A new day

I’ve been thinking about something that has been bothering me or a while now. Very recently I’ve gone through and epiphany of sorts. These things bring realizations that affect you and then change your conceptions. That is what has happened to me a change. A change which might not be noticeable right away to others but I know it and feel it. It’s a new day.

Taige Crenshaw
http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/
…increasing the sizzle factor

Blog: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/blog
Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crenshawcafe
Newsletter: http://www.taigecrenshaw.com/newsletterandgroups.shtml
Free Reads Site: http://www.satinnotes.com/

Wilde Rapture - When a woman ducks into an alcove at a wedding she meets the man who is intriguing and will tempt her.

Buy here at Total-E-Bound.

I’ll Write You a Love Song

My husband and I married before we celebrated a Valentine’s Day together. A fast courtship, but 12 years and two children later, it’s certainly worked out. Many associate a special event or moment with song. At the time of our wedding, I worked interviewing musicians. Our first song was “I Will Love You” by Fisher, an indy band based in Los Angeles.

In celebration of upcoming Valentine’s Day, here’s a listing of my top 5 favorite romance songs (in no particular order).

1)   “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain

2)   “The Blower’s Daughter” by Damien Rice

3)   “Forever Blue” by Chris Isaak – really, anything by Chris. It doesn’t matter what he’s saying, as long as he’s singing.

4)   “My Hero” by Foo Fighters (Maybe not a love song, but irresistible)

5)   Anti-love song: “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette

For those a little down on love, check out AskMen.com’s Top 10 Break-Up Songs:
http://www.askmen.com/top_10/dating_150/183_dating_list.html

Or the MTV Valentine’s Day Playlist: Top 10 Break-Up Songs:

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1604772/valentines-day-playlist-top-10-breakup-songs.jhtml

Tell me: What’s your favorite relationship song, whether it deals with true love, or a broken heart. Leave your email address, and one lucky winner will receive a bag of M&Ms with sayings on them, and an electronic copy of your choice of one of my backlist books (U.S. only for the candy).

Louisa Bacio

Love Knows No Bounds

http://www.facebook.com/louisabacio

http://www.twitter.com/louisabacio

http://louisabacio.blogspot.com

The Writing Life - Small Town Edition

            I stand out in the small town where I live.   I’m not a native and in a culture where strangers ask your parents and grandparents names to establish where you rank in society, it marks me out as a stray.  My distinctive maiden name – Sontheimer – is not, I’ve been told quite often a local name and even my married surname, when the personal, street level version of background checks kicks in, doesn’t work either.  Although my husband happens to have been born here, his parents migrated north from the Pelican state so he doesn’t get to count a full native status either.

            Besides I do things your average resident and/or native doesn’t.  Since moving here, I worked in broadcast radio and for a long time people knew me as “the girl from KBTN” or, because of a series of commercials I did with friend and fellow radio voice Dean, “the girl who does those sexy ads”.   Fast forward a little and I began penning various columns for local and regional papers.  I started out doing book reviews for the county paper and advanced to feature stories on interesting area folks like a woman who made dozens of quilts in one year as Christmas gifts for her extended family.    Then I did a Sunday opinion page column for the largest daily in the region, known as “The Four States” for a few years but it ended when too many readers didn’t like my views on Mel Gibson’s movie about Jesus Christ.  I think it was the headline “It’s not holy, just Hollywood”.  It just didn’t go over well in the Bible Belt.

            The local newspaper gave me space for a weekly column called “Hindsight” which lets me write about a broad range of things from local history and personalities, to my own past, to current events, tributes to people who pass away, promo for my books, and more.

