Dawn's Reading Nook

Riptide Press's Storm Grant is here & a Contest

2012-02-23T03:00:00.000-05:00

Contest Information is after the interview.

Welcometo Dawn’s Reading Nook, Storm Grant. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you adrink and make yourself at home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down tobusiness.

Q: What do you consider to be the keyelements of a great story?

Character is always the key. Whether amystery, sci-fi or romance—especially romance—a great, memorable character isthe most important part of a book. After that, I’d say plot. What makes thischaracter’s journey different from any other book out there? What happens tohim/her? How do they react? How do they grow and change? Show your reader agreat character going through a character-building journey or experience, andyou’ll hook your reader from the start.

Q: Could you tell us a little about howyou develop your characters? Who has been your favorite character to write? Themost challenging?

In my latest release from Riptide, FEW ARECHOSEN, I wrote about a teenage boy who’s a “Chosen One” in the traditionalsense. Not a Buffy type who comes into their role after a normal upbringing,but someone who’s been raised within a dedicated order of monk-like older men.He’s be exposed to the outside world, but isn’t really of it.

Since he’s a teen, which I haven’t beenfor a loonnggg time, and he’d led an unusual life, I had to put myself intothat headspace. What are teens in 2012 like? How would he be like a normalteen? How would he be different? I hung around the local mall’s food courtwatching teens until I worried Security would have me arrested.

Q: What is your favorite way to relaxafter a hard day working and writing?

They say writing is a lonely profession,but I don’t find it so. If I’m not interacting with other writers and readersvia the internet, I’m out having dinner or visiting with other writers,attending lectures on writing, or supporting my peers at their readings andsignings.

I belong to the Toronto Romance Writers, achapter of the Romance Writers of America, and have made many writer friendsthrough that group. A few of us have formed a brainstorming group, and we gettogether at least once a month to plot or work on marketing materials for ourbooks.

Since writing is my obsession, I relaxfrom a long day of writing by talking about writing.

Q: What is the one era you would love togo visit and why?

To answer a variation on that question,what I really want is a do-over for my own life. I want to go back to the 70sand re-live my life from there forward with what I know today. That young galneeded some guidance—or rather she had the guidance from good parents, but sheneeded to listen. And I’d tell her not to get that perm!

Q: What is one historical figure you wouldlove to chat with and why?

Hard question. I’m not a person who looksbackwards very much. Most of the people I admire are current. Maybe go visitGutenberg and thank him for the printing press.

Q: Please tell us about your latestrelease. What inspired it?

I was watching a cop show where the copsshow up and clash with another law enforcement group that’s working the samecase. Then I thought what if this happened with paranormal enforcers? Then Idecided a young apprentice warrior would go out after his first demon, only todiscover he’s not the only Chosen One. It rocks his little world at first, butthen first kill turns into first kiss turns into first time. It’s acharacter-driven piece about a young man’s exploration of both his destiny andhis sexuality.

Q: What genres and authors would we findyou reading when taking a break from your own writing?

Anything funny. I read across genres inorder to find the funny. I love the Stephanie Plum series, Discworld,Hitchhiker’s Guide. Lately I’ve been reading funny mysteries. I didn’t realizemurder and mayhem went so well with mirth!

Q: What do you hope readers take with them,after reading one of your stories? What do you hope they feel, or learn?

I want to make people laugh. Although FEWARE CHOSEN isn’t so much a laugh-out-loud story as a story to make you smilewhile you watch Blake St. Blake’s growing pains. It has some surprising twistsand some charming moments. Plus my demon is truly awesome.

Q: If you could describe yourself in threewords, what would they be?

Nasty, brutish and short? No, wait. That’swhat 15^th century philosopher Thomas Hobbes said about life. Me? I’mfunny, caring and short. You can see how I got that mixed up.

Q: What is the strangest source of writinginspiration you’ve ever had?

My first novel began with a flash of animage. A man has another man pressed up against the wall in a sexy come-onwhile the other man turns his head away. Not pushing him away, but claiming tobe straight while obviously sending a very mixed message. I thought: this issexy, now how do I make it a love story? And so I wrote: GYM DANDY: A gay tale of seduction and denial, humorand sweat.

Q: So a bit of naughty truth, do you everdo a little real life research to make your books spicy or do you justhave a great imagination?

Whenever I do a reading, invariablysomeone asks, “How do you, a straight woman, do the research for an m/mromance?” My answer? “I have slept with men.” It gets a laugh, but it’s thetruth. Romance is about the characters and their relationship. After many yearsof dating many men, followed by many years of marriage to the same man, I thinkI know as much about men as an outside observer can.

Q: What is the most ridiculous thing thatyou have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did?

Oh, no. The ridiculous stuff I keep. It’sthe serious stuff I cut. In my shifter novel, SHIFT HAPPENS, I have a characterimprisoned and forced to labour against his will alongside a number of othercaptives. Originally I had several scenes from the captive character’s point ofview including torture and attempted rape. I then decided this had no businessin a novel with an overlay of humor, so I cut those scenes, and instead, gavethe rescuer a dream in which he (and through his vision, the reader) gets anoverall impression of the imprisonment without any of the details. Bye-byethree entire chapters!

Q: Want to tell us about any projects youare working on?

Last year I wrote a mainstream novel (ifyou can call a novel set in Hell with all sorts of wacky characters andcreatures mainstream) that landed me an agent. She’s currently shopping itaround. Then just last month I completed another mainstream novel. I’m in theprocess of polishing that and will send it to my agent shortly.

Q: Anything else you want to add?

FEW ARE CHOSEN is my first YA book, but Ithink I really got into the main character’s head. He’s your normal sulky,self-oriented kid, but also out to save the world. It’s a hard balance for ayoung person, and by the end of the book, he finds he doesn’t have to do it alone.

Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy FEW ARECHOSEN.

Contest from Storm Grant.....

Play The Name Gamefor FEWIS CHOSEN and win a copy of ALL THREE of these entertaining booksfrom Storm Grant’s backlist: GymDandy, ShiftHappens, and Tartand Soul. (Two full-length novels and a novella!)

1. What is Shadow’s real first name? ___ ___ ___ ___

2. What is Shadow’s mentor’s first name? ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

3. What is the name of the Order that raised and trainedBlake? The Order of the ___ ___ ___ ___

How to enter: DONOT POST YOUR ANSWERS! Instead, to qualify:

1. Email your answersto the three questions, above, to storm.grant@gmail.com.

2. Then post acomment to this blog stating that you’ve emailed your entry.

You may enter once for each stop on the blog tour, therebyincreasing your chances of being the grand prize winner!

One grand prize winner will be selected March 5^th.

Blog tour, detailshere.

-- - - - - - - -

Storm Grant Bio: Storm Grant is a writerof short and long tales, her work spanning both genres and genders. Storm'sstories offer titillation and merriment, and in a few cases, horror. In thelast few years, she’s published with MLR, Torquere, Phaze, Blood Bound Books,eXessica, Amber Quill, and Riptide Publishing.

StormGrant (also writing as Gina X. Grant)

Email / Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

FEW ARE CHOSEN by Storm Grant

YA Paranormal

Sparks flybetween virgin teenage demon hunters when the Chosen Oneturns out to be… the Chosen Two?

Apprentice warrior Blake St. Blake is the Chosen One, raisedby an ancient order to defend the world against evil. Well, maybe not the wholeworld, but at least his neighborhood in downtown Detroit.

When a dreaded reflux demon is sighted in a local cemetery,Blake is sent off to his very first battle, armed with his sword, hissuper-senses, his black leather duster, and a few well-rehearsed one-liners.

But another Chosen One gets in Blake’s way—an apprenticewizard named Shadow. While the boys argue about who’s the more chosen of thetwo, the demon escapes.

Blake wants to be angry, but it turns out he and Shadow havea lot in common. Besides, Shadow’s pretty cute, and Blake can’t help but thinkthat the wizard’s skills (and hands and lips and other bits) might make theperfect complement to his. Blake and Shadow are brave enough to challenge thereflux demon in a second battle, but will they have the courage to tell eachother how they feel?

Excerpt:

Crouching low, I followed the noise toward the hugemausoleum in the middle of the graveyard. A massive demon stood before thecrypt. It was like no demon I’d ever seen before. Okay, I’d never seen onealive before. The tomes and scrolls I’d studied did not do justice to my evilfoe in the flesh.

Its eyes bulged from its toad-like head, which swiveledabout, searching for prey. I stepped further back into the shadows. It sniffedat the air, its noseless nostrils hairy and moist. Where its bare flesh pokedout of its clothing, its pink skin rippled as if walnut-sized parasites roamedbeneath it. It raised a giant ax. For a moment I thought the ax was its hand, until the clouds driftedaside and moonlight illuminated filthy clawed fingers wrapped around the axhandle.

An awful grating sound echoed from the depths of itsflabby belly, sending a wave of flame and noxious fumes on its putrid breath. Itried not to cough, reining in my enhanced sense of smell. It pursed its puffyred lips and horked. Where the spit landed, the earth sizzled. Only one type ofdemon belched fire and spit acid: the dreaded reflux demon!

According to my studies, the reflux was a crafty sonof a bitch. It’d be no easy prize to be won with a few sword strokes and awitty one-liner.

I felt my phone buzz against my hip, but chose toignore it. I knew it’d be Hadley calling to remind me not to engage.

But how could I not? Who knew when I’d get another chance?Or how much damage the reflux would do before I could dispatch it?

I rose from my half-crouch, a war cry gathering in mythroat. My balls once again surged upward. Ignoring my scaredy-cat testicles, Itook a deep breath, raised my sword, and rushed at it.

“Fear me, oh spawn of Satan. For I am Blake St. Blakeand I have come to return you to Hell!”

I had to slow my run a bit to get that all out beforeI arrived.

A flicker of movement caught my eye, but it was toolate for me to stop my charge.

Another creature sprang from the darkness, weapon atthe ready, crying, “Yo, asswipe. I’m gonna rip off your head and spit down yourthroat!”

I ground to a halt in front of the confused demon. Andhonestly, I was as confused as it was. I didn’t know which one to smite: theax-wielding, acid-spitting, fire-belching demon, or this other thing, cloakedin dark cloth and brandishing a glowing stick.

My Personal Review for Blue Cruise by Liz Crowe

2012-02-21T01:00:00.000-05:00

Can one man find the strength to let himself fall in love again after the loss of his lover two years before? Get aboard the Turkish Blue Cruise and find out if Caleb will open his heart to Adem or if he is destined to be alone-forever?

My Rating of Blue Cruise is: 3 & half Stars

Caleb thought his life was perfect. He had a job he loved,was comfortably well off and found love in Turkey,a land he loved. Tarkan was unlike anyone American Caleb met before and thesetwo fit perfectly together. Until fate stepped in and in one instant destroyed Caleb’sworld. Now two years have passed and Caleb hasn’t been able to forget the oneman who stole his heart or let himself move on to another relationship. Forcedto go on another ‘Blue Cruise’ in Turkey by his friend Elle, Caleb finds morethan he imagines when he confronts the land he has avoided and the memories ofhis love for Tarkan. Can Caleb let himself find love again in the arms of Adem,his 1NS date?

Blue Cruise is a fun, heartwarming story that will take your breath away from the first page to the last. I loved how this author incorporated the Turkish culture in her story and felt it enhanced it even more-gave it that exotic appeal that made it much more lush.The story was fast paced, writing was tight and the characters were quite enjoyable. I felt for Caleb as he found love then lost it all in a blink of an eye. That was the heart of the story as Caleb found the strength to move on even as his heart broke at forgetting the one man who made such a difference in his life.

This is an author who knows how to craft complex, vulnerable characters that shine in a story. Caleb is a man conflicted as he tries to move on with his life. Adem remembers the love he saw between Tarkan and Caleb and wonders if he is a substitute to Caleb. The characters take center stage in Blue Cruise and frankly this is what drew me into the story. I felt the emotions of the characters and found that I was tearing up int he beginning as Caleb lost his love. Ms. Crowe delivers a story that is at times, an emotional journey as well as a spiritual one as Caleb figures out moving on with his life doesn't mean letting go of Tarkan. The secondary characters were a delight and I enjoyed them all. They helped move the story along nicely.

Blue Cruise is a wonderful story of love, loss and love again. Liz Crowe delivers a powerful story in under 60 pages and it will leave you breathless. I look forward to reading more in the Turkish series soon. If your looking for a story that has heart then grab Blue Cruise and settle in for an afternoon of reading entertainment.

It's Mancandy Tuesday-Not Work or Kid Safe

2012-02-21T00:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome Annabel Horton (Character Interview)

2012-02-20T15:19:00.001-05:00

***Thank you forcoming to chat with us today. Why do you think Vera Jane Cook chose you torepresent her/him?

I am in spirit form. It is interesting to chat with a spirit,is it not? I told Vera Jane my tale. I don't think she believed me, but she hashad it published. There must be some truth to it then.

***Tell us a littleabout yourself?

I am a Puritan, though I became a Christian, and later, evena Catholic. It is all these lives I live, but God never changes, no matter whatreligion I am. I am Annabel Horton, yet I have walked in the flesh many times,as a nineteenth century man, a priest, a girl from the witch trials, acontemporary woman, as you would call her.

What is your birthdate?

I was born centuries ago, in Salem, during the witch trials Iwas eighteen when I hung by my neck. My spirit was born in Loudon in 1632 whenall those deranged nuns were seduced by the demon, Urbain Grandier. You may notthink it's possible, but hear my tale. It is possible.

Where do you live?

I could live anywhere but I live here now, in your time. My twoyoungest children were born to it, so I call it home, though I do not like yourmodern life.

What is it about that area that drew youthere?

Nothing at all drew me to Brooklyn, New York, but mychildren's wish to remain here. I hate your boom boom music, your discontent,your underground rails. I lived here a long time ago when Brooklyn was known asNieuw Amersfoordt. You would not remember. It was nicer then.

What do you wishpeople would know about you? I mean you no harm

What music do youlisten too? Shubert, Brahms, Mozart.

Will we be seeingmore of you or are you stepping out of the lime light? Youcannot see me, you do not have the gift to see me as I am, so no, I never stepout of the limelight.

Where have we seenyou before? In the eyes of your neighbor, perhaps?

What is your perfectevening? Holding my husband's hand before the fire. Myhusband, who is lost, as I am.

What do you do torelax? Take myself to another time, when life was notso frenzied, when carriages traveled the streets, when men bowed at the waistfor women.

Is there anything youwish Vera Jane Cook had kept their mouth shut about? Theworld did not need to know about my granddaughter's marriage to that woman. Itwas horrid. She paraded as a man. I tried to rid the world of her back in thenineteenth century but fate played a trick. Alas!

Do you feel you wereportrayed fairly? Ah yes. This is my tale and it wastold as it was told, in my words, not Vera's. She merely transcribed while Ispoke.

Tell us about whatdrew you to him/her? Michele is a man of great height.His hair is black and his features are so handsome. But it was the gentleness Isaw in him that drew me, not the magic. I fear it is the magic that separatesus now though.

What really pushesyour buttons? Your world. It is too loud, toodisjointed, too self involved.

What’s your favoritesports team? What? I like Rugby sometimes.

Do you believe inghosts? There are no ghosts, time is now. Your ghostsare not gone, they live in the moment where all time meets. Soon, you will bethere too.

What is your biggestfear? That I will never again see Michele, my beloved.

***Why should thereaders be interested in your story? I have been here,there and everywhere. In my tale there are secrets worth sharing. Secrets Igive you.

LINKS:

http://www.amazon.com/Annabel-Horton-Witch-Salem-ebook/dp/B006PIYOXA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328969302&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/annabel-horton-lost-witch-of-salem-vera-jane-cook/1107077368?ean=2940032964391&itm=1&usri=annabel+horton+lost+witch+of+salem

http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=107

Book Blurb:
From the Salem Witch trials through the Nineteenth Century and beyond, AnnabelHorton is pursued by the devil’s disciple, Urban Grandier, the demonic priestfrom the incident at Loudon. She must take the bodies of those that the devilfavors to protect her family. She must uncover the motive behind the illusiveUrsula/Louis Bossidan, the scandalous cross-dresser who is pursuing herbeautiful granddaughter, and she must learn, being one of God’s most powerfulwitches, how to use her power. But will it be enough to save her husband fromUrbain’s fiery inferno? Will it be enough to save her children from demons greaterthan themselves? Read on, you will learn more…..

