Krista Ames's Blog, page 132
August 31, 2012
Romancing the Hop Blog Hop and Giveaway #romhop
Hi everybody and welcome to the
Romancing the Hop
Blog Hop
glad you could stop by
The rules here today are pretty simple...
Just leave me a comment below telling me what your favorite thing about Romance is and make sure to leave your email address so you can be contacted if you win! See? I told you, simple :)
There are over 200 authors and bloggers participating in this hop and they're each doing a giveaway of their own so make sure you better your chances of winning by stopping by and leaving a comments at each one, of course along with your email address so they can contact you if you win !
Now, besides all these great authors and bloggers giving away great stuff, we have 3 main prizes as well...wanna know what they are??
Well, take a look.....
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet 2nd Grand Prize: A $130 Amazon or B&N Gift Card 3rd Grand Prize: The following Swag Pack!
Now who wouldn't want any of this great stuff huh?? So again, all you have to do is stop by each of the blogs in the list at the bottom of my post and leave a comment and your email address...oh and don't forget to leave a comment here for me too :)It will get you entered in to win an Amazon $5 gift card and your choice of one of my 4 anthologies listed below :) Believe !
A collection of uplifting Christmas short stories from Turquoise Morning Press. Romance, inspiration, and unexpected gifts— Reminding us to simply...believe. Second Hand Horses by Amy LeBlancMall Magic by Cat Shaffer
Another Quirky Christmas by Tonya Kappes
Concourse Christmas by Margaret Ethridge
Love in an Elevatorby Krista Ames
Fixing Christmas by Elizabeth Chalkley
Angel on Board by Janet Eaves
The Twelve Seductive Days of Christmas by Marissa Dobson
Be Mine, Valentine......A dozen short stories of love…just as good as roses. Maybe even better! This short story collection celebrates love—young love and old, mended love, secret love, and love enduring. Twelve talented writers share stories to touch your heart and soul.Anthology Authors:
Krista Ames, Suzanne Barrett, Elizabeth Chalkley, Marissa Dobson, Janet Eaves, Jennifer Johnson, Margaret Ethridge, Amy Le Blanc, Tracy March, Nancy Naigle, Cat Shaffer, Bobbye Terry
Summer Shorts is a collection of light romantic reads about love, life and endless summer nights.
With everything from a first kiss, to the rekindling of a long marriage, there is something for everyone. Beaches, cruises and summer days, perfect for tucking into your beach bag or your e-reader, and heading off to lie in the sun, bask in the warm breezes, and dream….enjoy.Declarations of Dependence by Margaret Ethridge
Best Friends by Suzanne BarrettRetrieving Hope by Bobbye TerryBeach Towel by Grace GreeneFireworks by Julie Anne Lindsey
The Green House by Amie Denman
Old Devil Moon by Bobbye Terry
Surf’s Up by Krista Ames
All Bets Are On !
Romance ~ Mystery ~ MurderSome might say placing (and winning!) a win, place and show bet—a trifecta—is the triple threat of racing, and to the winner goes the spoils. In this Kentucky Derby themed short story collection, All Bets Are On! the trifecta may include romance, mystery and even murder! We’re betting you’ll find a story or two to savor as you sip a mint julep, study the daily racing form, and pick out your Derby hat. We hope you enjoy.
Remember My Love by Cheryl Norman
The Winner by Jan Scarbrough
Going The Distance by Margaret Ethridge
As Luck Would Have It by Christina Wolfer
Glynda’s Dare by Shanon Grey
Whiskey’s Sweet Revenge by Krista Ames ~~~~~~~~~~~~I know I asked everyone to tell me their favorite thing about Romance but you know, I'm not even sure I can name just one thing. Romance makes you feel all ooey gooey inside lol. Romance makes me think of my husband actually. He'd never admit to it but he is absolutely a romantic at heart. I remember when we were dating....we met online :) We talked for two months before we ever met face to face. I swear I lived for those texts until we worked our way up to that nerve-racking first phone call and then whew....what a voice. To this day, I still get all fluttery when he calls me out of the blue. He used to write poems for me, which i've kept every one and he likes to buy me those mushy cards I love. We lived about 3 hours apart when we were dating, which was awful so once when we had plans to meet in Auburn Hills for a Piston's game, I met him at our hotel and he had a handmade card waiting for me on the bed with another poem he'd written. Made me cry when i saw it. Any way, after a while we finally moved in together, mixing our family of 4 children and for my birthday one year he gave me the ultimate in poems inside a lumpy card. He'd written a poem telling me how much he loved me and couldn't live without me and asked me to marry him. The ring was taped to the inside of the card :)
My oldest daughter and I have spent the last few hours watching youtube where people posted the ultimate marriage proposals. I swear I cried for every one of them but I'll never trade my own lumpy card! Thanks for stopping by today and sharing your favorite thing about Romance and don't forget to visit all the other sites below......happy hopping :) Krista
Finally Friday....
TGIF!!! And this Friday I really mean that. It's been one heck of a week for sure! And, it's Labor Day Weekend so I hope that means a 3 day weekend for most of you!!!
Today I am very pleased to be sharing one of the Turquoise Morning Press backlist books and it is ...
The Perfect Secretary
A 'Dirty Bits' Erotic Short Story by Madison J. Edwards
(Warning: Graphic language and adult situations; intended for age 18 and over.)
Shiela Adams, thrilled to be Troy Reid’s personal executive assistant, wants to prove she was the right choice. She’s the perfect secretary, who’ll do anything to please both her bosses.
Reviews and Best Seller"This hot little story sure did rev my engines! --The Romance Reviews
Amazon Best Seller - Top 100 Paid, Erotic Fiction
Top 10 Bestseller, All Romance Ebooks
Release: April 5, 2011
Category: Erotic, Erotic Fiction, Short Story
Heat: Erotic
Length: 4500 words
Price: $0.99
Buy Links: http://www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com/products/the-perfect-secretary http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Secretary-Dirty-Short-ebook/dp/B004VGUF68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346358403&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Perfect+Secretary
Author Bio: Madison grew up in small town Saskatchewan, population twelve hundred. By the age of ten, she’d read every book the local library had. Granted it wasn’t large, tucked in the corner of the local carpet store, but it sparked a love of reading that hasn’t diminished. Madison, her family and two spoiled cats, reside in London, Ontario. www.madisonjedwards.com Also make sure you visit Madison's Amazon author page to check out her other reads too! http://www.amazon.com/Madison-J.-Edwards/e/B0051BWZ4C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 Thanks for stopping by today and make sure to visit again....never know what author will be featured next !! Until then, happy reading! Krista
Today I am very pleased to be sharing one of the Turquoise Morning Press backlist books and it is ...
The Perfect Secretary
A 'Dirty Bits' Erotic Short Story by Madison J. Edwards
(Warning: Graphic language and adult situations; intended for age 18 and over.)
Shiela Adams, thrilled to be Troy Reid’s personal executive assistant, wants to prove she was the right choice. She’s the perfect secretary, who’ll do anything to please both her bosses.
Reviews and Best Seller"This hot little story sure did rev my engines! --The Romance Reviews
Amazon Best Seller - Top 100 Paid, Erotic Fiction
Top 10 Bestseller, All Romance Ebooks Release: April 5, 2011
Category: Erotic, Erotic Fiction, Short Story
Heat: Erotic
Length: 4500 words
Price: $0.99
Buy Links: http://www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com/products/the-perfect-secretary http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Secretary-Dirty-Short-ebook/dp/B004VGUF68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346358403&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Perfect+Secretary
Author Bio: Madison grew up in small town Saskatchewan, population twelve hundred. By the age of ten, she’d read every book the local library had. Granted it wasn’t large, tucked in the corner of the local carpet store, but it sparked a love of reading that hasn’t diminished. Madison, her family and two spoiled cats, reside in London, Ontario. www.madisonjedwards.com Also make sure you visit Madison's Amazon author page to check out her other reads too! http://www.amazon.com/Madison-J.-Edwards/e/B0051BWZ4C/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 Thanks for stopping by today and make sure to visit again....never know what author will be featured next !! Until then, happy reading! Krista
August 30, 2012
Author, author...
... read all about it!
Please help me welcome
Lorraine Nelson
with her release,
Love on the Rocks...
Thank you for hosting me today, Krista!
Let me tell you…I love this book!!! It's the one that set me on the path I'm now traveling.
Thanks to an infection in the bone of my thumb, it had to be amputated. In order to regain the flexibility in that hand and return to the full-time job, I began typing, but soon tired of typing tests and the like. An idea formed and I began to write, seriously write, an adult novel of the type I enjoy reading. Seven weeks later, Love on the Rocks was finished, although it's seen several revisions since that early, rough draft.
This story begins and ends at The Rocks at Hopewell Cape, NB.The stunning beauty of the rock formations is a sight to behold. Please join me as I share a little piece of my province.
Blurb:
When Sara attempts to save her daughter, she may also be escaping a fate worse than an abusive boyfriend…she may be running away from true love. The big question is: Which man will find her first?
Sara Compton, normally strong, independent, and fun-loving, is deeply distressed at having to abandon her baby, but she has neither money nor home and is hiding from an abusive and obsessive ex-boyfriend. The only way to keep her child safe is to give her up.
Anthony Jacobs has sworn off women due to a previous relationship gone sour. He finds the child, takes her home, and arranges care for her. When he places a public call for a nanny and a lovely woman arrives who seems to have a rapport with the abandoned baby, he hires her on the spot.
Sara is fraught with guilt and tension at the possibility of being found out. What will Anthony think of her if—or when—he finds out the truth? To add to her worries, trouble arises in the form of Sara’s ex-boyfriend, who appears on the scene with custody papers in hand. She makes a hasty escape, her daughter in tow, but in the process of avoiding the evil Elliot Saunders, is she leaving behind her one true love?
Love on the Rocks - Excerpt "Since you slaved away to prepare such a feast, I insist on doing the washing up."
"What? No beeper?" Caroline chided.
"Not tonight. Guess I was too tired to arrange a get-a-way. I'll have to do better tomorrow," Anthony said with a wink and a chuckle.
Picking up Charity, she shot back, saying, "That figures. Oh, well, I'll enjoy tonight's respite and take our little princess upstairs to get her cleaned up. What do you think of that, sweetheart?"
