J. Kenner's Blog, page 103
December 29, 2012
Day 7: Release Me page reveal
I’m counting down the days until Release Me hits the shelves with a page reveal. Two or three pages daily, in order, from the book!
Today’s excerpt starts right after yesterday’s left off! You can find all the posted excerpts by going to the Release Me Page Reveal category of the blog!
CHAPTER FIVE
I wear Ollie’s jacket and hold my shoes by the straps as we walk along the private beach behind Evelyn’s house. I’m certain we’re not supposed to be out here, but I don’t care. I swing my foot through the water gaily, sending a spray of sea drops scattering. It feels mischievous. It feels good.
“How’s Courtney?” I ask. “Is she glad you’re back?” That’s a dangerous question where Ollie is concerned. Courtney is his on-again/off-again girlfriend. “On again” because she’s amazing and Ollie would be an idiot to do something stupid and screw it up. “Off again” because Ollie has crossed that idiot line more than once.
“She’s engaged,” he says.
“Oh.” I can’t keep the disappointment out of my voice. I should be consoling and tell Ollie he’ll find someone else amazing, but all I can think is that he’s screwed up.
Suddenly, he’s laughing. “To me, doofas.”
“Oh, thank God!” I bump him playfully with my shoulder. “I thought you’d blown it.”
His expression turns serious. “I almost did. New York was hard. Being away from her. Being tempted. But no more. She’s the only woman for me. Damn, Nik. How did I manage to get her?”
“Because you’re a great guy.”
“I’m fucked up, and you know it.”
“Everyone’s a little fucked up, but Courtney sees the guy underneath. And she loves you.”
“She does,” he says with a grin. “It amazes me every day, but it’s true. She really does.” He eyes me side-ways. “Speaking of fucked up, how are you really doing?”
I pull his jacket tighter around me. “I’m great. I already told you.” I stop walking and dig my toes into the sand. The waves come in and swoosh over my bare feet before rushing out again, leaving me sinking a bit, the ground shifting under me.
Beside me, Ollie just gives me that look. Like he knows all my secrets, and I frown because it’s true.
I shrug. “It’s easier now. College was fucked up for a while, but it got better.” I shoot him a smile because he’d been a big part of making it better. “And now, I don’t know. But it feels good being away from Texas. Really, I’m doing fine.” I shrug again. I don’t want to talk right now.
I turn around and start walking. “We should get back.”
He nods and falls in step beside me. We walk silently for a while, the lights of Evelyn’s house growing closer. The sound of the ocean fills the space between us. It’s deep and rhythmic and I feel like I could get lost in it. Like maybe I already am a little lost.
We walk about fifty more yards, then he pauses. “So how do you feel about tuxedos?” he asks, as if it’s the most normal question in the world.
“I feel good about them,” I say. “Tuxedoes are a time-honored tradition in the world of formal wear. I have to take points off for practicality, though. Hard to surf in a tux. Doable, but hard.”
He laughs. “I want you to be my best man,” he says, and I get a little lump in my throat. “Courtney’s cool with it,” he continues, “but she thinks the pictures will look better if you wear a tux. You know, the guy side in penguin suits, the girl side in silk and satin. What do you say?”
I hug myself and blink back tears. “I love you. You know that, right?”
“That’s why I’m asking. It was either that or marry you, and I think the second option would piss Courtney off.” He watches me, obviously expecting me to laugh. When I don’t, his expression softens. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For being happy for me.”
“I am,” I say, but I’m talking from behind my Social Nikki smile. The truth is that things are changing fast, and I don’t want Ollie changing, too. He’s been my rock for too long. What will happen to me if that rock suddenly shifts?
But I’m not being fair and I know it.
I start walking again.
“Nik?”
I wipe away an errant tear. “Ignore me. I’m just being emotional and weird. Girls and weddings, right?”
“Nothing’s changing, Nik,” he says, because he’s tagged the hormonal excuse for the bullshit it is. “Anything you need, any time. Courtney won’t mind.”
