Liz Crowe's Blog, page 15

A STEWART REALTY EXCLUSIVE! Meet the Brewer: Blake Thornton

Chatting with the Brewer: Blake Thornton, The Local Brewpub   

Liz: Welcome Blake! Please, tell us what you’ve brought for us to taste and enjoy today.
Blake: Sure thing Liz. First because I know you are a hophead, I insist that you try this black IPA. It’s a new one for me this year and we’re pairing it with a super spicy cheeseburger thing that Rob wanted to make. Perfect for a cold winter night like tonight.
Liz: (tastes and nods) Wow. That’s like a hop bomb disguised in a roasted coffee beer. Is there coffee in it? (tastes more and licks lips)
Blake: Sorry. Proprietary secret. I don’t want you walking this over to Wolverine and replicating it as a lager. You’d probably get another mention in Draft Magazine for it.
Liz: Sour puss. I hear you and Rob are looking to expand and bottle some of these. If I were you, I’d definitely do this one.
Blake: Yeah, well it’s a sticking point. Rob’s not too keen on it. I still am though. (he looks away a moment, then brightens when he pulls out a different bottle). Ok, try this one and you tell me the style, oh high and mighty Beer Wench of Ann Arbor.
Liz: (grins and tastes the amber-colored brew) Hmm…really strong malt base, sweet, with a subtle back bite of hops. Crisp. Oh you naughty boy….(puts the glass down and stares at the handsome, now blushing, blond man).
Blake: What? (blinks innocently)
Liz: A lager! You did it! Well done. (Holds up the glass and admires its clarity in the light). Not a hint of diacytl, or DMS.
Blake: Ok, now you are officially putting the blog readers to sleep. Ask me about my new girlfriend.
Liz: Only if you let me taste that last one…the darkest one.
Blake: Like ‘em strong and dark, eh Liz? (winks and pours, then clinks glasses with her)
Liz: The bigger the better. Now that, my friend, is one kick ass stout. What did you age it in? Not bourbon barrels I’m guessing. But something. The alcohol warming is very very nice.
Blake:  It’s a classic Russian Imperial, but I aged this batch in some rye barrels. Less sweet that way. You like? (he smacks his full lips, making Liz spill a little before recovering herself)

Liz:  Very much. (sets the glass down) Tell me about the new addition to your life. The girlfriend? Isn’t that a bit precious. She’s a womb-for-hire last I checked.
Blake: (blushes, adorably) Well, Lila is definitely a great addition as you say. Something Rob and I never thought we were missing, until we found her. She’s… (he gets a dreamy look in his eyes and stops)
Liz: (snaps fingers in front of his face while pouring herself another helping of the stout)  Ok, so she’s a girlfriend. How does that work, exactly, with two alpha males like you and your live-in chef. Jesus Blake this beer is like nectar. Did you bring any chocolate? It would really go nicely with that.
Blake: Thanks. I like it too. (he shrugs in his usual self-deprecating way) It works as well as you might think I guess. Rob and I have had our challenging, chest-thumping moments. But you know we are doing this for a reason and not just because I want a to be a father. It’s important to us both. To all of us.
Liz: (pats his hand) I know. It’s tough. But … on the bright side if you are all getting along so well it must make for some pretty steamy nights. You know, wiggling with a purpose and all that.
Blake: (snorts with laughter) Wow. Succinct.
Liz: Well I AM a writer—you know, a “words person.”
Blake: Yeah, the nights are amazing. Sharing our lives came pretty naturally once we sorted out the bed-sharing part. Heres a hint: get a bigger bed (he waggles his eyebrows). Lila is the most giving and kind and supportive person…and she’s hot. Way hot. It’s…(he blushes again).
Liz: Damn you’re cute. I’m glad I created you.

Blake: Me too Liz, me too. So, if that’s it…. (he stands and collects his beer bottles)
Liz: Sit down lover boy. I need to know one more thing.
Blake: (raises an eyebrow but sits again) If this is about my sister and her ….
Liz: (raises a hand) Well, I am trying promote the first 3 books. You know (hooks fingers around the words) “the Jack and Sara trilogy now available in a print anthology.”
Blake: (rolls his eyes and leans back, propping his sneakered feet on the table) Ok. So. Jack is an ass. But apparently, he is The Ass my sister loves and wants to be with. Who am I to argue with that? God knows I’ve picked badly in the past and now have finally found my own soul mate or whatever. They….they need to be together.
Liz: I still sense some reluctance…
Blake: Everybody always gives me such a rash of shit for being overprotective of her. But to my mind, I’m just doing what I’m supposed to do for my sister. Up to and including finally telling Gordon to just toss her over his shoulder and carry her to his cave. Talking her out of wanting some level of that was just getting too exhausting. Besides (he toys with one of the empties) Rob vouches for Jack and I’m ready to believe him.
Liz: Good. Now about those steamy nights….
Blake: (laughs) Yeah, well steamy nights, mornings, and oh (glances at his watch) sorry gotta go, timing is everything with this whole pregnancy goal thing. It’s my turn to watch. (he raises an eyebrow making Liz a little shivery). I love watching the two people I love most, making love. (he grabs the empties, presses a kiss to Liz’s hot face). We all set here?
Liz: Uh. Yeah. Please. Go and…well….there you have it folks. Blake Thornton and his newest, most delicious brews from The Local. Leaving us all with a mental picture that may require some alone time later. Cheers!


The Stewart Realty Series. New print anthology for the first 3 books: AmazonB&N



Join me at a special SpreeCast on March 3 with Cocktails & Books when we reveal the NEW COVER of the Essence of Time revised re-release! (The Rob & Blake story)





And for a limited time GOOD FAITH, the final (stand alone) novel of this series is still just .99!

It's All About Jack

Greetings and Welcome to the super-massive, super-amazing Virtual Book Tour for the re-release of the Stewart Realty series original trilogy!

There are tons of fun things ahead for you, dear reader and for you too future fan of Liz.

I have 2 "live" appearances as well, March 3 I'm doing a Spreecast at 8 p.m. EST with the folks at Cocktail & Books, and on March 4 I'm taking over the Book Enthusiast Facebook Page 8-10 PM EST. BOTH of these events are opportunities to talk directly to me in various formats, and to win stuff!







Here are all the stops and topics:

2/14: Adria's Romance Reviews--"Top 10 Things You'll Hear in the Gordon Household"
2/14:  Tattooed Book Reviews--"Why Jack?"
2/15:  Melissa Keir, Author--EXCLUSIVE Extra Scene from soon to be re-released Essence of Time "The Blind Date"
2/16: Living Fictiously -Exclusive Liz Interview
2/17:  Tome Tender:  "Liz as a Person v. Liz as Author"
2/18: She Reads New Adult-- "Decategorizing Liz"
2/18: Midwest Galley Girl--"Why True Fans Matter"
2/19: House of Alisa--"Letting Teens Be Teens"
2/20: Fiction Dreams--Exclusive Liz Interview
2/21: We Love Kink--EXCLUSIVE "Interview With the Brewer: A Chat with Blake Thornton"
2/22: Drue's Random Chatter--"If You Have Time to Tweet, You Have Time to Write"
2/23: The Book Enthusiast--Review PLUS an EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE (Closing Costs): "Phone Sex?"
2/24: Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess--"Writing for Yourself"
2/25: Tipsy Lit-- Reviews of books 5-8
2/25: Delphina Reads Too Much--EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE: "The Closing Table" (Floor Time)
2/26: All I Want & More Books--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
2/26: Cocktails & Books: EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release) 
2/27: Literati Literature Lovers--
2/28: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release)
3/1: Miscellaneous Thoughts of a Bookaholic--Review of Trilogy 
3/2: Haven Malone, Author--Review of Trilogy
3/2: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release)
3/3: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE from soon to be re-released ESSENCE OF TIME (book 4) PLUS COVER REVEAL
3/3: Two Sassy Chicks--Review and "Ten Fun Facts About Liz"
3/3: JOIN LIZ ON HER SPREECAST WITH THE REVIEWERS AT COCKTAILS & BOOKS! Live Interview!
3/4: The Book Bag--"Scene in a Hallway" Guest Post
3/4: The Book Enthusiast FACBOOK PAGE TAKEOVER 8-10 pm (prizes galore)
3/5:  Jamie Salisbury, Author--"If Music Be The Food of Love…"
3/6: Bookworm Brandee--"Adding the Correct Spice" Guest Post
3/10: My Fiction Nook--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
3/11: Lacey Wolfe, Author--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
3/12: A Book Addict's Delight--Facebook Spotlight
3/15: Dalene's Book Review--Review of Floor Time


You should follow along closely as you will learn a lot about me, my thoughts about my industry and fans and you get to read a bunch of brand new extra scenes. PLUS!!!
on March 3 you see the new cover for ESSENCE OF TIME,  the highly acclaimed, award winning book 4 of the series. I did a major revision of this book and added in a half dozen scenes. It will release later this year (date to be announced March 3).