"Fine with me," Anthony answered unexpectedly, then must have caught himself because he turned back to look at them as Caroline erupted into laughter. "Uh, you weren't talking to me just then, were you?" he asked sheepishly.
"No, but you sure do look good in red," she quipped, giggling at his embarrassment as she went on her way.
Anthony could hear her giggles as she went up the back stairs. To his astonishment, he had truly enjoyed thinking she'd called him 'Sweetheart,' and it had seemed so natural, too.
Oh, boy! Am I ever in big trouble, he told himself as he realized he'd fallen head over heels for the woman. What am I going to do now? How do I find out if she feels the same without bringing on a sexual harassment suit? Why did she have to be Charity's nanny...an employee...and a darn good one at that! He didn't want to scare her into running away. Think, Anthony! Think! He knew he'd figure out something. He'd just have to play it by ear and take a chance when the opportunity arose. Purchase Links: 30% off for a limited time.
http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=7&products_id=301&zenid=crki96t1shb272ct99v7jm3467
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveontherocks-907155-149.html
I so love hearing from my readers! It's important to know what works and doesn't work for them as I continue to craft stories of love and mystery. you can find me at: http://www.lorrainenelson.weebly.com
http://www.lorrainenelson.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/LorraineNelson.Author
http://twitter.com/#!/lornelca
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5254629.Lorraine_Nelson
http://www.amazon.com/Lorraine-Nelson/e/B005XMAYFQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Thank you for helping me celebrate my new release. Leave a comment including your email address below to be entered in the draw for a free download of Love on the Rocks. Winner to be drawn August 31st.
Please help me welcomeLorraine Nelson
with her release,
Love on the Rocks...
Thank you for hosting me today, Krista!
Let me tell you…I love this book!!! It's the one that set me on the path I'm now traveling.
Thanks to an infection in the bone of my thumb, it had to be amputated. In order to regain the flexibility in that hand and return to the full-time job, I began typing, but soon tired of typing tests and the like. An idea formed and I began to write, seriously write, an adult novel of the type I enjoy reading. Seven weeks later, Love on the Rocks was finished, although it's seen several revisions since that early, rough draft.
This story begins and ends at The Rocks at Hopewell Cape, NB.The stunning beauty of the rock formations is a sight to behold. Please join me as I share a little piece of my province.
Blurb:
When Sara attempts to save her daughter, she may also be escaping a fate worse than an abusive boyfriend…she may be running away from true love. The big question is: Which man will find her first?
Sara Compton, normally strong, independent, and fun-loving, is deeply distressed at having to abandon her baby, but she has neither money nor home and is hiding from an abusive and obsessive ex-boyfriend. The only way to keep her child safe is to give her up.
Anthony Jacobs has sworn off women due to a previous relationship gone sour. He finds the child, takes her home, and arranges care for her. When he places a public call for a nanny and a lovely woman arrives who seems to have a rapport with the abandoned baby, he hires her on the spot.
Sara is fraught with guilt and tension at the possibility of being found out. What will Anthony think of her if—or when—he finds out the truth? To add to her worries, trouble arises in the form of Sara’s ex-boyfriend, who appears on the scene with custody papers in hand. She makes a hasty escape, her daughter in tow, but in the process of avoiding the evil Elliot Saunders, is she leaving behind her one true love?
Love on the Rocks - Excerpt "Since you slaved away to prepare such a feast, I insist on doing the washing up." "What? No beeper?" Caroline chided.
"Not tonight. Guess I was too tired to arrange a get-a-way. I'll have to do better tomorrow," Anthony said with a wink and a chuckle.
Picking up Charity, she shot back, saying, "That figures. Oh, well, I'll enjoy tonight's respite and take our little princess upstairs to get her cleaned up. What do you think of that, sweetheart?"
"Fine with me," Anthony answered unexpectedly, then must have caught himself because he turned back to look at them as Caroline erupted into laughter. "Uh, you weren't talking to me just then, were you?" he asked sheepishly.
"No, but you sure do look good in red," she quipped, giggling at his embarrassment as she went on her way.
Anthony could hear her giggles as she went up the back stairs. To his astonishment, he had truly enjoyed thinking she'd called him 'Sweetheart,' and it had seemed so natural, too.
Oh, boy! Am I ever in big trouble, he told himself as he realized he'd fallen head over heels for the woman. What am I going to do now? How do I find out if she feels the same without bringing on a sexual harassment suit? Why did she have to be Charity's nanny...an employee...and a darn good one at that! He didn't want to scare her into running away. Think, Anthony! Think! He knew he'd figure out something. He'd just have to play it by ear and take a chance when the opportunity arose. Purchase Links: 30% off for a limited time.
http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=7&products_id=301&zenid=crki96t1shb272ct99v7jm3467
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-loveontherocks-907155-149.html
I so love hearing from my readers! It's important to know what works and doesn't work for them as I continue to craft stories of love and mystery. you can find me at: http://www.lorrainenelson.weebly.com
http://www.lorrainenelson.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/LorraineNelson.Author
http://twitter.com/#!/lornelca
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5254629.Lorraine_Nelson
http://www.amazon.com/Lorraine-Nelson/e/B005XMAYFQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Thank you for helping me celebrate my new release. Leave a comment including your email address below to be entered in the draw for a free download of Love on the Rocks. Winner to be drawn August 31st.
Author, author...
...read all about it!
Listen to Your Heart – Olympic Series book 2
K.T. Bishop
Olympic Curling medalist Robin Friesz was enjoying life living in Stockholm, Sweden. Robin did not have to become a Swedish resident as long as he played for the professional football team. When the league folded, he had a choice: become a citizen or return back to the United States. His girlfriend, Inga Johan, provided a problem. Inga, an Olympic skating medalist, was popular in her native land. They were in love and she pushed him to become a citizen. Robin was in a puzzle.
Buy Link: Red Rose Publishing
About the Author:
K.T. Bishop is a long-time Southerner, who has lived his entire life in the Deep South. He was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Oct. 18, 1969. He attended the University of Alabama and graduated from Stillman College in 1992. He's a Pulitzer prize winning news reporter and who resides on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This will be his eighth book at Red Rose Publishing.
Website / Blog
Excerpt:
When Robin found refuge underneath the shaded tree, a sharp pain suddenly struck his heart. He exhaled heavily and cringed at the pain.
He quickly traced the source of discomfort that unexpectedly tickled his heart.
An image of Inga swam inside his head, which made the pain vanish. A smile filled the corners of his mouth during the visit down memory lane. He stumbled into a spoiled, arrogant foreign actress at the Vancouver International Airport.
Robin’s heart melted at the first sight of Inga, falling in love with her. She initially hated his guts, but Cupid stuck a love arrow into her heart. Admiration grew into attraction, which their love helped the other capture medals at the Winter Olympics.
As Robin looked upward and gazed into the bright sunrays, the time had come to tell Inga the truth. He had to be upfront with the love of his life.
He stretched his body on the bench for a few seconds and ran back home for an intense one-on-one talk with Inga. “She’s not going to like what I have to say, but I must get this off my chest and level with her.”
While Inga never dropped hints of marriage, Robin always understood they would eventually become Mr. and Mrs. Friesz someday. The timing wasn’t right. He stood minutes away from risking a life of happiness over his American stance.
Buy Link: Red Rose Publishing Thanks for stopping by, until next time... Happy reading, Krista
Listen to Your Heart – Olympic Series book 2
K.T. Bishop
Olympic Curling medalist Robin Friesz was enjoying life living in Stockholm, Sweden. Robin did not have to become a Swedish resident as long as he played for the professional football team. When the league folded, he had a choice: become a citizen or return back to the United States. His girlfriend, Inga Johan, provided a problem. Inga, an Olympic skating medalist, was popular in her native land. They were in love and she pushed him to become a citizen. Robin was in a puzzle.
Buy Link: Red Rose Publishing
About the Author:
K.T. Bishop is a long-time Southerner, who has lived his entire life in the Deep South. He was born in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Oct. 18, 1969. He attended the University of Alabama and graduated from Stillman College in 1992. He's a Pulitzer prize winning news reporter and who resides on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This will be his eighth book at Red Rose Publishing.
Website / Blog
Excerpt:
When Robin found refuge underneath the shaded tree, a sharp pain suddenly struck his heart. He exhaled heavily and cringed at the pain.
He quickly traced the source of discomfort that unexpectedly tickled his heart.
An image of Inga swam inside his head, which made the pain vanish. A smile filled the corners of his mouth during the visit down memory lane. He stumbled into a spoiled, arrogant foreign actress at the Vancouver International Airport.
Robin’s heart melted at the first sight of Inga, falling in love with her. She initially hated his guts, but Cupid stuck a love arrow into her heart. Admiration grew into attraction, which their love helped the other capture medals at the Winter Olympics. As Robin looked upward and gazed into the bright sunrays, the time had come to tell Inga the truth. He had to be upfront with the love of his life.
He stretched his body on the bench for a few seconds and ran back home for an intense one-on-one talk with Inga. “She’s not going to like what I have to say, but I must get this off my chest and level with her.”
While Inga never dropped hints of marriage, Robin always understood they would eventually become Mr. and Mrs. Friesz someday. The timing wasn’t right. He stood minutes away from risking a life of happiness over his American stance.
Buy Link: Red Rose Publishing Thanks for stopping by, until next time... Happy reading, Krista
August 29, 2012
Author, author...
...read all about it !Today we have a spotlight on Honey Jans and her release...
