Emily Cale's Blog, page 8

Adventures in Non-Existance

While a few people I know in the real world know that I write, the majority don't. Last night, I was at a dinner party with a few people and we were discussing the process of putting together a resume or CV (yes, my life really is this exciting). I mentioned that one of mentors was encouraging me to make sure that it read like a story and that you could always see where I intended to end up.

I like to joke that it is pretty hard to convince someone that you got a creative writing degree so you could wind up doing lab work for medical studies.

Friend: Well, you can just explain that like every other creative writing major you discovered you had no talent, couldn't finish a book, and would never be published.

Me: Exactly.

Or not :)

Labor Day Blog Hop

Happy Labor Day! I hope that you are taking advantage of your day off by enjoying the nice weather (if you've got it), relaxing, and generally having a nice time.

I'm still on a high from my newest book release. Power Play (Hat Trick Trilogy Book 2), my newest 1 Night Stand Story), came out on Friday from Decadent Publishing. I thought as a little treat, I'd share an excerpt from it.

***


“So what made you decide to ask for two of us?” Ian asked.

“I—” She’d answered the question in her head at least a dozen times. At first, it’d been something she only considered when drunk. But soon it invaded her every thought. The more it came up, the more it had seemed like a good idea. Not the kind she advertised, though. “It’s always been a fantasy of mine, but not one I found easy to act on.”

“Why now?” He kept pushing her for more information. She wished Todd would jump to her rescue, but they deserved answers.

“What?”

“You’ve been thinking about it for a while, but this is the first time you’ve set out to make it happen. What changed?”

She wished for a glass of wine. Or something stronger. Maybe tequila. “I didn’t want to go to bed with some random guys at a bar. I figured going through Madame Eve would be the safest way to experiment.”

“That’s all well and good, but not what I asked you.”

Damn. She wished he’d sat next to her instead so he couldn’t look in her eyes. Ian read her like an open book. She swallowed hard. “I’m not getting any younger. Next month I’ll be the same age my mom was when she had me. She’s nagging me to think about settling down and getting my life together. As much as I hate to admit it, she might be right. If I want a chance to do some of the crazy stuff on my list, then it needs to happen now.”

She’d never admitted it to anyone before. Not even TJ knew about all the crazy stuff in her fantasies. How could she explain to her best friend, someone who spent her life chasing and realizing her dream of playing for a professional hockey team, that in the real world people had to grow up? Natalie had spent years studying for her law degree. Now that she’d finished, it felt like everyone else had already finished off their wild youth and moved on to the adult stuff. She didn’t want to believe she’d missed her chance.

“A very good reason.” Todd snuggled in a little closer. “Is there anything you’d like to ask us?”

“You’ve done this before?” From their earlier statements, she guessed they had. She wanted to hear them say it, though. Mostly because she hoped they might sneak in some extra details. Things she didn’t know to ask about, but would die to know.

He grinned at her. “Yes.”

“Many times?” They’d taught her in law school never to ask a question she didn’t already know the answer to. This one slipped out before she had the chance to bite her tongue.

“We’re not going to give you a number, but yes, we’ve had threesomes before,” Ian said. Unlike his friend, his sentences were straight to the point. For some reason, they still had the same comforting effect. Maybe because she doubted he’d bother to lie to her or cover up anything.

“Why?”

“Why what, darling?” Todd wrapped his arm around her shoulders and played with her hair.

“Why do you share women? I mean, either of you could get plenty of dates on your own. I don’t think the two guys-one girl thing is a typical male fantasy…?” She trailed off, hoping one of them would jump in.

“No, I suppose it isn’t. Then again, a lot of guys don’t think it through. Todd and I aren’t doing anything to each other. I like him a lot, but he doesn’t get me going.”

“We feed off each other. The effect the two of us can have on a woman is far greater than either of us could pull off on his own.” Her head tingled as he ran his fingers through the ends of her hair. She could close her eyes, become absorbed in the experience, completely forget about anything but this moment.

“Plus, it’s fun to watch.” Ian’s mischievous grin made her stomach do a little flip.