Excerpt:

When I am not in the form of flesh, I live in the confinesof shadow. The psychics of your dimension have said that I can be seen floatingbetween the kiss of dusk and the evening moon. Yes, some of you can actuallysee me, though you are unaware of what I am. You usually ignore me because Ivanish so quickly. I simply blend into the surface of your world anddisappear, into objects, into trees, into the soft fur of a sleepingsquirrel, into anything that will have me.

Before I begin my tale, you must know this: I can also blend into a humanbody. I can steal your flesh if I choose. But before you judge me, you mustunderstand my loneliness. You have no idea how desperately I desire the physicalsenses you so cavalierly take for granted. But please, do not fear me. I willnot harm the innocent. Hear me out before you cast any stones. There aresecrets in my tale worth knowing.

The snap of my neck appears to have granted me immortality as a captured soul,doomed to live over and over again in stolen flesh and blood. Therefore, I takebodies in exchange for my freedom. I want you to understand that if I were toever choose your flesh, I would mean you no harm. I would simply borrow theluxury of your language and take comfort in the pleasure of your warm, beatingheart.

The process of my abduction is painless. You see, the earth holds time. When Iconsume a body all I do is absorb time. It is quite simple. My soul moves outof one perception and into another. Let me reassure you that though I can takeany one of you, I prefer the flesh of those whom the devil favors, and I do nothave to go very far to consume the devil’s own.

Bio:

Dancing Backward In Paradise, Ms. Cook'sfirst published novel was the recipient of the Eric Hoffer and Indie Excellenceaward in the Literary fiction category for notable new fiction in 2007. Hernext southern fiction title, The Story of Sassy Sweetwater, was published byMusa Publishing this year. Annabel Horton, Lost Witch of Salem, is her firstparanormal fiction, part I of a trilogy. It will be followed by Annabel Hortonand the Black Witch of Pau, and Annabel Horton and the Demon of Loudon.

The author lives in New York City. Tolearn more about her books you can visit her web site at http://www.m/www.verajanecook.com

To contact the author send an emailto jane@verajanecook.com

New Releases from Dreamspinner Press for Week of Feb. 20th

2012-02-20T11:25:00.002-05:00

Two Tickets to Paradise Anthology
Contemporary, Anthology
Buy E-Book HERE
Buy Print HERE

A vacation is exactly what these men need to find love in their lives. It may be about looking for a little fun, gaining a fresh perspective after a breakup, or building up the nerve to take the plunge. Whether they travel by plane, train, or automobile, none of them want to go it alone. They're hoping romance will be the ticket to finding paradise in another man's arms.

Stories included:

Haunted by Jana Denardo

Off the Tracks by Chelle Dugan

Krung Thep, City of Angels by Zee Kensington

Sunlight on Water by Susan Laine

Fall Forward by Jamie Lowe

A Good Night's Sleep by Anna Martin

All You Need by Dar Mavison

All at Sea by JL Merrow

Something Different by Sean Michael

Perpendicularity by Mal Peters

The Jeep Guy by Eric Renner

Know Nobody by G.R. Richards

Reconnecting by Claire Russett

Mending and Moving On by Cecilia Ryan

New Lease by B.G. Thomas

Inherit the Sky by Ariel Tachna

Western Contemporary, Novel

Buy E-Book HERE

Buy Print HERE

Caine Neiheisel is stuck in a dead-end job at the end of a dead-end relationship when the chance of a lifetime falls in his lap. His mother inherits her uncle’s sheep station in New South Wales, Australia, and Caine sees it as the opportunity to start over, out on the range where his stutter won’t hold him back and his willingness to work will surely make up for his lack of knowledge.

Unfortunately, Macklin Armstrong, the foreman of Lang Downs who should be Caine’s biggest ally, alternates between being cool and downright dismissive, and the other hands are more amused by Caine’s American accent than they are moved by his plight… until they find out he’s gay and their amusement turns to scorn. It will take all of Caine’s determination—and an act of cruel sabotage by a hostile neighbor—to bring the men of Lang Downs together and give Caine and Macklin a chance at love.

Different Spheres by Cari Z

Contemporary, Short Story

Buy E-Book HERE

Gil Donaldson returned to his hometownof Boulder, Colorado, after a diagnosis of multiplesclerosis cut short his teaching career and his love life on the East Coast.Waking one morning to find that his vision has gone blurry, which makes drivinghimself to the hospital out of the question, Gil solicits the help of hisslightly-reclusive neighbor, Warren Masters, to take him to the ER.

The two men become friendsover the course of Gil’s recovery from his latest relapse, and while Gilrecognizes he’s attracted to the other man, he refuses to act on it. Gildoesn’t like relying on anyone else to ensure his emotional or physical health,and he’s grown used to being alone, or at least that’s what he tells himself. Warren is a man of few words, buthe’s there whenever Gil needs him, and he has only one request for them to betogether.

Home is the Heart by JM Gryffyn

Historical Novella

Buy E-Book HERE

The last thing war-weary veteran WilliamO’Sullivan expects to find while walking his family’s property is the love ofhis life, but that is exactly what happens. Under the summer sun, well-bornIrishman Will meets gypsy lad Brock, and the two are instantly love struck.

Their newfound love may be rocksolid, but so are the obstacles in their way. Will is expected to marry hischildhood sweetheart and produce an heir for the family estate. Brock has hisown waggon now and is expected to marry another Traveller. The roads to their futures are embeddedfirmly in the past—and don’t include their love. Running off to

America

seems a perfect solution, but in themean streets of New York City, they very quickly find that even alove as strong as theirs must be earned.

Isali Dreams by Zahara Owens and Stuart Wakefield

Science Fiction, Novella

Buy E-Book HERE

Diplomat and linguist Everett leads a quiet life on an Earthcolony outpost until he’s called on to translate for a strange creaturediscovered on a crashed ship. Despite the magnetic attraction he feels to it, Everett can’t communicate well enough toresolve the apparent murder of the ship’s pilot. At least not until Isali, thesurvivor, shows up in Everett’s dreams.

Isali is on the run from a supremebeing hellbent on destroying him, and Everett soon finds himself caught up in afight for their lives. The increased intimacy between them triggers memoriesfor Everett, but can he put the pieces togetherbefore Isali’s nemesis destroys them both?

Love is a Whirlwind by M. D. Grimm

Fantasy/Paranormal, Novella

Buy E-Book HERE

Ryan and Caleb became the best offriends while Caleb taught Ryan as best he could about being human. Born a bullshifter named Whirlwind, Ryan was taken in by Caleb’s mother, who wanted toprotect him—just as Caleb did. Their time together leads to deeper feelings...and now they’ve decided to give a relationship a chance. Unfortunately, Ryan iskidnapped, and Caleb has to call in the Agency—an organization that protectsshifters—or their new life together will end before it ever starts.

Chase in Shadow by Amy Lane

Contemporary Novel

Buy E-Book HERE

Buy Print HERE

Chase Summers: Golden boy. Beautifulgirlfriend, good friends, and a promising future.

Nobody knows the real Chase.

Chase Summers has a razor blade tohis wrist and the smell of his lover’s goodbye clinging to his skin. He has adoor in his heart so frightening he’d rather die than open it, and the lieshe’s used to block it shut are thinning with every forbidden touch. Chase hasspent his entire life unraveling, and his decision to set his sexuality free insecret has only torn his mind apart faster.

Chase has one chance for true loveand salvation. He may have met Tommy Halloran in the world of gay-for-pay—wherethe number of lovers doesn’t matter as long as the come-shot’s good—but if hewants the healing that Tommy’s love has to offer, he’ll need the courage toleave the shadows for the sunlight. That may be too much to ask from a manwho’s spent his entire life hiding his true self. Chase knows all too well thatthe only things thriving in a heart’s darkness are the bitter personal demonsthat love to watch us bleed.

Foreign Translations:

Hot Head by Damon Suede

Contemporary, Novel, Spanish Translation

Buy E-Book HERE

Porel humo se sabe dónde está el fuego...

Desde el 11-S el bombero de Brooklyn GriffMuir lucha contra lo que siente por su mejor amigo y compañero de trabajo en laEscala 181, Dante Anastagio. Desgraciadamente, a Dante sólo le interesan lasmujeres, y el cuerpo de bomberos de Nueva York no es precisamente un colectivoque vea a los gays con buenos ojos. Griff lleva diez años escondiendo sucorazón en una vida mediocre repleta de heroicidades públicas y de angustiapersonal.

La prudencia de Griff y la chulería deDante les convierten en un equipo inmejorable. Para proteger a su compañero,Griff haría lo que fuera… hasta que un día, ante la quiebra económica total,Dante le propone la peor solución posible: cabezacaliente.com, una página webporno para gays en la que tíos buenos con uniforme se tocan y hacen guarradas.Y Dante quiere que ellos aparezcan allí—juntos. Griff tendrá que proteger sucorazón y vivir sus fantasías más oscuras ante la cámara. ¿Será capaz de rescataral hombre que ama sin echar por tierra sus carreras, sus familias, o suamistad?

Hot Head by Damon Suede

Contemporary, Italian Translation, Novel

Buy E-Book HERE

Dove c'è fumo, c'è fuoco...

Dall?settembre, il pompiere di Brooklyn Griff Muir ha lottato contro i suoisentimenti impossibili nei confronti delsuo migliore amico e partner alla Scala 181, Dante Anastagio. Sfortunatamente, Dante è proprio un tipo daragazze e il Dipartimento dei Vigili del Fuoco di New York non è tenero neiconfronti dei gay. Per dieci anni, Griff ha celato il proprio cuore fraeroismo pubblico e angoscia privata.

La cautela di Griff e la sfacciataggine diDante li rendono una squadra invincibile. Non c'è niente che Griff non farebbeper proteggere il suo compare... fino a quanto un Dante sull'orlo dellabancarotta non propone la soluzione peggiore possibile: HotHead.com, un sitoporno dove degli stalloni in uniforme fanno cose sconce. Dante vuole che loroappaiano su quel sito – insieme. Griff potrebbe dover tenere d'occhio ilproprio cuore e vivere le sue fantasie più oscure davanti alla telecamera.Riuscirà a salvare l'uomo che ama senza distruggere le loro carriere, le lorofamiglie o la loro amicizia?

Give a warm welcome to Taylor Donovan

2012-02-20T10:18:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, TaylorDonovan. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink and make yourself athome. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.

Thankyou very much for having me J

So tell us about yourself.What got you interested in writing? Who are your publisher(s)?

I’ve been reading romance books my entire life. I think I got myhands on my first Harlequin when I was twelve, but it wasn’t until recentlythat I considered writing my own. My stories are published by MLR Press.

How did you start your writing career?

Almostby accident, to tell you the truth. A friend of mine has been writing for yearsand her dream is to get published, but was having a hard time finishing astory. I am a bit anal about finishing what I start, so she asked me tocollaborate with her. It didn’t matter that I never wanted to be a writer orthat I thought I had no talent whatsoever. The goal was to keep her focuseduntil she’d finished her book. That collaboration didn’t last long, but Idiscovered I actually had a style and a strong voice and suddenly a hundreddifferent ideas that I wanted to work on. That was in July, 2010. The rest ishistory J

Tell us about your favorite character from your books.

That’sa tough one… Okay… from my By Degrees serial I’d have to say Sam Shaughnessy.He’s a jerk with a heart of gold. He messes up and redeems himself every otherpage. He’s so high strung that I love having him jump through hoops *g*.

Ialso have a very soft spot for Cedric Haugton-Disley, one of the maincharacters in Disasterology 101 (title not yet released). He’s very quirky, tosay the least, and faces more difficulties than all my other characters puttogether every day of his life. Even leaving his house is a challenge for him,but he keeps trying, no matter what.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

Ilove history and architecture, so

Egypt

and

England

are on my bucket list. Theolder the city, the more I want to visit!

Tell us about your current/upcomingrelease. What inspired it?

SixDegrees of Lust, the first installment in my By Degrees serial was released alittle over a month ago. It is anensemble novel with several developing storylines revolving around a serialkiller of gay men and the FBI agent in charge of catching him. The plot wasinspired by my love of investigative procedure and law enforcement, and thecharacters by gay and bisexual friends I’ve known for years.

Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?

Mentored,not really. Helped? Absolutely. I have betas, author friends and a crit groupthat’s invaluable to me. They are always willing a ready to read all my WIPsand point out what needs to be revised. Their constant suggestions and supporthas helped me mature in my writing. I’m better because of them.

Who are some of your favorite authors/books?

MarieSexton, Josh Lanyon, Amy Lane, James Buchanan, J.R.Ward, Paulo Coehlo, Isabel Allende… I’ll read anything by them.

What was your first sale as an author?

SixDegrees of Lust was my first contract, but Heatstroke was released first.

When in the day/night do you write? How long per day?

I usually write at night, after my EDJ, Mommy duties and choresare taken care of. Needless to say, I could use an extra five hours every day.The majority of my writing gets done during the weekend.

If you could visit any time and place, where and when wouldit be and why?

I’d love to visit

England

during the Elizabethan Era. Queen Elizabeth I wasan outstanding woman. It would be amazing to be able to just see her in actionfor one day.

If you could be any shape shifter, what form would you takeand why?

Oh boy… I’m afraid of heights, so probably aphoenix. That’d be fun!

What else would you like readers to know about you or yourwork?

That I a not a conventional writer and will never be. That I have always liked to break the mold and that I’mnot opposed to ruffling some feathers if a particular situation or plot linecalls for it.

Who's more fun towrite: bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why?

The bad boys,because they can get away with murder, but then I get to make them work hardfor their redemption. They really need to earn it *g*

If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and what would youdo together?

Vishous,from J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series. I’d like to tag along whilehe kicks some ass, and then we could go to The Pit so that he could teach meeverything he knows about computers *g*

Out of all your books, do you have afavorite one? If not, then which one is closest to your heart?

Again,hard to choose one… Heatstroke is a beautiful “love conquers all” story… Verynear and dear to my heart.

What character out of all your books is the closest to your personality?

DerrickSwain from Hearsay (to be released this spring).

Thank you for being my guest today and mayyou have lots of sales.

Thankyou for the opportunity. It was a pleasure to be here on your blog J

I’llbe giving away a copy of Six Degrees of Lust. For the opportunity to win,please leave a comment with one rule you believe a “friends with benefits”relationship should be based on.

Thankyou all for stopping by and good luck!

If you wish tocontact me, please visit www.taylorvdonovan.com.From there you can email me and find links to my Twitter, Facebook andGoodreads accounts. I’m always happy to hear from my readers. J

Six Degrees of Lust

M/M Contemporary

Buy link http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=TDSDLUST

Leblurb:

New York City FBI team leader SamuelShaughnessy lives for his immediate family and his job. After a marriage gonewrong he has stuck to a firm rule when it comes to relationships: he doesn'thave them. Sexually active and emotionally unavailable keeps him satisfied,especially now that he is in hot pursuit of a serial killer targeting gay men.

Formerfirefighter Machlan O'Bannon now manages a successful sports bar in Houstonand after years of waiting he's ready to stand up and be the man he alwayswanted to be: out, proud and drama-free. His politically-aligned family wantsto keep him locked in the closet, but Mac just wants to meet the man of hisdreams.

Oneman is as high strung as the other is laid back. A chance meeting brings thetwo men together, and one night of passion ignites a fire neither can fight.Their lives are not only miles apart, but as different as day and night. Theydon't want to get involved...but will they be able to stay apart?

Le Excerpt

Mac reached the truck and instead ofgetting in right away he stopped by the driver’s side door and smiled. A low moanrumbled its way out of Sam’s throat before he even realized it. He loveddimples, and Mac had them in spades.

“Damn,” Mac said. “You are hotter than Iremembered.”

Sam felt his face heat up a little underMac’s scrutiny, and all of a sudden wished he had taken more time on his ownappearance. But if that burning, hungry stare was any indication, the Texanwasn’t put off by Sam’s disheveled state or the fact that he hadn’t evenbothered to shave. Thank fuck.

