Virginia Nelson's Blog, page 10

Knowing What She Needs, Part of the Love in the Rockies #BoxSet

Knowing What She Needs Part of the Love in the Rockies Box SetRelease date: February 1, 2015
How can you love and resent the same thing about a person and still make things work?
Add it on Goodreads | Amazon
Blurb:Love in the RockiesA set of 6 stories updating some of your favorite Corbin's Bend characters.
Valentine's Surpriseby Constance Masters
Erin and Zach have had a busy but happy year. The handsome elementary teacher is over the moon that his wife now has friends of her own to spend time with but, he's feeling the need to have her all to himself for a while. Valentines Day is looming and an idea begins to seed. A surprise camping trip seems like just the way to reconnect.
Erin is beside herself when Zach lets her know that he has a sitter for the girls for the whole weekend. She can only imagine what he has planned. A hotel in the city maybe? A weekend cruise? Possibly even a trip to Vegas. She'd always wanted to go to vegas. Even better than all that, what if they were going to a luxury ski lodge?
What will Erin make of the borrowed RV that is her big surprise? Will the surprise be the best she's ever gotten? Or will this particular white elephant gift go down as the worst Valentine's Day gift in the history of bad gifts?

Roy & Teri's Accidental Staycation by Kate Richards
Roy and Teri Simms are finally going to take their vacation and renew their romance! With their adopted son Ben safely stowed with neighbors for a week, they are taking a romantic cruise to the Caribbean and this time Teri is on board with the plan.
But one thing after another happens to keep them from leaving town. Will they still be able to find any time to try out all the new toys? Or will the constant interruptions result in spanking interruptus?
The Simms are nothing if not creative and no matter how many small emergencies occur, they are sure to fit in enough sessions of spanking and sex toy testing to make their first honeymoon look like a convent retreat.

Past Interferenceby Kathryn R. Blake
When Jerry Douglas asks Elly Benson to marry him, he wants their ceremony to be as close to Valentine's Day as possible. Though Elly tearfully accepts Jerry's proposal without hesitation, as she readies herself for her second wedding, the doubts and misgivings of any new bride-to-be are exacerbated by the abuse she suffered during her first marriage. When Elly recalls how quickly her uncertain stomach jitters grew into tight knots of pain on her wedding day, she also remembers how and why she'd fallen in love with and married Arthur, her first husband. A mistake she regrets more and more with each passing hour.
Though she's lived with Jerry for four months now, and been subject to his discipline more than once, her first husband had been kind and careful with her, too, in the beginning. At least until she vowed to love, honor and obey him. And their move to Corbin's Bend turned him from the strict, but caring husband she thought she'd married into a monster she no longer recognized.

The Perfect Housewifeby Etta Stark
Kirsty Beale may be less wild and destructive than she used to be but she's a still a long way off being the perfect housewife.
Since moving in with her boyfriend Logan - and spending time with Logan's very traditional family - Kirsty has begun to worry that she isn't the traditional homemaker that Logan would like her to be. Will Valentine’s Day be the perfect opportunity to let Logan enjoy the pleasures of having a perfect old-fashioned wife - if only for one night?

Unexpected Surprisesby Ruth Staunton
For their first Valentine's Day in Corbin's Bend, Grant Taylor is determined to do something special for his wife Lainie. Lainie,however, has plans of her own. As a middle school teacher, she has volunteered to help plan and chaperone the Valentine dance that is being held for the middle and high school students.
When Grant hears this, he insists that she is working too hard and needs to cut back on the things she has committed to, the first and foremost being the Valentine's Day dance. Lainie insists that she can't do that and finally he reluctantly agrees to let her work part of the dance and then come home.
Under extreme protest, Lainie agrees, but when the time comes to admit to her supervisor that she can't chaperone, she changes her mind and decides Grant is being unreasonable. She determines to chaperone the dance anyway and deal with Grant later. Unfortunately, Lainie's plan doesn't work out quite like she intended it to and she is in for quite a few unexpected surprises.