            I also have twin daughters, sixteen this month, and for a long time dragging two infant carriers or two strollers around town, I was “that woman who writes for the paper who has those twins”.   Then the twins got older and my son, almost eleven, started school and I started doing a little substitute teaching.  I worked with all ages but it narrowed down to mostly high school kids and they liked me.  They called me “the awesome sub” and I think the school officials never could quite figure out why the kids liked me so much.   They never noticed I treated the kids with a combination of respect, kindness, and friendliness delivered with gut level honesty.  Since I no longer sub – since some locals say “she’s the one writing those dirty books” – I can suggest maybe if they tried the same, they might get to be awesome too.

            These days, however, more local and regional folks know me because of my novels.  They read them.  They mostly like them (except the ones who think I write smut but some of those like them too).  And they talk about it.

            I’m finding more people who love the way I write about ordinary folks and everyday life.  Another writer once told me I wrote “blue jeans prose” and maybe I do.  My heroes and heroines are more likely to be blue collar, not blue blood or white collar workers, not wealthy people.

            At the local diner style restaurant I’m the lady who “makes the books”.  The local library can’t keep my print fiction checked in and in the supermarket it’s not uncommon for someone to recognize me as an author.  The gradual awareness of me as an author is growing, even stretching back to the hometown where I grew up at the opposite end of Missouri.   Once known for my columns, for my non-fiction articles about outlaws and the Ozarks, and my anthology appearances, I’m becoming known as a romance author.

            Since I do live in the Ozarks, things happen that might not anywhere else.  I just traded an autographed copy of my latest print title for lye soap.   One of my former high school students who wouldn’t crack a book in school read Love Never Fails and when his amazed father found out, he said, “Your teacher wrote this?” before he proceeded to read it too.  And his comments – that I captured the local town in a lyrical, true to life fashion are high praise to me.

            My newest novel just debuted as an eBook, a contemporary romance with a Valentine’s Day slant from Rebel Ink Press.  A Patient Heart is set in my small town.  Later this month, a time travel/ghost/contemporary novel also set in the same place will be out, from Rebel Ink Press.  In Love’s Own Time is a unique novel combining several sub-genres into one and the inspiration sprang from the very soil of my subdivision (what passes for suburbs in a small town) where a fruit farm once prospered.

            Here’s the blurb for A Patient Heart, now available for just $4.99 at most online ebook retailers.

            As a little girl, Catherine dreamed she'd marry Connor Donavan one day and as teenagers, that dream seemed within reach. Until Connor ended their relationship, leaving town and breaking Catherine's heart. Ten years later, far from the old hometown, Catherine reports for work as a nurse one snowy January evening and learns that her new patient is none other than her old love, Connor. When he recognizes her, all the old feelings stir but a few sparks fly, too. As Connor recovers from an accident, Catherine realizes she loves him more than ever and he seems to love her as well. But after he leaves the hospital and convalesces at her home, his real life intrudes into their quiet time together. Then Connor leaves Catherine behind and she stays until a message sends her speeding to Kansas City, to Connor's club... On Valentine's Day.

            Available on Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com, Bookstrand and more

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-apatientheart-677026-148.html

http://www.amazon.com/A-Patient-Heart-ebook/dp/B0073FQIPG/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1328046555&sr=8-15

Facebook: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

Twitter: @leeannwriter

A Page In The Life: http://leeannsontheimermurphywriterauthor.blogspot.com

Rebel Writer: Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy http://leeannsontheimermurphy.blogspot.com

Seanachie Stories – Tuesday Tales And More http://seanachiestories-tuesdaytalesandmore.blogspot.com

Book trailer:   http://youtu.be/Eo4Ttr_7O8Q

It's Out! It's Out!

I usually try to blog about something first, other than just jump right in there and plug my books. But today I'm happily and shamelessly plugging my new release. The Mercenary Way just came out on the first. You can pick up a copy at The Wild Rose Press. Below is a blurb and excerpt. Enjoy!

When a ruthless gem smuggler mistakes Sarah for her best friend Susan, she's kidnapped and stashed on an island. Her only hope of rescue is Susan's cousin Clint -- a soldier-of-fortune whose my-way-or-else attitude is as infuriating as his muscular body is distracting.