Finally, as if this were not enough…..in honor of this tour I have made the DEAL of the CENTURY for YOU!


Good Faith, my critically acclaimed mainstream final novel of the series has been marked down on
Amazon
and
B&N
in ebook form to just .99!

Yep. I mean to get as many copies of this book into as many hands as possible over the coming weeks. Each blogger up there will also have these links plus they will make an important announcement for me about a sales goal I've set for Good Faith with a serious reward for fans at the end of it.

Click here to check out the Goodreads page and read the reviews yourself.

Welcome to the world of Jack & Sara and all their friends and family! Follow the tour! Buy the .99 Good Faith novel for a friend or for yourself! Buy the gorgeous new print anthology with new cover! Enjoy the extras and posts!
and THANKS for being such loyal fans!
Liz

After the Rain, by Daisy Harris

After the Rainby Daisy Harris
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
They’re going to need a bigger tent.
Henri’s list of bad exes is as long as his arm, but nothing prepared him for his latest, heart-stomping breakup. He thought he couldn’t feel more abandoned, until his ride for a group camping trip bails, leaving him stuck driving for hours with a guy who is absolutely not his type.
After breaking up with his girlfriend of five years, firefighter Logan is working up the nerve to explore his interest in men. He knows he’s gay. He just hasn’t had the guts to do anything about it…until now.
Henri’s big-city attitude and tight jeans push every last one of Logan’s buttons, and when he and Henri have to share a tent, Logan is thrilled. He should have realized Pacific Northwest weather would get wet—forcing them to strip naked. Though the steam between them is thicker than coastal fog, Henri’s not sure he can let himself fall for another man. Not even the guy who finally treats him right.
Warning: Contains bad ex-boyfriends, even worse weather, and more than your average amount of sex in a tent. May not be suitable for those with germ phobias, outdoor aversions or fear of damp shoes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~Excerpt:
The first thing Henri smelled when he woke up was coffee. The second was bacon.
He rolled onto his back, staring at the top of the tent and anticipating the salty, crisp fat. Henri was probably sublimating with food since he wouldn’t be getting laid anytime soon, but if he couldn’t eat cock, bacon was a pretty good substitute.
The smell of Logan was there too, though the guy himself no longer took up the better part of the tent. Henri lifted his head off the sweatpants he’d somehow replaced his pillow with in the middle of the night, and assessed his surroundings. Logan’s duffel filled the corner, meaning Logan must have slept scrunched in the shortened space. Other than that, Logan’s side of the tent was completely clean.
Henri’s side, on the other hand, looked like his suitcase had vomited in the night.
The tent flap rustled, and a slice of Logan’s face appeared in the opening. “You awake?”
“Yeah.” Henri started to smile, and he forced his lips to a smirk instead. Things had been fine the night before, more comfortable than Henri would have expected, once Logan had stopped talking, but Henri didn’t want to get too friendly with Logan and lead the guy on. Between the STI thing and still being hung up on Preston, Henri was in no position to start dating. “Is that coffee at someone else’s campsite, or is there a chance I can have some?”
Logan reached into the tent, a travel mug in his giant fist, and handed it to Henri. His grin was shy, and his cheeks red.
Well, drat. Henri was leading him on just by not kicking the guy.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:


Birkenstock-wearing glamour girl and mother of two by immaculate conception, Daisy Harris still isn't sure if she writes erotica. Her romances start out innocently enough. However, her characters behave like complete sluts. Much to Miss Harris's dismay the sex tends to get completely out of hand.
She writes about fantastical creatures and about young men getting their freak on, and she's never missed an episode of The Walking Dead.
Want to learn more about new releases, general news and my latest inappropriate boy band crush? Sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/b96xX
Daisy’s site: www.thedaisyharris.com
Daisy’s Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Daisy-Harris/185042351535537
Daisy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedaisyharris
After the Rain on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/After-Rain-Fire-Daisy-Harris-ebook/dp/B00EKJGRJA



Daisy will be awarding a $20 gift card to Amazon or Barnes and Noble to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour so leave your comments for a shot at winning!

Click HERE to check out the other stops on the tour 

What Better Way to Celebrate Valentine's Week?

Than with a killer "blog hop" and massive, multi-author giveaway!

This is a huge week for me too as I will be celebrating the re-lease of the 3 books that started the whole Stewart Realty series: The "Jack and Sara Trilogy--Floor Time ~ Sweat Equity ~ Closing Costs"

I'm gonna be all over the proverbial place promoting, posting, sharing EXCLUSIVE 'extra scenes' from these 3 books and 2 VERY SPECIAL new scenes coming to Book 4: ESSENCE OF TIME when it re-release with a new cover in May this year.

And if you follow me at all you know my blog posts always have a hint of "opinionated" served up with plenty of Liz snark.

To kick things off, I'm participating in giveaway and hop sponsored by author J.A. Garland. She has a Kindle Paperwhite she's giving away on February 15 LOADED DOWN with books including 
Floor Time
Sweat Equity
Closing Costs….



HOW TO WIN, YOU ASK?CLICK HERE TO ENTER & SEE THE FULL LIST OF BOOK PRIZES & ALL THE OTHER BLOGS TO VISIT!






My HUGE "Jack & Sara" re-release tour is already underway! When it ends in March I'll be giving away:
2 signed copies of the Jack & Sara Trilogy Print Anthology
1 "Stewart Realty" swag pack 
Audible.com Downloads for EACH of the first three books 
1 signed print copy of GOOD FAITH, the critically acclaimed final novel of the series. 

Here is a full list of stops, reviews, exclusive extra scenes from the trilogy AND 2 new scene coming to Essence of Time PLUS details about the new cover reveal for the book, coming in March:

2/6:    Lori Clark, Author---Review of GOOD FAITH
2/7:   Jessica Loves Books--Review of books 5-8
2/14: Adria's Romance Reviews--"Top 10 Things You'll Hear in the Gordon Household"
2/14:  Tattooed Book Reviews--"Why Jack?"
2/15:  Melissa Keir, Author--EXCLUSIVE Extra Scene from soon to be re-released Essence of Time "The Blind Date"
2/16: Living Fictiously -Exclusive Liz Interview
2/17:  Tome Tender:  "Liz as a Person v. Liz as Author"
2/18: She Reads New Adult-- "Decategorizing Liz"
2/18: Midwest Galley Girl--"Why True Fans Matter"
2/19: House of Alisa--"Letting Teens Be Teens"
2/20: Fiction Dreams--Exclusive Liz Interview
2/21: We Love Kink--EXCLUSIVE "Interview With the Brewer: A Chat with Blake Thornton"
2/22: Drue's Random Chatter--"If You Have Time to Tweet, You Have Time to Write"
2/23: The Book Enthusiast--Review PLUS an EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE (Closing Costs): "Phone Sex?"
2/24: Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess--"Writing for Yourself"
2/25: Tipsy Lit-- Reviews of books 5-8
2/25: Delphina Reads Too Much--EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE: "The Closing Table" (Floor Time)
2/26: All I Want & More Books--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
2/26: Cocktails & Books: EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release) 
2/27: Literati Literature Lovers--
2/28: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release)
3/1: Miscellaneous Thoughts of a Bookaholic--Review of Trilogy PLUS review of GOOD FAITH
3/2: Haven Malone, Author--Review of Trilogy
3/2: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release)
3/3: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE from soon to be re-released ESSENCE OF TIME (book 4) PLUS COVER REVEAL
3/3: Two Sassy Chicks--Review and "Ten Fun Facts About Liz"
3/3: JOIN LIZ ON HER SPREECAST WITH THE REVIEWERS AT COCKTAILS & BOOKS! Live Interview!
3/4: The Book Bag--"Scene in a Hallway" Guest Post
3/5:  Jamie Salisbury, Author--"If Music Be The Food of Love…"
3/6: Bookworm Brandee--"Adding the Correct Spice" Guest Post
3/10: My Fiction Nook--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
3/11: Lacey Wolfe, Author--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
3/12: A Book Addict's Delight--Facebook Spotlight
3/15: Dalene's Book Review--Review of Floor Time

Happy Hopping! 



Happy Valentine's Week!
Happy Reading!
Liz

Come Away With Me (And Jack Gordon)

It's time to kick off the Stewart Realty Jack and Sara Anthology tour!


The book releases on Friday Feb. 14.

So why am I publicizing this NOW? There's no BUY LINK Liz! You're breaking your own rule about "promoting without a call to action!"

Nope, not yet but this is such an amazing tour, chock full of FREE EXTRA Jack 'n Sara scenes plus 2 very special NEW SCENES that have been added to book 4 (Essence of Time) that re-releases on Mother's Day this year … not to mention a full roster of cool blogs and a ton of unique, funny, thoughtful and at times controversial posts by yours truly (plus I dug through my archives and found an awesome interview with Blake Thornton, Sara's brother...).

