Fierce Romance

Before Internet

2012-01-28T08:58:00.000-05:00

Before Internet, there were men like these. Yum. :)

Well, after too, but just saying...

I do love the Internet. I need to fix my laptop, so I went to Best Buy. They can't do it because they didn't have Lenovo when I purchased mine. Fine. I go to the Internet, look at service locations. Call one. They don't have computers anymore. Call another. They can look at it but can't guarantee anything.

I drive out there and found out they're not there. They've moved. A couple of years ago. Phone number's still the same. Both companies were still listed as servicing Lenovo. So what is the problem?

What goes up on the Internet, stays up on the Internet, forever, and ever, and ever.

So some is good stuff, important stuff, great for being a real help. Some is plain old outdated garbage. Long story short? Call the company and find out: Do they do what they say they do? And are they still located where they say the are located?

To make a long story short, before the Internet, I would have had to call the company on the paperwork I have for the product. Now, I can use the Internet. If it's not too outdated, that is!

And no, I did not make it in time to go to the right place! It was an hour in the opposite direction and would have been closed by the time I arrived there. I have to say it was an interesting drive. Saw tons of horse farms, cattle ranches, and even a llama lying in the dirt looking sleepy. Now, it'll be probably two weeks before I can get the laptop to the right place.

And no laptop for all that time. It's amazing how we rely on our gadgets to keep us going!

Have a super day! Off to work for me...

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"
www.terryspear.com

Behind Closed Doors

2012-01-26T18:03:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking lately. Oh, I know that's kind of unusual for me because usually I'm daydreaming, lost in a story somewhere. However, I've been downright pondering. You see, I keep getting story ideas that...well, they...I mean my thoughts are sort of...the stories don't have...

*whispering* S-E-X

That's right. I'm thinking of going rogue, and, at the point when the heroine and hero are about to give into their attraction, close the bedroom door. No one will know anything has happened, possibly not even the main characters, until she wakes up in his arms the next day.

Don't get me wrong. I love my erotica and will continue to write it, but like most of my heroines, I'd like to try something new and a little dangerous (come on, no sex for an erotica writer? Now THAT'S dangerous!). I've read romance and erotica at all heat levels, and I've definitely written it at the flaming level, but now I'm wondering what kind of a challenge it would be to keep the sex out of the story and maintain the same intensity.

So what do you think? Can this old erotica dog learn a new trick? What kind of romance or erotica do you really, really like? Is there room for one more romance where the sex happens behind closed doors, ala the Charlie Rich song? Think about while enjoying the video below and then please do share. Happy listening!

Reading Recommendations

2012-01-25T15:07:00.002-05:00

So I've been on a reading hiatus for a few months and feel so out of the loop. My daughter stepped on my purse back in October and broke my Kindle. I didn't believe I would be able to get it replaced since it was a Christmas gift from last year. After my SIL urged me to at least call and ask, I finally did and was sent a new one. Man, I was super excited.

The new one got here, downloaded a couple of books and then it broke. Defective. Seriously?

After working with the Amazon troubleshooter team to figure out why it kept rebooting, and rebooting and rebooting and then completely froze, they finally admitted defeat as well and sent me a new one.

Now I have one that seems to be tip-top (knock on wood) and I'm ready to download some books.

Currently, I'm reading Angela Campbell's Cry Wolf and I'm loving it. Such an awesome concept. Tabloid journalist goes to a small town in search of the werewolf the towns folks claims to have seen. Excellent. Lots of smiles and laughs with this one. Now to just get the time to finish it!

So tell me what have you read recently that you highly recommend?

Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com

Secondary Characters Who Demand Their Own Stories

2012-01-24T09:56:00.000-05:00

When I was writing My Fierce Highlander and the hero’s brother, Lachlan, stepped on stage, he instantly came to life. I knew he would need his own story. He was such a rake and a rogue and the fun-loving, adventurous type. He loved teasing Alasdair, his more serious older brother. I thought, won’t it be fun when the tables are turned and Alasdair can tease Lachlan? Here is Lachlan's second scene in My Fierce Highlander where he is still a secondary character.

A knock sounded at the door, then it opened and a tall man stuck his head in. He grinned.
“Lachlan, come on in, then.” Alasdair motioned the kilted man forward. “M’lady, I would like for you to meet my brother, Lachlan.”
The man’s tawny, golden-brown hair was long as a pagan’s and hung halfway down his chest. His amber-brown eyes, several shades lighter than Alasdair’s, held her own in a startling, direct manner. Waves of magnetism emanated from Lachlan. She suspected no lass he set his sights on would retain her virtue for long.
“Mistress Carswell is the MacIrwin fairy I told you about who saved my life.”
Both men grinned at her—a devastating picture, to be sure, with their virile good looks.
Gwyneth’s face heated with the ridiculous comment. Fairy, indeed.
She stood and curtsied. “’Tis a pleasure, sir.”
“I assure you, m’lady, the pleasure is all mine.” He bowed. Coming forward, he grasped her hand and pulled her upright. “Alasdair, I believe your words were ‘bonny MacIrwin fairy,’ and I must agree with you. Ne’er have I seen such lovely blue eyes.” Lachlan kissed her fingers.
Good heavens! What silver-tongued charmers these MacGraths were. Heat rushed over her.
Alasdair cleared his throat, and Lachlan released her.
Gwyneth’s gaze locked with Alasdair’s, which harbored a glare, and his brother stepped away to stand at the mantel. Something unspoken had passed between the two men. And something possessive in the way Alasdair watched her now held her captive.
Oh dear.Her knees going slightly weak, she reclaimed her seat.
“I’m forever in your gratitude for saving the life of my beloved brother,” Lachlan said over his shoulder. She glimpsed a hint of a smile and wondered the reason for it, though she thought she knew. My Fierce Highlander copyright 2011 Vonda Sinclair

This scene shows his character in a nutshell. Lachlan's smile at the end of this excerpt tells us he's gearing up to give his brother some needling over his possessiveness of Gwyneth. Very noticeable and telling since he hasn't been possessive over a woman in over two years. Lachlan appears here and there throughout the story. It seems he always has good luck in many areas of his life, especially with the women. But is there such a thing as too much good luck?

Once it's time for Lachlan to show up in his own story, My Wild Highlander, what better way than we catch him at one of his favorite pastimes? Too bad the heroine, Angelique, is there too. Oops! :)

London, England, 1618

"Lady Angelique! Come back, sweeting!" ancient Lord Chatsworth called.
Sacrebleu! Angelique Drummagan rushed down the corridor, eased open a door and slipped inside a dark drawing room, one of many within the maze of Whitehall Palace. She prayed Chatsworth would pass by. He fancied himself her suitor and did naught but drool on her hand every time he was near.
Heavy breathing and moans sounded from across the room. She turned and froze, her eyes searching the near darkness. Who was here? Only the shifting moonlight glinting off the Thames provided any illumination, revealing chair backs and settees.
A high-pitched giggle pierced the air from several yards away, in the vicinity of a sitting area near the cold hearth.
"Shh."A long moment of silence stretched out, broken by sounds of kissing.
"King James wishes her brought before him forthwith," a muffled male voice said outside the closed door.
"She vanished in this passage," Chatsworth said.
A pox upon the old lecher! And the king, too. Angelique crept across the Turkish carpet and slid behind the brocade window drapery.
"Ooh, I'm impressed with your swordplay skills, my laird." Lady Eleanor's voice, breathy and excited, shattered the quiet of the room. She was the one moaning and giggling?
The harlot."I'm not a laird, but I do thank you for the compliment."
A Highlander? Angelique would recognize that tongue-rolling speech anywhere.
She had never known Eleanor, countess of Wexbury, to dally with anyone below a viscount. What was she doing with a barbarian? That's what her mother—God rest her soul—would've called him, or any Scot. And Maman should know; she'd been married to one.
Eleanor cried out with carnal pleasure. Angelique's face burned hot. She couldn't comprehend how a woman found pleasure in the act. Never again would she entrust her body and heart to any man. Since men were naught but faithless pigs, she knew she only had duty before her, not happiness. Not love. That had been a foolish child's dream.
Eleanor gasped for breath and the Scot made a growling noise. The height of pleasure, some said. Surely the French term le petit mort—the little death—was more accurate. Nausea gripped Angelique even as shocking excitement quickened her heart beat. A dark, hidden part of her wondered… No, never again. I cannot marry and be subjected to a man's lust. She pressed trembling fingers against her throat and found it damp with perspiration.
The door opened and lamplight reflected off the white walls.
"Lady Angelique?" Dryden's nasal voice echoed through the room. He was the most vexing of the king's courtiers.
The two lovers became silent.
"I know you're in here. I heard a noise."
From her position behind the draperies, she noticed the light moving across the floor.
A thump sounded, then rustling.
"Sir Lachlan? What in Hades are you…?"
"I was but…resting," the Scot said.
"Have you seen Lady Angelique?"
"Nay."
"Dryden, the lamp, if you please," Chatsworth said.
"What is it?"
In the silence, the light shifted again, growing brighter as it moved in her direction.
Mon Dieu, do not let them find me, s'il vous plaît. Angelique's pulse roared in her ears. She detested Chatsworth, and now, to be discovered lurking about in a dark room while a Scot coupled with a lady harlot would be exceedingly mortifying. They might even accuse her of spying on them.
Dryden yanked the drapery aside.
"Parbleu!" Angelique blurted and pressed a hand to her mouth.
Dryden sent her a vile grin. In the background, Chatsworth scowled, then shot a murderous glance at the man they'd called Sir Lachlan, who stood in a darkened corner.
Where had Eleanor crawled away to? Angelique couldn't see her beneath the carved furniture in the dimness.
"You and Sir Lachlan?" Dryden snickered. "His Majesty will likely find this interesting."
"Non! I was not—Lady Eleanor was—where did she go?" Embarrassment flamed over her. Now, they thought she'd been with the Scot? Never."No need to lie, mademoiselle. Come. The king wishes to see you." He ushered her toward the door. "You, too, Sir Lachlan."
"Me?"
"Indeed." Dryden waved him forward.
The Highlander stepped into the light. The giant was more than a foot taller than she, broad shouldered and wearing a belted plaid, leaving the bottom portion of his muscular legs bare. She'd seen few of these barbaric articles of clothing since she was nine years old and her mother had taken her from Scotland.
His face was ruggedly masculine with a square jaw and hard chin, enticing to a woman's baser instincts, but not refined. This was the same man she'd seen leaving Lady Catherine's bedchamber the night before. Then, he'd been wearing trews. Dallying with two women at court? Or perhaps more? Lecher.Amusement sparkled in his eyes before he bowed. "M'lady."
"Sir." She curtsied.
The Scot's darkened eyes fixed upon her in a too-knowing way. To cover the heat rushing over her face, she strode from the room.
Feeling like a prisoner headed for the block, Angelique walked beside the Highlander through several rooms and dark-paneled corridors, taking two steps for his every one. Dryden and Chatsworth followed. She would not be surprised to feel the prick of a sword at her back. Glancing around, she found the men empty-handed.
They passed through four doors, guarded by numerous courtiers and royal servants before reaching the antechamber with its gleaming ebony furniture upholstered in the finest red velvets. Numerous candles lit the room and glimmered off the gold leaf.
What did the king want? He'd sent for her two days before at Hampton Court Palace, though he hadn't been ready to meet with her until now. She disliked leaving the comfort of the queen's household, but King James was her guardian and she must do as he bid. Chatsworth and Dryden had been searching for her before they found her in the room with this Highlander, so the summons could have naught to do with him. Why had they asked him to accompany them?
They neared the king's private rooms and an usher opened the carved door. "Lady Angelique Drummagan and Sir Lachlan MacGrath," he announced.
The four entered. The men bowed, and she curtsied deeply before the king.
The scrawny, aging monarch, wearing overblown clothing in colorful silks, occupied an ornate chair on an elevated platform. Buckingham, his favorite courtier, a regally handsome dark-haired man in his early twenties, stood next to him, along with several other members of the aristocracy.
"You have found her." King James turned his rheumy, unsteady gaze toward the tall man beside her. "And Sir Lachlan, I'm so glad you have joined us once again."
"Your Majesty, 'tis a supreme honor." Lachlan bowed.
Dryden whispered something to another courtier, who whispered to Buckingham. And he proceeded to murmur into the king's ear.
The frail monarch's eyes widened. "The two of you have…met?"
Angelique's face heated. "Non. Not in truth."
The king frowned at his courtiers but his expression lightened when he looked at Lachlan. "It matters not. This is my ward, Lady Angelique Drummagan, the new countess of Draughon in her own right." He motioned toward her. "My dear, meet Sir Lachlan MacGrath, a hero to whom we owe much."
The cursed MacGrath took her hand and kissed it. "'Tis my great pleasure to make your acquaintance, m'lady." His rich baritone and the Scottish burr appealed more than it should have.
She stiffened.
In the bright candlelight, she saw he was a most visually interesting man. His tawny hair was too long by far and not of the current style. His eyes gleamed like a tiger's eye stone. It was not the color that arrested her, but the expression—assessing and sensual. She had come upon many a rogue like him in France, and barely escaped marrying one.
She jerked her hand away but remembered her manners just in time and curtsied. Not too deeply, because he didn't deserve even that. "An honor, Sir Lachlan."
A tiny grin lifted one corner of his full lips. Though she already loathed him because he was a Highlander and a debaucher, something about him defied her to look away.
"Through his cunning and sharp wits, Sir Lachlan has saved the life of our dear marquess of Buckingham and broken up the den of conspirators," King James said. "We knighted Sir Lachlan a fortnight ago but we believe he deserves an even greater reward. Do we not, Steenie?"
Buckingham nodded.
"He will also receive a title." King James gave her a toothless grin. "Earl of Draughon."
What? Her late father's title?
The shock and silence threatened to render her senseless on the floor. What had the king meant?
"Yes, my dear, I have finally found you the perfect husband. He is Scottish, as you are. He is pleasing to look upon and…"
"Pray pardon…Majesty." Fearing she would faint, she quickly curtsied and fled the stateroom as if Lucifer himself chased her. She would die before she'd marry a Highlander whose favorite pastime was lifting skirts.
***
Lachlan watched the lovely red-haired lass dash from the room. What the devil had just happened? Had the king said something about a husband? And the earl of something? He shouldn't have drunk so much sack earlier.
He shook his head, attempting to clear it. Facing the king, Lachlan could hardly believe he stood once again in His Majesty's opulent private chambers—Lachlan, a Highlander and a second son with no title, nothing but a canny wit and a sword. During the past several weeks, while he'd been at court, enjoying every moment of the drinking, feasting, hunting and other, more carnal, pursuits, he had not been caught in such a compromising situation. And now His Majesty wished to leg-shackle him to a prickly lass? It made no sense. Clearly, Lachlan had overstayed his welcome and should've already departed for his clan's Kintalon Castle in the Highlands.
"Well, then," King James said. "Has there ever been a bride unafraid of the holy state of matrimony?" He grinned. "A toast!" He motioned to his courtiers and servants, who scrambled about for drinks.
Future bride? Lachlan shook his head. Nay, he could never marry. He loved women too much to settle with only one.
"Your Majesty, pray pardon… what are you saying? You wish me to marry Lady Angelique?"
"Yes, yes. I understand you two already know each other, in a sense." James winked.
"Upon my honor, I did not touch her. She happened upon me in the room where I was napping." Had she already been in there when he and Eleanor had arrived, or had she slipped in later? And who had she been hiding from?
"Very well." The king glared at Dryden. "He did not touch her."
Lachlan accepted a crystal glass of the king's prized Greek wine.
Marriage? God's teeth! 'Twill be a disaster."So, what say you, lad?"
Damnation, he should say naught. He should keep his tongue trapped firmly betwixt his teeth, but given the dozens of aristocratic gazes burning into him, including the king's, he could not play a mute this late in the day. Marriage? He could not entirely grasp the concept, except that it might be torture. But he could not offend the king by refusing. Besides, he had mentioned an earldom, had he not?
"I…I don't rightly ken what to say, Your Majesty, except I thank you. I'm overcome by your generosity." Lachlan bowed. Saints! What did I utter? He was afraid he'd just agreed to get married.

My Wild Highlander copyright 2011 Vonda Sinclair

When you're reading a book, do you love it when secondary characters get their own spin-off stories? What about those of you who are writers? Has a secondary character sprang to life on the page and tried to take over?

Thanks for checking out my blog post and excerpts!!
Vonda

My Wild Highlander is available at
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes/ Apple

My Mailing List.
My website.

Snow White and Her Seven Lovers - Jenna Ives-Guest Author

2012-01-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Snow White And Her Seven Lovers…

Did that surprising twist on the classic fairy tale title get your attention? Hope so, LOL!

I’m Jenna Ives and I write contemporary erotic romance and BDSM novellas. (I’m published with Fierce Romance’s own Natasha Moore in the Binding Ties anthology from Samhain, with my sorority-inspired story, The Initiation Of Isabella.) I love novellas, because with so much technology at hand these days (texting, tweeting, e-readers, smart phones, video game players, etc) it seems everyone is developing a shorter attention span. And novellas are the perfect way to satisfy a romance reader’s appetite for sexy stories without having to make a long-term time commitment!

Since novellas are by definition short, I’ll share my secret for writing erotic novellas with you: as the story opens, I immediately put my characters into a situation where they either have to have sex for a particular reason (there are many fun ways to do this – try coming up with some creative situations yourself!) or else create an event where your characters are forced to stay together for a certain plot reason. Voila! Instant tension! And in an erotic romance, that means the sexual sparks fly!