Fear knifes through me. “She doesn’t know about—”
“Of course not. I mean, she knows about Ashley,” he says, but that’s fair. He and Courtney had been dating when my sister’s unexpected suicide had completely shattered me. She’d been more than a sister to me—she’d been my escape from the life my mother molded for me, and even though she’d already gotten married and moved away when she died, the loss had sent me spiraling down. Jamie and Ollie had been my life rafts, so of course he’d talked about it with Courtney.
“I only told Courtney that she’d died and you were grieving,” Ollie says urgently. “You know I’d never share your secrets.”
My relief is so intense I don’t even feel guilty for thinking that Ollie would betray my confidence.
“Looks like we’re not the only ones who wanted to escape the hoopla.” He’s looking toward Evelyn’s house. There are people clustered on the balcony, backlit by the light bursting through the window. But they’re not the subject of Ollie’s comment, and it takes me a second to realize what he sees. When I do, I gasp.
A darkened spiral staircase leads down from the balcony to the weathered boardwalk, and there is a man sitting on the bottom step. I can’t see his face—I can’t see more than a dark shape. But somehow I’m certain who it is.
We approach, and he stands, and I see that I am right.
“Ms. Fairchild,” Stark says, walking forward to meet us. He doesn’t look at Ollie at all. His eyes are wholly on me—burning amber and deep, dangerous black. “I was looking for you.”
I hope you enjoyed! Come back tomorrow for more!
Pre-order the book from your favorite retailers using these easy links!
And don’t forget to enter my holiday contest!
Just a few quick notes: I'm blog-touring for the rest of the month and early January! Come by and say hi! My tour schedule is here!
And did you see that I have a Bargain Books section now? Check the Navigation bar or the side bar on the right. (Pssst! My USA Today bestselling Aphrodite's Kiss is free at most retailers for the rest of the year!)
And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
December 28, 2012
Day 6: Release Me page reveal
I’m counting down the days until Release Me hits the shelves with a page reveal. Two or three pages daily, in order, from the book!
Today’s excerpt starts right after yesterday’s left off! You can find all the posted excerpts by going to the Release Me Page Reveal category of the blog!
And then I see it—my excuse. My salvation. It’s so unexpected—so completely out of place—that I half wonder if I’m not hallucinating. “That man,” I say, pointing to a skinny twenty-something with long, wavy hair and wire-framed glasses. He looks like he belongs at Woodstock, not an art show, and I hold my breath, expecting the apparition to vanish. “Is that Orlando McKee?”
“You know Orlando?” she asks, then answers her own question. “Of course. The friend who works for Charles. But where did you two meet?” She nods goodbye to Lyle and Rip, who could care less about our departure; they’re back to arguing among themselves and smiling brightly at the women who sidle in close for a snapshot.
“We grew up together,” I explain as Evelyn steers me through the throng.
The truth is our families lived next door to each other until Ollie went off to college, and even though he’s two years older than me, we were inseparable until Ollie turned twelve and was shipped off to boarding school in Austin. I had been beside myself with envy.
I haven’t seen Ollie for years, but he’s the kind of friend that you don’t need to talk to every day. Months can go by, and then he’ll call me out of the blue, and we pick up the conversation like it had never stopped. He and Jamie are my closest friends in the world and I am beyond giddy that he’s here, right when I need him so desperately.
We’re close now, but he hasn’t noticed us. He’s talking about some television show with a another guy, this one in jeans and a sport coat over a pale pink button-down. Very California. Ollie’s hands are moving, because that’s the way he talks, and when he flails one hand my direction, he glances that way out of reflex. I see the moment that realization hits him. He freezes, his hand drops, and he turns to face me, the arms going out wide.
“Nikki? My God, you look amazing.” He pulls me into a tight Ollie hug, then pushes me back, his hands on my shoulders as he looks me up and down.
“Do I pass inspection?”
“When have you not?”
“Why aren’t you in New York?”
“The firm transferred me back last week. I was going to call you this weekend. I couldn’t remember when you were moving out here.” He pulls me into another spontaneous hug, and I’m grinning so wide my mouth is starting to hurt. “Damn, it’s good to see you.”