Knowing What She Needsby Thianna D.
Winter has been oppressive too long and Charmagne Kendle feels like she’s about to climb the walls. While she loves Brent, his need to take care of others when she thinks he should be home with her comes to a head on Valentine’s Day when the community suffers a massive power outage and instead of spending the day with her and Kayla, he’s at the dome working on community stuff. She knows it’s illogical, but at the moment she doesn’t care.
Brent knows the woman he loves is stressed and has a surprise in store to help lessen it. When she explodes, he sets her straight with an over-the-knee spanking that turns into a night of passionate lovemaking. Once she calms down, he delivers the best Valentine’s Day gift she could have received. Stress gone and having reconnected in the best way, when help is once again needed from the man she loves, Char has a choice to make: Accept it willingly. Or Detonate. One decision controls their future. Will she make the right one this Valentine’s Day?
Excerpt:To her surprise, the parking lot at the dome was filled to overflowing. She had to park two blocks away. Once they were out of the truck, she took her daughter’s hand as her little girl loved to go pounce in snow, and they headed to the community center. As soon as the door opened, she was shocked at the amount of noise. Who all was here?
The sounds were coming from the large community room and as she took a step forward to see what was going on, Benjamin stepped into view.
“Uncle Benny!” Kayla squealed, ripping her hand out of Char’s and running into the arms of her godfather.
“Miss Kayla,” he said pleased, swinging her around. Her delighted laughter bounced around the foyer. “How are you doing today, my little princess?”
“Great! Happy Valentine’s Day.”
“Same to you, pumpkin.” His eyes switched to Char and hers narrowed as an amused expression crossed his face. “So, how are you doing on this fine day, Charmagne?”
“You don’t want to know.”
A snort of laughter left him and he turned to Kayla. “I think you and I should go to my house. What do you say?”
“Really?” Her eyes lit up as if she’d just been told Christmas was this week as she turned toward Char. “Can I, Mommy?”
At first, Char wanted to say no as this was the day for all three of them. Then again, she had dressed provocatively. Maybe it would be nice to have some one-on-one time with her fiancé. “I think that’s a superb idea,” she said, warming up to it. “We can come pick her up later.”
“Nah. We’ll drop her by after we’ve had all the fun we can.” With a wink, he turned back to the room. “I’m heading out,” he called. “If you need more help, have Jonathon call me.”
“Thanks, Benjamin!” That was Brandon Delt’s voice.
“What’s going on?” she asked as he went to walk by her.
“Emergency,” he explained. “Since we aren’t sure if the homes that don’t have power will be getting it any time soon, we’re setting up emergency shelter here. Beds, chairs, sleeping bags… The restaurants have been tasked with making enough to feed the lot.”
“Oh.” As he and her daughter left, with Kayla chattering lively about tea parties, Charmagne felt some of her anger deflate. Damnit. Things were so bad that they were setting up emergency shelter? “I’m such a bitch,” she muttered.
“Char!” Brent’s happy voice had her swing round as he reached the bottom stair. “I didn’t expect to see you,” he said warmly, pulling her into a nice tight hug. Her arms clutched around him, holding him just as tightly. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“You didn’t tell me it was so bad. Or I didn’t get it from what you said. Part of the community’s going to be housed here?” She stepped back, her anger jumping back to the forefront. “Why didn’t you tell me? I could have come help!” As if to add to her statement, she stomped her foot, drawing his eye. As he caught sight of her sheer leggings, he frowned.
“What are you wearing?”
“Not much,” she snapped back. “And that’s my choice to make!” Freezing, she realized she’d just thrown down the gauntlet. If she was honest with herself, which she had no intention of being, she’d been aching for a hard spanking for a few weeks, something to knock her stress off her shoulders. Now, she stared with wide eyes as her fiancé’s gray eyes, instead of darkening to that firm look that would tell her a spanking was imminent, softened and turned gentle. Which just infuriated her further.
“Baby,” he murmured, cupping her jaw in his hands. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to her lips before pulling back. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
“I want to help,” she said in a mulish tone.
“There are more than enough people,” he said firmly. “And I’ve got plans.”
“Plans?” she shot back, widening her stance a bit. “You’ve been here all day long, Brent Joshua Carmichael. What kind of plans could you possibly have besides ignoring your fiancée and daughter?”
If she’d thought about it, she would have realized she was way over the line, but she wasn’t thinking right now so much as striking back. One moment she was glaring at him with her hands on her hips and the next she was over his shoulder as he carried her up the stairs. “Brent!” she hollered but he ignored her. The man was incredibly strong and he worked out often enough that running up flights of stairs to reach the top didn’t even put him out of breath.
“Corner,” he commanded, putting her on her feet in his office.
For a moment, she stood there weaving back and forth with his hands on her hips to steady her until the blood stopped rushing from her head. Once she was okay, he turned and left the room. Only then did she notice Calbert and Jonathon leaving the office. Ah, damn. Great. They’d had an audience. Just what she needed. What was this? A wedding rehearsal?
“Corner, Charmagne,” he called from wherever he was. Grumbling she walked over to the corner next to his desk and glared at the wall. Boy, wasn’t this the Valentine’s Day from hell?
Author bio:Thianna D. likes to say she’s eclectic, fun, and just a bit naughty. She writes M/F romance with a little spice on the side. No matter what she writes, all the hot scenes support the story instead of the other way around.
She’s also the creator of and acquisition editor for the Corbin’s Bend spanking romance series. Who else wants to be safe, secure, and spanked in Colorado?
Also writes m/m romance under the name Thianna Durston.   Social Networking links:Thianna’s Website | Thianna’s Blog | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Pinterest | Goodreads

WOLF’S SONG ~ A Black Hills Wolves story ~ Taryn Kincaid #NewRelease #Wolves

WOLF’S SONG A Black Hills Wolves storyBy Taryn Kincaid BLURB: Ten years ago, visions of death and the babble of lupine voices in his head, drove lone wolf Brick Northridge to challenge his cruel and greedy pack alpha. Beaten by the alpha’s thugs and banished from the pack, Brick lives a life of seclusion in a mountain cabin in the Black Hills. Born into a rival clan of feline shifters, skinwalker Summer McCoy, in her guise as a raven, watches Brick from afar, giving him back a reason to live through her sweet songs and special gifts. But when her clan attempts to tear them apart and threatens the pack that banished Brick so many years before, will their love be strong enough to withstand the forces bent on their destruction?
EXCERPT: She did not move, except to lower her raised arm from its frozen position. “Why do you call me that…? Annabel Lee?”“I don’t have another name.”“Summer,” she said. “I’m Summer.”Yeah. Def. When the berries plumped sweetest. “Suits you.” His raging arousal made the words hoarse and jagged. Too harsh for this gentle female. “Turn,” he murmured. “I want to see your face.” A low growl escaped him before he could bite it back. “Your breasts.”She turned then, slowly through the water, rounding to face him.He sucked in his breath, his heart slamming against his chest. She was stunning and glorious. The beads of water rolling down her golden body sparkled in the sun. She glistened. All natural. No makeup. No artifice. Everything a female should be. And more. Much more.Another pheromone cloud engulfed him. Her eyes went large and rounded, as if she guessed she’d zapped him with her hormonal lures, but couldn’t help emitting her sex juice any more than he could. Her nose twitched and she sighed, as if enveloped in a vat of melted chocolate, or whatever the fuck his own mating scent smelled like. He could only hope he gave off an aroma as rich and delicious as she did.He struggled to control the raw savagery of his attraction and had to tear his eyes from her face. But her breasts…God, her breasts. Full and high, the exact size to fill his large hands, rose tips jutting toward him. He remembered how she’d touched herself, how much he’d wanted to replace her hands with his. Hell. He wanted to bury his face between those breasts, lapping at her, licking and sucking, take each one into his mouth, between his lips, grazing the pointed nipples with his teeth until he tore moans of delight from her.His throat closed, his tongue swelling, filling his suddenly dry mouth, cutting off his ability to utter either animal sounds or inane words. After a beat or two of silence, she glanced away.“What do you think?” Not shy exactly. Expectant. An undercurrent of doubt laced her question, as if she could not bear to disappoint him, and did not know what to make of his continued speechlessness.“Perfect.” He rubbed his eyes. “Ah, Christ. You’re perfect.”“No, I’m not.”“You are to me.”
Pre-Order at Amazon: US | Canada|  UK | Australia  | Kobo | iBooks AUTHOR BIO: Taryn Kincaid is a former award-winning reporter and columnist, covering everything from fires and homicides, to corrupt politicians and hero dogs. Nowadays, she haunts courthouses (in least paranormal way).
She is the author of the Sleepy Hollow series--LIGHTNING,THUNDER,FROST,HEAT WAVE and IN FROM THE COLD -- sexy paranormal romances for Decadent Publishing's popular 1Night Stand series; BLIZZARD, a short erotic romance for Decadent's The Edge line; HEALING HEARTS, a Regency romance from Carina Press, and SLEEPY HOLLOW DREAMS, an erotic paranormal romance from The Wild Rose Press. Books 1-4 of her Sleepy Hollow series, plus Blizzard, have been compiled in the SLEEPY HOLLOW edition, available in paperback and digital formats.