 I just figured you should get these on your calendar right now. And be sure and note that March 3 Spreecast. I will be chatting LIVE with the Cocktails and Books reviewers, answering questions, possibly hinting at something Brandis and Blair related for 2015, giving sh*t away…who knows what all? You won't want to miss out.

Here you go:

DON'T MISS A SINGLE STOP ON THIS AMAZING TOUR!
2/6:    Lori Clark, Author---Review of GOOD FAITH
2/7:   Jessica Loves Books--Review of books 5-8
2/14: Adria's Romance Reviews--"Top 10 Things You'll Hear in the Gordon Household"
2/14:  Tattooed Book Reviews--"Why Jack?"
2/15:  Melissa Keir, Author--EXCLUSIVE Extra Scene from soon to be re-released Essence of Time "The Blind Date"
2/16: Living Fictiously -Exclusive Liz Interview
2/17:  Tome Tender:  "Liz as a Person v. Liz as Author"
2/18: She Reads New Adult-- "Decategorizing Liz"
2/18: Midwest Galley Girl--"Why True Fans Matter"
2/19: House of Alisa--"Letting Teens Be Teens"
2/20: Fiction Dreams--Exclusive Liz Interview
2/21: We Love Kink--EXCLUSIVE "Interview With the Brewer: A Chat with Blake Thornton"
2/22: Drue's Random Chatter--"If You Have Time to Tweet, You Have Time to Write"
2/23: The Book Enthusiast--Review PLUS an EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE (Closing Costs): "Phone Sex?"
2/24: Words of Wisdom from the Scarf Princess--"Writing for Yourself"
2/25: Tipsy Lit-- Reviews of books 5-8
2/25: Delphina Reads Too Much--EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE: "The Closing Table" (Floor Time)
2/26: All I Want & More Books--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
2/26: Cocktails & Books: EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release)
2/27: Literati Literature Lovers--"Just WHO is the Hero around here?" Liz Exclusive Post
2/28: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release)
3/1: Miscellaneous Thoughts of a Bookaholic--Review of Trilogy PLUS review of GOOD FAITH
3/2: Haven Malone, Author--Review of Trilogy
3/2: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE TEASER (Essence of Time re-release)
3/3: Cocktails & Books--EXCLUSIVE EXTRA SCENE from soon to be re-released ESSENCE OF TIME (book 4) PLUS COVER REVEAL
3/3: Two Sassy Chicks--Review and "Ten Fun Facts About Liz"
3/3: JOIN LIZ ON HER SPREECAST WITH THE REVIEWERS ATCOCKTAILS & BOOKS! Live Interview!
3/4: The Book Bag--"Scene in a Hallway" Guest Post
3/5:  Jamie Salisbury, Author--"If Music Be The Food of Love…"
3/6: Bookworm Brandee--"Adding the Correct Spice" Guest Post
3/10: My Fiction Nook--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
3/11: Lacey Wolfe, Author--Spotlight on Jack & Sara
3/12: A Book Addict's Delight--Facebook Spotlight
3/15: Dalene's Book Review--Review of Floor Time
Prizes for random commenters across the tour include:
* 2 Free signed print copies of the Jack & Sara Anthology!
* 1 Free audible.com download each of the first three books (winner's choice)!
* 1 Stewart Realty Swag Pack!
* 1 Signed copy of GOOD FAITH, the critically acclaimed final novel of the Stewart Realty Series!

AND FOR FUN, CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER IF YOU MISSED OUT THIS MONTH AND READ A FREE JACK & SARA SHORT STORY! 
 

Across the Beer Bar with Haven Malone

Welcome back to my semi-regular, but vastly popular Across the Beer Bar Liz fans and anyone else who can't stand to not stalk my blog!

Today, I welcome Haven Malone to the rail.

Welcome to my beer bar Haven! What can I pour for you to start? Well, I think I would love to try one of your specialty beers. I will let you decide which one. 
All right, check out this one: Quick Hatch a brown lager fermented and aged in bourbon barrels….

You are pretty new to the author thing. What made you want to jump into this particular teeming cesspool...erm..."profession?" A friend of mine wanted me to try and create a short story for an anthology she was involved in. Although I didn't have much faith in myself, she was able to convince me to try. When I finished it and sent it in to the publisher I fully expected them to say no to it. Well, that did not happen. My friend went through the story, made some editing changes and before I knew it, my story was published along with four other authors.

Tell us about your book, Victoria's Haunting? What inspired you to write it?Victoria's Haunting was my first venture on my own. I decided that, since my first story made it through the publishing process, that maybe I should try something on my own. I have always been a fan of paranormal stories combined with some erotica. So, that's where the inspiration came from. I sent the manuscript to a publisher but they decided not to use the story. Anyway, I was asked if I had ever tried self publishing which of course I had not. That's when I discovered Createspace and could publish it myself. So I went through the process and the book was approved and published very quickly through Createspace.

oh look, empty glass--what can I get next for you?That was a very good beer but I am more of a mixed drink person so, could I have a Captain Morgan and cherry coke please? sighs heavily, rolls eyes and pours Haven a glass of water pondering how many times I've said this: 'NOTHING BUT BEER IN HERE' while wondering how anyone drinks cherry coke much less laced with rum….

Do you have a preference when it comes to genres to read? if so why?I really don't have a preference for genres. My tastes range widely on what I read. I have done young adult, erotica, and some classics as well.

What are your goals for yourself as a published author? Other avenues of life?Not many goals now since I am retired. I am just going to keep punching away at my keyboard and hope that someday my writing will be good enough. Although, no matter what happens with my writing, I won't stop because I enjoy it far too much!

Ok, nightcap time, what's your poison?I believe I will have another Captain and cherry Coke please. Thank you so much for allowing me time with you.  Smiles indulgently, pats Haven's head and hands her more water….

Buy link on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E5TBT2UFacebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorHavenMTwitter: https://twitter.com/HavenMalone61Blog: http://havenmalone.blogspot.com/

Romance Much? Might Want to Rethink That.

Ok, I've just got to get this off my chest.

All this yammering about how "romance" or "chick lit" or "women's fiction" is not, somehow "legit" literature….it's gotta stop.

Now, let me be clear about something up front: I don't read traditional romance books. I have never, once, read a Harlequin or any of their imprints, sweet, spicy, mystery daddy, prince/sheik/general/CEO or otherwise.

The First Erotic "Romance" I read:




When I was "exposed" as it were, to a genre of books I had heretofore literally never even believed existed: "erotica" or "erotic romance," I was:
1. shocked
2. titillated
3. occupied with myself
4. eager for more
5. bored

I think it's because I've never been a "genre" reader of any sort: romance, horror, science fiction, fantasy, mystery, paranormal or otherwise. Granted I've dabbled thanks to Stephen King into a few of these realms but my favorite books of his are the "interior scary" ones like Misery, The Green Mile, and the Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. I sort of didn't understand that books that adhere to "genre rules" or "formulas" are, in essence similar to the point of lather, rinse, repeat. 

And that, I discovered, just was not my cup of literary tea after a while.

Mind you, I many times wish some of the mainstream novels I have read (or listened to--I'm an audio book addict) handled the personal, physical interactions between people with a more deft hand. Reaching the balance between the "insert C into P, shove, thrust, grunt, shout, wetness, the end" and the awkward, purple-y prosaic waxed by others AND the inability of some (famous and one assumes wealthy) authors to handle anything beyond a handshake between characters is a tough one. 

I know. I try to find it, daily.

I operate under the reader/writer axiom: There is something out there for everyone, and no one should "diss" anyone else's taste in books any more than you scoff over their choices in footwear. It's personal. I know what I like and what I don't like. And I've written myself into a bit of a corner in some sense, starting out trying to write a sex scene that morphed into a critically acclaimed yet terribly controversial and top selling series: The Stewart Realty series. (I keep the "RT" evisceration of "Floor Time" book one, pinned to my bulletin board to remind me "I don't write Romance.") 

And I've lost a lot of early fans as that series progressed and got more and more real.

The fact that 90.9% of every book in every genre including "literary fiction" whatever the fuck that it, has an interpersonal relationship story at it's crux (dare I say it? a "romance") is another topic but one worth pondering.

To my mind, taking this whole Who Is A Legit Author argument  in the other direction and claiming that the "only" books that matter are the ones the authors are "connecting with readers" over constantly on Facebook or in newsletter or on fan club forums calling themselves "street teams" sort of misses the point.  Reverse snobbery is not going to help anyone feel any better about the authors you like.  My "go to" choice for finding new authors is the NPR list, or from the Vanity Fair listing of "hot type." And the old fashioned way, browsing library shelves or taking personal recommendations from friends who read what I like to read. Now that social media allows authors (including myself) to make that crucial connection with a reader or two it has become the go-to for thousands of readers seeking new books "like" books they have already read.

Floor Time (the one RT hated on so eloquently) is one of those. It was recently named the ninth book in a Top 50 What to Read After 50 Shades of Gray influential and far-reaching list based on reader recommendations and actual sales. 