“Get in,” Sam all but growled. He didn’ttake his eyes off the guy for a second. Once he was inside, he asked, “Whereto?”

As soon as Tex gave him the name of atrendy hotel in Chelsea, Sam rolled up his window and put his hand on the gearstick, and maybe because he was busy looking at the rearview mirror to makesure no other cars were coming, he never noticed Mac move until it was toolate.

A gasp jumped from his throat. He snappedhis head to the side and zeroed in on his own hand, covered by hot as hellTexan’s slightly bigger one.

“Rough couple of days, huh?” Mac’s voicewas low, his thumb gently caressing Sam’s obviously injured knuckles.

Sam cleared his throat and tried to pullhis hand back, but seemed to be frozen in place by Mac’s touch. “You could saythat.”

“Then let’s hope I can make it a littlebetter for you, darlin’.”

Nodding, he took a deep breath when Macremoved his hand and settled in the passenger seat, leaving a tinglingsensation behind and Sam feeling completely off balance. He wanted to tell thebig guy nobody ever touched him without his explicit permission… then he wantedto tell him to bring that hand back, but wrap it around his cock this time.

He wanted to tell him he had no use forwords of endearment, even if that sexy as fuck accent made them sound prettier.He wanted to tell him to get the hell out of his damn truck.

But he didn’t.

Goddammit, what was wrong with him? Whywas he overlooking actions that would be deal-breakers with any other potentiallay? Was it because the guy was going back home the next day and there was nochance of Sam running into him again? Or because Sam wanted him so damn much hecouldn’t see straight anymore? Whatever the reason, it didn’t stop him frompulling his SUV out of the parking spot and driving them to Mac’s hotel.

They didn’t say a thing during the shorttrip and that was fine. Sam had never been one for small talk. He had noproblems sharing his body—to an extent—but his thoughts and feelings were offlimits.

He took a deep breath, feeling a littledizzy when Mac’s clean, spicy scent hit his nostrils and filled his lungs.Christ. Whatever that cologne was, it had the same affect on Sam as pheromones,which was odd and annoying, as he was usually indifferent to such things.

The anticipation permeating theinterior of his truck was damn tangible, and the not so subtle way Mac keptglancing at his mouth, hands, and crotch with those intense cat eyes of his hadSam on the brink of combustion. It was madness, and all of a sudden he felt itwas imperative that he take care of business fast, then get the heck away fromthe gorgeous blond as soon as he could manage.

Welcome Lisa Worrall Today

2012-02-19T11:52:00.000-05:00

Thank you to Dawn for having me overat her place today to entice you all with a teaser from my brand new release, AlwaysHope, which is available now (a day early) on Amazon! I will get to Always Hope in a little while…but first…

Have you ever wondered how littlestories are passed down through the years, or wondered who started themfirst? I don’t just mean old wives’tales because, obviously, they were started by old wives… but little anecdotesyour Dad used to tell you?

When I was a kid, my Dad told me manya wild story that had me shaking my head and thinking I was definitely adopted– because there was no way I could be related to this whackjob! These included how he fought for his countryin WW2, where we used to sit transfixed at his feet listening to the ribaldstories of bombs and the blitz… only to realise at a later date that he was SIXwhen the war started! Oh and the onewhere he explained that the he got the scar on his shin when he drove over aland mine on his National Service – only to be told years later that heactually got it falling onto a bus!

But I was at a friend’s the othernight and she was telling us how her brother had just bought her youngest son afabulous book explaining why dogs sniff each other’s bottoms. Before she could continue I said, “Wow, myDad told me that story eons ago.” And I went on to say how the dogs were allhaving a party and they had to hang their bums up at the door and then therewas a fire and so they all grabbed to nearest bum and legged it – only to findthey had the wrong one. So that’s whydog’s sniff each other – because they’re looking for the right bum! My friend ran upstairs and brought down thebook and I read it, aloud because that’s what you do when you’re four sheets tothe wind, and it was exactly the same story my Dad told me.

It made me smile while I was readingit. Firstly because it was wonderful tothink that this story has been going around for something like a gazillionyears and someone stopped and thought, that would make a great book so childreneverywhere could read it. And secondly,because it reminded me of sitting on the floor between my brother and sisterand listening with open mouths as my Dad told us about the day the dogs tookhome the wrong bums.

So if you want to read the 2010version, pop over to Amazon and look for Peter Bentley’s “The Great Dog BottomSwap.” You’re children will be glad youdid.

Now… for the grown ups… a littleteaser from Always Hope.

BLURB:

Ash Watts has his life exactly how he wants it: burgeoningcareer, gorgeous boyfriend, and an apartment with a fabulous view of LA. Buthis perfect world comes crashing down around his ears when he learns of hisonly sister's untimely death. A small town isn't all he finds when he lands inFreedom, Alabama for Annie's funeral. This small town isbrimming with secrets; secrets that could change Ash's life forever.

Kaleb Gibson, honest-to-Godcowboy, and native of Freedom, born and bred, found his best friend the momentAnnie Watts breezed into town. Her death left a gaping hole in his heart, andwhile Annie's brother may have her same dark hair and green eyes, Kaleb refusesto lose his heart all over again, and he can’t forgive the man for neglectinghis sister when she needed him most.

Revelations from Annie's Willthrow Kaleb and Ash together in ways they never imagined. Will Kaleb be able tocarry out Annie’s last wishes without killing her beloved brother and withoutrevealing a secret from his own past that could destroy everything? And willAsh stick around long enough to see that Freedom may hold an even more perfectlife than he could have imagined?

EXCERPT:

The clock on the dashboard indicatedit was almost four and the California sun was highin the sky when Mason pulled into the underground parking lot of Ash’s condo.Their arms full of backpacks and camping paraphernalia, the two men rode theelevator up to the fifteenth floor and then walked down the hall to Ash’sapartment. Inside, they dumped everything in the hall and Ash headed to thekitchen in search of beer before they attempted anything else. Mason hadalready made himself comfortable on the sofa, his legs over the arm as heflicked through his blackberry and checked the myriad of messages, from clientsand colleagues alike, he’d received while they’d been away.

“Here you go, hot stuff,” Ashdrawled, flopping down on the cushion Mason wasn’t occupying and let hisfingers drift through the soft strands of Mason’s strawberry blond hair.“Jesus, couldn’t those rich bitches survive without you?” he asked, noting thenumber of messages his boyfriend still scrolled through.

“You said it yourself,” Masongrinned, tilting his head to look at Ash, “hot stuff, in demand.”

“Oh, right.” Ash shook his head andsaid sarcastically, “Must be such a curse.”

“I’m glad to see you’re noticing allthe sacrifices I make,” Mason countered, then swore loudly. “Listen to this.Marianne Wheatley, you know she’s on that long running soap thing, I don’t evenremember what it’s called, piece of crap is so dire—anyway, she needs me tocall desperately because her ex took the dog for the weekend as per theiragreement and he failed to return him. Fucking thing’s a cocker-poo for God’ssake, not a kid.” Tossing his blackberry onto the soft carpet, he shifted sothat his head rested on Ash’s lap. “Remind me why I deal with these people?”

Ash smoothed his fingers over thefrown Mason was now sporting and smiled softly. “Because they pay youridiculous amounts of money so that you can keep me in a manner I am totallyunaccustomed to,” he said without missing a beat, leaning down to capture hislover’s lips.

“Oh yeah,” Mason replied, “I knewthere was a good reason.”

Ash kissed him again and sighed intothe kiss as Mason’s tongue teased along the seam of his lips, and Ash gladly openedto him, licking his way into Mason’s mouth, chasing his tongue back into itsdark cavern. He slid a hand beneath the hem of the other man’s T-shirt and hisgut tightened at the low growl coming from Mason’s throat. Sliding his handhigher, his fingers found the flat disc of Mason’s nipple and pinched thesensitive flesh between a thumb and forefinger.

“Jesus—”

He didn’t find out what else Masonhad planned to say, because of the loud banging at the front door. “Come on,” Ash complained with a whine. “We’restill on vacation until tomorrow, for crying out loud.”

With a rueful smile, Mason pressed aquick kiss to Ash’s lips and pushed himself up, “I’ll go, you stay there andlook as sexy as hell.”

A few moments later, the front doorclosed and Mason’s bare feet slapped on the wooden flooring of the hallway ashe returned to the living-room. Ash waited with his eyes closed and his headtipped back on the sofa cushion, a smile playing around his mouth. “Come on,hot stuff. I’m waiting,” he said in a parody of a come hither tone.

“Ash.”

The way Mason said his name gave Ashthe immediate feeling that he shouldn’t open his eyes. Every fiber of his beingtold him not to move. Whatever had caused Mason to sound like that couldn’t begood.

“Ashdon Watts?”

Ash didn’t recognize the second voiceand he forced his eyes open, a fist tightening around his heart as he gazed upinto the far too sympathetic gaze of an LA cop. He swallowed past the lump inhis throat which may well have been his heart, he wasn’t sure. Ash nodded,unable to vocalize a response—this isbad, this is very bad. The way Mason sank onto the cushion beside him andgripped his hand tightly, wasn’t helping.

“I’m sorry, Mr Watts. I have somedifficult news. There’s been an accident.”

BUY LINK: http://www.amazon.com/Always-Hope-ebook/dp/B007AWQZ6O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329651049&sr=8-1

http://lworrall.blogspot.com

Facebook: Lisa WorrallAuthor

Twitter: Lisa_Worrall

Google+: Lisa Worrall

lisa.worrall69@gmail.com

My Personal Review for Artistic Pursuit by Andrew Grey

2012-02-19T01:00:00.000-05:00

Artistic Pursuits is the third book in Andrew Grey's Art Series and one that adds a bit of action to the romance. Get ready for art thefts, romance and a little humor tossed in to keep things interesting in Artistic Pursuits.

My Rating for Artistic Pursuits is: 4 Stars

For FBI agent Frank Jennings, this case is not just aboutlost windows but about redemption. For Interpol Agent Leslie Carlton, it’sabout finally nailing the SOB who is buying the stolen Tiffany items. For bothof these men, finding that love is knocking on their door scares them to piecesas their one night of passion has them moving in separate directions the nextday-Leslie back to Europe and Frank back on the job. Until Frank gets a breakin the art theft case that has Leslie back in his life and now the time is ofthe essence as these two figure out how to trap a thief and listen to theirhearts.

Andrew Grey is one talented author. He pushes the envelopewith his latest Art series story with Artistic Pursuits and delves into theworld of art theft, Interpol and the FBI. I loved how he told this latest storyin the series and the action that he added gives a whole new dimension to it,which I absolutely loved. He creates a visually stunning story with hiswriting, like an artist paints a picture; you see the beautiful canvas in yourmind as his words stream across it. This is an author with a gift ofstorytelling and one who is my absolute favorites to read. With captivatingcharacters, fast paced storylines and simmering sexual tension between his maincharacters, we are sucked into a world where art thieves are in the shadows andlove is there for the taking-if these two hard working, stubborn detectives canjust admit it to themselves first.

Mr. Grey does a wonderful job in creating characters you canenjoy and relate to. Both Leslie and Frank have issues from their respectivepasts but it doesn’t stop them from trusting one another. Frank has someintriguing co-workers I wouldn’t mind getting to know more of in future booksand they helped move the story along nicely.

Artistic Pursuits also brought back the main characters from Artistic Appeal-Brian and Nicolai-that had me grinning in delight. Artistic Pursuits ismore than a character driven story- it also had some mean action that had me onthe edge of my seat eager to see the final result of Frank and Leslie’sinvestigation.Andrew Grey has another winner on his hands here and I cannot wait to see what else he conjures in the future for his readers.

Find Artistic Pursuits at Dreamspinner Press in E-book and Print HERE

My Personal Review for Bear It All by Deanna Wadsworth

2012-02-18T19:16:00.001-05:00

Take a unique dating service, add in your dream dates and you find magic happening to people who least expect it. 1NS series delivers hot, short stories that will leave you breathless. In Bear It All, a young twink and an older bear of a man find that really living again means taking the jump into the unkown.

My review for Bear It All by Deanna Wadsworth

My rating for Bear It All: 4 Stars

Travis wants a hot, older bear of a man-hairy and tall-ashis reward for all his studying for the bar exam. Turning to 1NS datingservice, he is paired with John, the perfect bear in Travis’s mind. Except Johnis looking for a replacement of his dead lover, someone closer to his age andnot a young man like Travis but things have a way of working out as both menfind that this misunderstanding is the only thing standing in their way toutter happiness.

I wasn't sure what I was getting into when I opened, on a whim, today Bear It All by author Deanna Wadsworth. I wanted something quick, fun and a little romantic to let me escape my day today. I was pleasantly surprised when I hit the end of chapter one and couldn't put it down. Bear It All has the perfect blend of romance, exotic locale, simmering sexual tension and angst between the two main characters, John and Travis. This is an author who knows to give her characters their head, so to speak, and let them tell the tale. This was my first 1NS story and the first story by DeannaWadsworth. This was a short 50 pages or so and the story is a fast paced ridefrom start to finish. The author does a wonderful job in creating twocharacters that need one another yet are just afraid to reach for it. This authordoes an amazing job giving us believable and adorable characters in John andTravis. They were very life-like and had the same hang ups we all do. Thewriting was tight, story moved quickly and the sex was smoking hot but had anunderlying tenderness you normally don’t see in such stories.

The main characters of Travis and John were perfectly written and very relateable. Who hasn't met a blind date and went in their head "Oh no, no way, no how"? But come to find out that they are the perfect friend-lover-partner, whatever you think of and this is what happens when John first spies Travis. He is put off by Travis's youth but Travis is more than a pretty face and with courage, he confronts John and from there it will take these two time to sort out their misunderstandings. Passion simmers between them and the reader finds themselves rooting for these two to figure out they are meant to be together through the book. The sex scenes are tastefully done and very hot yet their is an underlying tenderness to it that had me sighing is delight.

Bear It All is a wonderful afternoon delight on a cold winter's day. I look forward to reading more about Travis and John int he future and hope I won't have to wait too long for the next story. If you are looking for a wonderfully well written story that will heat your blood up and steal your heart, then grab Bear It All and settle in for a few hours of reading pleasure.

Check out the entire 1NS series and Deanna's contribution Bear It All HERE

Welcome Charlie Cochet today

2012-02-18T13:55:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, Charlie.Please let my cabana boys get you a drink and make yourself at home.Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.

So tell us about yourself.What got you interested in writing? Who are your publisher(s)?

Thanks for having me! Well, I like tothink of myself as one of those pick ‘n’ mix candy bags, a little bit ofeverything! I was born in Cuba, grew up in Jersey, spent my teenage years inMiami, my young adult life into my thirties in England, and now I’m back inMiami—for now! Who knows where I’ll end up next. I’ve been writing since I canremember. When I was a little kid, I used to make up my own characters, draw themout, and come up with all kinds of back stories for them. As I grew older, Ikept up the drawing and writing. It’s something that’s always been a part of mylife. At the moment I’m published with Torquere Press and have a summer releasewith Dreamspinner Press.

How did you start yourwriting career?

I spent some time as a freelance artist,but it was the writing that kept calling to me. Every year, that little voicein my head got stronger, and soon, I had towrite. I spent A LOT of time thinking about it and trying to work out what Iwanted for myself and my writing. When I finally did, I went for it, and here Iam!

Tell us about your favorite character from yourbooks.

Ooh, that’s a tough one. From my threecurrent stories, if I had to choose, I’d say Bruce Shannon. Shhh, don’t tellthe other fellas! He’s wonderfully complex, but you would never know by lookingat him. Tough, rugged, spends a good deal of time in his own head, grumpy,sarcastic, and despite his views onhumanity, always strives to do the right thing, even if the line between goodand bad are a little blurred in his world.

Where do you dream of traveling to and why?

I love places that are rich with history,where you can still find evidence of times long gone. I also love places oftranquility. I’m big on that. I think because we can get so little of it thesedays. I also love the snow. Okay, sothat’s like, three things. There isn’t one specific place I’ve always dreamedof going, but I think I’d like to stay in a log cabin in some snowy mountainssomewhere. Where you can walk out your door with a cup of coffee and just stareoff into an endless sea of white. Preferably with a handsome mountain man to makeme hot chocolate and keep me from getting eaten by wolves.

