Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 28

Does an anniversary make you feel nostalgic? #PlottingPrincesses #MFRWorg

Have the Years Passed Quickly for You?    After I had been secretly writing for a few months, I sat down to have dinner with Handsome who had been mega traveling. We chatted about the usual—kids, cats, house, his trip, my upcoming class reunion. Then he asked, “What have you been up to?” meaning besides Jazzercise, needlepoint, and reading.

I drew a deep breath and let this rip quickly, “I’ve been writing.”

Honestly, I don’t stun Handsome much. But this admission did. His eyes went large and he went from a reclining position to sitting straight. Then his eyes narrowed, “Writing what?”I explained the whole enchilada about how I began writing. He really listened and when I’d finished, he said, “You’ve changed.”

And I had. I had moved into a new life stage and was embracing it wholly. Here’s what I’ve done:
Published:4 short romantic comedies, 1 essay with MuseItUp Publishing 1 paranormal short sexy romance with Noble Romance Publishing (rights returned)13 short romantic comedies with True MagazinesIndie Pubbed:
3 short fiction collections

To be Pubbed:1 essay, Sisterhood Anthology by Wordforest1 funny romantic mystery by The Wild Rose Press (coming soon!)

Can be published:2 paranormal short sexy romances (+ returned one)
4 short romantic comedies
3 romantic mysteries

I think I have been busy.   Happy anniversary to me!  Vicki Batman is greatly rejoicing a life change and eagerly waiting what will happen soon. Check her site FMI: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com 
 
 

Michelle Miles: #TuesdayTeaser from Her Fierce Knight

Hey, gang! I'm running late today so I'm giving you a quick tease of my forthcoming fantasy romance release, HER FIERCE KNIGHT. It will be out August 28!

BLURB:

As the king’s health declines, Prince Ainthas takes the throne but his rule faces war with the Fomorians, enemies who have carved a path of devastation throughout the realm. When the Fire Elven princess, a striking beauty, arrives in his kingdom with a plea for help, he knows he cannot refuse her. Nor can he resist her and vows to fight for her hand from any challengers no matter the cost.

Princess Laerwen’s people are mercilessly massacred and facing annihilation, so she turns to the ones she blames—the Wood Elves. Upon meeting Ainthas, she learns who the true enemy is and enlists his help to regain her realm and destroy the Fomorians once and for all. But undeniable passion ignites between them and she is powerless to resist. And one kiss will never sate her desire for the prince. Even though she battles her growing feelings, he has made it quite clear he would do anything to have her.

When a twist of fate intervenes, Laerwen risks her heart for a seduction neither will forget and a love that will always endure.

EXCERPT:

His mouth, so hot, landed on her neck as he kissed her. He kissed his way to the back of her ear and back down again. He kissed his way across her breasts that she so desperately wanted to be freed yet the damn dress held them right in place. He kissed his way up her chin to—finally—her lips.

And oh, gods, what a kiss that was. His searing mouth did not take his time as he had before. He took what he wanted, his mouth pillaging her. His tongue dueling with hers. She noticed then that he did not taste like wild berries and honeywine. He tasted like whiskey. Strong, sharp, tangy. Much like the taste in the back of her throat. They had shared the drink and now shared the kiss of passion.

Laerwen pulled him to her, all the sharp angles of his body thrusting against her. She was aware of his hips bones and his hard shaft as he rocked his hips against her. And her body responded in like as a moan bubbled up her throat.

Gods, what were they doing? This was insane and she had to stop.

Wild Vacation Stories

So my 18-year-old daughter just returned from a trip to Taos, New Mexico. While there, she went white water rafting with her dad, step-mom and step sisters. Well........she had such a tall tale to tell when she returned that I had to retell here...snicker!

While white water rafting, it's not uncommon to fall out. And of course they all had life jackets on but after hitting a rock and trying to save one of the twin step-daughters from going overboard, her dad fell out and poor guy lost his hat and glasses. The step mom reached over like a protective mama bear and saved her child from the rapids so whew! Glad she didn't fall out. Welllll........why the white water guide was trying to save her dad, he also went over and his arm came out of the socket! In total pain, he guided the raft to a giant rock where he pushed the raft up on it to anchor it. He saves her dad..now here comes the funny part.

