SEx ... Silver Expressions

We're at our new place!

2006-08-07T10:16:00.000-04:00

Don't forget, we've moved, but we're just one click away!

http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/blog

Last Virgin in Vegas

2006-08-05T03:38:00.000-04:00

In the coming soon section of House of Sin there have been some requests for a blurb. Here is a brief one:

Lance Lott is a stand-up guy, trying to make it in Las Vegas as a designer for the local hotel moguls. He’s got a terrific girlfriend, who grants him every sexual delight including a three-some.

Gwen McIver agreed to her friend Sydney Wagner’s scheme for one reason and one reason alone. Lance Lott – the man made her blood race every time he looked at her with those Crystal Blue Eyes.

If a ménage a trios is every man’s fantasy why is Lance Lott’s fantasy a nightmare? Ever since he slept with girlfriend Sydney and her friend Gwen, his life has changed. He can’t get Gwen out of his mind.

Some of you may remember Lance and Gwen from The Pilot and the Pinup. Last Virgin in Vegas isn't a sequel as much as a behind the scenes moment, the two stories overlap.

Do they stand alone? I like to think so...but I also think if you read both you'll have a "so that's what happened" moment.

We've have this series discussion going on among the authors at House of Sin. What are some things as readers you like about series? If you don't read series, why not? And are there some you wish had never ended?

I would love to hear your answers!

Love,

Tina

Chemistry

2006-08-04T04:59:00.000-04:00

The dictionary defines chemistry in this way...

1. The science of the composition, structure, properties and reactions of matter, especially of atomic and molecular systems.
2. The elements of a complex entity and their dynamic interrelation.
3. Mutual attraction or sympathy, rapport.

Now, y'all realise I'm referring to the third definition here, but it just seems so lacking in substance as an explanation of the chemistry people often share. I mean, you know it when it grips you and you can't take your eyes off the other person, right? When all you want to do is stare into his eyes and read the depths of those chocolatey brown orbs, wondering to yourself... what is he thinking? When your gaze dips to find those lucious lips and all you can think about is whether they're warm and soft, or hard and demanding...

...ahem.

See, now that's a definition for chemistry. So, here's my challenge to you... write your definition for chemistry, as applied in a romantic context. In the meantime, here's another excerpt from Can You Keep A Secret?

~*~

About to turn away, she decided while she was here, she should give him an answer about dinner. She took a tentative step and then another, feeling as if she were trying to run through quicksand. So heavy, so hard, it seemed a mile to his cubicle. And then she was there, with his surprised expression greeting her.

“Penny,” he breathed, slamming the drawer shut and shoving the bon bon under the computer monitor. “I’m glad you came.”

Oh, she was coming alright. “Hi, Jesse,” she quipped, trying to keep the squeak out of her voice. “I got your email.”

He blushed. “I’m so sorry about what happened,” he stood and stepped closer. “You must think I’m a jerk.”

“No,” she gushed. “Really.”

When his eyes found hers, she couldn’t look away. Oh, what must he see? She feared he’d ferret out every one of her secret desires and use them against her. Though, if it was anything like her fantasy, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.

“I don’t usually walk around with those sorts of things in my pockets.”

Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. A heartbeat passed, and Jesse’s eyes slowly travelled to her lips. He lingered. She sizzled.

“I…”

“Me, too.”

He grinned. “Really?”

Wait. What did she just say?

“Meet me at seven, say?”

Oh. She’d agreed. Shoot. She didn’t mean to. “Seven.”

“Dante’s Peak. I promise we’ll behave.”

She smiled. “I’m a grown woman, Jesse.”

Something flashed through his eyes. “I know, but please don’t think I’m into that stuff.”

Penny resisted an evil laugh. “So what if you are?”

Again his eyes flashed, this time with something animalistic in nature that made her shiver and brought her fantasy back with one powerful jolt. “Seven?”

“Seven.”

~*~

Later, gators,

Rose Middleton
www.lrmiddleton.com

Now, being faithful to my promise...

2006-08-03T23:37:00.000-04:00

Everyone was so great to post today--thanks very much.

Of my newsletter readers who mentioned my time travel that's in progress, I randomly chose thatbrunette to receive a download of any of my books and a download of Vanessa Hart's Heart of a Soldier--a great time travel erotic romance. Heart of a Soldier comes highly recommended by You-Know-Who (that would be ME), and every reviewer who's had the good luck to review it. Hopefully it will put you in mind for another time travel if/when Touching the Stars comes out!

Thatbrunette, please look at my books at www.deesknight.com, and then contact me at dsknight@deesknight.com and tell me which one you'd like to receive, plus the format you prefer.

Love to you all--

Dee

Being Faithful To Fidelity

2006-08-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

The American Heritage Dictionary defines fidelity as:
NOUN:
1. Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances; implies the unfailing fulfillment of one's duties and obligations and strict adherence to vows or promises:

I'm critiquing a book for a good friend. The book is great—a paranormal kicker that has all kinds of unusual twists—but part of the plot concerns a man who engages in a sexual relationship with a married woman … on the Internet.

The setup is this: They began as colleagues then became friends and confidantes. It seemed natural that they should become online lovers as well. Rarely did they talk on the phone and they never met in person. Now, in the book, the man tells a woman-friend about this and she reams him a new one. Okay, I thought, he deserves that. After all, his online lover was married and their IM logs were smoking with a whole lot more than dirty talk. But the female character acted like an unwanted conscience. She didn’t stop with ONE reaming out—she went on and on, until finally I had to stop and reason with this character. (Yes, I often talk to characters, even ones who aren’t my own.)

Dee: What’s the deal here? Give the guy a break. It’s not like he dragged this woman to a Holiday Inn and forced her to betray her husband in the most shameful and degrading ways. Making her lick him and touch him—
Conscience: I get the picture.
Dee: Well, okay. I mean it’s debatable whether they even committed adultery. The two never even kissed much less exchanged bodily fluids. They didn’t share a bed or a night or feel skin against skin. Her sweet aroma never filled the air and his groan of passion—
Conscience: Good Lord, will you stop? You’re right, they never did any of those things.
Dee: So what’s the big deal? They chatted, they got hot and heavy, they got off and then she tucked in beside her husband. Who’s the loser?
Conscience: Tsk, tsk. How long it’s been since you were in catechism listening to Sister Mary Paul. Didn’t she tell you that sinning in the heart is the same as sinning in reality? For those minutes of chatting, that woman committed adultery, and the guy encouraged it since he knew she was married. She gave her online lover access to emotions that by right should only have gone to her husband.

Okay, I think bringing age into this was hitting below the belt. Just like a lousy, good-for-nothing conscience. It has been a hell of a long time since I’d sat before Sister Mary Paul but she had been unrelenting: Thinking a sin = doing a sin. That fear alone had kept me in line during the BJ years. (Get your mind out of the gutter! In this case, BJ means Before Jack.)

Anyway, this whole "are they guilty - are they not guilty" thing got me thinking. Where is the line drawn? If I go to a party and see a good looking guy and I imagine him with no clothes, am I betraying my marriage vows? If a husband drinks a little too much at the local bar and makes a pass at a woman that goes no farther, is he a cheating bastard? How far does harmless flirting have to go before I’ve crossed the line? What about fantasies? If a husband imagines Nicole Kidman for a second while he’s making love with his wife, where does put him on the adultery meter?

To see how other people thought about this I conducted a very scientific survey. Okay, I asked four people, but two men and two women, so I thought that would be scientific enough.

The results were interesting. I started the scenario with the two women sitting together. “Suppose a man talked to a woman online in a sexual way. They never met, just chatted online and—“

“I’d never put up with that,” said Lady Number 1. “No way.”

“Me, either.” Lady Number 2 didn’t seem to need to hear more.

“But it’s not like they checked into a hotel room or anything, they just talked sex.” Gosh, I at least wanted to get to question two.

“I don’t care,” said Lady Number 1. “It’s the same thing to me.”

“Right,” chimed in Lady Number 2. “It’s cheating.” She nodded at me. From the corner of my eye I saw Lady Number 1 cross her arms.

Okay.

I asked the two men separately. Both of them took their time and really thought about their answers. I also noticed that before they answered, their eyes lit up as though thinking about what that might be like.

“I don’t know,” said Man Number 1. “I’m not sure it would be. I mean, it’s just talk, right?”

“Just talk,” I said. “The man and woman would never meet.”

“Well, I don’t see where it would be cheating,” he said. Then he stopped and thought again. “Unless … if they developed a relationship. If they talked online multiple times and he went online for the purpose of talking to her, then that would betray his wife’s trust.” Then he kind of breathed a sigh. He smiled. He could go home and face his wife, his smile said. He’d come up with the right answer.

The second man was Jack. He thought about the answer a little too long for my comfort. “Flirting is okay as long as both parties know the limits,” he said. “But regular online meetings between a guy and woman where they have sex talk is a relationship and that’s too far.” He waited a moment, watching me.

I smiled and patted his hand. “Great answer, Sweetie.”

He smiled back. “I know. I learned how to handle trick questions a long time ago.”

So, what do you think? When is it crossing the line between a man and woman not bound to each other through marriage or mutual agreement? I wish I could offer the book I’m critiquing as a prize for the best answer—it’s a good one!

If I don't respond right away to your posts, it's becasue I'm still working and don't have access to a computer until I come home. So hang with me!

Thanks for visiting—

Dee

Just when you got the song out of your head...

2006-08-01T22:00:00.000-04:00

...I'm back! Shhh! Don't tell. My official SEx day is tomorrow, the 2nd. But since I have a commitment during the day (okay, a day job. Sheez, take the romance out of everything!) I decided to get a jump on getting my SEx on early. Hope you all don't mind. And I really hope I'm not stepping on anyone's blog time.

If you haven't been to my website, and shame on you for not going, you will see that I'm really influenced by celebrities. No, I don't mean Paris Hilton made me hate Nicole Ritchie or anything like that. I borrow several celebrities' looks for my characters. For example, in my book That's What Friends Are For (you're humming the song now, aren't you?), for the character of Ned Cholurski, I used Ashton Kutcher as my model. I liked his hang-dog expression and thought he would make the perfect nerd-gone-wild. For Fiona Griffen, I thought of Jada Pinkett Smith, Will Smith's better half.

Okay, so here's my question I pose to you. For the readers, which celebrities would you like to play in the movie of your life? And for you writers, which celebrities have you modeled your characters after in your books? I can't wait to hear those.

I'll be back tomorrow afternoon for more dishing. In the meantime, if you want to learn more about me, check out my new FAQQLY page. http://www.faqqly.com/bridgetmidway If you want, pose a question to me. I'm not shy.