“I take it you two know each other,” the guy in jeans says drolly.
“Sorry,” Ollie says. “Nikki, this is Jeff. We work together at Bender, Twain & McGuire.”
“What he means is that I work for him,” Jeff says. “I’m a summer associate. Orlando is a third year now, and they love him there. I think Maynard’s about ready to make him a partner.”
“Very funny,” Ollie says, but he looks pleased.
“Look at you,” I say. “My little guppy’s grown into a full-fledged shark.”
“Ah-ah. You know the rules. For every lawyer joke you make, I get to make two dumb blonde jokes.”
“I take it back.”
“Come on, Jeff,” Evelyn says. “Let’s let these two catch up. We’ll go find our own trouble to get into.”
It would be polite to tell them not to bother, but neither one of us does. We’re too wrapped up in reminiscing, and I’m too happy to have Ollie beside me.
We talk about everything and nothing as we head for the door, taking our conversation outside by silent agreement. I’m completely absorbed, warmed by memories and Ollie’s familiar face. But as we reach the door, I turn back and look at the room. I’m not sure why I do. Maybe it’s just a reflex, but I think it’s something more. I think I’m looking for someone. For him.
Sure enough, my eyes find Damien Stark right away. He’s no longer with Audrey Hepburn. Now he’s talking with a short, balding man. He’s focused and attentive. But his head lifts and his eyes find me.
And in that singular moment, I know that if he asked me to blow off my friend and stay in the room with him, I would do it.
Damn him, and damn me, but I would stay with Damien Stark.
I hope you enjoyed! Come back tomorrow for more!
Pre-order the book from your favorite retailers using these easy links!
And don’t forget to enter my holiday contest!
Just a few quick notes: I'm blog-touring for the rest of the month and early January! Come by and say hi! My tour schedule is here!
And did you see that I have a Bargain Books section now? Check the Navigation bar or the side bar on the right. (Pssst! My USA Today bestselling Aphrodite's Kiss is free at most retailers for the rest of the year!)
And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
DN Simmons: Mischief, Sex, Violence, Humor and More!
Please Welcome DN Simmons to the blog today!
Happy Holidays!
My name is D.N. Simmons and I’m the author of the “Knights of the Darkness Chronicles”. It’s an intriguing little series involving vampires and shape-shifters and I know what you’re going to say. Isn’t there one
million books out there with vampires and shifters? What makes yours so different? I can guarantee the KOTDC is unlike any other book in the urban-fantasy or paranormal romance genre you’ve ever read.
For one thing, I don’t have a main character or even two main characters. I wanted to step away from the normal formula, so to speak, and break new ground by just having characters. I wanted my series to represent the real
world as much as possible even though it is in fictional setting. In the real world, peoples’ lives intertwine, and they experience things together. In the end, the same experience may effect each person differently. When I created the KOTDC, I wanted to explore the aspect of what I like to call “character freedom”. So not only do you get to
experience the world from the eyes of my “Heroes”, but you also see the world through the eyes of my “villains” with each book. You get to know each character and see them grow and bond with one another.
If I had to point out one significant aspect of my series, I’d have to say that was it. The KOTDC is a multicultural, dark urban-fantasy series that has the perfect amount of mischief, sex, violence, humor, action and wit that I hope will entertain any reader who loves the UF and PNR genres.
If you want to know a little bit more about me, I simply love the holidays. I love giving presents, cooking huge holiday meals and being around family and friends. Like many of you (if not all of you)I’m looking forward to the stuffing, pot roast, Christmas cookies and, oh hell, just everything. I was trying to be modest, but I plan on putting on the pounds this season. I’ll promise to take it off for my New Year’s resolution. 
I’d love to part with a little recipe of my own to make your Holiday meal spectacular. I call it my “Vegetable Medley”. It’s a delicious mixture of potatoes and vegetables that goes well with roasts or even as a side dish.
These measurements vary depending on what size dish you want to serve.
1 package of mushrooms (sliced or whole) if you get whole, you may need 2 or more packages.