My daughter says the beach in this particular area was lined with squatters! LOL! Yep, that's the word she used! I asked her if she knew what a squatter was cause I've never heard her use that word and she hated English class. She's going to beauty school in the fall so you get my drift here. The kid is very citified and loves the glamour side of life. She said, "Yes, mom. I know what a squatter is! It was a whole family of squatters with like a hundred dogs and the mom was toothless and pregnant and very helpful!"

So, the pregnant mom wades into the water and helps the guide and tells him his arm is out of socket. He tells her that it happens a lot. She tells him to lean over a big rock and she will pop it back in for him!!! So she does, to the horror of my daughter who was totally grossed out at the pain and agony of the poor guide screaming. But he was a trooper and good as new. Well, one of the twins is horrified of dogs and freaks out at all the dogs on the beach. She has some kind of dog phobia so it took a while for them to get her settled down. The mom even offers to let her pet one of her fur babies but they are like, "We're good. Thank you so much!"

So they pushed off the rock and were off again to finish the rest of their white water rafting adventure. Oh and good news, they found the hat and glasses inside the raft once on dry land.

So, that's my daughter's crazy and wild vacation story! She said the squatter lady was like a character out of a movie. My mind is still blown that she used the word squatter in a sentence correctly. However, she probably thinks it means "camper" cause that's probably what the lady was..a camper..lol! Then again, she likes to embellish like I do. She used that word last week too. I was stunned.

Do any of you have some funny vacation stories to share?

Tales from the Crate - How to Train Your Puppy in Three (not so) Easy Steps #puppyproblems - by Karilyn Bentley

I'm happy to announce we got a new puppy! Isn't she cute??
Our little cutie

Favorite sleeping place
She's seven months old, we were told a Lab/Border Collie mix (but she's not supposed to get bigger than 30 pounds), and came with the name Angel. Yeah, right, a misnomer for any puppy. We changed it to Arya, one of our favorite characters from GoT. The character carries a sword named Needle. Our puppy comes with teeth and baby claws that function the same purpose. The Hubster named her. The Hubster also picked her out.

We weren't looking for a puppy. Our jobs keep us away from home during the day and puppies are a lot of work. Not to mention the whole housebreaking thing (still working on that one. Maybe I can get new carpets???). A couple of Saturdays ago we were looking at a group of rescue dogs, I turn around and the next thing I know Hubster has Arya on his shoulder. She climbed over the other puppies in the pen and jumped up, reaching for him. We were like: but she's a puppy. Don't want a puppy. But she clicked with us so a couple of hours later (after a bit of discussion) we went back and got ourselves a puppy.

Yikes.

So, that brings me to today's topic. How to train your puppy in three (not so) easy steps. (WARNING: this is tongue in cheek and not meant to be taken seriously, folks).

1. Get a pen or crate (we got both, pen in kitchen and crate in bedroom). The puppy will view this as her den and want to keep it clean. This will help with housebreaking issues and give puppy a safe place to stay. In reality the pen (which we put puppy in during the day and is in our kitchen) offers a puppy much entertainment. Puppies are curious by nature and don't like to be confined. At all. Especially if they are problem solvers. After one day, puppy will learn that by jumping on crate she can unlock the puppy-proof locks. At this point you will want to use carabiner hooks to give the locks some support. This will also help your puppy gain much needed climbing skills for future escaping exercises.

A crate is excellent for creating a safe den for puppy to sleep in at night. But only after the puppy is so exhausted she has no opinion on where she crashes. Puppies often have opinions. They usually clash with yours. Stay firm when the puppy howls in her crate. Earplugs won't help. Violate the standing firm rule by picking up puppy.  Cuddling her will keep her quiet. It won't do much for the owner's  eight hours of beauty sleep.

2. Give your dog plenty of exercise. If you live in a place that rivals the temperature of Hell (like North Texas in the summer), mornings work best for exercise. Running (puppies only have two speeds: full throttle and off. Be prepared for sudden speed changes) will wake up the sleep-deprived human (see training point #1: crate) and help everyone stay in shape. It does nothing for tiring out the puppy, but humans will sleep better (until puppy howls to be let out of the crate).