Tell us about your currentrelease. What inspired it?

Well, as a romance writer, I couldn’t passup the chance to write a Valentine’s Day story, but the hero of thisstory—Bruce, isn’t all that big on the love dovey stuff. When I decided Iwanted to write a story about this holiday, Bruce immediately popped into myhead, and he already had his own—very opinionated—voice. He told me exactlywhat he thought about Valentine’s Day. Most of which I can’t repeat here. Let’sjust say Bruce isn’t big on grand gestures of undying love. I wanted to write a story about a rough PIwho needed to be shown that maybe, just maybe, love ain’t so bad after all.We’ll see how he gets on with that.

Has someone helped or mentoredyou in your writing career?

When it comes to my work, I’m quite shyabout it. So when I hear from folks that they enjoy my writing, I’m over themoon and start grinning like a loon. I’m still not used to the fact that mywork is out there and being read! My best friend has had a huge influence onme, not only as a person, but in my writing career. As a writer, especially anewly published one, a million things go through your head. There are good daysand bad days. He’s always been there to offer me just the boost I need, nomatter. When I’ve been uncertain, he jumps in with just the right words, buthe’s always honest with me. Having that kind of support means a great deal tome.

Who are some of your favorite authors/books?

It’s probably no surprise, but RaymondChandler is one of my favorite authors. To me, Philip Marlowe is the quintessential detective, theinspiration for so many of the detectives that followed. Dashiell Hammett isalso another favorite. In the M/M genre, there are just too many to name here,but my top two have to be Josh Lanyon and Tamara Allen.

What was your first sale as an author?

My first sale was When Love Walked In.

When in the day/night do you write? How long perday?

I write everyday, usually in the morning when all is still nice and quiet. Though sometimesthe muse decides to take the morning off and shows up the moment my head hitsthe pillow that night. So I get up and jot everything down, check it’s safe toresume my slumber, and do it all over again the next day! I love writing, andI’m quite serious about turning this into a career, so like any other job, Ispend eight hours or more a day on writing, promoting, social networking, andsuch.

If you could visit any time and place, whereand when would it be and why?

Choosingbetween the 20s and 30s is tough. There was so much going on in those times,good things and bad. I’d love to experience being a scandalous flapper duringthe 20s in New York! Go to speakeasies and dance the Charleston in a shocking,swishy dress that exposed my calves! *gasp* I think what I’d love most, wouldbe to go to the movies in the 1930s at a theater like the Paramount, or RadioCity Music Hall. Get dressed to the nines, hop in a Ford Model A, and paint thetown red. I’d go to the Cotton Club, the Savoy, oh, and Coney Island!

If you could be any shape shifter, what formwould you take and why?

As appealing as being some kind of big wildcat would be, Ithink I’d go with an eagle or a hawk (whichever’s least likely to get eaten),because the idea of being able to just take off and fly anywhere in the world,with nothing but the wind in your face (or uh, beak), and blue skies ahead, isthe stuff of dreams, isn’t it? I think the feeling of serenity would besomething else.

What else would you like readers to knowabout you or your work?

I guess thatthey shouldn’t be daunted by the word ‘historical’. I know some readers arewhen it comes to this genre. Heck, sometimes when I read certain historical, Iam, too! I like to be accurate with my facts, but the history is not the onlystar of the show, the characters are, and I hope that when readers pick up mystories, they not only find themselves immersed in that world, but drawn in bythe characters and what’s happening to them. You’ll find plenty of adventure,romance, and drama. So just have fun!

Who'smore fun to write: bad boys or perfect gentlemen and why?

I love writing both, especially when it’sa combination of the two. I have loads of fun writing bad boys who have a softside, and gentlemen who have a naughty side. In my upcoming release, The Amethyst Cat Caper, Remi is theperfect English gentleman, but oh, he does have quite the wicked side,especially when it comes to Pinkerton’s Detective, Stanley Hawk. He can besweet and shy one moment, and be ripping Hawk’s clothes off the next. A ratherunpredictable chap. Bruce is very much a bad boy, and although he has a softside, if you blink, you’ll miss it. If you ask him, he’ll deny everything. Jaceis more of a gentleman, but he’s got his own little naughty streak in him,usually brought about by Bruce.

If you could meet anyfictional character, who would it be and what would you do together?

Wow, that’s a tough one. I know I shouldpick a character that’s a result of some literary genius, but I’m going to be atotal geek here and say Indiana Jones. (Raiders Indy, as he’d be in his latethirties and more my age bracket than Crystal Skull Indy) Lol. Who wouldn’twant to go on all kinds of crazy adventures with a rugged, whip-yieldingarcheologist? Who, I ask?

Out of all your books, doyou have a favorite one? If not, then which one is closest to your heart?

That’s a tough one and I have to say thatthere will always be three closest to my heart. The Amethyst Cat Caper because it was my first story accepted by apublisher. When Love Walked Inbecause it was my first release, and TheAuspicious Troubles of Chance, because I’d actually started it years ago,and it’s the story that pushed me to make a career out of my writing.

What character out of all your books is the closestto your personality?

I think all my characters have bits of mypersonality in them--whether it’s good or not so good traits-- even if I don’trealize it myself sometimes. So far, I think the closest to my own personalityis Remi—aside the being English part. Oh, and the being wealthy part. (Icertainly wouldn’t say no to either!) When Remi first meets someone, he’s quiteshy and reserved, but the moment he puts his trust in someone, his confidenceallows him to let the crazy out. He likes to tease, have fun, and has a curiousstreak, which may or may not get him into trouble (I plead the 5^th!).He can also be a bit overdramatic, and has one heck of a temper. That’s kind oflike me, too. We can both be drama queens.

Anything else you would liketo add?

Thanks so much for having me! It’s been areal treat, and thanks to everyone for stopping by!

If you want to catch up with me or whatI’m working on, you can find me here:

My blog: http://charliecochet.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/charliecochet

Facebook: http://facebook.com/charliecochet

Twitter: @charliecochet

Blurb:

Bruce Shannon is a Private Investigator dealing with caseafter case of missing persons and infidelity. None of which inspire warm, fuzzyfeelings during the week of Valentine’s Day. Then again, Bruce isn’t exactly afuzzy feelings kind of guy, which suits him just fine. He doesn’t need anyoneanyhow, only his cat, Mittens. That is, until the handsome Jace Scarret wandersoff the streets and into Bruce’s life. Will Jace end up showing Bruce thatmaybe Valentine’s Day isn’t so lousy after all?

Genre: HistoricalM/M Romance

Buy Links:

Torquere Press: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=79_113&products_id=3505

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/When-Love-Walked-In-ebook/dp/B00746WEBQ/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Excerpt:

The young man's expression soon gave way to wariness as helooked Bruce over. There was a sudden alertness in those slim shoulders andBruce figured the kid had seen some trouble. Enough to know Bruce looked likethe kind of guy to be mixed up in it.

"Relax. I don't know you and no one's payin' me to," Bruce assured him,though for the life of him he didn't know why. He should be escorting the guyout, not making conversation. "What's your name?"

"Jace. Jace Scarret," the young man replied quietly. When he realizedhe was still holding onto Bruce, he quickly released him. "Sorry."

Damn, that was one smooth voice. No. Nope, he was not about to go down that path.

Mittens jumped onto Jace's lap, purring and rubbing her head against theyoung man, making Jace smile. And what a smile it was. Despite the beard andshabby state of him, that smile was something else and it certainly seemed tosuit him.

Bruce shook his head at his wayward thoughts and his wayward feline."Mittens, you shameless hussy. Stop twitching your tail for othermen."

Jace chuckled and gave Mittens the attention she demanded. "She's realfriendly, isn't she?"

"Tell that to all the mugs who ended up pin cushions." Frankly, hewas surprised to see Mittens taking a liking to anyone other than him and Joe.Not even Gladys had had the honor. Content with the affection she'd beenlavished, Mittens sprang off Jace's lap and cantered over to the apartment doorto scratch at it. "Her highness is eager to get indoors."

"I don't blame her," Jace replied with a wistful smile.

Aw hell, how could anyone expect Bruce to kick this poor schmo out on his ear?Better yet, when the hell had he become such a sap?

Book Review for Until Next Time by Amy Lignor

2012-02-17T08:14:00.000-05:00

Until Next Time by Amy Lignor kicks off her introduction into the world of Angels and warriors, of human emotions and finding how far keeping the faith will take you as the world as you know it implodes.

My Rating for Until Next Time: 5 Stars and a Recommended Read

Get ready for The Angel Chronicles.....

Book blurb from Amazon:

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

Amy Lignor delivers a story that leaves you breathless from start to finish. With the right amount of tension, intriguing characters and a fast paced story line, Ms. Lignor delivers a story that hooks you right from the get go. It has humor, religion, emotions and a historical aspect that this author deftly weaves and combines seamlessly. The question running through the book is 'How does a girl try to choose between two guys-one who stole her heart and the other who stole her soul?' and Ms. Lignor does a wonderful job in keeping the tension alive as Emily-or 'Liz' as she is known in the human world-tries to figure it all out.

Meet Emily and Matt. They are an Angel/Warrior pair who descend to Earth to learn more about humans and why the world is in such despair. Loneliness, chaos and more are running rampant and as people pray to their saints, the angels are coming down to help as well as they can. Emily and Matt are sent to help and find the cause of this chaos but as human emotions get the best of them, both of them find they need to keep the faith of who they are to survive their time in the human world while trying to keep their mission in the forefront.

The author does a great job in creating characters that are complex, intriguing and very well crafted. This is an author who knows her characters inside and out. The only thing I had an issue with is all the secondary characters that were involved with Emily and Matt's (Liz and Daniel in human world) human life. It did get a little hard to figure out whose POV was talking at times and it would throw me out of the story a little but it did draw me back in after a few pages.The reader can feel the author's empathy for her characters which is what makes this story so unique. it is a rare thing for a reader to feel when you read a book.

Until Next Time is a captivating and complex story that weaves the story of faith, emotional journeys, love, danger and more within it's pages. Ms. Lignor is a 'new to me' author who tells a compelling tale that will surely charm you until the end. With a vivid imagination, this author deliver's one of the new years best angel books of the year. I am eager to see what happens next in this series & am really hoping it won't be a long wait till book two.

If you enjoy a new take on Angels, demons, humans and more then I highly recommend trying out Until Next Time by Amy Lignor. This is an author to keep an eye on in the future as she takes on the big boys in publishing with her mesmerizing and unique take on angels and warriors.

Amy Lignor's Bio:

Amy Lignor began her career at Grey House Publishing in northwest Connecticut where she was the Editor-in-Chief of numerous educational and business directories.

Now she is a published author of several works of fiction. The Billy the Kid historicalThe Heart of a Legend; the thriller, Mind Made; and the adventure novel, Tallent & Lowery 13.

She is also the owner of The Write Companion, a company that offers help and support to writers through a full range of editorial services from proofreading and copyediting to ghostwriting and research. As the daughter of a research librarian, she is also an active book reviewer.

Currently, she lives with her daughter, mother and a rambunctious German Shepherd named Reuben, in the beautiful state of New Mexico.

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071LLL2M/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0071LLL2M

Nook buy link
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Funtil-next-time-amy-lignor%252F1108191925%253Fean%253D2940014052627%2526itm%253D1%2526usri%253Duntil%252Bnext%252Btime%252Bthe%252Bangel%252Bchronicles
iBookstore buy link
coming soon

Smashwords buy link
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/126226?ref=tributebooks
PDF buy link
https://www.payloadz.com/go/sip?id=1554857

The Angel Chronicles web site:
http://www.the-angel-chronicles.com

The Angel Chronicles Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Angel-Chronicles/168932393209654

Until Next Time GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13319888-until-next-time

Amy Lignor's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/alignor

Amy Lignor's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/HelloWritersAmy

Amy Lignor's Website:
http://www.thewritecompanion.com/

Amy Lignor's Blog:
http://hellowriters.wordpress.com/

Amy Lignor's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5222068
Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Welcome Silvia Violet today

2012-02-17T01:30:00.000-05:00

When Seth firstmet Brandon, he would never have suspected howdomesticated his bear could be, but Brandon loves to cook for his man. This year wastheir first Valentine's Day together. Brandon knew better than to expect something mushyand sentimental from Seth, but he also knew that if he cooked the gruff cop adelicious, hearty meal, he could get what he really wanted - Seth, turned onand ready to go all night.

So what does Brandon makes to seduce his lover who spent fartoo many years subsisting on bad coffee and vending machine food? He's workingon expanding Seth's taste, but for now, nothing too fussy, garlic bread,lasagna, and a simple salad. (Seth would prefer to ignore the existence ofvegetables, but he'd made a few compromises at Brandon's insistence.) And knowing Seth loveschocolate and enjoys playing with his food, triple chocolate mousse cake willbe the perfect dessert.

Brandon's Lasagna

8 ounces lasagna noodles

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups low fat ricotta cheese

1 cup Mozzarella cheese

Sauce

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

For the Sauce

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1lb ground beef

1 28oz large can crushed tomatoes

1 6oz can tomato paste

2 teaspoons salt

cayenne pepper to taste

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

2 cups water

To make sauce:

Sautéonion in olive oil until onions are soft then add garlic and sauté 1 minutemore. Add ground beef cook until brown. Pour off excess fat. Add remainingingredients and simmer, uncovered, for one hour.

Toassemble lasagna:

Preheat oven to 325F.

Cook noodles in boiling water until tender.Drain; add 1 tablespoon olive oil to prevent noodles from sticking. Line bottomof a 2.5 qt baking dish with a layer of noodles, cover with 1/3 of the ricottathen 1/3 of the mozzarella, then 1/3 of the meat sauce, make two more layersstarting with noodles again and top with Parmesan. Bake, uncovered 45 minutes.

Triple ChocolateMousse Cake: http://annies-eats.com/2010/05/07/triple-chocolate-mousse-cake/

So did Brandon have the night he hoped for? Let's justsay he couldn't walk right the next day.

Protect andServe Paws on Me by Silvia Violet

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=1705

Blurb:

Lieutenant Seth Morrison loves being a cop, butwith budget cuts and crime both on the rise, he’s stopped making time foranything but his job.

On the outside, Brandon Lord is an easy-going,flirtatious club owner. On the inside he’s a man trying to overcome a difficultpast.

When a murder investigation brings the two mentogether, passion roars to life. They’re both willing to break the rules to betogether. Because as mismatched as they might seem, each man is exactly whatthe other needs.

Excerpt:

I’m Seth Morrison. I’m a cop, a police lieutenantto be precise. I’ve been on the force more years than I want to think about.I’ve seen good men get killed, turn dirty, lose themselves in the bottle, losetheir fucking minds, but I’m still here doing what I do. I don’t know any otherlife. People tell me I need a break, a vacation, to relax. I don’t want tofucking relax. I just want to do my job and keep this city from falling apart.

I park my car, grab my coffee from the cup holder,and charge up the front steps of the station. I could take the side door, it’scloser to my office, but I love the chaos of the bullpen. When I open the door,I breathe deeply, enjoying the variety of smells: coffee that’s been on thewarmer far too long, the sickeningly sweet smell of candy and doughnuts,pine-scented cleaner from the scrubbing the janitors gave the floors lastnight, and something unnamable that simply smells like cops and hard work. Ishake my head as I try to imagine not being here nearly 24/7. This is where Ibelong.

My stomach rumbles. I should’ve had dinner, butafter pretending an afternoon nap was a night’s sleep, I’m running late. I’llgrab something from the vending machine while I dream about a juicy burger andthick home fries. It sure would be nice to have someone cook for me. I don’tseem to get along with stoves. Years ago, I tried being married. That workedfor about 30 seconds. My wife wanted me to work shorter hours. I wanted her totalk less, or maybe never.

Friends tell me I should make an effort to date,but I’m more comfortable at a gruesome homicide scene than making small talk atdinner with a woman or a man. Yeah, I like both. I stopped going out with menwhen I entered the academy. I just couldn’t deal with the shit the guys wouldgive me. Now, I don’t advertise what I like, but I pick up a guy now and then.I’m discreet, but if somebody finds out, I’ll deal.

