Fifty Shades of Budweiser, A Cautionary Tale
HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO ME!
HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO ME!
yep, the third installment of The Realtors series is available for purchase!
Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/produ...
Closing Costs is the next "chapter" of a tale encompassing over ten years in the lives of two people. And I'm getting some seriously awesome reviews and killer buzz at a reader level for it. More on "buzz" in a moment. In the meantime, allow me to blurb-i-fy you and slap you upside your head with an excerpt (warning: hot--can't handle it, then skip down to the meat of my post here today about celebrating the middle ground):
Love conquers all? Not likely, according to Sara Thornton. She's spent eight years coming to terms with the new parameters of her life while resigning herself to the idea that "happily ever afters" are best left to fairytales. Sales manager for her successful real estate office and juggling an added element of responsibility she never thought she'd face, Sara continues to struggle with the men in her life. Love, for her, has only meant hurt, broken trust and anger; all of which she's completely banished from her life, so she claims. Jack Gordon has come a long way since his earlier days of obsession with Sara. As the general manager of Stewart Realty, his own level of responsibility for the well-being of others has ramped up. He's even honed his caretaking skills, now that he has someone who loves him unconditionally. Continuing to invest effort and rebuild their relationship, he and Sara grow close as friends. Despite this, his ultimate question remains unanswered; the one he keeps asking, no matter how many times she says no. Sara isn't prepared for the keen focus of his need--to have her back, once and for all. Her stubborn resistance nearly rips both lives apartThe epic conclusion to The Realtors series, Closing Costs brings Jack and Sara truly full circle. Proving that the heat of lust and obsession; the need for control and to be mastered in many areas of life can lead to love —surprising you when you least expect it – if you will only allow it.
Rated X Excerpt:
Sara patted the couch next to her. "Come back over here. I think better when you're closer."He sank onto the couch, draping an arm around her. She snuggled in close, forcing out all the guilt over how her need to do this thing as a mom "on her own" had affected so many lives. "Okay, I'm here. Well?" She closed her eyes when she felt his lips touch her hair.She put a hand on his thigh, relishing the familiar musculature beneath his jeans. He shifted a little. "Listen, Sara, I don't know where your head is right now but…whoa…" Sara heaved herself up onto his lap, straddling him, her face inches from his. She bit back tears. Jack clutched her hips but didn't speak. "Okay if you insist." He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for kiss that started slow, easy, intimate, before turning into something much more as she pressed down against his hardening zipper. The room dimmed around her. A bright nugget of need blossomed in her core, making her gasp as Jack started getting serious with his kiss. She threaded her hands in his hair, sucked in huge breaths of him, ran her tongue across the rough rasp of his jaw, down his neck. "God, Jack, I miss you.""Don't ruin this by talking," he growled in her ear, yanking up her t-shirt and flipping open her bra in one motion. He cupped a breast, holding it reverently almost, before lowering his lips to her nipple. The second he touched her, started lapping around the stiffened peak, she groaned and felt moisture flood her panties."Oh my God, I think I just came." He laughed into her flesh and gripped her ass with his other hand. The sensation of his erection against her brought fresh moans to her lips. "Do it again," she whispered."Sure you want to go here, Sara?" His eyes were like a midnight sky just as she remembered. "Because I'm not inclined to fuck and run." He groaned as she reached down to unzip him, fisting his hard flesh. "Although a fuck would be nice…Jesus!" He flipped them around so fast Sara squealed, putting a hand over her mouth as he dove back down to her nipples, caressing, sucking, licking, making her back arch, her entire body throb with need. She sensed his cock, near her, the pulse of their years' long connection swirling around them, making her head spin as he kissed her and kissed her."I need this. So much," she muttered into his lips. He started to pull away but she gripped his face. "I need you, Jack. Please. I...""Say it," he growled, jaw clenching. She shifted her hips, tilted them so she could feel his flesh against hers. Tears stung the back of her eyes as he lifted up and away from her, his hand on the amazing shaft that she wanted inside her. She reached up and yanked him back down, her lips near his ear."I'm sorry. I miss you. I need you." He groaned and pressed into her, penetrating her in one long, smooth stroke. "God!" she cried out, wrapped her legs around him, met his every thrust, needing to feel every inch of his body against her, inside her.
Thanks. And now, let's have a short chat about my strange parallels I've lately observed in my life.