Goldie and the Three Bears In this trio of sizzling Torrid Twisted Tales Honey Jans turns the traditional fairy tales on their ears. Take a little time to find out if Red Riding Hood can handle the big bad wolf, Cindy can captivate her prince charming, and what Goldie does with her Three Bears? Excerpt: Her lips tingled as he gazed masterfully down at her in the moonlight and her nipples budded in the cool night air. She instinctively leaned toward him, creaming, as a sexual energy field snapped between them. “Who do you belong to, bad girl?” he asked, a sardonic smile curving his handsome face. “You,” she cried out as he slid a hand down the front of her naked body, slowly over her breasts, grazing her nipples until she sucked in a tremulous breath, and his hand slid lower to boldly cup her weeping sex. Everything inside her tightened as he held her in his big, work-roughened, warm hand. She was unable to deny him anything and in exchange he gave her everything. He expertly squeezed her mound, rubbing her clit as he did, and she came with a cry as he held her safe… Squeak… Honey Lockwood woke with a snort, sleepily discombobulated but knowing instantly she wasn’t alone. Chills went through her as she lifted her head off the overheated laptop keyboard and peered through the golden fringe of her curls that had saddled her with the nickname Goldilocks. The dark recesses of her grandsire’s lakeside lair were full of harmless shadows. So why was she shivering? And what had made that noise? It couldn’t be the one of the Sundowners—roving bands of Werebear males in search of mates. Besides she was immune from the virgin hunt, being a dud DNA wise. Never had she been so happy to be a throwback to the mundane part of her family. The mating season only served to reinforce her decision to start her own business, leave the clan, and make her life in the human world. If she never saw a macho Werebear again it would suit her just fine. She’d realized how out of her depth she was when she’d caught her sometime beau Geoff on his knees pleasuring her Werebear fem cousin, Joelle. The humiliation was enough to make her break away. She’d known then and there that she had to get out. Of course, if she’d been a true blood, she might have found out what it was like to get properly laid. Instead of being in on the mate hunt, she’d come to this remote cabin alone to regroup before heading off to Chicago and her new life next week. Here she could work on her business plan in private. She’d always had an affinity for numbers, something she and Geoff had once had in common before the mating fever had hit him and he’d lost all sense of reality. Heck, she hadn’t even told her family where she was going, not that they cared. She’d fobbed Grandsire off with an explanation that she was off on a singles cruise with her mortal friend, Darla, and he’d been visibly relieved that she was out of the picture. His reaction more than anything emphasized that she had to go back to real life and forget about her clan. Squeak… A loose floorboard squeaked in the kitchen again, bringing her wandering thoughts back to danger in a nanosecond. Chills ran up her spine as a sensation of a dark murky aura sent out tentacles toward her and with it came a gasp worthy top note of musky cologne. Damn, the thug had to have bathed in it. Eyes watering she knew that trouble was on the move, toward her. Her growing ability to read auras, a real non talent in the Wereworld, was getting stronger. But she rejected the notion that she was cracking up, as Joelle had claimed.
She was as sane as anyone else and she knew she had to move. Unfortunately her purse, containing her mace, cell phone, and car keys, was in the kitchen where he was. She didn’t know how she was certain her nemesis was a he. But considering her luck with men, it had to be some male mortal thug out to do her harm. Probably some mundane out to rob the place although there wasn’t much to steal. A blast of crisp night air against her back made her shiver and reminded her that she’d left the patio door open in a last ditch effort to air out the musty fishing shack. If she could quietly make it out the door, she’d stand a chance. Holding her breath, she eased out of her chair and tugged open the patio door’s screen, wincing when it squeaked. Damn, if she lived through this night she was coming back with a big oil can and oiling the shit out of these hinges. Something crashed in the vicinity of the kitchen and her heart leapt to her throat. Time to get the hell out. With a gasp she ran for the safety of the dark woods. It had to be well after midnight and not a creature was stirring, except her. Her crunching footsteps sounded thunderous as she made it to the tree line. She sagged against a tree breathless as the darkness cloaked her. At least whoever had broken into the shack wasn’t chasing her. Standing there shaking and feeling like an idiot she wondered if she’d dreamt it after all. No tentacles of evil chased her, not even a mouse sneezed. Maybe her vivid imagination had been working overtime after all. She had been feeling strange lately as her thirtieth birthday approached. She turned to peer back at the cabin. All the lights were still blazing and just the sight of the light calmed her fears. Given her fear of the dark, she’d brought plenty of nightlights. Everything seemed peaceful. Her belongings, including her brand new laptop were inside. Could she just abandon them because of a bad dream? A shot rang out smacking into the tree above her head, splintering the wood. She dropped like a rock, biting back a scream, her arm burning like fire. Oh my heavens, I didn’t imagine it! Then the cabin lights were doused all at once and she knew she was in trouble deep. Fear made her scramble to her feet and run deep into the pitch-dark woods as the overpowering stench of musk pursued her. Half an hour later she crested a rise and saw a big lakeside cabin, its light ablaze in the valley below. Lights! Tears of relief sprang to her eyes. Never had a sight seemed more welcoming. She raced toward the house, tripped, tearing the strap on one of her sandals, and hobbled up onto the porch. Breathless, she looked for a doorbell. Not seeing one, she banged on the solid wood door then reached for the doorknob. The minute she touched it her palm tingled and she distinctly heard the lock open before it swung open on well-oiled hinges. Startled, she stood there rubbing her heated palm for a moment as she looked inside the seemingly empty house. Then a rainbow of pleasant auras seemed to bid her into the house. Stunned by her good fortune, she rushed into the house and slammed the door behind her, sagging back against it trembling. As she stood there glancing around the well-appointed but seemingly vacant lodge, a strange feeling of lethargy came over her. The strange auras rubbed against her skin making her tingle. Damn, maybe this was a delayed reaction to shock. She absolutely refused to feel auras on top of seeing them. She couldn’t deny the feeling of coming home, but this place was posh compared to her grandsire’s rustic compound that she’d grown up on. As she’d noted from outside, all the lights were on. A fire blazed in the fireplace and something savory simmered in the vicinity of the kitchen. Her stomach grumbled in response, as she hadn’t eaten since morning. Nobody seemed to be home. As a matter of fact the place had a vacant feel, as if it were waiting for its occupants. She rolled her eyes at her vivid imagination and ventured into the empty room looking for a phone. “ Hello,” she called out, hearing her tense voice echo through the empty lodge. Suck it up, Goldilocks, nobody’s home so you’ll just have to save yourself. She took a step forward and damned near broke her neck when she tripped over her broken sandal again. With a growl she kicked off the damned things. Then she walked into the living room looking in vain for a phone. Almost out on her feet, she plopped wearily into a huge leather wing chair by the fireplace, smirking when her feet didn’t touch the floor. The story of The Three Bears came to mind. This had to be papa bear’s chair. The only other furniture in the room were two more leather recliners just as deep, confirming her guess that this was a man cave. Maybe the boys had gone out on a beer run. Some help they’d be. Fighting her urge to just cuddle up in the chair and go to sleep, she surged to her feet. She had to find a phone…save herself…and get some crazy housebreaker busted. She followed her nose and the delicious smells toward the kitchen. Seemed like a logical place for a phone and she was hungry. She stopped at the doorway. No phone, but a crock pot on the counter simmered away with what smelled like chili drawing her toward it. Her stomach grumbled again forcefully reminding her that she’d missed dinner. Her mouth watering, she gazed at the three bowls set out next to the crock pot. Shades of The Three Bears again, making her grin. Well, the other Goldilocks had helped herself to some porridge, maybe it was a sign that she should too.
Before she could censor herself she ladled herself a portion of the chili and sat down at the kitchen nook before she fell down. She needed to eat and she’d pay for the chili when she got her purse back. She took a bite of the spicy concoction, blowing on it when it was too hot, stirring it till it cooled down, and then greedily eating it all when it was just right. Sitting back, replete, she looked down at her messy clothes and winced. Yikes! She was covered in dirt and leaves from her flight through the woods and tumble down the hill. And there were a few telltale drops of chili on her white blouse. The boys would probably think she was crazy looking this way. Hell, she’d be lucky not to get shot at again. She needed to clean up fast. She stood up on wobbly legs and started down the hall in search of either a bathroom or a phone whichever came first. Her footsteps faltered when she glanced into the messy den. Up till now everything in this place had been neat as a pin. She smiled when she saw the papers strewn on the oak desktop and tumbling onto the floor. This looked like her office after she’d been on one of her creative streaks. Then the sound of swirling water caught her attention. Could it possibly be a hot tub? Just the thought made her yearn for warmth. She padded down the hall toward the sound and stepped out into what she could only call a spa. There was a deep Jacuzzi tub and even a sauna. Now this was roughing it in the woods. She gazed longingly at the tub. It was almost calling her name. Should she? A bottle of jasmine bath oil sat on the edge of the tub. Maybe one of the boys had a lover. She didn’t know why that thought bothered her more than the prospect of stealing someone’s bath. Pushing back those thoughts she poured in the bath oil, stripped, and got in. Sinking down in the water she eased back and closed her eyes with a groan as all her sore muscles tightened a moment before going loose. Drifting away, she sank down in the water, pressure melting away. A few minutes later she woke up in a hurry, coming up sputtering. Damn, she was dead on her feet. With a wince, she pulled herself out of the tub, her cuts stinging anew. She toweled off and glanced at her trashed clothes, her nose wrinkling. For nothing on earth would she put them back on until she sponged them clean, but she was too tired. Instead she reached for the white terry cloth robe hanging on the back of the door. It was miles too big for her but it was warm and enveloping and she snuggled into it like a security blanket. It smelled of sandalwood and man, obviously a big man, one who could protect her. If only! Half-asleep, she staggered out of the steamy bathroom into the frigid hallway and shivered, her teeth chattering. Well, hell, she was really out on her feet, maybe in shock. She had to get warm, fast. She headed toward the bedrooms like a guided missile. She’d have a little lie down to regain her equilibrium. Buy link: Amazon : http://www.amazon.com/Goldie-The-Three-Bears-ebook/dp/B0055LHG5G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1346258235&sr=8-2&keywords=goldie+and+the+three+bears About the Author:Honey Jans lives in a small Midwestern town with her husband and true inspiration. She is a born romantic with an extraordinarily vivid, yet kinky, imagination. Honey loves writing erotica and hopes that her stories add a little spice to her readers lives.
Website / Blog
August 28, 2012
Author, author...
... read all about it!
Please help me give a warm welcome for today's guest...
W. Lynn Chantale
Hi W. Lynn, great to have you with us.
What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?
Reading the same sad plots of naive women with wealthy older men or the cowboy on a ranch in a part of the country I’d never live.
What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?
It depends on the novel, but I’ve made phone calls, scouted locations, spent time in libraries, toured old homes, etc. It just depends on what the story needs.
Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?
I’m relegated to the dining room. Before we moved I had an office of sorts, but being in the dining room keeps me in contact with my family.