One-night stands I can handle, but relationshipsare beyond me. People think police work is draining, but I’d rather spend allday in the field and all night at my desk filling out fucking paperwork — andoften I do — than try to decode relationship signals. I inevitably screw thingsup and never understand why.

Sex I need. Romance I don’t.

My phone rings. I pull it out of my pocket hopingthe call will save me from the mountain of paperwork on my desk. It’s DrewDanvers, detective and vampire. That’s right, a vampire who works for the goodguys. We’ve got a werewolf in homicide too. And he’s a damn fine cop.

I remember when the shifters came out of thecloset, scaring the hell out of us humans. One by one other monsters madethemselves known. Most people assumed they were all assholes who wanted to eatus, but I quickly learned not to judge a man because he sucked blood or turnedinto a wolf. I judge men based on how they treat others.

I answer the call. “What’s up, Detective?”

“Two dead werewolves found in a closet at Shift.Hacked up pretty bad. The scene’s a circus. Jenkins called in sick. I’m on myown, and –”

“I’ll be there in ten.”

“Thanks, sir.”

“No problem. Murder scene or paperwork, which wouldyou choose?”

* * *

I step inside the club. A crime lab team is thereand several uniformed officers are talking with employees. I spot Drew in theentryway of an office. He’s frowning as he questions a tall hairy hunk of aman. I’ve seen this man around the area several times, and just like everyother time, he makes my cock sit up and take notice.

Our most recent encounter was a week ago. When Iwant to grab a beer and be left the fuck alone, I go to Mitch’s, a dive justdown the street from Shift. Last time I spent the evening there, he sat next tome at the bar and came on strong. I was in a shitty mood. I wanted him, and it pissedme off. He’s not my type. He’s young, hip, and outrageously flirtatious. Iwalked away, but I regretted it later that night when I couldn’t stopfantasizing about him.

The man looks my way and catches me staring. Hisgrin says he knows the direction my thoughts are going. Fucking bastard winksat me. Drew scowls.

I turn to face him. He grins down at me, that samecocky-as-fuck little smile he’d given me earlier, making me even more aware ofhow close we are and how big he is. At 6’2″, I’m hardly small, but he’s got several inches onme. And while I’ve got a rather thick pelt, the fur visible above the vee ofhis t-shirt is astounding.

He smiles mischievously. “You gonna cuff me if youtake me in?”

“Impeding a murder investigation will get youthrown in jail.”

He rolls his eyes. “I found two dead guys in mycloset when I came to work tonight. My business is shut down, and I’ll belosing money every minute that you’re here. But at least I have a sense ofhumor.”

“Well, I don’t.”

He shakes his head. “Are you taken too?”

I take another step back. “You’re making a lot ofassumptions.”

I look over at Drew and realize he and Jason aregrinning like loons. Fuck. All I need is the two of them ragging me.

I glare at Drew. “Detective, do you think you canquestion this man without killing him?”

“Probably.”

“Fine. Fleetfoot, head back to the lab. Take mycar. I’ll get a ride with Danvers.” I throw himmy keys, and he snatches them out of the air as he gives Drew’s hand a finalsqueeze. Jason is better in the lab than any tech we have. We only send himinto the field when we’re desperately short-handed. I run a hand through myhair, wishing I knew how I’m going to hold the homicide division together if wedon’t get more funds.

He holds out his hand. “I’m Brandon Lord. I ownShift.”

“Lieutenant Morrison.” I shake his hand. His skinis surprisingly smooth, his grip tight and warm. I want to feel those big handsrunning over me. I want to rub his furry body with my own. Fuck! I shouldassign someone else to this case right now and get the hell away from him. Butsome crazy restlessness he’s dredged up in me makes me fight my instincts.

“Nice to meet you, Lieutenant.” His voice is lowand rich. And his grin lets me know he’s well aware of my body’s reaction tohim.

I need to get away. His smell alone is making mehard. “I’m not here to play games. Drop the act and treat this case seriously,or I’ll find an excuse to throw your ass in jail.”

He grins. Fuck, he knows he’s got me rattled. “I’dnever kill anyone, Lieutenant. I’m just a cuddly teddy bear.”

The bear shifter and the bear. Ridiculous. I needto leave now. This man is no cuddly toy. I don’t think he’s our murderer, buthe’s far smarter than he wants me to believe and likely far more dangerous. “Iknow what cuddling leads to.”

Brandon laughs, adeep, infectious sound. I can’t help but respond. Now I want him more thanever. Taking this case was a supremely stupid idea, staying on it now isunprofessional.

But I won’t walk away.

If you'd like afree sample of Seth and Brandon getting naughty in the kitchen, check out"Hibernation".http://cupoporn.net/2012/01/24/birthday-bash-free-story-5/

You can findSilvia at her

Website: http://silviaviolet.com

Blog: http://silviaviolet.com/blog

Facebook: http://facebook.com/silvia.violet

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Silvia_Violet

WRITERS WRITE...WRITING PARTNERS FEUD

2012-02-16T00:00:00.001-05:00

Just because Valentine's Day is over doesn't mean the month of love and hearts is as well. So, we compiled a compiled a few quotes to help keep the mood going.

Enjoy!

The most precious possession that ever comes to a man in this world is a woman's heart.
~ by Josiah G. Holland ~

There is only one happiness in life: to love and be loved.
~ by George Sand ~

Love is an act of endless forgiveness
A tender look which becomes a habit.
~ by Peter Ustinov ~

Love is a fruit in season at all times,
and within the reach of every hand.
~ by Mother Teresa ~

The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.
~ by Helen Keller ~

The courses of true love never did run smooth.
~ by William Shakespeare ~

But true love is a durable fire,
In the mind ever burning,
Never sick, never old, never dead,
From itself never turning.
~ by Sir Walter Raleigh ~

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.
Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom.
Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon.
They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never ever the same.
~ by Flavia Weedn ~

Seduce my mind and you can have my body,
Find my soul and I'm yours forever.
~ by Anonymous ~

So dear I love him that with him,
All deaths I could endure.
Without him, live no life.
~ by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet ~

To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.
~ by Karen Sunde ~

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself
But if your love and must needs have desires,
Let these be your desires:
• To melt and be like a running brook
• That sings its melody to the night.
• To know the pain of too much tenderness.
• To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
• And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
• To wake at dawn with a winged heart
• And give thanks for another day of loving;
• To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
• To return home at eventide with gratitude;
• And then to sleep with a prayer
• For the beloved in your heart
• And a song of praise upon your lips.
~ by Gibran Kahlil Gibran ~

Husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it .. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.
~ by The Holy Bible, New International Version Ephesians 5:25-33 ~

Love doesn't make the world go round,
Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
~ by Elizabeth Browning ~

****

We'd love to hear from anyone interested in what we do. Anyone who writes us at writingteamcw@yahoo.com (Write - Blog - in subject line) and leaves an s-mail address, we will send you a gift and add you to any future mailings.

Angelica Hart and Zi
KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~ CHASING YESTERDAY
CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL ~ Christmas 2012
www.champagnebooks.com

Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane
STEEL EMBRACE
BOOK NOOKIE-A LIBRARIAN'S BUIDE TO THE DO-ME DECIMAL SYSTEM http://www.carnalpassions.com/

THE FABLE OF SIN-SIN CINDERELLA Series
angelicahartandzi.com

Welcome Amylea Lynn Today

2012-02-14T03:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook,Amylea Lyn. Please let my cabana boys/girls get you a drink and make yourselfat home. Comfortable? Great…now let’s get down to business.

Q: So tell us about yourself. What got you interested inwriting? Who are your publisher(s)?

Well, my name is Amylea Lyn, and I’mfrom the West Coast. I have always been an avid reader, and writing just seemsto come naturally to me. I love telling stories, and as writer, I get to dothat all the time now. Honestly, I really can’t imagine myself doing anythingelse. LOL. I’ve been publishing my books for just over three years not, and mypublishers are Silver Publishing, Torquere Press, and Dreamspinner Press.

Q: What do you considerto be the key elements of a great story?

There are so many elements that a good story mustentail. Having likable characters is a big one. Making them well rounded andpersonable is important; I always want my readers to feel like one of mycharacters could literally walk off the page. He might be the man who justmoved next door, or he’d the man who smiled at you while getting coffee thismorning. And if you hear an animal howling late one night, maybe… just maybe…it’s a shifter pining for his mate.

I also this keeping the blow of thestory moving is also something authors need to focus on. Keep the actionmoving, don’t get bogged down in the details, and you’ll have a story yourreaders will love.

Q: Please tell us about your latest release.What inspired it?

My latest release is titled Love’s Crash Landingand it’s being released with Silver Publishing. It’s about an alien who crashlands on earth, and the farmer who finds him. The two have to battle thegovernment and misunderstandings in order to find the love that is meant togrow between them.

The truth is, a TV show and the thought of aliens visitingearth inspired me and I just had to write myself an alien story. LOL.Thankfully it’s been well received by my readers.

Q: Among your ownbooks, have you a favorite? A favorite hero or heroine?

My favorite book I’ve written wouldhave to be Nature of the Beast. It was my first series, and it means alot to me.

As for my favorite character, that always has beenand always will be, Jacob Blackthorn. He’s the police detective from my bookDream a Little Dream. *sigh* He’s my dream man. LOL

Q: Which of your bookshas been the easiest to write? The hardest? The most fun?

I’d have to say the easiest book forme to write would have to be Let’s Get Familiar, my story about a witchwho accidentally turns his cat into a human. It was simple and fun, and I thinkI wrote it in just a few weeks.

The hardest book for me to write wouldprobably be The Beast’s Promise, which is book 2 of my Outside theCity series. This is Owen and Maltok’s story, and there were a few timeswhen I upset myself so badly that I had to get up and walk away. Plus it waslonger then I’ve written before, so be the end I sort of felt like I’dexercised a demon or something. LOL

The book that was the most fun for meto write would have to be Love’s Crash Landing. It was my first blogstory and posting the weekly installments was a blast. I was right there withthe readers, I had no idea what would happen next and I was writing the story!LOL. It was a lot of fun.

Q: Which comes first,the story, the characters or the setting?

Hmm. For me, I’d have to say just an idea, and thenthe character and story line sort of come along at the same time.

Q: What part of a bookhas been the easiest to write? The hardest?

For me, the middle is always the hardest. I know howthe story will begin, and I know how it’s going to end…. It’s just filling inthe middle that causes me issues. I love my outlines... they keep me sane.

Q: What is thehardest/the easiest part of writing for you?

The easiest part of writing for me would have to bewhen I’m actually sitting down and getting to work. The words flow and I haveto pace myself; otherwise I’d do nothing but sit and write all day.

The hardest part of writing for mewould just be finding time to write. I have to schedule my life a lot just tofind the time. But it’s worth it, just to see my book out there and to hear fromreaders who like my stuff.

Q: What genres andauthors would we find you reading when taking a break from your own writing?

Breaks? What arethose? LOL. I love paranormal books. I’ll read just about anything involvingshifters, vampires, witches, ghosts, magic, etc. And I’m pretty much open toany author, as long as they’ve written a good story.

Q: What do you hopereaders take with them, after reading one of your stories? What do you hopethey feel, or learn?

I just wantreaders to enjoy my books. I want to give them a break from the craziness of“real life” and give them a bit of an escape. If I had to pick to thing forthem to learn, it would probably be tolerance for others and to be open to theunexpected.

You never knowwhen your own shifter mate will come walking in through the door. *winks*

Q: If you could describeyourself in three words, what would they be?

Clever, Zany, Shy.

Q: What is the strangest source of writinginspiration you’ve ever had?

I think the strangest writing inspiration would have to bean episode of Ancient Aliens on the History channel. That’s what inspired Love’sCrash Landing. And my cat… she inspired many a animal and characters in mystories.

Q: So a bit of naughty truth, do you ever doa little real life research to make your books spicy or do you just have agreat imagination? (If you write erotic stories-please disregard if you don’t)

Well, since I don’t have exactly the right parts, I sortof have to go with imagination. Although, I’m not afraid to do some *coughcough* research. And as questions… LOL

Q: If you had to choose one person to havedinner with, who would it be? And why?

Anyone? That’s a tough question. I’d love to sit down andchat with my grandmother. She passed away when I was younger and I never reallygot the chance to know her. But if we’re talking someone famous, I think I’dwant to have dinner with Paula Deen. She seems like she’d be fun. LOL

Q: What is the most ridiculous thing thatyou have thought about doing to any of your characters but never did?

LOL. What haven’t I done to my characters? Poor things aretortured. I did think about giving one body swap with a woman, but eventuallydecided that may be just a little to cruel to the macho man.

Q: Want to tell usabout any projects you are working on?

Well, I’m working on the edits for TheBeast’s Promise, which is due out March 24^th. I’m also stillwriting Book 3 of Outside the City which will be Sashan’s story. Theedits for book 1 my other series The Brotherhood titled Solid asStone are also in the works, so I’ll be a busy girl for a while. LOLI also just submitted my latest blog story, so hopefully it will have a homesoon and be out for publication before we know it!

Q:Anything else you want to add?

Nope. I think wecovered everything. Thanks for having me Dawn! It’s always fun when I stop byto visit.

Blurb for Love’s Crash Landing:

What's a simple farmer to do when an alien crash-landsin his cornfield? Try to keep the little guy safe from the government, allwhile trying not to fall in love with his guest while he's at it. It may not beas easy as he originally thought.

Gavin Howard lives a simple life on his farm, keeping tohimself and staying under the radar. That is all changed late one night when aspaceship crash-lands in his cornfield. So what is a simple farmer to do whenhe finds an injured alien lying in his back yard? Take it inside and care forit until it can "phone home," of course.

But Prince Mi'Kel Ta'Rulen is not what Gavin expected.Beautiful, gentle, and on a mission to save his dying planet, Mi'Kel needsGavin's help for more than just his injuries. Can Gavin help Mi'Kel find thesolution to save his people all while keeping the little alien safe from the Earthgovernments hunting him?

Gavin finds himself falling in love with the being fromouter space, but can he find it in his heart to let the little alien go whenMi'Kel's ship is finally fixed? Or will Mi'Kel's secrets drive them apart whenthe alien needs his farmer the most?

Excerpt for Love’s Crash Landing:

Gavin Howard jumped out of bed the moment he heard the soundof the crash.

He'd been sleeping soundly, exhausted after a day of planting crops in thefield behind his small farmhouse, when a loud boom shook the house down to itsfoundation and a blinding flash of light lit up the entire room.

Jerked from a pleasant dream involving two male belly dancers and a lot ofwhipped cream, Gavin opened his eyes as his befuddled brain struggled to catchup. Glancing at the clock, Gavin groaned when he saw the glowing red numbersread 2:17am. Lights shone from hisbackyard, just visible through his bedroom bay window. The red and orangeflickering moved hypnotically and beautifully. It took a long moment before herealized what he saw.

Was that--? Holy shit, my backyard is on fire!

Before he even realized he had moved, Gavin jumped out of bed and pulled on apair of jeans over his half-hard cock, not bothering to do up the buttonscompletely. He grabbed his shotgun and charged down the stairs like a herd ofbuffalo were after him.

Before he even reached the kitchen and back door that lead outside, Gavin heardhis old Blue Heeler, Bo, going wild, barking like a demon-possessed hound. Thedog threw itself at the screen door again and again, blocking him from gettingto the backyard and only quieting his howls to whimpering and whining when hespotted his beloved owner rushing into the room.

Gavin grabbed a flashlight from below the sink, patting Bo's head as he wentby.

"S'okay boy, I got it." He opened the door, then turned back to pushBo back into the house when the mutt tried to slip between his legs."Stay, Bo. Stay!" he commanded, not wanting to put his dog in dangeruntil the backyard was safe. He shut the door, taking a deep breath to readyhimself to face whatever had disturbed his sleep so violently.

Gavin turned, prepared to face the issue at hand.

And promptly dropped the flashlight he held.

"No way..." he muttered, staring in disbelief at the scene beforehim. He couldn't reconcile what he saw with what his brain knew had to bepossible. He looked around. Nope, no cameras or microphones anywhere to beseen. Bo still whined from inside the house. Gavin gave himself a little pinchon the leg with his one free hand and hissed at the sharp, bright painblossoming on his leg. Well, he wasn't dreaming, which meant what he was seeinghad to be real.

