TYLER by C.H. Admirand

I’m delighted to announce the release of the first book in my new series for Sourcebooks...TYLER.

This is my debut in mass market paperback, but my 10th novel. ;) It’s a bit scary moving into this market from the Library Market, but I’m ready to leap! To celebrate, I'm giving away an autographed copy of TYLER. All you have to do is leave a comment to win. I’ll pick the lucky winner tonight at 9pm EST.

Genre: Contemporary Western Romance

Rating: Hot

Price: $6.99 paperback, Nook, Kindle, and Borders e-reader

Links to purchase at Amazon http://tinyurl.com/2fmh5yw

Borders http://tinyurl.com/4gull4k

Barnes & Noble http://tinyurl.com/46atsy6

Here’s the blurb:

When Tyler Garahan said he'd do anything to save his family's ranch, he never thought that would include taking a job as a stripper at a local ladies' club. But the club's fiery redheaded bookkeeper captures Tyler's attention, and for her he'll swallow his pride...

Emily Langley feels for the gorgeous cowboy. It's obvious that he's the real deal and wouldn't be caught dead at a ladies' revue if he wasn't in big trouble. And when he looks at her like that, she'll do anything to help.

Working days on the ranch and nights at the ladies' club, Tyler would be plumb exhausted if he didn't suddenly discover that the club is in the same boat as his ranch, and his beautiful boss needs him as much as he needs her...

Here’s a PG 13 excerpt:

The steady beat of a familiar country tune throbbed in her veins. She looked to the left and then the right. Her gaze snagged and got stuck on the long, tall Texan standing on stage slipping out of his worn denim shirt. Every ounce of spit dried up in her mouth. She tried to lick her lips, but her tongue was paralyzed and her brain had completely shut down.

Thickly muscled pectorals smoothed, then bunched as he bent down and braced his hands on the back of a chair someone had placed on the stage. He leaned forward and his biceps bulged as he pressed more of his weight on the back of the chair. Oh Lordy!

Emily stared, transfixed by the sight. Even though she’d met him earlier, there was something different about him when he was center stage. His go-to-hell-and-enjoy-the-trip attitude commanded attention. When he straightened up and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his leather chaps, her heart beat double time.

Even though she’d seen Clay do the same routine a hundred times, the impact of Tyler strutting across the stage in chaps and a tiny pair of black spandex briefs had her gasping for air and reaching out to steady herself. With one hand to her heart and the other braced against the wall, she wasn’t prepared when his gaze to swung toward hers.

Before she could react, he unbuckled his chaps and let them fall to the stage.

Air… she needed air! Good Lord, he was gorgeous. He had the body of a Greek god and the arrogance to match.

The crowd erupted in cheers, whistles, and more than one moan of ecstasy, but the man didn’t seem to notice. He waited to the count of ten, spun on his boot heel, and strode to the back of the stage like a gunfighter preparing to take his stance at the end of Main Street before a shootout.

Drawn to him, she made her way through the crowd toward the stage. Emily stared. She couldn’t look away; the back of him was as gorgeous as the front. Finally the cheers died down and as if on cue, the man slowly walked to the front of the stage where women waited, waving fists filled with bills. From where she stood Emily could tell they weren’t the one-dollar kind. Two women waved fistfuls of twenties, and one long-legged brunette held out a handful of fifties!

Wishing she weren’t a part owner in the club so she could push her way to the front of the crowd and monopolize the handsome hunk, she jolted when Jolene said, “Isn’t he magnificent?”

Emily agreed. “There’s something really special about him. You feel it too. Don’t you?”

Jolene nodded and put her arm around Emily. “It might take a little while for him to settle in.”

“You don’t think he’ll walk, do you?” If he left she might never see him again, and she had a deep-seated need to touch off that powder keg of passion she sensed lurked just below his I-just-don’t-give-a-damn façade.

Don’t forget to leave a comment to win an autographed copy of TYLER. I’ll pick a winner tonight at 9pm EST.

Today is just the beginning of my month-long Virtual Tour. Check here for the dates:

http://www.chadmirand.com/appearances.php

Visit me at the Sourcebooks Casablanca Authors Blog Wednesday, March 2nd. I’m giving away more signed copies of TYLER. Here’s the link: http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com/

Slainte’

C.H. Admirand

New werewolf / vampire romance novel out now - Hunter's Moon by F E Heaton

Hunter's Moon, my new werewolf / vampire romance novel in the Vampires Realm series is available now as an e-book for only $2.99 via my website and Amazon Kindle. This book will be available soon on Kobo, Barnes and Noble Nook, Sony Reader, iBookstore, and Fictionwise.

Hunter's Moon
F E Heaton
Having witnessed vampires slaughtering his werewolf pack during their escape from the horror of the compound where they had been held captive, Nicolae’s hatred of the species burns deep in his veins. A century has passed since that night and the months in which he travelled to the Canadian wilderness to escape it, but the nightmarish visions and his failure as an alpha still haunt him, forcing him to live alone and keep his distance from other werewolves.

When a night hunt with the local timber wolf pack leads to a run-in with unfamiliar hunters, Nicolae tracks the scent of blood permeating the forest to an injured woman and races to save her, but has he made a terrible mistake in doing so? When she attacks him, revealing her true nature, he can’t believe his eyes or the fact that he can’t bring himself to kill her. She’s beautiful, and a vampire.

Tatyana is on a mission. Far from home and bearing a heart filled with grief, she’s intent on killing the hunters she’s tracking, but her plan didn’t include being shot with poisoned arrows. When she comes to in the presence of a glowering handsome male werewolf, she isn’t sure what to expect. His dark demeanour and cold tone warn her that he isn’t like the subservient werewolves she’s used to, and that she might not be out of danger yet, but she doesn’t let it discourage her. Working with him to discover why the hunters have come to Canada, she attempts to shatter his antiquated opinion of vampires, but the closer she gets to him, the harder it becomes to battle the forbidden hunger he stirs in her.