Anyone who can make a legit living writing and selling books has my abject admiration. I hope to get there someday myself, but I was and am a reader before I "became" a writer.  I like books by authors represented by the Evil That is New York Publishing. 90% of my "top picks" are from there. I also like books that are well-written, carefully edited and presented by "Indie" publishers or by the authors themselves. Neither platform is the "right" one. Having them both, to me, is akin to the candy-store wealth of options. The sniping back and forth over who is "for real"is dreary and makes us all sound like middle schoolers.

As I write this post, I am at a career crossroads and face a tough choice with my projects. Any "author" worth their salt  is also a reader (thanks Mr. King for reminding us of that) but also owes it to themselves to become a "marketer."  Because "marketing" is my first (and possibly best) job, I am constantly thinking about how to promote, how to reach and how to get my books into the right, influential hands just as much as I ponder plot lines (and, some would say, unlikeable characters).  

I have to make a decision this year, and in my due diligence research for it I keep bashing my nose on articles, blogs posts and other venues that reveal authors from nearly every single level of this game whining about the other side. I know we all need to be visible to be viable and I admire how some folks have dragged this non-argurment out to the point where their very name makes both sides start banging their plowshares into swords. But you know, the "something for everyone" argument will never change. There will always be dinosaur and sasquatch porn (shudder), just like there will be highbrow relationship books written by authors who write a book every 6 years and make a living at it. 


I have 2 very different projects and am pondering as I write them what to do with them: To agent? To Join the New York rat race? To self publish and join the Hugh Howeys and others who "write for the people" but are not averse to a 6-figure contract from…gasp! New York.  It's a tough decision. And one I may never truly settle on but write I must, and I am excited about these very unique projects. I'm nearly impossible to categorize, but I'll get it figured out.

As one of my publishers recently proposed, the best way to describe a Liz Crowe Book is thusly:

Liz (her real name) writes character-driven fiction which includes some explicit content and topics not suitable for an under-18 consumer.

Is there sex? Sometimes. Is the story just about the sex? never.

Do the characters behave in ways that are predictable or does the ending follow a formula? never.

Is there sex in every chapter or more sex than feels  "normal" for real people within a story? no

Other topics include: alcohol and drug addiction, marital infidelity, unprotected sex, sex between younger men and older women (when it is PART OF THE STORY not just for the hell of it), birth, death as well as forgiveness, redemption, and love--which in and of itself could be considered a topic not suitable for anyone under  50 or still working on their first marriage.

So, lay off the vitriol and just pick up a book of your choice, read it, share it, review it, or set it aside and then find another one. The choices abound!

Have a great week
Liz

p.s. the first book I ever read with explicit sex had cave men in it….does that mean I'd like Sasquatch porn? I doubt it….but come on ladies, don't tell me you didn't read about "the pleasures" and think that those slope heads were onto something….

Cold? Broke? Let Me Fix That For You...

….Along with some steam from my characters in my entire Decadent Publishing backlist!

WARM UP WITH A FEW FREE EXCERPTS AND THEN CLICK TO BUY!
Every single book named here (with helpful buy links included) will cost you exactly .99 each. And these are novels (or novellas) folks. Quite the deal on a freezing cold, post pay-the-holiday-bills Monday….


Here's a taste of one (of my favorites) from TULIP PRINCESS, book 3 of the Turkish Delights series:
(Rated XXX--BDSM and potentially unlikeable characters follow….)

(hint: the name "Lale" is pronounced "Lah-Lay" and means "beautiful tulip" in Turkish)







Andreas threw another punch at the bag. It jarred his entire arm in a pleasant fashion he’d pay for in coming days. His shoulder couldn’t take the pounding he used to give it.
But pure insanity hovered on his horizon and he had to do something, anything, to get Lale out of his head. It had taken one hundred percent of his willpower not to drag her outside, throw her on his bike, and drive home with her. Jesus. He hit the bag again, and again.
 Sweat dripped from his hair into his eyes, stinging just enough to distract him.