My new novella, Snow White And Her Seven Lovers, was inspired by both Kristen Stewart’s upcoming movie “Snow White And The Huntsman” as well as Julia Roberts’ spring release of “Mirror, Mirror.” It looks like 2012 is definitely the year of Snow White!

Here’s the blurb for my erotic version of this classic fairy tale, which I’ve written in first-person from our heroine’s point of view:

What’s a girl to do when she wakes up poisoned in the ER and finds that she’s lost her memory, her family, and very nearly her life?

That was me. Three months ago. With no identity, no money, and nowhere to go on the day I was discharged from the hospital, I gratefully accepted my gorgeous ER doctor’s offer to move in with him and his equally gorgeous six friends – the ones who’d found me unconscious in an apple orchard. My plan was to stay only until my memory returned, and I could figure out who I was and if someone really had tried to kill me.

Together with Doc, these were an amazingly diverse bunch of guys, but there was something about each of them that attracted me powerfully enough to want to explore it. The policeman with his clever handcuffs. The cunningly linguistic librarian. The disciplinarian teacher. The virgin computer whiz who loved to play sex games. The engineer who created shotgun orgasms. The wildly imaginative baker.

Becoming intimate with these seven men completed me in ways I suspected discovering my name never would. That is, until the fateful day a man showed up claiming to be my fiancé...

Oooh… this story has conflict and lots of steamy love scenes! But by far, my most favorite part of writing this story was coming up with jobs that realistically lent themselves to the characters – Doc is the obvious one (he’s the ER doctor who saves our heroine’s life) but if you read this story, I’d love to hear from you about my choices for the six friends’ occupations :) Grumpy? Dopey? Sleepy? Sneezy? Happy? Bashful? Are the real-life jobs I’ve chosen for these characters believable?

Snow White And Her Seven Lovers is available through amazon.com, bn.com, Smashwords.com, or at my website, www.jennaives.com.

So…. which classic fairy tale is your favorite?? And how would you spice it up a little?

Celebrate Life

2012-01-20T06:47:00.003-05:00

I'm filling in today because I missed last week, and I was going to continue my soapboxing from yesterday. However, I received some unhappy news recently that a dear family member suddenly passed away, and I lost my steam somewhere between ranting about bra straps showing and jeans that don't fit the human body.

We writers thrive on using life experiences in our writing, both the sad and happy, and that's what I'm doing today. I don't want to leave you with a bummer post on a Friday, and I won't. Any loss has the potential to bring back memories of loved ones and past events, and this loss is no different. We were close when we were younger, and now I find myself remembering the good times we shared and enjoying a quick trip through the past. Too long gone perhaps, but never far away.

So to celebrate life this weekend, please take a moment to remember someone or something wonderful. If you'd like to share a special memory in the comments section, please feel free to do so. Most importantly, enjoy your trip down Memory Lane!

Is Dressing Sexy What You Really Want?

2012-01-19T05:00:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the new year! I didn't think it would happen this fast, but I've got my first "soapbox" piece ready to go, thanks to an article I read on Yahoo! via ABC News the other day about a high school student's racy senior photo. Ready for some proselytizing? I promise it relates to writing and reading...sort of. :)

This story caught my attention because as a romance/erotica writer, I'm responsible for creating female characters my readers can relate to and connect with, such as Heidi in You're All I Want for Christmas and Emerson from The Dragon's Queen. I've also written characters that are so totally polarizing that I get reviews from people who hated them or loved them with few in between, such as Professor Rumani Gladstone in Ride 'Em, Girlfriend!. Part of creating those characters is understanding how sexy they are, what being sexy means to them, and how they express their sexy side. So now I'm an expert on the subject.

HA HA HA HA. I'm totally kidding here. However, I do have some opinions about what sexy means, and the more I see young women trying for the effect--and failing--the more I cringe. There are several sides to sexy, but today, in light of the article being about clothing, I will focus on fashion.

First, let me throw out something here. I've read that women really dress to impress other women (not men!), not to attract them, but to let them know who's in charge and in the alpha female position. I'm beginning to believe this because over and over again I see surveys where men are asked what they think makes a woman look sexy. Typically, if she can rock a fitted pair of jeans with boots and a white T-shirt, she's considered sexy. So why all the skin-bearing fashions and magic bras? Perhaps it is, indeed, to intimidate other women. Perhaps some women just like the feeling of their bazongas hoisted as far from the evil pull of gravity that man-made contraptions will allow.

But I digress.

I think many young women believe that to be attractive they must dress provocatively because that's what men consider pretty and feminine. From my interactions with men, however, I've learned that pretty and feminine usually do not derive from sexy couture, but pretty and feminine couture. Women who dress sexy usually only get one response--leering. In other words, if you dress sexy, you pretty much come across as sexy only, but if you dress in a pretty and feminine way, you'll come across as pretty and feminine and sexy as well. The whole package. If you're hoping to find a partner interested in a relationship and not a fling, the whole package is what you want to project.

Now, if you just want people to see your "hot" side, then dressing that way is for you. Just know that when you dress this way, the kinds of relationships people will want to have with you will focus on sex. In contrast, when you dress pretty and feminine, the relationships people will want to have with you will be focused more on you as a woman than on just sexual desire, although that would be part of it as well.

I realize I sound like an old fogey here, but when I hear girls complain that guys only want them for one thing and they can't understand why, it's sort of sad, especially when I see some of the clothing they wear. If you want a relationship, dress like it. If you're dressing in skimpy outfits because you want men to think you're pretty, then you're missing the mark. Pretty is pretty and it can be sexy, but sexy is just sexy and will net you pretty much a relationship based on the oldest indoor sport known to mankind.

I don't know the intentions of anyone in the article, but I do know that in this day and age there seems to be a disconnect between the freedom to express ourselves in fashion and understanding the messages we send when we do so. No young woman wants to send a message she doesn't mean, and every girl wants to be pretty, but that can be achieved with a beautiful smile, a positive attitude, and a sense of humor (and apparently great-fitting jeans, boots and a white T-shirt). :)

Happy Reading!

What is your Hot Button?

2012-01-18T10:23:00.000-05:00

No, not that hot button. LOL. What topic raises your hackles?

Many, many moons ago I used to be a hairdresser. One of the first things I learned in hair school is there are two topics you never discuss with a client: politics and religion. There is a reason for this rule. These are two very sensitive subjects that can bring very passionate, very different reactions out of each person.

Now, before anyone starts gasping behind their hand and whispering that Esme has blogged about a no-no topic, let me be clear that that is not my intention. In this day and age, those are not the only topics that get a person’s defensive attitude revving. There is a wide spectrum of sensitive issues out there that if not handled in the way the reader believes, it’s throw the book against the wall time. I’m simply curious as to what is your topic?

Mine is how some heroines with weight issues are portrayed. I get self-image issues, trust me on that, and I honestly love a book that digs deep into the struggle of self-image. However, once in awhile, I come across a book that really pisses me off. Mostly because the woman’s issues make her completely inadequate in everything she does in her life. I can’t grasp that. I have self-image issues. Horrible ones actually. But that doesn’t mean I’m not confident in every other aspect of my life. Where does it say that just because you don’t like your belly or are carrying around extra weight that you hate, that you have to fail in everything else you do? That you can’t be a strong woman in your career? You can’t refuse to beaten down and fight for what you believe in? It’s a stereotype that is hard for me to swallow.

So what is yours?

Esme

www.esmereldabishop.com

Guest: Eliza Knight + Something Wicked This Way Comes Book Giveaway!

2012-01-17T06:05:00.014-05:00

Eliza Knight is the multi-published author of sizzling historical romance and erotic romance. While not reading, writing or researching for her latest book, she chases after her three children. In her spare time (if there is such a thing…) she likes daydreaming, wine-tasting, traveling, hiking, staring at the stars, watching movies, shopping and visiting with family and friends. She lives atop a small mountain, and enjoys cold winter nights when she can curl up in front of a roaring fire with her own knight in shining armor. Visit Eliza at www.elizaknight.com or her historical blog, History Undressed, which was recently mentioned in a feature article in The Wall Street Journal.

Q: Welcome, Eliza! We always love it when you visit our blog! Please tell us about Highland Tryst in the Something Wicked this Way Comes anthology. And do you have a review you could share with us?

A: Highland Tryst by Eliza Knight:

Having sworn off love, Kari Howard isn’t adverse to a little lust when a hot Highlander lands at her feet. Literally. Fin has traveled through time, and given what he’s packing under his kilt (good Lord!), Kari expects the sexy Scotsman to make her quake. But she doesn’t expect Fin to shake her very foundation…or cherish her for who she is.

From Black Raven’s Reviews: I was so enthralled with the HighlandTryst that I wished he lived in this century. Ms. Knight’s writing is smooth and relaxing but has a powerful sexy edginess that draws the reader into the story making you feel as if you are one of her main characters. Highland Tryst is a great adult bedtime story. I know I had pleasant dreams.

Q: Awesome! What inspired this story?

A: I love funny, sexy, time-travels with Highlanders. It’d been awhile since I wrote the last one (Take it Off, Warrior), and when I saw the call for SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES, I thought there was no better opportunity than to write the story that had been niggling in my mind. HIGHLAND TRYST was born. It’s a quick fantasy—totally out of the realm of reality, where a jaded, modern day gal gets the man of her dreams—literally he drops at her feet.

Q: This sounds like fun! I love time travels, especially those involving Highlanders, and can't wait to read this. How did your story’s setting impact your plot or characters?

A: The setting in this story, the beach of Ocean City, MD, is actually quite important because it helps the hero realize his skills as a good swimmer and life-saver can transfer into this new world. Additionally, I wanted it to be near a university, which Salisbury University is right near there (about 15-20 min) and is used fictionally in one scene. There is also a hospital close by (about 10 minutes away), which I needed since my heroine is an E.R. nurse. I grew up visiting Ocean City several times a year, and actually we have a house near there now so we visit the area several times a year.

Q: How do you choose names for your characters?

A: I chose the heroine based on one of my good friends, who asked me to write a story for her. HIGHLAND TRYST does not have anything to do with her real life, and is purely a work of my creative mind, although I did toss in a few jokes she’d recognize! As for the hero, his name is more of a joke between my husband and I. There is a street we drive by often called MacClintock, and we shout it out every time—yes we are dorks. And I really just liked the name Finley.

Q: That's so neat that you used your friend in the story. Did you choose the title of your book and if so how did you do it?

A: The title of the book was originally TRYST WITH A HIGHLANDER, but alas, it didn’t work for the publisher, so they shortened it to HIGHLAND TRYST.

Q: Which element of this story was the hardest for you?

A: The hardest part for me when writing a time-travel is trying to figure out how they will stay together. It has to be major. We’re talking about transcending time. The hardest part about writing a short story is making their love and attraction believable. I love the idea of love at first sight and soul-mates, but readers don’t always, so trying to mix that element with real life chemistry and character traits can be tough when you only have a certain number of words to work with.

Q: Yes, I can see how that would be difficult. What’s next for you?

A: I’ve just finished another short time-travel and now I’m working on a full-length time-travel. I’ve yet to write one (although I have several other romance/historical fiction novels under my belt.). I really want the length of a novel to explore all the aspects of a time-travel. I’m excited, the characters are great and the first scene is vivid and filled with tension!

Q: Sounds fantastic! Would you like to ask readers a question?

A: I’d love to ask readers a question! Do you like time-travels? What aspect of a time-travel draws you in?

Eliza will be giving away an e-copy of SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES to one lucky commenter! When you comment, please remember to leave your email address in some form so we can contact you if you win. Thanks!

Please visit Eliza Knight online:

www.elizaknight.com

www.historyundressed.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/#!/ElizaKnight

http://www.facebook.com/#!/elizaknightauthor

Buy Something Wicked This Way Comes

Thanks so much for being our guest today, Eliza!!

Guest Author & Giveaway - Jennifer Lynne

2012-01-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

Celebrating a special anniversary

Hello and Happy New Year! Thank you to Fierce Romance for having me here today.

When writing my December indie-release, Platinum Passion (Gods of Love #1), I researched wedding anniversary symbols and meanings and found that the earliest references date from the Middle Ages. A silver garland or wreath symbolizing the harmony needed to make a marriage work was given to the wife by the husband on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. On the fiftieth anniversary, a gold garland was given (though with shorter life spans back then this occurred less frequently than silver).

In the Victorian era, this practice became more widespread, and certain materials with specific symbolic meaning became associated with each passing year of marriage. Crystal, for example, became the celebration for fifteen years of marriage.

On a personal note, I remember my parents' fifteenth anniversary – their last together before my father passed away. I was twelve years old and had discovered that this was a "crystal" anniversary, so I saved my pocket money to buy them a pair of crystal goblets, which my mother still has to this day. I am glad that I was able to contribute to their celebration in that way.

Giveaway Question
I would love to hear whether you've ever celebrated a special event or anniversary, and if so, how? I'll be giving away a digital copy of Platinum Passion to one commenter on this post. Leave a comment between now and 18th January 2012, and go in the draw to win.

I hope I can tempt you with a taste of Platinum Passion, an erotic ménage romance novella that focuses on a long term marriage that has gone off track and needs a helping hand from Pothos, the ancient Greek god of sexual yearning. The twentieth wedding anniversary – the one celebrated by Jeannie and Jake in Platinum Passion – was traditionally associated with china, though in recent times the theme has changed to platinum.

Pothos, one of the erotes and an aspect of Eros, brings a platinum night of passion to Jeannie and Jake as a unique twentieth anniversary gift from the gods of love.

Platinum Passion Excerpt:
He tilted his head and studied her. “A good choice. I, too, enjoy the beach. So base, and raw, and elemental. Especially at night, with moonlight silvering the water.” He leaned forward and warm breath tickled the hair near her ear. “Close those gorgeous blue eyes, little one.”

She did as requested, and a moment of dizziness assailed her before she felt fingertips graze her cheek. “Okay to look, now,” he said.

She did so, and gasped when she saw where they were standing. The long, sandy curve of beach near Port Douglas in north eastern Australia was straight out of her imagination. The air felt balmy against her skin, despite the fact that it was the last night of winter. It had been a cold, wet evening in Melbourne, but here, in the warmth of the tropics, her flannel nightie was instantly too much.

She stared wide-eyed at their suddenly exotic setting. The full moon bathed everything in a flattering silver-blue sheen. She bent down and grabbed a handful of sand, wanting to feel the reality of it, letting the still-warm grains leach out between her fingers. The texture in her hands and between her bare toes recalled the delicious memory of her wedding night, Jake’s firm hands caressing her body in eager anticipation, his weight pressing her down into the small sandy depression beneath the palm trees, as their kisses mingled and youthful passion made them forget they were still in a public place, however dark and deserted it might be.

It was the only time they had ever made love on the beach, the night they had both given up their virginity, and it had made her cry with joy afterwards. Jake, she remembered, had caught her tears on the tip of his tongue and then kissed her with salt-flavored tenderness.

“How?” she stuttered. “It’s two thousand miles from Melbourne! Where, I might add, it was freezing.”

He laughed. “The power of the gods is immense. Tonight, this country shifts from winter into spring. And the influence of the erotes is strongest at the changing of the seasons. I plucked this location from your place of yearning. It called to me, that yearning of yours.”

“The influence of the…erotes?” She stumbled over the unfamiliar word. “Just who the heck are you?”

He raised his head proudly. “I am Pothos,” he said, and it was as if the statement vibrated the air around them. All of a sudden he seemed taller, stronger and more otherworldly. He looked like a god of old, shimmering with power, the golden skin alight with moonbeams and his face a study in supremacy as he stared at her down his nose. She felt a frisson of fear touch her heart in tandem with the mounting desire.

If I touch him now, will I self-combust?

Like a moth with a death wish, she stretched out her fingers anyway, ran them over his chest that did indeed feel like satin, and felt the charge of an electrical current coursing through her veins.

Her lips parted and she let out a gasp.

Power. So much power.

But then he shook his head and grinned, and the momentary spell was broken. She dropped her hand and surreptitiously rubbed her still-tingling fingertips.

“I am the one who has been sent to fulfill your fantasies, Jeannie. Yours and Jake’s. This is the night your marriage gets back its passion. Twenty years. It is worth celebrating, and tonight will be my platinum anniversary present to you both.”

He stepped forward and swept her into his muscular embrace, then bent his head so that his lips were only a whisker away from hers. “So”—his breath heated her mouth—“are you ready to begin our celebration of passion?”

Platinum Passion summary:

Three people. One erotic fantasy. And a twentieth wedding anniversary like no other.

Jeannie yearns for the return of passion in her marriage. Jake wants new excitement in the form of another man, in a way that won't upset the balance of his relationship with his wife. Pothos is one of the erotes and an aspect of Eros, the Olympian god of desire. This couple's distinctive yearning has called to him, and by the power of the erotes he intends to rekindle the flame of Jeannie and Jake's passion in a night of desire that could be the ultimate platinum anniversary gift.

And when the gods of love decide your marriage needs a boost, they never do it by halves.

Platinum Passion is the first in a series of stand-alone stories with the erotes as a common theme. The erotes are Pothos, god of sexual yearning, Himeros, god of sexual desire and Anteros, god of requited/unrequited love. All are the children of Aphrodite and aspects of the primal god of desire, Eros.

Platinum Passion (Gods of Love #1: Pothos) is available at:
Amazon | Smashwords | All Romance ebooks

About the author
Jen is a multi-published author who writes sensual and erotic romance from her home in Melbourne, Australia. She lives in hope that readers will continue to enjoy her novella-length tales of love and lust!

Find Jennifer on the web at:
Website/blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Do Clothes Make the Man?