Will Nicolae be able to overcome the darkness in his heart and his memories, and embrace his desire for a vampire? Can Tatyana face her fear about the Law Keepers and risk her heart and her life for the sake of forbidden love? When they discover what the hunters are after, will they be able to stop them before it’s too late?


ebook price: $2.99
genre: paranormal werewolf romance
length: 65000 words
rating: sultry
released: February 2011
Book 9 in the Vampires Realm series

Available from:
My website: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/ebooks.php?title=Hunter's%20Moon
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004P5NQ0W/
Amazon Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004P5NQ0W/


Excerpt
Crisp air rushed through Nicolae’s black fur in a constant stream, shifting with him as he wove through the dark forest, keeping pace with the bulk of the local timber wolf pack. The group ahead of him, led by the grey alpha, snarled and played, riding up on each other’s shoulders as they ran. Nicolae bounded after them, his paws pounding the uneven ground and his footing sure. He ducked under a low branch and then leapt over a fallen tree, landing softly in the fresh leaf litter on the other side. Mountains stretched into the distance before him through the woods, their craggy peaks highlighted by glowing white snow. The fat moon flickered between the bare branches above him and called to his blood.

Nicolae obeyed.

He raced with the pack down the slope towards the hidden glade in the forest. Leafless trees gave way to tall pines that towered above him, blocking the light, and his eyes adjusted, the dark world around him sharpening and his senses following suit. Cool fingers of wind caressed his ears as he headed in amongst the pack and joined in their play, enjoying the clear wintry air and the bright night with them. Several younger wolves in the pack snarled and nudged him, and he playfully responded, gently shouldering them as they ran and fighting for dominance. He let them win even though they were far smaller than he was.

Nicolae wasn’t interested in gaining rank within the pack. He was here to enjoy the moment and the company. Running with the timber wolves under a full moon excited him, took him away from the complications of the human world and set him free. There was nothing in the world as exhilarating as surrendering to his true nature.

Animal sounds filled his ears, undetectable to the humans who lived in the rugged mountainous region of Canada. The deer down in the valley ahead were moving, heading for a safe place to spend the night. He could picture them now as they waited nervously in the shadows of the trees around the glade, alert and aware of the wolves that ran in the dark forest. They would move and make it out onto the narrow strip of grazing land between the banks of woods at the valley bottom before the wolves reached them.

Tomorrow, there would be reports of a wolf attack on the deer, and how the Casey’s horses had panicked, and Nicolae would have to pretend that it startled him to hear such a thing.

That he hadn’t participated in the hunt and the kill of deer.

That he wasn’t a wolf.

A burst of wings broke the silence, owls fluttering from their roosts and heading high into the sky. Hungry wolf eyes instantly tracked them for a heartbeat of time and then the pack moved on, their focus returning to playing and hunting the deer. The day birds settled down in their nests, safe from predators for another night, unbothered by the wolves running below.

The pack began to streak ahead and Nicolae returned his attention to them. His blood rushed and his heart thundered. He felt wild. Alive. The leaders were dark blurs in the distance, almost blending in with the night, silent predators built for this terrain. Younger wolves jostled for position nearer to him. He raced to catch up, the cold air burning in his lungs and a sense of freedom flowing through him.

A howl cut the night and the wolves shifted as one, turning right towards the mountain, away from the glade and the grazing land beyond. Something had caught their attention. The howl came again and Nicolae listened this time, deciphering it. Wolf-speak was old and varied from pack to pack, but he had studied this one closely, and long enough that they had accepted his presence on the mountain. They no longer feared him. It had taken him a century of working with each generation, but he had gained their trust and their friendship, and had learned how to communicate with them.

He pounded up to the peak of a bare hillock, threw his head back, and howled at the moon through the barren trees.

The answering call told him why the wolves were now running with intent.

There were men on the mountain.

Men who didn’t belong there.

Nicolae ran down the other side of the hillock and rejoined the wolves, running close to them now, amongst the pack. The sense of calm and playfulness disappeared. The wolves were hunting, a sliver of fear flowing through the entire pack, alertness that called to his instincts. He focused on the woods ahead, mapping them and monitoring for a sign of the men. It was unusual for hunters to come onto the mountains at night, especially when winter’s grip was closing on the area.

A distant noise snapped the group to attention. The alpha snarled. Nicolae stretched his superior senses farther ahead of them. They whispered of danger. He sniffed and caught the scent of men on the wind. No one that he recognised. The grey alpha snarled again, this time in Nicolae’s direction. Nicolae answered with a growl. There was no reason to fear the humans.

He would protect them if it came to a fight.

He doubted that it would. Humans rarely hurt the wolves and never bothered him. They were probably looking for deer. He glanced at the moon. It was late to be hunting, and not just in the year. The sun had set hours ago and midnight was approaching. What prey were they after? The bears were already heading into hibernation, and deer didn’t come this far up the mountain in winter. The only animals up here were small game and the timber wolves.

A trickle of fear slithered down his spine. His hackles rose in response.

Were they after the wolves?

Winter Joy

The last few days I have been enjoying the cold weather. LOL. I know it is strange. The last few days I’ve been happy. The crisp bite of winter has set in. People are moving fast to and from where we are going to get out of it. Instead of my usual rush I decided to stroll to and from my house. I took on the breathtaking beauty of winter. There is a scent in the air that can’t be mistaken. A crisp, fresh smell of winter. As I went through my day it followed me. There were a few people that was doing as I did. They had smiles on their faces as they walked like I did. We were enjoying being outside.

Although it is a cold days like today put a huge smile on my face and a song in my heart. Yeah I know I’m being sappy again but this is that sort of day. A good mood day that you want to share with everyone else.

