Lacey Wolfe's Blog, page 13

Crafty Wednesday- Kid Crafts

This weeks crafty Wednesday, I'm not going to show off things I've crafted lately. Instead, I want to show off some of the awesome things my daughter has been making. She was home sick recently, only she wasn't really sick. Yup, she finally pulled her first hooky day. Played her mama well. So of course, it was a long boring day and she wanted to do some art.

If you look at her photo, you see this cute owl she made. She was so excited when she crafted this. I believe it's just a pine cone, cotton balls, feathers, and glue. This now sits proudly displayed on her desk. And I think it's just so cute, I might ask her to make another one for my desk. Her next craft was a home made maraca. For this, she took a water bottle, toilet paper roll, duck tape, and her choice of filling (we used bird seed.)

She filled the water bottle with the bird seed then put the top back on--or maybe I begged her too because I feared bird seed all over the living room floor. She then twisted the toilet paper roll in a handle shape and taped that thing up with duck tape. Now, she can sing and shake that thing all she wants. The bird seed isn't too loud, so that's a plus! And finally, look at this adorable ice cream thing she made. This is the top of a water bottle, stuffed with cotton balls, then she she added some pieces of paper for sprinkles. I believe she crafted a spoon from paper, but it seems to have disappeared at this point. She even crafted one of these for a friend of hers.

I'm pretty impressed with the things this girl comes up with. :) The latest thing she's been crafting are short stories so she can become famous like mommy. Oh, she has a lot to learn. Her mama is no where near famous, but at least in her eyes I am, so really, that's all that matter. :) -Lacey I'm looking for guest for this Wednesday meme. Everyone is welcome to guest. If you've got a craft you'd like to share, just fill out THIS FORM.

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Before you go, I'm currently having a sale on my Brookfield Series! If you've not read it, or haven't read them all, now's a good time to pick them up. You can get the whole series for $6! 

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1ehFJKR
Barnes and Noble (For some reason the free one is coming up in the search. It's on  there though, just search my name): http://bit.ly/1gjqd1q
All Romance: http://bit.ly/1lotUY2

Liz Crowe visits with an excerpt from Floor Time. (Giveaway)

Today I have Liz Crowe visiting and sharing an excerpt from the Stewart Realty Anthology. What's it about?

The Stewart Realty series is a sweeping epic, encompassing many years in the lives of two people who know how to love with their bodies, how to please and get pleasure, to control and be controlled.  When it comes to the deeper meaning of the one word they both need, backgrounds and personalities get in the way. While their physical connection sizzles they somehow manage to continuously disappoint one another on an emotional level.

 Jack Gordon has it all—money, success, a string of women—but also a deep longing for something more. When he thinks he finds it with Sara Jane Thornton, his world is never the same again. Sara releases a side of himself he considered buried out of frustration and unhappiness. Sara soon learns that she must trust him implicitly, something she cannot do, no matter how many times she tries...and he fails.

With a rich cast of secondary characters, including a young man who presents a near-perfect foil to Jack's intensity, and who falls hard for Sara, The Stewart Realty series is a saga with an emphasis on contemporary life with a healthy dose of realistic eroticism. A tale of modern, busy, driven people seeking the ever-elusive and highly coveted combination—a friend, lover and trusted companion who will be there for the long haul.

Start at the beginning, with the Jack and Sara Trilogy, now for the first time ever in a print anthology. The Stewart Realty series is a best seller in family saga and urban fiction categories. See for yourself what the buzz is all about.
What reviewer's are saying “Sara and Jack’s banter and absolute need for one another when they were together was positively combustible, and it had me switching from angry to aroused every other minute!” ~ Just Erotic Romance Reviews 


“This book blew me away. Liz Crowe’s second Stewart Realty novel has filled me with gut wrenching emotion, inner turmoil and amazing need to read more of her Stewart Realty series. … I loved every gut wrenching moment, many of which truly brought me to tears for this conflicted couple! This series is by far my absolute favorite series, written with the perfect amount of sexiness, sizzling hot passion, dominating men and stubborn women!” ~ Romancing the Book Excerpt from Floor Time Sara put her palms against the ice-cold glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows. She smiled, observing the entire downtown of Ann Arbor spread out below her like a child's carpet map. The heat rose visibly from the pavement as the crowds scurried in and out of restaurants and shops.