2012-01-14T08:33:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking, he's beautiful, face, scrubble, uhm, the rest of him...but ditch the hoody sad-sack wrap. Really. It's a distraction. Not that the rest of him doesn't help to make up for it...yum. But just like a raggy outfit on a bombshell of a woman can detract from her appearance, so can a raggy outfit look similarly on a hunk of a wolf.

I'm sure he's a wolf.

Maybe it's the two-tone color. I dunno. Maybe all black would have looked divine.

What do you all think? Can someone who is beautiful still get away with dressing in sloppy clothes? Or does it detract from the sexiness?

I say we strip him down and start all over again. What do you say?

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality."
www.terryspear.com

Wonderful Reviews from The Pen & Muse

2012-01-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

Denise at The Pen & Muse Book Reviews recently reviewed both my books. I was thrilled that she gave them each five stars at Amazon. Thanks so much, Denise!!

My Wild Highlander by Vonda Sinclair.

"If you love highlanders, steamy love scenes, great characters, and action then you will love My Wild Highlander by Vonda Sinclair. One of my favorite historical romance authors, I couldn’t pass it up when she asked me to read her work. Lachlan MacGrath is such a great hero character, he encompasses compassion, lover, and warrior all in one. He is a man of his word, no wonder he’s well loved among the women! Lady Angelique and Lachlan compliment each other although Angelique finds it hard to love such a man until she gets to know him. Angelique is also hiding a very hard past and Lachlan wants to know more about her without hurting her. It’s such the perfect story for two people with different pasts coming together. I don’t want to give away the rest of the book, so you’ll have to read it. Those who love historical romances with lots of passion, heart, amazing characters, action, and lots of love will love Sinclair’s My Wild Highlander." Denise at The Pen & Muse

About the book: Lady Angelique Drummagan, a half-Scottish, half-French countess, has suffered much pain and betrayal in her past. She wants nothing to do with the sensual Scottish warrior that the king has ordered her to marry because the rogue could never be a faithful husband, but she has little choice in the matter. Dangerous, greedy enemies threaten her from all sides and she’s in dire need of his protection.

Sir Lachlan MacGrath, known as Seducer of the Highlands, possesses a charming wickedness and canny wit which has earned him much popularity. After the king decrees that he wed the fiery hellion, Lachlan discovers there is one woman who can resist him—Angelique. Can he break through her icy façade and melt her heart, or will the dark secrets lurking in her past not only cost them their future together, but their very lives?

My Wild Highlander is available at:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Smashwords
Kobo
iTunes/ Apple
Sony

Review of My Fierce Highlander by The Pen & Muse

"If you love highlanders, steamy love scenes, great characters, and action then you will love My Fierce Highlander. You will instantly fall in love with Laird Alasdair MacGrath! He’s a great warrior, person, and of course he’s a highlander! Alasdair is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins and to protect the women who is healing and protecting him, Lady Gwyneth. Lady Gwyneth has a past of her own and her own son, due to the feuding this past will appear to damage the both of them. So who will she choose? The man she loves or her son? For any woman it’s a hard decision to make and this is a story you won’t want to miss! Beautifully written by Sinclair, you will be transported back in time to witness a great love story of courage and sacrifice. Be sure to catch Sinclair’s other Highlander novels, I sure won’t! She is one of my favorites for a reason!" Denise at The Pen & Muse

About the book: Gwyneth Carswell, an English lady banished by her father to the harsh Scottish Highlands, wants nothing more than to take her young son away from the violence of two fighting clans–her own distant kin, the MacIrwins, and their enemies, the MacGraths. She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?

Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her–give up her son or the man she loves.

My Fierce Highlander is available at:

Amazon
B&N
Smashwords
All Romance eBooks
iTunes/ Apple
Kobo
Sony

Join my Mailing List.
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Visit my website to read more reviews or read an excerpt.
Thanks!!!!
Vonda

Inner Conflict

2012-01-11T11:00:00.000-05:00

I love inner conflict, though I’ll admit that a great kidnapping scene and the hero rushing in to save the day will get me every time. Yes, I’m a damsel in distress, hero on a white horse, Rapunzel let down your hair, sort of reader. Hmm. Maybe this explains my current obsession with Once Upon Time. I love that show and all its fairy tale references. Have you seen it?

Anyway, what I love even more is inner conflict, the fight with one’s self. I’ve seen really bad inner conflict that I didn’t connect with, and some that was freaking awesome that made me feel awful for the characters. Because, you know what?

I really get being torn. Swearing you’ll never do something AGAIN, but meeting that one person that makes you want to take back every vow you’ve ever made to yourself. It’s a tough road, full of past experiences that made you make the decision in the first place. Fighting yourself shouldn’t be easy. It should be one of the hardest things you’ve ever had to do.

I think that is where a lot of inner conflict fails for me. I’ve seen too many stories where it starts with a fantastic inner conflict, that I truly jive with, only to have the hero or heroine do away with their self-made promises too quickly because they’ve met the love interest and it’s an instant switch from great inner conflict to outside conflict.

I’d really prefer to stay with the inner conflict. Even better is a perfect combination of the two.

I have a few vows I’ve made to myself over the last two years, and I won’t share them because I have an idea for a contemporary I’d like to write using them, but to my core I feel like I will never go back on these vows. I have my reason why I’ve made these decisions. They’re deep rooted with a lot of dark chewy soil keeping them planted. But it does make me think, being a romance writer and all, what would happen if I did meet the man who could make me want to rethink my current stance. All I know is right now he’d have to be one hell of a dude to get me to.

So my advice to newer writers, don’t shy away from inner conflict. It really is a potent plotting device. The only thing is: it can’t be shallow. Not something that leaves the readers wondering why in the world she was still harping on it, it wasn’t a big deal.

If it’s stopping your character from her HEA, it IS a big deal. It’s your job to dig deep, and truly understand every crevice of why your character is the way she is, everything that happened in her past to make her who she is. Once you get that, and can transcribe that on the page, the readers will be riveted.

Esme

www.esmereldabishop.com

Scotland from the Water

2012-01-10T11:28:00.001-05:00

One rare sunny day while we were in Scotland, we did a Seaprobe tour on a glass bottom boat called the Atlantis. We sailed from Kyle of Lochalsh. I forgot to take a photo, but I found the one below of the Lochalsh Hotel where we boarded the boat. From what I understand, this is the same slipway where ferries used to take visitors from the mainland to Isle of Skye. Now of course ferries aren't necessary because of the Skye Bridge, completed in 1995, seen below in the background. The settlement of Kyle of Lochalsh is believed to have been here prior to 1600.

This is an incredibly beautiful and scenic area. We explored Kyle Akin, the area between the Scottish mainland and Isle of Skye.

We cruised underneath the Skye Bridge (above). The 70 foot tall lighthouse sits on Eilean Bàn ("white island"), a small six acre island with lots of wildlife. The lighthouse was designed by David and Thomas Stevenson and was built in 1857. Thomas was the father of Robert Lewis Stevenson. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1993.

We saw dozens of seals! This was the first time I'd seen them in the wild.

The Sky Bridge from a different angle. It curves in an interesting way.

When we went down into the glass bottom boat, we could see what was under the water. Lots and lots of jelly fish of all sizes also kelp and crabs.

This is the ruins of Caisteal Maol, a keep built in the 1400s, although there were earlier fortifications on this spot. Part of this castle collapsed in 1949 and even more of it in 1989. When some repairs to the walls were being made in 1951, a hoard of coins were found in one of the walls.

I hope you enjoyed this virtual trip of Kyle of Lochalsh and Kyleakin. :)
Thanks!
Vonda
www.vondasinclair.com

P.S. I have a new Newsletter, if you'd like to sign up.

Guest Interview: Julia Knight

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:00

I pleased to welcome a fellow Romance Diva, Julia Knight, as our guest today. Thanks for joining us at Fierce Romance!

Please tell our readers a little about Julia Knight:

Well, for starters I’m a Brit – born and raised in a sleepy little Sussex village, henc the apparent spelling mistakes in this interview. No matter how often I move away, I always end up coming back. I’m a big fantasy and historical fan too, to geek levels.

What would readers be surprised to know about you?

That I’m a biker chick maybe. I have all the leathers, and the tattoos.

We’ll have to compare tattoos someday! Tell us about your latest book(s)

The Viking’s Sacrifice is a historical about, well, Vikings! Here’s the blurb:

Viking raiders destroyed Wilda’s home. She witnessed the murder of her mother and would have been killed herself if it weren’t for the Viking boy Einar, who saved her from his ruthless brother. The blood and murder left Wilda cold and shorn of feeling.

Eight years later, the heathens return for Wilda. As a captive in the Viking village, she finds protection and silent comfort in the man who once gallantly saved her.

Einar has been cursed to silence by his brother. With the dark net of his brother’s power cast over their village, silence is a small price to pay for his family’s safety. But Einar is immediately drawn to Wilda, and the need to protect her from his brother awakens his Viking courage. Can Einar break his brother’s curse in time to save the village and the woman he loves?

This sounds great! I love the tagline on your website: Fantasy author. Excitement, adventure, and dollops of romance. What made you choose fantasy as a vehicle for your romance? And do you ever write in another subgenre?

Well, it kind of happened by accident – I thought I was writing fantasy but it turns out it was romance. I love the fact that the plot doesn’t have to be just about the romance; there’s a world to explore and other things going on too, other plots. I write historical too when the muse takes me. Again, it’s like exploring another world.

I love getting lost in another world when I'm reading. What are you currently working on?

Just finishing up edits of the second Pirates of Estovan books – fantasy pirates.

Mmm. Fantasy pirates sound very interesting. What do you wish you’d known before you became published?

Just how addictive this writing malarkey is. Now I can’t stop.

We wouldn't want you to stop! Most people think the life of a writer is glamorous. What’s the least glamorous thing you’ve done in the past week?

Heh, one of my ‘real’ jobs is as a bar maid (or ‘wenching’ as I prefer to call it lol). Gosh, so glamorous holding a bucket for a drunken someone to be sick into. Not.

So you're a real wench, huh? Well, you're also a "real" writer. What can we look forward from you in the future?

Well, the aforementioned second pirate book (as yet untitled, but due out in the summer) and perhaps some more pirates after that.

Where can our readers find out more about you and your stories?

My website, http://juliaknight.co.uk has all the details, or you can follow me on twitter @Knight_Julia.

I know I'll be checking you out :)Is there anything you’d like to ask our readers?

As I said above, I love fantasy and historical romances because there’s so much opportunity for external plot to complement the romance. If you read genre romance, which one’s your favourite and why?

The Viking's Sacrifice is available now from Carina and Amazon and all good e-book stores.

When to Walk Away...

2012-01-04T10:37:00.002-05:00

Brrrrr. It’s cold. Our heating went out two days ago, just in time for the coldest days, so far, of this winter. We’re on a first name basis with the heating and air guys, lol, but it looks like we’re finally going to have to say goodbye to them. Our landlord just approved a fancy smancy new heating and air unit. I’m thrilled about the air part. Summer here is miserable. Miserable! And window units don’t do much to hold back the oppressive heat. So I may be shivering in my footy pajamas, but I have comfortable days of summer on my mind. So excited.

Anyway, I’ve been stuck on a scene for a few weeks now, so when the holidays came up it was pretty easy for me to say, “Kids are home. Noise level is up. I’m taking a break from writing.” That’s exactly what I did. I haven’t written anything really since Thanksgiving. Mostly because of this one scene that was just meh, and I mean meeeeeeeh. Nothing was working. It was boring. And nothing I added in seemed to make it any better.

Some writer power through and write anyway. Others go back and rework what they’ve already written because somewhere they’ve painted themselves into a corner.

Me?

I walk away.

I’ve learned that some scenes just aren’t ready to be written. Eventually it will be, but at that point in time, it’s just not going to happen and forcing it causes more harm than good.

Sometimes I walk away for only a few hours, sometimes its a few days, and then I have the rare occasion that I take a break for weeks over a scene. Here is what happened and the end result:

After staring at the screen in disgusts for days, I finally closed the project. I mean seriously closed it completely out. I usually keep my current project open 24/7 on my desktop. I didn’t think about the project at all. Honestly because when I did it was with frustration and those I hate this story, it sucks vibes. That’s just bad thinking and doesn’t help cleanse any bad writing mojo. So I just don’t think about it when I get like this.

Monday, a new day, a new year. It was time to revisit old Aidan. I opened up the project and went down to the dreaded scene. I started reading. Huh. This wasn’t complete crap. In fact, it wasn’t crap at all. You say what, Aidan? Really, you want to do that?

And just like that the scene was written.

If I do say so myself, it’s a pretty rockin’ scene now. If I’d powered through, it wouldn’t have been anywhere near the scene I have today. If I’d tweaked the previous chapters, again, it wouldn’t be the same scene.

So I’m okay with walking away when I need to because I know my characters won’t stay silent forever.

Wishing everyone a wonderful New Year!

Esme

Guest: Vanessa Holland - Bound to You

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Today our special guest is my friend, Vanessa Holland! I'm excited that her first book, which is awesome by the way, has just been released. And yes I would say the book is awesome even if I didn't know Vanessa. That's how fantastic it is! I literally couldn't put it down and I'm still thinking about the characters.

Q: Welcome, Vanessa! Please tell us about your latest release.

A: Thank you for allowing me to be here! My new book Bound To You is a contemporary romance.

A night of passion has forever bound Jenna Morgan to a man she thought she would spend her future with. Instead, he dumped her with barely a word of explanation and left the state. Three years later, she’s a single mom struggling to provide for her son and young sister, and harassed by an obsessed stalker.

After leaving home three years ago to run his aging grandfather’s ranch in Texas, Sam Strickland returns to Tennessee to discover a child he didn’t know existed. He thought he was saving Jenna’s future when he left home, and left her behind. He never dreamed he’d return to see a child with eyes the same shade as his own - and Jenna in serious trouble.

Sam thinks his only dilemma is whether he can earn back the trust of the woman he loves and commit to the responsibility of fatherhood. But Jenna’s life is more complicated than he could have imagined and he finds himself involved in a dangerous situation that could threaten his new son’s life.

Q: Why did you choose to write romance?

A: I enjoy writing romance because I love exploring characters, learning all I can about them and bringing them to life. I love watching my hero and heroine fall in love and exploring the complexities of their relationship. I also love knowing that no matter what trials I put my characters through in the end everything will turn out all right. I’m all for happily-ever-after endings.

Q: I definitely fell in love with your characters in this book. What do you enjoy most about writing?

A: I think I love the art of creating most about writing. Building a world from scratch and working to make that world as vivid as possible.

Q: Why did you choose your setting and why was it perfect for your book?

A: I chose to set my story in Tennessee because I was living in Tennessee as I wrote the story and was continually amazed at the scenic beauty there. I wanted to bring out some of that beauty in my story. As a native west Texan, Tennessee was like a new world for me and I wanted to relive my years there. Not only is Tennessee a beautiful place I met some really wonderful and interesting people there.

Q: I agree. Tennessee is very scenic and you created a wonderful sense of place in Bound to You. Which of your characters is most like you? Least like you? And why?

A: I don’t think any of my characters are most like me, but they are all a little like me. Except, perhaps, my villain – I hope. J

Q: LOL I agree. How do you choose names for your characters?

A: Names usually come to me when I envision a character. Strangely, if I find a character isn’t working, sometimes changing their name will make all the difference.

Q: I've been known to do the same thing! It works. Please tell us about your favorite character in the book.

A: My hero Sam is my favorite character. No matter what is thrown at him he tries to keep a positive attitude and face his problems head-on. He has his issues like anyone, but tries his best to stay upbeat and consider those around him. I suppose I created him with the image of my ideal man in mind. He’s also nice to look at. J

Q: He is definitely a hottie! I'm a big fan of Sam! Which element of story creation is your favorite?

A: I enjoy all elements of story creation, from character development and creating settings to thinking up plots. Characters have a way of taking on a life of their own and I always enjoy seeing who they will become. They often surprise me!

Q: What inspires you?

A: Music inspires me. I like to find a few songs that inspire me and play them on a loop on my iPod. I use different songs for different stories. Then when I hear those songs it helps me get back into the mood of that book.

Q: I know what you mean. I love finding music that inspires me. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

A: I can’t really remember a time when I wasn’t making up stories. I grew up on a farm and ranch in Texas near a very small town. Entertainment wasn’t easy to come by so I spent a lot of time reading and writing stories of my own. Seeing one of my stories released as a book is a thrill to be sure.

Q: I'm thrilled about it too! What is your writing process or method?

A: I simply take an idea and go from there. I’ve tried many different methods but have found flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants method works best for me. Once I have a solid first chapter written, I usually find the story will take off on its own. From there, I write a rough draft, working out any problems with plot or character development, and then once I finish the story, I go back and polish and edit. I’ve never been able to plot out a story ahead of time because until I get to know my characters I really don’t know what they will do. I love the way they surprise me along the way.

Q: That is one of the best parts about writing, discovering who the characters are deep down and how they're going to act and react. Do you have any advice for unpublished authors?

A: Keep writing and writing. Some days, I don’t feel creative at all and I stare at a page thinking it’s pointless to even try. But if I stick it out, the creativity will come and pretty soon I’m writing away. Also, don’t worry about what other writers are writing. Your voice is original.

Q: That's great advice! What’s next for you?

A: To keep writing. My next book is almost completed and I hope to see it published soon. Thanks again for having me here today!

Thanks for being our guest, Vanessa!! Everyone, here is an excerpt from one of my favorite scenes in Bound to You.

Jenna nodded toward Ethan. “Does he look familiar to you?”

“The boy?” Sam asked. “Well, he looks a lot like you. You say I know his dad?” He turned his gaze to her and she froze beneath the interest that seemed to gleam in those blue depths. “Yeah, I saw you with your boyfriend. Didn’t know there was a kid involved, though. You need me to leave? I will, just say so. I’m no angel, but I don’t do that. I don’t break up families.”