McKenna Jeffries
http://www.mckennajeffries.com/
…. sensual, edgy, unexpected

Blog: http://www.mckennajeffries.com/blog
Chat Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/McKennaJeffriesList
Free Reads Site: http:/ /www.satinnotes.com/

Conquering Jazz - What’s a woman to do when she unwittingly makes a tantalizing proposition to her best friend?

Be brazen, bold and set some ground rules. Her offer. One night of carnal bliss. No emotion allowed.

His counter offer. A continued affair to fulfill all their sexual cravings.

His hidden agenda. Conquer to make sure their affair never ends.

Buy here at Liquid Silver Book.

Movie Review: No Strings Attached

I love a good romantic comedy as much as the next girl. Which is why I was dually excited to hear the ads for No Strings Attached. Come on. Romantic comedy + Ashton Kutcher? What's not to love?!

The ads made this movie sound right up my alley.

The whole "can best friends be sex friends" storyline is one of my favorites. Natalie Portman plays Emma. In my book she's the straight laced, gun-shy, commitment-phobe doctor. Ashton (he's ridiculously cute, is he not?) plays Adam, the goofy, fun loving, guy next door. And like any good male lead in a romantic comedy, Adam has a deeper side that he doesn't show everyone. And, he has a heart of gold.

These two friends fall into bed and decide that sex just might be the answer they're both looking for. They both promise not to fall in love with each other and plan to keep things casual. But, as we all know, it's hard to keep sex casual. Especially when you're calling each other at all hours of the day and night for a little tryst-between-the-sheets.

One thing that struck me as odd about this movie is the way it's played up as "best friends become sex friends." To me, I never bought the whole "best friends" aspect. The two of them had a history, but I'm not even sure I'd call them friends the first time they jumped in the sack.

Over all, I give it a B+. I loved Ashton's character. I didn't love Natalie's. I rarely like commitment-phobe women. I'm not wired that way and I have a hard time relating. Also, as much as the movie grabbed me, and as much as I loved the ending, there was a sparkle missing that I've enjoyed in other romantic comedies (Sweet Home Alabama, The Proposal) including Ashton's recent Killers.

Would I see it again? Certainly. I'd even buy it on Blue Ray.

Most importantly, you could totally see this with your boyfriend. This is one romantic comedy about sex that doesn't pull its punches. In fact, I was pretty impressed with that. And for me, that's enough of a reason to see No Strings Attached.

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Have you seen No Strings Attached? What'd you think?

Selena Blake writes erotic paranormal and contemporary romance. First published in 2008, her series Stormy Weather has been on the best seller lists and nominated for awards. Most days you'll find Selena wearing yoga pants and a comfy crewneck while drinking Diet Coke and slaving away over her next novel. Learn more about her online at http://www.selena-blake.com or catch her at facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorSelenaBlake

Letter To Myself, Two Weeks Ago

Dear Self,

Congratulations on your book release in a few days! I know you're getting pretty excited, full of dreams and plans of world domination. And also full of white turkey chili if this letter is reaching you on Sunday night, February 6. I won't say whether or not you achieved your desired goals or time travel, which is how I'm writing this letter to you -- or if you just happened to run into one of the Doctors and borrow the TARDIS for a minute -- but I did want to give you a few pieces of advice that will make you, or me, a lot happier in two weeks.

1) Wash your hands. A lot.

2) Don't sign up for that Novelrank.com site. I know it seems like a good idea, to watch your meteoric rise to fame, but don't do it. Seriously. You're better off not knowing.

3) Also, don't click obsessively between Novelrank.com and Amazon just to see if it's telling the truth. It is. Told you you were better off not knowing.

4) Have you been washing your hands regularly? You might also want to wash the kids' hands. So what if they're old enough to do it themselves? They're doing a crap job. Do it anyway. Especially as soon as they get home from school.

5) That online chat you're worried about on the second Monday, where you're going to read the first chapter of your new novel One Thousand Kisses (http://store.samhainpublishing.com/thousand-kisses-p-6253.html) live on the internet? Drink the beer AFTER the reading. I'm just saying.

6) When your sister calls you the first two times on the 9th, answer the phone. It's very important. The third time she's pranking you, so you can let it go to the answering machine. Otherwise you're going to lose your train of thought and forget the very best line in the Great American Novel you're writing. I'm pretty sure of this, but I can't prove it. Yet. My hopes rest on you.

7) On the second Thursday, you may dream that you're trying to nap at your daughter's school and Sylvester Stallone shows up and tries to get in bed with you. To nap, goofball, not for anything else! And he's wearing his sunglasses. This is not a good sign. Wake Yourself Up Immediately, before the next part of the dream.

8) When you wake up, go wash your hands.

9) Then go to the grocery store before lunchtime -- the timing is VITAL -- and stock up on: disinfectant, electrolyte drinks, chicken soup, saltines, a new pillow, Tylenol, and a large print romance novel. Maybe you won't need these things; maybe you will. Depends on whether or not you took my advice to wash your hands.

9.5) Skip dinner.

10) If, at 4 am on Saturday morning you think you're hallucinating that the Tylenol you want to take looks like tiny little gnomes from your book, coming to eat you, you're not. It really looks like that. Oh, and the scales do indeed say you've lost 5 pounds in the past 36 hours. But the other thing, with the Care Bears? Total hallucination. Don't sweat it.

Have a great release week, and wash your hands! You're gonna need to.

Jody Wallace


Available now from Samhain - One Thousand Kisses!
One woman, one man, one world to save...and one scheming kitty with an agenda.
http://www.jodywallace.com/  * http://www.meankitty.com/

Loving Characters by Susan Hanniford Crowley

Buy Me

         "I'm David Hilliard."
         This time she gently touched his face. "I'm Laura Cordelais."
         He held her hand to his cheek and closed his eyes.
         Laura gasped as she realized her surroundings. "Do you live here?"
         "No." He chuckled. "I just needed to get you out of the sun. I have an apartment."
         "Well, that's a relief. I thought I'd have to live in a cemetery."
         They both laughed.
         Laura looked around at the grim tomb. A spider crawled up the stone wall nearest her, and she trembled. "I'm afraid of small, closed spaces. And bugs."
         He enclosed her in his arms. "Don't be afraid.  As soon as it's dark, we'll leave."  Her mouth was so close to his, she could almost taste him. Then he pressed his firm lips against hers. 