Clint, ex-Navy SEAL turned mercenary, desperately needs a vacation. Rescuing a kidnapped woman from an island paradise isn't what he had in mind. And when he encounters Sarah's sassy mouth and tempting ways, he soon realizes he's the one in trouble.

Imprint: Crimson
Length: Rosebud

Rating: Spicy

Page Count: 178

Digital Price: 5.00

Excerpt -

“Is Stan─”

“Sshh!” he warned briskly, his gaze returning to hers. “Now isn’t the time for conversation, angel.”

Sarah pressed her lips. She didn’t like being told to be quiet. She dropped her eyes before his steady gaze, beginning to feel self-conscious of their intimate situation. Clint was too sexy and in spite of his gruff ways, she was attracted to him. Sarah recalled the eagerness of her response when he’d been caressing her earlier. She was hungry for that particular feeling again but now was hardly the place or the time.

“You can get off me now,” she spoke quietly, pushing against his shoulders. “They’re going away.”

Clint didn’t budge. “They may have lowered someone to the ground to continue the search,” he reasoned. “Be quiet.”

Sarah listened to the sound of the chopper diminish as it moved further away and raised her eyes to the top of the trees above them where the sky was visible. And where Clint’s gaze was focused. She couldn’t help noticing how thick and muscular his arched neck was. The veins were evident beneath his whiskered jaw.

“You can still get off me,” she insisted, wincing at the weakness in her tone. He glanced down at her. Their gazes met and held. Sarah tried to gauge what he was thinking. After an awkward moment of silence, Sarah looked away, but not before she acknowledged the flame of awareness in Clint’s pupils. His body grew taut.

She caught her breath when he turned hard and demanding against her. With little between them, it was easy to determine Clint wasn’t lacking there. And the knowledge turned Sarah hotter. It seemed the danger of being captured was over but another more primal danger threatened her.

She knew she was playing with fire but couldn’t stop herself from acknowledging Clint’s hard-on in the most obvious way. Parting her legs, she arched into the hard shaft, being rewarded when he sucked in his breath.

“You know if I was a smart man I’d roll off, start walking and not look back.”

Sarah stiffened. Then why didn’t he? When Clint didn’t move right away, Sarah closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at him. His closeness was unnerving, catching her off guard when she realized how much she liked his weight against her. However, closing her eyes turned out to be a bigger mistake when all it did was enhance the charged atmosphere between them.

Her ears picked up the low drone of the helicopter as it was all but out of ear shot, but her senses were acutely aware of Clint. His breath was against her face, hot and intimate, his heart beating against her chest keeping rhythm with another more vital part of his body. She began to respond to the situation against her will.

Suddenly, she felt alive. Her breasts became ultra-sensitive, swelling against his chest as her nipples hardened into tight little nubs. In her mind’s eye, Sarah could see his mouth on her, licking and tugging on them until she was breathless and on fire.

Oh God! What is happening to me? An explosive rush swept through her blood. She kept her eyes closed, desperate to ignore the changes in her body, trying to ignore that it was a man like Clint— callous, raw, and totally unlovable—who was turning her on to such a feverish pitch. She struggled to bring her breathing under control, embarrassed when a soft whimper broke the silence.

“Open your eyes,” he demanded in a voice hoarse with desire.

“No.” The way Sarah figured it, if she didn’t look at him, nothing would happen. He couldn’t possible know she was so turned on she was burning up with it.

“I’m going to kiss you.”

It sounded like a threat. Her eyes flew open. “No!” The firmness she tried to inject into her tone came out weak and throaty, revealing her condition. The savage expression on his face frightened her but not nearly as much as the untamed wildfire racing through her body. His body began to move against her, his hardness fitting perfectly in the damp crevice between her legs. The ache in the lower half of her body became a tangible, almost painful, reminder that she hadn’t made love in a long time. Too long.

