Lucy Felthouse's Blog, page 306

Six Sentence Sunday – 18/12/11

Here are six sentences from my newly released fairy tale retelling Susie White and the Right Hand Man, from House of Erotica.

We'd never seen eye to eye, my stepmother and I. However, it wasn't the usual 'child resents someone trying to replace their parent' syndrome, it was her that resented me.



My mom had died of cancer when I was fifteen. My father and I were devastated, as you'd expect, but I'd always urged him to get on with his life. After all, it's what mom would have wanted, and I certainly didn't want my dad to be lonely when I got married and left home.



So, a couple of years later, when dad met Louise and they started dating, I was thrilled.

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Stuff Your Stockings Christmas Blog Hop

In case you hadn't noticed, Christmas is approaching rapidly In the spirit of giving, I'm taking part in the Stuff Your Stockings Blog Hop, organised by Drea Becraft. Here's the info:

Each participating author is going to hold a contest on their blog with so many treats up for grabs it's enough to make every reader's Christmas just that much happier! In each contest post the author will link the others participating in the blog hop to help you find each and every stop to increase your chances to win.

The contest will start Friday, December 16, 2011 and go till midnight Sunday, December 18, 2011.

So, what are you waiting for? Use the below Rafflecopter to make your entry/ies, then click here to visit the event page and see all the other bloggers taking part. Happy Hopping!

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Guest Blog: Jane Wakely

Hi Everyone!

Christmas is only one week away, and while I am excited about the holiday, I am even more excited for the New Year…but not in the way that you think!

This New Year's Eve will be spent in a hotel with hubby, kiddo and puppy—yep, the whole family!  You see, we are moving!  After the New Year Weekend, we will make the four hour drive to our new home!

We are a military family and this will be the third time we have started out the year in some place new!

The first time, we were lucky enough to have the opportunity to fly to Hawaii.  We lived in Hawaii for five years.  Many good friends and memories were made there, and it is an experience I will never forget.

At the beginning of this year, we moved to Virginia.  Virginia is a beautiful state.  There are many trees, parks and lakes that we enjoyed exploring.  This is the first time in my life I have truly seen the beauty of all four seasons.  Unfortunately, the neighborhood we chose wasn't a perfect fit, and while there are small things we will miss, we are ready to move on to our next home.

In January we make the move to Pennsylvania.  We did our research, and focused on three cities we wanted to live in.  There were things I liked in every city, but our choice has things I love.

The first thing I love about this small town is "big town convenience."  The drive to Wal-Mart or the mall is 15-30 minutes away, depending on where I am going.  That means that I don't have to shop somewhere new if I don't want to, a huge plus when I know exactly what I want and where I want to get it.

Second, there is a Main Street.  I know many towns have a Main Street, but this Main Street has a hometown nostalgia that I have never felt outside of Disneyland.  There are many small "mom and pop" shops that have me wondering how they stay in business when competing with the big stores that are close enough to be contenders.

Main Street is only half a mile from my new home, which means that the library, post office and fancy chocolate store are all within walking distance.  Guess what?  That is not the best part!  The very best part of this small town was the Christmas tree right in the center!