         Hmm. He tastes of honey. I love honey.

         Their fangs knocked together. Laura giggled nervously. 

         "Shall we try that again?" he suggested.

         She nodded.
         David gently took her chin and tilted her head slightly. Then his lips possessed hers again. Laura
tingled from head to toe and wondered if a vampire was capable of love. She hoped David was.

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         I  thought I'd start with a kiss.  David is a vampire and the only way to save Laura's life was to make her a vampire too.  This moment in their lives reveals the passion that exists between them.  Laura is unique as a human.  She's descended from a race of people called Telkhines who used to live on the island of Rhodes.  They were able to control the weather and create art and weapons from metal.  Zeus was angered by their skill and arrogance, so in disguise, he went to Rhodes with Apollo.  At the home of Dexithea, the two strangers were treated to the hospitality of the family.  When Zeus doomed the Telkhines to become dog-faced monsters of the sea, he spared Dexithea and her family.  He was particularly fond of Dexithea and gave her the gift of lightning.  Laura is a direct descendant of Dexithea.  Now a secret that is not in the book:  Cordelais is French and means to twist.   It's an appropriate name for a human who can unwind a storm.
         For information on The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais and the other books in the Vampires in Manhattan series, visit my website at http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com

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Buy Me

When the morning light broke through the lace curtains, Travers lay in bed beside her watching her sleep.  Why was he so irrevocably attracted to her?  He'd been with beautiful women before, but Euthalia had captured his heart.  Everything about her excited him.  He loved her sweet, delicate features, especially those luscious kissable lips.  Just the thought of her returning to Mrs. Bright's or to any brothel made him crazy.  He didn't want anyone else to touch his Eulie.  He could kill anyone who tried. 

In one night, he had broken all his rules regarding women.  Never call them darling or dearest.  To call a girl 'love' was to be expected. 'My love' was going past an unspoken boundary.  He could not possess Euthalia.  For a man in his position to possess any woman was an impossibility.  Working in her majesty's secret service made love a luxury, a hopeless dream, and until that moment with Euthalia in his arms, he had never wanted that dream so much.  Travers gazed at her peaceful expression as she slept and envisioned children with her features, her bright eyes.  Never once since he became a spy for Her Majesty did he think he would see old age.  Now he wanted to grow old by her side.
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         Captain Travers was a blast to write.  He's so charming and courageous.  The most courageous thing a man can do is admit he loves a woman.  Euthalia was a shopkeeper's daughter.  When her father loses everything in a bad investment, she will do everything she can to raise the money to get him out of debtor's prison, even sell her services at Mrs. Bright's Tea Room, the notorious brothel that floats above London in a lavender dirigible.  Mix this couple with an alternate history Victorian age, and it's nothing but romantic fun.  Probably the most endearing trait of Travers is that he never treats anyone as if they're beneath him. A secret about Travers?  He loves strawberries and clotted cream.
         For all my books, please visit my website at http://www.susanhannifordcrowley.com   I specialize in the supernatural and the unusual.  Rare and sexy, that's me.
         To celebrate a week of loving.  lol  Didn't you know someone has made a Valentine's Week!  Well, to celebrate, I will give one lucky commenter a signed copy of The Stormy Love Life of Laura Cordelais.  All you have to do is go to the News page of my website and write in the comment box, "I love romance."   This contest is for the citizens of the US and Canada only, and is void where prohibited by law.  It ends on February 18, 2011 at midnight.  Good luck, everyone.  Love burns eternal and whispers in the dark.
--Susan
Susan Hanniford Crowley 

 

What’s A “Gate” Series? by Jane Toombs

Have you ever realized some action you completed was unwise? Or someplace you’d gone to or some situation you’d gotten involved in was unwise? I believe it’s happened to most of us, and maybe some of us wound up in some kind of danger.

How about feeling unwanted? I guess maybe we all did at some time and place in our lives. As I recall, it’s not a pleasant feeling. But most of us didn’t believe we were in any danger because of it--and if we were lucky no worse off.

When I first conceived the idea for my Underworld Series where either the hero or heroine, or both, fall or pass through a gate into an alternate world, I was creating something I’d always wanted to write--gate stories.
This came from my love of fantasy and reading “Gate” books by many of the well-known names in this genre.
It’s a great what-if beginning. Because what if you were in a familiar spot and suddenly stepped off into nothingness? Not to crash to your death, but to be transported to an alien alternate world, where you were doomed to remain?

In Unwise, the reader is taken to an alternate world that has a known gate to the Underworld that everyone steers clear of. Princess Lelani is taken into the Underworld by one of those very rare guides who can take you and bring you back But what happens to her there is most unwise. When he brings her back to her world, what has happened to her affects her entire life.

In Unwanted the story begins on Earth, which is also an alternate world among the others connected by these shifting gates. The heroine’s car crashes over a cliff in the Sierras. She‘s thrown free , but instead of dying, she passes through a gate into another world. On Earth, having red hair and green eyes like she does, is no big deal. But on the world she falls into females with these attributes are regarded as evil witches and killed on sight. She’s about as unwanted as you can get.

Both these books are out now from Eternal Press with buy links at my website: www.JaneToombs.com

I’ve just about completed the synopsis for Uncanny, the third book. Here I begin in an alternate word with a most unusual young woman and am toying with the idea of having her end up on Earth, through a gate. Of course she finds Earth completely alien to her.