“No? Are you sure about that, angel?”

“Yes,” she gasped, mesmerized by the smoldering look in his eyes. “I don’t think it’s wise to complicate things.” Not to mention she was scared out of her wits that she’d enjoy it.

“One little kiss doesn’t have to complicate anything,” he returned with a wolfish grin.

He was actually teasing her—or was he testing her? “We both know that’s not all you have on your mind,” she pointed out.

Tory Richards

The Wild Rose Press

*The Mercenary Way was previously released under a different publisher as Against the Odds. This version has more content and has been sexed up considerably for re-release.

Groundhog Day!

Groundhog Day
By
N. J. Walters


Happy Groundhog Day!

So here we are in February. How did that happen when it feels like only a few days ago the Christmas tree came down? We’re right in the middle of the winter and today the intrepid groundhog will tell us if there will be six more weeks of winter, or not, depending on if he sees his shadow, or not.

Where I live, there will be more winter regardless of what Mr. Groundhog has to say. As I type this, I can see out my living room window to the snow covered hills beyond the houses and buildings. Yesterday, we had an unexpected storm. It caught all the forecasters off guard and made life miserable for a lot of folks as they struggled to get home from school and work. Six inches of snow in about three hours (a total of eight over six hours) certainly made the roads treacherous.

But it is February now and spring is getting closer with each passing day. In the meantime, it’s hard not to fall into the winter doldrums, especially when there are many days that the sun never peeks out from behind the clouds. What’s a person to do?

Well, experts say that exercise of any kind helps. Walking is out at the moment around here as the sidewalks have disappeared under mounds of snow and will be like that for a while. City Council isn’t real swift when it comes to cleaning sidewalks. But I could go to the indoor track or I could roll out the yoga mat—currently gathering dust in the closet— and give it a whirl. Who knows, maybe I will.

Music is also good to help shake up your mood. Plug in your IPod and listen to some music you love, whether it’s country, rock, jazz, or pop. Sing at the top of your lungs—if you don’t live in an apartment—or dance like no one is watching, because they aren’t.

My favorite way to fight off the winter blues? A good book. No surprise there. And, thankfully for me, there are always great books being released that I can curl up on the end of my sofa and enjoy. I plan to browse the Sony Store and download several onto my Sony Reader later today.

And, if you’re interested in a werewolf paranormal book, you can check out my upcoming Samhain Publishing release, Quinn’s Quest. It’s the forth book in my Legacy werewolf series.

BLURB:

Legacy, Book 4

Kidnapped and held in a crazy doctor’s underground laboratory, Bethany Morris only manages to escape because Chrissten, one of her fellow abductees, creates an opportunity—by shifting into a werewolf.

Bethany’s desperate for help, but who’ll believe her story? The police? That’ll just buy her a one-way ticket to a padded room—because here’s the kicker: she’s discovered she’s a half-breed werewolf. Her only hope is to find Chrissten’s brother.

Quinn Lawton’s long, grinding search for his missing twin has turned up nothing…until Bethany rekindles his hope. Something else catches flame too—her heat cycle and a searing attraction branded with the word mate. Yet with so much blood on his hands, any future he might offer is already tainted beyond redemption.

Desperate for Quinn’s touch alone, Bethany has no choice but to take Quinn up on his offer to quell her terrifying need, no strings attached. And hope that as the search for Chrissten intensifies, the battle with their personal demons doesn’t destroy their razor-thin chance at forever.

Check it out at http://store.samhainpublishing.com/quinns-quest-p-6656.html



Happy February! And remember, spring will get here eventually.



N.J. has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.

Visit me at:
Website: http://www.njwalters.com
Blog: http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Nj-Walters/714113604

From Reader To Writer in Three Not-So-Easy Steps! by Natalie-Nicole Bates

For several years before I even formulated an idea for my first book, I was reviewing books. Being a voracious reader since I was a child, reviewing seemed like the natural choice for me.