If you are a good and loyal Liz follower you know this already but: I own a craft microbrewery. In Michigan, which is 5th in the nation in the number of licensed microbreweries. The competition is stiff, between the Big Boys (like Bells, Founders, New Holland) and "the macros" as we in the biz call them. But we are all in the same boat. Trying to bring beer with real taste, hand crafted in small(ish) batches to both the existing beer drinking crowd and to a new crowd, those who think "Bud Lite Lime" is the limit of sublime when it comes to malt beverages.
The stats don't lie. The "market share" of beer is dominated by beers with names like Budweiser, Miller, Coors. Period. We all know this. We don't bemoan it too much really, other than to go all "beer snob" on folks who say "gee what do you have in here (in our Tap Rooms and Brew Pubs) that tastes like Bud?"
Sigh.
However, craft beer is starting to get a foothold thanks to some big names (New Belgium, Dog Fish Head, Stone, Yeungling, Bells, and many --- oh really many -- others). We are snagging some market share. But the fact remains that the beers that taste the most like beer flavored water are still wildly, humongously popular. Observe your local grocery beer section. It is dominated by the Big Names You Know. If you are lucky you have a section dedicated to "craft beer" or (in my case) to region specific craft beers.
But....go to any mainstream restaurant, well any damn restaurant really and observe the tap handles at the bar. Same names. The Beer Flavored Water. Frustrating for a beer wench such as myself. But I deal with it. I write, I promote, I blog, I Facebook, I tweet, I Pin, I Foursquare, and I sell my beer in my small corner of my market. And I know, ultimately I will make it big. Because I have control of my destiny. It is up to me whether we succeed or fail. Daily.
Now, I also write. Romance novels. My latest release (the above mentioned Realtors series) is a BDSM influenced tale of a couple of people who continuously clash, in spite of their obvious physical connection. It is getting, as we say, Buzz. Many readers are recommending it to their friends. I am one in a zillion in my genre though. Kind of like in the beer biz these days. Shelves are full of "romance" and "craft beer." How I managed to pick two up and coming areas to focus my creative energy, I have no idea. But there it is.
The reality is, the bulk of the reading and drinking public choose the Middle of The Road. I get that. They want their romantic fiction with some neat and tidy endings and their beer bland. But as we all know, there is a stirring amongst the romance ranks. JR Ward and her brand name dropping vamps aside, the new buzz is "BDSM lite" via the so-called mommy porn of the 50 Shades Trilogy.
Hey, I know how hard it is to write. I am certain EL James (or whatever her name is) worked hard to take her fanfic Bella/Edward concept to where it is today. And I realize she is a PhD in women's psychology and so can translate a core concept of a young woman's sexuality--having an Alpha male who knows what he's doing take her virginity, vs. the fumbling teenagers the rest of us had to cope with--and make it resonate LOUD AND CLEAR with many women who have no idea how much really great hot romance there is already out there to read. I respect the shit out of how she has managed to take her stuff viral.
I respect the shit out of the genius marketers at Budweiser, Coors and Heiniken too.
But I will not drink their beer. And after a few pages of Ana and Christian I had to put down my e-reader, softly and go to the corner to cry a while--and not because I felt for them but because I felt sorry for myself. Fighting mediocrity with more of my own words suddenly seemed very very very (very) futile.
I like to think that all this blogging, promoting, face booking, tweeting, chatting and more chatting about my books, my characters, and my beer will get me there too, someday. I would love to get in front of some of these reader groups gaga over Christian Grey and introduce them to Jack Gordon (or about 5 or 6 other Alpha Doms I can think of by other authors). But at the end of the day, these books are in Time Magazine, on CNN, The BBC, USA Today, and whatshername has a 7 figure paperback and movie deal.
So I just file it under my "oh it's just Budweiser" compartment in my brain. The one that reminds me that professional jealousy in unattractive, dear. Let it go. Let her (and them) have their time in the spotlight. Keep writing. Keep blogging. Keep talking to readers. And keep drinking craft beer, for God's sake!
cheers
(Happy Release Day!)
Liz
P.S. IF YOU LIKED CHRISTIAN GREY, YOU WILL HAVE KITTENS OVER JACK GORDON. I promise.
P.P.S. If you really enjoyed this series of books please realize that "reading enjoyment" is purely subjective. My opinion of the mommy porn phenom as it currently being portrayed in the media should in no way make you feel belittled because you liked it. I mean that.
As a writer of "romance" I am belittled daily by readers and writers of "real fiction." As a writer of books currently only e-published I am belittled daily by readers and writers of "real books." I don't belittle. I merely observe.
HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO ME!
yep, the third installment of The Realtors series is available for purchase!
Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/produ...
Closing Costs is the next "chapter" of a tale encompassing over ten years in the lives of two people. And I'm getting some seriously awesome reviews and killer buzz at a reader level for it. More on "buzz" in a moment. In the meantime, allow me to blurb-i-fy you and slap you upside your head with an excerpt (warning: hot--can't handle it, then skip down to the meat of my post here today about celebrating the middle ground):
Love conquers all? Not likely, according to Sara Thornton. She's spent eight years coming to terms with the new parameters of her life while resigning herself to the idea that "happily ever afters" are best left to fairytales. Sales manager for her successful real estate office and juggling an added element of responsibility she never thought she'd face, Sara continues to struggle with the men in her life. Love, for her, has only meant hurt, broken trust and anger; all of which she's completely banished from her life, so she claims. Jack Gordon has come a long way since his earlier days of obsession with Sara. As the general manager of Stewart Realty, his own level of responsibility for the well-being of others has ramped up. He's even honed his caretaking skills, now that he has someone who loves him unconditionally. Continuing to invest effort and rebuild their relationship, he and Sara grow close as friends. Despite this, his ultimate question remains unanswered; the one he keeps asking, no matter how many times she says no. Sara isn't prepared for the keen focus of his need--to have her back, once and for all. Her stubborn resistance nearly rips both lives apartThe epic conclusion to The Realtors series, Closing Costs brings Jack and Sara truly full circle. Proving that the heat of lust and obsession; the need for control and to be mastered in many areas of life can lead to love —surprising you when you least expect it – if you will only allow it.
Rated X Excerpt:
Sara patted the couch next to her. "Come back over here. I think better when you're closer."He sank onto the couch, draping an arm around her. She snuggled in close, forcing out all the guilt over how her need to do this thing as a mom "on her own" had affected so many lives. "Okay, I'm here. Well?" She closed her eyes when she felt his lips touch her hair.She put a hand on his thigh, relishing the familiar musculature beneath his jeans. He shifted a little. "Listen, Sara, I don't know where your head is right now but…whoa…" Sara heaved herself up onto his lap, straddling him, her face inches from his. She bit back tears. Jack clutched her hips but didn't speak. "Okay if you insist." He cupped the back of her neck and pulled her in for kiss that started slow, easy, intimate, before turning into something much more as she pressed down against his hardening zipper. The room dimmed around her. A bright nugget of need blossomed in her core, making her gasp as Jack started getting serious with his kiss. She threaded her hands in his hair, sucked in huge breaths of him, ran her tongue across the rough rasp of his jaw, down his neck. "God, Jack, I miss you.""Don't ruin this by talking," he growled in her ear, yanking up her t-shirt and flipping open her bra in one motion. He cupped a breast, holding it reverently almost, before lowering his lips to her nipple. The second he touched her, started lapping around the stiffened peak, she groaned and felt moisture flood her panties."Oh my God, I think I just came." He laughed into her flesh and gripped her ass with his other hand. The sensation of his erection against her brought fresh moans to her lips. "Do it again," she whispered."Sure you want to go here, Sara?" His eyes were like a midnight sky just as she remembered. "Because I'm not inclined to fuck and run." He groaned as she reached down to unzip him, fisting his hard flesh. "Although a fuck would be nice…Jesus!" He flipped them around so fast Sara squealed, putting a hand over her mouth as he dove back down to her nipples, caressing, sucking, licking, making her back arch, her entire body throb with need. She sensed his cock, near her, the pulse of their years' long connection swirling around them, making her head spin as he kissed her and kissed her."I need this. So much," she muttered into his lips. He started to pull away but she gripped his face. "I need you, Jack. Please. I...""Say it," he growled, jaw clenching. She shifted her hips, tilted them so she could feel his flesh against hers. Tears stung the back of her eyes as he lifted up and away from her, his hand on the amazing shaft that she wanted inside her. She reached up and yanked him back down, her lips near his ear."I'm sorry. I miss you. I need you." He groaned and pressed into her, penetrating her in one long, smooth stroke. "God!" she cried out, wrapped her legs around him, met his every thrust, needing to feel every inch of his body against her, inside her.
Thanks. And now, let's have a short chat about my strange parallels I've lately observed in my life.