Surprised by his wild assumption, she had to struggle to follow his direction. “Are you talking about Brandon Stewart? Because Ethan is not his son.” That fact needed to be made perfectly clear. “And if I wanted you to leave you wouldn’t have to ask.”

“Ah,” Sam said, glancing away with an embarrassed grin on his face. “Okay, then, who is it? Somebody I oughta know?”

“You know him,” she said, “very well.”

He turned toward her, dropping his feet to the floor, gripping the arm of the wicker chair, and frowned sharply. The confident smile fell from his face. “What are you saying, Jenna?”

Watching him intently for his reaction, shaking so violently his face blurred slightly, she said, “He has your eyes.”

Bound to You is available at Amazon or Barnes & Noble at a great low price for a full length novel.

Please follow or "Friend" Vanessa at: Twitter and Facebook.

Thanks!!!

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

As we say good bye to 2011 and look ahead to 2012, I've been thinking about what's happened in my life in the past year and what I'm looking forward to in the new next twelve months. I thought it would be fun to share them here.

2011:

* I saw the release of the first two stories in my Paolo's Playhouse series, Flaunt It was released in August and Risk It was released in November.

* Hubby and I took a trip to visit family & friends in Florida and despite the terrible trip back, made me long to become a snowbird and spend the winter in the Sunshine State.

* My best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer last spring & during the year she'd had surgery, completed chemo & radiation, and is now almost ready to get rid of the wigs and scarves. She's rocking the short hair look.

* I went to RWA National conference in NYC, traveling by train and meeting many on-line friends.

* My son got engaged to his girlfriend, a smart and pretty young woman who's a good match for him.

2012:

* I'm looking forward to the release of the last two Paolo's Playhouse stories, Birthday Girl in Feb and Plaything in May.

* I'm going to the first ever RomFest in Gatlinburg, Tenn in June and will be participating in my first workshop there

* We'll be having two weddings in the family (but not my son's - they're planning a 2013 wedding)

* I'm looking forward to 2012 being my last year at the day job. Hopefully when I do this post next year, I'll be becoming a full time writer!

Here's a wish to our readers that 2012 brings amazing things to you all!

Natasha
www.natashamoore.com

There's Just Something about a Man in a Kilt....

2011-12-31T08:11:00.002-05:00

What do you think? Would you like to get to know him better?

He might be a wolf....or not. Never know!

You see, I know some wolves...Heart of the Highland Hero

And some that are potential...Winning the Highlander's Heart

The Accidental Highland Hero...

And this just up to finish off the old year!!!

Thanks to Mason, I'm up here!
Thoughts in Progress Interview! With a free giveaway!

And this delightful review of:

DREAMING OF THE WOLF
Terry Spear
ISBN: 9781402245558
December 2011
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Paranormal Romance/Shapeshifter
Mass Market paperback

In this delightful novel we have Alicia Greiston as the heroine. After her mother was killed by two mob guys, she becomes a bounty hunter who promises to track her mother’s killers down and put them in jail where they belong. Jake Silver is one of three triplet male werewolves born in the pack Alpha. His brother is the Alpha, which is fine with Jake who spends his time as a talented photographer. He only intends to be in town long enough to deliver his latest shipment of photos to the local art gallery when he spies a suspicious, and very lovely woman taking photos of a license plate.

This book is full of action, crime mobsters, surprising twists and very hot sex between our two main characters. I loved the balance of Jake’s personality; he was both an alpha male while not needing to be the Alpha of his pack. He could be strong, but he had much more to his personality than just macho posturing.

Dreaming of the Wolf is Spear’s 8^th book in the Heart of the Wolf series, however, new readers can easily follow all the action, romance and lore without having read previous books in the series. That being said, I challenge any of you to read one Terry Spear book and not RUN to your nearest bookstore to order the rest. ~~~ Crystal CK2 Kwips and Kritiques /

Thanks so much to Crystal, who made my day this last day of the year!!!

Okay, I'm off to work--the last day of the year, wishing everyone a wonderful New Year's Eve!!! I have to go in an hour early to leave an hour early, so I've really got to watch my time!

Happy New Year's Eve!!!

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy is reality."
www.terryspear.com

A Few of My Favorite Things...

2011-12-29T10:40:00.021-05:00

I could write today about New Year's resolutions, but since I don't believe in making them, I decided against it. I feel like there's no time like the present if I need to make a positive change in my life, so if I do decide to set a goal for the new year and it happens to be January 1st, it's a coincidence. Besides, Esme's post about songs that irritate kind of inspired me. I went back through all my pictures, trying to find art that irritated me to stay with the same theme. However, I found more pictures that made me smile than those that didn't, so for my last post of 2011, I'd like to share some pictures that lighten my day.

The first picture is the book cover to the side here. I posted it because it's one of my favorite covers and one of my favorite books to write. A Stranger's Desire is a twist--no pun intended--on the standard BDSM story, light-hearted on the surface but with undercurrents of grief and the desire to be loved. Yes, it contains extremely graphic content, but at its heart it's about a woman healing from loss and learning to live and love again. Lilly and Beau are two of my favorite characters to work with, and I hope readers enjoy hanging out with them as much as I did.

This next image is on the list because it's quirky and fun. I use it on my blog in my logo.These sexy lips made an appearance in a post about kissing. Ooooolala!This pic you've seen a couple of times before because I love the sexy lace and what's hiding behind it. Makes me wanna play hide and seek. lolNo explanation needed for this one, is there? I love pictures depicting happy, loving couples, and this fits that description to a T. Also, on a serious note, it always reminds me of breast health: self- or partner- breast exams and mammograms. Yet another good friend of mine has discovered she'll be fighting breast cancer in 2012, so I'm using this picture to promote the cause. I've scheduled my mammo for next year. Have you?This is one of the first images I used in my book trailer for my Dragon Song series. I love my dragons!This snake made his appearance in the book trailer for Second Nature. I selected him because he gives off a vibe of wisdom. Don't you agree? It's almost like he can read your mind (and knows what you're thinking about that guy behind the lace. lol)I can't remember why I originally downloaded this, but every time I see it, I think, "Dude, you're in the desert. Why are you in swim briefs?"This cat picture always catches me off guard because I can't figure out what it's doing with its mouth right away. It's probably just yawning, but he looks maniacal. I imagine the Santa hat has something to do with its attitude. lolThis hunk made an appearance in one of my posts about the military. Hooorah!I love the indifference the subject shows in this Portrait of a Lemur. I downloaded it because I have a running joke in a couple of my books about shape-shifters, one a lemur and the other a domestic cat. Does anyone remember which books?Every time I see this, I think how lucky some people are to be able to rock the color lavender. Man, does this guy make purple look good!Here's the model from a few pictures above, still in swim briefs and still in the desert. However, now he's on the right track--he's trying to climb out and find a pool. Or perhaps he just goes rock-climbing in swim trunks. Doesn't matter to me as he looks awfully fine either way!So there are a few of my favorite images from the year 2011. I actually found tons more, but I don't think there's enough space for all of them. Be assured, though, that I'll definitely be scoping images for 2012's post. It's gonna be a GREAT year!

Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

What Song Makes you Cringe?

2011-12-28T09:53:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! Mine was full of chaos, but it was worth every minute. On Christmas Eve we have a tradition with my mom and dad where we all pile into the car and see Christmas lights before we do our Christmas Eve dinner. We do this every year, and every year one song comes on the radio that makes me groan and want to jump from the car.

Don’t think badly of me because of the song, I can’t help it and I will explain. I absolutely cannot stand to listen to The Little Drummer Boy. The moment the rapping of the drums start, I want to throw my hands over my ears and repeat la, la, la, la, la. My mom laughs about it every year and then reminds me of how I used to hide the record when I was little.

You see, during Christmas, my mom played that record over and over and over again. Every. Year. FOR eighteen years. When I say over and over again, I’m being literal, not exaggerating. It was like no other Christmas song existed in our household. Apparently, I’ve carried my feelings into adulthood.

I do have another. The Doors Riders on the Storm. I used to wait tables at a pizza joint that had a jukebox. A co-worker of mine used to play that song every night after we closed while we were cleaning up. I grew to detest the song, and I still can’t stand to hear it.

Is there any song from your childhood that immediately makes you cringe when it comes on?

Esme

Guest - Jolyn Palliata

2011-12-27T08:17:00.000-05:00

Did you ever get a song stuck in your head? Or part of one? How did you get it out? Did you avoid the song at all costs in the blind hope it would stop hammering you into submission? Or did you listen to the song over, and over, and over, until you were so obsessed that all you could think about was that delicious, devilish little laugh….er, what was I saying? (Right. Song stuck in my head. Ahh...I mean, your head.) Now, I know this has happened to every person reading this post, so I’m hoping you’ll relate to my little story here.

Let me give you some background. In October, I released Connected (Twists of Fate #1), and here’s a brief description of the story: A rock group’s rhythm guitarist, Rhys Alexander, dies and finds himself bound inside the body of a woman he’s never met. Can she help him move on to the other side, or will he end up finding the love of his life…after his has already ended?

For a time, I had this for free on Wattpad (where I posted as I wrote it). And several readers asked me how in the world I came up with the concept. The short answer was ‘By taking the longest route possible.’ The more involved answer is this…

It all started with a song—Imagine that, huh?—which began with a synthesized-sounding guitar and a sinful, maniacal laugh that made my gut quiver. (Yes, I do realize this may be an issue I need to fully address later.) It was Disturbed’s “Inside The Fire”. Add a little Framing Hanley (with that oh-so-sexy voice), and Tavion, lead singer of the band Persevere, was born. And what kind of woman would knock a strapping rock star to his knees? Why, a best-selling author, of course.

So here I had two people who worked in the entertainment industry, but were worlds apart. What could possibly bring them together? The answer seemed so simple, really: Fate. Then my next though was “What if Fate was a living, sometimes-breathing, entity? What an interesting point-of-view that would be!” And it spiraled from there. I dug deep into the protag, Devan (the name of the girl in Disturbed’s song), and put pieces of me and my personality into the mix. Naturally, then I had to mock myself and my works along the way. (i.e., Suddenly Impending Reprisals became Devan’s masterpiece, and guess what…it made it all the way to the NYT Bestsellers list! Way to go, Devan!!)

Now, the question was ‘What inspired me to write Connected’, and so far, I’m telling you how I started writing Twisted (Book 2). Yeah, well, I’m getting there. (Remember how I said it was the longest route possible?)

So there I was, writing Twisted and having a hell of a time. And then the unthinkable happened (insert suspenseful music here)…I got writer’s block. I’m talking a stint of writer’s block that could only have originated from the deepest, most vile and sulfuric, bowels of Hell. And, man, was it stubborn! Over a year went by before I picked it up again, and even then it wasn’t because I came up with a grand master plan, or that my head was swimming with ideas. No. It was simply because I missed my characters. So I started to reread/revise/edit the 30K words I had written, hoping it would shake something loose. Enter: two new inspirations.

The first was the Demonica series by Larissa Ione. In the series, paired up mates can sense each other’s emotions and I got to wondering “What would that be like?”

The next piece of inspiration came from Avenged Sevenfold (A7X). I was studying up on rock bands for Twisted (and can A7X ever ROCK!!), and checking out the band members (*drool*) and it inspired a new character—Rhys.

From Ione and A7X blossomed Connected (finally!) where Rhys’ spirit was stuck inside Addison (my protag), and they could sense each other’s emotions.

But I had one problem. I absolutely REFUSED to walk away from Twisted again. Soooo…how could I use this? Well, first of all, Rhys couldn’t be a lead singer since that’s what Tavion is. And secondly, I wanted this to be a fast-hitting novella used to compliment Twisted’s story. What I needed was a supporting member of the band... Hello, Rhys, my luscious rhythm guitarist!

But then I had another problem. (Because I needed more, right?) I couldn’t picture Rhys in Tavion’s band, Persevere, which is a more mature, established group. No, he belonged with some just-making-it-big band that wasn’t afraid to play with the formula, to take chances, and was just enjoying the ride and what life had to offer. He belonged with the guys of Black Codex.

Then problem #3: How did Black Codex and Persevere tie in to each other? I mean, if Connected leads into Twisted, they have to know each other somehow, right? Well, as luck would have it, they’re all friends. (Who knew?!) Eh, okay, so actually two members from Black Codex are brothers and they grew up with a guy from Persevere, so, by association, they became friends. (It’s all in the details, right?) ;)

All right. Now what? I didn’t want to introduce Fate (my sassy, capricious entity) in Connected even though he’s definitely hard at work behind the scenes. It would’ve been too distracting from the plot, and I had plenty to maneuver already! (Hello…dead rock star stuck in some chicks head!!) So what I did was plot Connected so it all occurs during the same timeframe as the first half of Twisted. Perfect! Then when people read Twisted, they’ll get all the behind-the-scenes-extras that were going on in Connected that either 1) I didn’t have time for, or 2) I couldn’t smoothly transition in.

At the end of my long-ass journey, not only did I have Connected, but I shook myself loose on Twisted…aaand came up with storylines for the other eight band members. (I’ll spare you the details on those. LOL) Thusly, the Twists of Fate series was born.

So, let me ask you again: Did you ever get a song stuck in your head…?

For more information on the Twists of Fate series: http://jolynpalliata.wordpress.com/romance/twists-of-fate-series/

Twists of Fate series Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Twists-of-Fate-Series/190217514383637

Christmas Gifts & a Great Review for RISK IT

2011-12-26T05:14:00.005-05:00

For many, today is a time to relax after the craziness of the holiday weekend and enjoy some of those gifts Santa left under the tree. Hubby has already hooked up his new blu-ray player and I'm enjoying a cup of French vanilla coffee brewed in my new Keurig coffee maker. I've actually used my new workout gear too. Yes, I feel good about that.

If any of you got a new e-reader for as your gift, I can heartily recommend all the Fierce Romance authors. Take a look at the covers displayed here. Stop by the author websites, We have a great variety of stories for your enjoyment. I'm honored to be among such an amazing group of authors!

And just this week I was thrilled to read this review for RISK IT, from Fresh Fiction:

Amy Carter is at the end of the line. She has the ideal life with 2 kids, a job she loves and a big house provided by a great husband. Everything except sex, that is. It seems everything has fallen by the way side with the machinations of everyday life between Will and her when it has to do with the bedroom. Too tired and too overloaded with the everyday humdrum, it's time to take matters into her own hands.

Amy rents a room at Paolo's Playhouse, a place to perform all your fantasies while watching others through a one way glass. Dressing in her new black lace sexy underwear, Amy loses faith that Will is going to show. Losing herself in her own sexual fantasy as she watches the couple next door, Will shows up. They renew their erotic sexual fantasies to reignite the flame they once shared.

The sexual fantasies described in RISK IT will blow your socks off. It's probably quite a little more than I am use to reading and is more explicit than anything else I have ever read before. If anyone is interested in detailed sexual eroticism, then this is the book for them.

So what did Santa leave under the tree for you?

Natasha
FLAUNT IT
RISK IT
www.natashamoore.com

Holiday Greetings

2011-12-25T06:47:00.005-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us here at Fierce Romance! Thanks so much for visiting and reading our blog. May your grandest wishes come true. Wishing you health, wealth and happiness in the New Year.

Merry Christmas Eve! by Terry Spear

2011-12-24T14:25:00.000-05:00

I know I'm really late, but here's what happened. My kids and their spouses landed in on me.

You see...first one turned on the heat to the equivalent of baking so at 3 in the morning I woke to turn the heat lower. Then I see ALL the Christmas lights on everywhere, so I turned everything off. Then I noticed someone had turned off my monitor. It's going out on me so once it's off, I have a devil of a time getting it back on. Then a Christmas elf (redheaded type)...kinda like in The Shadow Elf, yeah, that's the one...

took MY towels out of the bathroom I'm using, so she could use them. I already had given her towels for both of them. LOL

And then I went back to bed and couldn't sleep. Realized I didn't have my clock in my guest room as it was still in the master bedroom where my son and daughter-in-law and menagerie of pets--one cat, one dog, two flying squirrels and a partridge in a pear tree are sleeping. Well, maybe not the latter, but close. :)

And still couldn't sleep, fretting about getting out early enough to get to work for 3 hours, and then come home before anyone else woke up.

Remember the other day's post about the best laid plans? Yep...same today.

Woke up at 8:00!!!!! EIGHT O'CLOCK!!! Yeegads, then since I couldn't get on the monitor because I couldn't get anything but a blank screen, I couldn't write a blog.

I get home from work and everyone's leaving!!! Son and DIL are off to Walmart. Daughter and SIL are off to see his sister. And I'm....

HOME ALONE. Well, sort of. With the cat, the dog, two flying squirrels and the partridge in the pear tree. I'm sure it's around here somewhere. Oh, and you remember I fretted about cleaning the place up. That went by the wayside as soon as the son and DIL, cat, dog, two flying squirrels, you know the rest, came in yesterday afternoon. :)

Which means now is the absolutely perfect time to catch up emails and write my blogs before everyone comes home again....

So what all important thing came in the emails on Christmas Eve?

DREAMING OF THE WOLF has been nominated for the CAPA Awards...woohoo!!!

Okay, Cupid knew what he was doing!

Off to get into more trouble before everyone arrives home again, jiggety jog.

It's pouring out, supposed to be a high of 29, but it made it to 40, otherwise we would have had the white stuff. We actually truly did have it last Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! I'm off to move my clock into the guest bedroom so I don't miss out on Christmas!

Love to all,

Terry and her hunky wolves and Highlanders!

