Gwendolyn Cease's Blog, page 11

GUILTY PLEASURES AND INDULGENCES

Hello!! Before we even get started let's show off Wednesday Male Hotness.


Yep, this whole post is about guilty pleasures and indulgences and I will admit WMH is one of mine. I don't go searching for pics of hot men to save on my laptop, but if I happen to find one then yeah I will capture him. :-) 

Okay, so I'm going to just make a list, in no particular order, of what I consider my guilty pleasures and indulgences.

1. Top Gear on BBC - I love Richard Hammond, James May, & Jeremy Clarkson. They totally crack me up. In fact, they can make me laugh even if the day is going to total shit. Thankfully, they are doing a new show together on Amazon so I will certainly watch.


2. Big Red - yes, I love the sweet red soda. I don't allow myself to have it often, due to the caffeine, but if I'm out and I see one I will often grab it up.

3. Books - I love to read! Books to me are a necessity, but others may consider them an indulgence. I know that reading when I should be writing is something that I constantly fight against.

4. Mint M&Ms and Health Bars - I love chocolate. And these two are my very favorite affordable candies. I'm so glad the Mint M&Ms are around all the time now, since they only used to be offered at the holidays. Now I can indulge all year round. 

5. Godiva - when I'm looking for expensive chocolate this is where I head.


6. Napping - I love to curl up and take a nap, especially on a rainy afternoon. This usually only happens on Sundays, but a girl can still dream.

I'm sure there's more, but it's late and that's all I can think of right now. It feels like I'm trying to develop a cold, which is not welcome. So I am going off to bed and you are going to run and check out what the other bloggers will say to this topic.

Bronwyn
Jessica D

See you all next week!! -- Gwen

FAVORITE THINGS: HOLIDAY

Hello! This week the randomness is all about our favorite holiday. Oh, wait, before I do that let me share Wednesday Male Hotness with you.



*sigh* Yep, WMH always make the day better, right?

Anyway, holiday . . . I love Halloween. I actually already have decorations up. I even made 2 new ones this year and, I think, they came out really well. What do you think?



We also purchased 2 new decorations from an awesome site called Victorian Trading.




I have loved Halloween since I was a kid. As a child, it signaled the beginning of the holiday season to me. Oh and candy, can't forget that. I loved picking my costume out each year and going around the neighborhood. We lived in a fairly good sized neighborhood, but it seemed as if we knew everyone. I remember getting home-made goodies in my bag that was far superior to the crappy bag candy peddled in the stores. A number of the houses would have parties going so I would go in with my Mom and visit and eat cookies and drink punch.

We'd be out forever visiting the neighborhood and showing off our costumes and collecting huge piles of candy, cookies, brownies . . . I think I even had a caramel apple one year. 


Cousin, Sis & me 
The pic above is me in my very favorite costume Bella La Ghostly from the Groovie Goolies. Sis is in her fav costume too. 
Once we got too old to go out we stayed home, dressed up and handed candy out.  If you're interested you can check out the post I wrote on my favorite Halloween memory. 
Now, we don't hand out candy since our neighborhood doesn't have a lot of kids in it, but I still decorate like crazy and I love this time of year. Of course, I'm Pagan so that adds something too. Halloween or Samhain is the beginning of my year and an incredibly powerful night where anything is possible.
Now go and check out what holidays the other ladies love best.

BronwynKrisKellieJessica D

See you all next week -- Gwen

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY: SUMMER

As if! So this week is all about summer . . . in pics. I can't say this one was the best. I've fought depression most of the summer and, most of the time, haven't felt as though I've been winning. I have gone a few places and done some things, which is probably a good thing. One huge positive is I got a kitten and Maeve has so made a difference. So, here is my summer in pics.

First day I brought Maeve home




Yeah, I know not very exciting. Now run and check out the other girls because I'm sure they had way more exciting summers than I did.

Jessica
Bronwyn
Kris
Kellie
Jessica D
Paige

See you all next week!! -- Gwen

A/Z LIST: RECIPES (I LOVE OR WANT TO TRY)

Hey All! I know, I've been missing for soooo long and I'm sorry. I could fib and say aliens kidnapped me (if it were the Sandaki, I'd never have come home), but alas it was something more mundane. I am still struggling to finish a book and dealing with depression. *sigh* So sucks.

Anyway, let me throw some Wednesday hotness at you.


Yep, gotta love those cowboys.

So, this is all about recipes and I will admit that I do not like to cook. I CAN cook, I just don't enjoy it. My Sis on the other hand not only loves it, but is amazing at it. So I eat what she makes. Yay me!!