Damn the woman. How in the hell did he manage to get tangled with such wholly inappropriate ones anyway? Shelley had been a real catch at one time, but as her personality emerged the longer they were together, he’d realized the whole thing had been a mistake. But the sex and the play stayed mind-blowing, making him forget what an utter, grasping bitch she was outside of the bedroom or dungeon. Hadn’t he learned his lesson? Why would this Turk be any different?
Wham. His shoulder throbbed but he didn’t care. It made him feel alive.
As he started to land one more punch, the distinct sound of a footfall on the front porch made him stop. He ran down the hallway of his sprawling house and looked out the large front windows. A shadow loomed over the steps. A Lale-shaped shadow.
He groaned. He had to face this thing, but he couldn’t be sure how he would handle it. His body let him know how it wanted to proceed, already hardening at the thought of her, bent over his knee for the paddling she deserved for snooping around.
He yanked the door open, unprepared for the sight of her, still in the sexy skirt and heels, standing with her hands on her hips in his doorway. She glared at him, as if he were the Peeping Tom. Scowling, hoping she couldn’t hear his pounding heart, he grabbed her slender wrist and pulled her not-so-gently inside. He held onto her, fire snapping between them at the touch, and slammed the door shut with his foot.
“Get your hand off me,” the sultry woman demanded. He grinned and tightened his grip.
 “No. I think you want me to do this, don’t you, Turk?” His voice sounded hoarse even to him. The distinct sensation of impending orgasm was not a pleasant one. The feel of her squirming, trying to pull away, while her eyes told him something else didn’t help. He had to have her, now. Sweat rolled down his face. He tugged her close, enveloped her with his body.
“I’m gonna show you what you came here to see. Don’t worry.” His lips touched her ear before he grabbed her hair and forced her to tilt her head back. She didn’t fight him.
Her heart fluttered in her chest against his. She presented a tough shell—one he had to crack. Enough years in the service of submissives had taught him how to spot one, sense one and sort out their needs immediately. But he had to make her understand this didn’t involve her getting hurt. Quite the opposite. Her need for control fought with her desire to be controlled.
Classic, he thought, as he smiled into her beautiful, angry face.
They stood, bodies touching, the only sounds that of their rapid breathing. His arms were wrapped around her as she stood, stiff and tense. When he touched the tip of his tongue to her neck, she shuddered. He brought his lips to her intoxicating flesh, ran one hand down her arm and cupped her sweet ass, pressing his desire against her. The extreme urge to shove her up against the wall and take her right then was a serious one.
The need to go fast and hard, show her she belonged to him was foreign and he fought it, realizing it meant a lot more than just something physical. He kept his touch light, his lips merely teasing, licking and tasting his way down her long neck, to the dip between her collarbones.
When her body finally relaxed into his, he he smiled into her delicious, vanilla-scented flesh. She went up on her tiptoes and curled her bare arms around his neck, lifted her face to his, eyes closed. She wore a mask of lust. Pheromones encircled him, and he had to grit his teeth against their compulsion—take, own, show, dominate. Taking her chin between thumb and forefinger, he laughed low in his throat. Her eyes flew open. Anger quickly replaced passion. Precisely as he had expected.
She tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he held her still. “Let go of me. What are you laughing at? Damn it, I mean it, Greek, I—mmmfff!”
He cut her babbling short with his mouth. It took a few seconds of resistance before she had her arms around him again, had her luscious body curved into his. Andreas moaned and gripped her hair once more, using his lips and tongue to posses her, prove he wouldn’t be toyed with. She tasted amazing, and he spent some time exploring her reactions to his kiss. A few moments of blissful lip to lip, and he forced himself to stop, caressed her face, and spoke.
“Let’s go.” He left her standing in the middle of the front room. If she really wanted to see what he meant earlier, she’d follow him down the hall. What he’d do when she did so remained still a mystery, even to him. Ignoring the pulsing need to sling her over his shoulder, he pushed the door to his dungeon open, turned around, and crooked his finger at the beautiful woman still standing in the room where he’d left her.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside, confident she’d follow him. If she didn’t, he would pick her up and carry her in there. The sound of her heels tapping across his hardwood floors then stopping at the door made him turn, arms over his bare chest. Dried sweat and something resembling nervousness made his nipples harden. And if it were possible, his cock got even harder at the sight of her, standing in the door of the room where he planned to change her world forever. He narrowed his eyes.
“Come in.” He swept a hand around the lavish playroom. Her gaze moved over the various set ups—the bed, the cross, the table with handcuffs, a large wooden box that held any number of toys, restraints and paddling equipment. He snagged a lighter from a bedside drawer and lit candles, throwing the room into flickering relief, then simply stood, watching her take it all in. She worried the ring in her lip and rubbed one arm.
“Okay, I’ve seen it. Kinky. But classy. Nice work, Greek. I’ll go now.” But she didn’t move. He blew out a puff of air and tried to get himself under control. If he weren’tcareful, he’d scare her. This had to go slowly, or it wouldn’t work. It still might not. He hadn’t encountered anyone so headstrong in a long while. He shifted his weight, spread his legs, and let her see the erection tenting his shorts. Her eyes locked on it and the tip ofher tongue darted out. It nearly made him drop to his knees. He frowned, unhappy with his internal response to her.
“Is this why you came here tonight, Lale?’ He put a hand on himself and rubbed through the fabric. “Because I can accommodate you. The thing you have to rememberis--I get to say how.”
She nodded, but before he could say another word, she crossed the room and had her soft hand on his cock, lips on his. He moaned, and grasped her neck. Sweeping his tongue into her sweet mouth, he reveled in the hard metal feel yet tender sensations inside. Her hand encircled his head, her thumb running across the fluid already pearled there and his hips bucked. Her other hand cupped his balls, traveled further down, stroking beneath them.
She released him and broke away from his lips in one movement and went down on her knees.
 Shit, this is not how I … oh, dear Lord … .
He grasped her hair as she swallowed him all the way down. The tip of his cock bumped the back of her throat once before she took him all. “Ah, Lale, Lale,” He closed his eyes and fucked her mouth, lost in the moment. He could smell her—smell her sex and need.
It swirled around him, making him grunt with frustration. This is my room, my house, my … oh, hell … . The base of his spine tingled and his brain engaged, locking in on a monster orgasm—a sweet release both physical and mental, that he hadn’t truly experienced in years, in the hands of this incredible woman. But behind that, anger, and fear—fear that he’d fall once again for someone who would use him and anger at himself for losing his tightly wound control.
With a massive effort, he pulled his dick out of her lovely mouth and yanked her to her feet. Her swollen lips and lusty eyes were too much to bear. He clenched his eyes shut, then opened them and growled. “No. This is my room. I call the shots.”
Her gaze took on a defiant edge. Good. This I can deal with. Keeping one hand around her arm, he tugged his shorts back up, hissing at the deep ache in his balls. Get a grip on yourself, man. Otherwise, you ’ re going to let her dominate you? Not likely.
“What? You didn’t like that?” Her jaw stayed clenched.
“Oh, I liked it all right. But I’ll tell you when I want it. For now.” He walked her over to the custom table that doubled as his spanking bench. The dark walnut frame gleamed, and the removable mattress and restraints at each corner and in the middle made her frown and worry that lip piercing again. He tried to stay calm and focused. “Take off your shirt and bra. Leave your skirt and shoes on. And bend over this table, holding your arms out.” She stared at the table then at him with disbelief.
“No fucking way.” She muttered at the floor. “I told you didn’t….”
 “Bend over it now, Princess.” He used his most commanding voice. “I promise you it will be worth it.” It worked. He licked his lips as she huffed and puffed, but proceeded to strip out of her shirt and bra. His breath caught at the utter magnificence of her full breasts. They were tipped with dark chocolate-colored, rock hard nipples. She leaned over the table that accommodated a six-foot-six-inch Master and his cock, and held herhands out.
“Now what?” Her tone remained a little too sassy for his taste. He strolled slowly over to the other side of the table and wrapped a thin leather tie around her wrists. She glared at him. He patted her head, ran a finger down her face, then made his way around to her backside. Putting a hand on the smooth skin of her ass, semi-exposed thanks to her short skirt, he sighed.
 Oh God, this was going to be rough. Mainly on him.
He ran his hand down one long, smooth thigh, then back up. Using both hands, he caressed her hips, gripped her waist, and ground his painfully erect dick against her nearly bare bottom.
She wiggled and arched her back. When he brought his palm down hard against the skin of her left ass cheek, she screeched in protest and tried to sit up. He stayed pressed against her, kept one hand on her upper back, immobilizing her enough to gauge her true reaction. When she didn’t cry out or struggle, he did it again. The smack of skin on skin made him shiver in anticipation. She only whimpered that time, so he moved his other hand to her hair, twining his fingers in it and holding on tight.
He spanked her again, and again, just hard enough to make noise, not enough to make it truly hurt. That wasn’t the goal tonight. Each time, she grew quieter until he finally stopped. Their combined ragged breathing echoed in the room. Her incredible heart-shaped ass glowed red, finger marked and sexy as hell.
He gulped, knelt behind her, and pressed his lips to the angry skin. She moaned and sniffled. “That hurt,” she mumbled. He looked up to assess her reaction and smiled at the sight of her with her head turned, eyes closed, but with a calm face. He reached under the sorry excuse for a skirt and hooked a finger in her thong.
“Don’t ever wear these again,” he growled. With a quick flick of his wrist, the flimsy fabric ripped and fell down around her ankles. He stepped back,took in the amazing sight. “Spread your legs more, I want to taste.” He could barely hear his own whisper.
She shifted and did as he said. When he knelt and tasted her essence, lapped at her delicate pink lips, just like the petals of her namesake flower, he realized he had found the one. He heard her groan when he took the tiny ball that pierced her hood between his teeth and tugged slightly.
God help him, he had to have her, all of her. He’d put in the effort. It would be worth it. And so far, she seemed amenable to the new experiences.
“Fuck me,” she mumbled, arching her hips up more. He stopped what he was doing, with reluctance and stood, watching her juices drip down one smooth thigh. His body heated up at the sight. He put a hand on his cock, which twitched and jerked in anticipation. “Please, Andreas. Please make me come. I can’t…I haven’t…oh, God!” 
“Stop begging.” He growled when she squealed. “I’ll give you what you want. But you don’t ask for it. I give it to you willingly.” He grabbed a condom from the table’s small drawer, his eyes widening as she spread her legs further.
Ah, God, those shoes. He might have to fuck her in them every time, simply to relive this moment.
Something gnawed at his brain, told him to hold back, to stop. To make her come how he wanted her to come first and not give in to his body’s need to be enveloped by hers. Danger signs flashed in the logical part of his mind, but were drowned out by his neglected libido.
 “You want it hard, Lale? ‘Cause that is how you’re gonna get it.” He grunted and shoved into her, relishing the sensation of her extreme tightness around his flesh. She cried out then moaned when he got serious with his rhythm.
He gripped her hips and pressed all the way in. She looked up and locked eyes with him in the mirrored wall opposite them. Her red, tear-streaked face glowed with eagerness. She propped up on her elbows and matched him thrust for thrust, using herhips to slam back against him over and over.
“Oh hell, I’m gonna….” The most exquisite feeling he’d ever experienced roared through him and lights flashed across his vision. She leaned her head back and he grabbed her hair, used it to fuck her harder, pull her against his body. She lifted upenough so he could see her breasts jiggle each time he slammed into her. Her eyes were closed, mouth open and when she clamped down hard on his cock, he grunted in surprise.
“Andreas,” she crooned, softly into the room.
His entire body contracted and clenched at the sound of his name on her lips when she came. He roared into the room as his vision dimmed.
Dear God, had he just done that? Just let her call the shots? Oh, fuck me, who cares, it was worth it.
The odd sensation of wanting to stay inside her forever made him shiver as the familiar fear/anger combo took over. He let go of her hair, reached down, and untied her bond. She kept cooing and twitching. He put a hand on her neck and gently drew her up so her back pressed against his body. Sweat slicked her breasts as he cradled them in his hands, as his lips fluttered over her shoulder and neck. She took a deep breath then shifted forward so he slipped out of her.
“Mmmmm…amazing indeed, Greek.” That tone—sassy and unacceptable—was back. He opened his eyes and glared at her in the mirror. She disentangled from his embrace and pulled her skirt down. His chest tightened.
Shit. He should not have let her do that. Should not have let her tell him what to do. But he wanted it, so badly so…oh hell, back to square one.
He pulled off the condom and tossed in the bin nearby. Tucking himself back in his shorts, he gazed at her, trying to keep his face neutral.
“Well,” she fluffed her hair, “Thanks and all. I guess we can at least credit Madame Eve for an amazing fuck, eh my lovely, large, forbidden one?” He heard her voice shaking under the smartass words. He had to act now. One chance to get this thing to gohis way. Back under his control. He made a decision then—one he knew would be life changing for them both—but with a relief born of years spent seeking something just like the woman standing in front of him, with that incredible well-fucked look in her eyes.
“Oh, we’re gonna thank her for more than that I assure you, Turk.” He stepped forward and jerked her up and over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry. She screeched and clawed at his back.
“Put me down, you fucking pig! I’m done. You had your fun. You got off, now let me go!” She pounded on him, but he barely sensed it. Her heels were dangerously near his eyes though, so he yanked them off her feet and tossed them over into the corner beforehe flung her unceremoniously onto the large bed, pinning her flailing arms and legs with his large body. She hissed and spit like a cat having a temper tantrum. “Get the fuck off me, God damn it! I’m done! I will not be your slave! Let…me…go….” The last came with a wad of spit that hit his cheek and dropped onto the silky duvet.
He calmly pulled the rope restraints from the upper corners of the bed and tied her wrists, then secured her ankles. He had heard about this sort of reaction, but never seen it, fighting her urge to submit, as her natural need for control asserted itself. But his needdominated. He’d flexed it a lot more times than she had. He’d win this. And he still believed it would be worth the fight. He wiped his face then tied a blindfold over her eyes. She stopped squirming and cursing, but her chest heaved in anger and he saw tears slip from beneath the blindfold.
“Shh….” He ran a careful hand down her face. “Shh…my little wildcat…it’s okay.”
 “Fuck you. Ahhh!! Get me out of here! Help!” She arched up and twisted in the restraints. Her voice cracked with emotion. He stayed calm, letting it soothe her as he knew it would.
“You are okay. Stop twisting around in the ropes though. You’ll get burned.”
“I am not okay and you are so dead once I tell....”
He chuckled and pressed his lips to hers. She kept them thin and closed against him. He persisted, licking and caressing, using his hands to cradle her face, stroke her neck. Finally, she calmed and parted her lips just enough….
“Fucking hell!” He jumped up, hand over his mouth, tasting blood where she’d bitten him.
“Let me go. I mean it.”
He gazed at her, restrained, immobile, breasts heaving in anger at him. He realized he could untie her, let her walk, and they’d continue to play these annoying games of cat and mouse.
He wanted more. He needed her and she him. Pure and simple. But she had to come to this on her own, in his space, at his bidding, or it would never work. The scent of her lust made him wince and resist the urge to let her go and fuck her again and again.Yeah, this one will be worth it.
“You need a little time to yourself, I think. Remember, nobody likes a temper tantrum.” Just before he put noise-cancelling headphones over her ears, he brushed a lock of hair off her face and behind her ear. “Call my name, Lale. But only when you really and truly need me to come to you. I promise on all I hold sacred you are safe here. You are safe now.” Then he brushed her cheek with his lips and walked out, leaving the door open just in case.