As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?
Most definitely. I’m a bit of a mystery/thriller junkie and that bleeds through at time. I also, like reading historical romances.
What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper?? And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?
I go with the flow of the muses. My favorite method of writing is on a laptop, although I will jot down notes and such on paper.
When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?
Playing video games with the kids, bass guitar, or getting out the house.
Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??
I asked this question out loud and my children looked at one another, then me and said no. So maybe I should keep those few little secrets to myself.
For fun, I have a few personal questions,
Your Favorite 5
1) Favorite color - Blue
2) Favorite dessert -Chocolate3) Favorite Season -Spring
4) Favorite sad song-One Last Cry by Brian McKnight
5) Favorite Romantic movie -An American President
And a bonus, what is your ideal romantic vacation??
A trip to Paris, France with my honey.
Where can our readers find you?? Download my free Author App to your Android or Apple IOS device.
Website: http://wlynnchantale.com
Blog: http://wlynnchantale-decadentdecisions.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/wlynnchantale
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/W.LynnChantaleAuthor
Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
My current release is Lust and Bound.
Blurb
Trisha, a recent divorcee, wants to explore the wilder side of sex and discover a more sensuous part of herself. When long-time client Zach Walters suggests a weekend together, she agrees. He provides her with an unforgettable night of hot, sweaty sex, while unbeknownst to either of them the tryst is being recorded.
No woman has ever excited Zach Walters like Trisha. He’s willing to indulge his fantasies as well as hers, but he can’t afford to get too close. He has a weakness for damsels in distress and a secret to protect. Only one thing threatens their happiness—a vengeful ex-husband.
Excerpt
Trisha scrambled backwards. If he touched her now, she wouldn’t get a chance to find out.
“See what?” He loosened his tie.
“Your tattoo.”
He chuckled. “Is that all?”
“It’s enough. You’ve distracted me every other time.”
With a smirk he nodded and unclasped his cufflinks. “My lady’s wish is my command.” He allowed the accessories to drop on the nearby table. The heavy thunk echoed her pounding pulse.
Trisha moistened dry lips, her breath hitching at each button he loosened. His eyes never wavered from hers. He eased the garment from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor, revealing his sleeveless shirt beneath.
She’d seen stripteases before, but none affected her like this one. The muscles of his biceps flexed when his hands went to the front of his slacks. He unbuckled his belt and undid the clasp, before yanking his t-shirt free of the waistband. He grasped the ends of his shirt and slowly lifted the cotton. With each inch of smooth chocolate skin revealed, desire throbbed anew. He discarded the shirt. She sucked in a breath and feasted upon the hard lines of his torso and abs.
Desire crackled with each beat of her heart. She stepped closer. The tattoo was incredibly detailed, each scale on the design seemed to have a luminosity that seemed to ripple and glow with each breath he drew. The image must have taken hours to render.
“You take my breath away, baby girl.”
She met his gaze. “I do?” Surprise colored her voice.
“No woman has ever looked at me like that before.” He smoothed a hand over her hair.
“Like what?”
“Like you want to devour me.”
Heat tinged her cheeks. Could he really read all that in her eyes? With shaking fingers she pushed her hair from her face.
“And what if I do?” she challenged.
“I’m yours.” He held up a hand and crooked a finger. She lifted her hand and swept her fingertips along the outline of his chest. He trembled at her touch.
If she could have a night to trace the tattoo inked into his skin, it still wouldn’t be long enough. She lost herself in the texture of his skin. Fine hairs teased her fingers as she drifted them down his chest to the top of his abs.
Somehow she resisted the urge to explore all those delicious muscles or kiss the narrow patch of hair on his washboard stomach and focused on her task. She wanted to find how far the ink went.
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/lust-and-bound-by-w-lynn-chantale/
http://www.amazon.com/Lust-and-Bound-ebook/dp/B008PN6LKC/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1343415789&sr=1-9&keywords=w.+lynn+chantale
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lustandbound-895159-152.html
Before we let you leave us W. Lynn, do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share but it's totally up to you.
Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, 1/2 inch thick flat iron or skirt steak maybe used, just remember to cut across the grain
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (2 1/2 cups)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1. Cut beef across grain into about 1 1/2x1/2-inch strips.
2. Saute garlic in butter. Add beef in same skillet until brown. Stir in 1 1/3 cup of the broth, the salt and ketchup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Add onions. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Cook mushrooms.
4. Stir remaining broth into flour; stir into beef mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sour cream; heat until hot (do not boil). Serve over noodles.
Makes 6 servings!
Yummy!! I think Stroganoff is one of my favorite dinners, thank you so much for this recipe !!
It was great learning more about you today and please visit again, we would love to have you!
Readers, make sure you pick up your copy today of Lust & Bound!
Until next time, happy reading!!
Krista
Please help me give a warm welcome for today's guest...W. Lynn Chantale
Hi W. Lynn, great to have you with us.
What or who initially inspired you to become a writer?
Reading the same sad plots of naive women with wealthy older men or the cowboy on a ranch in a part of the country I’d never live.
What kind of research do you do for a novel and how extensive do you get?
It depends on the novel, but I’ve made phone calls, scouted locations, spent time in libraries, toured old homes, etc. It just depends on what the story needs.
Do you have a special place you like to do your writing? Such as an office, a spare room, the dining room table, your couch?
I’m relegated to the dining room. Before we moved I had an office of sorts, but being in the dining room keeps me in contact with my family.
As a reader, what types of works do you like to read and do you think they influence the genre/genres you write in?
Most definitely. I’m a bit of a mystery/thriller junkie and that bleeds through at time. I also, like reading historical romances.
What is your favorite method of writing...as in laptop, desktop, Ipad or the old fashioned pencil and paper?? And do you plot out your story or go with the flow of your muse?
I go with the flow of the muses. My favorite method of writing is on a laptop, although I will jot down notes and such on paper.
When you need a break or some time off from the trials of being a writer, what can you be found doing?
Playing video games with the kids, bass guitar, or getting out the house.
Is there anything about yourself nobody knows that you would like to share with our readers??
I asked this question out loud and my children looked at one another, then me and said no. So maybe I should keep those few little secrets to myself.
For fun, I have a few personal questions,
Your Favorite 5
1) Favorite color - Blue
2) Favorite dessert -Chocolate3) Favorite Season -Spring
4) Favorite sad song-One Last Cry by Brian McKnight
5) Favorite Romantic movie -An American President
And a bonus, what is your ideal romantic vacation??
A trip to Paris, France with my honey.
Where can our readers find you?? Download my free Author App to your Android or Apple IOS device.
Website: http://wlynnchantale.com
Blog: http://wlynnchantale-decadentdecisions.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/wlynnchantale
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/W.LynnChantaleAuthor
Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
My current release is Lust and Bound. Blurb
Trisha, a recent divorcee, wants to explore the wilder side of sex and discover a more sensuous part of herself. When long-time client Zach Walters suggests a weekend together, she agrees. He provides her with an unforgettable night of hot, sweaty sex, while unbeknownst to either of them the tryst is being recorded.
No woman has ever excited Zach Walters like Trisha. He’s willing to indulge his fantasies as well as hers, but he can’t afford to get too close. He has a weakness for damsels in distress and a secret to protect. Only one thing threatens their happiness—a vengeful ex-husband.
Excerpt
Trisha scrambled backwards. If he touched her now, she wouldn’t get a chance to find out.
“See what?” He loosened his tie.
“Your tattoo.”
He chuckled. “Is that all?”
“It’s enough. You’ve distracted me every other time.”
With a smirk he nodded and unclasped his cufflinks. “My lady’s wish is my command.” He allowed the accessories to drop on the nearby table. The heavy thunk echoed her pounding pulse.
Trisha moistened dry lips, her breath hitching at each button he loosened. His eyes never wavered from hers. He eased the garment from his shoulders and let it drop to the floor, revealing his sleeveless shirt beneath.
She’d seen stripteases before, but none affected her like this one. The muscles of his biceps flexed when his hands went to the front of his slacks. He unbuckled his belt and undid the clasp, before yanking his t-shirt free of the waistband. He grasped the ends of his shirt and slowly lifted the cotton. With each inch of smooth chocolate skin revealed, desire throbbed anew. He discarded the shirt. She sucked in a breath and feasted upon the hard lines of his torso and abs.
Desire crackled with each beat of her heart. She stepped closer. The tattoo was incredibly detailed, each scale on the design seemed to have a luminosity that seemed to ripple and glow with each breath he drew. The image must have taken hours to render.
“You take my breath away, baby girl.”
She met his gaze. “I do?” Surprise colored her voice.
“No woman has ever looked at me like that before.” He smoothed a hand over her hair.
“Like what?”
“Like you want to devour me.”
Heat tinged her cheeks. Could he really read all that in her eyes? With shaking fingers she pushed her hair from her face.
“And what if I do?” she challenged.
“I’m yours.” He held up a hand and crooked a finger. She lifted her hand and swept her fingertips along the outline of his chest. He trembled at her touch.
If she could have a night to trace the tattoo inked into his skin, it still wouldn’t be long enough. She lost herself in the texture of his skin. Fine hairs teased her fingers as she drifted them down his chest to the top of his abs.
Somehow she resisted the urge to explore all those delicious muscles or kiss the narrow patch of hair on his washboard stomach and focused on her task. She wanted to find how far the ink went.
http://www.evernightpublishing.com/lust-and-bound-by-w-lynn-chantale/http://www.amazon.com/Lust-and-Bound-ebook/dp/B008PN6LKC/ref=sr_1_9?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1343415789&sr=1-9&keywords=w.+lynn+chantale
http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-lustandbound-895159-152.html
Before we let you leave us W. Lynn, do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share but it's totally up to you.
Beef Stroganoff
1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak, 1/2 inch thick flat iron or skirt steak maybe used, just remember to cut across the grain
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced (2 1/2 cups)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1. Cut beef across grain into about 1 1/2x1/2-inch strips.
2. Saute garlic in butter. Add beef in same skillet until brown. Stir in 1 1/3 cup of the broth, the salt and ketchup. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Add onions. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Cook mushrooms.
4. Stir remaining broth into flour; stir into beef mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Stir in sour cream; heat until hot (do not boil). Serve over noodles.
Makes 6 servings!