When I was still in school, my teacher assigned us students to choose three books each semester and write a few paragraphs about them. This was my first taste of book reviewing! While I was reading and reviewing Harold Robbins and Sidney Sheldon, my teacher came to me and said, You really should be reading the classics.

To me, Sheldon and Robbins were the Masters.

Book reviewing is an art that requires a special skill set. Book reviewing sites are professionally run, and most require interested applicants to audition. Book reviewers know how a book is put together, they understand the elements of plot, setting, scene, and point of view. They look for flow, for consistency, and most of all, they know how to remain neutral.

So if a book reviewer understands the mechanics of how a good book is put together, can they become writers themselves? Maybe.

About a year ago, I decided to make the leap into writing. First and foremost, I stopped reviewing contemporary and paranormal romance (the genres I was interested in). I did this by my own choice. I now review mostly mystery and inspirational romance.

I already had my idea for a contemporary romance, and I signed up for an intensive six month course in the art of novel writing. This past summer, I sold my first novel, Change of Address, which is now available at Secret Cravings Publishing. Within a few weeks of my sale, I was offered a contract for my short paranormal, Antique Charming, which is now available at Books To Go Now. Back To You followed, which is now available from Bradley Publishing.

I have made successful leaps from avid reader, to reviewer, to finally, writer. But everyone’s journey is individual. Not all reviewers will become writers, not all writers review. When people ask me, how did you know you wanted to review? How did you know you wanted to write? I tell them my truth. For me, it was a burn inside of me that would not let up until I started reviewing, until I started writing. Each reader, reviewer, and writer must follow her own path to personal satisfaction.

Back To You available now at Bradley Publishing!

 

On the surface, Lynsey Reznor seems to have it all. She is beautiful, brilliant, and a successful true-crime writer who has been living the past decade in Miami. But what Lynsey lacks is what she needs the most—a family.

After the death of her mother, and yet another failed relationship, Lynsey makes an impulsive decision to return to her hometown of Unity. But Unity will present its own bittersweet memories, most notably, her first love, Nick Lincoln.

Twenty years ago, Nick broke teenager Lynsey’s heart when he decided to marry another. He had his own private reasons—reasons he never explained to Lynsey. Now she is back, along with a chance to reclaim her love. But Lynsey wants answers from him that he may never be able to give out of duty and guilt.

                      

Natalie-Nicole's Blog

Twitter: BatesNatalie

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/natalienicole.bates

Bradley Publishing

Shaking It Up--only 99 cents from amazon

Some people hate the idea that fate is out there manipulating the paths of their lives.  Me?  I think it's kind of cool. All the time, you hear stories about people who missed their bus only to catch a ride with someone who changed thier lives one way or another.  How can you not believe?

Fate has a few things in store for Daisy L'Amore and Rome Corazón--the hero and heroine of Shaking It Up--and the two of them are about to have their worlds shaken up and turned upside down.  A gypsy whose predictions have all come true, tells Daisy she and her friends must find love by Valentine's Day or they will lose everything they've worked for--EVERYTHING. A crystal heart is supposed to "light the way," but Daisy is having a hard time believing...until she sees the crystal light up and shine on one man...

Unfortnately, he's not the man whose got her heart pounding and her pulse racing.  So what's a girl to do when she's falling in love with the wrong man?  Is there a chance that Mr. Wrong could make everything right?

Keep reading for an excerpt and a chance to win a copy of one of Erin Quinn's books.

Excerpt from Shaking It Up:

Daisy began to doubt her decision as soon as they walked out the door, but his hand held hers in a warm, firm grip and her body felt like it was on fire. The silk of her dress swished at her thighs, her heels tapped an erotic beat on the pavement and her heart pounded hard and fast in her chest. She was more than a bit tipsy, but she knew that her saying yes had little to do with the wine. In all of her twenty-seven years, she’d never felt this way before. It went deeper than the heat flaring between them. She had a connection with Rome that threw her equilibrium into a tailspin.