The scene before him seemed impossible, unbelievable.

Gavin just stood there, stunned, gun hanging from limp hands, mouth hangingopen.

What the hell is going on?

No way could there be a crashed spaceship sitting in the center of hiscornfield.

Pulling together his now-tattered courage, Gavin reached down to pick up thefallen flashlight, and then carefully started to approach the smoking wreckage,gun ready to shoot at the smallest sign of movement. Times like this, he wasglad his military training gave him enough experience to keep himself safe ashe approached a possible danger zone. His eyes were trained on the sky, forwhat, he didn't know--more ships maybe?

Because as much as he wanted to deny what he was seeing, there was no doubtabout it; he was definitely looking at a large silver spaceship.

The ship didn't seem to be much taller than his tractor but definitely appearedwider; at least twenty feet across in an almost disk shape. The smooth sidesshone silver, with an iridescent sheen that probably served as camouflage whilethe ship flew. He'd seen a weak rendition of just that type of thing yearsbefore while he'd been on special assignment in the Marines. Although, what hesaw back then didn't even begin to compare to the stunning object before him.

The fallen ship gave off a thrumming feel, vibrating deep in his chest with alow hum, almost like when the next door neighbor played a bass guitar in hisgarage. Gavin could still remember those days from back when he lived on thebase. He knew there was sound coming from the amplifiers, but it was too lowfor him to actually hear. He could feel the static energy and vibration on hisskin, but no sound could be heard.

All of the sudden, Gavin realized that what he was seeing might be real. As akid, he'd always been a comic book fan and loved the old Star Trek TVshow. But never in his life could he have imagined something like this.

Hot damn! He had a real live flying saucer in his backyard.

Buy link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/new-release-c-1/love-s-crash-landing-ebook-p-763

Author Links:

Amylea’s web site- www.amylealyn.webs.com

Amylea’s Blog- www.amylealynromance.blogspot.com

Special Valentine's Mancandy Edition for Tasty Tuesday

2012-02-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

It's all about romance and kisses t his week in honor of Valentine's Day on Feb. 14th. Here is to hearts, flowers and candy for you this wonderful romantic day of the year.

New Dreamspinner Press Releases-Week of Feb. 13th, 2012

2012-02-13T15:46:00.000-05:00

Artistic Pursuits by Andrew Grey
Contemporary Novel
Buy E-Book HERE
Buy Print Book HERE

Frank Jennings is an FBI agent looking for redemption. Leslie Carlton is an Interpol agent looking for a thief. Attraction flares from the moment they meet on a case searching for a stolen triptych of unique Tiffany windows, but after a single night of stunning passion, Leslie is called back to London to continue his search there.

When the case heats up again, Leslie returns to the States—and to Frank—but their investigation is complicated by their tumultuous feelings. Is it possible for two dedicated detectives to pursue each other while they’re tracking down stolen art and the unscrupulous man who steals it?

Water Waltz by Hayley B. James
Paranormal/Fantasy Novel
Buy E-Book HERE
Buy Print Book HERE

In a land where humans are enslaved as sexual toys, angels and demons are in constant conflict with their playthings. The demon Varun works with STAR, an organization devoted to human liberty, and it’s a never-ending battle.

Two years ago, the angel Triste broke Varun’s heart by choosing to be his butler instead of his beloved, giving Varun no explanation and no hope. However, that doesn’t mean that Triste will simply sit back and watch as Varun takes the human Elden under his protection, and Triste’s secret investigation will unearth terrible secrets, including the kernels of a pernicious plot.

Despite appearances, Triste and Varun are still in love, and Varun may well risk everything to protect Triste and discover why the angel left him heartbroken. But a still worse danger hangs over them as they seek to calm the threat of a catastrophic war.

And There Was Silence by Louise Blaydon
Historical-European, Short Story
Buy E-Book HERE

Two years after the horrors of the Great War, Robert and Harry are fellow students at the University of Oxford, spending an idyllic day on the banks of the river. Robert idolizes Harry, though he’s sure the other man has no idea of his feelings. When Harry offers to take Robert out on a punt on the river, the afternoon takes a turn Robert never
expected.

Pendragon's Legacy by Caroline Stephens
Paranormal/Fantasy Novella
Buy E-Book HERE

Dean Ryder is a rough and ready PI, the kind of man who will take on any case, just to prove his worth. His lover Matthew? Not so much. Matthew is an English professor who much prefers his books to Dean’s adventures... but that doesn’t mean he won’t ride along when Dean needs him.

When Dean meets an old man calling himself the Merlin, Dean and Matthew set out to investigate his claim. Matthew knows the legends, but Dean’s specialty is Matthew’s safety, and he will be working overtime to win the battle of good and evil with his partner by his side. Because if the old man really is who he claims to be, then an old evil is threatening one of the world’s greatest sources of good.

Once Upon a Spring Break by Jillian Snyder
Contemporary Novella
Buy E-Book HERE

A bar hookup and a spring-break fling—it’s not supposed to last, right?

But when party boy Justin Covelli meets Greg Waterman on his spring trip to Hawaii, hooking up is only the beginning. Greg’s a grad student, serious to the bone, who has put his partying days behind him. Justin’s just looking to blow off steam and get away from an oppressive family while checking out the graduate program at Hawaii Pacific University. But when these two young men start spending time together, they discover that what was supposed to be a random meeting of bodies may truly have the seeds of happily ever after.

Wolf's-Own: Ghost by Carole Cummings
Book 1 in Wolf's-Own series
Paranormal/Fantasy Novel
Buy E-Book HERE
Buy Print Book HERE

Dwelling in the land of Ada and defending magic users called the Jin, Fen Jacin-rei is a trained assassin and an Untouchable, one whose mind hosts the Voices of the Ancestors, spirits of long-dead magicians. His fate should be one of madness and solitude, yet Fen Jacin-rei desperately clings to his sanity and ferociously protects the family he loves. But how does Fen do it? Kamen Malick has every intention of finding out.

When Malick and his own small band of assassins ambush Fen in an alley, Malick offers Fen one choice: join us or die. Determined to decode the intrigue that surrounds Fen—and to have the Untouchable for himself—Malick sets to unraveling Fen’s past while Fen delves into the mysteries surrounding Malick.

As Fen’s secrets slowly unfold, Malick is drawn into a crusade that isn’t his, one surprisingly similar to his own quest for vengeance. Yet irony is a bitter reward when Malick discovers the one he wants is already hopelessly entangled with the one he hunts.

The Two Female Sides of Sharita Lira BL/Rawiya

2012-02-13T14:33:00.001-05:00

Rawiya:Hello readers. I’m sure those of you who know Sharita Lira are aware of the twofemales in the triad. Myself, Rawiya and BLMorticia.

BL: Thewicked gal. Yes I am…more like the snarky wicked gal who writes funny storiesabout romantic couples of any orientation.

Rawiya:And me who pens tales of romance, regardless of orientation in contemporarysettings. In other words, real erotica for real people.

BL: Anderotica with snark are our taglines. Sowhat’s the major difference? Me, I like humor in my stories.

Rawiya:And I like longer love scenes as well as more sensuality. I can do a littlehumor too but I don’t do it as well as BL.

BL: AndI’m a little too impatient for long love. I like getting to the climax a littlequicker. My characters mimic me too except when I throw a monkey wrench intheir plans. I do that a lot by the way.

Rawiya: Ido too, to a certain extent; nothing better than a little tension in a story.

BL: Howabout a lot? Some angst thrown in makes for a fabulous tale doesn’t it andbetter sex at the end. So whichever you prefer. The snarky and angsty…

Rawiya: Orthe long winded romantic. There’s a story for you right?

BL: I’dsay so. Thanks for listening to us. How about looking at our series?

Rawiya:Good idea since we’ve got five books. From NNP, the Something New On the Menuseries, all m/m with romance…

BL: Snarkand a little bit of angst. Check out the first two books.

Rawiya:Thanks for having us, Dawn!

Book One

Something Fresh Served Hot

BLMorticia

A gay contemporary comedy whichfeatures a Chicago homophobe by the name of Jimmy LaCosta who works at adiner called the Greasy Spoon on the Northside of Chicago nearBoys Town. While working, Jimmy meets the incoming manager, AlexSeidling, a young British man who his present boss is hiring to take his placeas he retires.

Afterthe initial meeting in which Jimmy feels uncomfortable with Alex'sstares, Jimmy cultivates a friendship with Alex which develops into somethingtotally different than he himself expects. This shocks him and he tries tofight it but because of his growing feelings he decides to pursue it despiteall of what he has been taught.

Will he do what his body wants?Will Alex accept his advances even though he will soon become Jimmy’s boss?

Excerpt PG

Later on in theday, I was making my way to the john when I noticed Alex sitting down inGeorge’s office looking over some papers. I was on my way out of the placesince my shift was over and my hot night with Zena was in the next hour.

When weexchanged glances, he waved his hand at me. “Jimmy, hey, can you step inside amoment, please?”

I exhaled beforegoing into the small space and closed the door behind me. I had been inGeorge’s office a little too many times for my taste so needless to say, when Iwent in I was a little nervous about talking to the new boss to be in here.

Still, I thoughtthis to be the perfect time to let Mr. Seidling know my boat doesn’t float thatway. Once I got in, I sat in the wooden chair in front of the desk.

“Hey, Jimmy. Iwas just looking over some things and it seems like you’re in need of a raisemy friend. How could you just let George stiff you all these years?” Alex shookhis head while still glancing at the large sheet of paper.

I cocked aneyebrow. He was definitely right about this observation.

Okay, maybehe ain’t so bad after all.

I ran my handthough my brown mane. “Well, I need the job and um…well, I make okay money,or…”

“No you don’t,Jimmy,” he interrupted. “At the last restaurant I managed, the top cook wasmaking twenty-two bucks an hour. The owner felt it was necessary to pay himwell because he kept the customers happy. Not to mention, he was quick,polite…”

I cut him off.“Wait, did you just say twenty-two dollars, an hour?”

Alex chuckled,“Yeah man. You’re only making fourteen. Dude, seriously, you’re getting robbed,yeah. I’ll make sure I let George know he should raise you up to at leasteighteen effective immediately.”

My eyes bulgedwhen he said that number. I was trying to keep my excitement in but I couldn’thelp it. All the things I could do with making eighteen dollars an hour. A newcar, a better apartment than the rat hole I was staying in, and damn, somebetter clothes. I may be a cook but I like to look good when I step out withthe ladies.

“Gods Jimmy, Icannot believe George mimics the guy on that cartoon, what’s his name?” Helooked up at the ceiling and snapped his fingers.

I laughed when Ithought of my favorite show other than Sportscenter. “Spongebob and you’retalking about Krabs…he’s a tight wad.”

Alex giggled andplaced the papers on the furniture in front of him. He locked his eyes withmine, making me a tad uncomfortable. “That show is hilarious.”

We shared alaugh and even though we seemed to be getting along great I had to remember whyI was here.

Man, I did come in here to tell him something…oh yeah…

I nodded, “Yep,it’s full of laughs. Hey…um Alex…I was uh, noticing the eye you were giving meearlier.”

Alex raised aneyebrow and smirked. “Yeah?”

Suddenly, Ifroze. As much as I wanted to tell him to stop staring me down like a piece ofmeat, I thought twice about how to phrase it, especially since the guy told methat he’d be telling George to give me a four dollar raise. I sighed. “Um, yeahdude, was there a reason why you were looking at me like that?”

Alex smacked hislips together and rolled his eyes. “Oh Jimmy let’s not play games here. Youknow I was checkin’ you out and don’t tell me that you don’t go that waybecause I really don’t care that you do. Besides, it’s nothing wrong withlooking. Just because I’m taking a gander at your tight fitting jeans to goalong with the snug, black tee shirt that you have on, it doesn’t necessarilymean I want you.”

I leaned back inmy chair and turned up my lip. “Oh yeah, then what would you call it?” Icrossed my legs. I had to hear this.

“Well Jimmyconsider this, when you look at a tasty dish that catches your eye on a menudoes that mean you have to order it? And, in your terms, being the machoheterosexual that you are, do you go after every girl you see walking by? Maybeyou do. Let’s just stick to the first example, yeah?”

This guy’s acard.

It was true whathe was saying but then after he completed his sentence, I wondered why hedidn’t want me. “Well damn, why don’t you find me attractive?”

“Oh Jimmy, Ididn’t say that. I just don’t see why I should order you at this time. Thereare plenty of obvious reasons. The most important being that you’re so fuckingmanly it hurts. I can tell just by the way you walked in here that you’retrying way too hard to be a man.” Alex leaned back in his chair with a smuglook on his face.

“What? Thatdoesn’t make any sense.” I stuffed my hands in my pockets and looked at himsideways.

“Fuck Jimmy,when we were in the kitchen you weren’t wearing any mitts or using a towel toget hot buns out of the oven. Why? Because you think it might show you as weak.You’re probably one of those who watches sports shows, drinks beer, and putsyour hand down your pants while scratching your balls with your legs wide open,just because you think that’s manly.” He put his hands up, signaling quotes.“Ugh, I know you’re your type, Jimmy LaCosta. The name fits you too, ItalianAmerican, yeah?”

What thefuck, why did he just read me like a book?

Buylinks Amazon AReSmashwords

Booktrailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9txKw20-Ws&feature=player_embedded

Time To Make the Donuts by Raiywa

Available in February at Amazon, All Romance,and Smashwords

Blurb: Andre, a customer, comes in and pays him a visit. The twolock eyes and immediately connect on a personal level. Because of this,Christopher decides to pursue when Andre passes him his card. He wonders whatthe young man does for a living however, he’s so smitten by him, Chris doesn’tgive it much thought.

Littledoes the shop owner know, Andre actually works for his biggest competitor as asecret shopper and has been told to use any method necessary to find out thesecrets of the shop as well as convince him to sell his shop and become part ofthe national chain.

WhenChristopher finds out, he has a surprise for Andre and deals with him in arather humorous way. Will he trust Andre once he finds out this fact? Will hegive up his shop under the pressure the well known franchise?

Excerpt:

With the song Manic Monday by the Bangles playing on the overhead, Jesse stoodbehind the cashier Wanda, getting orders for customers while Christopherfinished putting the third batch of donuts in the oven. The owner always feltbetter when the store officially opened for business making him forget aboutthe lack of sleep he got from the night prior or the fact he’d been in therestaurant since two a.m.

He pushed the double doors open as he came fromthe kitchen, watching the customers lining up in front of the register. Theywere ready to give their morning rush orders of coffee and donuts or bagels.Others who had time sat at the long laminate counter waiting for one of thewaitresses to take their requests. Bigger groups of people or those who likedto take in the atmosphere sat in booths to sample the diner’s finestdelicacies. Part of the charm of Christopher’s place was it catered to everyonein some form or fashion while offering great service. Something he knew thatother place could provide.

While waving at a couple of regulars,Christopher started to help Jesse bag a few orders. Unlike most owners, healways chipped in to help on the front lines regardless if it were busy or not.

Jesse smacked him on the shoulder. “Yo dude, youlook like you haven’t sleep in weeks.” The husky redheaded woman poured a cupof coffee for a lady in front of her.

“Well thanks,” he frowned. “I’m still beingbombarded by calls from that place to get me to sell. They won’t quit. Don’tthey get the message?”

“Apparently not. They been callin’ ya at home?”

“No on the cell and all because that one girlthat used to work here got employed by them. They thought by doing that, they’dbe able to pick up some secrets or learn something new about me, or therestaurant. Didn’t they know I brainwash my former workers,” he laughed.

“You wish. You just don’t share anythingimportant which is smart, now me on the other hand,” She cocked an eyebrow. “Icould be an asset to someone if they swayed me to leave.”

Christopher stopped immediately and glared ather. “You’d never.”

She drew up her lips. Within seconds sheguffawed and smacked him on the back pretty hard. “Babe, no, never. I’m justmessin’ wicha. I’d never leave your side. I told you the day Jayson died I’dhelp you run the place till we couldn’t do it anymore and I meant it. You knowI’m a rebel at heart. I couldn’t go anywhere and work for “the man” and feelcomfortable. I ain’t wearin’ no suit and tie for nobody.”