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

2011-12-23T11:48:00.000-05:00

Um. No. It's not. And I have to say that I'm a little bummed about that.

I'm a Chicagoan. Granted, I'm a transplanted one, but I'm a still Chicagoan nonetheless. All of us who live here may not like every aspect of our glorious winters, but at the same time we trudge through (sometimes literally) and deal with them. And there are certain things we expect. Snow, especially around Christmastime, is one of those things.

Earlier this fall, there were all sorts of reports saying how "This will be the snowiest Chicago winter evahhhh..." (Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little on those headlines :)). My point is this: It's now December 23rd and what do I see when I look out the window? Grass. Green grass, to be precise.

Not a hint of the white stuff anywhere.

I've woken up twice in the past month to a dusting of snow on the ground. That's it. Oh, and it all melted right away, too. I've yet to actually SEE it snow.

One of my favorite things to do when it's snowing is to light a fire in the fireplace, sit on my couch in front of the window with my laptop in my lap, and write my little heart out. I've lit the fires. I've sat on my couch with my laptop. But without the snow falling, it's just not the same.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I'm not a fan of the aftereffects of getting hit with 2 feet of snow all at once (although being snowbound isn't always so horrible :)), and I may be in the minority when it comes to actually wanting snow. But, come on. It's Christmastime. Isn't snow at Christmas a must?

Darn. This year, I suppose not.

Sigh. Oh, well. I'll get over it :)

I wish everyone a Happy Holiday season -- with or without the snow!!

Kristin
www.kristindaniels.com
www.facebook.com/authorkristindaniels
http://twitter.com/Kristin_Daniels

5 Hoots... "refreshingly new perspective"

2011-12-22T06:32:00.035-05:00

Hi, everyone, I had an awesome review from Nocturne Romance Reads that I wanted to share with you.

Blade of the Wolf – Nicole North
Ellora’s Cave
Paranormal
5 Hoots

Review: Blade of the Wolf is a sizzling adventure and sated even my infinite fantasy for hot Scottish werewolves. This is not your run of the mill romantic urban fantasy, which I greatly appreciated. I was mesmerized by this refreshingly new perspective on the normally redundant paranormal romance/shapeshifter genre.

The development of all the character’s individually, as well as, cumulatively is exquisitely in-depth. Who could resist the yummy immortal Scottish Sgian Dubh Guardian, Ronan Graeme. He is the bad boy with the heart of gold. Syrena Ellis, a voluptuous psychic, is the forbidden fruit Ronan never knew he craved. She is the perfect counterpart to his serious nature. The sexual tension and erotic fantasies is orgasmic. The ardent attraction between Ronan and Syrena is instantaneous. What made it believable is the gradual building of the bond, despite their burning desires and intense emotions. This made the erotic scenes that much hotter. As I progressed through the book, I could feel my temperature rising to match Syrena and Ronan’s blazing passion.

Even with a heat index of scorching hot; the story wasn’t just about the carnal delights. I was surprised it had such a multifaceted, suspenseful plot. The villain is the most intriguing character. This is my first encounter with a hybrid vampire incubus. At least for me; this is uncharted or rarely explored territory. It definitely gave Blade of the Wolf a unique and exciting twist. All and all; this is a positively arousing and climactic story that I will read again.

Hats off to Nicole North for a superb job creating an edgy and erotic paranormal romance!
Reviewed by Kyami

Thanks so much, Kyami!!!

Summary: Blade of the Wolf

Ronan, immortal werewolf and Scottish Sgian Dubh Guardian, faces his most challenging, yet enticing, mission in centuries. He must protect sexy clairvoyant medium Syrena Ellis from an evil incubus intent on stealing her powerful life force. She awakens a raging arousal in Ronan, but if he gives in to temptation, he will be punished. Dark and edgy, Ronan captivates Syrena. He is hot, hard and in control, yet his scorching glances and sinful kisses tell her he yearns for her. Even though she’s only a job, she finds a way past his iron-willed resistance. She’s determined to explore the depths of erotic passion with him. They’re unaware that their explosive sexual encounters are providing the enemy incubus with heightened energy, making him almost impossible to defeat. Syrena’s forbidden desire and scorching lust for Ronan could destroy them both.

Blade of the Wolf is available at Ellora's Cave, Amazon, B&N and other online booksellers.

Happy Holidays, everyone!
Nicole
www.nicolenorth.com

Guest: Renee Vincent + Book Giveaway!

2011-12-20T09:41:00.001-05:00

Today our special guest is Renee Vincent. Welcome, Renee! Please tell us about yourself.

I am an author with a passionate interest in Irish and Norse history. I live in the rolling hills of Kentucky with my husband and two children on a beautiful secluded farm of horses and hay fields.

When I am not writing, I love to spend my time on the back of a horse, whether with my family or with my friends. There is nothing like feeling the sunlight on your face, the wind in your hair, and the power of the animal beneath you as you enjoy the beautiful scenery. Seeing the world from a saddle is, by far, the best view and the best therapy for a heavy heart or a troubled mind. My therapist's name, or my horse's, rather, is "Statues Suddenly Lucky", a full-blooded Tennessee Walker, and of course, he goes by the name of Lucky for short.

I am a sucker for a good cup of coffee (lots of cream and sugar...and whipped cream if I can get my hands on it), great conversation, and a lilting Irish accent. I love to read and I can't resist watching great epic historical movies.

Q: Your cover is beautiful! Please tell us about The Fall of Rain. Do you have a review you could share with us?

A: Here’s the blurb for The Fall of Rain:

Leif Dæganssen, an archeologist from Norway, is determined to trace back his Scandinavian roots as far as the Dark Ages and find proof of their existence on the Emerald Isle. After several years of living off the west coast of Ireland, he finally uncovers an ancient artifact—an intricately decorated chest with pagan carvings—buried beneath the very porch of his coastal cottage. Knowing it only confirms the presence of a glorified Norse-influenced settlement on Inis Mór, he’s determined to establish a link between himself and those who once inhabited the rugged isle.

For as long as she can remember, Lorraine O’Connor has had dreams of a Norse warrior kissing her. And even though she’s never fully understood the reason for her vivid subconscious imagination, she welcomes the meaningless and wanton pleasure of being in a Viking’s protective embrace—until the day she meets that brazen Northman on an impulsive vacation trip to Ireland.

Though blindsided by the relevance of her dreams and the strange familiarity of the man within them, Lorraine can’t help but feel a deep-seated intimacy toward Leif. And the more she gets to know him, the more she’s convinced they’ve shared a life together in a time long forgotten.

Are the clues to their ancestral past hidden within the contents of the chest or buried deep within their hearts?

Reviews:

"I know for myself I enjoyed the first two books very much. So much so, that I was excited for the third book to come out. Little did I know what book three really had in store for me. OMG doesn’t even cover it. This is my absolute most favorite book of this series. Where the first two take place deep in the past, book three finds us in the present time. How does that work, you may be asking . . . well, I would have never thought it possible until I read it for myself. Taking present time activities and adding in flashbacks from centuries past, this book offers the reader everything; drama, romance, comedy and even mystery. People and things aren’t always what they seem. In fact, you may walk away from this book never looking at that moment of déjà vu the same again. Maybe, just maybe when something feels right . . .we should remember, just who are we to question it? If you enjoy historical romances and love a story with men you would love to sink your teeth into, this is your series to get lost in. Not an ounce of disappointment to found in the pages of these books."
~ Rose That Rules All - MAGNIFICENT! ~ Romancing The Book ~ Read more >>>

Q: What inspired this story?

A: The credit would have to be given to my little sister, Lindsey, who passed away in 2005. She was the only one who read the first chapter of Raeliksen (Book 1 of The Emerald Isle Trilogy.) Her inspirational words of “finish it” months before she died led me to complete the whole story and then some. Her encouragement had helped me more than she ever probably thought possible.

Q: Why do you write romance?

A: It’s a genre I dearly love. I read only romance and they always say to write what you know. Consequently, writing heartwarming love stories comes very easy to me. If I didn’t write, I don’t know what I’d do with all these great stories in my head.

Q: Why did you choose your setting and why was it perfect for your book?

A: I chose my setting of Ireland because it’s a place I feel most at home with. Most of my research into the Viking era led me to this magical land, when the courageous men of the North stepped foot on the beautiful isle and intermarried with many of the Irish king’s daughters. I had always been intrigued by this time period in history and the brave men who ventured out on their longships with only a dream and the stars to guide them.

Q: Which of your characters is most like you? And why?

A: Lorraine O’Connor from The Fall of Rain is me to a T. The things she likes (i.e. the specific way she enjoys her coffee, the car she drives, the farm she lives on etc.) and the personality she bears, are all pieces of myself. Those who know me, should recognize the subtle character traits in the story and, honestly, it was so much fun to inadvertently put myself into the thick of the plot.

Q: Did you choose the title of your book and if so how did you do it?

A: Yes. This title (along with the heroine’s name) came to me on the day of my grandmother’s funeral. She had told the family once that her nickname growing up was Rain (short for Lorraine) and since my story takes place in Ireland, the play on words for the title was ideal. My search for the perfect title, which helped to put closure to my Emerald Isle Trilogy, had ended on that fateful morning.

Q: Where is your favorite place in the world?

A: Ireland first. Norway second. I’ve not been to either, but have hopes to go to the Emerald Isle in the very near future. I’ll keep you all posted. haha

Q: Please tell us about your other books.

A: The first in the trilogy is Raeliksen. It begins with the love story of a Norse warrior who’s in love with an Irish princess. The second book, Mac Liam, introduces the reader to an Irish hunter, also in love with the same heroine. Both books show how much the heroes love this VERY lucky woman, but The Fall of Rain, lets the reader know just how far a man in love is willing to go for that woman, even if it means sacrificing everything for her. The Fall of Rain will bring the reader full circle, and leave them with an utter feeling of content. It’s a love triangle, I swear, no romance fan should miss out on.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: I am currently writing the first book in another series called the Warrior Saga series. The hero is the older brother of Daegan Raeliksen, by the name of Gustaf, and the heroine, Aesa, is a fiery redhead he’s fallen in love with as he’s avenged his father’s murder. Gustaf was a character I introduced in Mac Liam and he’s gotten a lot of fan mail on the subject of his story. The book is called The Temperate Warrior and since I aim to please my readers, I felt compelled to give them a story they’ve begged for.

I’ll be giving away an ebook copy of any one of my backlist (Raeliksen, Mac Liam, Silent Partner – winner’s choice.) Please remember to leave your email address with your comment so we can contact you if you win. Thanks!

To buy The Fall of Rain please click below.
Amazon print
Kindle
Nook
Turquoise Morning Press
All Romance eBooks
Smashwords
Bookstrand

Places to find Renee Vincent

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Deep In The Heart Romance

Thank you, Renee, for being our guest!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

2011-12-19T06:00:00.003-05:00

A white Christmas is not unusual here in western New York, but up until yesterday it looked as if our Christmas would be green this year. But the snow started coming down and doesn't look like it's going away any time soon. So I'm finally in the Christmas mood and have been shopping and decorating and wrapping. It has nothing to do with the fact that Christmas is less than a week away!

This is the time each year when I like to share a few of my favorite holiday songs. We hear them for such a short time (although some we seem to hear over and over again!) and I love to pull out my old CDs and play them while I decorate the tree and wrap gifts. Since I just finished wrapping gifts, the songs are fresh in my mind.

Here are Natasha's top picks (in no particular order) for Christmas songs this year:

1. The Bing Crosy/David Bowie duet of Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy
2. Kathy Mattea's haunting rendition of Mary Did You Know
3. Eartha Kit's sexy Santa Baby
4. Barry Manilow and KT Oslin singing Baby It's Cold Outside (this is the one I seem to play over and over again this year.)

So, any suggestions for songs to add to my playlist?

Natasha
FLAUNT IT
RISK IT
www.natashamoore.com

Today is a Vampire Day....by Terry Spear

2011-12-17T10:51:00.000-05:00

Note that it is a vampire day here in Texas...cold, misty, foggy, wet and perfect for the wolves to stay inside today!

I had already taken leave to be off today and I still am trying to finish up the final guest blogs (3 nearly done, 1 more after that), will decorate and clean some more, and figured this is going to be another Christmas gift to me! LOL

I needed it! I'm still working like crazy, but it's less stressful if I'm not at work worrying about having to get all this done before Christmas in just a short time.

I'm talking about Life without Fantasy at All things Urban Fantasy for another giveaway. I loved Abigail's introduction: Terry is here celebrating the release of DREAMING OF THE WOLF (available now from Sourcebooks Casablanca), the eight book in her Heart of the Wolf paranormal romance series about alpha werewolves and the women who tame them.

http://allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/12/guest-blog-giveaway-terry-spear-on-life.html

and

Paranormal Haven

So I'll just post this so you can drop by if you have a chance.

I realized that I have written a book of blogs...in that I have written about 45,000 words, a good start on a 100K book, or a YA book, already to go! LOL

Off to write one more guest blog! Woohoo!! I see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Have a super Saturday!! Oh, and after the long, hot summer drought, I'm absolutely not complaining about our vampire days!

Terry

A Happy Anniversary and Shameless Self-Promotion

2011-12-15T18:46:00.004-05:00

This is the season of celebrations, and I'm actually celebrating my anniversary...my erotica writing anniversary, that is. :)

I've been a writer for many years, but my first erotica piece was published in December about five years ago. It was an short fiction piece, and it led to the the Dragon Song series. That series, about dragon shifters, started my erotica career in longer fiction, and I've been happily writing ever since.

So, I'm sharing my cover images for the series and enjoying the memories--'tis the season for memories, too--while at the same time shamelessly self promoting. Know anyone who likes dragon shifters? Have I got a gift idea for you! lol

Enjoy whatever you're reading this December. :)

The Case of the Missing Cats

2011-12-14T10:31:00.005-05:00

We have three cats. Although the two kittens were a mutual decision between the three adults that lives in this house, those kittens are mine. Everyone knows it, even the kittens. I feed them. I cuddle with them, and yes, I use baby talk when they come up to me. Sick I know. But I love them. They’re my babies.

So one of my roommates put up the Christmas tree last night. This is her Christmas tree. I could have cared less if we’d put one up—yes I’m totally Grinched out this year. It’s gorgeous. One of the biggest freaking Christmas trees I’ve ever seen. Did I mention it's HUGE!

Anyway, the cats have to be attached to me almost 24/7. It’s gotten so bad that they even bother me when I’m sleeping and I’ve gotten to where I sleep with a squirt bottle beside me. I don’t even allow my kids to sleep with me at night, so I’m sure as heck not going to let a cat. My bed is my bed.

Last night I got eight hours of solid sleep. When I woke, I quickly realized that I didn’t once have to spray a cat for swatting at my face or wrestling on the end of my bed. Kind of freaky really when it’s been a nightly process for weeks.

So I got up, hunting the babies. Didn’t take me long to realize why I was left alone:

If they knock this thing down, my roommate will kill me. LOL.

Merry Christmas:)

Esme

www.esmereldabishop.com

Scotland in Winter

2011-12-13T12:39:00.001-05:00

I haven't been to Scotland in winter. I don't like driving on icy roads here, much less on the opposite side. But I have to admit I'd love to see Scotland transformed into a winter wonderland, especially around the holidays. The landscapes turn magical in a different way and everything is frost covered and sparkling. I found some photos to show you what I mean. I didn't take these but I wish I had.

I visited Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire when everything was green and gold and when the flowers in their impressive gardens were in bloom. It is much different in the above photo.

Rannoch Moor

I have been by Rannoch Moor a few times but never when it looked like this. Brrr!

Buachaille Etive Mor in Glencoe.

I photographed this mountain in May when it was much greener. We even saw some snow in Glencoe but not this much.

Thousands of Red Deer call Scotland home and apparently they are tough enough to withstand the extreme temperatures. We saw around 300 when we visited.

A furry Highland cow eating hay in the snow.

Here is an amazing video showing snowy Scotland: Scotland Revealed: In Winter If you watch this, chances are you will fall in love with Scotland too.There are also several other episodes of Scotland Revealed you can watch on YouTube. They are excellent!

Happy Holidays!!
Vonda
www.vondasinclair.com

Gwyneth Carswell, an English lady banished by her father to the harsh Scottish Highlands, wants nothing more than to take her young son away from the violence of two fighting clans--her own distant kin, the MacIrwins, and their enemies, the MacGraths. She risks everything to rescue the fierce MacGrath warrior from the battlefield where he’s left for dead by her clan. She only knows she is inexplicably drawn to him and he wants peace as she does. When her clan learns of her betrayal, they seek vengeance. Dare she trust the enemy more than her own family?

Laird Alasdair MacGrath is driven to end two-hundred years of feuding with the MacIrwins. But by taking in and protecting Lady Gwyneth and her son, he provokes more attacks from his mortal enemy. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. With the arrival of a powerful man from her past, a horrible decision confronts her--give up her son or the man she loves.

Using Food in Romance Novels - Guest: Cassandra Carr

2011-12-12T06:00:00.002-05:00

Several times now I've used various foods in scenes between my hero (or heroes, as the case may be, *cough*) and my heroine. I know lots of people out there also incorporate various types of foods into their sexual repertoire, and I'm here to tell you - be careful what you use where!

In my book releasing tomorrow, Caught, the hero uses a candy cane to, um, pleasure the heroine. Here's my word of caution - don't insert anything that has a lot of sugar into any orifice - well, besides your mouth. Hello, yeast infection! We all know yeast infections aren't sexy, right? So how did I pull off that scene? I made my hero a candy cane purist - he buys these big, pure peppermint candy canes from some far-off specialty candy maker.