Coming January 30, 2015, WOLF’S SONG, a sexy paranormal romance for Decadent Publishing's new Black Hills Wolves shifter line. And coming February 24, 2015 from Fated Desires Publishing, IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE HEAT, a contemporary foodie romance.
Visit Taryn at her website http://tarynkincaid.com, or her blog http://dreamvoyagers.blogspot.com, as well as Twitter, Facebook, tsu, Pinterest and Goodreads.
AUTHOR LINKS: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Blog | Pinterest | tsu

#NewRelease Under a Wolf Moon #BoxSet #Wolves #EXCERPT

Five brand new, hot paranormal romance stories from bestselling authors. Alpha heroes and heroines with dark pasts and the need to discover their own happy ever after will draw you in and make you turn to the next page.
The wolf moon fills the sky and it’s time to howl!Warning:  Contains alpha heroes and heroines, scorching passion, tough love, family ties, and pack dynamics which bind them together. Sometimes a wolf’s greatest challenge is finding their way home… Under a Wolf Moon Available Now!
Amazon | ARe | B&N | Add to GoodreadsTITLES INCLUDE:Wolf Next Door by HeatherLongWhen Claire Webster was five years old Tyler Buckley, the wolf next door, told her he was her mate and then ordered her not to play with one of her friends. Butting heads throughout their childhood, her choice to leave Willow Bend tore them apart. Eight years later, she sends a request to the new Alpha—she wants to come home, and when he grants it, she’s both relieved and terrified. The first person she runs into is the last one who ever wants to see her again.Princess of the Pack by Saranna DeWyldeMarchessa de la Luna’s duty is to the marriage arranged to the enigmatic and powerful, but aging Alpha Antony Rommulus. Her passion is for the rogue Cassius who can give her nothing except pleasure. Marchessa must choose if it will be duty or desire that will decide her fate and that of her pack.Eternal by Rebecca RoyceDougal Owens has served on the front line of The Dragon Wars for sixteen years. The last thing this Alpha werewolf expects is his mate to drop in with a plan to end the war. Together, they will battle to save the Wolves or die trying.Hell’s Playground by CaraCarnesThe Quadrant Alpha once thought Mira’s death was the worst thing that could have happened. Learning she lives, and worse, survived torture and purgatory gives Adrik a chance to save Redemption and his mate.Odd Wolf by Virginia NelsonDara is Alpha and used to taking control of the situation when it goes swirly. A rogue on her turf means a fight, and she’s ready to take him on. A woman with no plans to be tamed and a rogue wolf with no plans to stick around shouldn’t have more than a brief meeting to establish boundaries and be done. However, when Dara meets Lynwood, the call to mate might drown out logic altogether.

Excerpt from Odd Wolf:

“Look, sweetheart? We both know I’m awake and you’re in control, but could you spare a drink of water? Because my mouth tastes like blood and is dry, and the dripping I can hear isn’t helping any.” There, his voice didn’t betray his illogical reaction to her, or at least he hoped it didn’t.“You’re hardly in a position to request favors.”  Her voice seemed to strip him bare, the acid in her tone actually painful to him for some reason.A bright light shone on his face and he blinked, blinded. Trying to turn away from it didn’t help since she’d duct taped him to a damned chair. “I realize that. Again, you’ve got all the cards, sweetheart. I haven’t fought against you, not even a little…and I didn’t ask you to let me go.” He didn’t ask, but he worked to free himself. It wasn’t his first time getting taped up, so he knew patience would better serve him than panicked tugging at his restraints.The light winked out, leaving a sheen of red with a brilliant white spot burned on the back of his eyeballs. Though he couldn’t see her, he heard her movement moments before her hand cupped the back of his head. “Drink, then.”He couldn’t, leaving it to dribble down his chin before he managed to control himself to the point of swallowing. Her touch—the feel of her fingertips in his hair so near his scalp—scraped him to the core. There was something about this female… The untainted water proved cool and refreshing as it trickled down his dry throat. Her nearness lasted a few seconds longer before she vanished again, and he couldn’t track her in the darkness. She was soundless in her movements, but perhaps she was off to his left a little. “You said your name was Lynwood…” The sound of her words came from his right and he snapped toward direction. But then he heard her breathing, as if she stood right behind him. The conflicting guesses at her location left his wolf spinning, panicking past the hypnotic sound of her voice.“Yes,” he said. The man worked to still and calm the beast, forcing instinct down in favor of calm logic. “My name is Lynwood Pierce and I understand that I’ve trespassed on your turf, but—”Her breath washed over him when she spoke, her face so close he could practically feel her lips move with her words. “There aren’t any buts, Lynwood, you trespassed.”Swallowing hard, he bit his lip. The temptation to lean forward and capture her lips shivered through him, a need almost as important as breathing. Again, the man worked to overrule the wolf so he could speak. “You’re right, of course, sweetheart.”Her palm met his cheek with a resounding slap. “Stop calling me that. I’m Alpha and will be addressed as such.”“Fine, Alpha Sweetheart, I’m sorry I upset you with my presence.”