Christopher choked a little from the slap andlet out a small sigh of relief. He didn’t know what he’d do without Jesse ifshe left. Good thing she always had such a good sense of humor and because heliked her as his second in command, he vowed never to piss her off if he couldhelp it. Yes, they’d had run-ins a couple of times over various decisions buthe knew most of the time the two of them would come to an agreement in the end.

“Well I’m glad about that.” He straightened histie and shrugged his shoulders. “I need you here, Jess. No bones about that.Most days, I’m not sure what I’d do without your intellect.”

She blushed and chuckled. “Aw, Christopher, Iswear if I didn’t like women and you didn’t like men we’d be a match made inheaven, right?”

A woman with a baby in front of them giggled andtook her bag.

Christopher sighed, “Jesse, we really need tostop talkin’ about our personal business up here, huh?”

“Yes, duly noted boss man. Sooo…maybe we shouldgo in the back so I can ask you about the dude I hooked you up with last week.”She nodded and turned to him.

“Um, nothin’ really to tell. I’m sorry Jesse,he’s just not what I’m looking for.”

The manager rolled her eyes. “Just what the hellare you searchin’ for in a man, Chris? You gotta lower your standards just alittle don’t you? Ain’t no pretty boy with money and a squeaky cleandisposition comin’ into your life any time soon.”

“That might be true but, well, he just didn’t doit for me. I liked that he’s self-sufficient, he’s pretty burly which I, erm,well, I’m not into overly muscular men. He doesn’t have to be a model but hedoes have to be easy on the eyes.” Christopher paused, “Didn’t I just say Ididn’t want to talk about my business up here?” He cocked an eyebrow.

“Oh sorry, let’s go in the back a moment then. Igotta hear the rest of this. Wanda, you okay hon, since the rush is aboutdone?”

The younger blond nodded, “Yep, I’ll call ya’ ifI need ya.”

“Great.” Jesse gripped Christopher’s shoulder.“To the back then chief to get another batch ready then, huh?”

“Yep. We’ll be back, Wanda.” Christopher wentthrough the doors and Jesse followed him. He really enjoyed when he and Jessecould work and talk at once. Made the day go by a lot faster. If only he hadsomething other than his seemingly desperate romantic situations to converseabout.

RAWIYA is the moresensual erotica writer in the BLRawiya duo. Rawiya's first book, Time toMake the Donuts will be outin Feb of 2012 from Naughty Nights Press and her first MMF Living in the Nowwill be released in April from NNP. She has several shorts in anthologies, thelatest, That Thing in the STARbooks collection, Tall Darkand Delicious. A lot of her shorts are also on Every Night Erotica. She blogsregularly at Erotic Dairiesand Wicked Sexy Writers.For more please visit the Rawiyas blog on Wordpress.

BIO: BLMorticia considers herselfthe snarky and wicked side of author Sharita Lira so expect her to tap into thetaboo and unleash her fantasies on the world through her words. When notwriting, she does biweekly posts at fellow author Blak Rayne’s blog, http://blakraynebooks.blogspot.com,posts with Rawiya at Erotic Diaries anda feature with fellow Rebel Cassandre Dayne called the Wicked Women Wednesdays.

For more information, please visit, http://www.thelitriad.com and to ask anyquestions, email srlmort71@gmail.com.

Happy Valentine's Day from Allison Sinclair

2012-02-12T01:30:00.000-05:00

Where on earth did Valentine's Day come from?

There are all kinds of legends about Valentine's Day, why itstarted, when and how. Some predate thecelebration of that day to early pagan times. But, calling it Valentine's Day originatedfrom the name of a priest who was martyred during the reign Claudius of Rome.

Valentine was a Christian priest, and it is said the emperorClaudius didn't want married men in his army. He reasoned that married mendidn't fight as well but some of his soldiers wanted to marry. Valentine defiedthe emperor and married couple anyway, despite their serving in the army. Whilehe was marrying the soldiers, Valentine tried to convert the emperor toChristianity . When he failed, he was martyred. In 469 AD, February 14th wasset aside as the day to honor his death.

So, why is this the day to declare your love or exchangenotes announcing your undying devotion? It seems, or so the story goes, thenight before he was killed, Valentine wrote to the jailer's daughter, a younggirl who had befriended him, and signed his message, "In love,Valentine".

But the practice of exchanging love messages on the day itself,really didn't start until the end of the middle ages. The Duke of Orleans, an important FrenchDuke, claims the title of sender of the first Valentine. He was lock up in the Tower of London, after he fought theEnglish - and lost. The Duke thought himself quite a poet, and sent his wife alove poem on February 14th while he was imprisoned.

This is why legends are just that, legends. True, the Dukeof Orleans wrote poetry, lots of it. True he married a couple of times but hisfirst wife died three years after the marriage, and long before he fought theEnglish. True he was locked up in the Tower of London as well as a lot of otherplaces while Francetried to gather the ransom demanded by the English king. However, was hemarried at the time he was imprisoned and did he indeed send a love note to hiswife on February 14th? The actual recorded time line of his life makes you wonder,because there's no recorded marriage at the time he supposedly sent that poem.However, he is credited with sending the first Valentine.

You decide.

And since that time Valentines of all sizes and shapes havedeclared a forever kind of love to one's sweetheart. I couldn't resist using a Valentine whichends up in the wrong hands as a basis for "Roses for my Lady."

Let me wish you all a happy Valentine's Day.

Roses for my Lady by Allison Knight

Buy HERE

Intense, scholarly, big sister Meredith Ward is happy to see her little sister off to a country party until she discovers a Valentine card outlining plans for an elopement between her sister and the brother of an aristocrat. She leaves her cottage to halt their plans only to run into trouble herself.

Baron Gavin Sinclair learns late one evening about his brother's plans to wed a most undesirable young woman. His attempt to stop that union puts Meredith in his arms. Thinking she is the bride-to-be, he holds her hostage never realizing it will be his heart he loses.

Excerpt:

Sheraised the lamp and opened the door to the room she shared with Charlotte, setting the lantern on the table beside the bed.Discarded gowns still draped the dresser, bed and chair. Working through theroom, she picked up the garments and put them away.

Whenshe finished, she glanced around, pleased with the results. She could neverstand confusion.

Whena scrap of paper caught her attention, she reached down and snatched it fromthe floor. She lifted it toward the lantern. It had been folded, sealed andbore no name.

Sheturned it over and over in her hands. Who sent this and when had it beendelivered? Was it meant for Charlotteor for her?

Shehesitated. Should she open it, or leave it until Charlotte returned?

Merrytapped the paper against her fingers, stirring a waft of fragrance into theair. Rosewater? She smiled and wondered what to do. Curiosity got the better ofher. What if it were something important needing her attention?

Therewas nothing for it. It needed to be opened. She broke the seal, lifted the flapand pulled a small slice of paper lace from its enclosure, releasing morefragrance.

Oh,how sweet! She sighed with relief, not certain what she‘d expected. This wasonly a valentine!

Anoval picture of red and white roses, encircled with ivy rested against a squareof paper lace. Red and white roses? Entwined with ivy? The symbols of marriage!She sighed. How romantic.

Shedidn’t bother with the sentiment printed over the roses because a smaller notefloated under the lace to the floor. Grabbing the piece, she leaned closer tothe lamp. As she read the words sprawled over the paper, she tensed and groanedwith dismay. It is arranged. Midnight on the fourteenth, in front of St. Matthew’s. I havea special license. K.

“K?Oh, no Charlotte, not Kenneth Sinclair.” The words slipped past her numb lips.But, all during Charlotte’s season, she talked of nothing else but the handsomeyoung man with that awful brother.

Aspecial license. Meet at St. Matthew’s. The fourteenth. Today was thefourteenth.

“No.Oh, no!” she shouted.

Kennethplanned to elope with her sister this very night! That could not be allowed tohappen. It would ruin the family name. She couldn’t allow this. She swirledtoward the door. Oh, what would her father say when he had left the care of Charlotte in her hands?

Sheclosed her eyes, remembering his last entreaty to her as he rode away from thecottage.

Now,don’t let that sister of yours get into any trouble. You’re older and much moresensible. You take care of her. I’m counting on you.

Sheshuddered. An elopement! The family would be disgraced. Of course, she shouldhave expected something like this. Gavin Sinclair, Baron Dunleigh, was,according to Charlotte, a monster. He only just returned to England and was already ordering every moment of Kenneth’slife. Vaguely, she remembered Charlotte saying something about Kenneth being ordered totravel to some island at the behest of his brother.

Wasthis elopement intended to divert the brother’s dictum? Or did her scattered-brainedsister believe a marriage to Kenneth would change big brother’s attitude?

Oh,this was terrible. Marriage would only make matters worse, much worse.

Pacingback and forth and chewing on her lower lip, she tried to decide what to do.She hesitated, wondering if Charlotteexpected this letter.

Butit hadn’t been opened. Charlotte hadn’t gotten this message. The seal was still inplace.

Merryalmost fell to her knees in thanks. Obviously, Aunt Sophia arrived with thisnote and somehow the message had been overlooked or ignored in the confusion oftheir departure.

Shecould stop this foolishness before any harm could be done. A quick trip to St.Matthew’s, a sound scolding to that young man and Charlotte might never be thewiser.

ThankGod Charlotte had already left home and, thank the good Lord herfather was out of the country. She had time to straighten out this mess. When Charlotte returned from her weekend with Aunt Sophia, Merryplanned to make it clear the days of her acting irresponsibly were over.

Placingthe lantern on her bedside table, she slipped on her hose and reached for herboots. Shedding her gown, she stepped into her dark gray riding habit.

Itwas less than an hour’s ride to St. Matthew’s. After she told Kenneth Sinclairher sister was no longer available, she would return home. And when she talkedto him, she intended to give him a good piece of her mind. Imagine asking agirl barely turned eighteen to leave the safety of her home and travel nearlyan hour just to meet him! What sheer folly.

Meet Allison Knight

Award winning author, Allison Knight began her writingcareer like many other authors. She read a book she didn’t like and knew shecould do a better job. She grabbed paper and typewriter and announced she wasgoing to write a book. Her children hooted with laughter.

“Yeh, Mom, when cows fly,” her daughter declared.

She took classes, joined a critique group and RWA, andwrote, rewrote and wrote some more. her husband began his editing job with thatfirst book and build a writing room for her. When her first book sold, she camehome from her teaching job to find a stuffed toy cow rotating from the ceilingfan in the family room.

It seemed - “Cows didfly!”

Since that time, Allison has written and published nineteenromances for both digital and NY publishers. Her third medieval romance fromher 'song' series will be available in November. A digital short story isscheduled for release in December 2011.

Because she loves to share her knowledge and her love ofromance novels she often blogs with other authors. She also loves to talk about the growing digital market.

You can find her at:

www.AllisonKnight.com

www.AllisonKnight.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/AuthorAllisonKnight

She blogs once a month for The Writers' Vineyard,http://thewritersvineyard.com

Her books are available at the Champagne Books(www.ChampagneBooks.com,), Amazon.com, All Romance eBooks(www.allromanceebooks.com), BookStrand.com,

at Barnes and Nobel and Sony. Her Champagne Books areavailable as trade paperbacks

and can be ordered from Champagneor through a book store.

Valentine's Day Blog Hop Stop/Contest

2012-02-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

Contest Information is at end so make sure to read till the very end to see how to win a $10 ARe gift card.

I love Valentine's Day with a passion. The romance..the chocolate
*grins* Defiantly can't forget the candy. ;-) It doesn't matter if I was single or with someone. Valentine's meant I could spoil myself if I was single or someone spoiled me if I wasn't.

This weekend's posts are all about some facts about Valentine's Day.

Did you know approximately 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas?

Today, according to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. Women purchase approximately 85 percent of all valentines.
(Information was found HERE)

Did you know the romantic festival of Valentine's Day is said to have originated in pagan times in Rome when people celebrated annual fertility festival called Feast of Lupercalia in mid-February?

A unique custom of the festival was the mating of young boys and girls for a year through a lottery system. Quite often the couple would fall in love and marry.
(Information was found HERE)

Some customs that have happened through the ages in regards to Valentine's Day are:

exchange of love notes called ‘Valentines' by lovers. The tradition is said to have initiated in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans who sent the first known Valentine Day card to his wife from prison.
Valentine's Day is the second biggest Valentine's Day card-giving holiday after Christmas. There is also the tradition of gifting flowers, chocolates besides other gifts of love on Valentine's Day as an expression of love.
Going on a date with one's Valentine is another popular tradition of Valentine's Day festival. Candle light dinners or evening together in a park are an all-time favorite dating idea in present times.

A few romantic movies that couples or even singles watch are:

Casablanca
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Love Story
Titanic
Pretty Woman
City of Angels
Love Actually
The Lake House
My Best Friend's Wedding
The Fountain
The Science of Sleep
Roman Holiday

Information was found HERE

This is just a fraction of what Valentine's is about. No matter what you do on this day, always have fun with your girlfriends, kids or significant other.

Now onto the contest...The blog hop runs from Feb. 11th to Feb. 14th and ends at midnight on Feb. 14th. To enter to win a $10 All Romance e-Gift Card, you need to comment with your email address or else I can't contact you in case you win, about your funniest, worst, sweetest Valentine's day memory was. I will pick a winner on Feb. 15th after 10 am EST (USA).

To see who else is participating in the blog hop, go HERE and click on the author's name to go to their blog. Good Luck.

Welcome Naomi Bellina

2012-02-11T13:42:00.001-05:00

Valentine's Day is almost here, and one of the most popular gifts men give women is jewelry. Sure, many women purchase trinkets for their guys, and plenty of men buy for other men, but a flip through television commercials and a walk through the mall will show most marketing is geared towards the male procuring the perfect gift for his female.

Poor men! So many don't have a clue what their ladies want. They're at the mercy of the salesperson, who really doesn't have a clue either and just wants to sell whatever will bring them the best commission. Our valiant heroes bravely make a selection, take their offering to their loved one, and hope it's joyfully accepted.

Now, who hasn't received a horrendous piece of crap nestled inside a pretty, promising box? Something that made your eyes roll back in your head and your palms start to sweat. What the hell is this, and why did he think I would like it, you want to yell. But, you don't, because you know he tried, and you hope he still has the receipt so you can go back and buy something you really want. And one day, just maybe, he'll come home with something that takes your breath away.

I'd like to share a cute joke about this subject:

Young Patty approaches her mother and announces, "Sally told me where babies come from."

Mother, not ready to have this discussion, asks with dread, "Where is that, dear?"

"Sally said her sister Molly told her, Daddy puts his thingy in your mouth, then stuff comes out, then a baby grows in your belly."

"No, sweetie, Susie's wrong, that's where jewelry comes from!"

Ha-ha! Kind of makes you want to be a little extra nice to your honey tonight, doesn't it?

In my story, Seducing the Stone, a sapphire is coveted by a man and a woman for different reasons. The female fairy, Raya, wants to use its powers to help her planet, and doesn't understand why people on Earth just put them on display and look at the beautiful gemstones. What if precious gems actually had energy that we could use? What if there really was power in rocks? Aside from enticing women to do fun and kinky things for men, that is!

Enjoy this excerpt, and visit my website to read another one.

Naomi Bellina

Extraordinary erotic romance to tickle your fancy and unleash your libidohttp://www.naomibellina.com/

http://www.facebook.com/NaomiBellinaAuthor

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

Bio:

Naomi lives in beautiful sunny Florida with the love of her life and a magical black cat. She writes for various fiction and non-fiction markets, but finds she is drawn to erotic romance because her characters insist on canoodling, and sometimes even falling madly in love. So she lets them. Occasionally, however, they go to dark and strange places. She lets them do this also. Most of her stories will surprise readers with unexpected twists and turns, because isn't that what makes life exciting?

Her interests include dancing, hula-hooping, drumming, and creating healthy meals. She takes the opportunity to play, have fun, and indulge in the pursuit of passion whenever possible. She hopes you enjoy her stories and would love to hear from you at naomibellina(at)live(dot)com. Visit her at

http://www.naomibellina.com/

http://www.facebook.com/NaomiBellinaAuthor

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

Her motto: Never pass up the opportunity to have an adventure!