But I can share some recipes she's made or ones she's planning on making. Pinterest is our friend for this. And there is not 26 recipes here, sorry. But here goes:

This is one I want us to try since it sounds soooo good. It's called Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup and it looks so yummy.

We've tried Creamy Chicken and Rice Bake and it was so good.

Pizza Casserole was another goodie, but we skipped the whole crockpot deal since it was unnecessary. I mean after you precook half the stuff, why dirty up the crockpot??

I think we also tried Chicken Breasts Lombardy since all the ingredients sound so familiar. It was really good.

Easy Lemon Chicken Potato Casserole was another really good one, but next time we'd use way less lemon since the flavor kind of overwhelmed. We also used yellow potatoes and they were the bomb.

Chicken Biscuit Bake was another one I loved. It was very much a comfort food and something I hope we repeat. 

We have an entire board of drinks on Pinterest. Hey, don't judge. A lot of them do contain alcohol, but there are some that just sound good. Here are ones I hope we try . . . soon.

Kahlua Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate sounds so so good and once it's gets chilly it'll be perfect in the evening. Or whenever.

I love eggnog and this White Russian recipe starts with that. Can't wait to try it once the Nog is out on the shelves.

We found a recipe for Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Bread and I so want to try it. 

Peach Pie Scones with Vanilla Glaze was a recipe we tried and daggone it was good. I so recommend you try it too.

Okay, that is enough for me. I gotta get back to the never-ending book. Now run over and check out what recipes the other girls have for you.

Bronwyn
Jessica D
Paige
Kayleigh

See you all next week! -- Gwen

5 WORDS OR LESS - THE OTHER WEDNESDAY BLOGGERS

I'm pushing myself to finish the book I'm working on, but couldn't miss this blog. The ladies I blog with are an amazing lot and I want them to know that. :-) So here are the words I'd use to describe each of them.

Bronwyn - Talented, Funny, Crafty, Lovely, Loving

Jessica - Camping Companion, Talented, Giving, Hilarious

Kris - Wonder Woman, Artistic, Beautiful, Talented

Kellie - Huge Heart, Crafty, Talented, Sweet

Jessica D - Quirky, Talented, Funny, New Mom

Paige - Talented, Hardworker, Veteran, Procrastination-Companion

Kayleigh - Reader, Talented, Music lover, Ireland

I'm sure you can tell there was a kind of theme going on. LOL Every single one of these ladies is incredible talented. I'm so lucky to be among them.

Now head over and check them out. Not many of us this week since a bunch are on deadline. Hopefully, we'll all be back together soon.

Bronwyn

Kellie


See you all next week! -- Gwen

YOU MIGHT BE A . . . .

This week in the randomness of Wednesday our blog posts are, as Bronwyn put it, a play off of Jeff Foxworthy's trope of You Might Be a Redneck. If you've never heard him do this . . . where have you been?? Under a rock?? For those of you who've never heard him do this here's a brief sample:




Now that you have the idea . . .

You Might Be a Southerner If . . .

You bless everyone's heart (but really mean it as an insult). As in, "She's dumb as a bag of hammers, bless her heart."



You order sweet tea anywhere and everywhere, knowing they are going to bring it without argument.

Saying "Oh hell no" is a sign for everyone around you to duck and run for cover because you are about to throw down.



As a child, you ran around after dark and chased lightning bugs.




You cook with cream of mushroom soup because it can make anything and everything taste so much better.
You can properly use y'all in a sentence.

You greet people with the all purpose "Hey!"
You refer to any carbonated beverage as coke . . . even if it's Pepsi.

You know what grits are and, most probably, like them.
The first time you wear white shoes is on Easter and never, ever before. And getting a new dress, shiny shoes, hat and gloves to attend Easter Sunday service.

Now run over and see what the other ladies have come up with.
BronwynKrisKellie
See y'all next week!! -- Gwen

WRITING "RULES" I LIVE BY, WRITING "RULES" I BREAK

Rules, yeah, I'm not much on rules. Other than I have to put a hot guy in my post on Wednesdays, I never stray from that one.



As for writing rules, I don't follow many of the supposed hard and fast ones that every writer should swear by. I tried, believe me, but a lot of them don't work for me.

For instance, I do not make a plot outline. I think this goes all the way back to when I first started writing papers in school. I couldn't write an outline for those either. I didn't get why I shouldn't just jump in and write. I'm the type that, once I do all the research, it's already kind of lined up in my head. So I would write the paper, then turn around and write the outline so I could turn it in. 