*********************So…want more? This book along with all the others in the series:

Turkish DelightsBlue CruiseTulip PrincessThe Diplomat's DaughterFlower Passage Click here: These books ARE ONLY .99 FOR ONE MORE WEEK! Sale ends January 31, 2014.
A few more for ya (click here  to go to the list of Liz Books just .99 on Amazon):Cheeky Blonde (stand along sexy suspense)Caught Offside (1Night Stand with hot soccer couple)Healing Hearts ("Challenge Series"--warning: not for the faint of heart but with a sort of non-Liz-like HEA that will melt yours)

Here is a taste of THAT book (free 'cause I'm awesome that way--but don't let this excerpt fool you. Jay is a basket case with good reason that you will discover when you read this...and Abby may not be the solution…)
RATED PG13 EXCERPT FOLLOWS 

Abigail straightened her skirt, fussed with her hair, glanced at herself in the rear view mirror to make sure the lip-gloss she’d applied remained. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the image of her Latina skin and barely tamed thick black hair. You are here to bring this man food. Not to flirt, seduce, or in any way interact with him as a woman. Get a fucking grip. Cursing herself, she climbed from behind the wheel of her beater Ford Escort and pulled out the cooler Lynn and Jane had prepared. 
It took some doing to roll it to Jay’s door, since the front lawn consisted of dirt and pine needles underneath a stand of huge trees. By the time she had tugged the damn thing up the single short step to his precarious front porch, she had broken a sweat and a nail and one of her shoes was mud covered. 
“Damn it.” She wiped her forehead and tried not to fall through the rotting boards. Before she could touch the door with her knuckles, it opened. Startled, she took a step back and landed square on her ass on the sorry excuse for a front lawn. 
Jay pulled her off the ground before she had time to think. The touch of his hand to hers sent a chill creeping up her spine. “Sorry,” he mumbled, letting her go and grabbing the cooler from her before it toppled over and joined them on the dirt. “I didn’t expect you tonight.” 
She flushed red at how much she’d prepared for this moment, how desperate she must appear. “No, no, I have…a date. So thought I’d bring it over before I…um…anyway.” She tucked a lock of her unruly hair back up into the elastic band and looked away from him. 
“Oh, okay then, let’s get you cleaned up before you go.” He pointed to her brown, smelly left foot. “I guess I should have warned you, every time it rains I get sinkholes.” 
They went inside and she beheld what could be any random rental cabin on any lake in her memory. As a child whose father owned ten different rental properties around the tourist town of Torch Lake, she knew the sight well. She’d heard Jay had been out here for almost a year and the place felt barely lived in, as if he floated above the furniture and never used the kitchen—a ghost, or something with even less physical presence. She glanced back at him. His face flushed as he shifted his gaze from her legs. Abby tried not to smile. But still the whole thing had a surreal edge. He did what came naturally to a man—noticed her bare, tan, and fit legs. But acted like he didn’t really want to. 
Oh crap. He’s gay. 
The realization made her heart pound with even more embarrassment as she maneuvered the clunky cooler over to the ancient fridge. She opened it, nervous about finding a stack of moldy, disgusting leftovers, shocked at the general lack of contents. “Do you ever….” 
“Eat here?” He stood, shifting from foot to foot, as if unnerved by her presence.
“Not often, no.” He turned away and stared out the window at the amazing view of Silver Lake. 
A giant, brown, slobbering creature crashed through the screen door at the back of the cabin and made right for her. Abby held out a hand for the animal to sniff then crouched down to meet his eyes. “Wow. Cool. I didn’t think you were allowed to keep horses in here.” 
“Yeah, he’s um, pretty big. C’mere, Dex. Leave her alone.” 
“No, it’s okay. I love dogs.” She ran her fingers around his ears as he calmed but for his tail pounding the floor. “Oh, hey what happened here, big guy?” The animal’s left ear was a mere flap of skin. “Wow, that must have hurt. I hope you left the other guy in worse condition.” He whined once, then got up and walked to his master. 
Jay reached down to touch him as a person with a service animal might do, for reassurance. “It’s fine, Dexter. Sorry, he’s a little funny about his ear. It’s like he knows when you’re talking about it.” 
“What happened to him?” Abby resumed her appraisal of the half-gallon of expired milk, bunch of wilted grapes, and six-pack of beer that comprised the fridge’s inventory. 
“He, ah, got the wrong end of a knife. Can I get you…anything?” he asked, changing the subject. 
She peeked around the open refrigerator door at him. He stood there, hand on Dexter’s giant head, a pained expression on his face. She sighed.
Nicely played, Abby. Falling for a gay guy who now is afraid you’ll get your vagina germs on him. 
“No. I’ll put these away for you and be out of your hair. There’s enough lasagna to feed an army, a meat loaf with mashed potatoes, and what I think is chicken tikka masala and…oh fuck. You aren’t a vegetarian, are you? We didn’t even ask.” She tucked all the dishes into the freezer and repressed the urge to offer to bring him some fresh milk and juice.
 Cut the crap. He doesn’t want your help. 
“No, I’m not.” His voice was soft, as if he’d moved into the larger living room. She took a step back, brushing more of her hair off her forehead, and bumped right into him. He grabbed her arm to keep her from stumbling. “Sorry,” he said, still holding onto her as if she were the last lifeboat on the Titanic. She turned her head and realized he’d leaned down to her face, his startling blue eyes narrowed, seeming to study her. Abby’s brain shut down for a split second. But he released her and backed away, and the moment passed. 
“You’re very kind,” he muttered, his face flushed. 
She cleared her throat and put a trembling hand on the tiny counter that held a two-burner cooktop and a bowl of rotting apples. “Uh, listen, Jay, I don’t want you to get the wrong idea here. I’m just, you know, being a good Samaritan, feeding the guy who almost passed out in my coffee shop.” 
She forced herself to relax. He was gay. They could be buddies, and she could practice her caretaking on him. He’d spill his guts about the lover who’d dumped him or died of AIDS or whatever was making him so fragile. All would be fine. She bit her lip, when her body tingled, as she watched him shrug and lean back against the counter, near enough for her to reach out and run a finger down his bearded jaw.
 Gay, Abigail. As in “does not do girls.” 
“So.” She reached down to remove the muddy shoe. “Do you have paper towels or anything? I need to get cleaned up and out of here.” 
“Oh, right. Your date.” He pulled some off a roll and ran them under the faucet then handed them to her. “Hope he’s a nice guy, this boyfriend.” 
“He’s not a boyfriend,” Abby breezed, trying to sound like she went out all the time. “Just, a date.” 
“Oh, then….” He tossed the dirty paper towels she handed him into the trash and stood there, looking at her. “You look nice. I hope he appreciates it. Especially the extra clean up effort.” The corners of his full lips turned up a bit and transformed his already handsome face into something resembling movie star level hotness. She gulped and turned from him, stumbling over the dog. 
“Wow. I’m not always such a klutz, I swear it.” She patted Dexter’s head, avoiding his stump of an ear. She shut her eyes a split second, and collected her rattled nerves, determined to get the hell out of there, fast. “Hey, you said you were going out of town tomorrow. Will you take Dexter with you?” 
“No, I have a dog sitter. Some kid who walks him, feeds him, and makes sure he didn’t take a dump in the house overnight.” He shot her a ghostly smile. 
“How about I take him? You know, to my place?” She shocked herself with this bold proposal. But something told her Dexter would not do well left alone. And why not? She’d paid a pet deposit on her place, intending to get something to keep her company, but never had. The dog’s tail thumped harder. 
“Uh, sure. I mean, I’ll pay you for it.” 
“No, it’s okay. Let’s pack up some food and his leash. My uncle is a vet so if there’s an emergency, I’ll have it covered.” 
Stop babbling Abby. Go home. 
Jay’s eyes narrowed at her, his mouth in its familiar position of unhappy pensiveness once more. “Who are you, anyway? I mean, you don’t know me, but you’ve filled my fridge with food I didn’t ask for and want to keep my smelly giant dog for three days while I leave and, for all you know, never come back.” 
A small flicker of anger licked at her brain. She cleared her throat and fiddled with a straggling end of hair that had escaped her attempt at a tie back. “I’m Abigail Powers. I’m a twenty-seven year old divorcee who works at the coffee shop where you hang out and stare at the window for hours. And where you nearly passed out from low blood sugar yesterday. I’ve lived in Traverse City my whole life and plan to move to Ann Arbor once I get accepted to the U of M nursing school. I know pretty much every soul in this town, even the tourist regulars. I’m afraid of only one thing—spiders. And I have decided that you’re right, maybe you don’t need my help after all. So I’ll be going.”
 She turned and grasped the doorknob. He was an asshole, and that she understood, having been married to one for three years. She had no time for assholes, no matter how good looking. 
Abby did not believe in love anymore. She had third-degree burns from the last and only time she’d felt such a strong attraction to a man and had been avoiding them ever since. Instead, her focus was on herself, her goal, and getting her mom straight. The near constant pull of need from the woman who’d raised her but who’d fallen down a black hole of alcohol abuse took everything she had most days. And the dilemma of leaving her mother behind in the fall when she moved to Ann Arbor and went to school had yet to be addressed. She sighed and turned when she felt Jay’s hand on her shoulder, prepared to listen to his apology then make her escape.
“I’m…sorry,” he choked out between gritted teeth, his face a mask of confused agony. “Abigail Powers, you are amazing and I…want to kiss you.” 
She blinked, thinking she’d imagined what he’d said. But let him pull her close, molding herself into his long, lean frame, all thoughts of asshole, gay friends, and escape evaporating from her psyche. “I’m good with that,” she whispered, running a hand down his jaw, loving the soft curl of his beard under her palm. When his lips touched hers, she wrapped herself around him, having to go way up on her tiptoes to reach. 
So, not gay. And a championship kisser to boot. Something in her gave way at that moment, something she’d tug back into place later, shielding herself from emotional attachment, but right now, all she wanted was Jay.