Top Five Beta Heroes (in Movies) - #Countdown to Odd Wolf #UnderAWolfMoon

Odd Wolf, my story in the Under A Wolf Moon box set (RELEASING TOMORROW!! *throws confetti*) has a beta hero. When I asked folks on facebook during a recent party if they liked beta heroes, the answer was almost a unanimous NO. Folks wanted the Alpha guys. Me? I've always had a soft spot for the Dan Connors of this world. I like beta heroes...but then again, I like the alpha women.

Beta Heroes are defined as, "...romances (with) kinder, gentler heroes, the kind of men who will change your flat tire, open doors for you, help your kid with his homework, and bring you soup when you are sick. They are the antithesis of the testosterone-filled chest beaters found in the earlier bodice-ripper romances. These are the guys we all want to find in real life." - All About Romance Novels

Beta Heroes are in a TON of movies, but here are some of my top five all-all time favorite movie star beta men. (I have a longer list than this...apparently I really have a thing for these guys.)

Top Five Movie Beta Heroes
5. Hugh Grant as William Thacker in Notting Hill (1999)

In this movie, Julia Roberts plays a character very close to her reality--a super star, famous in tabloids and for her work as an actress, but lonely because who dares catch the tail of a star? She bumps repeatedly into the quiet Brit, William Thacker played by Hugh Grant, who is a bit nerdy, awkward, bookish and otherwise completely wrong for her world. Through a series of misadventures, they share a moment in a garden on a bench dedicated to a long dead woman who loved the garden...and the man who liked to sit with her. Grant plays a wonderful beta, never trying to dominate Roberts, but somehow becoming the one man who really gets her. Although an older movie, this one has a classic theme which will likely prove timeless and the cast of secondary characters ALMOST distracts from the clever love story...almost.


4. Scott Cohan as Wolf in The 10th Kingdom (2000)

Maybe I love this movie because the heroine is named Virginia, maybe I love it because I've always love a fairytale that twists in the real world...maybe I love it because Wolf is irresistible. Cohan plays a wolf far more canine than most modern writers depict wolves, but it works. It so works. He falls in love with his Virginia and literally travels through worlds to stay with her. Mirror magic, a starstudded cast including

3. James Frain as Forney Hill in Where the Heart Is (2000)

Forney jumps through a plate glass window to deliver the baby in this over-the-top romance. This story twists tragic and then spirals back to funny, but through it all...Forney remains bookish, awkward, quiet and yet I fell in love with him. I could ramble all day about how fantastic Frain was in this role, but if you haven't seen it, you aren't going to get it...and if you have seen it, you already know. Highly recommend Forney as he's the guy we'd all like to stumble across in a library.


2. Matthew Goode as Declan in Leap Year (2010)

I've rewatched this movie so many times that my children have lines from it memorized. Goode plays Declan, as Irish as the name sounds, and he's brilliant. When she first meets him, he's snarly, cranky and not interested in the snooty and arrogant Adams character. As they end up on a road trip from hell together, each finds the other has charms not immediately recognized--this is far from a love or lust at first sight romance. But Declan is beta...which is just what the strong woman played by Adams finds she wants in her life. And I do, too. *sigh*

1. Ryan Reynolds as Andrew Paxton in The Proposal (2009)

Sandra Bullock is a powerful woman--editor, boss, shark. She's also a Canadian about to get the boot out of NY if her assistant, played by the snarky and sexy Reynolds, doesn't agree to pretend to be her fiance. They end up flying away to Alaska to meet his family (with Bette White as the Grandma...and she is a HOOT.) to further their illusion and she learns there is a lot about him that she never knew...although he seems to know her almost eerily well. The two bumble and fumble through their faked engagement, but Reynolds remains beautifully beta right until the end. Even his counter-proposal is brilliantly beta. Not to mention he's naked in one scene...just saying.

Do you have any favorite beta heroes? Lemme know in the comment section below!

Top Five Hot #Werewolves - #Countdown to Odd Wolf

We're getting so close! Okay, a whole box set of wolf-variety stories? YES. I know, I got pretty excited when I heard about it myself. So, in honor of all the wolfy goodness, here's a countdown of werewolves I thought were hot in Virg-particular order:

Top Five Hot Werewolves
5. Wolf from the Tenth Kingdom

Okay, he's not alpha. And he's rather silly for a good chunk of the movie, even if he does have primal and insatiable animal hungers...but Wolf was hot. There was something about his canine devotion to his Virginia, his wolfish glare and the adorable way he'd scratch his ear that just did it for me. I know, I'm weird. But this is my list and I thought he was kinda hot.

4. Teen Wolf as played by Michael J. Fox

 Okay, for sure this was a campy kind of movie and I get that...but I had a serious long-running crush on the Fox. I mean, he's the dude from Back in Time! Not to mention his money-clever character from his long running television show. That said, I didn't even mind him getting hairy. Still hot.