“Watch?” Before she could even process the words, Todd leaned in and captured her lips. Her mind told her to slow things down. She’d agreed to talking, not kissing. For such a big guy, he had a surprisingly gentle touch. The way his soft lips met hers with only the slightest pressure made her body melt. If such a thing were possible, she’d be a puddle on the floor. When he pulled away, a tingle of disappointment washed over her.

Power Play is available now from Decadent Publishing, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, and other e-book retailers. 
***
Now the giveaway part. Leave a comment and I'll pick one random person to win a copy of their choice of e-book from my backlist. If you want to win some other things, see my release day post for a chance at a $25 gift card to either the NHL store or Amazon (winner's choice). 
Don't forget to visit the rest of the blogs involved in the hop for more opportunities to win! 
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Labor Day Blog Hop List

POWER PLAY Release and a Giveaway!

Today is the day! Power Play (Hat Trick Trilogy Book 2) is finally out! This is my third 1 Night Stand Story with Decadent Publishing and I'm super excited about this. So far, they've all had different pairings too. This one is M/F/M. If you thought getting setup on a date with one hockey player was good, wait until you see how good two are.

So to celebrate, I'll be giving away a $25 Gift Card to the NHL Shop or Amazon (winner's choice). It'll help you prepare for the upcoming season.

POWER PLAY (Hat Trick Trilogy Book 2)


Natalie Fritz didn't need a night of sexual adventure as payment for setting her friend up, but she wouldn't turn it down either. Determined to make sure she gets exactly what she wants, she contacts Madame Eve and requests not one, but two dates for the evening. What she doesn't expect is for those men to be players on her friend's hockey team.

Ian and Todd find that sharing women provides all parties with more pleasure. Finding someone who buys into their theory is a little harder. So they turn to Madame Eve's 1 Night Stand service to locate a partner. When they meet Natalie, they discover a gorgeous woman who turns them on physically and intellectually.

Most relationships are meant to be between two people, but what happens when it takes three to make the night worthwhile? Can they take a leap of faith or will their time be limited to one night?

Buy from Decadent Publishing (slightly cheaper)
Buy from Amazon
Buy from All Romance ebook
Buy from Bookstrand

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm also on the 1NS blog today giving you a few reasons to read the book (if you are unconvinced) and giving away a copy of book 1, GOALIE INTERFERENCE. Please stop by and say hi. I get lonely.

Don't forget that through the weekend, GOALIE INTERFERENCE is on sale at Smashwords using the code KN34U. Don't miss out on your chance.

Goalie Interference on Sale!

Do you know what comes out on Friday?

Power Play, book 2 in Angela S. Stone and I's Hat Trick Trilogy, part of Decadent Publishing's 1 Night Stand Series.




This installment features Natalie (TJ's friend who set her up in Goalie Interference) and two of the Montreal Magic's most eligible players. Yes, you read that right. TWO HOCKEY PLAYERS. Lucky girl if you ask me.

You can easily read Power Play without any knowledge of what happened before, but why would you want to? If you haven't read Goalie Interference yet, now is the perfect time. Why? Because you can get it 30% off at Smashwords this week. Just use coupon code KN34U when you checkout. You'll be all caught up and ready on Friday. Go ahead, head over. I'll wait.

Goalie InterferenceHat Trick Trilogy Book 1A 1 Night Stand Story  Hockey goalie Tarah 'TJ' Elliot is too busy stopping pucks to go looking for love. When her friend Natalie sets her up through Madame Eve's 1 Night Stand service, she grudgingly agrees to go. Her ultimate fantasy comes true when Scott Alarid, one of the top scorers in the league, shows up at her hotel room. Hockey player TJ can't possibly spend a night with him, but Tarah certainly can.

Scott's tired of dealing with women who only like him for his all-star status. After his teammates arrange a date for him using the 1NS website, he's delighted to find a woman who doesn't know a thing about the sport. But, will the truth force them to put their relationship on ice?

Drinking my way through Hershey

I spent a portion of last week in the happiest sweetest place on earth! You know where I am talking about, right?

Hershey, Pennsylvania! Where they make the chocolate that keeps me going when I'm on deadline or suffering through edits. I can honestly say I brought home enough to get me through the next several books. Or at least I think so. I might not actually remember a lot of the detail (though my alter ego seems to have picked up a few extra details). I spent most of my time enjoying the cocktails concocted by the hotel bar.