3. Give your puppy plenty of toys to chew on. If you can't afford toys, towels and shoes will work well. Actually, towels and shoes will become the preferred toys of your puppy even if you buy out the local pet store. There is nothing funnier than watching a twenty pound dog carry around a size 14 shoe. Don't give in to the humor. Small pieces of the shoe might choke the puppy. While you are putting up the shoe, be prepared to sprint after the puppy who has now grabbed the newspaper or your magazine and is running through the house with it. If you are lucky enough to have no shoes, towels or anything made of paper, don't worry. Your puppy will see you as her chew toy. She might do this anyway. Be prepared for scrapes and cuts from teeth and nails which resemble small daggers.

Now that you know how to train your puppy, I wish you luck! <g> I wouldn't trade mine for the world. She's adorable and a snuggler and she gets along with Hell Hound (which is not an easy task). Bottom line: puppies are a lot of work, but worth every minute of it. Here's a pix of the old one teaching the young 'un how to guard the backyard from birds, planes, rabbits and bugs.
Fearless backyard guardsIf you want more about canines, check out my werewolf anthology, After the Moon Rises, featuring two novellas of the London, Montana wolf pack.

Karilyn Bentley
www.karilynbentley.com
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Keep up-to-date with the #PlottingPrincesses #MFRWorg

The latest information, tidbits, and of course, books is in this special Summertime edition of the Plotting Princesses newsletter.

Take a peek. You never know....

http://ymlp.com/zu0ELp

Ok, I'll admit it. I basically shot myself in the f...

Ok, I'll admit it.  I basically shot myself in the foot.  I was supposed to post yesterday's blog and got so busy with other stuff that I totally spaced and forgot to schedule it, and it sat on my computer in a word file instead of posting to the Plotting Princesses, where it was supposed to be.
So I'm rewriting it a bit and posting it today.  TA DA!!!  (Well at least I'm getting something up – better late than never, don't you think?)
Several of the Plotting Princesses spoke at our local RWA chapter, DARA (Dallas Area Romance Authors) on Saturday, telling the other writers there about the Plotting Princesses and all the wonderful people who are a part of us.  THIS MEANS YOU!!!
Vicki Batman spoke about how the Plotting Princess came about.  We started in 2011 and we've been going strong ever since.  We grew from a handful of writers who got together to now 18 authors. 
Kathy Ivan talked about the blog (this wonderful one right here) and what it takes to not only set it up, but to keep it running by scheduling people to blog, getting guest authors, and all the other things done behind the scenes to keep it running smoothly (except when I do things like miss my own scheduled post.  LOL) 
Michelle Miles discussed all the new and latest technology that the Plotting Princesses us to spread the word about not only the blog, but the Facebook Page, our Pinterest Page, our fabulous Street Team, Twitter, and other social media which keeps the Plotting Princesses front and center in the world wide web. 
Sylvia McDaniel helped with discussions on marketing, which is important to us because after all, we are authors and if we don't tell people about our books, how will they know to buy them?  She talked about the various conferences available for both readers and writers to interact together to spread the word about our latest releases.
So, it's not just the blog any more.  We are expanding and growing, as you can see, and we hope that you will continue to be a big part of it.  Come along with us on the reader and writer journey.  It's a wild and bumpy ride, but we guarantee you'll have a blast along the way. 
And, since I'm posting today's blog, I wanted to let everyone know, for the Holiday weekend, I've put Connor's Gamble ON SALE! From now through Sunday night, you can get this edge-of-your-seat romantic suspense for only $0.99. That's right, 99 cents for a full length book. It's a great read for the holiday weekend (or any time you need a great suspense to ratchet up the thrills and get the adrenaline pumping. It will keep you turning the pages. So, grab you copy now. (A bus full of senior citizens, two ex's and lots of smoking hot sex, plus mystery and suspense--what more could you ask for?)
I hope you have a fun and safe 4thof July. 
BUY LINE: Connor's Gamble    

Fireworks Anyone?

