrance that wafted in the air. I inhaled and smiled.

It was a moment of peace in the chaos that is life.

Have a fabulous weekend. Here's hoping you find your moment, whatever it may be.

Taylor