Until later, stay sexy!
BridgeT

We're Moving...

2006-08-01T01:30:00.000-04:00

No, not me personally. Although when the thermometer reads 116 degrees F at 10am it seems like a good time to start thinking about it! LOL.

Silver Expressions is moving!

The decision was not an easy one, and mainly because we wanted to be sure that all of you still visit us in our new home. So think of it as just down the block vs. a state away!

Why are we moving?

Blogger has been great, don't get me wrong, but the new blog will have a ton of features that will ensure we are able to post pictures when we want, the posts are up on time and on the right days, and the down time that Blogger's server seems to have (quite a bit) will not affect us anymore!

Plus one added feature is that when you guys comment you'll have to put in your email address. Now this may seem like a pain, but do you know how many of you have won prizes but haven't gotten them?!? A LOT! This way, we know how to contact you when you've won! Plus, your email address isn't published for public view!

Stay tuned for the new link which I'll be posting and sending out to the loops this week! We're still under construction a bit and the clean up crew is on it's way.

The party starts on August 7th!

Soon the decorations will be up, the (spiked) punch chilled, and the appetizers ready, and I'll post the invite later this week!

Once the party starts we'll be celebrating for the rest of the month! We'll have new authors for you to meet, hot excerpts, even hotter pictures, and best of all more prizes!!!

We appreciate all of you and know you'll help us make this move the smoothest transition yet!

Manic Monday

2006-07-31T07:59:00.000-04:00

I had a picture to post, but Blogger has decided it doesn't like it. Maybe I'll post it later on today.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and think about the oddest things? lol. I did this morning. Woke up around three o'clock and got to wondering about stuff. When I go to bed, I make sure that at the very least my feet are covered. I hate having my feet exposed. That's also why I never leave them hanging over the edge of the mattress. My hands either. Because you know that weird creature that sleeps under the bed might decide to grab them at any time. lol. Definitely something I started doing when I was younger and more impressionable. :) Just haven't gotten over that.

Are there any weird quirks you have? It doesn't have to be just when you head to bed. And also, keep reading. The post before this is about SEx moving. Tina gives you all the good news.

Tiffany

Conferences...etc - Winner

2006-07-31T01:27:00.000-04:00

Hey Gang!

Keira got called away on a family emergency so I had my youngest monster pull a name out of a hat for her winner. (Yes, a hat, he didn't want to use a bowl)

Cherie J!

Email me tina @ liquidsilverbooks.com and as soon as Kiera gets back we'll get you your prize!

Thanks!

Conferences, conferences, conferences…

2006-07-30T04:23:00.000-04:00

So, by the time this is posted I’ll be on a plane heading back to Oklahoma after spending the last five days in Atlanta at the Romance Writers of America conference. This conference, unlike RT, always energizes me when it comes to writing…we’re here to talk about craft, hook up face time with editors, agents and other authors and generally get the writing juices flowing (no comments from the peanut gallery, please *G*). RT is great at its purpose, getting authors out there to meet and greet, but at the end of it I’m always exhausted (must be all that partying *g*).

On Thursday I hosted the National Readers’ Choice Awards, which pubbed authors keep telling me is one of the “it” contests to final and win in. Since my chapter hosts it, we’re kinda insulated from the whole concept…it’s just our baby, y’know? Anyway, I got to meet a great new friend, Jill Shalvis, and take a pic with her…it was very cool. I also got to hang out with my incredible critique partners and fellow LSBers JB Skully/Jasmine Haynes and Leigh Wyndfield *and* meet up with Katie Bryan, an online friend who I’d never met in person.

And, since I’m a sinful smoker *g*, I ended up poolside (the hotel doesn’t allow smoking inside) with the biggies like Nora Roberts and Vicki Hinze.

All in all, it was a great conference. Tell me about your conference experiences (even those not writing related) and I’ll pick one winner for any book from my backlist.

Keira

Sex Over 40

2006-07-29T19:38:00.000-04:00

Trying to decide what I had to offer on this subject, I typed those words into the search engine and came up with numerous videos and books designed to help spice up sex for the over-40 crowd. Turns out there’s also a movie by that title from 1994. But most interesting was an article about an April 2006 study, excerpts of which are posted below:
“NEW YORK - About three-fourths of middle-aged and older women are sexually active and two-thirds of them are at least somewhat satisfied, according to a new study.
Dr. Ilana B. Addis of the University of Arizona in Tucson and colleagues also found in their survey of just over 2,000 women aged 40 to 69 that better mental health was associated with more sexual satisfaction.
Seventy-one percent of the women reported having sex in the past year, while 37 percent had sex monthly or less often and 33 percent had sex weekly or more frequently. One-third of sexually active women reported having some type of sexual dysfunction, including lack of interest in sex, inability to relax and enjoy sex, or difficulty in becoming aroused or having an orgasm.”

There was more, but the gist of it seemed to be that a good sex life only adds to general well-being and good health. Well, duh, we knew that! There was also a little sex poll to take and not surprisingly, most women claimed their sex life was fine or better than ever.
So, how about you (if you’re over 40 or getting close to it), do you still have the same spark? Have reached a plateau? Or are you finding it true that a woman hits her sexual peak much later then men do?

If you’d rather not talk about your personal sex life, how about books? Do you like to read a good older woman/younger man story and think, like I do, that there’s not enough of them out there?

Here are a couple of older/younger reads from Liquid Silver authors. Blaise Kilgallen's Wild Knights and At the Mercy of Her Pleasure by Kayelle Allen.

Winner and one last pic.

2006-07-28T21:46:00.000-04:00

Hey there...meant to post this a little earlier, but got caught up in a movie. :) The winner is Snowflake. Email me at chase.ta @ gmail . com (w/o spaces) and let me know which LSB book you'd like.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by and checked out my eye candy. :)

T.A.

No Boundaries

How about an afternoon nap?

2006-07-28T13:14:00.000-04:00

Here you go. I think he's ready. There's flowers and candy along with him. :)

Have a good nap. :)

Well...

2006-07-28T08:14:00.000-04:00

whew! I had a bugger of a time getting this pic up here. Boy, you wouldn't think this guy would complain about having a bunch of people come check him out...lol.

I bet I can get Jenna to lick her monitor with this guy. :) Great advertising for Calvin Klein, huh?

Enjoy the morning eye candy. I'll be back a little later to post another one. I don't have any burning questions to ask or anything. So just by saying hi, you get entered in a contest to win your choice of any LSB book. (It doesn't even have to be mine..lol)

Hope you're having a good morning.

T.A.

No Boundaries

You're the Winner...

2006-07-27T21:57:00.000-04:00

Cherie Japp, you're the winner of a download copy of Enlightened Love. Please email me at sharalanel @ comcast.net (w/o spaces) so that I can send you the file. I hope you enjoy it!

Don't forget to visit my web site (www.sharalanel.com)to find the details of my All About SEX Contest--easy to enter--and everything you need to know about sex but didn't want to ask.

Had fun! Catcha next month!

Shara

Rockin' Rick

2006-07-27T06:59:00.001-04:00

I thought I was going to be late posting this blog this morning, but then I woke up at 5 a.m. with the disequilibrium that comes from drinking too much. Not a hangover exactly, but a feeling of needing to be vertical rather than horizontal. Know what I mean? If not, you can experiment by drinking 2 ½ tequila sunrises followed by 2 beers. To get the full effect, you need to go to a Rick Springfield concert at an outdoor venue. Which brings me to what I actually planned to blog about: my teen idol

The man still looks damn good at 56. When I saw those muscles last night glistening with sweat. Yum! And may I say, much better than he ever looked in the early 70s. His web site has some primo videos from when he first went solo and when he was in Zoot. What in the world was he wearing in the Hooky Jo video? My friend, who wishes to be called Di in an attempt to remain incognito (I have pictures), says that outfit’s just typical 70s. Eek! And we’re bringing that fashion back again?

I digress. Where was I? Watching the sun come up, actually. Now, if you’re a General Hospital fan, you may know Rick as Dr. Noah Drake. He’s currently reprising his role from the 70s. I know Mom watched the whole Luke and Laura thing, but my fave TV shows from that decade were Mickey Mouse Club and Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys. Here’s an NPR article on Rick's recent return to GH.

Rick was also on Battlestar Gallactica, another show that I apparently missed. My friend Tracy gave me a DVD of Nick Knight, and while Googling for images I discovered he was in a series called Human Target. Anyone ever catch that one? Last night, Rick asked the audience, how many of us had seen his naked butt, and apparently quite a few of us had. Yes, that teeny bopper movie Hard to Hold solidified my love for Rick, and damn, I need to add that DVD to my Christmas list. For another view of Rick’s naked butt, I found this web site on Zoot. Scroll down. Too bad the image is so fuzzy!

The concert was awesome, of course. It was Di’s (not her real name) 1st time and she seemed duly impressed, but is now planning to drag me to a Bob Dylan concert—I won’t go and you can’t make me! *g* No, actually she’s in love with Paul McCartney, who is in fact OLDER than Rick, but yes, he’s aging well. However, he was in an article for AARP Magazine!.

I saw Rick two years ago, same venue, for his Karma tour. In fact that tour tee is the one my husband managed to turn green when washing in the laundry. He’s since been forbidden to wash any of my clothes. It’s only a faint green, but still! And I love that album. I’ve been listening to shock/denial/anger/acceptance for the past two days. A lot of anger in that one, but some excellent music. And something else for my Christmas list, his latest cd is The Day After Yesterday, an album of cover songs.

So tell me any secrets you know about Rick Springfield—like TV shows I’ve missed, movies too—and if you have a Zoot album you’re willing to sell me, let me know. Now, if Rick just isn’t your thing, feel free to mention any teen idols that you’re still in love with. And I’ll pick one poster (ie. person who posts comments) to win a download of my first book, Enlightened Love.

Shara
www.sharalanel.com

A World without Computers...

2006-07-26T01:09:00.000-04:00

What in the world did we do before computers and the Internet? This past weekend, I had a minor problem with my laptop that put it out of commission for a couple days, and I felt completely lost. Although when I travel these days, I take my Alpha Smart with me for writing, this was completely different. I had a million things to do and half of them had to be done on the computer. With the exception of my writing, I started thinking about how much I depend on my computer for other things. I pay bills, bank, read the news, email, and a ton of other things just on the Internet. Let’s face it. I’m also doing this very blog because of a computer.

Ten years ago, I didn’t have an email address, didn’t search the Net, and more importantly never would have guessed that I would ever e-publish a story. Now, for an author, the Internet is one of the most important tools for marketing, communicating with fans, and most importantly, provide those stories that keep readers interested.