I'm on deadline and completely forgot it's my day to blog. So forgive me for running this one a second time around, but I think it's worth a repeat. It's the funniest fourth I've ever experienced.  Happy Birthday America!  It's almost the fourth and this month I wanted to do something a little different.  I want to hear from you what you love about living in America.  We say we're the greatest country in the world, but I want to know what makes you appreciate living here.
Here's mine:  Last year my husband and I were in New York on Fourth of July. We had tickets to watch the fabulous fireworks on the Hudson river from a boat. I was so excited. The first day in New York I sprained my ankle and limped the entire trip. When July 4th came, we were getting itchy to get home. That afternoon we lined up to get on a boat and stood for over an hour in the hot boiling sun.  By the time we boarded, I felt faint.  But we found a place right along the railing of the boat, and I just knew we were going to see some fabulous fireworks. The only problem was that security would not let anyone set-up chairs. They wanted everyone to stand until you arrived back in port, three hours from now.
Don left to get us some bottled water. While standing there alone, I heard shouting behind me. I turned around to see a fight between security and the crowd over the chairs. A woman started screaming "Mutiny! Mutiny! Grab the chairs!"  And everyone started taking chairs and shoving one another get a spot. Oh my God! And my sweet man was downstairs, while I watched these people act like lunatics.
A nice older gentleman took pity on me and brought me two chairs. When Don returned I started to feel comfortable once again. Maybe things were going to be okay. We sat on this boat for two and half hours facing the direction the fireworks would go off talking to the people around us.  Just as it became dark, the captain turned the boat so that we were facing away from the fireworks.
By this time the crowd was filled with alcohol, hot and tired of waiting. People started chanting, "Turn the boat! Turn the boat! Turn the boat!"  And the captain locked himself in the control room never to be seen again during this trip.
When the fireworks started, these inebriated people jumped up on their chairs to see the fireworks since we couldn't see them in the back. I kept waiting for one of them to land in the Hudson River, but thank goodness no one did. 
Me, I watched the fireworks between a pair of plaid shorts and navy capri's. I caught glimpses of the fireworks when their butts swayed with the rocking motion of the ship.
Now why do I think of this as a positive story? Where else in the world would you get to watch a bunch of crazy tourists act so nutty about fireworks? Where else in the world would people have the freedom to express their thoughts, even the crazy lady shouting mutiny?
We were so disappointed that night, and wished we'd just lined the banks of the river with the other hundred thousand people. But now I look back and laugh and think someday that crazy woman shouting mutiny, is going to appear in a novel.
So what's your favorite 4th of July memory or the reason you love living in America?  No politics, please, just positive expressions of love for our country. 
 

A Report from RomCon14

Last June almost all of the Plotting Princesses attended RomCon13 a reader conference in Colorado Springs intended to celebrate all things Romance, and I was lucky enough to have my book, A BREATH OF SCANDAL named the winner of the Reader’s Crown for Historicals.
This year the RomCon14 was held in Denver, Colorado, and only two of us, Sylvia McDaniel and myself, were able to attend. But what we found was more of the same wonderful interaction with readers that we had come to expect from a small, regional con like RomCon.
The reader to author ratio was an intimate six to one, and as the conference is still fairly small, both Sylvia and I (and many other authors) were able to participate in multiple sessions per day.
Together we (and a few other authors) sponsored Bridal Shower Mania and The Naked Hero games for readers, while Sylvia also sponsored “We Love Cowboys” and “Candyman,” and I struck off with a few other authors for “Mimosa Madness” and a reading of “Magical Firsts.” We also participated in a very well attended signing.


But my favorite part of the weekend, was the ‘Intimate Chat” I got to have with 15 readers who had specifically requested time to speak with me. It was really wonderful to sit and talk about what inspired each of my Reckless Brides books with people who had read every line, and were as attached to my characters as I am.

All in all, the conference was a resounding, if exhausting success. Its very smallness and intimacy is what makes it special, and affords each author plenty of one-on-one time with enthusiastic readers. I already know I’ll be going back next year!

Summertime is here! Summertime news! Summertime books! #MFRWorg #PlottingPrincesses

 


The latest information, tidbits, and of course, books is in this special Summertime edition of the Plotting Princesses newsletter.