Same thing with books. I jot down character names and some vague information, but for the most part I just leap in and write. The book plays in my head like a movie so I just write what I see. This also gives me the "freedom" to add and subtract as I go. See, I have this quirk that says if I have an outline well I have to stick with it. No matter what. So I just decided to do without.

One rule I live by is that I keep writing. I DO NOT go back and fix what I've written. As La Nora says, "You can't fix what isn't there." I used to write and rewrite a first chapter over and over. Yeah, great, so I had a really awesome couple of pages, but nothing more. I made myself stop doing that. Now I just write and keep writing until it's done. 

Another rule I follow, or, for me it's a rule, is when I finally edit, I read the book aloud as I go. This helps me hear the mistakes. 

I do not write at the same time every day. I can't since I'm now back out working. I do try and write every day. I have found that if I take a journal to work with me I write on my lunch and break. It's been ages since I've hand-written, but it's working for me.

I can't think of any other rules that I live by. I try to be kind to myself if the writing doesn't go well. That's been a struggle, because I used to beat myself up if I didn't get something done. Now, I just roll with it. The past is past and there's nothing I can do about it. All I can worry about is the future. 

Now, run and check out the rules the other ladies live by.

Bronwyn
Kellie
Jessica D

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY - ON MY BOOK SHELF

Hello! Today is, of course supposed to be wordless, but in the immortal words of Cher from Clueless -- AS IF! There will always be words, oh and hot, lovely men


 So, our topic today is all about the bookshelf we supposedly have. I would laugh, but sadly I do not have a shelf of books. I do have this (top of a chest of drawers), but no official book shelf.




The only shelves I have in my bedroom are filled with dolls, and things. Now, I do have a Nook and have tons of books on that. My newest purchases are:



The physical books I've started and are currently sitting on my bedside table (another book storage spot) are:



I could certainly keep going because I have tons of books. I even have 4 stacks sitting in my closet.And, of course, even though I have a billion books, I keep buying more, because, a girl can never have enough books. 

So, now I've revealed just a tiny bit of what I own, head over and see what's sitting on the other ladies' shelves. Oh, and if you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments below. Obviously, I don't have enough to read right now.

Jessica
Bronwyn
Jessica D
Kayleigh

See you all next week! -- Gwen

JULY SONG FICTION

The song this month is Love at First Sight by Kylie Minogue. If you're interested here's the video.



The fiction this month is actually a small part of the book I'm writing. Big warning, this is a sex scene. :-)  The book is called Entangled. Hope you like it.