Adam's arms around her waist startled her. As she turned, a niggling voice at the back of her brain made her hesitate before brushing his lips with hers. They'd been in the vacant condo way too long. Now that he'd teased a satisfactory orgasm from her neglected body, an antsy, nervous sensation wormed through her psyche. She sighed and disentangled herself from his embrace. 

When the doorbell echoed through the cavernous space, she broke out in a cold sweat. Fumbling with blouse buttons, she pushed past Adam on her way through the kitchen and to the door, cursing under her breath. She looked back to make sure he was pulled together – not a tough thing since neither of them got completely out of their clothes – and scowled as he gave her a knowing smile.

Shit. You should not have done this. You don't even really like him. But it had been so long and he was pretty good looking. Jesus, slut much Sara?

Sara let guilty thoughts clang around her head long enough to hear the doorbell ring once more before yanking it open, her perfect pleased-to-see-you sales smile fixed in place, keys clutched in one hand.

Jack had a hot date, one that was going to yield him a kick-ass listing, but due to the unwarranted dawdling of the condo-shopping couple he had been dragging around, he'd be lucky to make it in time. The empty lock box on the door of the penthouse unit provided the real icing on the cake. He leaned on the doorbell, hoping they could skip this one and stop wasting his time while mouthing platitudes to his clients. He had hoped that the relocating, executive couple like the ones he was courting at that moment wouldn't spend so much of his valuable time arguing over granite colors and the relative benefits of central vacuum cleaners. God, he hated this job sometimes. He smiled, and turned, hearing the click of the deadbolt. Finally.

When the heavy door swung open, the vision standing there froze him mid-sentence. Sara Thornton, one of the newer, and more successful, realtors at Stewart Realty, stared at him, eyes blazing in a strange combination of aggravation and satisfaction. Jack clenched his jaw at the sight of her smoking hot body encased in skintight short black skirt, creamy silk blouse and four-inch stilettos.

As one of the few chosen to populate the downtown storefront office, based upon her good looks and the ability to rope in new buyers and sellers off the streets of Ann Arbor, Sara had serious sales skills. He'd studied the branch's numbers, as part of a management decision-making process, to ultimately turning down the offer to handle that stable of prima donnas. But at that moment Jack couldn't believe he'd never noticed her before – really noticed her. Where had she been hiding? And what was that amazing sexy aura that permeated the air? Jack's heart jumped in his chest.

"Um, hi Jack." Her voice was hoarse, making him blink. He made a conscious effort to wipe the idiotic look off his face, aware of the annoying clients still standing at his elbow. He held out a hand, needing to confirm that her skin felt as hot as it looked. Surprised no one else saw the sparks pass between them, he couldn't suppress a grin at the look on her flustered face.

So, she sensed it too. This could get interesting.

"Sara." He heard his own voice, sounding a hell of a lot more confident than he felt at that moment. And he did not rattle easily. "Sorry to barge in but…” He was struck dumb once again by the sight of Adam Donovan, mortgage broker tool, at Sara's shoulder. Jack gave himself a mental shake. The sudden realization of what had undoubtedly happened, in the same condo he was about to show, made his head pound. Reluctant admiration mixed with something resembling jealousy fogged his brain.  He raised his eyebrows at the tall blond man whom he could have sworn was engaged to someone else. 

"Jack." Adam moved around the beautiful woman who still blocked the doorway.  "Good to see you."

Jack shook the guy's hand, never taking his gaze from Sara, reserving his smile for her.  His brain engaged, focus locked on Sara Thornton, and the world shifted under his expensively clad feet.

  

Sara had never been more embarrassed. No, that was too weak of a word – mortified was better. Jack Gordon, king of the Ann Arbor real estate universe, wanted to show the condo where she'd just let Adam Donovan mercy fuck her. As she tried not to drown in Jack's deep blue gaze, Sara clenched her thighs, already imagining how he might have done it differently, and likely better.       