The only place I could be happier, is in the small town I created for my winter short story, Christmas Hope.  Christmas Hope is set in the small town of Woodland Springs.  Every year at Christmas, they too, put up a huge Christmas tree in the center of town!

~~~

Christmas Hope is a sweet romance, and one of nine stories, you'll find in Winter Wonders (Winter Anthology 2011) from Whimsical Publications.  This is a multi-genre anthology, featuring nine authors' short stories, all with a winter theme.

Here's the blurb:

Karen loves Woodland Springs, the town she grew up in.  While her dream of owning a bakery in her home town came true, she doesn't know if she will ever reach her dream of having a family of her own to share it with.  After the humiliation of her ex-boyfriend, she doesn't think she will ever find someone to love.

Jason Matthews moved to Woodland Springs to fill a veterinarian vacancy.  After years of school and interning, he is ready to start a family.  When he meets Karen, he knows she is the one.

After a misunderstood Christmas present, will these two be able to have the family they both hope for?

Here's an excerpt:

Thankfully, the weekend was finally over.  Thanksgiving weekend was always packed, so she was extra tired.  Delightful was only open in the mornings from seven to noon and then again in the evenings from five to eight, but sometimes she had to bake during her off hours.  Usually she baked in the mornings when she had Janice out front helping, but over the busy holidays, they were always empty up front by noon.

She sat down with a cup of coffee, doing a mental inventory in her head and planning out her Monday.  She was happy Delightful was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays; she could sleep in tomorrow.  She closed her eyes thinking about it and heard the bell on the front door ring.

She must have been really tired; she'd forgotten to lock the front door.

Karen opened her eyes, and her heart skipped a beat as she looked at the most handsome man she had ever seen.  He was tall, she could tell from her sitting position, and he had hair so black it reminded her of the wigs the children had worn on Halloween.  His eyes were a smoky grey, and when he smiled, she saw a dimple on his right cheek.  Though covered in a jacket, she could tell that he was lean and muscular.  She opened her mouth to say something and nothing came out.

He smiled. "Hi."

Somehow she found her voice, though she didn't take her eyes off of him. She had never seen him before, and she liked the view.  "I'm sorry, we're closed. I–I forgot to turn the lock."

"Oh.  Do you think I could get a quick cup of coffee?  I just got into town, and I don't have a coffee machine yet."  He smiled again, his expression hopeful.

"Okay.  Why don't you sit down, and I will pour you one to go."

"Thank you so much.  It's really cold out there.  I think I need a warmer coat." He laughed as he said it, and his dimple showed prominently.

She looked at his coat as she made her way back to the table.  It was thin, especially for this weather.  He hadn't been wrong when admitting he needed a thicker one. "It's going to get colder. You really do need to get a warmer coat, and fast.  Cream and sugar?"

"No, black is fine.  Thank you so much.  I'm Jason," he said as he stood and pulled out his wallet.

"Don't worry about it." She waved her hand. "This one is on the house.  I'm Karen." She sat down at the table as she said it, and he sat down too.  Delightful was closed, and she was tired, but she didn't want him to go just yet.

"Are you visiting family?" she asked as she sipped her coffee, curious about where he came from.

"No, I just moved here for work.  I don't know anyone in this town.  Well, except you."  He smiled again.

~~~

Thank you, Lucy, for hosting me today!

You can find me:

On my blog: www.janewakely.blogspot.com

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/janewakely

On Twitter: @JaneWakely

You can find Winter Wonders (featuring Christmas Hope):

At Whimsical Publications: http://www.whimsicalpublications.com/Winter_Wonder_2011.html

At Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/114132

 

A Super Review for Weekend at Wilderhope Manor

I'm delighted to have received another awesome review for my f/f paranormal erotica piece, Weekend at Wilderhope Manor. Day Dreaming covered it, and commented:

"Lucy Felthouse does a great job keeping it interesting in this book; we get a little spanking, role playing, and just some good old fashion groping. I enjoyed this read while it's short it was fun, quick paced, and sexy."

I'm super happy with those comments! *happy dances*

Want to check it out for yourself? See more info and buy links here.

P.S. I'm chatting here all day today, so please drop by and say hi. I'll be answering questions, sharing blurbs and excerpts and running a giveaway or two!

Blissemas: Walking in a Winter Wonderland

As part of the Blissemas event, Victoria asked us all to write a Christmas/winter/festive/seasonal type blog post. I admit I scratched my head for a little while before getting my words down on the page. And if you read on, you'll see why…

I am not what you would call a fan of the winter season. I don't like being cold, I hate going out when it's snowy and icy and I would quite happily stay in the house for weeks on end until it's all buggered off. Having said that, I've had some of the most beautiful walks when snow has been on the ground.