Blurb:

A charming fairy and a diligent security professional both claim rights to a precious sapphire, the Starry Night. Raya needs the stone to save a valuable lake, and Max needs to make sure the gem stays in its proper place for a private showing at the museum.

Chasing Raya and the stone, Max travels between Earth and Raya’s planet, and while Max starts out with only one goal in mind, to return the stone to its home, he ends up on a lively adventure, interacting with several races of exotic beings who once resided on Earth.

Though captivated by the lovely Raya, Max has sworn to stay away from women after having been deceived by a beautiful but unscrupulous girlfriend in his past. The more time he spends with the enchanting fairy, however, the more he wants her. Raya is different from anyone he has ever met and even a man with iron willpower will have a difficult time resisting a determined fairy with her own secret agenda!

Genre: Erotic romance, paranormal/urban fantasy, action/adventure

Buy link: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/387/Seducing-the-Stone

Excerpt:

"Here we are, safe and sound," Raya said. She gave him an impish smile and squeezed his hands. He reluctantly let hers go. Max felt a gentle current of energy running through her strong, warm hands.

At the display case, Raya lifted the glass dome, and Max placed the replica stone inside. Then they both stepped back to admire the gem. Even if it wasn’t the real thing, the jewel was certainly beautiful.

"Though I’m still pretty sure this is just a dream, I’m glad the sapphire is back in its place," Max said.

"Why do you humans keep these powerful stones locked away under glass?" Raya asked.

"What else would we do with them?"

Raya smiled. "I'll tell you one day, when we have more time."

"And when will that day be? I don't believe I'll ever see you again," Max said, and giving in to an overwhelming urge, he stepped close to Raya, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Raya did not respond, and Max was about to stop and apologize. But then she put her hands on his waist, pulled him even closer, and returned his kiss. Max slid his hands down her body and wrapped his arms around her.

Certain she would push him away any moment and glad when she didn't, Max lost track of time. Part of his brain yelled stop, while another part begged for more, more of this sweet creature in his arms. He longed to rub her scent, sweet and spicy, all over his body.

Finally, Raya pulled away with a gasp.

"I'm sorry—" Max began, but she put a finger on his lips.

"Don't be sorry. That was beautiful. I enjoyed kissing you. But we can't, we shouldn't—" She grabbed Max and locked her lips on his again, almost bruising his mouth with the intensity.

He let his hands roam freely over her body, caressing her breasts, rubbing his thumbs against the hard nipples, and eliciting moans of pleasure from her. His cock strained against his jeans, begging for release.

This time, he pulled away from her.

"Can we continue this at my place? I want, I need more of you. Just a little." He begged as she shook her head. "I promise, we'll only go as far as you want. You can leave anytime."

"No, I've already stayed longer than I should. I have to go now." Max took a deep breath and let go of Raya.

"This is a dream anyway. I'm going to wake up in my bed very soon." And not smelling of sweetness and spice, he thought.

Raya again stepped close to Max and leaned her head toward his. A shiver went down his spine as her breath tickled his ear. He felt her tongue lick his earlobe, followed by a slight burning sensation.

"This is not a dream, and now you have a fairy kiss to prove it. I'd like to stay with you, but it’s time for me to go," Raya said, and with a sad smile, she floated off the ground.

Welcome June Kamin today

2012-02-10T02:30:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Dawn’s Reading Nook, June Kramin. Please let mycabana boys get you a drink and make yourself at home. Comfortable? Great…nowlet’s get down to business.

Q: Tell usa little about yourself. What you do, either for a living or for fun or both.

Thanks for the drink & cabanaboy! I work in a print shop in a very small town in southern Minnesota. I work alone at this branch. The jobs are all madein the “sister” store 20 minutes away. I only deal with the design end ofthings – not production. For fun I hop on my Paint horse and ride the greattrails around our house or cuss at – I mean make something unique on myembroidery machine.

Q: Areyou a by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of writer, or do you have to use anoutline to put your collective thoughts into some semblance of commonsense?
          By the seatof my pants for sure. I never know where things are going. I’ll read the lastparagraph of where I ended the day before and continue from there.

Q: Tellus all about your latest or upcoming release. What inspired it?
          Hunter’sFind was an unusual write for me. I had no idea what I wanted to write, I justknew break time was over and wanted to write something. I had a man walkinghome from a bar and the whole story wrote itself from there. Even when thefemale MC said “When he finds out what I am he’ll want nothing to do with me,”I had no idea what she was at that point. There is a romantic element to thestory but it classified more as a suspense/thriller which is sort of newerterritory for me. It’s small town cop meet FBI agent and will keep you turningpages if I do say so myself.

Q: Ifyou had super powers, what would they be? Why?
          What do youmean if? I can piss people off via e-mail without even trying faster than youcan blink. Hey, I didn’t say it was a good super power.

Q: Whatgenre haven’t you tried yet but want to in the future?
          I have notyet written something sci-fi. I feel there’s one in me – I just have to waitfor it to smack me in the head.

Q: What’s a fun fact about you? Something unique, aparticular talent?
          I know thelyrics to every song I have ever heard. Even if I haven’t heard it for 20 years.All it takes is the first few beats and I’ll start wailing away. Cover yourears though. I said I knew all the words; I never said I could sing.

Q: What is one thing readers might be surprised to knowabout you?

Thebiggest shocker for people is that I grew up in Hawaii. The chin usually drops, the eyes get wide and they say,“What the hell are you doing in Minnesota?” (Then, “OMG, really? You’re so white! ;) I spent fromage 4-27 there & met a guy in the Coast Guard. Minnesota is his home and where we decided to hang out hats. (Andthat’s about 50 on every hook in the house for hubby.)

Q: If we asked your muse to describe you in three words,what do you think they might say?

Lunatic,crazy, oh-look-a-chicken

Q: Whichfictional character do you most wish were real?

Of mine? Bix. Everyone should have acomputer geek on speed dial.

Q: What authors can be found in your library of books(print, audio or e-books)?

My 1^st love is JohnSandford. I would never have expected myself to be a cop/thriller kind ofreader but it’s the characters that I love to follow. Another Minnesota author I like is William Kent Krueger. I didn’t seek outMN authors – it just happened that way. Since I started writing – the onlyother books I read are by my friends or fellow authors at my forum (AbsoluteWrite) and publishing sites (Champagne & Musa). I have never been let down.It may leave me out of the “New York Best Sellers” conversations, but when oneof them buys my books & needs to blog about it, I’ll reciprocate.

Q: If youcould travel anywhere in the world (money and time and travel is no object),where would you go? Why? And for how long?

I have no idea why Greece has always called to me. I’d love to go someday.Actually anything Europe intrigues me. I love old buildings and castes. As far as time, it’shard to say when you have a house full of animals. I plan on our traveling whenwe have a complete “empty nest”.

Q: Is there anything you’re currently working on that youcan give us a taste of?

Rightnow, I’m beating Hunter’s Find 2-Amanda’s Return into shape. Mandy thought she retired from the FBI innumber one but she didn’t plan on getting involved again. Silly girl. (Actuallyneither did I, but I do take kindly to threats.)

Q: When creating your characters, do you have models inmind or are they totally fictional?

Inall honesty, I don’t picture actors or anyone. When I have to describe thethrough the other’s eyes is when they takes shape. I have found someone afterthe fact & said “OMG! It’s Quentin!” That was years ago when I discoveredPaul Walker. Loved him ever since!

Q: Are you in control of your characters or do theycontrol you?

Oh– they totally control me. I never know what they will try to pull and I haveshouted things like, “I told you not to sleep with him, but would you listen tome? Nooooo.” I have given up trying to take charge. They usually know what’sright. I tried to fix a time line once & I was the one that had it wrong! Ialways say this & get mixed feedback. To some it sounds like I have no cluewhat I’m doing & others have said when your characters take over is whenyour book is on the right path. I say to each his own. Do whatever you need todo to or not do get the book written. I respect plotters & outliners – Ijust can’t do it.

Q: If you came with a warning label, what would it say?

Forget ‘Be careful and you’ll end up in mynovel’. You’re already in it & I kill you in chapter 6. (Too close forcomfort for hubby for a May release :D) I’m sure I stole that from a shirt, butit fits. EVEYONE makes their way into my books one way or another. ;)

Q: Please tell us where we can find you on the web.

Thewebsite for my women’s fiction is: http://www.junekramin.com

Find my middle grade fantasy here:http://www.beforehappilyeverafter.com/

Thanks for popping by and I wish youcontinued success in your writing career.

Thanks for having me!

Double Mocha, Heavy on Your Phone Number by June Kramin

Musa Publishing

Contemporary Romance

Logline:Bix finally won Ellie’s affection. Little did he know, that was the easy part.

Heat level: 2

BackCover blurb:

Unable to make it home in a snowstorm, Ellie seeks shelter at an old farmhouse.When the owner’s grandson shows up and happens to be the man she had given thebrush off to twice, it takes all they have not to kill each other during thesnowed-in days that follow.

Thelast thing Ellie plans on is the relationship outlasting the storm. Bix’spersistence at a relationship and attempts to help her at her job with hiscomputer skills proves to be more than Ellie can continue to push away. Shefinds herself where she never wanted to be after losing her fiancé a year ago.In love again.

WhenEllie’s twin sister shows up and puts all their lives at risk, they must nowweather a different kind of storm together.

Halfpage teaser:

Bix was surprised to see Ellie standing in the kitchen whenhe walked in her house the following Monday. He was hoping to surprise her whenshe got home from work. She must have left a little early.
“You’re home?” He walked over admiring her hair then gave her a kiss as he ranhis fingers through her hair. “What made you go dark?”
“I just felt like a change. You like it?”
“I do.” He kissed her again and weaved his fingers through her hair and to theback of her head.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him hard. Getting moreaggressive in her kisses, she began pushing him backwards until he was againstthe wall.
“What got into you, babe?”
“I just missed you.” She kissed his neck then pulled at his shirt, sendingbuttons flying. Her hands stroked his chest and went down to his belt buckle.
He closed his eyes and leaned his head against the wall as she kissed down hischest. She slid his jeans down, but left his boxers on. Kissing her way back uphis chest, she placed her hand at his crotch. He was already getting aroused.“Nice,” she said, giving him a squeeze. Kissing him harder, she began rubbingher hips against him.
“Let’s get down to business, stud.”
His eyes sprang open and he held her by the shoulders, then looked into hereyes. They were the same shade of blue. The same deep blue outline. He lookedfrom one to the other, then saw it. A green fleck that was never there before.
“You’re not Ellie.”
“Dammit.” Her hand still stroked his chest. “You’re quicker than Tony was.”
He pushed her back and quickly pulled his jeans up. “Ellie never mentionedbeing a twin.”
“It’s no wonder. I’d want to keep you to myself, too.” Again she leaned intohim and tried to place her hand on his crotch. He grabbed her hand before shewas successful.
“Stop it.”
“Come on. What are you? A choir boy?”
He moved away from the wall so she would stop cornering him. “I don’t know whatyour game is but—” The sound of a car door closing stopped him.
“Dammit. The party pooper is home. We’ll have to finish later.” She looked toBix again and ran her tongue over her lips.
Bix tried pulling his shirt together the best he could, but it was a uselessattempt with his buttons scattered across the floor.

Musa buy link: http://www.musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=93

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Double-Mocha-Heavy-Number-ebook/dp/B006MWKDM0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325181023&sr=8-2

Welcome MS Spencer Today

2012-02-09T10:23:00.000-05:00

If you love romanticsuspense, try my latest romance, Triptych, a tale of lostartworks, jealousy, sex, larceny and genius set high on the cliffs over thePotomac River.

Triptych, by M. S.Spencer

Published November 2011 bySecret Cravings Publishers

eBook, 65,000 words, ISBN: 978-1-61885-064-5

Contemporary romanticsuspense, M/F, 3 flames

Miranda Cabot lost all interest in love after her husbandEdward crashed into the Potomac River rocks called the Three Sisters. Hersister Honor likewise prefers her tower and her writing. Not so the third sister Sybil, who longs forromance with a dashing Frenchman. Sheadvertises for said hero on Craig’s List and is rewarded with the Chevalier duBon Arnaque, who comes to Washington from Strasbourg on unidentified business.

Miranda and Honor believe the Chevalier is a crook andask their neighbors Dieter Heiliger and his grandson Corey, to act aschaperones. With three beautiful, strong-willed women in a house filled withthree handsome, virile men, the inevitable result is an intricate web ofjealousy, sex, and intrigue. Who will end up with whom, and will the ThreeSisters take another life as the legend calls for?

Excerpt, Triptych by M. S.Spencer

“That’s the car, Sybil! The plane must havearrived early. Go open the door.”

Mirandaheard the pounding of excited feet on the stairs. She checked her hair anddress and prepared herself not merely to meet the Chevalier du Bon Arnaque, butto dislike him intensely.

Shecalled to Honor and stepped sedately down the long formal staircase to thecentral hall where Sybil was taking the coat of a very tall, black-hairedgentleman. As she stood on the last step, he turned and glanced up at her. Along pause ensued. Did my heart just stopbeating? The house, the hall, Sybil, everything but the man faded into thebackground. She examined his face minutely, as though she had all the time inthe world. Ringlets of thick, glossy black hair twined over his forehead, the lightcatching highlights of silver at the temples and deep in his ebony eyes. Tannedskin stretched tight over his high cheekbones, reminding her of the portrait ofa Highland chieftain that hung in her study. She could just make out a tinyupturn at the end of his nose that lent a fanciful air to his appearance.Perhaps not a clan chief but an elvish prince?

Slowlyshe grew aware of Sybil’s chattering. “Monsieur le Chevalier—see how well Ipronounced it, monsieur? I’ve been practicing. I promise to be your beststudent ever! Oh, and this is Miranda, my sister. Honor? Honor! Are you comingdown?”

Mirandatook the last step into a new world. She faltered before this man who turnedher inside out with a single look, and words failed her. As she struggled with anunaccustomed shyness he held out a friendly hand to her. She mustered up a firmshake from somewhere, noting the hard calluses that lined his palm. Awork-hardened hand. Could it be he’s nota leisure-loving gigolo after all?

Buy Links: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=171

All Romance E Books: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-triptych-641725-148.html

Book Strand: http://www.bookstrand.com/triptych

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Triptych-ebook/dp/B0067MSSO0/ref=sr_1_4?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1321481301&sr=1-4

Reviews: http://www.tonivsweeney.com/Book_Review/Entries/2011/12/23_Tryptich_by_MS_Spencer.html

http://www.stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com/?zx=2157d4c9c0fb06dc

Now sit back and take abreather while you wait for my next mystery/romance/suspense novel coming April24 from Secret Cravings Publishing:

Artful Dodging: The Torpedo Factory Murders: Murders,misdirection, mistrust, misfits, and miscreants—needlepoint artist MiloEverhart has her hands full. Can love blossom amidst it all?

About M. S. Spencer...

AlthoughM. S. Spencer has lived and traveled on six continents, the last 30 years havebeen spent mostly in Washington, D.C. as a librarian, Congressional staffassistant, speechwriter, editor, birdwatcher, kayaker, policy wonk, non-profitdirector and parent. She currentlymoonlights from her day job (writing) as Executive Director of the Friends of theTorpedo Factory Art Center. She dividesher time among Virginia, Maine and Florida.

Ms.Spencer has published four contemporary romance novels. Lost in His Arms is set in the spinning world of 1991 whencountries fell like flies and a CIA fixer had his hands full. In Lost and Found we follow a desperatewife searching the wilds of Maine for the husband who disappeared. Losers Keepers is a tale of love, lustand treachery set on the island of Chincoteague. Her latest release, Triptych, tells of jealousy and intriguehigh above the Potomac River. Coming April 24 is Artful Dodging: The Torpedo Factory Murders, in which Milo Everhart, artist, meets her match in lawyerTristram Brodie on the battleground of the old munitions factory turned artcenter called the Torpedo Factory.

Contact me here:

Website: www.MeredithEllsworth.com

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/M.S.SpencerAuthor

Blog: http://msspencertalespinner.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/msspencerauthor

Or at my Author Pages:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.S.-Spencer/e/B002ZOEUC8/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1277387999&sr=1-2-ent

All Romance E Books:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=M.S.+Spencer

Romance Reviews:

http://www.theromancereviews.com/msspencer