Here's an example, though the ones my hero gets are much larger. http://www.purefun.ca/products_candyCanes.html You'll notice if you look at the nutritional facts that there's very little sugar in these candy canes. But even if you use a candy cane like this it's a good idea to take a shower immediately afterward. Same goes for chocolate syrup and whipped cream, two of the most popular foods used during sex.

So, please do play, have fun...but be careful. Yeast infections are no fun, and since you oftentimes can't have sex while taking a medication to combat them, that's a double whammy! This concludes your public service announcement.

Do you have any tips for using food during sex? Leave them in the comments!

Excerpt:

'They’re really taking this politically correct thing too far.'

Stepping from the foyer into the living room, Callie spied a twinkling Christmas tree in the corner. On the mantel, a lit menorah burned, the candles flickering as the people nearby jostled for position as more and more guests crammed into the room. This was a boisterous crowd; already drinking like it was New Year’s. Advancing further into the room, she noticed the Kwanza decorations and rolled her eyes.

'Pick a holiday and go with it, people. You can’t please everyone.'

She sought out the host and hostess, old friends from her grad school days, and said hello, handing over the obligatory “Thanks for inviting me” bottle of wine. They chatted for a bit to catch up before she grabbed a cocktail and made her way toward the dining room in search of other former classmates and some food. The smells of the various delicacies wafted by, making her mouth water in anticipation. She had just gotten into town and was starving. Plopping a slice of Cheddar cheese onto a cracker, she stuffed it into her mouth and then looked up -- and everything inside her came to a screeching halt.

Jack was there.

With a beer hanging from his long, rough fingers, he leaned against the wall, casual as can be, while her world tilted on its axis. He looked so good-- still the same tall, well-muscled body, still the same olive skin, black hair, and full lips. His Italian ancestry lent him an air of exoticness, and she’d always been a sucker for that.

Her stomach roiled. The cracker caught in her throat, choking her. As she began to cough and sputter, he turned to see what the commotion was, and their gazes met. Callie watched as his eyes went dark with heat and recognition. A blush rushed up her chest through her neck and into her face. With suddenly cold fingers, she touched her burning skin.

He brought his beer to his lips and took a long pull, his tongue sneaking out to catch a stray drop from his top lip. Her gaze followed the movement. His own intense gaze never left her face. Even when his companion said something to him, he merely nodded and kept the whole of his attention on her. She took a fortifying sip of her vodka and cranberry juice, then another, longer gulp, trying to dislodge the cracker from her throat. And still he stared.

And she did the same damn thing she’d done three years ago when she’d gotten scared by his demands, his power -- she ran. Cursing herself for her cowardice, she nonetheless wove her way through the crowd, setting her drink down on the nearest available surface as she rushed past. But before she made it to the front door, she felt his hand, still chilled from holding the beer bottle, curl around her overheated arm. “Long time no see. Leaving so soon, Callie?”

BIO:
Cassandra Carr is a multi-published erotic romance writer who lives in Western New York with her husband, Inspiration, and her daughter, Too Cute for Words. When not writing she enjoys watching hockey and hanging out on Twitter. Her debut novel, Talk to Me, was released by Loose Id on March 22, 2011. Head Games, Buffalo Intimidators book 1, released on November 2, 2011 from Siren Bookstrand, Caught will release December 13, 2011 from Loose Id, and Impact is coming in early 2012 from Ellora's Cave. For more information about Cassandra, check out her website at http://www.booksbycassandracarr.com, "like" her Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCassandraCarr or follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/Cassandra_Carr.

BUY LINK:
http://www.loose-id.com/Caught.aspx

It's Feeling a Bit Like Christmas...Not!

2011-12-10T12:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, it's not snowing, but it feels like it could and I just wanted you all to know that I LOST track of time!!! Blog tour, working, writing and promoting, you know, the usual!

Anyway, while I was working late at the library last night, I was looking at the schedule because a lot of folks were changing their hours and I realized, to my absolute horror, that we only have 2 weeks until Christmas!!! What in the world happened to the 3 weeks until Christmas???

It got away from me! I need a wolf pack to help me: write some more guest blog posts, make a teddy bear, decorate the house some more, CLEAN the house, and SHOP for Christmas!!!

Argh.

Oh, yeah, and did I mention send Christmas cards? I should have been clued in when I began receiving them. Here I thought it was kind of early!

*sigh*

Today I'm at:

Literary Escapism talking about when wolves go shopping!!!

I'm at Fresh Fiction! Talking about recipes.

I'm at SOS Aloha! Where it's much hotter than it is here!
http://sosaloha.blogspot.com/2011/12/aloha-to-terry-spear-and-dreaming-of.html

I'm still at Night Owl Romance:
Celebrating the holidays, werewolf style!

And I'm at RomFan Reviews also today!
http://www.romfanreviews.com/2011/12/interview-with-author-terry-spear.html

And I'm at That's what I'm talking about!
http://www.twimom227.com/2011/12/author-guest-post-giveaway-terry-spear.html

Have a great Saturday!

Terry

"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality!"

www.terryspear.com

Friday Guest: Mari Freeman

2011-12-09T12:32:00.000-05:00

I'd like to welcome my good friend and fellow author Mari Freeman to Fierce Romance today!

I have two things to help boost my Christmas spirit right now.

First, Hot Hard & Howling comes out in print Monday, the 13^th. Merry Christmas to those of you who wait for the solid form of books. It’s always exciting to my hands on a print release. Also makes a great gift, people.

Second, Hot, Hard& Hexing is out right now in ebook! Wooo Hooo..

The story is a stand alone, but it continues the saga of the Half-Demon Ambercroft sisters. Their human side makes their Demon magic somewhat uncontrollable, so it tends to get them in a bit of trouble.

Sonja’s Demon power is psychic abilities. But in this story, she’s up against a Dreamstalker who has taken to influencing her dreams and her psychic visions in a very sexy way, distracting her and helping her make poor decisions.

Enter Ray Burgess, who quickly becomes the star of those very sexy visions. It gets hot in New Orleans as they try to rescue Sonja’s cousin from the Dreamstalker.

Lots of steamy New Orleans fun to warm up the chilly winter nights and to help relieve the stress of the season. You know…the shopping, the decorations, the bills, the rushing from one house to another….

Here’s another way to relieve stress of the stress of the season. I’m trying this recipe tonight.

Christmas Cookie Recipe (follow directions closely)

1 cup of water
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup of brown sugar
2 tsp lemon juice
4 large eggs
1 cup nuts
2 cups of dried fruit
1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequilla

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality, pour one level cup and drink. Turn on the electric mixer... Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar... Beat again. At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still OK, try another cup ... just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy. Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit, Pick the frigging fruit off floor... Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver. Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something.

Who giveshz a sheet.

Check the Jose Cuervo -- Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table. Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find.

Greash the oven.

Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner. Finally, throw the bowl through the window,

finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher..

CHERRY MISTMAS

~Mari

Visit Mari at: www.marifreeman.com

Have a great weekend!

Kristin
www.kristindaniels.com
www.facebook.com/authorkristindaniels
http://twitter.com/Kristin_Daniels

A Little Holiday Romance

2011-12-08T19:48:00.005-05:00

My apologies for the late posting. I'd planned something short and sweet for today--a book teaser-- and wrote it out in Word. Then I promptly forgot to actually post it.

It's been a looooooong week.

I'm excited about the holiday, but this time of year gets really busy at work so there's frenzied, albeit it happy, energy in the air. There's no bah humbug here. Not when there's books just waiting to be read (I've got a stack of 'em!).

'Tis the season, I say, and in the spirit it of the holiday, I'm posting the cover of my book (under a pen name) You're All I Want for Christmas. It's a spicy and quick read about a down-on-her-luck single mom and the Iraq veteran who can't wait to rescue his damsel in distress...except she thinks he's married. Will the holiday bring these two lovers a little magic and mistletoe?

I hope whatever you're reading this month is fantastic. Have a great weekend!

Research can be sooooo Frustrating!

2011-12-07T10:12:00.004-05:00

So I'm at the point in my WIP my hero's former career is coming to focus. Up until this point, I’ve alluded to what he used to do, but now I'm getting into the nit and grit as he has the talk with the heroine on why he left.

I’ve found I know nothing about business and researching it is a bitch.

Funny thing is, I've done some crazy things in the name of research. For an MMA hero, I went to a training facility, watched them train, talked to the fighters and even took a few boxing classes--and I'm truly hooked on the sport. I also had a good friend who has fought amateur help with everything else. And I had fun doing it.

For Defying Convention, I went to a Sci-fi convention. Man, was that a weekend. I have geek friends who could help me with some of the more crazy scenes that happened--yes, a friend was checked out by a nun in an elevator. And I had fun doing it.

Now I'm faced with a business career, and not just any business, it's tycoon, mega-richie business. I'm completely tycoon stupid, people. The more I research, the more I'm like what in the hell have you done, girl? I've never felt like there isn't a career, setting or plot I can't tackle. But, boy, I'm teetering on that edge now.

I don't have any Donald Trump type friends. (I would kill for some of those, and not just for research. LOL) No one to help me make what he does authentic. I'm flying blind here. Reading about it only makes things even more confusing. What should I include? How deep do I need to go? If I leave this out will the reader question me? It’s frustrating.

So what has happened? I'm at a standstill until I'm certain I have a grasp on his career. So my question today, has one of your characters ever had a career that has been hard to research? If so, how did you get over that obstacle?

Esme
www.esmereldabishop.com

A Trip Through Glen Orchy

2011-12-06T10:51:00.001-05:00

As we were leaving the B&B in Argyll, Scotland, and heading toward Loch Ness, the owner suggested we travel through Glen Orchy to check out the incredible scenery. We're glad we did! This is one of the most beautiful areas of Scotland and different from some of the other Scottish scenery.

The River Orchy

From what I can find out, traditionally the MacGregor Clan and the Fletcher or MacInleister Clan resided here, before the MacGregors were outlawed and driven from the glen in 1432. Later, the Campbells were Lairds of Glen Orchy.

A single track road runs through the glen.

Eas Urchaidh (the Falls of Orchy)

I hope you enjoyed this virtual trip through Glen Orchy. Thanks for stopping by!

Vonda

My Fierce Highlander
My Wild Highlander
www.vondasinclair.com

3 Weeks and Counting

2011-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:00

There are three weeks until Christmas and I have only bought four gifts so far. Aack! I usually am much farther ahead. I've never been one of those people who has all her shopping done by July, but I've also never been one to wait until the last minute. This year, however, I seem to be adding to my stress level. I need help!

I have ideas for our children and their families, I just have to brave the stores and make the purchases. However..I'm appealing to our Fierce Romance readers! I need some ideas for gifts for my husband. He doesn't like to get clothes. He likes something he can fuss with or play with. Last year I got him a new scanner/printer. He's working on his model railroad and gave me some ideas of train cars to buy...and then went out and bought them for himself. There should be a law! I may have to resort to a gift certificate to the local hobby shop, but I'd love to have a package or two for him.

So women, what are you giving your husband or boyfriend? Men, what would you like to find under the Christmas tree?

Natasha
FLAUNT IT - Samhain
RISK IT - Samhain
BIRTHDAY GIRL - Coming Feb 2012
www.natashamoore.com

Dark Diva's Review for My Fierce Highlander

2011-12-04T07:20:00.021-05:00

This review was done a few weeks ago but I only found it yesterday at Dark Divas Reviews. It was so awesome I wanted to share with you!

My Fierce Highlander by Vonda Sinclair
Genre: Historical Romance
Length: 300 pages

Summary:

A scandalous English lady banished to the Highlands of Scotland and an injured enemy chief join forces against her malicious and violent family. As the danger and conflict surrounding them escalate, Alasdair and Gwyneth discover an explosive passion neither of them expected. When a difficult choice faces Gwyneth, will she have to give up the honorable Highlander she has grown to love? 91,000 words

Shelly’s Review:

Gwyneth hated senseless battles with all the blood and death. She’s a healer and when she finds an injured warrior, Alasdair, she knows she has to help him. Gwyneth knows he’s the enemy, but when she finds a peace treaty on him she hopes it’s the end of the needless bloodshed.

When her clan tries to retaliate against her for helping the enemy, Alasdair takes Gwyneth and her son under his protection. When they’re in close proximity to each other, their hidden passions ignite.

A romance including a sexy highland warrior is always at the top of my favorites list, and My Fierce Highlander is just scrumptious! It’s very romantic and the sex is oh-so-steamy. Alasdair is always coming to Gwyneth’s rescue and who wouldn’t want a handsome warrior, who also happens to be a laird, coming to their rescue? She just can’t resist those sexy encounters with Alasdair and Ms. Sinclair makes them so sensual and romantic you’ll wish you were Gwyneth!

My Fierce Highlander is definitely a Must Read and you’ll be so engrossed you won’t be able to put it down! This one’s a keeper!

I’m sure you won’t want to miss the next book in the series either, so please keep an eye out for My Wild Highlander, also by Ms. Vonda Sinclair!

Rated 5 Delightful Divas by Shellyl!

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.

Storms Today, Got to get this Posted! Pronto!

2011-12-03T08:14:00.000-05:00

Giving books away at any of these sites still! So if you haven't had a chance to comment, please drop by!

I was at Literal Addiction last night on a 2 hour chat. I didn't think I'd last that long because I'd worked all day, was extremely tired from working late Thursday night, but I had a blast! Best party ever! Thanks to the ladies at Literal Addiction, and the ladies who dropped by and joined in on the party!

I'm at Cynthia Woolf's Blog today talking about Dreaming of a White Christmas...Filled with Wolves...

Book Monster Reviews

Literal Addiction

Casablanca

Preternatura

Have a super Saturday! I'm going to try and get the newsletter off, but storms might prevent me!

Terry

"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality."
www.terryspear.com

It's been a while...

2011-12-02T11:56:00.000-05:00

...since we've had something super sexy to look at -- aside from our hot covers, that is! So whataya say we have a little Eye Candy Friday? Sounds good to me, and it also sounds like the perfect way to start off the weekend.

Saddle me up!

It's the eyes. Totally. The eyes. Right?

Um... I just... Nice glasses.

Nice glasses, part deaux... Nice other stuff, too.

Ink. Gotta love it.

Legs that go on forevah...

And on that note...

I hope you all enjoy your weekend. Anyone have any plans? I'm headed out to my RWA chapter's holiday party tonight, then it's getting out my Christmas decorations tomorrow. I might even throw in a little shopping, too. Should be fun!

Enjoy!

Kristin
www.kristindaniels.com
www.facebook.com/authorkristindaniels
http://twitter.com/Kristin_Daniels

New Book Release

2011-12-01T00:01:00.029-05:00

I released a new book this week which is always exciting!

Baby, It's Cold Outside is a 25,000 word novella.

Blurb: Never hoax a man if you're going to be trapped with him in a blizzard.
Payback can be intense.
It's getting cold outside.
But hot in here.

Excerpt:

Grant watched Jenna shiver, despite the heat of the blaze that scorched his back. He didn't know why she wasn't warming up more quickly. Between the fire and the smoking hot woman in front of him, he might have to venture out into the blizzard himself to cool down. His stupid, clueless body didn't care how lame her story was.

"How long have you known my sister?" His family was a subject that could kill his libido if anything could.

"Several years. I met Kate when I first moved to Florida. Recently, I took one of the classes she teaches at the community center."

He nodded neutrally. He didn't care about the damn classes.

"You shouldn't blame Kate for anything I do," Jenna added. "She doesn't think I should be let out after dark without a keeper."

Grant eyed her bedraggled state. "She might have a point—"

"Hey! I did not pop out of a cake! I am not your singing birthday telegram! So you can just stop eyeing me like I'm your playmate du jour." She bolted upright and her feet hit the floor.

"Calm down." He moved after her as she stood, and caught her arm. He was a little appalled at the sense of dismay that had whipped through him when she started to leave. "You can't go. There's a terrible storm out there."

"I came in from that storm, and I can go right back out in it. I'm every bit as tough as I look."

He couldn't help laughing. "You don't look tough at all." Long, golden brown hair, curling a bit now that it was drying. Big brown eyes that managed to look both uncertain and inviting at the same time. And lips as full as Cupid's arched bow. Just waiting to strike and slay a man.

She wrenched her arm from his hand. "And don't patronize me."

He held up a hand and pantomimed wiping the smile off his face. "Okay then. You are tougher than that ten line algorithm I've been working on over there." He jerked his head towards his computer. "Lord knows it doesn't talk back like you do."

She stifled a giggle.

But he didn't feel like laughing any more. Her arm had still been cold and, when he considered the state of her clothes, he couldn't be surprised.

"There won't be any cabs out there, anyway," he reminded her.

"I got a cab to come here." She edged away from him.

He grasped her arm again, surprised at his own determination to keep her. "That cab driver was real anxious to hit the road and get home. He said the only good thing about this weather was that the streets are deserted."

"There's the subway."

"They have problems in bad weather, too. Besides, the way you're dressed you can't go anywhere." His eyes strayed to her tits for the hundredth time since she'd appeared. Though he tried not to be obvious, a woman couldn't dress like she did and not expect a man to look.

"You could lend me a sweatshirt."

He eyed her sexy sandals. Aside from their complete inability to protect her from the snow, he damn well knew what the message was. As would any other man who saw her in them. "I can't help you with your footwear. And a sweatshirt with your bare legs sticking out—" He shook his head. "Not safe for public viewing."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Are you kidding? You must know you have fabulous legs."

"A leg man, are you?"

"Nope. More of a boobs and butts guy myself. Since you asked." He couldn't help grinning at her flustered face. "But I like anything and everything on the right woman."

"I am not the right woman for—for whatever you might be implying."

"Don't be so defensive. You can't go anywhere 'til you warm up." He slung his arm around her shoulders. "I've got some body heat to share." He tugged her to his side.