3. The Werewolf as played by Michael Jackson

I'm going to be honest...I never had a thing for MJ. My sister and mother had the biggest crush on him and now my daughter does, but I loved and love Thriller. I do, I admit it. Sure, I probably have more of a thing for Vincent Price than MJ as a wolf, but whatever...that laugh from Price is worthy of making the list, even if he wasn't the wolf.

2. The Underworld Wolves

They had me at the sex in the back of that truck thing? Yeah, that was hot. Nuff said.

1. Blood and Chocolate the book Wolves

I don't know if you've read the book, but the movie disappointed me because of my love of the book. The way he came in the window...yeah, I liked that book. That was a sexy wolf.

Which wolves flipped your pancakes?

Top Five Powerful Women in HIstory - #Countdown to Odd Wolf

Dara in Odd Wolf is an Alpha of a pack of wolves. She's a bitch in more way than one and is rather proud of that. Her strength, however, doesn't always come from just her muscles or the powers granted to her via the pack bonds--she's smart, brave and has a big heart, too. A big enough heart to keep interacting with a rogue wolf with a lost look in his mysterious eyes...

But that is a story for three days from now. For now, let's talk about powerful women in movies, shall we? These are not, by a long shot, THE most powerful women in history, just some of my personal favorites. (Note: These are my recollections of these women, so google them if you want more accuracy or are writing a book report as this is in no way a relevant document.)

Top Five Powerful Women in History According to Virg
It isn't about luck.
5. Anne Sullivan (April 14, 1866 – October 20, 1936)

To escape the potato famine, Anne's parents came to America. She got an infection in her eyes, her mom died, and her dad abandoned her. All of this happened before she was ten years old. Then her brother dies and she is pretty much as down on your luck and alone as anyone can get. What does she do with her time? Oh, she goes to this place where they have this kid who can't see, hear or talk. With the deck stacked against her, she manages to give the child a voice, one that resounded throughout history and changed, if not the whole world, certainly her own. Pretty badass for a woman who was born to nothing and given no advantages whatsoever from the fates...

Ain't I a Woman?4. Sojourner Truth (1797 – November 26, 1883)

Every single one of my kids listened to the Ain't I a Woman speech and it still brings me to tears to this day.  Sojourner was born into slavery but took her baby and escaped to freedom--walking because she didn't think it was right to run away from problems. She then took a white man to court to get custody of her son back and became the first black woman to win that kind of battle. She fought, throughout her life, using her voice to rise up against everything from gender inequality to capital punishment and only death managed to stop her. Even silenced by the great equalizer, her words have rung out across the ages to decry unfairness and insist on equality for all.

3. Christa McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) 

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. I remember my Weekly Reader's all telling me how a teacher was going to give lessons from outer space and how we could listen to Christa right in our classrooms--a big deal in the eighties. When the Challenger launched, we didn't have school. I remember that because I was home, sitting at the table and coloring when the news came that it exploded. I had nightmares for weeks if not longer about exploding in a shuttle, something that put a bit of a damper on my dreams of becoming an astronaut...but I still wanted it bad enough to chase that particular star for a while. She might not have changed the world, but she changed mine, so she makes my list.
Sorry for stepping on your foot, dude.
2. Marie Antoinette (2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793)

Back in school, I got to choose which French figure I wanted to be for some thing or another and I picked Madame Du Barry.  Only much later in life did I realize there was more to Marie than what I learned in school. She was born to a mostly disinterested mother, given away in marriage to a place far from home as little more than a child herself and married to a boy. Their rule was fast, tumultuous, and eventually disastrous. However, she faced all of it with grace and dignity, even charges against her which insulted her, and didn't cry or beg at her own beheading. Her last words were a brief apology to her executioner for stepping on his foot.

You can be anything. Look at what Theo managed.1. Theodora (500 – 28 June 548)

Okay, this one is straight from memory, so excuse any bending of history for this, as it is how I remember it. Theodora was born to an actress (read:prostitute) and a bear trainer for the Coliseum. Her fate, it would seem, wasn't to be illustrious. As a single mother, however, she did the dance of the veils for Justinian and won his heart. He went to his uncle, passed a law to say he could marry former actresses, and married her before becoming emperor of Rome. Together, they rebuilt roads, aquaducts and more, but that cost a lot of dough. So, the people rose up and rioted, circling their house and demanding Justinian back down. Justinian's advisers advised he back down. Theodora? She was like, "Nah. Dude, you're the damned emperor of Rome. Put on your man-panties and deal with this shit." (Obviously paraphrased.) So he did--he called in the leaders of the two teams against him, told one he was always a fan and here, "Have these casks of gold." They were cool with that and bounced. The other folks, though, they were still pissed and they told him so. Justinian shrugged, admitted he foresaw that response and had his guards kill them. End of Rise of the Nika, BAM. In her time in 'office' so to speak, Theodora worked hard for women's rights and changed a lot of really lame laws, not to mention contributing to lots of really cool projects. When she died, her husband, the emperor of Rome, openly wept at the funeral. She was born a daughter of no one from the absolute wrong side of the tracks and yet when she died, the most powerful man in the world mourned her publicly. That's pretty damn badass, if you ask me.

Who are your favorite historical Alpha women?

Top Five Powerful Women in Movies - #Countdown to Odd Wolf

Dara in Odd Wolf is an Alpha of a pack of wolves. She's a bitch in more way than one and is rather proud of that. Her strength, however, doesn't always come from just her muscles or the powers granted to her via the pack bonds--she's smart, brave and has a big heart, too. A big enough heart to keep interacting with a rogue wolf with a lost look in his mysterious eyes...

But that is a story for three days from now. For now, let's talk about powerful women in movies, shall we? These are not, by a long shot, THE most powerful women in history, just some of my personal favorites. (Note: These are my recollections of these women, so google them if you want more accuracy or are writing a book report as this is in no way a relevant document.)