So far the books in my Underworld Series have been completely different from each other and fun to write. Hope I can keep it that way. The danger in any series is that authors may begin to repeat similar situations over and over, which turns off readers, So far I’m okay with the first three, but I need to careful not to be so unwise as to repeat plots or readers will begin rejecting my stories as unwanted and that’s not a canny situation to get into.

Jane

Head Over Heels is Now an AudioBook - Only $3.49 this week!

AudioLark Audio Books is proud to present Head Over Heels, by Cindy Procter-King. Click here for an audio demo of Head Over Heels and for purchase information.

Cindy writes:

HEAD OVER HEELS was the fourth book I wrote, but the first to be published. In fact, HEAD OVER HEELS is a comprehensive re-write of my second unpublished novel. I used author Vanessa Grant’s “Garbage Can” method of revising and tossed the first version of my story into an imaginary garbage can. Then I took out what I most wanted to save: the heroine, her apartment, and the Canadian setting. I brainstormed a different hero and a totally new, comedy-of-errors plot.

I also decided to abide by the old writer’s credo to “write what you know.” I wasn’t taking any chances! So my heroine, Magee Sinclair, became a klutz with a heart of gold. Because I am a klutz. Quite plainly, that is what I know.

There’s nothing wrong with being a klutz. I bump into walls, have had my coat sleeve get caught in an escalator as I was descending. As a kid, I’d put the milk in the cupboard and the cookies in the fridge. I’m not stupid. I just don’t tend to pay a lot of attention to the physical world, so it gets in my way. I live in my head. That’s where my characters reside, so why shouldn’t I? Oh, yeah, because I need to back the car out of the driveway without hitting, um, I mean scraping the fence.

I also decided to place Magee in a situation based on my own experiences. Magee tells a little white lie that winds up with her not only needing to masquerade as the hero’s girlfriend for a weekend but requires her to go mountain-biking in Whistler near Vancouver, B.C. (the site of the 2010 Winter Olympic events). I know zip about mountain-biking, so I researched a lot, and, hey, I’d happened to have taken a group trip to Whistler and we’d just happened to go mountain-biking. What a wealth of knowledge on which to draw!

I’m not an athlete (kind of hard when you’re a klutz). My friends split the mountain-biking group into guys and girls so the guys could pursue technically harder paths without worrying about us. If memory serves, I was the only woman mountain-biking that day who was perpetually the last person chosen in gym class, always the team player to win “hardest worker” (in case you don’t know, “hardest worker” = “you suck, but we appreciate you trying.”) So hurtling down Whistler mountain on a fancy bike was especially terrifying.

As you listen to the audio book of HEAD OVER HEELS, when Magee flies down the mountain path screaming on her bike—I lived that. The scene where she flips head over handlebars into a huge mud hole? Based on the experience of my friend, Bruce, during the men’s “technically challenging” excursion (translation: “only idiots would take that path”). Okay, so Bruce didn’t flip head over handlebars. His front tire just kind of lodged in a rut, and he fell over on his bike. Magee’s experience is a lot more dramatic. That’s why it’s called fiction, folks. So writers can take tiny elements of “what we know” and brainstorm an entertaining story.

The ski chalet in HEAD OVER HEELS is based on the cabin my friends and I rented. Magee’s apartment is based on an apartment I lived in with my now-husband. I loved that place and wanted to immortalize it. Monster, Magee’s “co-op cat,” was inspired by a kitten who did climb in through our kitchen window to visit me. Except my little friend left fleas behind (Monster would never do that!). And while I’ve never accidentally overdosed on heavy perfume, I have used chutzpah to extricate myself from embarrassing situations, as does Magee.

Magee isn’t me. However, she has a lot of me in her. I’ll always love her—and her story. And I’m thrilled to share the story in audio book form with AudioLark.

Nothing but Time

This is a weird month for me. In years past so many things happened during February. Some for good and other not that great. Each changed and shaped who I am. Thinking back to the changes over the last few years I can say that I am in a happy place. Glad where I am and what I am striving to achieve.

Life throws many curves and you have to go with them. I’ve become real adept at that. My life has been hectic and crazy. Now I am looking forward to some semblance of normal. Just relaxing and taking a bit of time to reconnect with my life.

The list of things I want to do is varied. Enjoying the little moments spending time with my family. Talking with friends. Taking in a movie. A trip to the bookstore. A walk around neighborhood. Treating myself to a night out. These are just a few of the things I plan on doing. And I can since I have nothing but time.

What are some of the things you plan on doing?

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/

Power of Attraction - A woman whose destiny has been ordained from birth meets the man who has been prophesied for her--but there is more to him than meets the eye. With prophecies and legacies to fulfill, which way will she go: to a man who may be possibly her mate, or to a dark legacy that could take her life.

Buy here at Total-E-Bound.

Loving the Love Scene by Ashlyn Chase

Erotic romance authors are often asked how they write hot love scenes. It isn’t easy! In fact, it’s one of the hardest things to write well. I happen to write erotic comedy but when it comes to sizzling sex, I’m deadly serious. I don’t write porn. I’ve been in those sleazy bookshops with the blacked out windows and bought a couple of their books to “see what I was missing.” Not much! Just some terribly written plotless stories with absolutely no romance by authors in need of an anatomy class.

Here are a few tips to writing a convincing love scene. First of all, try to be sure your characters aren’t as shallow as this: “I like your body, let’s have sex.” It’s great to have sexual attraction between the hero and heroine from the get-go, but to make a love or sex scene convincing, we need do a little better than that.

I like to have one of them do something special for the other to show they care. That usually happens in real life. Dinner and a movie is classic but classic can be cliché. As imaginative writers we can and should be inventive. Maybe he knows she likes puzzles so he pulls out a 1,000-piece puzzle and invites her over to put it together. That says a couple of things. One: I want to spend time with you—lots of time. And, two: I’m paying attention to your likes and dislikes—I’ll meet your needs.