Take a peek. You never know....

http://ymlp.com/zu0ELp

Move over #soccer. I like playing the game What If? #MFRWorg

Hey, don't hate me because soccer isn't my favorite game. LOL    Actually, I didn't grow up with soccer. Football reigns here. But then, my cousin began playing and I accompanied my aunt and uncle to his games. And since we went to the same university, I watched him play there.But there are other games. For example, this car game:
 What if a friend decided to play a silly Q & A while driving home from a fun girl weekend? What if she asked the question, “Write the opening words of a book using the word window.”What if your answer was doggie doo-doo?That was the boat I rowed the weekend I was prompted to write. And I had nothing and I was embarrassed I had nothing. And I think my friend knew I had nothing for she added, “You can always email us something later.”An out. Sorta. Two days after the trip, I sat at my computer with the TV blaring in the background, thinking “I can do this.” I did. Sorta. I wrote eight chapters. And I was addicted. I kept going back and adding and editing, etc. Finally, I grew brave and asked my friend to read it. She returned the file to me and said, “Keep going.” Awfully nice of her. LOLSo what if a girl is pulled over by a cop?What if parts are missing from her new ride?What if the cop is someone she doesn’t recognize?

What if?????Here’s a tease from my soon to be released funny, romantic mystery, Temporarily Employed:  “Yuck.”

Pretty much covered the whole freakin’ day.

A blinding red-white, red-white strobe, reflected in my brand new Wrangler’s rearview mirror, seized my attention. The police. I tossed my hands skyward, ready to surrender. I shouldn’t have been too surprised. Like I'd commented this a.m. to my roommate, Jenny, “Today, anything’s possible.”

My Bad Day checklist included:

- Crappy job interview, one which might have provided desperately needed income.

- Wore gut-busting panty hose on a hot day which had now worked past my waist and strangled my diaphragm.

- A barely blowing air conditioner indicated something had malfunctioned in my new, fun car.

I stole another glance in the mirror, and with great reluctance, flipped the right turn indicator. My vehicle coasted to a stop on the shoulder of Boston Avenue in my hometown of Sommerville, a nice suburb located between two large cities. Four lanes of cars and trucks zipped by as I sat there where every single one of my family, friends, friends’ friends, and their friends—including Rat Fink Suzanne—would see a police vehicle positioned right behind mine. Gleefully, drivers would chant the “Ha-ha, got you, not me” ditty.

How embarrassing.

After killing the engine, I flopped back in the seat. Shooting the morons the finger was an idea. Nah. I'm too exhausted to care.

A litany of: "No, not hiring." "Just filled the position." "You're over qualified." "You're under qualified…" tornadoed through my head. Coupled with the intense job search through various outlets like the internet and completing numerous online employment applications, no wonder my body had been depleted of all life force.

Not even a breeze blew to take the edge off the unbearable summertime heat. Tangled wild trees and dry scrubby bushes banked the roadside. The grass had taken on a scorched look. Rolling down the driver’s window, I surveyed my surroundings. Nothing great. Nothing new.

I stole a glance in the side mirror at the policeman who strode purposefully along the shoulder. The gravel crunched under his boots. He looked huge, probably because his uniform, which appeared to be bulked with a bullet-proof vest, made him resemble a buffed-up superhero in size. Exceedingly intimidating.

Sigh. When things went wrong, they were really wrong.

As I viewed him drawing closer, my heart pounded harder. Awkward circumstances usually brought out the worst in me like shyness, ineptness, and uh...more shyness, hang-ups I carried from childhood. Back in the dark ages, I’d deliberately steered clear of embarrassing situations by developing the best self-protection— avoidance. Over time, I’d adapted to embarrassment, but every now and then, some unusual situation would spring out, and like a stealthy cat, those old prickly feelings crept back inside me.

The policeman stopped by the driver’s side, his head slanted to better peer inside.

Up close and exceptionally personal, I saw his sunglasses with dark lenses which shielded his eyes.

“Ma’am, I’m Officer Wellborn. I need to see your driver's license and proof of insurance—”

Something unknown possessed me. I bulldozed in and snapped in an overly loud voice, “What do you want? Why did you pull me over?”

His body stiffened like a package of frozen chocolate chip cookie dough.


How do you like my game? LOL What's your favorite?

 Vicki Batman is greatly rejoicing for someone took pity and liked her story so much, they wanted to publish it. With diet Dr. Pepper next to her monitor, she is busy updating No. 2 story because maybe they will like it too. Find updates about Temporarily Employed at: http://vickibatman.blogspot.com