I realize now that there are so many people out there that I have a “cyber” relationship of some sort, but I have never met in person. Between all the loops I’m on and all the other contacts I’ve made through LSB and other sites, there are people I wouldn’t know if I saw them on the street. How strange is that? It’s almost as though a person can almost be someone completely different than who or she really is in real life. At the same time, it can be very dangerous, which is a whole other can of worms I don’t want to open.

If your computer was taken away, what would be the greatest impact on your life? I can’t even begin to imagine what would be the greatest loss for me. . .

Erin Katz

www.erinkatz.com

Check out my web site for information regarding my releases from Liquid Silver Books.

Spirit of Morning

2006-07-25T14:21:00.000-04:00

A Good Morning after!

Hello and welcome to my morning after blogspot. I'm pleased and proud to present my second novel for Liquid Silver, Mr. Grey and the Spirit from the Sky.

This is the second Mr. Grey book to be released, and revisits the life of Martin Grey and Claudia Mackenzie. In The Hotel Ghosts they were brought together by fate to investigate a haunted hotel, and in the course of their adventure they became friends, lovers and soul-mates.

In Spirit from the Sky, they investigate the mysterious goings-on that trouble a leisure resort in the Catskill Mountains. Between the naughty antics of the resort's staff, ghostly gangsters out for revenge, and an undercover US Treasury investigation, life gets very interesting for the spook hunters, who are still trying to adjust to their new relationship.

This was fun to write, and I hope it's fun to read! Martin and Claudia are two of my favorite people. As to the resort, it's fictitious, but after an early career in a similar place, I have a fund of bizarre real life incidents filed away in my mind. Some of those I depict in Spirit from the Sky. It's up to the readers to figure which ones are real...

A J Matthews

Mr. Grey and the Spirit from the Sky.

And the first Mr. Grey, a spooky romance with a twist… Mr. Grey and the Hotel Ghosts.

http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/mrgreyandthehotelghosts.htm

"An unusual and original plot, beautifully written with considerable skill and charm…"

Autiotalo for Enchanted Ramblings, awarded 6 Magical Wands!

Website:- http://ajaymatthews.com

Blogspot:- http://ajays-blog.blogspot.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Competition Winner! Maria, you get the prize of The Hotel Ghosts download! Your answer matches perfectly with one of the themes of Spirit from the Sky.

Please contact me on:- aj@ajay.matthews.com with your choice of format =)

The Day After--my release

2006-07-25T02:25:00.000-04:00

Well it's the day after, what do you say, what do you do? Have a smoke, take a shower, and head to work. That’s about it. LOL. My latest release came out yesterday. The title of the HOT little novella is Driving Me Insane. Why this crazy title you ask? Because the novella nearly drove me insane writing it? Noooo. Because it’s centered around the much loved Stock Car Racing Circuit.

Yeppers, I love racing.

It’s my not-so-secret passion. In this story, I re-introduce Rick Monroe, who made a cameo appearance in The Winner’s Circle. He’s a little hot under the collar-- or should we say engine-- when he has repeated problems with his race car. The last snafu caused a major wreck during a key race. His mechanics think it might be a faulty fuel line causing the crashes.

In steps Warner Manufacturing, who prides its company reputation on sound products, selling primary to major racing circuit customers. The thought one of its parts might have caused a potential fatal crash is crippling to the company--they take immediate action. The owner of the company, Joseph Warren, sends in his best mechanic--well--and she happens to be his daughter.

What Rick Monroe doesn’t know is the mechanic Warner is sending is a female and none other than Angela Warren; someone Rick has been having an e-mail and telephone relationship with for over three years. Rick holds a deep crush for Angela and when they finally meet, well folks, let’s just say…sparks fly. Let’s see if these two can heat up the pages of this novella as much as Rick can heat up the track.

Hope you enjoy my latest Racing Romance, I know I loved writing it for you. I love to hear from my readers, so feel free and e-mail me at Rae@RaeMonet.com and please come by and visit my website at http://RaeMonet.com.

Morning After - Rae Monet & AJ Matthews

2006-07-25T02:00:00.000-04:00

Morning After...SEx

Driving Me Insane
by
Rae Monet

Mr. Grey and the Spirit from the Sky
by
AJ Matthews

2006-07-24T08:57:00.000-04:00

"There was a soldier, a Scottish soldier,
He went to Bourbonnais, (Il.) and did melt away..."

After a skirmish in 105 degrees of heat and 100% humidity it's no wonder I look less than the dashing Highlander of legend ;)

People haven't changed much in the course of two hundred years, but lifestyles and technology sure have. After two nights spent under canvas without air-con, my admiration for all those pioneers who went West without the trappings of our modern life increased dramatically!

My experience with the 78th Frazer's at the Meeting on the Theatiki re-enactment weekend did get me thinking of a plotline for a new Mr. Grey novel, set in the Highlands of Scotland in the 1740's.

Which brings me to my question:- Which era would you say is the most romantic? Would you - could you live in that time given the choice (and a healthy supply of modern medicine?) And what would you do with your life?

The most original answer gets a free download of my first book for Liquid Silver, Mr. Grey and the Hotel Ghosts - a spooky romance with a twist!

"An unusual and original plot, beautifully written with considerable charm and skill..."

Review by Autiotalo for Enchanted Ramblings. Awarded 6 Magical Wands!

A J Matthews

Out today! Mr. Grey and the Spirit from the Sky.

Website:- http://ajaymatthews.com

Blogspot:- http://ajays-blog.blogspot.com/

What's Age Got To Do With It?

2006-07-23T10:00:00.000-04:00

A few days ago, Paige Burns had a birthday, one somewhere between 33 and 85. Oops. I mean, 35. *grin* She wrote in her blog here at SEX about whether she felt old, looked old and sounded old. Thankfully, her answers to those questions were all "No." (And let me tell you, folks, the older you get, the older "old" is! At 16, anyone over 30 was old, and over 40... well, you already had one foot in the grave, right? At 40-something, I don't start thinking of people being "old" until they've hit their 80s. My, how time changes our perspectives. LOL)

Now, me, my last birthday I celebrated the twentieth anniversary of my 23^rd birthday. And the last time I went to the Outback for dinner, the server carded me. Said I didn't even look like I was 35, and if a patron doesn't look at least 35 they have to show identification to order a drink.

Woo-hoo!

I can honestly say this is the best time of my life. I wouldn't want to be in my twenties again (hmm, college, low-paying jobs... no). Or even my thirties (better paying jobs but still not great). Now, in my forties, I have enough life experience under my belt from which to draw upon as I write. I have good friends--some who get me and like me anyway, and some who scratch their heads now and then, but are still there for me when I need them. I have good health, barring some stray aches and pains and hands that won't stop stuffing food into my mouth.

I'm finding, too, that I'm writing older heroes and heroines--in their 30s and even 40s. I don't know about anyone else, but I have a hard time relating to a hero who's 19 years old. I have four nephews who aren't that far removed from 19, so I remember what they were like at that age. Not hero material, in my opinion. And before anyone starts throwing spit wads at me (or something even more dangerous), I know we have a lot of 19 year olds over in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places around the world, putting their lives on the line every day, and sometimes losing their lives. I wish they could be home, still being kids, but they are performing their duty for their country. They are, I believe, the exception.

I want a hero who has some angst, who has enough sexual experience to know how to satisfy--and more--the heroine. A man who knows what he wants and goes after it, and finds the one woman who can satisfy--and more--him. (I'm speaking as the perpetually single white female, alas, but there you have it.)

What about you? What age do you like your heroes and heroines to be?

And because it just wouldn't be a post from me without some serious eye candy, here you go...

Aye carumba!

(Be sure to check out Kayelle's post below!)

Sherrill Quinn
Follow your passion to the edge... and beyond
Website | Blog | MySpace | Indulge Authors | Readers Group

Where do you want sex?

2006-07-23T09:53:00.000-04:00

Do you mind if I use you for some research? I'd like to know your preferences about sexual positions that you read about in Romance novels. Notice I didn't ask about your personal positions. Although we'd never know if you told us, would we? *winks*

When you read a love scene in a book, do you prefer your characters;

in a bed?

up against the wall?

outdoors?

in a place where they could get caught?

What other places?

Sound off - and I'll send the download fairy your way with either of my current books plus a copy of my new short story, the Last Vhalgenn.

Of Vice And Men

2006-07-22T00:05:00.000-04:00

I'm working on a story about a heroine who leaves the idyllic, isolated, single-gender commune where she was raised, and sets out to explore modern world and all its previously unknown temptations. Over the course of the book, she experiments with a number of the so-called vices as she seeks to understand her strengths and weaknesses. I'm betting you can guess which one turns out to be Her Favorite Vice (working title).

We all know the list: Lust, Gluttony, Avarice, Envy, Sloth, Wrath and Pride. For my story, though, I did some research, and learned that lust (along with gluttony, another of my personal weaknesses) is generally considered one of the least objectionable vices. Plus, it's not, as some would have you believe, the simple feeling – the "I want him, and I want him now" urge – that qualifies as a vice; it's acting on that feeling to excess and to someone's harm.

The lore I particularly liked, but haven't (yet) found a way to include in my story, has to do with the demon associated with Lust: Asmodeus. He was hell-bent on keeping a particular woman virginal, and so he killed off her first several grooms before they had a chance to consummate the marriage. Eventually, though, a hero comes along and manages to survive the wedding night.

How, I want to know, is that a warning against lust? Asmodeus, the creature supposedly responsible for quashing or punishing lust, is a demon, folks, not an angel. And, sure, the first several grooms paid dearly for their lust, but in the end, the heroine finally gets to enjoy a little lust, and she – along with the final groom – lives happily ever after. The lesson I take from the story is that you just have to make sure you're lusting after the right man, and you might have to lust after a few of the wrong ones along the way.

Modern women don't need a demon to take care of the rejects, but it's always nice to have someone in our corner, watching our backs. Instead of a violent demon, we need a new, uninhibited and enlightened representative, one who reflects both the positive and negative aspects of lust.

If you were re-imagining Asmodeus in more modern terms, what would he (or she) be like?

Roxy's Floggin' Contest

2006-07-21T16:14:00.000-04:00

Hi gang,

Can you tell I'm a big fan of flogging?

So, today's contest will be your best flog...
In 200 words or less, describe a flogging scene that:
a) you have experienced
b) you'd like to experience
c) best flogging scene you've read about

Winners to be picked by moi
Minimum word count 50 words!!
Maximum word count 200 words!