Yummy!! I think Stroganoff is one of my favorite dinners, thank you so much for this recipe !!
It was great learning more about you today and please visit again, we would love to have you!
Readers, make sure you pick up your copy today of Lust & Bound!
Until next time, happy reading!!
Krista
August 27, 2012
Author, author...
...read all about it !
Please help me welcome
Christine Warner ...
Hi Christine J It’s so great to have you here with us. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you so much for having me J Let’s see, a bit about me. Trust me, it’s not overly exciting. Lol I live in Michigan along with my husband. Two of our 3 kids live at home and we share our space with a much loved assortment of cats and dogs. I love to cook, read, laugh and people watch. My husband and I also like to take a yearly road trip. This year we rolled our way out to NYC, Boston, Salem and then up to Maine. Loved it. One of the best trips we’ve taken.
Other than that I am slightly addicted to social media, chocolate and coffee. I love meeting and talking with other authors and readers and pretty much anyone in general!
Do real life events find their way into your stories?
I don’t pick an entire event. I think that bits and pieces of real life situations, emotions and events work their way into stories. Sometimes those experiences aren’t entirely mine though. I might borrow some instances from others J It’s funny how you can use emotions and feelings and events from so many different places and combine them into one story. I think that’s one of the fun parts of writing.
In Two Timing the Boss the heroine Farah has a twin sister who was burned in an accident and needs several surgeries for skin grafts. Years ago my nephew was burned in an accident and I took some of what I learned from that into my story.
Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?
Again, I’d have to say bits and pieces are borrowed from them. I might borrow someone’s name and maybe their profession and then a quirk from another friend or family member. For instance, in Two Timing the Boss I mentioned that Farah has a twin sister. A lot of the way they banter back and forth and their strong ties are something I ‘borrowed’ from the relationship I share with my sister. And, Farah’s twin sister is named Karah, and my sister’s name is Cara. *wink*..tricky eh? lol
Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?
Definitely different with each story. Inspiration comes to me from so many different venues. It can be from a title popping into my head, a conversation with a friend or co-worker, something I hear on tv, or a picture or a place I visit. Inspiration is all around and I don’t think the same thing will be used as an inspiration more than once.
When do you write? Early morning? During the day sometime or all day? After the kids go to bed?
I tend to be nice and fresh in the morning and my ideas are stronger and my energy level higher, so I love to write in the morning. I usually save the evening for writing blogs and getting on social media sites to chit chat. Lol Although I do break throughout the day and I admit it—sometimes I get sucked in and it totally interrupts my writing time. Lol I’m not one of those writers that ‘makes’ myself write when I can’t get into the mood because if I do that I notice that everything I wrote is garbage and I just delete it anyway.
How do you feel about marketing your book?
That’s a tricky question…lol. I do LOVE the social media sites and talking with other people and tweeting, facebooking and making the rounds on blogs. I like to support other authors and find that they are wonderful people and will return the favor.
Marketing is hard though. You want to get your name and your projects out there, but you also don’t want to overdue it. When my debut book Some Like it in Handcuffs came out in March I had no clue what I was doing. I booked several blogs within a short period of time and it wore me out. But, lesson learned, I know to space out the marketing of a book now. I think maybe doing a couple a week is good when your book is first released and then letting it dwindle down to once a week and then finally ending with maybe 2 times a month. It’s a lot of work and if you focus only entirely on marketing, you’ll never have time to work on your next manuscript J
What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?
I think it’s more of a personal preference because if you are more partial or comfortable with one social site than another, you’ll be more relaxed. I really enjoy all of the interaction on Facebook and have met some great people there…but I’ve also got to know some wonderful people on Twitter. That’s such a fun venue and a lot of the people I’ve met there have also become friends on facebook.
So, basically I’m not really able to pick just one social site for marketing…it’s a personal choice based on comfort level J
Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?
So far I’ve had the manuscripts completed before I approached a publisher. But I do have a book that will be published with Entangled Publishing—no release date yet, but I’m hoping it’ll be soon—and now that I have an editor with them I’m able to send in proposals. I think that’ll be a nice change and I think it’ll keep me focused and more excited to get any future works I propose to them written in a timely manner instead of jumping around from one story to another if it’s accepted!
Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing? If so, what is it?
Well, Two Timing the Boss is a contemporary romance and Some Like it in Handcuffs is a light-hearted romantic suspense and I’m pretty happy with those two genres right now. I’ve toyed with writing an erotic story, but if I do, that’ll be in the far future because I just have so many contemporary stories bouncing around in my head that I want to write first.
Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?
Not really. I mean I wish some of the things that my heroine gets to do I could do. In Two Timing the Boss Farah overcomes her fear of heights by riding the BIG SHOT in Las Vegas, which is a ride on the roof top of a building.
I’m also working on a story now where the heroine is a zip line addict and wears a swimsuit from morning til night…lol…I wouldn’t mind having a bikini body and the courage to get on a zipline. Lol
But I don’t ever think of the heroines as me. They are characters created that I can think of more as someone I’d like to be friends with and someone I admire for doing all the things I don’t dare to do J
Just for fun, I have a few personal questions,
Favorite 5 1) Favorite Male Actor -Johnny Depp…although it was tough to choose because I also have a thing for Gerard Butler! lol
2) Favorite vehicle – 1960 burgundy Ford Thunderbird convertible J
3) Favorite way to relax – With a good book on the front porch in the summertime with a light breeze and the sounds of nature in the background. Oh, and maybe a tall glass of ice tea at my elbow J
4) Favorite ice cream – Depends on my mood. I love chocolate and butter pecan the best.
5) Favorite outfit – I’m a casual girl. If I could wear scrub pants and a t-shirt 24-7 I’d do it! Lol Oh, and I would want to be barefoot too J
And for a bonus: If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be? (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)
I don’t even need to think about this one! Lol I’d live on a small tropical island in a little bungalow house by the water complete with a hammock and a Johnny Depp cabana boy who was also a computer guru so that if I had issues while writing my next best seller he’d be all set to make repairs. J
Where can our readers find you??
Email: christine.warner@yahoo.com
Twitter: @ChristinesWords
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christine.war...
Website/blog: christine-warner.com
Amazon author page: http://www.facebook.com/authorchristi...
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChristinesWords
Latest release from The Wild Rose Press Two Timing the Boss
BLURB:
Farah Smith is on a mission: secure the funds for her twin sister’s surgery. She’ll do whatever it takes to succeed. Even if that means putting her values aside to work for a man she finds morally bankrupt. But when the real Farah meets her new boss, she wonders if she’ll be able to resist his sexy advances long enough to help her sister.
From the blonde wig, to the stilettos strapped around her ankles, Farah’s a clone of Keller Donovan’s harem of past assistants. She can’t believe she’s let herself be talked into the disguise, let alone working for the man planning to demolish the hospital her sister so desperately needs, but the salary he offers is the only way she’ll be able to afford her sister’s surgery. The moment Farah meets Keller she realizes her most daunting task isn’t typing, spreadsheets or organizing travel arrangements, but fighting the growing attraction toward a man whose ruthlessness is legendary in the boardroom as well as the bedroom.
Determined not to end up in a disastrous marriage like his divorced parents, Keller believes all relationships should have a shelf life of sixth months or less. But when he meets Farah, all bets are off. He not only wants her to continue as his personal assistant, but his own private bed warmer. Unfortunately, his offer of an affair doesn’t sit well with her fairytale dreams or the strangled hold gripping his heart.
EXCERPT:
These damn shoes would be the death of her. She could read the headlines now: Penniless P.A. Falls to her Death while on Job Interview.
Almost to her destination, with no more mishaps, her confidence surfaced. Okay, maybe mastering this heel thing wouldn’t be such a big deal. Her steps became light, almost bouncy. Although she sensed Keller Donovan behind her, she didn’t let it deter her feeling of success. She stepped onto the large black and red area rug, less than ten feet from her target. The leather chairs.
“Oh!” Farah’s spiky heel caught on the edge of the expensive rug. Her legs shook and she shot her arms out from her sides, circling them like a bird about to take flight. She fought to regain balance inside the ridiculous stilts strapped to her feet. A brawl to the death. Over when she looked down to see the rug coming up to kiss her face. She threw out her hands, sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, scrunching her face as she prepared for impact.
But nothing happened. There were stars all right, and a blazing jolt of electricity shot from her toes, up her legs, through her body and exited with the small gasp which escaped her lips. Somehow Keller Donovan had grabbed her around the waist before she met the floor.
Heat burned her cheeks. He may have saved her body from bruises, but her ego, and whatever confidence she’d walked in with had shattered.
“Let’s not have an accident before your health benefits kick in.” His breath
tickled her ear from behind. Chills hugged her backbone.
His touch released an unsettling flutter in her abdomen. She sucked in her stomach from the pressure of his strong arms wrapped around her middle, afraid to breathe.
Two-Timing the Boss and my other book Some Like it in Handcuffs are both available in print and digital format at:
http://thewildrosepress.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I had a great time J
Christine, It was absolutely our pleasure having you and we do hope you come visit us again soon!!!
Readers, you know the drill....don't miss out on Two-Timing the Boss or Some Like it in Handcuffs.
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!!
Krista
Please help me welcome Christine Warner ...
Hi Christine J It’s so great to have you here with us. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you so much for having me J Let’s see, a bit about me. Trust me, it’s not overly exciting. Lol I live in Michigan along with my husband. Two of our 3 kids live at home and we share our space with a much loved assortment of cats and dogs. I love to cook, read, laugh and people watch. My husband and I also like to take a yearly road trip. This year we rolled our way out to NYC, Boston, Salem and then up to Maine. Loved it. One of the best trips we’ve taken.
Other than that I am slightly addicted to social media, chocolate and coffee. I love meeting and talking with other authors and readers and pretty much anyone in general!
Do real life events find their way into your stories?
I don’t pick an entire event. I think that bits and pieces of real life situations, emotions and events work their way into stories. Sometimes those experiences aren’t entirely mine though. I might borrow some instances from others J It’s funny how you can use emotions and feelings and events from so many different places and combine them into one story. I think that’s one of the fun parts of writing.
In Two Timing the Boss the heroine Farah has a twin sister who was burned in an accident and needs several surgeries for skin grafts. Years ago my nephew was burned in an accident and I took some of what I learned from that into my story.
Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?
Again, I’d have to say bits and pieces are borrowed from them. I might borrow someone’s name and maybe their profession and then a quirk from another friend or family member. For instance, in Two Timing the Boss I mentioned that Farah has a twin sister. A lot of the way they banter back and forth and their strong ties are something I ‘borrowed’ from the relationship I share with my sister. And, Farah’s twin sister is named Karah, and my sister’s name is Cara. *wink*..tricky eh? lol
Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?
Definitely different with each story. Inspiration comes to me from so many different venues. It can be from a title popping into my head, a conversation with a friend or co-worker, something I hear on tv, or a picture or a place I visit. Inspiration is all around and I don’t think the same thing will be used as an inspiration more than once.
When do you write? Early morning? During the day sometime or all day? After the kids go to bed?
I tend to be nice and fresh in the morning and my ideas are stronger and my energy level higher, so I love to write in the morning. I usually save the evening for writing blogs and getting on social media sites to chit chat. Lol Although I do break throughout the day and I admit it—sometimes I get sucked in and it totally interrupts my writing time. Lol I’m not one of those writers that ‘makes’ myself write when I can’t get into the mood because if I do that I notice that everything I wrote is garbage and I just delete it anyway.
How do you feel about marketing your book?
That’s a tricky question…lol. I do LOVE the social media sites and talking with other people and tweeting, facebooking and making the rounds on blogs. I like to support other authors and find that they are wonderful people and will return the favor.
Marketing is hard though. You want to get your name and your projects out there, but you also don’t want to overdue it. When my debut book Some Like it in Handcuffs came out in March I had no clue what I was doing. I booked several blogs within a short period of time and it wore me out. But, lesson learned, I know to space out the marketing of a book now. I think maybe doing a couple a week is good when your book is first released and then letting it dwindle down to once a week and then finally ending with maybe 2 times a month. It’s a lot of work and if you focus only entirely on marketing, you’ll never have time to work on your next manuscript J
What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?
I think it’s more of a personal preference because if you are more partial or comfortable with one social site than another, you’ll be more relaxed. I really enjoy all of the interaction on Facebook and have met some great people there…but I’ve also got to know some wonderful people on Twitter. That’s such a fun venue and a lot of the people I’ve met there have also become friends on facebook.
So, basically I’m not really able to pick just one social site for marketing…it’s a personal choice based on comfort level J
Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?
So far I’ve had the manuscripts completed before I approached a publisher. But I do have a book that will be published with Entangled Publishing—no release date yet, but I’m hoping it’ll be soon—and now that I have an editor with them I’m able to send in proposals. I think that’ll be a nice change and I think it’ll keep me focused and more excited to get any future works I propose to them written in a timely manner instead of jumping around from one story to another if it’s accepted!
Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing? If so, what is it?
Well, Two Timing the Boss is a contemporary romance and Some Like it in Handcuffs is a light-hearted romantic suspense and I’m pretty happy with those two genres right now. I’ve toyed with writing an erotic story, but if I do, that’ll be in the far future because I just have so many contemporary stories bouncing around in my head that I want to write first.
Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?
Not really. I mean I wish some of the things that my heroine gets to do I could do. In Two Timing the Boss Farah overcomes her fear of heights by riding the BIG SHOT in Las Vegas, which is a ride on the roof top of a building.
I’m also working on a story now where the heroine is a zip line addict and wears a swimsuit from morning til night…lol…I wouldn’t mind having a bikini body and the courage to get on a zipline. Lol
But I don’t ever think of the heroines as me. They are characters created that I can think of more as someone I’d like to be friends with and someone I admire for doing all the things I don’t dare to do J
Just for fun, I have a few personal questions,
Favorite 5 1) Favorite Male Actor -Johnny Depp…although it was tough to choose because I also have a thing for Gerard Butler! lol
2) Favorite vehicle – 1960 burgundy Ford Thunderbird convertible J
3) Favorite way to relax – With a good book on the front porch in the summertime with a light breeze and the sounds of nature in the background. Oh, and maybe a tall glass of ice tea at my elbow J
4) Favorite ice cream – Depends on my mood. I love chocolate and butter pecan the best.
5) Favorite outfit – I’m a casual girl. If I could wear scrub pants and a t-shirt 24-7 I’d do it! Lol Oh, and I would want to be barefoot too J
And for a bonus: If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be? (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)
I don’t even need to think about this one! Lol I’d live on a small tropical island in a little bungalow house by the water complete with a hammock and a Johnny Depp cabana boy who was also a computer guru so that if I had issues while writing my next best seller he’d be all set to make repairs. J
Where can our readers find you??
Email: christine.warner@yahoo.com
Twitter: @ChristinesWords
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/christine.war...
Website/blog: christine-warner.com
Amazon author page: http://www.facebook.com/authorchristi...
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChristinesWords
Latest release from The Wild Rose Press Two Timing the BossBLURB:
Farah Smith is on a mission: secure the funds for her twin sister’s surgery. She’ll do whatever it takes to succeed. Even if that means putting her values aside to work for a man she finds morally bankrupt. But when the real Farah meets her new boss, she wonders if she’ll be able to resist his sexy advances long enough to help her sister.
From the blonde wig, to the stilettos strapped around her ankles, Farah’s a clone of Keller Donovan’s harem of past assistants. She can’t believe she’s let herself be talked into the disguise, let alone working for the man planning to demolish the hospital her sister so desperately needs, but the salary he offers is the only way she’ll be able to afford her sister’s surgery. The moment Farah meets Keller she realizes her most daunting task isn’t typing, spreadsheets or organizing travel arrangements, but fighting the growing attraction toward a man whose ruthlessness is legendary in the boardroom as well as the bedroom.
Determined not to end up in a disastrous marriage like his divorced parents, Keller believes all relationships should have a shelf life of sixth months or less. But when he meets Farah, all bets are off. He not only wants her to continue as his personal assistant, but his own private bed warmer. Unfortunately, his offer of an affair doesn’t sit well with her fairytale dreams or the strangled hold gripping his heart.
EXCERPT:
These damn shoes would be the death of her. She could read the headlines now: Penniless P.A. Falls to her Death while on Job Interview.
Almost to her destination, with no more mishaps, her confidence surfaced. Okay, maybe mastering this heel thing wouldn’t be such a big deal. Her steps became light, almost bouncy. Although she sensed Keller Donovan behind her, she didn’t let it deter her feeling of success. She stepped onto the large black and red area rug, less than ten feet from her target. The leather chairs.
“Oh!” Farah’s spiky heel caught on the edge of the expensive rug. Her legs shook and she shot her arms out from her sides, circling them like a bird about to take flight. She fought to regain balance inside the ridiculous stilts strapped to her feet. A brawl to the death. Over when she looked down to see the rug coming up to kiss her face. She threw out her hands, sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, scrunching her face as she prepared for impact.
But nothing happened. There were stars all right, and a blazing jolt of electricity shot from her toes, up her legs, through her body and exited with the small gasp which escaped her lips. Somehow Keller Donovan had grabbed her around the waist before she met the floor.
Heat burned her cheeks. He may have saved her body from bruises, but her ego, and whatever confidence she’d walked in with had shattered.
“Let’s not have an accident before your health benefits kick in.” His breath
tickled her ear from behind. Chills hugged her backbone.
His touch released an unsettling flutter in her abdomen. She sucked in her stomach from the pressure of his strong arms wrapped around her middle, afraid to breathe.
Two-Timing the Boss and my other book Some Like it in Handcuffs are both available in print and digital format at:http://thewildrosepress.com/
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Thank you so much for having me on your blog! I had a great time J
Christine, It was absolutely our pleasure having you and we do hope you come visit us again soon!!!
Readers, you know the drill....don't miss out on Two-Timing the Boss or Some Like it in Handcuffs.
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!!
Krista
August 23, 2012
Author, author...
...read all about it!
Today we havethe fantastic
Jessica E. Subject
with us!
Hi Jessica, great to have you here. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
Thank you so much for having me here today, Krista! I’m a wife, mother, reader, and writer. I live in a small city in Ontario, Canada, and as much as I hate driving in the snow, I prefer it to the hot and sticky summers. I write romance, and some of my heroes and heroines could be aliens, clones, or beings from another dimension.
What did you want to be when you were growing up or did you always want to be a writer?
Oh my gosh, I wanted to be so many things growing up. At one point, I really wanted to be a teacher, but ended up going to university for Business Administration.
When did you first start writing?
It wasn’t until I was on maternity leave with my second child that I turned something I did for fun into a career. I’d dabbled here and there, writing more articles than fiction. But at that time, my daughter was in kindergarten and hated reading. I wanted to make it fun for her, and wrote her a book. It wasn’t the first thing I wrote though, as that story quickly turned into one more geared for adults.
What is a typical writing day like for you?
Right now, with the kids off school, I fit in as much writing time as possible, which isn’t much. Things will change in September though when my youngest is off to school, and I have more writing time during the day. I’m not a night-time writer, as I’m a morning person.
Do you have any specific routine you follow or specific items you need with you when you write?
No. I don’t have time for all that. Whenever I can squeeze in a moment, I do. I don’t write my first draft on the computer though. I write in a notebook, as it’s less fragile than my laptop. When I get a chance—usually at night when my brain is tired, and transferring text is about all I can do—the story goes into the computer.
What is your favorite part of writing? Is there anything you don’t like about being a writer?
I love creating new characters and new worlds. Revisiting old ones is fun, too. My characters like it when I finally listen to everything they’ve been whispering in my head. LOL
What is your favorite length of book to write? (Short story, novella, full length novel) Why?
Oh my gosh, I write them all. I guess my favorite would be the novella. With short stories, I find I can’t put in all of the information I want about the characters, as there simply is not enough space. And with the novels, I get discouraged, as they take much longer to write. With the novella, I can give the information I want, and the characters reach their happily-ever-after much faster. Though I still include a lot of conflict. It’s got to be there.
How does your family feel about your writing and you being an author?
My husband is very supportive of me. I couldn’t ask for better. He even tells the people he works with about my books, and puts magnets of my covers on his tool box.
Is there a to-be-read waiting on your bedside table?