"Um, hi Jack," she croaked out. Her face flooded with heat; even more so when she put the keys in his outstretched hand, and yanked herself back at the intensity of their instant connection. Tall, ruggedly handsome with coal-black hair and a shimmering blue gaze, the man boasted a personality that bested all other males within a fifty-mile radius. Sara only knew of him, of course. They'd never actually met. However, she'd swear right then he seemed happy to see her. The realization made her zing from scalp to toes.

She watched his full lips form words but remained deafened by the roaring in her ears. His gaze never left hers, even when Adam nudged her aside and shook his hand. Her whole universe suddenly shrank to two people. Looking back, she'd pinpoint that as the instant she fell hopelessly in love with an impossible man.

Giveaway LIZ WILL CHOOSE FROM AMONG COMMENTERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE TOUR AND AWARD THE FOLLOWING PRIZES IN MID-MARCH:

2 signed copies of the new Stewart Realty “Jack & Sara Trilogy” print anthology (U.S. ONLY)

Audible.com downloads for each of the first 3 books in the series (available internationally) Here is link to the Liz Page on Audible.com: http://www.audible.com/search/ref=a_mn_at_ano_tseft__galileo?advsearchKeywords=liz+corwe&x=-1050&y=-41

1 signed print copy OR 1 eBook copy of GOOD FAITH, the critically acclaimed final novel of the Stewart Realty series (e-book available internationally, print is U.S. only)

1 Stewart Realty SWAG PACK complete with “I heart Ann Arbor mug” (U.S. only) and more!

BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL IN THE COMMENTS.

Where to purchase? Amazon | Nook

And while you're checking out this book, check out Good Faith as well. It's on sale for 99 cents until March 15th. That's 522 pages for 99 pennies! Pretty awesome.  About Liz Crowe  Amazon best-selling author, beer blogger and beer marketing expert, mom of three, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town. She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse. While working as a successful Realtor, Liz made the leap into writing novels about the same time she agreed to take on marketing and sales for the Wolverine State Brewing Company.

Most days find her sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, unless she’s writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications.

Her early forays into the publishing world led to a groundbreaking fiction subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” which has gained thousands of fans and followers interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”). More recently she is garnering even more fans across genres with her latest novels, which are more character-driven fiction, while remaining very much “real life.”

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and many times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate, and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

If you are in the Ann Arbor area, be sure and stop into the Wolverine State Brewing Co. Tap Room—but don’t ask her for anything “like” a Bud Light, or risk serious injury.

Find Liz online at the following places:

Website: www.lizcrowe.com

Writing Blog: www.brewingpasssion.com

Beer Blog:  www.a2beerwench.com

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/beerwencha2

FB Author Page: www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor

FB Fan Page: www.facebook.com/groups/Lizcrowefans/

Jack Gordon’s FB Page: www.facebook.com/jackgordonrealtor

The gym's making my butt bigger. Boo!

As a writer, I sit a lot. Over the course of this career, my butt has grown wider and my thighs have gotten thicker. I suppose it's a perk to this job, or maybe not. I've been doing the gym thing for over a year, and sadly, I'm just not seeing any results. So lately I've been looking more in to my lifestyle and what I can change. I've made a lot of changes and have seen some progress in my body, but not the scale. I HATE my scale.

So, before heading away on my convention, I was really working out. Hardcore, lets get a few pounds gone before this trip and succeeded in losing 3. That's better than nothing. :) However, my last trip to the gym (I've not been back since getting back from my trip), I pulled on a pair of my favorite workout pants. The pair I usually feel the best in. They hug my body soooo good and make me feel slim! Well, they were tight in the butt. *Face palm.*
GIFSoup How can this be?

Well, my thighs didn't seem bigger, so maybe my booty is getting rounder and less wide?

I don't want to lose the progress I've made. So it's back to the gym this week. Back to working my tail off the way I did the week prior to the conference. No reason to go slack. After all, swim suit season is ahead and last season was my worst one. 