Deadline Midnight tonight ... Winner tba
by 11pm July22--at Roxy's Flog Blog

Winner from today's post will receive a Sacred Secret's e-book

So start those kinky brain engines!
Ready, set, go!
Submit through comments or email to: roxy@roxyharte.com
Good Luck!
Hugs
Roxy

- on behalf of Roxy Harte

2006-07-21T13:19:00.000-04:00

Roxy's still having Blogger issues, so just call me her posting slave. Yes, Mistress! Please don't beat me, Mistress!

Roxy's Lil' Guide to BDSM Lingo:

BDSM: A version coined long ago to make almost everyone in the community happy. Basically, it can be broken down into sub-groups:

BD: Bondage and Discipline

D/s: Dominance and submission

***Dominant: someone who gains pleasure controlling and directing behavior, may or may not be sadistic

***Submissive: someone who gains pleasure being controlled and directed, may or may not be masochistic.

SM: a term used for sadomasochism and related activities or affiliations. The S standing for Sadist, the partner who gains pleasure causing pain. The M standing for Masochist, the partner who gains pleasure receiving pain.

***Top: the controlling or dominant partner in a D/s relationship. I find it interesting that it has become a very generic label, and more and more often am seeing themed references to this position of power as: Daddy, Mommy, Mistress, Master, Trainer, Dom and Domme. Each themed top then having very specific behavior attributes. A top may be a sadist or a dominant, separately, although one can be both.

***Bottom: the submissive partner in the D/s relationship, also very generic and more and more I am hearing the reference of little girl/boy, slave, pony, pet or baby, although this list could become endless and specific behaviors are again becoming very defined. A bottom is always the submissive partner; however, may or may not be masochistic.

Switch: the term most preferred for the person who easily and readily is able to switch between being a top or bottom, depending on need and/or desire.

Scene: predetermined amount of time, usually choreographed or at least discussed in detail prior to play involving SM activities. However, the word scene can also be used to describe the community as a whole.

Safe Words: A word or phrase agreed upon prior to start of play that is intended to stop play immediately should the bottom get uncomfortable enough to say it. If bottom is gagged, a safe word might not be a word at all, example a handkerchief could be held and dropping it stops play. A less extreme version of safe word would be the stop light system ie "yellow" slows play until either "red" stops play altogether or "green" allows play to reintensify. A generic safeword is "safeword!"

"What's BDSM?" posted on behalf of Roxy Harte

2006-07-21T09:52:00.000-04:00

"What's BDSM?"

Yowzah! If I have one more friend ask me this question!

This is the first thing they say after learning that a) I write erotica and b) I write dark, highly emotional, edgy BDSM erotica. The aforementioned adjectives, they comprehend, it's just throwing in that string of alphabet letters that puts their world in a tailspin, especially when further explanation is pressed for..."You know, whips, chains, leather, pain."

Maybe I need a new answer to that question.

Maybe, some of you really wanted to ask, but were afraid to. Understandable. I remember buying my first real "kink" novel, Topping From Below. I wore my sunglasses to the checkout! No one will recognize me, right?

The teller didn't help matters by lifting his brow and snickering, "Nice." I ran to the car and hid the book when I got it home, reading it only when I was completely alone in the house. This was also my scared of my own shadow era. So, it didn't take much. My next BDSM book was purchased over the safe, anonymous internet, a how-to manual and community favorite: Screw The Roses, Send Me The Thorns. It's not hidden...not from anyone...so if I offend, who cares; if I educate, awesome!

Wow...I've come a long way, baby.

When I write about a BDSM relationship, I think the real story lies in the player's headspace. The relationship is all about what's going on in the psyche of both players, especially the emotional hotspots that can be triggered in the submissive's mind. In my personal opinion, that is the major role of the Dominant, to use his partner's emotional triggers to bring about sexual release, whether those triggers are based in childhood memories or adult fantasy.

Revealing fantasy to a partner is scary stuff, adding a layer of intimacy to the relationship that wasn't there prior. Think about it. Every reveal is a chance taken. Will he/she think this is too wierd? Will my partner no longer love me if I ask for...?

Imagine for a moment being brave enough to ask your partner, "Hey babe, after dinner can I flog you with a bouquet of stinging nettles?"

I seriously asked mine two nights ago, only half-way joking. I'm still testing the water with my partner*grins*.

He called me at midnight, "Baby, I just wanted to let you know, I'm rockhard thinking about what you asked me."

Total honesty and total trust are the elements that define the relationship. I am honest enough to say, "I want you to tie me up," and I trust you enough to let me. My heart swells with emotion just thinking about that.

A willingness to let go of control is even scarier and every bit as vital to the BDSM relationship as honesty and trust. I call it surrender and consider it the ultimate thrill-ride! I love "surrender" so much that I subtitled my series The Chronicles of Surrender.

As a bottom, my surrender includes trust, but really, it is so much more, it is a willingness to completely give over to the experience. I am not in control, allowing my Top to take me to sensory destinations never before fathomed; my inhibitions drop away, my morality isn't an issue, because I have given myself completely to him. I am forced to do all manner of nasty and get to enjoy it guilt-free. Oh my!

As a Dominant, my surrender includes the willingness to control the situation,to protect, and to embrace the power my submissive has granted me. I am allowed to surrender to that wonderfully demonic side of myself, controlling my lover with pleasure and pain. My lover has given me permission to push her buttons and I get to enjoy it! Hell yeah!

So back to the, "What is BDSM?" Question:

It is as varied as each individual is, mild play to full-on play. It could be the scent of leather while blindfolded and stroked with fur, rope bondage or handcuffs, spanking over the knee or flogging. BDSM can include groveling, public humiliation, forced masturbation. The list is endless; and as long as it includes safety and sanity, do it! And for it to work in my life, it absolutely must be consensual.

So, what secret fantasy are you keeping from your partner? Want to be tied up and tickled? or maybe something bolder? Unlock it, share it, and begin an entirely new level of relationship. I dare you!

To help you enjoy the reading of my book: Sacred Secrets, I will include a second post later today titled Roxy's Lil' Guide To BDSM Lingo, so stop back by!

Thanks!

2006-07-21T01:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks everyone who posted well wishes for my birthday. Spent the whole day with the family and had dinner with my sister and friends at my house. All in all a pretty perfect day.

Myrtleme! You're the winner! Email me at paige.burns @ gmail.com for your prize!

Until next time, Keep Reading!

Paige

30 and 1/3 years ago today...

2006-07-20T04:08:00.000-04:00

What? You don't believe me? What if I said 32, would that go over? Fine, somewhere between 33 and 35 years ago today I was born. Bet you didn't know it was such a momentus occasion did ya?

I remember when I was in high school, looking at my teachers and coaches and thinking, "Man, are they old!" They were in their 30's. So I sit here, 1am because me and Mr. B went to see Pirates and wonder, am I old? Do I feel old? Do I look old? Do I sound old?

*Am I old?

I'd have to say no on this one. At 16 everyone is old, plus teachers are authority figures, that always makes people old. So I'll wait till I hit the big 40 I'll address the question again.

*Do I feel old?

Yes and no. Yes, my body doesn't do the same things it did when I was in my 20's. My right knee aches and I don't know why. My back hurts although that's from sitting at the computer a lot. So far my vision and hearing are intact, although Mr. B would have to say something about my hearing...or maybe that's my listening. :) No, in that I'm happier and more knowledgable than I was then. I make better choices. A big NO for the sex drive as well. For those of you not yet 30, it's like a light switch goes on and your libido hits the nos button and kicks it into high gear. I swear on my pinky toe.

*Do I look old?

Again, I would have to say no, of course I don't look "old" but do I look my age? Not really. I'm blessed with my mother's genes and look a bit younger than my years. I always love to see what the kidlets (twenty-somethings I work with at Starbucks) have to say when they finally get the nerves to ask me how old I am. "How old you do think I am?" I say with an evil glint in my eyes. Either they are scared shitless and guess 26-28 or I do look younger than I am. What do you think? (mmuuuuuaaaahhhhh)

*Do I sound old?

Voice wise I'd say no, but damn if I understand what some of these 20iers say! For example...
"Holla" translates to What's up? or For Sure. or You know it. or a myriad ofther things as well. Really, the list is huge, you can check out some of the bomb ass shit here. (Seriously, what the hell is that!? LOL.) My music choices are pretty current, not quite yet old school, but I'm sure that's on the horizon.

My sister sent me a link for a website called RealAge. You answer questions and in the end, it caclulates your "real age". At first I was a little miffed, she's only 17 months younger than I am so she's not that far behind me in age blah blah blah. But you know what? I filled out the questionaire and ended up being 30 and 1/3 yrs old, so I'll take that.

You don't have to fill out the questionaire if you don't want, but you might be surprised at the results.

You tell me. What do you feel is your "Real Age" and why?

I'll be choosing a winner from today's post for a e-book from my backlist (which I'm working on making bigger! lol) and a hand crafted wooden bookmark from Costa Rica.

What Really Makes a Kick-Ass Heroine?

2006-07-19T11:51:00.000-04:00

Okay...morning post was a little tidbit to whet your appetite for A Witch In Time. Now I've had a bit of a breather from the morning crazies (we got new furniture today - after ten years with Mr. Xandra, we finally have a Real Bed (TM) to sleep in--woo hoo!), I'd like to talk chewing bubblegum and kicking ass. Well, mostly the kicking ass part, since, as the saying goes, I'm all outta bubblegum.

What makes a kickass heroine? What made Buffy so appealing to so many people everywhere (and do you prefer the movie!Buffy or the series!Buffy - Whedon opinions notwithstanding)? Who here is a Xena fan? Who cheered out loud at a con when the news came through that Voyager's captain was going to be a woman?

I've thought about this (and had several discussions/idea trades/fandom_wanks over it) - what is it that makes a heroine kickass? And if she loses/sacrifices her femininity to do it, why? Does femininity=ability to be a dishrag? What does being a kickass heroine mean to the hero?

I have noticed a subtle, almost unconscious defensiveness...a shock and awe, if you will, among many men, and not a few women, when confronted with strong female characters, who are strong in the sense that male characters are usually strong. When you say "strong female character," people can think of a wide range of female roles going from Steel Magnolias strong women (emotionally stable, sensitively supportive, etc.) to Xena (can lift a Roman chariot and throw it at someone). But when confronted with the Xena end of the spectrum, there's invariably charges of she-maleness thrown about, and people's comfort zones get pushed.

Who's your favorite kick-ass heroine? And why is she kick-ass?