Top Five Powerful Women in History According to Virg
It isn't about luck.
5. Anne Sullivan (April 14, 1866 – October 20, 1936)

To escape the potato famine, Anne's parents came to America. She got an infection in her eyes, her mom died, and her dad abandoned her. All of this happened before she was ten years old. Then her brother dies and she is pretty much as down on your luck and alone as anyone can get. What does she do with her time? Oh, she goes to this place where they have this kid who can't see, hear or talk. With the deck stacked against her, she manages to give the child a voice, one that resounded throughout history and changed, if not the whole world, certainly her own. Pretty badass for a woman who was born to nothing and given no advantages whatsoever from the fates...

Ain't I a Woman?4. Sojourner Truth (1797 – November 26, 1883)

Every single one of my kids listened to the Ain't I a Woman speech and it still brings me to tears to this day.  Sojourner was born into slavery but took her baby and escaped to freedom--walking because she didn't think it was right to run away from problems. She then took a white man to court to get custody of her son back and became the first black woman to win that kind of battle. She fought, throughout her life, using her voice to rise up against everything from gender inequality to capital punishment and only death managed to stop her. Even silenced by the great equalizer, her words have rung out across the ages to decry unfairness and insist on equality for all.

3. Christa McAuliffe (September 2, 1948 – January 28, 1986) 

When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. I remember my Weekly Reader's all telling me how a teacher was going to give lessons from outer space and how we could listen to Christa right in our classrooms--a big deal in the eighties. When the Challenger launched, we didn't have school. I remember that because I was home, sitting at the table and coloring when the news came that it exploded. I had nightmares for weeks if not longer about exploding in a shuttle, something that put a bit of a damper on my dreams of becoming an astronaut...but I still wanted it bad enough to chase that particular star for a while. She might not have changed the world, but she changed mine, so she makes my list.
Sorry for stepping on your foot, dude.
2. Marie Antoinette (2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793)

Back in school, I got to choose which French figure I wanted to be for some thing or another and I picked Madame Du Barry.  Only much later in life did I realize there was more to Marie than what I learned in school. She was born to a mostly disinterested mother, given away in marriage to a place far from home as little more than a child herself and married to a boy. Their rule was fast, tumultuous, and eventually disastrous. However, she faced all of it with grace and dignity, even charges against her which insulted her, and didn't cry or beg at her own beheading. Her last words were a brief apology to her executioner for stepping on his foot.

You can be anything. Look at what Theo managed.1. Theodora (500 – 28 June 548)

Okay, this one is straight from memory, so excuse any bending of history for this, as it is how I remember it. Theodora was born to an actress (read:prostitute) and a bear trainer for the Coliseum. Her fate, it would seem, wasn't to be illustrious. As a single mother, however, she did the dance of the veils for Justinian and won his heart. He went to his uncle, passed a law to say he could marry former actresses, and married her before becoming emperor of Rome. Together, they rebuilt roads, aquaducts and more, but that cost a lot of dough. So, the people rose up and rioted, circling their house and demanding Justinian back down. Justinian's advisers advised he back down. Theodora? She was like, "Nah. Dude, you're the damned emperor of Rome. Put on your man-panties and deal with this shit." (Obviously paraphrased.) So he did--he called in the leaders of the two teams against him, told one he was always a fan and here, "Have these casks of gold." They were cool with that and bounced. The other folks, though, they were still pissed and they told him so. Justinian shrugged, admitted he foresaw that response and had his guards kill them. End of Rise of the Nika, BAM. In her time in 'office' so to speak, Theodora worked hard for women's rights and changed a lot of really lame laws, not to mention contributing to lots of really cool projects. When she died, her husband, the emperor of Rome, openly wept at the funeral. She was born a daughter of no one from the absolute wrong side of the tracks and yet when she died, the most powerful man in the world mourned her publicly. That's pretty damn badass, if you ask me.

Who are your favorite historical Alpha women?

Top Five Odd Series Facts - #Countdown to #OddWolf

Odd Stuff was my very first book back in 2010, published initially by Sapphire Blue Publishing. I wrote the book backwards, literally. I knew how it ended, wrote that scene, and worked my way back to the beginning. I've never written another book this way and that's a fact I'm terribly happy about since it wasn't a terribly comfortable way to tell a story. This world is and will always be one of my favorites and it has some awesome dedicated fans (*waves at Odd Series fans*)

Odd Wolf is written in a way to be accessible to those who read the first two books and those who haven't yet joined the party. That said, here's a few Odd Series facts for those new to the world: 
  Top Five Odd Series Facts 5. The Odd Series is set in Ashtabula, Ohio, a small town that used to be big.  