Naturally, if the roads are not safe, I'm going nowhere. The OH and I live far enough apart that bad weather has prevented us from seeing each on more than one occasion, so we certainly wouldn't venture up into the Peak District (my favourite walking venue) if it was dangerous to do so. However, when the roads are good, going out is always on the cards. And once I'm wrapped up in so many layers I can barely move, and armed with a flask of a hot drink, I will grudgingly admit that it's quite fun and pretty to be outside.

I have some damn good examples, too. Last year, which was a pretty bad one for snow in the UK, the OH and I headed up into the Peak District (for a change ) and visited Chatsworth House, who were hosting their Christmas event, which, if I remember rightly was a Russian-themed one. The drive up there was very white and beautiful and as you can see, Chatsworth House looked very beautiful in the snow, despite the dullness of the sky.

After a mooch around the house, with its Christmas trees, decorations, light show and fairies (there was a Nutcracker theme), we headed out into the garden. As you would expect, it was extremely cold, but our trusty thermal clothes and many layers stopped us from freezing up. The same can't be said for this waterfall. Yes, it's absolutely frozen solid and incredibly beautiful, hence the photograph, which is one of several I took of it.

We saw many similarly beautiful and interesting things in the gardens that day. Icicles galore, bird and fox footprints, stunning views out across the whitened Peak District, and the coolest trees! As soon as I spotted the beauty in the photo, I decided it looked cold and needed a cuddle (yes, the cold was obviously addling my brain), so I did so. I ended up with green smudges on my coat, but it was totally worth it for the photo and the amusement value. Overall, it was an incredibly fun day, there were no slipping, skidding or falling over incidents (which is one of the main things that makes me hide inside), which means I can look back on the day with fond memories.

So, despite my aversion to cold, snow and ice, what I'm saying is that I *can* be coaxed out of hiding, if I can go and walk in a winter wonderland like this

And, just to prove I'm not a complete and utter bah humbug type, here's a competition for you, in ADDITION to the one being run as part of the whole event. So, without further ado, how would you like to win a paperback copy of Immoral Views, which contains my story Caught in the Act? If so, just check out the Rafflecopter below to see how you can enter.

REMEMBER: To enter the Blissemas competition for the grand prize of a KINDLE, make sure to leave a comment on this post with your email address in the BODY of the comment. Victoria will be collecting all entries at the end of the event and choosing the winner.

For MY competition, I'll be using the Rafflecopter, which includes comments and all the other entry options. So make sure to take advantage and increase your chances of winning!

GOOD LUCK – now don't forget to go here and check out the rest of the Blissemas posts!

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Jingle Balls Giveaway Blog Hop

Ho Ho Ho!! We're Sexy Santa's kinky lil helpers, and here to wish you all a happy holiday with lots of hugs and kisses coming your way!

Welcome to our Jingle Balls Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by none other than Madame D's Boudoir and Satin's Bookish Corner.

The Hop will run from 00:00 on the 12th of December until 11:59 on the 17th of December 2011 (EST).

So, what are you waiting for? For your chance to win a paperback copy of Immoral Views, which contains my story Caught in the Act, please leave a comment on this post. Then, hit all the other blogs on the hop to enter to win lots of other cool prizes, too!

Hop to the other blogs here!

Six Sentence Sunday – 11/12/11

Here are six sentences from my upcoming fairy tale retelling Susie White and the Right Hand Man, from House of Erotica. Chris Hemsworth fans will appreciate this one

I should have known my stepmother was up to something when she offered to help me move all my stuff to my University digs. It wasn't like her to be civil, much less helpful, but I figured that she was happy I was moving hundreds of miles away, and therefore would do anything to make sure it happened as quickly as possible.



As my father's only child, I'm the sole heir to White's Bites, a massively profitable confectionary company based in Wiltshire, England. My stepmother had made no secret of the fact she resented that she wouldn't get a stake in the business, should anything happen to my father. Of course, the reason for this was that my father knew the first thing the witch would do was put the business on the market to get her greedy little hands on the cash. I, on the other hand, loved White's Bites and would continue to run it to the best of my ability.