If you are a good and loyal Liz follower you know this already but: I own a craft microbrewery. In Michigan, which is 5th in the nation in the number of licensed microbreweries. The competition is stiff, between the Big Boys (like Bells, Founders, New Holland) and "the macros" as we in the biz call them. But we are all in the same boat. Trying to bring beer with real taste, hand crafted in small(ish) batches to both the existing beer drinking crowd and to a new crowd, those who think "Bud Lite Lime" is the limit of sublime when it comes to malt beverages.
The stats don't lie. The "market share" of beer is dominated by beers with names like Budweiser, Miller, Coors. Period. We all know this. We don't bemoan it too much really, other than to go all "beer snob" on folks who say "gee what do you have in here (in our Tap Rooms and Brew Pubs) that tastes like Bud?"
Sigh.
However, craft beer is starting to get a foothold thanks to some big names (New Belgium, Dog Fish Head, Stone, Yeungling, Bells, and many --- oh really many -- others). We are snagging some market share. But the fact remains that the beers that taste the most like beer flavored water are still wildly, humongously popular. Observe your local grocery beer section. It is dominated by the Big Names You Know. If you are lucky you have a section dedicated to "craft beer" or (in my case) to region specific craft beers.
But....go to any mainstream restaurant, well any damn restaurant really and observe the tap handles at the bar. Same names. The Beer Flavored Water. Frustrating for a beer wench such as myself. But I deal with it. I write, I promote, I blog, I Facebook, I tweet, I Pin, I Foursquare, and I sell my beer in my small corner of my market. And I know, ultimately I will make it big. Because I have control of my destiny. It is up to me whether we succeed or fail. Daily.
Now, I also write. Romance novels. My latest release (the above mentioned Realtors series) is a BDSM influenced tale of a couple of people who continuously clash, in spite of their obvious physical connection. It is getting, as we say, Buzz. Many readers are recommending it to their friends. I am one in a zillion in my genre though. Kind of like in the beer biz these days. Shelves are full of "romance" and "craft beer." How I managed to pick two up and coming areas to focus my creative energy, I have no idea. But there it is.
The reality is, the bulk of the reading and drinking public choose the Middle of The Road. I get that. They want their romantic fiction with some neat and tidy endings and their beer bland. But as we all know, there is a stirring amongst the romance ranks. JR Ward and her brand name dropping vamps aside, the new buzz is "BDSM lite" via the so-called mommy porn of the 50 Shades Trilogy.
Hey, I know how hard it is to write. I am certain EL James (or whatever her name is) worked hard to take her fanfic Bella/Edward concept to where it is today. And I realize she is a PhD in women's psychology and so can translate a core concept of a young woman's sexuality--having an Alpha male who knows what he's doing take her virginity, vs. the fumbling teenagers the rest of us had to cope with--and make it resonate LOUD AND CLEAR with many women who have no idea how much really great hot romance there is already out there to read. I respect the shit out of how she has managed to take her stuff viral.
I respect the shit out of the genius marketers at Budweiser, Coors and Heiniken too.
But I will not drink their beer. And after a few pages of Ana and Christian I had to put down my e-reader, softly and go to the corner to cry a while--and not because I felt for them but because I felt sorry for myself. Fighting mediocrity with more of my own words suddenly seemed very very very (very) futile.
I like to think that all this blogging, promoting, face booking, tweeting, chatting and more chatting about my books, my characters, and my beer will get me there too, someday. I would love to get in front of some of these reader groups gaga over Christian Grey and introduce them to Jack Gordon (or about 5 or 6 other Alpha Doms I can think of by other authors). But at the end of the day, these books are in Time Magazine, on CNN, The BBC, USA Today, and whatshername has a 7 figure paperback and movie deal.
So I just file it under my "oh it's just Budweiser" compartment in my brain. The one that reminds me that professional jealousy in unattractive, dear. Let it go. Let her (and them) have their time in the spotlight. Keep writing. Keep blogging. Keep talking to readers. And keep drinking craft beer, for God's sake!
cheers
(Happy Release Day!)
Liz
P.S. IF YOU LIKED CHRISTIAN GREY, YOU WILL HAVE KITTENS OVER JACK GORDON. I promise.
P.P.S. If you really enjoyed this series of books please realize that "reading enjoyment" is purely subjective. My opinion of the mommy porn phenom as it currently being portrayed in the media should in no way make you feel belittled because you liked it. I mean that.
As a writer of "romance" I am belittled daily by readers and writers of "real fiction." As a writer of books currently only e-published I am belittled daily by readers and writers of "real books." I don't belittle. I merely observe.
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