Do any of my lovely readers have any tips on stubborn saddle bags and how to banish them for good? Or better yet, has anyone had good results with the gym? I'm still on the fence about that place. :0)

Happy Monday!  -Lacey Oh wait! Before you go, I'm currently having a sale on my Brookfield Series! If you've not read it, or haven't read them all, now's a good time to pick them up. You can get the whole series for $6! 

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1ehFJKR

Barnes and Noble (For some reason the free one is coming up in the search. It's on  there though, just search my name): http://bit.ly/1gjqd1q

All Romance: http://bit.ly/1lotUY2

Welcome Aimee Duffy!

Author Aimee Duffy has a new release and she's sharing it today. I've read the first book in this series and it was HOT. I plan on reading this one soon. I expect it will be just as hot, if not hotter!

The second novella in a thrilling, pulse-racing new erotic romance series, Indecent Proposals.

Three best friends, Shey, Eloisa and Georgia take on the most powerful and eligible men of the New York dating scene.

Georgia broke away from his mouth, gasping in a lung full of air.

‘Max, I need—’

He unwrapped her legs from his waist and placed her back on her feet.

She was about to protest when he broke in, ‘I know exactly what you need.’

Striking New York singleton Georgia has never had any trouble attracting men, but she has a surprising secret; she’s never had an orgasm.

So when her gorgeous new boss Max Briggs makes her a scandalous offer, she doubts this time will be any different. But what happens when Max discovers her secret? How long will Georgia’s resolve last when he becomes determined to be the man to give Georgia her first taste of ecstasy?
Excerpt ‘It’s personal,’ he warned.

Georgia swallowed. They hadn’t agreed on this being more than an extension of work and she couldn’t blame him for assuming. After all, she’d let him touch her, let him pull her close. She’d even licked his mouth, for frick sake. But she hadn’t made her mind up on it being anything more. Or was her body deciding for her?

‘Relax,’ he said, stroking her lower back. ‘It’s not what you think.’

Georgia straightened up and pulled her arms from his neck. He caught her wrists, his thumbs lazily drew circles over the veins, sending delicious currents through her.

God, no man had touched her like this. No man had turned her on this much. Could Max be the one to give her what she’d never had?

‘Easy.’ His expression turned serious, but he didn’t release the gentle hold he had on her wrists. ‘Do you always take the lead with men?’

The question caught her off guard. ‘What business is that of yours?’

The corner of his mouth twitched, pissing her off and giving her the strength to pull her arms free. He didn’t seem deterred by her anger.

‘It’s not, but you seem more sure of yourself when you do. I’ve been thinking.’

She crossed her arms, tucking her clutch under her elbow. ‘About whether I like it better on top? I thought we’d been through this, I can’t—’

‘Maybe that’s the problem,’ he said, deadpan serious.

Her chin dipped. ‘You try to take control, thinking it will be easier to get what you want. Have you ever thought of surrendering that with someone? Letting them take the lead.’

Well, yeah. About a minute ago but she’d been thinking about dancing. Her face burned, and she was right back in the moment in her office when she realized he’d read the email. She darted a glance around, but they weren’t in hearing distance of the other guests. Didn’t stop the shame burning up her neck. Max came closer, and she leaned back. He didn’t try to touch her which was smart. Her anger was simmering right below the surface.

‘Georgia, imagine surrendering that control to me. Imagine letting all the worry about everything go until there’s nothing left but my mouth and hands on your body. Teasing, nibbling and sucking you all over.’

Before she could stop it, the fantasy formed – but it wasn’t like others she’d had. She was on a huge four-poster bed with her wrists bound above her head. Max was on top of her, his mouth hot and teasing against her collarbone as he toyed with her nipples. They pebbled, and heat flooded between her legs. She closed her eyes, lost in the faux sensations, until his arms came around her for real. Her eyes snapped open, and she shoved at his chest as panic tightened her throat.

Though he loosened his hold, he didn’t let go. ‘People are watching,’ he warned. Her heart was beating so hard, pumping scorching blood through her veins. The pounding between her legs almost hurt, and she squeezed at her thighs to get relief.