It only seemed appropriate that I start with the Hotel Hershey signature martini.
It was unlike any chocolate martini I've ever had before. I expected it to come out looking chocolately and was a little disappointed at the appearance. All was forgiven after my first sip. Oh, and that is a Hershey Kiss in the bottom of the glass.

I decided to branch out after this, turning my attention toward the Raspberry Cosmo. Again, I was not disappointed.

I think you might need another shot of that one in order to properly appreciate the awesomeness:

I'm really much more a dessert girl, so I went back to my roots and ordered a birthday cake martini. It sounded like it might be too sweet, but it wasn't.

Just look at all those sprinkles around the rim!

For my last night, I went back to the chocolate martini. I was, afterall, in Chocolate Town. Nothing else seemed appropriate.

Okay, so now it is back to the real world. I've got edits to do and deadlines to hit. Maybe I'll celebrate finishing them by trying to recreate one of these...

Consequences

While I was sitting in the shower at 2:30AM talking to my husband after he picked me up from a bachelorette party this past week, I came to a big realization. Actions have consequences.

Not exactly a new concept, but hear me out on this.

We all make a hundred decisions every day. They all have consequences, but we don't always notice. Did you wear the blue shirt or the purple one? Did you use the pink or brown eye shadow? Not really a big deal.

Maybe we decide to sit down and actually write a book instead of just talking about it. Decide to finish it. Decide to submit it to publishers. That has consequences, even if they are good ones.
Sometimes there are definite negative consequences. That last drink at a bar that you know you shouldn't have, but do it anyone. Maybe nothing will happen. Maybe you will end up puking in the gutter on the side of the road. 
TAMED was that first book for me.Then there are the consequences we expected. I shared my pen name and writing career with a few select individuals who know me in real life. The only rule? They had to keep it a secret. I trusted them. Not only with my secret, but with my career (both writing and otherwise). I did this because they are friends that I wanted to share my success and excitement with. People I turn to for support when things aren't going well. 
There are other consequences though. Ones that I have less control over. When one of those trusted individuals decides to break the agreement, there are consequences for both of us. I knew it could happen, but I didn't expect it. 
So, my husband and I were deciding how I'm going to handle it. What I was going to say when I went over the next day to confront said friend. He suggested waiting longer because the person in question was going to be incredibly hungover. I replied that actions have consequences. 
A hard lesson that apparently more than one of us learned in the last few days. 

Power Play Cover Reveal Winners!

Thanks so much to everyone who entered my Power Play cover reveal contest! I loved all your comments and appreciate the support. I adore the cover. Especially the abs on that one guy! No wonder Natalie is so happy.

I've picked my winners! Margaret Ethridge wins the $10 gift card and Jessica Subject wins the $5 gift card. I've sent the two of you an email to claim your prize.


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Okay, one last look at the cover.

Power Play Cover Art Reveal

I finally get to the reveal the cover art for Power Play, my next release from Decadent Publishing! This is the second book in the Hat Trick trilogy I wrote with Angela S. Stone about some sexy hockey players.

If you've read Goalie Interference, this one features Natalie, the friend that set up TJ. It may also feature two of the sexy hockey players who were hanging around the locker room.



Blurb:

Natalie Fritz didn't need a night of sexual adventure as payment for setting her friend up, but she wouldn't turn it down either. Determined to make sure she gets exactly what she wants, she makes a call to Madame Eve and requests not one, but two dates for the evening. What she doesn't expect is for those men to be players on her friend's hockey team. 

Ian and Todd find that sharing women provides all parties with more pleasure. Finding someone who buys into their theory is a little harder. So they turn to Madame Eve's 1 Night Stand service to find them a partner. When they meet Natalie, they discover a gorgeous woman who turns them on physically and intellectually. 

Everyone knows that relationships are meant to be between two people, but what happens when it takes three to make the night worthwhile? Can they take a leap of faith or will their time be limited to one night?