She Gets What She Wants, When She Wants It

2006-07-19T10:14:00.000-04:00

Who's She, you're wondering, I'm sure. I would be, too, because I know it ain't me. I want rock-hard abs and full-time maid service. But I've spent the morning polishing furniture and you won't catch me dead in a bikini, so we see how that went.

I'm actually talking about my heroine, Lin, from "Hounded," my story in the Halloween '06 anthology A Witch In Time. Lin's a Lunar miner, charged by the moon goddess to fetch something the Lady has lost. Lin's no virgin, but she's the right (wo)man for the job. She knows what she wants, and she gets it.

Lin stood on the top of a float, wearing a nearly see-thru tunic, draped over a giant foam crescent moon. Her dark hair was tied up in ringlets on the top of her head and secured with a shiny silver band. She pasted a smile on her face and waved to the crowd. Ironic that it's me, of all people, up here impersonating Diana, she thought. I'm certainly no virgin goddess of the Moon, even if I do live there.

Music blared from the speaker poles placed at intervals along the street, behind a voice-over of a feminine voice extolling the historic occasion of LEO independence. The citizens of Cinco City, also known as LEO-Ring 5, for Low-Earth Orbit, danced along with the music, hugged each other, and snapped flash holographs of the floats.

The lights hurt her eyes, and the bitterness squeezed her heart. Once this parade reached the Cinco City spaceport, LEOs would be one step closer to true freedom from Earth, thanks to the massive solar array known as Helios. Yay for the LEOs, she thought. Too bad Earth still needed the Moon enough not to permit the same freedoms for the He-3 miners who lived and worked there. Forty percent of her paycheck, along with the payloads of Helium-3, would still find its way down into the Earth's treasure chests for the foreseeable future, while the LEOs suddenly found themselves with more money than they knew what to do with.

Don't think about politics--concentrate on the task at hand, she told herself. Find him. She scanned the crowd and waited for something--anything--to tug at her midsection and let her know she'd found the man she was looking for.

Nothing. Zip. Zilch. Her pendulum, its chain dangling from the end of her toy bow, swung quiescently, pushed by nothing more than the motion of the anti-grav platform on which the float rested. So far, the only thing the little chip of diamond had done was hide her little "condition" and its associated stigmas. She was supposed to have found her target by now, but so far all she found was that she rather enjoyed the idea that the crowd could see her naked body through her sheer tunic. She liked being watched.

The downside to this meant that the little thrill of warmth that zipped through her grew as the parade float made its way past more people. She leaned back on her foam-form crescent moon and thrust her breasts out, indulging in a little harmless exhibition for the crowd. The people lining the street seemed to appreciate it. Several men clapped and tossed gold glitter at the float. She smiled back and waved again, taking special care to wink at the dour-faced Doomsayer protesters holding up their little marquee signs scrolling LED-lit messages predicting Armageddon due to mankind's arrogance.

One of the protesters stumbled into the parade path. Flashing street lights began to rotate, and his compatriots yanked him back into the crowd just as the plexiglas barrier rose from a slot in the street surface. She scanned the crowd and saw that the protester's forward gaffe erupted from a disturbance behind him. A crowd of people wearing white coveralls with red braid--Cinco City's Finest--were pushing through the revelers, scanning with their little handhelds. One pointed forward and the group moved down the street, shoving at the dancing people in their way.

Rude, she thought, and turned to the crowds on the left. One of the "handmaidens" on the lower tier of the float flung a handful of Moon-cakes out into the crowd. Some people were actually stupid enough to reach for them. The Moon was famous for many things: its bright nocturnal gleam, its influence on Earth tides, its inspiration for insanity, its ore-mining. It was not known for its confectionery.

A young man with stag antlers strapped to his head waved and called out, "They'll rot your teeth!" He flashed his loincloth at the onlookers and Lin repressed a sigh. If only he weren't gay, she thought, eyeing the bulge underneath the scrap of synthetic doeskin. Ask him if he's bi, her voice of reason prodded. It's been over a week, and your little problem isn't going to wait.

The crowd cheered, she waved again and nocked a toy arrow, pretending to aim for the young buck. Too bad it was illegal to find a compatible man that way. It would be a lot less complicated than having to explain that yes, she did have an aggressive libido and no, it didn't make her a slut. She'd trade in the false promises to call afterwards for a little gentleness and creativity during. But she'd settle for finding someone who wouldn't automatically put her under quarantine.

Her little problem was growing again. She needed a man, and soon. Already, her focus strayed towards finding potential mates rather than her mission. If she let the situation go, it would only get worse. Small price to pay in exchange for health, though. The float wobbled and her attention went from the crowd to the float.

My prayers have been answered, she thought, looking down at the man crouched at her feet and staring up at her with the most liquid brown eyes she'd ever seen. "Come to get a blessing from the Moon goddess?" she asked.

Where he'd come from, she didn't know. But she knew where he'd be spending the night. She smiled and raised her leg, feeling a thrill as his eyes followed her motion, and his gaze drifted upward to what she exposed for his benefit. His hunter's cap rested crookedly on silky auburn hair that curled over his forehead and led to an aquiline nose, whose nostrils flared as if catching her scent. The blush creeping up his neck from the collar of his white shirt surprised her.

Very deliberately, she set her foot down right over his crotch and felt heat and hardness there. An answering flush of heat coiled between her legs. Without the confinement of underwear, she felt herself swell and open, sudden and immediate. I could do him right here, she realized. On this float, and with people watching. Spacedust, but that's a turn-on.

The Accidental Lover - excerpt

2006-07-18T12:05:00.000-04:00

I’m so excited about my new release, The Accidental Lover! It’s a contemporary novel with historical dream sequences about wealthy attorney Logan Jeffries and pragmatic Alexandra O’Malley who both excel at consistently choosing the wrong people to fall in love with. They meet after they decide that ‘happily ever after’ is not in their stars. They’re like two moths drawn to a fire, knowing that no good can come from it but are still unable to resist. I hope you enjoy the excerpt below from one of Alexandra’s dreams about her imaginary Duke – who just happens to look exactly like Logan!

The wind whipped at her sheer gown as she raced across the beach through the surf. Sand and water flew beneath her feet. Her wild hair streamed madly about, obscuring her view. Salt air filled her lungs but there was not enough and her chest heaved from the lack of oxygen.

She was trapped for sure this time--the sea to her left, a sheer cliff to her right. Her only chance of escape was far down the long expanse of shoreline, so far away she could not see it through the thick mist that swirled about. The jetty. She had to reach the jetty. Maybe she could climb the ragged path up the cliff. It was her only hope.

Over the roar of the waves and the roar of her pulse, she caught the faint sound of thundering hooves. Lord, help her! The duke had discovered her absence. How could he know she would come this way? She herself hadn’t decided until she was on the Southern Pass that led from the castle.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she stretched her legs, attempting--in vain, she knew--to out distance his powerful war-horse. A presence drew near but she dared not look back for fear of stumbling. He was close, very close. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the huge sinewy legs of the galloping animal.

Suddenly, a muscular arm encircled her waist and placed her on the snorting beast. It was as if she weighed no more than a sack of feed. She clenched her eyes shut, unwilling to admit defeat, yet knowing she had not the strength to fight her assailant.

“You have given me a merry chase this time, Milady,” growled the duke as he reigned in his mount. His arms cradled her closely to his broad chest. Having left the castle in haste, he was naked to the waist, and his crisp chest hairs rubbed against her flaming cheeks.

“But this is the last time you will try my patience!” He grabbed her chin in his large hand and turned her face to his. She opened her eyes, pulling back in defiance. “I am done with your escapades, my little bird. You will take your place at my side, and I will have no more of this fleeing from me.”

Their eyes locked in a battle of wills, his commanding and controlling, hers rebellious and bold. As she saw the passion smoldering just below the surface of his composure, her insides experienced a burning heat that soon raged out of control. Capitulating to his will now seemed a welcome avenue. She reached her hand to cup his jaw. “As you wish, my lord,” she whispered.

“My love,” the duke groaned as his mouth took possession of hers. It was a kiss of passion, of utter need. The promised rain began to fall like soft petals, yet his well-trained mount flinched not a muscle. The duke arched her back across his arms as he trailed scalding kisses down her neck, across her chest to hover over her waiting breast. She could feel his hot breath and longed for him to take her in his mouth.

“Tell me what you want, my love. Tell me how I may please you.”

“Please, my lord, please, I want you. I want you.”

He leaned back, his ardor briefly held in check, and smiled gently down at her. “I know you do, my sweet. I know you do.” Without warning, he gripped the neckline of her gown and ripped it to the hem, exposing her fully to his lustful gaze.

His mouth came down over her firm globe, lapping the raindrops as they drizzled across her flesh. He suckled her greedily, without mercy, until she begged for release. Adjusting his garments, he straddled her across his heaving loins. She screamed her pleasure as he plunged his heavy shaft into her, his vise-like grip anchoring her to him. She locked him with her arms and legs as he nudged his steed into a rhythmic cantor.

She cried out again and again. She had never known such ecstasy, such joy. Somewhere in her clouded mind, she knew the duke was exerting monumental control over his own passions so that he could draw out her pleasure, and she loved him all the more for it.

When she was finally spent, unable to move from exhaustion, the duke urged his mount into a gallop. Her last conscious memory was the duke’s shout of completion.

Eileen Ann Brennan

Morning After - Eileen Ann Brennan & Blaise Kilgallen

2006-07-18T12:01:00.000-04:00

The Accidental Lover
by
Eileen Ann Brennan

&

The Reluctant Duke
by
Blaise Kilgallen

Estella! You're the winner!

2006-07-18T02:06:00.000-04:00

And you get an English cucumber!

Oh, no...email me at darragha @ gmail.com (no spaces) with which LSB ebook title you'd like and in which format. Any ebook! Even one of mine! :)

Thanks for playing today!

Darragha

A 1940 Woodie (to go with Jerrod's woody)

2006-07-17T19:11:00.000-04:00

This is Vesper's car (she has a Harley, too). This is the car of "cucumber sex" after "shopping cart sex" fame. :)

Darragha

Jerrod, Vesper and Mr. English Cuc

2006-07-17T14:11:00.000-04:00

This is Vesper's happy face

This is Jerrod.

This is Mr. English Cucumber.

To snark or not to snark

2006-07-17T11:09:00.000-04:00

Or perhaps we'll just talk about sex with vegetables today.

I have two things quite firmly on my mind. One, my mission to love snarkers and help them come into the light (www.snarked.com), and two, sex with English cucumbers. I wrote it into my current writing-in-progress. Just add a nice Italian vingarette and you'd have a salad. Or maybe an Italian with a piss and vinegar attitude.