            Rome stopped beside a motorcycle—a beast of a machine that looked neither safe nor practical. She had a mental image of her legs straddling it, skirts flapping in the wind, thighs pressed to his hips as she clung to him. The thought of it made her mouth go dry and another part of her body become embarrassingly wet.

            Grinning, Rome leaned in and gave her a bone melting kiss. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep you safe.”

            “My car—”

            “We’ll pick it up later. You’re in the structure?” When she nodded, he said, “They have twenty-four-seven security. It’ll be fine.”

            Before she could argue, before she could change her mind—if that’s really what she wanted to do—Rome strapped a helmet on her head, pulled his warm leather jacket over her shoulders, and the next thing she knew, she was pressed to his back, arms around him and hands linked over the hard, tight muscles of his abdomen. The chilly San Diego night flashed past them as he turned down the street. The vibration of the bike between her legs tantalized her already aroused senses and the feel of his hips and back pressed to her front as she held on, nearly pushed her to the edge.

            By the time he pulled into his neighborhood, accelerated up the steep incline and parked in the garage of a gorgeous house perched on a cul-de-sac with a breathtaking view of the bay, she thought she might self-combust. In her entire life, no man had ever affected her this way. She felt as if he’d lit a fuse with hello and now it hissed and sparked, destined to detonate the desire inside her.

            Rome set his feet to the ground, popped the kickstand down and then, without dismounting, reached behind him and swung her around so that she was pressed to his front, her legs draped over his, encircling his hips. He caught her gasp of surprise with his mouth.

            Holding her with one arm, he removed the helmet and tossed it into a box with padding in the bottom that sat on the garage floor, evidently for that purpose. And then his hands were in her hair, his mouth on hers and Daisy forgot to think. His jeans felt rough on her thighs, his erection tight against the damp silk of her panties. He hadn’t cut the engine or closed the garage behind them and the vibration from the motor worked through her as the cold night air fanned her fevered skin.

            “God, you’re so fucking beautiful,” he said against her throat as his mouth roved over her face, her jaw, down to her collarbones. He leaned her against the tank, keeping her hips tight against his. Now his hands moved to her breasts, baring them to the night air as his hot mouth covered one nipple while his warm fingers cupped the other. She moaned and arched against him. There was no way to describe how his touch felt—honey and heat, scorchingly sweet and powerfully carnal. Every breath that caressed her skin felt intimate. Special. It didn’t make sense. This had been a textbook pickup, hadn’t it? He hadn’t even bought her dinner before they’d moved to desert.

            And yet it felt like a honeymoon, filled with all the pulsing anticipation and emotion that came with the joining of two lives.

            She cursed her own romantic stupidity and naivety even as she held him closer. They barely knew each other and she was not so foolish to mistake sex for love. Besides, this was not the man she should be loving. The crystal had picked William.

            But the voice of reason couldn’t override her racing heart, her hot blood or the feeling of fate bearing down with gifts in its arms. Some part of her did know Rome, knew him on a fundamental and crucial level that very few people ever experienced.

           

Shaking It Up is part of the sexy, martini-inspired Love, Served with a Twist Valentine’s Day series by Amazon bestselling authors Erin Quinn, Calista Fox, and Mary Leo

Erin Quinn is an award winning author who writes romance for the thinking girl.  Her books have been called “riveting,” “brilliantly plotted” and “beautifully written” and have won, placed or showed in the Booksellers Best, WILLA Award for Historical fiction, the Orange Rose, Readers Crown, Golden Quill, Best Books,  and Award of Excellence.  Go to www.erinquinnbooks.com for more information. 

Two lucky readers who comment on my blog will be randomly selected to win reader’s choice of ebooks:  Shaking It Up, Echoes or Whispers, by Erin Quinn. Good luck!"