1 package of peppers (red, yellow, orange and green) for larger portions, you’ll need more peppers.
1 package of carrots (shreds or diced)
1 bag of potatoes. (Red or yellow)
Garlic and herb seasoning
Seasoning salt
Pepper
Butter
(Sausage but only if you’re serving as a side dish or meal)
Combine all ingredients (minus butter) into a large aluminum pan. Season generously then cover with foil. Bake until potatoes are tender and then toss butter into the pan and recover. Bake again until potatoes are as tender as you like them to be. Serve when ready.
I personally like to use a whole stick of butter for a large pan because I like the flavor it gives the potatoes in general. But you can use less if you like, especially if you’re preparing a smaller dish.
I thank you all for your time and this opportunity to chat with you and I wish you all a wonderful and blessed Holiday Season.
Much love and respect,
D.N. Simmons
Thanks so much to DN for blogging here today! The recipe sounds yummy and may just be on the menu this week! You can learn more about DN at her website! And check out all the great covers for the series here: 
What about you, readers? Do you have a favorite recipe? Have you read DN’s series? Are you intrigued?
December 27, 2012
Networked blogs, anyone?
I’ve just added my blog to “Networked Blogs” and though I’m still trying to figure out how it works, I wanted to let folks know I’m here (helloooooooooo out there !!!!).
Would love for folks to follow the blog!
And if your a blogger who’s networked, please leave your info in the comments!
Follow this blog
More love for Damien!
Thanks to The Book Wranglers for another great review of Release Me!
If you loved Fifty Shades then hold onto your panties. Release Me was 10x hotter !!!
I absolutely loooooove both Damien and Nikki. Kenner created Damien to be this gorgeous guy on the outside with some serious flaws on the inside. He’s so much more than meets the eye
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing!
Just a few quick notes: I'm blog-touring for the rest of the month and early January! Come by and say hi! My tour schedule is here!
And did you see that I have a Bargain Books section now? Check the Navigation bar or the side bar on the right. (Pssst! My USA Today bestselling Aphrodite's Kiss is free at most retailers for the rest of the year!)
And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
Day 5: Release Me page reveal
I’m counting down the days until Release Me hits the shelves with a page reveal. Two or three pages daily, in order, from the book!
Today’s excerpt starts right after yesterday’s left off! You can find all the posted excerpts by going to the Release Me Page Reveal category of the blog!
Evelyn passes by, arm in arm with a man with hair so white he reminds me of Colonel Sanders. She pats him on the arm, murmurs something, then disengages herself. The colonel marches on as Evelyn eases up next to me. “Having a nice time?”
“Of course,” I say.
She snorts.
“I know,” I say. “I’m a terrible liar.”
“Hell, honey, you weren’t even putting any effort into that one.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just . . .” I trail off and tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear. I’d curled it and pinned it up in a chignon. A few loose curls are supposed to hang free and frame my face. Right now, the damn thing is just annoying me.
“He’s inscrutable,” Evelyn says.
“Who?”
She nods toward Damien, and I look that direction. He’s still talking with Audrey Hepburn, but I’m struck by the certainty that he had been watching me only moments earlier. I have nothing to base that on, though, and I’m frustrated, not knowing if the thought is wishful thinking or paranoia.
“Inscrutable?” I repeat.
“He’s a hard man to figure out,” Evelyn says. “I’ve known him since he was a boy—his father signed me to represent him when some damn breakfast cereal wanted his face on their television spots. As if Damien Stark with a sugar high was the way we wanted to go. No, I landed the boy some damn good endorsements, helped make him a goddamned household name. But most days I don’t think I know him at all.”
“Why not?”
“I told you, Texas. Inscrutable.” She draws out each syllable, then punctuates the word with a shake of her head. “‘Course I don’t fault him, not with the shit that was piled onto that poor kid. Who wouldn’t end up a little bit damaged?”
“You mean the fame? That must have been hard. He was so young.” Stark won the Junior Grand Slam at fifteen, and that had pushed him into the stratosphere. But the press had latched onto him long before that. With his good looks and working-class background, he been plucked out of the flurry of hopefuls as the tennis circuit’s golden boy.