Wow, she smelled good. Snow and roses. A potent combination. Especially when combined with a barely-there outfit, a rack to die for, and those legs.

He tried to inhale discreetly. She was up to something more than what she'd told him. He knew that for a fact. But he'd been holed up in his apartment for days, working like the devil, and he could definitely use a break. Besides, he really couldn't send her back out into the blizzard.

He glanced out the window where the snow fell silently out of the dark sky, backlit by the lights of New York City. Its beauty didn't hide its dangers. She had no money, no warm clothes, and nowhere to go, unless he chose to believe her story about the friend she could call. Which he didn't.

But, even if she was a liar, what harm could she do him? He might as well take advantage of the opportunity fate had dropped into his lap. So to speak. Because his lap was the part insisting as loudly as possible that Jenna should stay at least until it got some relief. ***

Available at Amazon Barnes&Noble Smashwords

What's equally as fun, I'm participating in a huge holiday sale with 100 other authors who are offering over 140 books available for 99 cents apiece. How can you go wrong? As we say on the site, Load up. You won't gain a pound! Check us out here:

Book Lovers' Buffet

Fur Babies

2011-11-30T18:40:00.000-05:00

Gosh, guys. Sorry about the late post today. Drama has been going on in the Bishop house today in the form of a dead car. Doesn’t that suck? You’re walking out to your car, ready to go to the bank, turn the key and…nothing. Somewhere between 8 pm when I got home from work and noon the next day, my starter decided it was going to give me the big ole finger. Thanks, starter. You made my week.

Can we talk cats?

I love mine. I do. I have two precious kittens that adore me. Out of everyone that lives in this house, those cats would live on my lap if I would let them. No one else’s. What drives me crazy is they want to live on my lap. LOL.

I spend a majority of my time, just picking them up and dropping them off the couch. I love them, cuddle them, but come on! Every second I’m in this house?

I have had cats in the past, but oh my God these two beat anything I’ve ever seen with their need for human attention. I call them the attention whores. LOL.

Do any of you have a furry baby that demands your undivided attention?

Esme

Guest: Dale Mayer and the Vampire in Denial Book Giveaway

2011-11-29T00:01:00.010-05:00

Please welcome Dale Mayer, our special guest for today!

Dale Mayer is a prolific multi-published writer. She's best known for Tuesday's Child, her romantic suspense novel that was one of the final four in the Kensington Brava/Romantic Times contest this last year. Besides her romantic suspense/thrillers, Dale also writes paranormal romance and crossover young adult books in several different genres. To go with her fiction, she also writes nonfiction in many different fields with books available on resume writing, companion gardening and the US mortgage system. She has recently published her Career Essentials Series in ebook format.

Q: Welcome Dale! Please tell us about your YA book, Vampire in Denial. And do you have a review you could share with us?

A: Vampire in Denial: Blood doesn't just make her who she is...it also makes her what she is.

Like being a sixteen-year-old vampire isn't hard enough, Tessa's throwback human genes make her an outcast among her relatives. But try as she might, she can't get a handle on the vampire lifestyle and all the...blood.

Turning her back on the vamp world, she embraces the human teenage lifestyle—high school, peer pressure and finding a boyfriend. Jared manages to stir something in her blood. He's smart and fun and oh, so cute. But Tessa's dream of a having the perfect boyfriend turns into a nightmare when vampires attack the movie theatre and kidnap her date.

Once again, Tessa finds herself torn between the human world and the vampire one. Will blood own out? Can she make peace with who she is as well as what?

This book isn't my latest release but it's one of the books of my heart. It's done very well in terms of reviews.
Here are a couple of links to reviews:
Readingtheparanormal.com
Bookerellareviews.com

Q: What inspired this story?
A: Watching my 13 year old daughter grow up in today's world, trying to fit in and feeling like that was a lost cause.

Q: What do you enjoy most about writing Young Adult?
A: Writing YAs are just plain fun for me. I write in many genres for adults and children. However my adult books are very convoluted plots with crazy twists all throughout. So writing YA is a refreshing change. The issues facing teenage characters are not so different than what adults face, but they problem solve differently. I really enjoy writing for that age group.

Q: Please tell us about your favorite character in the book.
A: Tessa is my favorite character in this book, followed by Cody. Tessa is a gawky 16 year old on a journey to finding who she is. She reminds me of my daughter and of course there are little bits of me in there.

Q: Which element of this story is your favorite?
A: I love the skills that Tessa finds, some accidentally, some through learning to embrace her heritage. She truly finds out what she can and she can't do in this book.

Q: Which element of this story was the hardest for you?
A: The hardest thing about this story was the ending. I could NOT do anything but leave the cliffhanger ending on this book. I tried to change it several times, but my muse refused. It had to stay as is.

Q: What is your writing process or method?

A: I'm a diehard pantser. An idea twigs, I sit down to a blank page and I start typing. Usually after I've done one or two scenes I have an idea for what comes next. After about 30 pages I can see the next couple of turning points. I don't plot and I don't outline. The endings ALWAYS surprise me.

Very interesting! Thanks for joining us today, Dale!

Everyone, please remember to leave a comment to be entered to win Dale's book. Also leave an email address or a way to contact you. Thanks!

Links - Website Twitter Facebook Amazon

Excerpt

Tessa hunkered down low to the ground, hidden by the long line of poplars edging the property as Cody went in for a closer look. She’d protested being left behind until Cody pulled the mom card on her. That he’d never be able to explain to her mom why he’d let her accompany him. She’d couldn't argue that.

The longer she’d studied the house, the stronger her sense of knowing grew. Jared was here. Somewhere on the property. Looking around, she realized the easy answer was to check out the sheds and outbuilding first.

Silently, she slipped inside the first outbuilding. Empty. She circled it anyway and looked for stairs, hidden doors, or rooms. Then she moved onto the next building. This one appeared to be a storage unit. Boxes and containers filled every square inch or so it appeared. She studied the level of dust and the jammed boxes. Everything appeared deserted and forgotten for decades. Empty. She couldn’t sense anything bigger than a mouse.

Back out in the night, the dogs still slept and Cody had yet to return. What if he couldn’t?

No, Cody had some serious skills, at least according to David he did. It would take a lot for someone to get the drop on him.

"Psst."

He just didn’t have much class. Turning around, Tessa watched Cody land in front of her. "There’s no sign of anything unusual going on."

"No, of course not. Why would there be? It’s not like they’re going to advertise that they've kidnapped humans." She studied the huge stone mansion. "The captives are most likely to be downstairs."

"You’re not going into the house. If you’re determined to take this further, we go back to our parents and let them take it to the council. They will determine the best course of action."

Tessa stared at him in disbelief. Everything about the night had taken on a surreal appearance. She was here, where Jared was being held, with someone who could actually help her and he wanted to go for their parents. No knight riding to the rescue here.

Then he'd been raised by the old belief that vampires don't go against vampires – without just cause. She didn’t think she could come up with enough evidence to prove her case.

"We have to at least see if they are here."

"No. No way." He pulled away and turned prepared to leave.

"Please."

"No Tessa." He shook his head, his vampire eyes glowing with terrible heat. "That’s enough. This isn’t a kid’s game. This is vampire business."

"And who’s going to believe me? No one. I’m not like you. My word doesn’t mean anything to the others. If you don’t see that Jared’s been taken and kept as a captive yourself, you won’t be able to convince them either."

He shook his head.

Fine. She'd go in alone. Turning away, she headed to the back of the house. "Go back home. I don’t need you."

"What the…" He raced behind her. "Tessa stop. You can’t go inside there. You’re not allowed."

"And they’re allowed to take humans?" She snorted. "I don’t think so." The moon slid out from behind the clouds highlighting the lower level of the house. Off to the left, a set of stairs cut down to a narrow wooden door. Probably the cellar. Perfect. She picked up the pace reaching for the knob in seconds. She bolted though the unlocked door, before Cody could drag her back out. Down a narrow hallway, she fled through another door that led to a wide open space. Empty space. Damn it. Could the prisoners have been moved already? How?

"There, are you satisfied now?"

She spun around at the sound of Cody’s voice. "No." She walked the perimeter of the room. At the far end, the room curved down and around. This place was huge. At the far end, her nostrils flared. Animal. Death. Fear. Pain.

This area had been used as housing for animals during the cold winter months. Horses, most likely. Ancient farm smells permeated the air. Hay. Manure. Blood.

"What’s the matter?" Cody whispered.

She looked at him. "Can’t you smell it?"

"Smell what?"

"Death. Pain. And an overwhelming fear."

"I can’t sense any of that. What are you talking about?"

Tessa looked at him strangely. "Not even with your vampire senses?"

He turned and lifted his nose in the smelled the air. After a moment, he shook his head and laughed. "You don’t have a clue, do you? There’s nothing there." He dropped the smile. "The fun’s over. Let’s go home."

Tessa turned her back on him. Moving closer to the one side, Tessa concentrated harder. There. Jared. Relief washed over her. He was alive. "Jared’s in there."

"What?"

But Cody was talking to empty space.

***

Tessa darted ahead of him. Half smooth walking talking vamp and half wholesome innocent human. He shook his head. What happened to David’s kid sister? He’d always been protective of her and Cody had naturally picked that up. She was different from the rest of them. Seth didn’t treat her with the same patience. And her Dad, well, he didn’t know what patience was. If it wasn’t for her mom, her life would have been much different.

On the outside she looked vampire. Hell, she looked hot. He hadn’t believed his eyes when he’d seen her tonight. He knew most of the gorgeous females in their area and she hadn’t been one of them. He'd followed her for that reason initially.

She’d smelled familiar. Then she’d turned and he caught a glimpse of Tessa in that wicked outfit. But she’d given him the rebuff. Confused, he’d withdrawn and kept a close watch. When she’d disappeared out back, he’d followed and couldn’t believe it when he’d seen her in the moonlight. He still wasn’t sure until she’d jumped. Jumped. Vampires did a lot of things, like flew, floated and even raced, but everything they did, they did with grace.

Not her. Awkward, disjointed movements, hard landings and gawky take offs. Little Tessie had somehow morphed into one hot Tessa.

His curiosity and doubt had turned to horror. She’d only ever been allowed at vampire meetings with a chaperone and sure as hell not in that ‘come hither and get laid’ outfit.

Christ, she’d looked good. And vampirish. Good enough to fool everyone there. But if her family found out, well that would be the end of life as she knew it.

Buy Vampire in Denial at:

Amazon.com

Barnesandnoble.com -

Allromanceebooks.com -

To find out more about Dale and her books, visit her at http://www.dalemayer.com. Or connect with her online with Twitter at www.twitter.com/dalemayerand on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dalemayer.author

Love Is The Answer - Guest Roz Lee

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

Love is the Answer

Family – any group of related things or beings.

Okay, so this isn’t the most common definition of family, but I like it better than any of the others. Perhaps that’s because some of my relatives fit under the ‘things’ category more than the ‘beings’ category. Shhhh! Don’t tell them I said that! I’m sure some of them think the same thing about me, so we’re even.

For the most part, we don’t get to pick our family – they’re given to us by birth, or they marry into the family – usually without asking the rest of us if we’re in agreement. I’ve sometimes wondered if it wouldn’t be more reasonable to vote on letting new people into the family. Say, your cousin wants to marry. Everyone would get a chance to meet the prospective bride, and then cast his or her vote. It’s a practical system, don’t you agree? That way, we’d have some say as to whom we’re related to.

If this had been the case in my family, I can think of a few who never would have made the cut. No one but the person they married liked them, and even that didn’t last. They should have just asked us, we could have told them they were wasting their time. We could have saved them a lot of heartache, and alimony too. But of course, that’s not the way it works. Larry McMurtry said it very well in Leaving Cheyenne - “…a woman’s love is like the morning dew, it’s just as apt to fall on a horse turd as it is on a rose.”

That’s a pretty cynical look at love, especially coming from a hopeless romantic, like me. But I’ve seen the truth in the statement, and I’m sure you have too. There isn’t any accounting for taste. So, when I was writing Four of Hearts, I kept coming back to one thing that bothered me the most. Why would anyone want more than one spouse? Marriage is hard enough when it only involves two people, so what would possess happily married people to enter into a committed relationship with someone else?

The answer is love. We have little choice in where our heart leads us. Yes, we can guide it with logic and common sense, sometimes. But just as often, our heart opens and lets someone in, against our better judgment. No amount of rational thinking will dissuade us from following a course of action that is sure to bring challenges. It’s how we handle those challenges that make the difference. We can choose to hide from them, or we can face them head-on.

My characters in Four of Hearts find themselves in uncharted waters, loving beyond their traditional marriages. Finding the right path for them is difficult – the road littered with challenges they couldn’t begin to conceive at the beginning of the relationship. There are no easy answers, and a wrong choice could destroy everything if they aren’t careful. In the end, believing in their love is the key.

Here’s a bit more about Four of Hearts. I hope you’ll enjoy the story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Blurb –

Marriage hasn’t tamed Candace Callahan’s sexual curiosity, something her husband Ryan is grateful for, but when she asks him to tie her up for her anniversary present, he knows he’s going to need the help of their friends, Richard Wolfe and his wife, Fallon.

Dr. Fallon Enright is the resident sex therapist aboard the Lothario - the cruise ship co-owned by her husband and Ryan Callahan. When Ryan asks to participate in one of their couple’s rope bondage classes, Richard isn’t sure it’s a good idea, but Fallon assures him all will be well.

What begins as innocent curiosity, blossoms into a polyamorous relationship none of them could have expected, but they are powerless to ignore. When the tabloids expose their new lifestyle, the foursome must choose between the love they feel for each other, or accepting society’s moral constraints.

Excerpt –

Candace was through trying to understand him. After their first sexual encounter with Richard and Fallon, Ryan had retreated into his shell, and it had taken her a week to coax him back out. This time was different. This time he wouldn’t leave her alone. On some level, she knew it was a good problem to have, an attentive husband, but on another level, she wanted some time alone.

For two weeks, Ryan had dogged her steps like he was attached to her by an invisible cord. She couldn’t shower without him in the shower with her, or standing guard in the bathroom. The one time he left the island to check on the resort construction project, he’d insisted she go along. He was beginning to remind her of gum on the bottom of her shoe.

“Ryan, go away.”

“I’m okay here. Don’t mind me.”

“How can I not mind you? You’re making me nervous.” She waved the knife she was using to cut up the fruit for their lunch. “Go to the beach. Come back in half an hour. Lunch will be ready then.”

“I like watching you.”

Candace slammed the knife down on the counter. “I love you. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be here when you get back. I promise.”

The man was beyond exasperating. He slumped in the kitchen chair and crossed his
ankles and his arms. “I don’t want to go to the beach. I want to stay here.”

Candace walked around the kitchen island, pulled out another chair and sat. “Ryan, tell me what’s going on. Richard is emailing every day wondering when you’re going to do the Employee Performance Reviews. You follow me around like you’re stuck to my shoe. I’m not complaining about you being an attentive husband, but really, Ryan, is it necessary to be with me every second? What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I just feel uneasy about being away from you.”

She gentled her voice and leaned in close. “I’m not going anywhere.” His eyes were hard, distant. “There’s something else going on. I can see it in your eyes. What are you afraid of?”

“I’m not afraid of anything. It’s…I don’t know. I can’t shake this feeling that our lives are changing and…I…I don’t want it to change.”

“Is this about the time we spent with Richard and Fallon? Are you afraid that changed things between you and me?”

“No. If anything, I love you even more than I did before, but yeah, this started then. I can’t explain it.”

“That was a special time, for all of us. Our relationship with them is different now because of it, but not in a bad way. I love you, Ryan. I love you more than I ever thought possible, but a part of me loves Richard and Fallon too. I wish we could all find a way to be together, but…”

“Don’t go there. We aren’t going there. I made promises to you, and I’m going to keep them.”

“Is that what this is about? Are you afraid your feelings for Richard and Fallon are the same as breaking your promises to me?” His silence confirmed her analysis. “Don’t you see? The promises we made to each other are still valid. Nothing in those promises prohibited us from loving beyond just you and me. I know you won’t act on your feelings without my consent, and you know in your heart, I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do. That’s how strong our love is. I’ll do anything to keep you, even deny my love to expand to include Richard and Fallon.”

“I don’t want you to deny your feelings. I want you to have everything. I’m trying to wrap my head around this, but our lives are changing in a way I don’t understand. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”

Candace sank to her knees between his, and took his hands in her own. His hard eyes pleaded with her to understand. “You’ll never lose me. I would give up anything, but you. You are non-negotiable.” She flashed her wedding band at him. “I have a no-trade agreement. You’re stuck with me.”

He pulled her to his lap and held her tight. “Same goes. No-trade.”

Author Bio –

Roz Lee has been married to her best friend, and high school sweetheart, for over three decades. These days she splits her time between their home in rural New Jersey, and Southern California, where her husband works. Even though she’s lived on both coasts, her heart lies in between, in Texas. A Texan by birth, she can trace her family back to the Republic of Texas. With roots that deep, she says, “You can’t ever really leave.”

Roz and her husband have two grown daughters they couldn’t be more proud of, and are currently raising a eleven-year-old Labrador Retriever, Betty Boop, who isn’t aware of her canine heritage.

When Roz isn’t writing, she’s reading, or traipsing around the country on one adventure or another. No trip is too small, no tourist trap too cheesy, and no road unworthy of traveling.

Find Roz –

Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Buy links –

Red Sage
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks

Black Friday?

2011-11-26T08:03:00.000-05:00

What do you do for Black Friday?

Usually, we put up the Christmas tree and decorations. This year, I'm still in Houston, soon to be headed home, and then I've got work. But after that, I'll probably start hauling in the boxes.