Happy One-clicking on these amazing deals Liz Fans!But more importantly Happy Reading!Liz

A Wench and A Beer Guy Sit At A Bar

Today it is my extreme pleasure to greet DAVE BARDALLIS, beer blogger, columnist, fellow author and KING of the fiction blurb (without him Good Faith's blurb would be something like "bllluuurrrrgggaaaahhhh….just the read the damn thing already").

Without further ado….over to Dave:


Welcome to my beer bar, David! What can I pour for you to start?

How about that marvelous Czech Pilsner, which if I had my way you’d have on tap all the time? Make it a big one.
Naturally. Oh look at that. You drained the last keg. How appropriate! (shoots evil eye to grumbling down the rail by others who wanted some too, turns to Dave, bats eyelashes and leans on elbow to continue)
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to be a craft beer expert?

First I have to say that I shy away from the word “expert.” I’m so not. Just because I drink a lot of beer (and have this finely chiseled body to show for it), it doesn’t make me some sort of guru. Of course, I do have my opinions, which anyone unfortunate enough to sit on the barstool next to me after I’ve had a few can attest to. But “expert”? I know too many truly brilliant beer minds – like our mutual Wolverine head brewer friend Oliver Roberts – to put myself in their ranks.
My life as “The Beer Guy” came about fairly accidentally. In 2009 I got laid off from the cube farm and spent a few months wondering what was next. As luck would have it, the local newspaper was re-inventing itself as an Internet site with a twice-weekly print paper and was looking for writers to take on local subjects of interest. I said, “Hey, why don’t you have someone write about our great beer scene?” They said, “Why don’t YOU write about this great beer scene?” And just like that, I became a newspaper columnist, which served as the basis for other writing gigs and, finally, the book that is taking Ann Arbor by storm. Storm, I say!
Beer as a subject came naturally to me since I had been avidly drinking it since before the government would have approved. My eldest brother, a homebrewer turned professional brewer with plans to open his own place, had a lot to do with my beer development. So I blame him for making me fat. Thanks a lot, Mike.

(editorial aside: Mike and his amazing wife-who-is-sorta-my-hero Annette May, Cicerone: I want you next! We’ll talk…)
We go way back. Eons. Well, OK, three or four years now.
Have to believe we are magic.
Well, I’m certain I am….
What did you think when you first heard about the Wolverine State Brewing Company and/or this “Beer Wench” person who was running her mouth about it?

Back in those dark days before this here beer bar existed, all I – and anyone else – knew of Wolverine beer was the bottled product in local stores that was contract brewed by a nameless and now-defunct brewery. The brutal truth is that I thought it sucked, and so did everyone else in my beer-drinking circle. So when this mysterious Beer Wench began making noises about a taproom, I was skeptical. Then I met her and the kickass brewer she hired, tasted said kickass brewer’s first efforts (a Baltic porter, as I recall), and immediately became a convert. From that point on, I made sure to tell other skeptics and anyone who would listen that they would most definitely want to check the place out when it opened. I believe history has vindicated my excellent judgment.
Key point: “met her” (first). How could you doubt me after that?
Oh dang, empty glass. That will never do. What would you like to have next?

I know football season is over, but I’d like a Big House Brown Ale. Sure, it hasn’t been on tap for months, but you said I could order whatever virtual beer I wanted.
Oh shit Dave and you were doing so well….tsk tsk tsk. I’m afraid that I shall now have to spank you. It’s a “lager.”  “Lah-gurrr”  Recalling of course that it what we “do” around here….so yeah, here drink yer Big House Brown LAGER (lager). Now, moving on.
You have recently released a book that, while it does not focus 100% on me and MY brewery, is a pretty cool history lesson and current state-of-affairs reflection on the craft beer scene in Ann Arbor. Tell us about it.

You mean Ann Arbor Beer: A Hoppy History of Tree Town Brewing, available on Amazon and in reputable local establishments, including this very beer bar? It’s the most carefully researched and best written book on the beer and brewing history of our fair city. And don’t let the little detail that it’s the only book on the subject obscure that fact.
Wench Liz and 2 of her fav beer dudes. You know that other guy, right? No? Well, he's an author too! Fred Bueltmann, marketing director/partner at New Holland Brewing and author of the Beervangelist's Guid to the Galaxy and soon to be victim…guest….here at the bar conversation series!

Ann Arbor, like many other older American cities, has a long and fascinating history with the amber liquid, especially thanks to the heavy historical German immigration to our area. Everyone knows that where there’s Germans, there’s beer. But the book also weaves more recent pop culture into the narrative, including beer-related stories featuring two of Ann Arbor’s favorite sons, Bob Seger and Iggy Pop. And, of course, it covers the current resurgence of local brewing, of which Wolverine is a large part.

Was it fun writing it? I remember you sitting at this very bar bitching and moaning about the research then shuffling off to do some. What part of the process did you enjoy the most? The least?

For me, writing isn’t fun, it’s work, and often hard work at that. I tend to agree with Dorothy Parker or whoever the hell it was who said, “I don’t like to write; I like to have written.” There’s an enormous sense of pride and accomplishment that comes from putting together a published work, whether it’s a blog post or a whole book, but the process of getting there is, as you well know, far from automatic.
When a lot of people think of “writing,” they think only of sitting down and typing words into a computer (or, more prosaically, on a typewriter). That’s only part of it. As you mention, there’s the research, which may range from spending hours in front of the dreaded microfilm machine to calling, emailing, and/or visiting total strangers to ask them impertinent questions. There’s the organization and compilation of all that information; deciding what it is you need and jettisoning what’s unusable; translating all of it into readable prose; editing, polishing, and proofreading said prose; acquiring illustrations (and permissions to use them) if necessary; and completely ignoring your friends and family to do all the foregoing according to a crazy deadline. I’m tired just remembering it all. Obviously the process for fiction is a bit different than for nonfiction, but if anyone thinks there’s no research involved in fiction, they’ve never tried to write a novel.
All that said, I’d much rather write about beer than get a real job.
Oh…sorry, fell asleep there for a skosh…..but what is this “typewriter” you speak of? Oh, wait, I know what I was pondering while listening to your answer. A quote that makes me think of your book:“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” ― Winston Churchill

One of my fondest memories of you (and I have a fair few including our pouring gigs at the MGoPatio) is the Sunday I was working the bar so that my staff could attend our annual Tigers game outing. You sat right about where you are now, watching me curse and pull out my hair over a blurb I was trying to write for my recently released novel Good Faith. I finally said, “Here, see if this interests you at all." Between us we molded that sucker into a sweet set of words for that novel. You up for that writing collaboration yet, Beer Guy?