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Love Through Time Review & A Dirty Birdies Post

[image error]I was most excited to receive a review for Love Through Time in my inbox this morning – and it was a fab one! Judging the Book by its Pages gave it 4 out of 5, and commented:

"Emily is given a job at the great Westbury Hall little did she know that this job turns out to be more than she had planned… I think Emily and George have a promising future ahead of them brought on by the past… This book was a great quick read with a steamy end.  I would recommend this book if you like ghost stories!"

Naturally I'm delighted with that! Bag the book here.

In other news, I posted over at the Dirty Birdies blog about rain, and how I find it inspirational. There are also hot guy pics, just for a change Check it out here.

Finally, there's still time to enter the two GoodReads giveaways in the sidebar —->> don't miss out!

New Release: Susie White and the Right Hand Man

How do you like the hot cover for my new short story, Susie White and the Right Hand Man? Think the guy looks a little like Chris Hemsworth in Thor? It's no coincidence! He was my inspiration for the story, so I told the cover artist, and this is what they came up with!

The story is a modern retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman, with a decidedly spicy twist towards the end, and promise of much more to come…

Here's the blurb:

A wedding, an evil plan, a love story and a sacrifice are the order of the day in this modern retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman.

Susie White and her stepmother-to-be have never seen eye to eye, despite all of Susie's best efforts to be friendly. Eager not to spoil her father's happiness, Susie still agrees to be bridesmaid at their wedding. When the big day comes, she meets Louise's right hand man, Scott. Susie had never believed in love at first sight until that moment. The pair hit it off, sharing a mutual dislike of Louise and her wicked ways. Their camaraderie quickly develops into something more, and they date in secret until it's time for Susie to leave for University – and freedom. Unfortunately, Scott has an earth-shattering revelation, which means the two of them of them must work together to unravel Louise's evil plan, before it's too late.

To read an excerpt and get your hands on a copy of this fairy tale retelling, check out the book page.

In other news, look what just dropped through my letter box! My author copies of Crimes of Passion from Xcite Books and Best Bondage Erotica 2012 from Cleis Press. See the book pages for more information and excerpts: Crimes of Passion, Best Bondage Erotica 2012.

Book Review: Avenger's Angel by Heather Killough-Walden

Article first published as Book Review: Avenger's Angel by Heather Killough-Walden on Blogcritics.

Avenger's Angel is the first in a new series of supernatural books, entitled The Lost Angels. If you're familiar with the mythology, you'll probably have guessed from the title that this book deals with Uriel, the Angel of Vengeance. The overall plot, without giving too much away, is that Uriel and his brothers, Gabriel, Azrael and Michael were sent down to earth two thousand years ago in order to find their archesses, the other halves that were made for them. After all this time, the archangels haven't given up on finding their archesses, but they have made lives for themselves. Uriel is now a famous movie star, adored by fans the world over. He copes with the attention but sometimes finds it a little overwhelming. One such instance has him hiding in a girls' bathroom, where something happens that changes his life forever.

His archess, Ellie, is a beautiful, determined young woman who's always known she was different, but not why. The arrival of Uriel in her life starts to answer those questions, but before she can find out too much more, the people that have tried to capture her since childhood are back, and Ellie must once again fight for her freedom. But with the archangels on her side, surely she'll be safe? It quickly transpires that nothing is guaranteed because there are forces in the universe that Ellie and even the four brothers knew nothing of. Their powers are immense, and they want Ellie.

Avenger's Angel is a very engaging, exciting read. From the beginning I was hooked, and enjoyed how bits and pieces of back story for the characters were thrown in here and there, rather than all coming out at once. It means you learn more all the time, without detracting from the action of the here and now. There's lots going on in this book, including love, hate, violence, scheming and a whole lot of sexual tension, but it's not too much. The book is really nicely paced, making you want to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next. Overall, Avenger's Angel is a fab paranormal romance with some much-welcomed heat thrown in to keep you warm. I'll definitely be looking out for the other titles in the series.

Available from:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Waterstone's