“No, no,” Evelyn waves her hand as if dismissing the thought. “Damien knows how to handle the press. He’s damn good at protecting his secrets, always has been.” She eyes me, then laughs, as if to suggest she was only joking. But I don’t think so. “Oh, honey, listen to me ramble. No, Damien Stark is just one of those dark, quiet types. He’s like an iceberg, Texas. The deep parts are well-hidden and what you do see is hard and a little bit cold.”
She chuckles, amused at her own joke, then waves at someone who’s caught her attention. I glance toward Damien, looking for evidence of the wounded child that Evelyn has recalled, but all I see is unerring strength and self-confidence. Am I seeing a mask? Or am I really looking at the man?
“What I’m trying to say,” Evelyn continues, “is that you shouldn’t take it personally. The way he acted, I mean. I doubt he meant to be rude. He was probably just off in his head and didn’t even realize what he was doing.”
I, of course, have moved past the snub at our meeting, but Evelyn doesn’t realize that. My current issues with Damien Stark are wide and varied—ranging from the simple problem of a ride home to more complicated emotions that I’m not inclined to analyze.
“You were right about Rip and Lyle,” I say, because she keeps looking in Stark’s direction, and I want to head off any suggestion that we go edge our way into that conversation. “My roommate is in awe that I’m in the same room with them.”
“Well, come on, then. I’ll introduce you.”
The two stars—both polished and shined within an inch of their lives—are perfectly polite and perfectly dull. I have nothing to say to them. I don’t even know what their show is about. Evelyn can’t seem to wrap her head around the possibility that anyone could either not care or not know about all things Hollywood. She seems to think I’m merely being coy and is about to leave me alone with these two.
Social Nikki would smile and make polite small talk. But Social Nikki is getting a bit frayed around the edges, and instead, I reach out, snagging a bit of Evelyn’s sleeve before she escapes too far. She looks back at me, her brows raised in question. I have nothing to say. Panic bubbles in me; Social Nikki has completely left the building.
I hope you enjoyed! Come back tomorrow for more!
Pre-order the book from your favorite retailers using these easy links!
And don’t forget to enter my holiday contest!
Just a few quick notes: I'm blog-touring for the rest of the month and early January! Come by and say hi! My tour schedule is here!
And did you see that I have a Bargain Books section now? Check the Navigation bar or the side bar on the right. (Pssst! My USA Today bestselling Aphrodite's Kiss is free at most retailers for the rest of the year!)
And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
December 26, 2012
Day 4: Release Me page reveal
I’m counting down the days until Release Me hits the shelves with a page reveal. Two or three pages daily, in order, from the book!
Today’s excerpt starts right after yesterday’s left off! You can find all the posted excerpts by going to the Release Me Page Reveal category of the blog!
“How about you? Did you actually manage to form words this time?”
I scowl. As my best friend since forever, Jamie knows a few too many of my secrets. I’d told her all about my ambiguous encounter with uber-hottie Damien Stark at the pageant reception. Her reaction had been typical Jamie—if I’d just opened my mouth and formed actual words, he would have ditched Carmela and had his way with me. I’d told her she was insane, but her words had been like tinder to my smoldering fantasy.
“I talked to him,” I admit now.
“Oh, really?” Her voice rises with interest.
“And he’s coming to the presentation.”
“And…?”
I have to laugh. “That’s it, Jamie. That was the point.”
“Oh. Well, okay, then. No, seriously, that’s fabulous, Nik. You totally rocked it.”
When she puts it that way, I have to agree.
“So what’s he like now?”
I consider the question. It’s not an easy one to answer. “He’s . . . intense.” Hot. Sexy. Surprising. Disturbing. No, it’s not Stark that’s disturbing—it’s my reaction to him.
“Intense?” Jamie parrots. “Like that’s a revelation? I mean, the guy owns half the known universe. I hardly think he’d be all warm and fuzzy. More like dark and dangerous.”
I frown. Somehow, Jamie has summed up Damien Stark perfectly.