But this was crazy, she wasn’t submissive.

‘Max, that’s not what I want.’ The lie didn’t convince either of them, so she tried again. ‘I’m not some…some…submissive who will kneel at your feet.’

She’d read enough of those kind of romance novels to know that much. Some of the scenes had turned her on, but the pain… She shivered.

‘I’d never want you to, but just now whatever you were imagining turned you on. Georgia your skin flushed, you were panting and swaying so much I had to hold you up.’

She couldn’t look into his knowing eyes, instead she focused on his black tie. The pain was a deal breaker, but other things? Georgia didn’t know. The thought of his tie around her wrists while he had her in all of those different ways did turn her on.

‘I’m not a submissive,’ she said again, her voice hard and firm. He tilted her chin up until she was forced to meet his eyes. They were soft, unexpectedly kind and full of understanding.

‘That’s a label, honey. One that gets misused all the time. You’re strong, confident and extremely sexy. Giving up control in the bedroom doesn’t make you any less of who you are. Different things turn different people on.’

‘What do you like in the bedroom?’ she asked, desperate to get subject off her.

Buy link: Grab it here

About the Author:

Aimée writes steamy, contemporary romance for the 21st century woman who enjoys the 21st century alpha male. She’s addicted to reading, shopping and can’t go a day without music. When she’s not writing you can find her traipsing up the Ochils (weather permitting of course) or procrastinating on Facebook and Twitter. 

Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads / Pinterest / Google +

Happy Friday!

Friday is here, and it's been a long week! I hope you had a good one and will have an even better weekend. Have fun, relax, and forget about work until Monday---even you writers out there. Take a break and relax for a few this weekend. -Lacey

Pinterest - Spring Cleaning

Spring is in the air....somewhere....I just don't know where. We had a tease this past weekend. When I got home from my convention, it was 79 degrees! Yes...79 degrees. It felt wonderful! Then BAM, cold temps hit again. So ready for spring. And with spring, comes spring cleaning. Today I am going to share some useful pins from pinterest to help your cleaning hopefully go a little easier.

*Note: Some of these I've not tried, so I'm not to be held responsible if you try them and some freak accident happens.* Photo from the blog: At Home With The Bakers I can't wait to try this product. My floors and almost all my wood surfaces in my home are dull. The rooms we use the most never seem to shine anymore, even after a good cleaning.

The product used in this photo is Quick Shine.

To pin it, click HERE. Photo from: Our Sweet Home blog. This next pin also deals with wood and it on my list to try. I figure, I'll take something no one sees often and test it out.

According to the pin: How to fix scratches on wood furniture- 1/2 cup of vinegar with a 1/2 cup of olive oil- rub it on, that's it.

To pin this, click HERE. Photo from blog listed above. This is something I have done and can say that it really does work. Use baby oil to shine up your stainless steel appliances. Why stainless steel is all the rage right now, I don't know. Finger prints galore...agh! But just a drip of baby oil on a rag and your appliance looks brand new again, no kidding

To pin this, click HERE. Photo from: What's Up Fagans And finally, my last pin for today is about cleaning the oven. I despise cleaning it and wonder why I don't have a self-cleaning oven. Perhaps if I ever hit the USA today or NYT time lists, then I'll reward myself with a self-cleaning oven, but until then, I have to clean it.

According to this pin, I should be able to clean it with baking soda and water, and not that stinky stuff I spray into the oven and always fear the next time I turn the oven on, it's going to explode.

To pin this, click HERE. -Lacey

Pictures from Tasty Authors Weekend

I'm exhausted...still. I must be getting older. :/ I got home Sunday from Tasty Authors Weekend. Between the drive and being off my sleep schedule, I still feel puny. Hopefully today after a little more rest, I will be ready to take on the world again...or not.