I fell yesterday. Off an embankment, into a mud pit. It was a tidal pool and smelled quite a bit like the "Bog of Eternal Stench." I'm not a big fan of being dirty. Dirty is fun to write (with cucumbers), dirty is not fun to enact (in the mud, after falling).

I'm running TWO contests off my site. One supports the other. CONTESTS!

So, here's the cucumber scene, which is just after the infamous 'shopping cart scene' (Darragha's Blog). Both are from "The Mooncusser," my current writing in progress and a companion book to Cold, Hard Kash (the heroine in The Mooncusser is a Shadow Lover).

THIS IS NC-17 RATED. If you can't handle serious smut, then please go play here

He reached across her and withdrew a cellophane wrapped English cucumber from their shopping bags. It felt hard and cold.
“This is the perfect instrument to bring your temperature down.” He slid the cucumber along the crack of her ass.
Vesper moaned. “It’s cold. I like it.”
He teased her anus with the tip of the long green veggie.
“Yes, if you want to. Yes!” Vesper replied.
Jerrod chuckled. “You are up for anything, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” Vesper whispered.
Jerrod inserted the cucumber into her vagina, working it like a dildo. Vesper responded, just as he knew she would.
“Fuck yourself with the cuc, Vesper. Reach up from behind and grab it. I’m going to do you in the ass again,” Jerrod said. “And this time, you can come whenever you want to, because once I’m buried in your fine, tight butt, I won’t be long behind you.”
Vesper reached out, and encircled the cucumber with her long fingers. It was easy enough to work the thing in and out. Until Jerrod rammed himself into her rear-end.

One 'commenter' today shall receive the Liquid Silver Books ebook of his/her choice.

Enjoy!

Darragha

The Good, the Bad and the Pretty

2006-07-16T10:56:00.000-04:00

Author's advisory: Contains spoilers for a major motion picture in current release. If you're saving yourself, just enjoy the pictures...

I went to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest last weekend. After the initial reviews, I was a little hesitant, because I'd loved the first movie so much, but my girlfriend and I decided to go into this with the same expectations that we had the first one, basically looking for swordfights and pretty and subtext. Okay, we hadn't been looking for the subtext the first time around, but since it was so all over the place there, we figured it would be pretty prevelant here, too. And we weren't disappointed. Love triangles of every shape and size abounded, lots of sword fighting and lots and lots of pretty.

But I was surprised by one thing.

There was a new character. Or an old character made new again. And now I am fascinated with Commodore Norrington.

In the first movie, he was the straight man, doing his duty for king and crown, noble, righteous, honorable almost to a fault. He loved Elizabeth, but didn't really know her, ignored Will as too far beneath him and wanted to string Jack up for no other reason than that he was a pirate and that's what happened to pirates. He was about as by the book as a character could get.

I respected Norrington. He was a decent man, doing his duty, and I got that. But in the face of Will's passion and Jack's daring, he just got lost to me. He was pretty much a foil and that was all. End of movie, fade to black.

And then came Dead Man's Chest.

Oh. My. God.

He's dark. He's gritty. His morals have become questionable. He's sacrificed everything in his life to achieve his goal and lost, completely and utterly. Suddenly the character who was so staid and predictable is now...fascinating. You can't anticipate his actions because you don't know what drives him anymore. He signs on with the very pirates he's destroyed himself hunting. He steals, he breaks promises, he's bitter and sarcastic and utterly utterly fascinating. Suddenly Norrington is the one who's the enigma and Will and Jack are the predictable ones. Well, sort of Jack. Jack will never be entirely predictable.

Where am I going with this? Well, to the pictures mostly. Because dark!Norrington is just...yeah. *sigh* But this is what fascinates me about characters. How such a simple twist of fate can make such a simple man suddenly so much more complex, how a change in circumstances can so completely change someone's personality. And how writers can think of these things, can take a character so easy to write off and make him new and interesting all over again.

Now, I have my theories about what our dear James is really up to But like everyone else, I'll have to wait a year to find out. I can live with that. In the meantime I have the pretty to enjoy.

So how about you? Have you ever been surprised by a character, either in a book or movie, someone you thought would be as dull as dishwater and ended up fascinating you? Or a character who changed in a way you didn't think you'd like but who surprised you by making you love them all the more?

Winners! Spank Me Now!

2006-07-15T23:51:00.000-04:00

Vicky suggested using those hot buffed waiters for a little spanking party. Now doesn't that sound fun? Vicky, email me at kayelle@kayelleallen.com to claim the book in any eformat. At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, or For Women Only.

But all the ideas were wonderful. Helping a friend go thru a divorce, showing the daughters that mom isn't so stuffy after all... everyone had a good idea.

Hmm. If I rent the butlers in the buff, will ya'll come over and play? LOL

Kayelle Allen
http://www.kayelleallen.com

Wanna Get Jaded?

2006-07-15T18:12:00.000-04:00

In my universe (the Tarthian Empire) the Supreme Ruler of the Known Worlds is Empress Rheyn Destoiya. This woman has more power in her little finger than all the rulers of Earth lumped together.

One of her pastimes is playing with the males in her harem - which she calls the stable. Notice I did not say "men" - there are feline Kin and satyr-like Tyrans amongst her group of hot guys. Destoiya is all about pleasure, so I've been researching that for her in preparation for my next book. *I love my job!*

Her stable members are called Jades, and she insists that each of them learns a skill beyond the bedroom. She also makes sure they get plenty of exercise. *wink* Thought you might like to see a few of the hotties she keeps handy.

Ok - hang onto your hat. Here goes.

This is the Jade Swim Team.

There's no way the empress would ever want her guys to be out of shape. So she insists they eat right and get a good night's sleep. She likes to wake up next to them and have their arms around her. In At the Mercy of Her Pleasure, she wakes up between two of them. Several readers have commented, "The Empress has great mornings." So true.

A shower is important in the morning. She makes sure her guys are always presentable. After all, you never know if you're going to want a quickie, right? The Empress is known as the Queen of Unquenchable Lust, and it's no effort on her part to live up to her name.

Feel up to a nice hot shower?

She likes her jades to bathe at night - it helps them calm down after their stressful day. Helps soothe their nerves and help them relax.

Do you feel relaxed yet?

And uh, this one is here because... *checks notes*... Hmm. I know it's on here somewhere.

*slaps forehead* Oh, duh! There is no reason other than the empress absolutely loves a smooth, rounded ass. *snicker. me too*

Well, my friends, I hope this little excursion into Jade Land has been fun. So, let me ask the title of this blog again. Wanna get jaded?

Come and play in the Tarthian Empire, where Romance Lives Forever
http://www.kayelleallen.com

Buffing it up

2006-07-15T10:30:00.000-04:00

Over on one of the groups this week I learned about a new site that I simply have to share with all of you. It's in England, dammit - and I'm not, so I will have to hope there is eventually an American version of this company.

It's called "Butlers in the Buff." http://www.butlersinthebuff.co.uk/

Check out one of the pics from their gallery:

Hmmm. I think I could handle being served by one of these guys. What about you? I'll have a download of either of my books - your choice - at the end of the day. All I want from you is a party scenario where you'd hire these three to work. For example, a birthday for your best friend, a pamper myself party for one, a hen party for a bachelorette, or a pre-concert dinner. One rule only: you can't use any of the scenarios I just named. The one that tickles my fancy gets the download.

For Women Only - The only one who can free his heart is the one he's commanded to betray.
At the Mercy of Her Pleasure - Once he tastes her passion, he'll always be at the mercy of her pleasure.

Both are available in all formats. What are you waiting for? Tell me how you'd "employ" these guys! =^_^=

Kayelle
http://www.kayelleallen.com

Happy Birthday!

2006-07-14T00:59:00.000-04:00

Today is my birthday. At 3:14 this afternoon, I will officially be 37 years old. I’ve never been one of those women who worried about saying her age, but that’s probably because I’ve always been seen as looking younger than I actually am. When I was 19, I got carded trying to see a PG13 movie with my cousin. I still remember looking down at my C-cup breasts and the car keys I carried and asking the cashier, “Do you really think I don’t look 13?!?”

That doesn’t mean I don’t worry about those little age-niggling things. I color my hair to hide the few strands of gray that refuse to leave my right temple. I buy the best bras I can to keep my breasts from sinking to my stomach. It’s the little things I keep fighting, as if I really have any control over any of it in the long run.

My birthday tends to be a “take stock” kind of day. I look at my life, and I say, “Life is good.” I see what I have, how many blessings there are, and I smile. Sure, there are tough times. I get depressed over the silliest shit sometimes. And I’m not really happy about the whole getting older thing, though I will never be one of those women who goes to such extremes as plastic surgery or anything like that to counter it. But I like to think of what Jeanne Moreau said, Age does not protect you from love, but love to some extent protects you from age. I figure between my husband and my kids, I should be pretty much set. :)

So even though it’s my birthday, I’m wishing all of you a happy Un-birthday, too! Because every day should be a celebration, no matter what.

(Can you write) Sex on Demand?

2006-07-13T12:34:00.000-04:00

“Not tonight, honey. I’ve got a headache.”

“Ooo, I put my back out at work. Can you take a rain check?”

“Sorry—it’s that time of the month.”

“Sweetheart, the kids have been running me ragged all day. Can’t we just cuddle?”

Sound familiar? What’s your favorite “not tonight, honey” excuse? Or do you just grunt and roll over in bed, hoping your partner takes the hint?

I never thought I’d grow tired of writing romantic fiction, but I have to admit that writing erotic-romantic fiction takes a lot out of a gal, especially when she’s got a day job and a family to take care of. I mean, you’ve got frisky characters who are demanding to be put through their paces—and readers who want to read all about them enjoying themselves in as many positions/situations possible. The pressure to “perform” sometimes can make you freeze like Bambi in the middle of a dark country road staring at a pair of oncoming truck headlights.

Writers are a fickle lot. Sometimes we want to take a break from the bedroom and focus on say, maybe, characterization or setting or other plot points beside the romantic ones. Like maybe you want to describe the history of the setting or what a flux capacitor is or how a shapeshifter is able to morph or the theoretical probability of time travel… You know, non-romantic things that have to be included in order to craft a well-rounded fictional adventure.

So here are my discussion questions for this blog: When you read romantic/erotic fiction in general, do you read because of...

1) The chemistry between the hero/heroine and/or other characters?

2) You’re in love with love and enjoy a “happily ever after” ending along with a great story?

3) You’re desperate and you’ll take sex anyway you can get it?