I would do it on Saturday, but have to work on Saturday too. I'm hoping it won't be bad because on Tuesday night, I had to cover for 2 people who called in sick and another who went on vacation, and Wed, another 2 called in that they couldn't make it and I was scrambling to find coverage for the 2 of us who were left so we could have lunch breaks.

*sigh* So with that kind of record already, I'm just hoping that the 4 of us scheduled actually all turn up.

Hopefully, everyone will be enjoying family, traveling, or Christmas shopping and it'll be quiet at the library so we ca get caught up. Hopefully!

So what do YOU plan to do for Black Friday? Is it your usual, or something new?

Oh, and I have to tell you, we played a fun board game called "A Touch of Evil." We had to kill the bad werewolf. My SIL told me that the werewolf was not the sexy kind like I write about. LOL

And we played LA Noir, a fun game where we tried to solve arsons, and murder, etc, set in the 1940's. The most fun was driving the car through LA, trying to reach the crime scenes and well, let me say I was a reckless driver, having the worst time staying in my lane or not weaving across the street, or running over street lamps, light signals and running into other cars. I was teasing my SIL about HIS reckless driving. But I have to admit it was easy to leave black skid marks on the pavement, and wreak havoc all over the city when we were supposed to be solving the crimes. I was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down my cheeks. Just too fun.

Hope you had fun too!

Have a super weekend, and let me know what you're up to!

Terry
"Giving new meaning to the term alpha male where fantasy IS reality."

www.terryspear.com

Great Review for Leap of Faith!

2011-11-25T11:06:00.000-05:00

The first review for Leap of Faith is in! Yay! It's always a little nerve-wracking to see the link for a review for something you've written pop up in your inbox. Will they love it? Will they hate it? Aggghhh, the suspense! I'm happy to report, however, that this was a GREAT review. Let me share it with you :)

Blurb:

When her grandmother bequeaths her a black pearl choker, Mia’s intrigued. Even more mysterious is the note accompanying the gift, telling Mia her heart will know when she should wear the necklace. And it does. As she dresses to attend a company party, Mia somehow knows it’s time to don the choker.

When Mia meets Logan at the party, their mutual lust is instantaneous. Only after the man gives her an unexpected, mind-blowing orgasm under the full moon does Mia learn Logan is vying for the same promotion she’s worked so hard to win. Despite that, their smoldering attraction remains, urging them to indulge in further pleasures of the flesh. Then they discover the small charm hanging from the choker’s clasp—a charm engraved with a love spell.

Are their sizzling desires nothing more than a magical push from her grandmother? Mia will have to take a leap of faith to discover if Logan is The One.

Reviewed by Donna at You Gotta Read Reviews:

Do you believe in magic? Love at first sight? Is there even a difference between the two? Mia has just met the man of her dreams, literally, and experiences an inexplicable mutual attraction that draws them together almost against their will. Neither Logan nor Mia have ever felt anything so powerful as the pull that makes them completely unable to resist each other. Ms. Daniels has woven a story with enough scorchingly hot sex to label it an erotica, enough romance to label it a love story and just enough magic to make me want to read more! I didn't want to put this book down. The only thing that could have made it any better would have been to make it a little longer, but for a novella, this was an excellent read.

Yay, right? Yes, very yay! The review made my day. Big, huge thanks to Donna for her kind words. And now, along with all the other crazies out there, I can go get some Black Friday shopping done -- I need to start chiseling away at all those Christmas lists.

Have a great weekend!

Kristin

www.kristindaniels.com

www.facebook.com/authorkristindaniels

http://twitter.com/Kristin_Daniels

A Little Thanksgiving Romantic Fiction

2011-11-24T15:46:00.005-05:00

For this holiday, I put together a little romantic fiction for you. Created between shopping trips and pre-meal preparation, it hasn't been revised. I hope you enjoy it anyway. Have a great holiday everyone!

The Thanksgiving Treat
An familiar smell filled the air in his kitchen and Eric frowned. He inhaled deeply, recognizing the delicious aroma wafting from next door. Peanut butter cookies.
Not good. Not good at all.
This was the third Saturday in a row that his gorgeous next door neighbor, Evie Walters, baked some kind of delectable treat as opposed to the comfort foods she usually prepared after a Friday night foray into the dating scene. Over the last several months, her pattern hadn’t changed.
A so-so date netted some kind of chicken or potato dish, while a bad date meant a casserole of some kind. A horrible date translated into a pasta dish with which Evie could enjoy a relaxing and somewhat analgesic glass of her favorite port. Good dates, which had been few and far between to Eric’s secret relief, meant the neighborhood kids would enjoy cupcakes or cookies or fudge, and so would he. The good dates never got past one Saturday treat, so three meant Evie was serious about someone, and it wasn’t him. His gut tightened.
His cell buzzed, drawing away from his misery. He checked the caller and sighed.
“Hey sis. What’s up?” he asked, knowing this conversation wasn’t going to make him feel any better.
“You’re an idiot,” his sister Jessa stated. Great, just what he needed. He tried not to let his irritation show, but as the essence of the peanut buttery treat engulfed him, he snapped.
“And why is that?”
“You haven’t asked her out yet, have you? And you’ve got a perfect excuse. You need a date for Thanksgiving next week or the entire family is going to roll their eyes at you for being such a weenie.”
“How’s that? None of them know about Evie except…”
“I told them. I told them you’ve been waiting for her to get over her divorce before asking her out. For over a year. They laughed, and they’ll laugh at you if you show up alone next week.”
Eric rubbed his hand over his face. He loved his family dearly, but Jessa was right. Most of them served with distinction in the military, including Jessa, who made a much better sergeant than a confidante. They’d think, even after his service in Iraq and his heading his own security firm, that his situation qualified as hilarious.
How could he tell his sister that he’d waited too long and now Evie found some other guy to give her goodies to? He pictured her curves and her smile and her long brown hair and her sparkling eyes. Damn it! Jessa was right. He was an idiot.
Her voice brought him back to reality.
“What’s she cooking today?”
“Peanut butter cookies. The third Saturday in a row she’s baked treats,” he answered glumly, mentally kicking himself. He should have gone over and stopped this madness after the chocolate cupcakes last week. With the marshmallow icing. How could he have not seen this coming?
It’s not like he and Evie weren’t friends already. It’s not like they didn’t get along well and sometimes even went grocery shopping together. It’s not like they hadn’t sat on his porch sipping wine a couple of times.
“Those are your favorite. Stop being such a dork and ask her for one.” With that command and a click, Jessa ended their conversation.
If Eric hadn’t already decided to follow Jessa’s firm advice, the sight of Dirk the Jerk, the neighborhood lothario, strutting up to Evie’s door would have convinced him to do what he should have done months ago. He stormed out the door, his mission set.
By the time he made it to Evie’s walkway, Dirk the Jerk, smirking and hands full with a tray of pastries he probably coaxed her into creating for one of his half-baked schemes, swaggered toward his car parked at the curb. He winked at Eric.
“Nice goodies, huh, Eric? They love ‘em at the bingo parlor,” he said, his emphasis on “bingo parlor” making it clear he’d made it up to get a chance at Evie.
Eric resisted the urge to pummel the scumball and stalked toward Evie’s porch. She stood in her doorway, rocking a day dress and apron combo that hugged her figure and made Eric’s heart pound. She smiled, and every part of him tightened. He opened his mouth, but words failed him. Evie stared, her expression expectant.
“I-May I have a peanut butter cookie?” Eric stammered, and Evie grinned.
“Thought you’d never ask,” she said, her perfect pouty lips suddenly more inviting than ever.
“What?”
“They’re you’re favorite, aren’t they? Figured so. I’ve been watching what you put in your shopping cart. I've cooked all your favorites--chicken, potatoes, every casserole I can think of, pasta... I thought I'd never get you over here."
Eric grinned and stepped closer, plucking a peanut butter delight from the plate in Evie’s hand. This Thanksgiving was going to be much better than he thought.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Traditions

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. It is one of the less stressful holidays for me, and one I really look forward to each year. One, I can’t wait for my mom’s dinner. Her stuffing rocks!

Anyway, we have a very odd family tradition, but it works for us. Today, I will pack up my kids and my nephew and head to my mom and dad’s house. I plan to get there early, because I have a full day to spend with the kids. Usually, we will take them to do something fun. There is an awesome place in my hometown that is so much cooler than Chuck E Cheese that I love to take the kids to when we are in town, and I play just as hard as the kids do. Video games, bumper cars, and laser tag. Yes!

Afterwards, we’ll come home where we have dinner. This isn’t Thanksgiving dinner, this is all the goodies we love dinner. This year is hot dogs, bacon and breakfast crescents. Yes, you read the right. I wanted hot dogs (my mom’s slaw rocks!) and my sister wanted bacon and the breakfast crescents. Then we’ll all gather around the dining room table and play games and the adults will have a couple of drinks.

Every year for as far back as I can remember, we wake up bright and early and go to the annual Flea Market held on Thanksgiving morning. Unfortunately, flea markets aren’t as cool as they used to be. Back when I was younger, flea markets were more like a huge yard sale and you could find all kind of treasures. Nowadays, it’s a bunch of junk. Really. You can buy deodorant, or if it really tickles your fancy, Hamburger Helper. I’m not joking. But even with the change in the flea market, not going would just feel wrong.

When we get back, football comes on and then we eat dinner. Then everyone gathers around the living room and promptly falls asleep. Do you know how funny it is to walk into a room and every sofa and chair has someone in it asleep?

So what are your Thanksgiving traditions?

Esme

www.esmereldabishop.com

Scotland Travel Tips + Calendar Contest

2011-11-22T11:48:00.001-05:00

I love visiting Scotland! It’s my favorite vacation destination. But it’s far different from heading to the beach here in the Southern US, although I love that too. For those planning to travel to Scotland for the first time, I hope these travel tips will help. I learned some of these the hard way. :)

If you’re jetlagged or weren’t able to sleep on the plane, give yourself a day or two to rest up. Most flights from the US to Scotland are at night. And you lose five hours in the transatlantic flight. Going for 36+ hours with no sleep is exhausting and makes it difficult to enjoy sightseeing the first day. But if you CAN sleep on the plane, you’ll have fewer problems. Allow a few days to get fully adjusted to the time change and be aware that in summer there’s very little darkness.

Any time you visit Scotland, especially the Highlands, from spring to fall, you should probably dress for late fall/ early spring in the US. Forget the sandals, shorts, Capri pants or any other type of summer clothing, unless you’re staying in Southern Scotland. I’ve heard of some people having to buy a whole new wardrobe once they arrived because they misjudged the weather. The further north you go, especially into the Highlands and Islands, the colder it gets. The weather in Scotland is unpredictable and can change in five minutes. It rains A LOT and the wind is usually cold and brisk, even in summer. In certain areas, it can snow any month of the year, although this is probably rare in July and August. But I have seen snow in June. I’ve found it easiest to layers of sweaters and jackets that I can add to or remove depending on the temperature. A good rain jacket or rain coat with a hood is a must. Not only does it protect you from the driving rain you might be caught out in, but it also acts as a windbreaker. Umbrellas are useless most of the time because of the wind. Ski hats can even be worn in June. Sure, the Scots might laugh at you, but you will be warm. LOL Some especially cold and windy places are coastlines and the tops of mountains.

For your first visit to the UK or any country where they drive on the opposite side of the road, it’s probably best to let someone else drive you around until you learn the flow of traffic. Once you’re ready to tackle driving on the left, go online and learn British road signs. These signs might be on posts or they may be painted on the road. Online, you can learn how traffic circles or roundabouts work, if you’re unfamiliar with them. There are tons of them in the UK. Watching videos at YouTube can help you get used to both roundabouts and driving on the left.

While driving in Scotland, watch for red deer, which could be on the road.

Ditto for the sheep.

Making use of a pull off or passing place.

Unless you like driving 80 MPH on narrow, curvy roads, on the wrong side of the road, cars will likely ride your bumper. It’s probably best to pull over into the pull-off or passing spots, marked with a sign--a “P” on a blue background. Or a different sign that says "Passing Place." The Scots will appreciate this and show it by honking their horns briefly.

If you’re going anywhere away from the large cities of Scotland, remember to take food and water with you. In some of the smaller towns and villages, you should be able to find restaurants open at reasonable hours from mid-spring to mid-fall. But if it’s after hours or mid-fall to mid-spring, don’t expect many restaurants to be open. Your options may be limited. This is a good thing. It simply makes you appreciate the food you find that much more. LOL One night we had planned to eat at a pub, the only restaurant in the area, but there was a power outage. Good thing we had snacks.

You want to have phone service here.

Unless you already have an international calling plan, the most economical and easiest way to call back to the US is to buy an inexpensive mobile phone in Scotland at Tesco or similar store. This will be around 20 GBP. And then you can top-up the minutes 10 or 20 GBP at a time, depending on how much you plan to call and how long you’re staying. The per-minute charge is low (around 7 cents per minute when I was there) and each top-up is good for a month. You can buy top-ups at most stores, even gas/petrol stations. If you’re traveling in the Highlands or in rural areas mostly, Vodafone will give you the most reliable service. Some of the other carriers work fine in the cities but rarely in the Highlands or even a few miles outside the cities.

Scotland’s superstores or supercenters are Tesco and ASDA. They’re similar to Wal-Mart in that they sell food, clothing and a lot of other necessities at low prices. You may find you need an extra jacket, batteries, a phone, food or something to drink and these would be a good place to find things like that without breaking the bank. They rarely sell souvenirs or cool things made in Scotland. Go to smaller shops for that. Scotland also has Coops which are similar to superstores in that they sell a wide variety of things, but they’re smaller and will be found in the smaller towns that don’t have superstores.

No superstores out here.

If you’re driving yourself around, it’s easiest to plan out beforehand the sites you want to visit and directions for getting there or the location so you don’t waste time getting lost and trying to find your way around. You can use Google Maps online for planning. This will also give you information about driving time. For me, using a GPS with the UK card was the best way to do this. I’ve found mine to be accurate most of the time. Before you leave home, you can type in the addresses or postal codes of the hotels, B&Bs, castles and other sites you want to visit. Of course you’ll also want to allow for some free time to rest, or for spur of the moment exploring. If you're anything like me, you'll need to figure extra time into driving time because of stopping a lot and taking pictures. :)

Kilt Rock. Definitely a place to stop for photos.

If you’re going with your spouse or significant other, be aware that most Scottish beds for two people are double, which to me is way too small. Queen-sized or king-sized beds are difficult to find unless the hotel or B&B has been recently renovated. Single beds are also plentiful.

I’ve found National Car Rental to be the most economical for car rental or car hire. We were able to get an automatic for around 400 GBP for two weeks. Automatics are hard to come by in the UK so if you can drive a manual, shifting with your left hand, the cost should be even less. If possible, reserve one ahead of time, but this doesn’t guarantee your car will be there when you show up. Don’t you just love surprises like that? :)

Gas or Petrol in the UK is more expensive than it is in the US but most of their cars get far better gas mileage. The last one we rented (see photo above) got 50 miles per gallon.

Dornie

Some people like to look for B&Bs or hotel rooms wherever they happen to be that day. I don’t like the uncertainty of this. I like to book rooms ahead of time so I’ll be sure and have a bed for the night in a place that has received good reviews. In summer, or high season, (or in popular tourist areas like Isle of Skye) rooms could potentially all be booked by the time you arrive. There are many ways to book rooms. If you have a phone plan that allows you to call the UK, this will be the easiest way. If not, you can book some hotels and B&Bs online, either through emailing the owner direct, or booking online via a form and secure credit card payment. Not many Scottish businesses accept Paypal, but you will find a few that will.

Do you have any Scotland travel tips to add to my list? I'm still learning so I'll take all the tips I can get.

CONTEST: each person who comments will be entered into a drawing for a 2012 Scotland calendar made with my photos. You can either leave a travel tip, a suggestion for a must see site, or the place you most want to visit in Scotland. Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you. This contest is open until Dec. 1 and the winner will be drawn at random.

Thanks for checking out my post!!
Vonda

www.vondasinclair.com

Word of Mouth?

2011-11-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

How do you find books to read?

Do you browse the bookstore shelves or the online recommendations? Do you stick with authors you know? Publishers you know? Are you drawn to a sexy cover? An intriguing blurb? Do you depend on reviews?

Or do you rely on word of mouth?

Authors are readers first. I'm always looking for good books to read. I consider recommendations the best way to discover new books to enjoy. That doesn't always mean face to face conversations because most of my friends and co-workers don't read what I like, although I have tried some new authors/genres and discovered some favorites that way.

I've discovered some great new, or new-to-me, authors from Twitter. But not from author promo. From readers mentioning a great book they just read. I love reading several tweets about the same book from excited readers. I always check them out.

It's also a reminder for me, for all of us, to let others know when we've read a book we love. Not just because you want to talk about the story with someone else (although that may often be the reason with my face to face friends) But it can be simply because you want others to get the same enjoyment you did. And because you want to support your favorite authors and let them know you loved what they wrote. And because of that, they'll write even more stories for you to love.

And it's all from word of mouth.

For those of you who like to read reviews, I'm thrilled with the one I just received for RISK IT, my newest release. Marika from Harlie's Book Blog starts by saying:

"Natasha Moore has written a book that should be on everyone's list to read and discuss with their partner, married or not. Its thought provoking, sexy and is written with a intimate knowledge of when a marriage is on the edge of unraveling." You can read the rest of the review here.

How do you find books to read? And do you have any recommendations for me??

Natasha
FLAUNT IT - Paolo's Playhouse #1
RISK IT - Paolo's Playhouse #2
www.natashamoore.com