Of course in an erotic romance, the couple won’t get beyond putting together the outer border before they wind up tangled in the sheets. In order for that to happen, especially in a short story, the writer often makes them familiar with each other beforehand from their workplace, mutual friends, or being stuck in a space capsule together for months. And it never hurts that they’ve been burning for each other too long as it is.

One of the hardest things for the erotic romance writer to do is make each encounter feel like it’s the best, most powerful, over-the-top sexual experience your characters have ever had. In order satisfy the avid erotic romance reader’s expectations, you have to get right into that character’s body and describe sensations that often defy description. You’ll find yourself typing words like: aching, moaning, clenching, whimpering, “Oh God, oh God!” pummeling, pounding, stiffening, exploding, convulsing, gasping, rasping “I can’t take anymore,” shuddering, fluttering, shivering, quivering, bucking, and… Well, you get the idea. The reader must be swept away, just like the character.

For the writer to put together a scene like that, and to make it different every time, may take a lot of thought and frequent ice water breaks. For a reader to consider it a successful scene, she must not be able to put the book down. Thus, it might take you all afternoon to write something the reader will devour in a couple of minutes.

Do you need to have a current love life to write erotic romance? No. I think it helps, but I know some single erotica writers who can make you want to wear oven mitts to turn the pages! I even know a virgin who won a contest with her love scene and subsequently published her story. But if writers have a regular bed partner, they can and should take advantage of it.

How? We must tune out the noise in our heads and concentrate on the moment. Yes, I’m including myself in this reminder. Hey, if you’ve been sleeping with the same individual for fifteen years (or twenty-one in my case) you can easily put yourself on automatic pilot. Sex is better experienced fully! Close your eyes so you don’t see the dust on the headboard and really feel the sensations going through your body. If you find yourself thinking about the Mac and Cheese in the fridge, or the sweater you need to hand wash for the next day, know that it will be there later, leave your head and get back inside your body. Feel every stroke and touch.

Let your partner(s) know you’re enjoying yourself. If the roommate or kids might hear you scream, stuff a pillow in your mouth and wheeze. I can’t tell you how many erotic romance authors refer to their significant other as their “research assistant.” Chances are your boyfriend or husband is happy to help and proud to do the honors—especially when you’re both having a blast. If, God forbid, sex becomes a chore you can spice it up with toys or videos. Open your mind. Even if something goes terribly wrong and you fall on the floor, have fun ruling it out.

In any case, I think the best way to write any romance is to read romance. To write hot romance, read hot romance. Make a list of words or phrases that turned you on and make them your own. The next time someone implies that writing romance is easy, dare them to write a two page love scene—preferably one that makes you drool, sweat and attack your boy toy.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ashlyn Chase
http://ashlynchase.com

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AT THE TYCOON'S COMMAND—a conversation with Kim and Jared

Harlequin has just reissued 4 of my Silhouette Desire titles in ebook format, written under my pseudonym of Shawna Delacorte, from my backlist of 21 Harlequin and Silhouette titles. Visit my Shawna Delacorte blog for more information on these ebook reissues.  http://shawnadelacorte.blogspot.com/

All 21 of my Shawna Delacorte titles from Harlequin and Silhouette are listed on my Samantha Gentry website along with covers and blurbs. http://www.samanthagentry.com/


AT THE TYCOON'S COMMAND is the third of my four ebook reissues. Jared Stevens and Kim Donaldson are my guests today.

Hello, Jared and Kim. Thanks for stopping by to chat with us.

Kim: It's our pleasure.

Jared: It's my understanding that you want to talk about how we got together…the rocky road to love.

LOL…yes, something like that. You do have to admit that your story smacks of elements from Romeo and Juliet or maybe the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Kim: Yes, indeed. [LOL] The family feud.

Jared: Our grandfathers started a feud that had lasted decades. And in a small town like Otter Crest, something like that can't be hidden.

Am I correct in my understanding that neither of you stuck around Otter Crest after graduating from high school? You each left in different directions to attend college then stayed away with your careers?

Jared: I came back when my father died and I took over the helm of the family 'empire'. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and that was my legal residence, but I'd spend a couple of months each summer at the family compound in Otter Crest.

Kim: As for me, upon graduation I accepted a teaching job. I had returned to Otter Crest when my father died…the funeral and then settling his estate. I had no intention of staying any longer than necessary. But the day after the funeral, the Stevens' Enterprises corporate attorney showed up at the door of my father's house with a demand for payment of a long overdue financial obligation he claimed my father owed. And that moment brought the feud full blown to the third generation. I had perceived the timing of the demand for payment as purposefully designed by Jared as just another unethical Stevens' tactic.

You said he 'claimed' your father owed the debt. Was it legitimate?

Kim: My father had always insisted it wasn't so, but it turned out to be real.

Jared: The corporation had a signed and notarized promissory note. I had my suspicions about the ethics of how it came about, but the paper work was in order and legal. My concerns were probably what prompted me to make her an offer to work it off rather than paying it off. The timing was unfortunate, but it was an attempt to reach Paul Donaldson's heir while she was in town.

So, Kim, that's when Jared offered you a means of settling the debt?

Kim: Yes…he offered to let me work it off. I immediately interpreted the offer as nothing more than a sleazy proposition—just another ploy by the high and mighty Stevens' family to belittle and humiliate a Donaldson.

Jared: She totally misinterpreted my offer, but I understood why she would have made that assumption.

Kim: I had a legal document drawn up stating that my working in his summer office would settle the debt. It clearly spelled out a legitimate job situation.

That knowing smile and the glances between you two indicate something a little different than some straight forward office work.

Kim: I thought I had been so thorough in covering all the bases by spelling out the work arrangement in a legal document, but he was one step ahead of me. It was a job working as his assistant, but there was very little typing or other office type chores involved. I picked up his dry cleaning, took his car to be detailed, took his dog to the vet and the groomer. Well, you get the picture. I was not a happy camper!