4) Something entirely different than what I’ve suggested.

Have you ever skipped over the “non-hot” sections of a book in order to get back to the “bedroom action”? Or have you ever done the opposite—skipped over the sex scenes to get back to the action? Your insights are welcome.

Never fear—it’s not like I’m going to stop writing romantic fiction anytime soon. It’s just sometimes I just want to cuddle, you know?

P. S. Check out my new blog site and participate in my latest “contest”. http://celinesdreams.blogspot.com/

Vegas! Yeah Baby!

2006-07-12T00:25:00.000-04:00

It's ironic that Erin spoke of one of her favorite cities...Paris...Vegas is one of my favorite cities and seemed a logical place to set my next novella.

I don't know what it is about that city...I don't gamble so it can't be that. There is so much energy flowing in that town. Luck, Love, and Lust...definately Lust...

I took another trip there recently in January...I know it's not exactly prime travel weather but when it's sub-zero back home let me tell you 50 degrees feels quiet balmy.

I went with one of my girlfriends this last time...which was good, because I've never gotten to do the club thing because DH has serious agoraphobia. We went to the Ghostbar...a must stop on my list...excellent view. Took in Zumanity...every erotic author should attend in my personal opinion. If you don't come out of there with ideas...you were asleep.

So do you have a favorite city?

Maybe a place you've always wanted to go and why?

Watch for my next book in the coming soon section at the House of Sin...How ironic is that? Me an author loving Sin City and writing for a publisher who has their own personal House of Sin...wow...we shall have to do a blog on coincidence vs. fate...until next time.

Tina

The Joy of Paris

2006-07-11T20:38:00.000-04:00

SEx ... Silver Expressions
Okay, I tried this earlier, and it didnt' show up. Hmmm. :)

Paris is probably my favorite city in the world. I don't know why, but the air smells sweeter and everything sounds a little better there. It is the primary setting for my latest release, Eurofling. It's just one of my fantasies fictionalized -- meeting a handsome Frenchman and living happily ever after in the City of Lights.

Anyway, I'm done with Paris yet. It might be awhile, but expect me to see some more stories with my name with a Parisian setting. . . .

Morning After - Tierney Linn & Erin Katz

2006-07-11T13:16:00.000-04:00

At His Mercy
by
Tierney Linn

&

Eurofling
by
Erin Katz

Excerpt from All that Glitters

2006-07-10T13:51:00.000-04:00

SEx ... Silver Expressions

you might be a redneck girl if your idea of a fun date is going muddin'

here's an excerpt from my book All that Glitters that proves my point, y'all

***

osh figured maybe he'd gone nuts, but pushing aside all of the bullshit for half an hour would be worth it. Damn it. They got the ATVs out, checking them over and making sure they were filled up with gas before Josh hopped on and commenced to trying to make Chas eat his exhaust.

Damn, the girl was good, though. Fearless and strong, Chas had not a bit of hesitance as she headed down an embankment, giving him a good, long look at that pretty heart-shaped ass framed in his jeans.

That ass gave him palpitations to this day. Josh looked away just in time to avoid a low-hanging tree branch and hooted. Oh, she was gonna get it for that. He gunned up next to her before turning nice and sharp, spraying her with mud.

"You bitch." Chas laughed hard, those blue eyes dancing, standing on the accelerator and zipping past him, crap spraying all over him.

"Oh, now, who's the bitch?" That couldn't pass without her paying for it. Josh went after her, laughing like a loony as she dodged and weaved, making him feel like the old man he was.

They came to rest under a copse of oak trees as the sky clouded up, a drizzle just starting, the tiny drops catching in Chas' hair as she smiled at him, just watching him. His hands itched to touch that hair. Instead they rested on his thighs, short nails digging into his jeans. "You're still a speed demon, lady."

"Some shit never changes, JC. Never has, never will."

Watching little clods of mud drop off his boots, Josh nodded. That was the truth. After all this time, after all he'd drank and screwed and done to get her out of his mind, one or two meetings had him kissing her, then wishing he could do it again and again and again.

"You got that right, honey. You surely do."

He heard her shift, one hand sliding out of its glove to stroke over his cheek, wipe the mud away. "You got splashed, JC."

Blinking, he leaned his head into the touch without even thinking, just staring right at her.

Eye to eye. Fuck, she still took his breath. "You were out for blood."

"You know me. I play to win." She kept touching, light little strokes like she was playing his skin. "'Sides, your blood wasn't what I was after."

Redneck Girls

2006-07-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

SEx ... Silver Expressions

You've all heard the song Redneck Woman, I bet, and most have heard the Jeff Foxworthy has described the state of redneck as "a glorious lack of sophistication".

I think this probably describes me pretty well, too. And hey, the female lead in my novel All that Glitters is a redneck girl.

So what are the ways you can spot one?

I'll start.

You might be a redneck girl if:

your cellphone case has any of the baby colors, sparkly rhinestones or an antenna charm...

Anyone else?

Wishful summer thinking

2006-07-09T12:20:00.000-04:00

Eek! I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date!!

My excuse is I had family visiting. And well, family...you know how it can be sometimes.

Anyway, I'd love to say that I was late because I've been lounging by the pool and reading tons of fabulous books in between writing some (hopefully) even more fabulous ones. Alas, I'm preparing to move at the end of the summer.

No vacation for me this year, just packing boxes and well, more packing boxes.

I'll be moving to Long Island (near Stonybrook) so if anyone has any ins and outs of the area, I'd loved to hear about it!

But finally, I'll get to the point of this post. My summer (like my post here) is looking to be a bit hectic (I don't thinkI'll be home for a weekend until I have a new home) so I want to know what you're all doing this summer? I want to hear about your fabulous summer vacations. I want to hear about relaxing around the pool and watching sexy pool boys.

How are you spending your summer? And here's the kicker, if you could spend your summer anyway possible, how would you spend it?

I think I'd like to spend my summer sunning with him.

Everybody who posts today or tomorrow (since I'm late I'm going to extend my contest) will be entered into a drawing for a copy of either Tempting Fate or Loving Fate - your choice.

Encore

2006-07-07T20:08:00.000-04:00

So I was watching "13 Going on 30" last night (on Encore). Now, even though I normally take a pass on anything to do with chick flicks, I LOVE THIS MOVIE. *sigh*
Probably because I was such a horrible dork of a 13 year old. I was a mess. So much in fact, I've burned all the evidence.

But it got me to thinking....I really really wanted to be Pat
Benatar when I grew up (and later it was href="http://www.nicksfix.com/">Stevie Nicks). She was cool. She was a rebel. She looked fabulous in black! *sigh*

So now it's your turn. Fess up! Who did you want to be when you grew up?

I've got basketball games all morning long, but I'll check back in this afternoon!

Cowboy up!

2006-07-07T02:07:00.000-04:00

Yee-haw!
It's that time of year again. The jingle of spurs, the *pop* and *fizz* of beer cans being open, the constant cries of "Yahoo!" and "Yee-haw!" and "Hey, baby!" fill the air. The scent of mini donuts, beer and manure fill the air. Everyone wiggles into denim, cowboy hats are worn by the police and nothing says "Wahoo!" than a cowboy hat with a whistle.
That's right...it's the Calgary Stampede when every woman, child and accountant become a cowboy for ten days. Yee-haw! My city has got the fevah! Can you hear it? Can you see it? Can you smell it? Oh yeah, for ten days tight jeans are worn by guys, and yes, cowboy hats are worn by the police. Grrrowf!
It leaves me distracted. Thank gawd for Levi's, Lee, or Wranglers. I don't care what guys are wearing as long as it's tight and made of denim.
Why oh why is the Stampede only 10 days?

Oh yeah...cuz not everyone looks like this...

Some look like this... and there's just not enough free beer on this planet to make me wanna stare at it for more than 10 days. Yahoo my little buckaroos. Ya-freakin'-hoo.

Jenna Howard
Dare to love...passionately.
Website | Afterthoughts Blog | Indulge Authors

Somebody's Proofer

2006-07-06T00:01:00.000-04:00

Well, here I am, one month down and counting in my new career as proofreader. I have to admit, I thought I’d be great at this job, and I’m a bit disappointed in myself. I think part of the problem lies with my OTHER career—that of dirty book writer, the career I thought was the REAL career until I got this new one and made the same money in a month as I made all last year writing. Now I might become a proofreader for life. But I digress.

Proofreading, in case you’ve never done it, requires that you keep your mind on what you’re reading or comparing. So, for instance, if I’m supposed to make sure the booklet on the back of a container of fish food says Not for human consumption, it would be real good if I wasn’t thinking about how to get my hero and heroine in bed in my next chapter instead. ‘Cause you know, if eating a little fish food would get them there in a new and exciting way, and they proceeded to spawn like crazy, well, hell, I might not notice what the booklet is saying.

This week at least, my distraction wasn’t my own work but a new book by Jasmine Haynes called Somebody’s Lover. Jack wanted a book last week, and he wanted it overnight, so I thought while I was ordering from Amazon I’d get Jasmine’s book, too. Consequently, we paid an exorbitant price in shipping, but it was worth it because I had her book in hand for the holiday weekend. Just in time for fireworks. Appropriate, since this book is hotter than a firecracker.

I teased myself, leaving it in plain sight on the kitchen table for two days, and finally opened it on Monday morning while I had coffee at the office. (Yes, we had to work on Monday.) OH. MY. WORD. This book is amazing.

What’s more, I had a hard time keeping my mind off the action in the book when I had to put it away at 8 AM. I can’t tell you specifically what was going on at that point, except I know it involved Jace making love to Taylor, because the whole chapter centered on that. I can tell you I was supposed to stop thinking about hot, sweaty sheets and start thinking about “fish food,” and it was a futile effort.

Jack(the bum) was off work and wanted to meet for lunch. Darn! That's my "guilt-free" reading time normally, but I didn’t think I could say, “Sorry, honey, but you know, I’ve got Jace bursting out of his jeans and Taylor ripping off her dress, so can we make it next week?” It wasn’t until later that evening I was able to get back to the fun. And that’s the way it went until lunch Wednesday, when I finished. My boss had the gall to interrupt the final moments, but I refrained from giving her the evil eye because she’s a nice lady. Still, she took her life in her hands entering my cube 2.25 minutes before my lunch time was up.

So, what's the point? I don’t know. Just wanted to share news about a good book with you. (I highly recommend you rush out and buy a copy of Somebody’s Lover by Jasmine Haynes—you won’t be sorry. Buy a fan, too, and lots of ice. Oh, yeah, and a tissue. This book has everything.) Over the glorious 4th of July, I edited several chapters in one book, added to my own time travel book, and sneaked precious moments reading Somebody’s Lover. I'll let you guess which parts were the most satisfying--and HOT.