“Anything else to report? How are the paintings? I won’t ask if you’ve seen any celebrities. Any celebrity younger than Cary Grant, and you’re clueless. I mean, you could probably trip over Bradley Cooper and not even know it.”
“Actually, Rip and Lyle are here, and they’re being civil to each other despite their feud. It’ll be interesting to see if the show gets picked up for another season.”
The silence at the other end of the line tells me I have scored big with that one, and I make a mental note to thank Evelyn. It’s not easy to surprise my roommate.
“You bitch,” she finally says. “If you don’t come back with Rip Carrington’s autograph, I am so finding a new best friend.”
“I’ll try,” I promise. “Actually, you could come here. I kind of need a ride.”
“Because Carl keeled over and died from surprise when Stark said he’d do the meeting?”
“Sort of. He left to go prep. The meeting’s been bumped to tomorrow.”
“And you’re still at the party, why?”
“Stark wanted me to stay.”
“Oh, did he?” Her voice rises with interest.
“It’s not like that. He’s looking to buy a painting. He wanted a female perspective.”
“And since you’re the only female at the party . . .”
I remember Audrey Hepburn and feel confused. I’m most definitely not the only female at the party. So what is Stark’s game?
“I just need a ride,” I snap, unfairly taking my irritation out on Jamie. “Can you come get me?”
“You’re serious? Carl left you stranded in Malibu? That’s like an hour away. He didn’t even offer to reimburse cab fare?”
I hesitate a fraction of a second too long.
“What?” she demands.
“It’s just that—well, Stark said he’d make sure I got home.”
“And what? His Ferrari’s not good enough for you? You’d rather ride in my ten-year-old Corolla?”
She has a point. It’s Stark’s fault I’m still here. Why should I inconvenience one of my friends—or fork over a buttload of money for cab fare—when he already said he’d get me home? Am I really that nervous about being alone with him?
Yes, actually I am. Which is ridiculous. Elizabeth Fairchild’s daughter does not get nervous around men. Elizabeth Fairchild’s daughter wraps men around her little finger. I may have spent my whole life trying to escape from under my mother’s thumb, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t manage to drill her lessons in deep.
“You’re right,” I say, even though the idea of Damien Stark wrapped around any woman’s finger remains a little fuzzy. “I’ll see you at home.”
“If I’m asleep, wake me up. I want to hear everything.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” I say.
“Liar,” she chides, then clicks off.
I slide my phone into my purse and head back to the bar—now, I want that champagne. I stand there holding my drink as I glance around the room. This time, I see Stark right away. Him and Audrey Hepburn. He’s smiling, she’s laughing, and I’m working myself up into quite a temper. I mean, he’s the reason I’m stranded here, and yet he hasn’t made any effort to speak to me again, to apologize for the whole “be my decorating wench” fiasco, or to arrange a ride for me. If I have to call a cab I am absolutely going to send a bill to Stark International.
I hope you enjoyed! Come back tomorrow for more!
Pre-order the book from your favorite retailers using these easy links!
And don’t forget to enter my holiday contest!
Just a few quick notes: I'm blog-touring for the rest of the month and early January! Come by and say hi! My tour schedule is here!
And did you see that I have a Bargain Books section now? Check the Navigation bar or the side bar on the right. (Pssst! My USA Today bestselling Aphrodite's Kiss is free at most retailers for the rest of the year!)
And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
Steampunk Style – It’s Everywhere!
I’m thrilled to have Lara Nance guest blogging on the site today. As you might have guessed, Lara is a steampunk author, and you’re going to want to check out her stuff! Keep reading and you’ll see why!
And there’s a giveaway, too! Read on!
Here’s Lara!
So what is steampunk anyway?
The culture of Steampunk originated during the 1980s and early 1990s and incorporates a mixture of elements from science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, horror, and speculative fiction.
It involves a setting where steam is the power of the day—whether in an alternative universe or actual Victorian times. There have also been elements used in an alternate U.S. Wild West, or in post-apocalyptic times playing on this punk Victorian theme.