If I include all of my e-books and print books, there are over 300. Yikes! Yes, I’m a book whore. The Amazon charges on my credit card bill prove it. There are some books from my critique partners that I plan on reading right away though. They’re stories that I read before they were contracted, and I want to read them again after they’ve been through edits.
Just for fun, I have a few personal questions,
Favorite 5
1) Favorite Holiday – Canada Day
2) Favorite Drink – Ice Tea
3) Favorite Author – I have to pick one? Nora Roberts w/a J.D. Robb
4) Favorite Book – Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
5) Favorite Animal - Tiger
And for a bonus: What is a typical mood for you? And is your mood different when you’re writing?
I try and stay pretty happy, but that’s not always the case. My mood is not different when I write, but it does affect the type of scenes I write.
Where can our readers find you?? (all that apply and more)
Email: jessicasubject.writer at gmail dot com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jsubject
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-E-Subject-author/205759796126370
Website/blog: http://jessicasubject.com
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/jessicasubject
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4959083.Jessica_E_Subject
Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
My paranormal erotica short story released in July from Decadent Publishing as part of their The Edge erotica line. Here’s the blurb:
Cursed to live amongst several stone gargoyle statues, Oscar watches a young couple, yearning to participate in their sexual activities. For he has been away from his own lovers for over a year, and longs to touch and be touched again.
When he tumbles off the headboard onto the couple, he is released from the statue but must find a way home. His only thought: a menage with the man and woman who freed him. But will they try something new to grant him his return passage, or leave him wandering Earth alone?
The Power of Three is available from Decadent Publishing, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks & more!
For more information and buy links, please visit:
http://www.markofthestars.com/wp/?page_id=10029
Jessica we're so glad you could visit today. Please come back soon!
Readers, The Power of Three should definitely be your next purchase !!!
Until next time, happy reading!
Krista
August 21, 2012
Author, author...
...read all about it !
Please welcome today's spotlight from Shades of Rose Marketing and the book tour for Tallusian Nights from Siren Publishing.
Tallusian Nights by Ciara Lake
Xihirian Shifters 2
Val Braeden is a seasoned Xihirian soldier hardened by the Realmist wars. He discovers his true mate while on his latest rescue mission. A lovely Tallusian woman’s touch awakens him as no other. While escaping the war torn Tallusian capital the Realmist take down Val’s spacedisk. He crashes into the Tallusian forest. There Zalora and Val are determined to survive the wilds of Tallusia. Sparks fly, lighting a flame within them both. Their passion heats the Tallusian nights binding them together forever.
Clitax Tomron is bent on revenge – he’s determined to avenge his father’s death. Tomron strikes close to Val’s heart, taking his family hostage. Only one thing stands in Tomron’s way, the power of a beautiful Tallusian princess. Zalora wants peace and to put an end to these terrorist. She risks everything to save those she feels responsible for and the man of her dreams
Excerpt:
Running through the ruins of her beloved city was like living a nightmare. The moon’s illumination enabled her to see outlines of the fallen buildings. The scene was eerie and bleak. This wasn’t terrorism. This was out-and-out attempted annihilation. First, the planet Gerial and now her world were victims of utter devastation. These Realmist were seeking to rid the universe of all others who were not like them. It was a blessing they had not irradiated them or at least not yet. But radiation would make Tallusia useless to them. “There has to be a reason for this. Hatred or prejudice couldn’t have caused this.” She pressed herself closer to him as he took a leap over what looked to be a body. No building was untouched. Most were in ruins. Either by now survivors had been rescued or this rubble was their tomb. A stench rose, confirming the latter for a large number of victims. “My home’s gone.” She clung to his warm firm body.
This man was a true athlete, full of grace and unmistakable skill. He ran with ease. It amazed her. She realized he was her savior from an otherwise disastrous end. “Thank you.” She patted his chest where she clung to him. “Thank you.” Tears ran down her face. She wiped her face on his uniform. “Sorry I’m making your uniform wet.” He did not comment. She did not expect him to. His full concentration was on getting them to his ship, keeping a look out for dangers. He ran swiftly while he held his weapon. On a few occasions, he jumped over hurdles of debris, landing smoothly, not breaking his gait. Zalora realized he was not the kind of man she was accustomed to interacting with. He was much more. No wonder these Earthen humans feared Xihirians. For Realmist, their fear had turned to hatred. Val slowed. “Are you tired?”
“No, it’s too slick to run now. I’m afraid I may fall. I don’t want to fall with you on my back. So I’ll have to walk fast for now. I believe we’re almost there.”
“How did you remember the way?”
“I paid attention.”
“I’m glad you did.” She hugged him tighter. He continued to walk at a quick tempo. Zalora closed her eyes. It was just easier to block out everything. Her anxiety ate at her stomach.
“We’ve arrived. It looks like others have been here, too. But I can’t sense anyone now.” Zalora opened her eyes.
“Have they messed with your ship?”
“No or they would have been shocked, literally.” Val tapped his communicator button. A low electronic buzz hummed. “Now we can touch it. I want you to hang my rifle over your shoulder.” He handed it to her.
“You do?”
“Don’t be afraid. It’s on safety.” He waited for her to do as instructed. He walked around to the other side of his ship. He was all business in every stride. His ship was black, sleek, and about two stories high. An electronic ladder came down to greet them. Before she realized, they were almost to the top of his ship. Again, he moved with inhuman speed and skill. Out of fear for heights, she gripped him tighter, and her nails dug into him. The cockpit opened. He helped her off his back then took his weapon from her. “Get into your seat and buckle in.” His tone was brisk as he pointed to her passenger seat.
Carefully she stretched her leg out toward the cockpit to get into her area. He held her arm to help her. Overcome with emotions, she paused just before she climbed in. Impulsively, she leaned into him, kissing him. Amazingly, he tasted delicious, scrumptious, making her want more. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself against him as if offering herself. All common sense fled her brain.
Val astonished her with his intense response. He growled in her mouth. She felt dizzy. She’d intended her kiss to be brief and sweet, a nice thank-you of sorts. It had not come off sweet. Val had not reacted to it as a sweet thank-you either. Instantly, his business like demeanor evaporated. It seemed to fall off him, kissing her harder, passionately. His large hands cupped her soft bottom, squeezing it. He pressed her into his hardness. She offered no resistance. Sharp teeth accidently nicked her bottom lip. He hesitated for a second. Until Zalora ran her hand through the back of his hair, feeling its silky texture.
Strangely, his nipping her thrilled her, encouraging her to want to bite him back. His tongue pushed into her mouth, inviting her into his mouth. The taste of him made her head feel like it was swirling with emotions. She sighed against him, and a different kind of shiver passed through her. She felt his reaction to her shivering. He gripped her closer. Again, she wondered at his alluring taste as she kissed him deeper. He pulled back to stare at her. His eyes were extremely bright, wild. His pupils were slits. He was stunning and feral-looking. Feeling wild, she pressed against him to initiate another kiss. This time her kiss was more subdued. It took all her effort to regain her composure. His mouth disconnected from hers.
“We have to go.” His voice was gravelly. It did not sound normal at all. Gently he touched her hair as if examining her curls. He brought a strand to his nose and rubbed it on his face. Then he inhaled deeply. The look he gave her made her core throb with need. Her panties felt damp between her legs. Truly, their kiss had been short-lived for the wake of emotions it left. Its pleasure had been immeasurable. Her head buzzed. She ached for more.
Buy Link: Bookstrand
Author Bio:
Reading and writing is a wonderful diversion from an often-difficult world. I love to create my own stories and have control over how things will end. It's exciting to create brand new worlds and characters. My imagination can come alive.
In sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal stories, I can invent wonderful places and people. Anything is possible in these genres, it's limitless. I'm able to create an escape into a special world filled with unique and fantastic things and there is always a happy ending.
A high school teacher inspired me to write. However, instead of initially pursuing my writing career I became a lawyer. I work in divorce court, so erotic romance is a great escape. There can be true love and happy-endings, at least on my pages.
My two children and I have two good-humored dogs that share our home and ease our stress. I have traveled and lived all over the world, and these experiences have given me great creative ideas. I look forward to creating many more adventures in romance.
Author Links: Site Facebook
Please welcome today's spotlight from Shades of Rose Marketing and the book tour for Tallusian Nights from Siren Publishing. Tallusian Nights by Ciara Lake
Xihirian Shifters 2
Val Braeden is a seasoned Xihirian soldier hardened by the Realmist wars. He discovers his true mate while on his latest rescue mission. A lovely Tallusian woman’s touch awakens him as no other. While escaping the war torn Tallusian capital the Realmist take down Val’s spacedisk. He crashes into the Tallusian forest. There Zalora and Val are determined to survive the wilds of Tallusia. Sparks fly, lighting a flame within them both. Their passion heats the Tallusian nights binding them together forever.
Clitax Tomron is bent on revenge – he’s determined to avenge his father’s death. Tomron strikes close to Val’s heart, taking his family hostage. Only one thing stands in Tomron’s way, the power of a beautiful Tallusian princess. Zalora wants peace and to put an end to these terrorist. She risks everything to save those she feels responsible for and the man of her dreams
Excerpt:
Running through the ruins of her beloved city was like living a nightmare. The moon’s illumination enabled her to see outlines of the fallen buildings. The scene was eerie and bleak. This wasn’t terrorism. This was out-and-out attempted annihilation. First, the planet Gerial and now her world were victims of utter devastation. These Realmist were seeking to rid the universe of all others who were not like them. It was a blessing they had not irradiated them or at least not yet. But radiation would make Tallusia useless to them. “There has to be a reason for this. Hatred or prejudice couldn’t have caused this.” She pressed herself closer to him as he took a leap over what looked to be a body. No building was untouched. Most were in ruins. Either by now survivors had been rescued or this rubble was their tomb. A stench rose, confirming the latter for a large number of victims. “My home’s gone.” She clung to his warm firm body. This man was a true athlete, full of grace and unmistakable skill. He ran with ease. It amazed her. She realized he was her savior from an otherwise disastrous end. “Thank you.” She patted his chest where she clung to him. “Thank you.” Tears ran down her face. She wiped her face on his uniform. “Sorry I’m making your uniform wet.” He did not comment. She did not expect him to. His full concentration was on getting them to his ship, keeping a look out for dangers. He ran swiftly while he held his weapon. On a few occasions, he jumped over hurdles of debris, landing smoothly, not breaking his gait. Zalora realized he was not the kind of man she was accustomed to interacting with. He was much more. No wonder these Earthen humans feared Xihirians. For Realmist, their fear had turned to hatred. Val slowed. “Are you tired?”