That's certainly understandable. How about you, Jared? What was your intention with all the menial chores?

Jared: Our families had been feuding for three generations. I had just met her for the first time—lots of tension and a definite adversarial situation. I had no idea if I could trust her around corporate business. I would have simply dismissed the debt if it had been between my father and her father, but it was a business debt and was on the corporate books as such so I needed to make an earnest effort to settle the obligation. I had no personal interest in a stupid decades old feud and didn’t want to cause her financial difficulty by demanding she pay the debt. The work situation seemed like a good compromise to me.

Kim: I didn't know Jared, but had gone to high school with his younger brother, Terry…an arrogant jerk who embodied all my father had said about the Stevens' family. That, naturally, made me wary of Jared.

Jared: That's HALF brother. My father was married six times and there were also all the mistresses and short term affairs. I'm lucky there was only one half-sibling for me to deal with.

You and your brother…half-brother…don't get along?

Jared: That's putting it mildly. Kim is absolutely right in describing him as an arrogant jerk, but she left out the part about him also being totally irresponsible and believing he was entitled to whatever he wanted. My father and I were never close, but he knew there was no way he could put Terry in charge of anything which left me heading the corporation.

Sounds like you and Kim had several ups and downs before you settled into a relationship.

Kim: And one frightening incident that made everything else pale in comparison.

That sounds interesting. What happened?

Jared: You'll need to read the book to discover that.

LOL…why am I not surprised?


AT THE TYCOON'S COMMAND, a Silhouette Desire by Shawna Delacorte reissued in ebook format. Available at http://ebooks.eharlequin.com/ (do a search for title). Barnes and Noble for NookBooks at http://www.bn.com/. And Amazon for Kindle at http://www.amazon.com/

Blurb:

Employed By The Enemy:
Working for Jared Stevens was not how teacher Kim Donaldson wanted to spend her vacation, but doing so would pay off her father's debt and end the long-standing feud begun by their grandfathers. If only Jared hadn't matured into a handsome man with a magnetic appeal and a smooth, sexy voice that made concentrating extremely difficult.

Reformed playboy Jared was nothing like his unethical father. He was hard working and responsible...and his attraction to his newest employee was immediate and powerful. Jared found their passionate battles in the office led to steamy lovemaking in the bedroom. But could a woman who no longer trusted find love with a man afraid of commitment?

G-rated excerpt (inside front cover):

"I'd be willing to let you, uh...work off the debt."

The shock traveled through Kim's body, followed by a sharp jab of anger, which was compounded by the lascivious gleam in Jared's eyes and the unmistakable challenge in his face.

"You'd what?"

"I'd be willing to make arrangements for you to work off the debt this summer while you're not teaching."

"That type of ludicrous line might work on the many women who frequent your bedroom, but I'm most certainly not one of them!"

"Whoa! Hold on there. I don't know what you're assuming, but I'm offering a legitimate position, handling the summer office chores."

It made sense, but did she dare trust what he said? He was a Stevens. For as long as she could remember, their families had been enemies...


Text Copyright © 2003 by SKDennison, Inc. Cover Art Copyright © 2003 by Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A. Cover art used by arrangement with Harlequin Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved. ® and ™ are trademarks owned by Harlequin Enterprises Limited or its affiliated companies, used under license.

Starting the New Year Late

By Janet Quinn Cornelow

The new year has started and I am already behind on my goals. I got behind the first week and have not done much to stay on top of things. Leaving my job the end of December was more upsetting than I thought it would be. I really miss it.

I did start a new book the first week of January. I have not figured out a title for it yet, but I did start writing it. I managed to get eight pages done in two days, which is slow for me, but it was a start. Then I got the pages mixed up with the essays I was grading for my online teaching job I have and deleted the eight pages.

It took me three weeks to start over. I am finally back to where I stopped the first time, but it is a page shorter. I guess everything wasn’t important.

The story I am working on is my alternate universe story which I think I have talked about before. Pax, a New York City detective, is chasing a man who he thinks is a serial killer through an alleyway. His partner is coming in from the other entrance of the alley. What he doesn’t know is that the man is really a wizard from an alternate universe. Just as he is about to capture the man, there was a darkness, then a flash of light. Suddenly Pax is somewhere new and being held immobile by Sasha, a peace officer in her universe. They are about to embark on chasing the man together.

Chewbaca, my dog, has taken up helping me again since I have been sitting at my desk more. I cannot spend the whole day on the couch with my laptop. Makes my back hurt. Chewbaca always has wanted me to play ball with him when I am at my desk. It is amazing how fast he returned to his previous behavior. He wants to help me write and grade papers. He just thinks he is so cute.

A Fatal Flaw

A Fatal Flaw is my most recent romantic suspense. Set in Tampa, Florida it tells the story of Kerensa Mawgan, who has come from her native Cornwall, to try and trace her father. The quest is full of danger, as Kerensa has discovered that her recently dead mother shot her father. When Ned Rochester steps into help she is doubtful about letting him be involved. Ned is a cop! However, reluctantly she accepts his offer of help but Ned opens a can of worms and brings danger to Kerensa and himself.

A Fatal Flaw has had some very good reviews, not least by Dee Dailey of the Romance studio and is currently the No. 3 best seller at Whiskey Creek Press.