Today, artists feature technology involving clockwork, or futuristic innovations as Victorians might have imagined them. For instance, this technology includes such fictional machines as those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. Take a look at this modern steampunk style bathroom decor by San Francisco architect Andre Rothblatt and contractor Fredic Grasset as an example.
Steampunk has also infiltrated art, fashion, and design influenced by the aesthetics of steampunk literature. Various modern utilitarian/industrial objects are used by artisans to form a pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style. There are also visual and musical artists now described as steampunk.
But in my opinion, nowhere has steampunk had more influence than in fashion. And never has this been more prevalent than the fall couture collections of 2012. Designers from Gaultier to Prada to Chanel have incorporated elements of steampunk, or at the very least–19th century fashion, to inspire their fall collections.
I couldn’t pull my gaze from Jean Paul Gaultier’s fall collection, full of top hats and tails, bustiers, and flowing capes. You can view the entire collection video at the following link. And keep watching until the end for the fabulous steampunk style wedding dress as the finale!
For a full range of designers revealing their steampunk style this fall, here’s an awesome slide show for your viewing pleasure.
Even America’s Next Top Model TV show is getting in on the steampunk action. The folks at clockwork couture recently wrote: “The wardrobe stylists from America’s Next Top Model came and raided our store for items to incorporate into their high fashion shoot with Steampunk flair.” Here’s the place to view the slide show of their photos:
If you want to find some steampunk outfits for yourself, there are a number of fine internet companies who focus on steampunk fashion, such as:
Steampunk conventions are popping up all over the world and are a great place to wear your steampunk costumes and meet like-minded enthusiasts for tea and airship races.
I’ll be at Steamcon IV in October with my steampunk trilogy, Airship Adventure Chronicles. The first book, Revenge of the Mad Scientist, is now for sale on Amazon and Barnes & Noble sites. It’s a romantic steampunk adventure in the style of Around the World in Eighty Days.
Give the book a look, and you might become a steampunk fan yourself!
Here’s a chance to win a copy so you’ll be ready for 2012 steampunk fall.
Leave a comment about your view of steampunk and you’ll be entered to win the book.
For more information on my books, visit me at: www.laranance.com.
Thanks so much for visiting, Lara! Readers, be sure to leave a comment to be entered in Lara’s contest!
And you can also enter my holiday contest by using the Rafflecopter form below for an extra chance to win!
Just a few quick notes: I'm blog-touring for the rest of the month and early January! Come by and say hi! My tour schedule is here!
And did you see that I have a Bargain Books section now? Check the Navigation bar or the side bar on the right. (Pssst! My USA Today bestselling Aphrodite's Kiss is free at most retailers for the rest of the year!)
And why not scroll down and share the post? After all, sharing is sexy!
XXOO
--J.K.
December 25, 2012
Day 3: Release Me page reveal
I’m counting down the days until Release Me hits the shelves with a page reveal. Two or three pages daily, in order, from the book!
Today’s excerpt starts right after yesterday’s left off! You can find all the posted excerpts by going to the Release Me Page Reveal category of the blog!
CHAPTER FOUR
I cross the entire room before I pause, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. Fifty-five steps. I counted every one of them, and now that there’s no place left to go I am simply standing still, staring at one of Blaine’s paintings. Another nude, this one laying on her side across a stark white bed, only the foreground in focus. The rest of the room—walls, furniture—are nothing more than the blurred gray suggestions of shapes.
The woman’s skin is pale, as if she’s never seen the sun. But her face suggests otherwise. It reflects so much ecstasy that it seems to glow.
There is only one splash of color on the entire canvas—a long red ribbon. It is tied loosely around the woman’s neck, then extends between her heavy breasts to trail down even farther. It slides between her legs, then continues, the image fading into the background before meeting the edge of the canvas. There’s a tautness to the ribbon, though, and it’s clear what story the artist is telling; her lover is there, just off the canvas, and he’s holding the ribbon, making it slide over her, making her writhe against it in a desperate need to find the pleasure that he’s teasing her with.
I swallow, imagining the sensation of that cool, smooth satin stroking me between my legs. Making me hot, making me come . . .