Seems to me like you’ve already got the beer and sex book thing nailed down. What could I possibly contribute?
Gah! I do NOT write “Sex books”….ok, more spankings. And yeah, some of my books have beer and sex in them. But with a plot, so if you don’t require that, I guess you should stick to the internet sites.
Gonna write any more beer books? Tell us all about what's in your secret WIP file.

Well, there’s that 50,000 words of an unfinished novel I wrote 10 years ago. Come to think of it, it does feature a fair amount of beer and sex. Write what you know, they say.
Did you feel that? No, seriously. **clutches Dave’s arm and closes eyes**And like that ladies and gents, a writing partnership is born…maybe…well, let’s say I’m gonna take a gander at Uncle Dave’s book that includes a fair amount of beer and sex.  If I like his unfinished novel….which I’m guessing I will…stay tuned. I’m fairly sure the Liz and Dave show (collaboration) will be something you won’t wanna miss….and will include topics near and dear to your heart (plus beer and sex)
random potentially inspiring photo….
And for your nightcap?
If I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby.
You are redeemed (and I am pretty sure it was the spanking).Thanks for hanging out with me Dave. As I say (a lot): you rock. Thanks for all your amazing support on all fronts for yours truly plus that “go us” moment just now. We’ll make ‘em sit up and take notice, won’t we?
be sure and pick up Dave’s book (especially after you read MY review below): Click here to buy it on Amazon OR better yet, stop by the Wolverine State Brewing Co Tap Room and pick up your copy!

Back cover copy:“The Best Beer You Can Drink”– from an 1899 ad for the Ann Arbor Brewing Company
Ann Arbor has always been a beer-loving town. From the establishment of the first commercial brewery in 1838 through a century of German immigration down to today’s local craft brew boom, the amber liquid looms large in Tree Town’s quirky past and present. Find out how beer helped a former University of Michigan professor win a Nobel Prize. Discover the Ann Arbor doctor whose nationally bestselling home remedy book featured ale recipes. Learn which Michigan football legend pounded brewskis as part of his training regimen. Covering the exploits of famous poets, performers, and prohibitionists, local author David Bardallis pops the cap off the big beer history of this little college town and leads readers to “the best beer you can drink” in Ann Arbor today.
Official bio:David Bardallis writes regular beer columns for MLive.com and Great Lakes Brewing News and is a frequent contributor to Michigan Beer Guide. A lifelong Michigander, longtime craft beer drinker and occasional homebrewer, he lives in Ann Arbor, where he works as a freelance writer and editor when not visiting the local bars and breweries. More of his beer writing can be found at his blog, annarborbeer.com, and on mittenbrew.com. Follow him on Facebook at "All the Brews Fit to Pint" or Twitter at @allthebrews.


Liz's Review:

It's not a huge secret that I read mostly fiction but have been known to wander over into the realm of non-fiction at times. I read a fair number of beer-centric books and have enjoyed Brewing up a Business, Beer Blast, the aforementioned Beervangelist's Guide to the Galaxy, Beer in America, the Early Years and many others. I'm a big fan of books that show the development of the culture of beer as a woman's work as part of hearth and home through the industrialization of the product and back around to today with more and more women becoming home brewers AND head brewers at various crafters. (and still seek a definitive tome on that subject…makes a note for a future project). It's a lovely full circle.

But I prefer my nonfiction books to be not like trying to chew my way through a loaf of dry toast.  Which, unfortunately, many of them are. When it's a necessary chore, it provokes nightmares of "textbooks" and "Aristotle" and "the poetry section of Senior English Lit Required for Matriculation."

One of the first books I found that combined my love of a subject (in that case: football) and writing skill that made it feel as if I were reading a novel (despite the fact that I lived through the main sections of it here, in Ann Arbor, watching it unfold like the proverbial train wreck) was " Three and Out:
Rich Rodriguez and the Michigan Wolverines in the Crucible of College Football" by Ann Arbor's own John U. Bacon. He visited with us back in March and he has a new book out. I hope to have him across the beer bar if I can convince him I am not as bitchy as he thinks I am! I touted this book to the high heavens for anyone even moderately interested in college football in general or the juggernaut that is Michigan football specifically. (and I still want to collab with him on the Rick Pitino story….but again, gotta lure him back to my lair, which may prove difficult!).
(egregiously sucking up and saying "come back John!" Wench loves you…." and a look at the line up for the March Madness Party in the Tap Room last year)
When I started reading Dave's book "Ann Arbor Beer: A Hoppy History of Tree Town Brewing" I had a similar experience. Dave's style of writing is completely addictive, and while I do admit a fondness for his subject, I felt that even if I only possessed a passing interest in anything relative to Ann Arbor's history or the history of craft beer in a mid western town, I would be drawn in.
I read the book in 2 sittings, smiling a lot, laughing out loud at parts (helps that I know some of these "characters" but still….) and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an enjoyable reading experience about the "hot topic" of "craft beer" but also to learn more about its place in the history of a Major College Town.
It moves smoothly from the pre-prohibition through the redemption of America thanks to the 21st Amendment and into the craft beer revolution in hippie town (yeah, I can say that) and into the current state of affairs in Tree Town for we brewery owners and our "up yours" to the industrial macros. 
Yes, it is non-fiction but thanks to the talent of the author, forget the dry toast, and enjoy this book like the fine, rich, hand crafted brew that it is.
Well done David! An official 5-Lager Review!

And lest you Liz fans think I lack for inspiration in my beer world, you should check out my new "sous chef" whose official nickname now is "Sir" for reasons you will discover once I post His "story" (bio, you know.)mmm hmm….

I'm Number Nine! I'm Number Nine!

No, I'm not angling to be the next heroine in that series by Pittacus Lore.

Just wanted to point out a fun list of books that has been developed by an author who was seeking to promote her books to readers who were in a collective puddle of goo over a particular series that, while it has many of us who enjoy well written books shaking our heads, is not a bad locomotive to hitch one's erotic romance novels to in hopes of snagging some readership eyeballs.
(excuse me while I cock my ear to the sound of at least 2 of my editors having a mild seizure over that last sentence…..ok. I'm good now)

The "What to Read After 50 Shades of Grey" started in 2012 as a Facebook page intended to promote this author's books as well as any others. Pretty good idea, that.

I was notified that my book FLOOR TIME, the 1st of the "Jack and Sara trilogy" that later morphed into the 9-book Stewart Realty series was #1 for a while. Its subsequent installments -- SWEAT EQUITY and CLOSING COSTS -- also made the list but Floor Time was one that lots of the quivering newbie BDSM fans of Christian Grey found a suitable "next read."

Jack Gordon is not Mr. Grey. (I laugh to think what he would say about him, frankly). Nor is his counterpart, Sara Thornton anything like whatshername (sorry, I did not make it very far into the first book but that does NOT mean you are a bad person if you loved them. I'm all for books that make you need near constant alone time in your bedroom).

However, enough dewey 50 Shades recovering addicts have purchased this first book (and many have gone on to read and enjoy the rest of the series) and have recommended it to others so that in a recent posting, the "WTRAFSOG" Top 50 of All Time list shows FLOOR TIME at #9.

Not too shabby. Although I would say that if you are seeking something exactly like "FSOG" you might ought to read through some of my reviews and make that call. It's not like that book. At all. But it is a pretty compelling and (at times) sexy look into the lives of two grown up people with distinct (and I'm told sometimes annoyingly selfish) personalities as they navigate the waters of a deepening relationship. There is a BDSM element to it. But it's just that: "an element." It is not the entirety of their connection by any means.

So, I thank Summer Daniels for coming up with such an ingenious way to find readers for her books and that she was wiling to open it up to the rest of us!

Click here to see the link to the Top 50 of All Time list!

Click here to buy your own copy of Floor Time, AND the rest of the Stewart Realty series!

NOTE: The first 3 books (Floor Time/Sweat Equity/Closing Costs) will be re-released on February 14 (naturally) as a print anthology with a BEAUTIFUL new cover.  I will reveal the cover in my Liz Crowe Newsletter February Edition on 2/3/14. You can sign up to be among the FIRST to see this cover up there in the right hand corner of this blog or by emailing me: beerwench1966@yahoo.com


There will be a fun exclusive peek at a sexy deleted scene from within the trilogy on that edition as well….join the Jack and Sara fun, won't you?

Happy Reading,
Liz
GO BRONCOS!