"Margaret Blake pens a tale that shows a great contrast between people who have everything and those who make something of their lives the hard way. The Logan family may have everything money can buy but Kerensa, Ned, and others show grit and courage money can't buy. The good guys grow on us even with their quirks and idiosyncrasies. The villain is as despicable as they come, sometimes being vicious just because he can.
Throughout the book Ms. Blake weaves a sweet love story with the suspense even though it's probably doomed from the start. Ned and Kerensa are from two different worlds an ocean apart. That doesn't stop them from developing feeling for one another no matter how hard they fight it. Ned's Dad is a great contrast to Campbell Logan's father. He may be flawed but we keep hoping he may grow through it. I like this author's style. It seems like she's writing about real people in situations that could happen. Scenarios come alive as do the people with her use of dialogue and situations that help us know them better. This is well worth reading. Dee Dailey"

A Fatal Flaw is the second novel I have set in Florida. My first attempt at catching the essence of Florida was A Poisoned Legacy, published in hardback by British Publisher Robert Hale Limited.
www.halebooks.com
www.thebookdepository.com

You might wonder why I write about Florida, being a UK writer, however I come to Florida as frequently as I can my son, his lovely wife and my grandchildren live in the Tampa Bay area, and I have come to love Florida very much. I have been to Florida in spring, summer, autumn and winter and don’t have a favourite season; I love Florida in all its aspects. What’s not to love, laid back life style, generally lovely weather, and a beautiful lush landscape, and don’t get me started on those beaches.

Florida appeals to my senses, to be sight and to my hearing, I just love that Southern accent. Ooh it makes my toes curl, if you know what I mean.


Both my heroes, Ned Rochester and Jesse Crane are Florida boys, and each a bundle of fun and sex appeal in their own distinctive ways. Families are important to me, but mostly I write about the dysfunctional ones, it is quite challenging and strange for
me because I come from a very stable background.
Kerensa and Belinda, my heroine from A Poisoned Legacy, both come to love Florida and the men they meet up with. Neither is very hard to do!

I hope you enjoy the extract from A Fatal Flaw, perhaps it will whet your appetite, I do hope so.
Prologue
She was standing by the window, her arm hanging down at her side, a gun held limply in her right hand. The still hot handle of the gun burned into her palm like a branding iron. Irrationally she thought of the cliché, a smoking gun in her hand
Through the huge plate glass window she watched the rain beating against the pane beading – saw it pouring water, like tiny waterfalls, down the glass. Furiously it bashed the colourful plants and dripped from the pine tree.
In the distance she heard the wail of sirens. The police. Tucking the gun in her waistband she took from her pocket a remote control, activated it and the plate glass window slid open. Stealthily she slipped through it, pausing only to zap it closed behind her. The cops would not be able to activate the window without the remote. It would give her more time.
The ground was boggy, her feet slid in up to her ankles; wading through the mess she reached the edge of the lake, it was the only way to leave. Swim the lake, get to the other side. The streets would be too risky, she could be seen by neighbours, or even run into the police. The lake seemed the best bet though she knew an alligator rested in its murky depths. She remembered it as a small one, still it could do her damage and who was to say another had not moved in.
Alligator, police? It was no contest. She waded into the water, shocked at how chilly it felt against her bare legs. When it was deep enough she struck out and started to swim.
Somehow the blood was pounding through her, a charge of adrenalin combined with fear, giving her the ability to cut through the water; she was swimming like she was Esther Williams. Now and again something slimy slid between her legs, or snaked down her legs, only fear motivated her to keep moving. If it was slimy and not hard it was not going to be a huge reptile with a gigantic appetite.
Reaching the other side, she slid up the muddy bank, almost sliding back down the thick oozing mud and into the water. Gripping the thick glutinous stuff, she dragged herself on her belly, not even getting up when she reached soggy grass. She crawled and slithered like a snake until she reached the dense wood, then rolled into its welcoming cover.
The woods were thick with ground cover as well as tall trees; wild prickly plants tore at her legs. A warm wetness started to drip down to the inside of her trainer. Touching her leg she realized she had cuts and the dripping wetness was blood. As she stood a spiteful, thorn covered branch tore into her long hair.
It was so dark in the wood, she doubted she would find her way; there were swamps to be avoided and the rain and starless sky did not help. Looking back, peering through the trees she saw a shaft of light. The cops had reached the house; they had gone in and turned on all the lights. It was the impetus she needed. Florida still had the death penalty. She had to get away; there was no turning back…ever!

Thank you so much for stopping by do leave a comment, it will be so nice to hear from you.

Ciao, Margaret.

In salute of REAL Romance!

Valentine’s is THE day to celebrate love and romance. At least that’s what all the stores want us to believe, so we buy cards and too-expensive flowers and stale candy. I love romance, and I don’t want just one day to celebrate it all! I love feeling that surprise when my lover takes a normal everyday, with errands and work and school and music classes and hum drum, and gives me a moment or two of that heart-melting feeling, when my chest aches with love that I can’t quite contain. It can be a smile, an offhand complement, a package of macaroon cookies from the French bakery I adore, or to be surprisingly seduced when I least expect it, when I feel ugly or frumpy or just plain forget that I’m a woman.

It’s those moments, and those memories that I think about to truly celebrate Valentine’s Day. I tell my lover to forget the expensive flowers, and chocolate, and spend time reenacting those gentle – or not so gentle – memories that make my heart skip a beat and my pulse race a little bit faster. (Besides, I’m still trying to stick to my nutritional resolutions and I need more exercise and less candy!)

When I set out to write a Valentine’s Day story for Ellora’s Cave Sweet series, I wanted to celebrate the passionate history of a couple truly in love. To celebrate those moments that make me love romance so much. The silly, the sweet, the hot and the spicy, the fiery arguments and the heated make-ups. Nancy’s Sweet Spelling Bee is a paranormal tale, with a roan werewolf hero with a shock of ginger hair, and a half-Brazilian werejaguar who can’t keep their paws off each other. But it’s also a tale of lovers who found each other very young, still in high school and learning about themselves and teaching each other the meaning of love. Will this Valentine’s be the day that breaks them apart, or will it bring them together in sweet fulfillment with a proposal that celebrates everything that made them such perfect mates?

Read an Excerpt here: She had to go and wear that dress…

Thanks for reading, and celebrate true romance on Valentine’s Day and everyday!

Elaine Lowe

www.elainelowenovels.com

Twitter at twitter.com/elainelowe