“No, it’s too slick to run now. I’m afraid I may fall. I don’t want to fall with you on my back. So I’ll have to walk fast for now. I believe we’re almost there.”
“How did you remember the way?”
“I paid attention.”
“I’m glad you did.” She hugged him tighter. He continued to walk at a quick tempo. Zalora closed her eyes. It was just easier to block out everything. Her anxiety ate at her stomach.
“We’ve arrived. It looks like others have been here, too. But I can’t sense anyone now.” Zalora opened her eyes.
“Have they messed with your ship?”
“No or they would have been shocked, literally.” Val tapped his communicator button. A low electronic buzz hummed. “Now we can touch it. I want you to hang my rifle over your shoulder.” He handed it to her.
“You do?”
“Don’t be afraid. It’s on safety.” He waited for her to do as instructed. He walked around to the other side of his ship. He was all business in every stride. His ship was black, sleek, and about two stories high. An electronic ladder came down to greet them. Before she realized, they were almost to the top of his ship. Again, he moved with inhuman speed and skill. Out of fear for heights, she gripped him tighter, and her nails dug into him. The cockpit opened. He helped her off his back then took his weapon from her. “Get into your seat and buckle in.” His tone was brisk as he pointed to her passenger seat.
Carefully she stretched her leg out toward the cockpit to get into her area. He held her arm to help her. Overcome with emotions, she paused just before she climbed in. Impulsively, she leaned into him, kissing him. Amazingly, he tasted delicious, scrumptious, making her want more. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself against him as if offering herself. All common sense fled her brain.
Val astonished her with his intense response. He growled in her mouth. She felt dizzy. She’d intended her kiss to be brief and sweet, a nice thank-you of sorts. It had not come off sweet. Val had not reacted to it as a sweet thank-you either. Instantly, his business like demeanor evaporated. It seemed to fall off him, kissing her harder, passionately. His large hands cupped her soft bottom, squeezing it. He pressed her into his hardness. She offered no resistance. Sharp teeth accidently nicked her bottom lip. He hesitated for a second. Until Zalora ran her hand through the back of his hair, feeling its silky texture.
Strangely, his nipping her thrilled her, encouraging her to want to bite him back. His tongue pushed into her mouth, inviting her into his mouth. The taste of him made her head feel like it was swirling with emotions. She sighed against him, and a different kind of shiver passed through her. She felt his reaction to her shivering. He gripped her closer. Again, she wondered at his alluring taste as she kissed him deeper. He pulled back to stare at her. His eyes were extremely bright, wild. His pupils were slits. He was stunning and feral-looking. Feeling wild, she pressed against him to initiate another kiss. This time her kiss was more subdued. It took all her effort to regain her composure. His mouth disconnected from hers.
“We have to go.” His voice was gravelly. It did not sound normal at all. Gently he touched her hair as if examining her curls. He brought a strand to his nose and rubbed it on his face. Then he inhaled deeply. The look he gave her made her core throb with need. Her panties felt damp between her legs. Truly, their kiss had been short-lived for the wake of emotions it left. Its pleasure had been immeasurable. Her head buzzed. She ached for more.
Buy Link: Bookstrand
Author Bio:
Reading and writing is a wonderful diversion from an often-difficult world. I love to create my own stories and have control over how things will end. It's exciting to create brand new worlds and characters. My imagination can come alive.
In sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal stories, I can invent wonderful places and people. Anything is possible in these genres, it's limitless. I'm able to create an escape into a special world filled with unique and fantastic things and there is always a happy ending.
A high school teacher inspired me to write. However, instead of initially pursuing my writing career I became a lawyer. I work in divorce court, so erotic romance is a great escape. There can be true love and happy-endings, at least on my pages.
My two children and I have two good-humored dogs that share our home and ease our stress. I have traveled and lived all over the world, and these experiences have given me great creative ideas. I look forward to creating many more adventures in romance.
Author Links: Site Facebook
August 20, 2012
Author, author...
...read all about it !Today we have Rue Volley here with us as part of her Bella Morte blog tour with Sizzling PR.
Welcome Rue, so great to have you. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I guess the one thing about me that rings true is that I am a huge supporter of the arts in all mediums, with that being said my art consists of books, photography and making jewelry. I have 16 books published now, my home publisher and contract is with Vamptasy Publishing in the UK, they have the majority of my work including my 6 novel series “The Blood & Light Vampire Series” and my YA series “a witches tale” as well as 6 of my erotic shorts, all of which have made it to the best sellers list at least once. Then I also write for Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing and I have a short series with them in the YA genre called “Maddie Maze” and then I write for Hot Ink Press, and I have a bestselling series with them called “Hunter’s Blood” and a short in their premier anthology “Bella Morte” called “Double Gun Dealer” of which I am thinking of making into a full novel series. Other than that I have an online magazine called “Rue View” and a radio station called “RV Radio” that are both dedicated to independent arts.
Do real life events find their way into your stories?
Every single time. There is so much truth woven into my paranormal books it is sometimes comical and those closest to me often point it out. If it is not a twist on something I have experienced then it is a dream that I had that directed me to take the story in a certain direction and I am always in my books, my personality shines through on a few of the characters and always the main.
Do you ever mimic family members or people you know when you choose characters?
Always, at least to a certain extent. I mimic gestures they make, facial expressions and their humor. Humor is by far my favorite thing to mix into books and the banter between the characters is my art form. I prefer the reader to get to know the characters and some of the details in the story through conversation between characters instead of three pages of elaborate description. I can appreciate those who write that way but it is not my style and it bores me.
Do you find yourself going back to the same inspiration for each story or is it always something different?
Each story is different minus the damaged characters that make up my stories. Each one of them struggle with something either internal or external just as everyone does in life. I approach my stories as reality even though they are wrapped in fantasy such as vampires, witches, ghosts or demons. I try to make them so real that the reader feels like they know them as friends and could sit down in a room with them and from what I hear from fans I have achieved that and thank god.
When do you write? Early morning? During the day sometime or all day? After the kids go to bed?
Morning, I normally never write past 3 in the afternoon for some reason. I guess it is an internal clock of sorts that shuts the writing down.
How do you feel about marketing your book?
I am assuming you mean the importance? It is monumental. I am the head of marketing and promotions for Vamptasy Publishing now and I share tips every single day. I think the misconception with first time writers is sometimes that writing the book is the big hurdle. It’s not at all. Don’t get me wrong I know how hard it is to write, I have written 23 books, so I am well aware of the trials associated with writing but it is nothing compared to the campaign you have to launch to get it noticed and purchased. If I had things to do over again I would have been much better prepared when I released my first book through self-publishing in 2010. This was before I was signed to a label but god, it was nothing like I thought it would be and some days I felt as if I was banging my head against a wall too thick to penetrate. The thing is you HAVE to dedicate all of your free time to it period. Don’t release a book and then get pissy because it is not selling when you do not have a fanpage, website, belong to writing groups online, network and link every single day to your work. You have to have these fundamental things and you have to make connections and then build on them all of the time. Take advantage of all opportunities presented to you. Do guest blogs, do giveaways, post often, not only about business but show your personality too. People get bored with all business posts, make it fun or you will be ignored. Also get some people to help you, people who have the time to post your links and help on you fanpage on facebook. You cannot do it all but without help it will consume you and the writing will stop as well as the sleeping. Anyway, promote- promote- promote. No excuses.
What social sites do you feel work best for marketing?
Facebook, Twitter.
Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to turn in?
I don’t have to pitch to my publisher, they accept my work. I am fortunate to have a company and people behind me who love everything that I do.
Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing? If so, what is it?
I write in YA/adult and erotica…I cannot see myself writing non-fiction, it is all fictional paranormal. I guess my expansion will be to write about more and more mythical beings.
Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero when you write a story?
I am always the hero and the villain.
Just for fun, I have a few personal questions,
Favorite 5
1) Favorite Male Actor - Johnny Depp2) Favorite Vehicle - 1974 black dodge charger3) Favorite way to relax - watching movies4) Favorite ice cream – chocolate chip mint 5) Favorite outfit – birthday suit
And for a bonus: If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now, where would it be? (Of course, without the hindrance of jobs or money needed)
A tie between Iceland and Romania
Where can our readers find you??
Email: ruevolley@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/RueVolley
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rue-Volley-Blood-Light-Series/166002266766880#
Website/blog: www.ruevolley.com Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_10?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=rue+volley&sprefix=rue+volley%2Caps%2C113
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4529674.Rue_Volley
Is there an upcoming or current release you would like to share with us today and where can we find it?
Current includes “Bella Morte” with Hot Ink Press which is on amazon.com , “Catch & Release” also with Hot Ink Press and is book three to the “Hunter’s Blood Series” the first three books are available on amazon. “Maddie Maze” which is book one in a short paranormal YA series with CHBB and “a witches tale” another YA series with Vamptasy Publishing. All of these books can be found in the kindle store on amazon by typing in “Rue Volley.” 
Link for Bella Morte on amazon http://www.amazon.com/Bella-Morte-Beautiful-Anthology-ebook/dp/B008SBP4CM/ref=sr_1_19?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345131850&sr=1-19&keywords=rue+volley
publisher …Hot Ink Presswebsite http://www.hotinkbooks.com/
One last thing before we let you leave us today. Do you have a favorite recipe you'd like to share? I like to cook and am always looking for new recipes to try and share but it's totally up to you.
One of my favorite things…
So simple. Pop some popcorn, take butterscotch tiny bite morsels and sprinkle them all over the popcorn as soon as it comes out and add nuts if you like. I prefer peanuts but OMG, it is so simple and so very delish. You can sub the butterscotch for white chocolate or dark too, just be sure to use the tiny morsels, they melt easier. You can also add small stick pretzels to the mix.
Rue it's been an absolute pleasure having you with us today and you are welcome back any time !!!
Readers, make sure you get your copy of the Bella Morte Anthology!!
Until next time, happy reading!
Krista