The weekend was a blast! I met a lot of wonderful authors and heard inspiring stories from authors who have been doing this for much longer than me. They all had wonderful advice. Even when I feel like giving up, stick it out. :) Enjoy some of these photos. I didn't take many. There are a few authors/bloggers who are going to be posting photos I am waiting to see so I can snag a few more for my collection. My signing table! Lot's of swag goodies. Fellow Beachwalk Press authors (Jaye Shields, Sidda Lee Tate, Ella Jade, and me) at the Q&A panel. The hero from Wanted: Wife, Steven McDonald, won the Blue Collar Hero award! So exciting! Ella Jade and I with the weekends banner in the hotel lobby. Guess what, we're going to co-author a book together. Details coming soon. Here I am with local to me author Kendall Grey! And wow, when we started talking, it was amazing how connected out lives have been to one another. Awesome and sweet woman! And finally, my picture with Lisa Posillico-Filipe, who put on this great convention. I met some fabulous people. I thought I had a photo with author Brandy Dorsch, but it must be on her camera. I will have to email her. :) -Lacey

Pretty, pretty print books...

Today I leave for for the Tasty Authors Weekend in Wilmington, NC. YAY!!! Or that's how I feel. The kids were moaning and groaning this morning, complaining they couldn't go to school. Hubby is in for some fun. :) Thankfully today is early release, so I have time to spend with them when they get home.

But I wanted to show off these beauties I will be signing. :) Even though I believe that eReaders are the future and I haven't read a print book in almost 2 years because I LOVE my kindle, it's still fun to hold your book in printed pages in your hands. Oh, and smell them too. Perhaps I should talk to amazon about adding a feature to their kindle where you press a button and it sprays out the smell of printed pages. Good idea?

Have a great weekend! I'll be back Monday to share with you all the fun and photos of some of the authors I met. -Lacey

Crafty Wednesday - Crochet Scrunchee

Happy Hump Day! Normally Wednesday feels like just another day, but today my nerves on high. I leave tomorrow for a conference. I'm happy and nervous, but so ready to go hang out with some other authors and talk books with readers.

Today I wanted to show off the hair scrunchee I made a few weeks ago. I really like it and plan to make more, though I think next time I will not make it quite as big and a little smaller so it's not so big when wearing it and it can be something I can wear on my wrist if need be. The hardest part of this item was getting it started with the slip stitch and the hair band. I've yet to be able to make a flower, so maybe after I made a few more of these, I will be ready to try making a flower again. I followed a pattern that I found on Pinterest HERE. If you check out the original post HERE at Stitch of Love, I think the person who made the tutorial used a finger piece of yard than I did. I think her's looks better than mine, but she's been doing it much longer than me. I think I will pick up some different yarn next time I try this.

So, what are you working on? Would you like to show off your work? Email me at laceywolfe@live.com. I'd love to showcase your craft! -Lacey

Prepping for an upcoming convention

This week I'm preparing to attend my second convention as an author. This is exciting. The first time, I was so nervous as the time led up. Would my kids be okay? It was my first time ever leaving them. Now 6 months later, I'm preparing for another trip.

I can see the hesitation in my son's face. He's 9 and he handled it the worst last time. He's holding it together for now, but I'm not sure how he will be on Thursday when I leave. Hopefully this time will be easier. The previous time, the kids came home from school with me not here to their Aunt KK. This time, I will be dropping them off with a friend of mine and it won't be long before their dad gets them.

Yes, as my time leads up to me leaving, I'm worried about my kids. I know a little of what to expect at the convention now, so I'm excited to just go see fellow authors and readers. Meet some people I've had a friendship with online and now will get to see them face to face. I've got my lists made on what I need to bring with me. I just need to pick out the clothes--oh and get my eyebrows waxed. Yikes, these things are bad.
GIFSoup Well, they aren't that bad, thank goodness. 

I've yet to decide if I am going to do a pedicure. I don't expect to wear sandals. Yes, that's right, I have to beautify myself before I leave for this. You see, I am an introvert. I wear PJ's all day with my hair in a pony tail. Now it's time to break out of this shell and talk to people.

I'm going to apologize now. Blogging will be slow again this week, but hopefully next Monday I will have a ton to tell you.

Happy Monday!

Oh, and if you're in the Wilmington, NC area--come see me! I'd love to meet you. Saturday is the book signing. :) -Lacey