Long ago, when shipping was pretty important to everyone, Ashtabula was a major port city. Things were shipped in from the Atlantic Ocean, brought inland via the Great Lakes until the ships reached the Ashtabula Harbor. So, the harbor had everything a sailor just off the water might need--whore houses, fancy hotels, great dining, a lovely lift bridge and what remained became what is now known as the historic Harbor District. History left behind an area with a faded grandeur, an almost scenic history and seemed the perfect setting for a paranormal world to hide. On cobbled alleyways, under gargoyle laden eaves, my monsters roam through snowstorms and sunshiney beach days...just like everyone else here.
4. Odd Stuff is the name of a store selling metaphysical and mystical goodies.Run by a local witch, Mia, Odd Stuff is more than a store. It is a way of life. Mia has many friends in various other circles of the magical world--from wolves, to sirens, to creatures that no one can even name, she is like a bridge uniting all things the humans don't know exist. Janie is her best friend from high school, recently divorced, who moved in with Mia for a while with her daughter, Vickie. I'm not even going to get into all the adventures they've already had (since it took me two couple hundred page long books to begin telling them in the first place) however I will say that Janie has a penchant for getting into mischief and has a hard time in the love department. Dara also knew Mia from back in school, although she was a year ahead of Janie and Mia so she wasn't besties or anything. They help out where they can, tossing virtual duct tape on lots of mystical leaks, so it didn't surprise me when Dara headed over to Odd Stuff for help in Odd Wolf. (PS. Yes, this means that fans of Janie and crew will get to see everyone, if briefly, in the new book. Chance is...cranky, to say the least, and I got a kick out of seeing the gang through someone else's eyes for this story.)
3. Fairies aren't nice.
In this particular series, most of the fairies we've met are dicks. Like, they aren't nice at ALL. I'm sure some are, but we haven't really met any. You won't hear a peep from them in Dara's story since none of the fae have a burning desire to get mixed up in wolf business, but they're out there. Being dicks.
2. Vampires can be a little arrogant.
But, hey, wouldn't you be if you were super hot, had a really long lifespan and could move way faster than most anyone? Vance, leader of the local blood-sucking residents, also isn't a big fan of wolves, so we don't see much of the vamps in this book. But again...they're out there. Being arrogant. We don't hold it against them most days, but hey, the wolves aren't getting I heart Vamps t-shirts anytime soon.
1. The Witches are pretty badass, actually.
Like one of them is the maiden of the circle of the dawn and she's going to school to become an architect. She's also a stripper and has outstanding boobs, but everyone has to make a living, right? In this series, we've seen witches use simple table sugar to cast spells that stopped baddies in their tracks. We've seen witches cure the nearly dead, witches sneezing spells...The witches have a lot going on. Lucky for Dara, she's on the witches' good side. Which explains how she could just bip over to Odd Stuff and ask for Mia to do her a solid. No matter how badass anyone is in this world, however, there's always someone with just a hair more power...Don't even get me started on Chance. *sigh*
Well, that was your quickie intro to the world. For those of you who've been hanging out with me in this magic-filled playground for a few books now, welcome back! Shit is about to hit the fan. For those of you new to the Harbor, welcome. Pull up a chair. Maybe grab a raincoat, cuz stuff is about to get a little Odd...
Exclusive Excerpt from Odd Wolf: The man, however, long ago conquered the beast, so Lynwood simply looked at her again. With a blink, her wolf peered out at him and he hit his knees before he realized he planned to move. The impact of knees on brick jarred him and seemed to give him a tiny measure of his mind back.Enough so, he recognized the alpha in the alley wasn’t the man by the dumpster. As he gazed up at her, he saw her lips curl into a feral smile. “That’s better, don’t you think?”Her voice shivered over him, rich and ripe with her power, and he trembled before dropping his chin to his chest. “Unexpected is the word I’d use.” With her power still gliding over him with an invisible weight, he caved and his palms hit the cold grit of wet bricks. His arms trembled as the wolf longed to drop and show belly, an outward recognition of her utter dominance.“Your name,” she demanded. More of her strength rippled over him until he did collapse, looking at her shoes in frustration. “Lynwood Pierce. Look, about trespassing on your pack property…”He didn’t get to finish. The man’s boot rammed between his ribs. The kick alone wasn’t enough to silence him, but combined with her power, the blow left him blinking back tears and grinding his teeth together.“I think we’ll go someplace more private to talk, if that is okay with you, Lynwood.”Although she’d phrased it as a question, he understood the lady alpha issued a command. What disturbed him most, however, wasn’t her decision. It was the fact his wolf didn’t mind following any orders she might give—something he’d sworn never to do again.

It is my 5 Year Anniversary!! #Author

My First Book CoverFive years ago today, I stared at Amazon and had no clue what to expect. Sapphire Blue Publishing contracted my book and just making it that far boggled my mind. To think, people might that day be reading my words? Meeting Janie and Chance? It was more than I'd ever really dared to dream.

In an excerpt of the blog I wrote the day before that release, I said the following deep and meaningful stuff. *clears throat*

"Tomorrow is the big day and Odd Stuff will be out for your reading pleasure. Finally you can all join Janie on her great first adventure...*evil grin* *happy dance* In other, non-literary news... things with the kids are on the upswing. The chaotic events of last week (which could not possibly have had a worse drop date timeline wise) have ironed themselves out (okay, I ironed them out with a bus and a shovel and other heavy work... but we can make it sound easy on paper!) and hopefully we will see things getting better for the shortest member of the family. If not, he will be grounded until graduation. One or the other. Either will work.

Some man just swam through a wheat field on a Subway commercial on TV. One would think that would chafe. Just sayin.

We had the biweekly meeting of the writers group on Saturday Night. I think our name is M.U.S.E. but I don't remember what the acronym stood for. I was kind of punch drunk tired at that point and they were plying me with wine. Okay, I can't blame it on the wine, but it was worth a shot. I liked the wine. I had no sleep going into that meeting and I was doing the galley on Odd that night as well as the meeting so bits are blurry. Like what our name means. But I remember I liked it."
Back then, I wrote on Bluey. And she is STILL HERE.
As you can see, my reputation for thought-provoking writing is...still a lot like when I started.

Since then, I've published a plethora of stories with a variety of publishers, but in a few short days...I'm celebrating the release of another Odd Story and Jeanie and Chance will ride again. Life is funny. If you told me five years ago that everything would be okay, that there would be more books, that one day I'd look back on that one and be amused at myself?

I wouldn't have believed it. Thanks so much for being on this bumpy and crazy journey with me. Thanks to those of you who have been there since that first book, thanks to those just joining me at this point in the ride. And here's to another fabulous five years to come!

#Rafflecopter - Spotlight on #KaliArgent Timeless Coming January 28th!