If all goes according to plan, Power Play will be out on Friday, August 31st. Until then, how about a contest? I'll giveaway a $10 gift card to either Barnes and Noble, Amazon, or All Romance Ebooks  plus a second $5 gift card to one winner at the end of the week. You can enter using the Rafflecopter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Speed Reading Test

I saw this reading speed test on Lori Toland's blog yesterday and had to take it for myself. I always loved taking the various reading tests in school. Mostly because I was better at them than I was at the math tests. 
I scored in the "college professor" range. Considering that is my career goal, I feel pretty good about it. 
Click below to go take the test for yourself. It's fun, easy, and you get to see a bunch of results at the end telling you how long it would take you to read books like War and Peace and the Harry Potter books. 
It'll also give you information on how many books you could read on each e-reader before needing to recharge. 


Source: Staples eReader Department

Lethal Beauty Release Day {Sara Brookes}

My friend Sara Brookes has a new SF erotic romance today! Are you excited? You should be. She's here to tell you about it and offer a chance to win a prize.

***
Hey there! I’m Sara Brookes and I’m here to celebrate the release of my latest erotic romance, Lethal Beauty. It’s the latest installment in Decadent Publishing’s very special Elatia line. If you’re looking for fast-paced action with high stakes and one heck of a love story about two people who can’t escape one another, this is definitely the book for you.

Stop by my site before Friday, August 3rd for a chance to win a $15.00 Starbucks gift certificate as I share some coffee love!

Decadent Publishing Buy Link

As a covert operative in Elatia’s elite military, Sway Waybourne is used to fending for herself. But a powerful uprising means she’s now responsible for guarding the leader of a neighboring planet. Within seconds of meeting Dason Cavaletti, sparks fly and Sway realizes she’s gotten more than she bargained for.

Dason is curious about the arousal taking over his mind, body, and soul. When he can no longer stand the overwhelming desire, he confronts Sway. But the disturbing news she delivers isn’t at all what he expected. Mating with the gorgeous woman could kill him….

WARNING: Sarcasm galore from a fiery heroine who can take care of herself thank-you-very-much. She won’t take anyone’s guff—even from the leader of the free universe no matter how handsome he is. A unique genetic quirk leads to inventive foreplay, one blazing hot hands-on session in the bathtub and a gender bending encounter that signals this ain’t your father’s Star Trek. No redshirts were harmed while writing this novel.

~*~
“This is…quite the situation.”

She blew out a breath as she slumped onto the far side of the mattress. “You can say that again.”

Sensing her frustration—which matched his own—he reached over and clamped his hand around her ankle. She didn’t fight as he dragged her across the bed and into his arms. “It’s not as if it’s the end of the world.”

“No. It’s just…I’m used to being able to handle any situation.”

“And you don’t know how to handle this.”

“Not really.”

“I’m sure we can come up with ideas. In fact, I’m thinking of one right now.”

“You’re going to be the death of me.”

“Way I understand, it’s the other way around.” Her laughter rang out in the room, shattering the tension. He pulled her closer, content and sated for the moment. “You’re a remarkable woman. Strong, determined, not to mention sexy as sin.”

She squirmed against him and he took it as a signal she wasn’t used to hearing such things said about her. Her reaction made him decide to shower her with attention while they were trapped together.
He was both amused and terrified by her reactions. Her extraordinary skill set was evident and he found her tenacity admirable. She possessed a vulnerability, though she clearly did her best to hide that aspect of her personality. By his guess, she thought it would show a weakness if she let others know about any flaw in her perfection. A good covert operative couldn’t have any visible flaws. Otherwise, they weren’t very good at their job.

By the looks of things so far, she was very, very good at her job.

And, for reasons he didn’t completely understand, he had begun to fall in love with her.

~*~

Sara Brookes has always been fascinated by the strange, the unusual, the twisted and the lost (tortured heroes are her personal favorite). She is an action movie junkie, addicted to coffee and has been known to stay up until the wee hours of the morning playing RPG video games. Despite all this, she is a romantic at heart and is always a sucker for an excellent love story. Born and bred in Virginia, Sara still lives there with her husband and daughter. The entire family is owned by two cats, Galahad and Loki, who graciously allow the family to cater to their every desire.