And in my fantasy, it’s Damien Stark who is holding that ribbon.
This is not good.
I ease away from the painting toward the bar, which is the only place in the entire room where I’m not bombarded by erotic imagery. Honestly, I need the break. Erotic art doesn’t usually make me melt. Except, of course, it’s not the art that’s making me hot.
I do, however, want you.
What had he meant by that?
More to the point, what do I want him to mean by that? Which, of course, is a bullshit question. I know what I want. The same thing I wanted six years ago. I also know it will never happen. And even the fantasy is a very bad idea.
I scan the room, telling myself I’m only looking over the art. Apparently this is my night for self-deception. I’m looking for Stark, but when I find him, I wish that I hadn’t bothered. He’s standing next to a tall, lithe woman with short dark hair. She looks like Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina, vibrant and beautiful. Her small features are alight with pleasure, and as she laughs she reaches out and touches him in a casual, intimate gesture. My stomach hurts just watching them. Good God, I don’t even know this man. Can I really be jealous?
I consider the possibility, and in the spirit of tonight’s theme, I deceive myself once more. Not jealousy—anger. I’m pissed that Stark could so cavalierly flirt with me even though he’s obviously enthralled by another woman—a beautiful, charming, radiant woman.
“More champagne?” The bartender holds out a flute.Tempting. Very tempting, but I shake my head. I don’t need to get drunk. I need to get out of here.
More guests arrive, and the room overflows with people. I look for Stark again, but he has disappeared into the crowd. Audrey Hepburn is nowhere in sight, either. I’m sure whereever they are, they’re having a dandy time.
I sandwich myself between a wall and a hallway cordoned off with a velvet rope. Presumably it leads to the rest of Evelyn’s house. Right now, it’s the closest thing to privacy I have.
I take out my phone, hit speed dial, and wait for Jamie to answer.
“You will so not believe this,” she says, skipping all the preliminaries. “I just did the nasty with Douglas.”
“Oh my God, Jamie. Why?” Okay, that came out before I had the chance to think about it, and while this revelation about Douglas is not good news, I’m grateful to be dragged so forcefully into Jamie’s problems. Mine can wait.
Douglas is our next door neighbor, and his bedroom shares a wall with mine. Even though it’s only been four days, I have a pretty good idea of how often he gets laid. The idea that my best friend is another ticky mark on his bedpost does not thrill me.
Of course, from Jamie’s perspective, he’s a mark on her bedpost.
“We were by the pool drinking wine, and then we got in the hot tub and then . . .” She trails off, leaving “and then” to my imagination.
“He’s still there? Or are you at his place?”
“God, no. I sent him home an hour ago.”
“Jamie . . .”
“What? I just needed to burn some energy. Trust me, it’s good. I’m so mellow now you wouldn’t even believe.”
I frown. Like a girl who collects stray puppies, Jamie brings home a lot of men. She doesn’t, however, keep them around. Not even until morning. As her roommate, I find that convenient. There’s nothing quite like meeting an unshaved, unshowered, half-naked man staring into your refrigerator at three in the morning. As her friend, however, I worry.
She, in turn, worries about me for precisely the opposite reason. I’ve never brought a man home, much less kicked him out. As far as Jamie is concerned, that makes me sub-normal.
This, however, isn’t the time to get into it with my best friend. But Douglas? She had to go and pick Douglas? “Am I going to have to avert my eyes every time I see him in the complex?”
“He’s cool,” she says. “No big deal.”
I close my eyes and shake my head. The mere thought of being naked like that—emotionally and physically—overwhelms me. Not a big deal? The hell it’s not.
Merry Christmas!
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XXOO
--J.K.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, everyone!
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season.
Check out this cool Downton Abbey gingerbread house … and if you’re in the mood to kill some demons, I’ve also uploaded my daughter Catherine singing the Kate Connor Demon-Hunting song, sung to the tune of Jingle Bells! (the sound isn’t in sync with her lips, but that we blame that on demonic interference!) Thanks to Steven Brandt for the lyrics!