“Rowan, I brought you a towel.”
She looked through the glass of the shower to find Sergei watching her. The man was a mouth-watering feast for the eyes wearing just a pair of faded jeans. He was heavily muscled and his body displayed a variety of scars, but they didn’t detract. Hell no, they made him that much more sexy since they labelled him a warrior. Funny, she’d just been thinking about choices. For a change, she was going to choose something for herself.
She opened the shower door. “Do you want to come in?”
“If I do, I will take you, kotenok.” He slowly unbuttoned his jeans and let them drop. His large cock jutted toward her and she ached to feel him inside her body.
“Maybe I’ll take you.”
He stepped in and took her mouth in a scorching kiss. Rowan wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her into his arms and pinned her to the wall. He thrust his tongue aggressively into her mouth as she climbed his body to wrap her legs around his waist. Damn the man was hot. He was so big and she loved how he could hold her with no problems. Rowan knew she wasn’t a small woman, by any measure, but he acted as if she didn’t weigh a thing.
She brushed her tongue against one of his fangs, nicking it. He shuddered in his arms and sucked on her tongue. She could taste her blood in his mouth and, far from grossing her out, it turned her on. The huge male was shaking in her arms all because of her taste.
He slid his mouth from hers and laid a trail of biting kisses across her jaw line. She tilted her head to give him access as he sucked on her neck. Toes curling, she cradled his head.
“Do it, Sergei. Bite me.”
A low growl rumbled through this chest as his fangs slid into her neck. She saw stars as an orgasm punched through her body. Shaking and gasping, she held on as he fed. Now she understood why humans were so anxious to become blood donors to the Vitala. Instant orgasm, just add fangs.
“Fuck, kotenok, you taste like the sweetest nectar from heaven,” he said, kissing down to suckle at her breasts. “I could die happy now with your taste in my mouth.”
“No dying before you fuck me.” She squirmed against him.
Laughing, he kissed her again. “Are you ready for me?”
He brushed his fingers against her pussy and Rowan bucked in his arms. The man’s touch was light and gentle. She almost screamed since she didn’t want gentle. She wanted rough.
“Sergei, stop teasing.” She bit his ear lobe.
Between one second and the next, he thrust his cock into her. She bit his shoulder to stop from screaming. He was big, bigger than she was used to, and it was so good. He hit every spot as he shuttled in and out.
“Do you like that, kotenok? Huh, do you like my cock?”
She nodded as she pulled his head down for a kiss. Tongues tangled together as he scraped a nail over her clit. Rowan stiffened as the orgasm rolled over her. He thrust twice more and followed her.
He kept her pinned to the wall as they gasped for the breath. Rowan was wrung out as all the tension of the last two years seeped away. Yep, good sex was the best medicine. Not that she’d had sex as good as this, hell the man blew her circuits. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder as she stroked his back. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed physical contact until Sergei had touched her. It was as if she felt more real now, more a part of the world.
He eased away and let her feet slip to the floor. Disappointment pricked her, but she ignored it. What? Did she expect he’d hang around. He got what he wanted and so did she. Instead of leaving though, he carefully washed her hair and bathed her. Not something she expected from him, but she really didn’t know him. They’d talked and, now, had sex, but it wasn’t as if they truly knew one another.
“Stop thinking so hard,” he murmured, as he kissed her. “Time enough for that later. Let me take care of you, kotenok.”
“What do you keep calling me?” She leaned against him.
“Kitten."
She made a face and he laughed.
“I am not a kitten.”
“To me you are. All claws and hissing until you’re stroked just right. I don’t think anyone has petted you well until now. Yes?” He nuzzled her neck and she instinctively tilted her head. “I think if you let me, I will have you purring all the time.”
She suspected he was right, but didn’t say. That would certainly give him an overblown ego, which was something the man didn’t need.
“Come,” he said, as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. “I’ll dry you off.”
“I can do it myself.”
“Yes, I know, but I want to take care of you.” He wrapped a towel around her as she stepped out of the shower. “I have a feeling no one has ever done that.”
He’d be right.  As an only child of a military parent, she tried to make friends, but when her family moved all the time nothing was permanent. By the time she was fourteen, she’d built a shield around herself and only allowed people to see the surface. No one ever got close because to allow that meant she could be hurt. Rowan had been hurt enough. Now, she was just tired. And. there was something about Sergei that slipped under her careful façade. She didn’t know what it was, but she felt safe. Like maybe, she knew he wouldn’t hurt her. Or, maybe she’d finally cracked and was losing her mind?
Sergei finished drying her off. “Thank you for offering your throat. You honor me.”
“Did I?”
He tilted her face up. “Yes. You’re a strong woman, a warrior and for you to offer to feed me…it humbles me.”
“You’re welcome, but it’s not like I didn’t get anything out of it.” Rowan leaned against him and smiled. “A world class orgasm was a fair trade.”
He laughed. “I will tell you that’s the first time my bite has had that affect. Others have told me it was pleasurable, but never orgasm inducing.”
“Lucky me.”

He led her into the bedroom. “I think lucky us.” Grabbing up some lotion out of her bag he swept her up and lay her on the bed. “Come, kotenok, let me stroke you.”

Now run and check out what the other ladies have written with the song.

Bronwyn
Kayleigh
Jessica

MY PERFECT WEEKEND

Hey! I'm so sorry I missed last week. I'm such a dork that I totally missed the fact that it was Wednesday. Yeah, I know. I'm back this week and with Hotness of the Day courtesy of Sis



Our topic this week is all about the perfect weekend. Problem is I don't know if it's supposed to be based on reality or what it would be if I was wildly wealthy. LOL! So, I will give you both..

The reality:My perfect weekend is hanging with my sister and our two best friends. They live in TN so we don't see them all the time.  On Saturday, we would all hit Barnes & Noble (our favorite hangout spot). We'd look at books, chat with our friends, and end up in the cafe. After that we'd go to Michaels (love that place) and have lunch someplace yummy. Coming home we'd relax and talk. Most probably we'd watch a really horrible movie like
Sharknado 16 and eat yummy snacks.  On Sunday, I'd get to take a wonderful nap. I love naps. :-) They're so awesome. Then I'd write.

Now, my dream perfect weekend we'd be at the beach in a lovely house that sits right on the water. My bedroom would face the water and it would be cool enough to have the windows open so I can hear the see the ocean. We'd relax and do nothing, but sit and talk and soak up the fabulous view.



Now run over and see how the other ladies would spend a perfect weekend.

Bronwyn
Kellie
Jessica D


See you all next week!! -- Gwen