Travel with me to the Planet Nekron in the year 2984 to the mountain compound of Pandora, where the most dangerous artifacts from around the universe are kept under constant guard. Some, you may not recognize. Some, you will, but each relic holds a different power, a different mystery, and a new chance for love. TIMELESSComing January 28th! Pre-Order your copy of Timeless from:AMAZON| ARe Deep within the fortress of Pandora, Lieutenant Vane Schiva has spent millennium guarding precious artifacts and ancient secrets from around the universe. As the son of a decorated commander, he has always been a soldier first, putting the needs of his people before his own desires. So when the compound is breached and he’s sent across the galaxies to track down the thief, he never imagined the assignment would lead him to the only thing he’s ever wanted for himself.Growing up in New Orleans, Charlotte Rousseau has seen her share of the strange and unexplainable, but everything she thought she knew about the world is about to be tested. What started as any other day, quickly spirals into a nightmarish reality, leaving her no choice but to place her trust—and her life—in a stranger’s hands. Safety comes at a price, though, and Charlotte soon realizes her only chance at survival means leaving behind her fears and following Vane into the fire.Faced with the threat of war, new alliances are formed and old loyalties are tested in the midst of chaos and uncertainty. While emotions run high and sexual tensions simmer, Vane still guards a dangerous secret, one that could cost him everything in the end. He’ll do whatever it takes to protect Charlotte, though, even if that means turning his back on his own people.War is easy. Love takes courage.
STORY EXCERPT Charli twisted to the left, casting a sideways glance toward the shops beyond the Square. “So, I think I’m—Jesus Christ!” Standing only inches away with the streetlamps at his back, Don towered above her like a giant shadow. The skin on his face and neck rippled—clearly a trick of the dim light—and she could practically feel the annoyance flowing off him. “Stop talking and follow me,” he demanded, a low snarl distorting the last word.“How did you do that? You were there.” She pointed to the cathedral doorway. “Now, you’re here.” Her heart pounded up into her throat, and her hands shook as she stumbled away from him.With a growl that sounded more animal than man, Don grabbed her elbow and jerked her against his broad chest. “Remember the part where I didn’t want to hurt you?”Swallowing hard enough to make her throat burn, Charli pressed her lips together and nodded. No matter what she did now, this wouldn’t end well for her.Done stared into her eyes with the same intensity he’d displayed back in her store. “Now, stop talking and let’s go.”Charli’s mind slid into darkness, completely void of all thought, and quiet static hummed in her ears. “Okay,” she mumbled.“Not going to happen, Morph. Let the girl go.”The static vanished, and Charli jerked her head toward the sound of the voice. Reality came crashing back, flooding her with panic, and she nearly sobbed in relief at the sight of the newcomer. Just as big and just as imposing as her psycho date, he stood beyond the entrance of the church, his eyes fixated on Don. Acting on instinct, she slammed her heel down on Don’s toes, distracting him long enough to wrench her arm out of his grasp. Without looking back, she printed up the stairs, taking them too at a time, and ducked behind her rescuer.“I don’t know who you are or where you came from, but just consider me your biggest fan.”The guy responded only with a low grunt, but he did pull her closer to his muscled back, positioning himself between her and Don. “Give it up, Morph. The jewel is worthless without the girl and you know it. Just hand it over.”“Girl? What girl? Me girl?” I’m never dating again. If I make it home alive, I’m going to adopt six cats and learn to knit. “What jewel? What do I have to do with this?”“Not now,” the new guy answered with a quick shake of his head. “I’m a little busy saving your life, if you hadn’t noticed.” “Oh, right, sorry.” Charli gripped the fabric of his jacket in her fists and nodded. “Proceed.”She couldn’t be sure, but she thought the corner of his lips twitch into a fleeting smile before he addressed Don again. “What’s it going to be, Morph? We can do this the easy way or the hard way, but both end with that jewel in my hand.”“Oh,” Charli praised, “that was good.”
There it was again, no mistaking it this time, a subtle, blink-and-miss-it, twitch of his lips. Pushing up on her tip toes, she peered over his shoulder to see Don’s reaction. She didn’t know what she’d expected, but seeing her date turn into a plume of smoke and then vanish certainly hadn’t topped the list.Her savior just sighed as he threaded his fingers through his long, golden hair. Charli, however, was in the midst of a panic attack.“Did you see that? What was that? Holy smokes, and I guess I mean that literally since we’re in front of a church, and he just, well, you saw him. Did that really happen?” Her pulse pounded frantically in her throat, making her voice shake. “This can’t happen.”Prying her hands from his thick, leather jacket, the guy turned and took her by the shoulders. “Charlotte, I need you to take a deep breath and relax.”“I’m relaxed. Why? Do I not seemed relaxed? I guess I’m just not used to people turning into freaking clouds of smoke in the middle of the French Quarter.” Extracting herself from his grasp, she shook her head and stumbled back. Charli dropped her purse and bent at the waist, resting her hands on her knees as she sucked in deep breaths of cool air. “It’s a character flaw. I’ll work on it.”The guy, whoever he was, actually laughed as he held her shoulders again and pulled her upright. “You are very unusual, even for a human.”“What’s that supposed to mean? For a human?” Great, only with her luck would the hero turn out to be just as insane as the villain. “Wait, how do you know my name?”His gaze traveled along the curve of her neck, over her jawline, and finally up to her eyes. “I know a lot about you, Charlotte Rousseau.” Capturing a flyaway strand of hair, he tucked it behind her ear with a peculiar twist of his lips. “I am Lieutenant Vane Schiva, and I was sent here to protect you.”
Coming January 28th! Pre-Order your copy of Timeless from:AMAZON| ARe
ABOUT KALIBorn with a silver tongue and a pen in her hand, Kali spends her days sleeping (she’s part vampire) and her nights crafting scandalous romances with larger-than-life heroes.Self-proclaimed patron goddess of reclusiveness, Kali currently resides in the Midwest with her oddly supportive family and tragically misunderstood cat. Seriously, though, the cat is evil. She loves hearing from readers and can be reached at argent.kali@gmail.com. Or follow her on social media for updates, announcements, giveaways, and more! WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK  | TSU | TWITTER | GOOGLE +
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