What did you all do for the holiday?

And before I sign off, I’ve got to say thanks to all of our men and women in our military, and to their families, who sacrifice at home. THANKS!! You all are the very best.

Repo Chick Blues Winner

2006-07-05T21:27:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone who shared their July 4rth with me! I really loved hearing about it. The winner of the free copy of Repo Chick Blues is A.E!

Congrats, A.E! Email me at tm-sharp@hotmail.com and let me know what format you want, and what email addy you want me to send it to.

Thanks again, everyone! It was fun!

Repo Chick Blues - Hot Excerpt!

2006-07-05T13:18:00.000-04:00

One thing was for sure. I was having one hell of a good time.

I was thrilled to have made it to the repo depot in one piece.

“Good job,” Cal said as he walked toward the transport.

“Yeah, for almost getting my head blown off.” I climbed down from the cab, my nerves still singing under my skin.

“Hey, you wanted this job. Besides, I had your back.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” I shook my head and glass tinkled onto the ground.

He walked over to me. “Let me see.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a bit of glass.” I tried waving him off, but he kept coming.

“You’re bleeding. Come on in. Let’s get some peroxide on those cuts.”

“I’m fine,” I said again, pushing his hands away. I hate people fussing over me.

“Look, I’m not going to be responsible for those cuts getting infected and you getting the flesh eating disease or some shit.”

“Your concern overwhelms me,” I muttered, following him into the shop.

Grudgingly, I let him pat a tissue soaked in peroxide on my cuts. The stinging felt good. Let me know I was still alive, which was shocking under the circumstances.

“There,” he said. He was standing close to me. Too close. I liked the smell of him.

“Thanks,” I said, turning away from him.

“Leah, come on out back for a minute. I want to show you something. It’s a surprise. I think you’re gonna like it.”

“Oh, if I only had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that line. And it usually isn’t a surprise. Just sad. Just very, very sad.”

“Will you just come on?” he said over his shoulder, heading out the door and into the parking lot.
I heaved a frustrated sigh. I’d had enough fun and games for the evening.

We headed outside to the back of the repo shop. It was dark and windy outside. Cal had the place well lit. I could see the forms of maples and poplars that lined the property and the only sound I could hear was the whispering of their leaves as they moved in the wind. It was peaceful, and all I wanted to do was curl up beneath one of those trees and sleep.

Several of the week’s repos sat back there and Cal stopped in front of the Rubicon. It seemed to shimmer under the moonlight. My heart ached.

I didn’t show it. “Yeah? What about it? Daddy can’t make the payments like little Miss Cheerleader thought?”

“Nope. He couldn’t. So I bought it cheap at auction.” He pulled some keys out of his pocket and tossed them to me.

I stared at him, baffled. “What’s this?”

“It’s a reward for doing a great job. Your training is over.”

My mouth fell open and I stared at the keys in my hand. “No way.”

“You’ve been whining about needing a vehicle. There you go.”

It was a dilemma. I never took anything for free. Plus, the Rubicon was far, far too nice a gift to accept.

As if reading my mind, he said, “Consider it a company car that you can take home with you. A company perk.”

“I--” The protest died in my throat. I wanted that Jeep. I wanted it bad.

“Leah, you’ve earned it. Just say thank you.”

I had earned it.

I really had. Hadn’t I?

I gave him a big, loopy grin. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

I closed the distance between us. “How will I ever thank you for such a generous company perk?”

He smiled. “I’m sure you could think of something but no thanks is needed, Leah. Really. You’re one hell of a repo agent and you deserve that Jeep.”

“I deserve you.” I stepped past him to the Jeep, turned and looked at him. “Inside of me.” I pulled myself up onto the hood of the Jeep. “On top of the Jeep.”

Callahan grinned. “You do, do you?”

I opened my legs, one hand on each knee. “Yes. So come here.”

He walked over and stood between my open legs, leaning in to kiss me. “You know, anyone could show up here at any moment.”

“Really?” I murmured against his lips. “I guess you’d better get those jeans down in a hurry.” I reached down, undid the button of his fly and slid them down his thighs using my feet to tug them down to his knees.

By then he already had my button undone and fly down. I lay back on the hood of the Jeep, watching as he tugged my jeans down my legs, pulling them off. He began folding them.
I leaned up, resting on my elbows. “Oh, for God’s sake, Cal! Just drop them!”

“But I don’t want to get them dirty.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “I want you to get me dirty. So drop them.”

Without another word, he held out his arm and opened his palm, dropping them to the ground.
“Good boy.” I wrapped my legs around him and pulled him toward me.

“Hold on,” he said. “Not so fast.”

“What?”

He bent down so my knees rested on his shoulders. “This,” he said, and kissed an inner thigh.

“Oh.”

His mouth moved over the inside of my thigh to the crease between my leg and my pussy. I lifted my ass to get closer to his mouth and he ran his tongue along that crease, making my head swirl and desire come slamming into me. His mouth moved over my clit, sucking gently, flicking his tongue lightly over it.

“Oh, fuck,” I moaned. “Oh, fuck.”

He slid two fingers into me and curled them upward, moving them slightly back and forth. The pleasure was so intense that I yelled out into the night. I moved myself up and down on his fingers, rubbing my clit against his mouth. “Yes,” I breathed. “Oh fuck, Cal. Yes.”

I opened my eyes and saw the clear, black sky, speckled with a blanket of stars. I’d never seen such a gorgeous night. One star shone brighter than the others and I thought of making a wish on it, but then I was coming, crying out and riding Cal’s fingers as pleasure coursed through me.

Before my orgasm had finished he slid into me and I was still contracting as he began thrusting. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him in close as he fucked me. He leaned in, pressing his pubic bone up against my clit, first pushing hard, then rubbing against my pussy, making waves of desire roll over me again.

“That what you like, baby?”

“Yes, ooooh, God, Cal. I’m going to come again.”

He pulled me into a sitting position and slid his hands under my ass, pulling me tight against him. He ground against my pussy, flaming my passion, sending me into a wild rapture. I knew I’d come any second. I gazed up at him, his eyes cloudy with desire.

With a growl, he pulled out and flipped me over onto my stomach. The feel of the Jeep was cool beneath my belly. His hands found my hips and he pulled me down over his cock, thrusting into me hard. He yanked my hips up so that my face pressed against the Jeep and my ass rose higher into the air. My knees scraped against something but I didn’t care.

As he drove into me I reached a hand down under myself and found the juicy folds of my pussy. My swollen clit jumped out at me. Just a couple of flicks of my fingers and I was riding a pleasure so exquisite I had to scream. My pussy clenched at his rod, pulling at him as he hammered into me. He cried out too, gripping my hips, kissing my back, his mouth hungry on my skin.

He pulled out of me, his breath ragged, turning me back over onto my back. Collapsing on top of me, he rested his face against my belly. I lay back on the hood of the Jeep gazing up at the stars, wishing this moment would never end.

We’d promised each other that the sex wouldn’t affect the job. We’d try to keep both separate. Seemed we weren’t doing a very good job of it so far.

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt and your July 4rth! Tell me how you spent your July 4rth and I'll do a random drawing for a free ecopy of Repo Chick!

The morning after "Death by Seduction"

2006-07-04T08:49:00.000-04:00

Good Morning!

I also had a release last night! I'm Anna J. Evans and "Death by Seduction" is one of my favorite stories (of mine, lol). Cale and Morgan obsessed my imagination from the second I started writing. They're both so stubborn and delightfully wicked. I had a blast writing about two people who loved each other, but who weren't necessarily 'the good guys'. (Though not really the bad guys either, lol). I'm posting their 'first kiss' scene below. Hope you enjoy it!

I'll be back later to post another 'cerpt and give details on my Summer of Seduction contest. You could win a basket of beachie goodies and an autographed copy of one of my summer releases.

Thanks so much!

Anna J. Evans

http://laughoutloudsexy.com

Excerptage:

"Take my hand, Cale," she said, holding out her tiny hand. He knew the slightest touch could cause his insides to become outsides, a completely undesirable condition any way you looked at it. He’d be spattered against the far wall before he had time to realize that he was dead and he’d always preferred to go out with a little more dignity.

"Make me a promise, first."

"Traitors don’t deserve promises, but I won’t kill you today. I can’t make any
promises about tomorrow," she said calmly, as if she were discussing the temperature in the room or whether or not they should stop for coffee before the end of their shift.

"I guess that’s all I could ask for," he said, placing his larger hand in hers, a
shockwave of sexual awareness coursing through him as her fingers curled around three of his own in an intimate little caress. How could he still be lusting over her at a time like this? He supposed old habits died hard, even when your subconscious knew you were probably enjoying your last few hours among the living and the woman you were lusting after just might kill you.

"It’s more than you should ask for. I’d kill you now if I didn’t want you to suffer first," she said, starting to lead him from the small white room.

"Then why don’t you kill me now? I’m not really in the mood to suffer," Cale said, retaining his hold on her hand but rooting his feet firmly to the ground, stopping them both in the doorway to the cell.

"I don’t give a shit what kind of mood you’re in, and neither does anyone else,"
Morgan snapped, finally starting to look angry as she tugged at him, her attempts to lead him forward turning into a struggle to free her hand. She couldn’t use her magic if she wasn’t going to kill him and without magic she wasn’t much stronger than a human woman her size, though he knew she could take a hell of a lot more damage without truly getting hurt.

"I don’t give a shit about anyone else," he said with a calm smile.

"That’s abundantly obvious, you son of a bitch," she hissed, a hint of pain in her eyes that almost made him reconsider his plan. Almost.

"Name calling. That hurts, but not as much as you want me to hurt. Why don’t you use your magic, Morgana, splatter my heart against the wall and we can get this over with."

"The Fey don’t lie. I promised not to kill you today and I have to keep that promise, you know that, Cale. Cut the shit or they’ll have a team down here to cut it for you," she said.

"You think they’re watching?" he asked, smiling again.

"You know they are, dumb ass. Now let go of my hand or I’ll bite your arm off."

"I’m not going anywhere until you tell me why you’re here," he said, pulling her into him, pinning her arms against his chest before he pushed her back against the frame of the door.

"Let go of me," she hissed, struggling and kicking until he pulled her up in the air and used his lower body to pin the rest of her to door. Having her this close with her robe parted up to her waist would have been erotic as hell if they weren’t about to kill each other and she didn’t look angry enough to follow through with her threat to sever his arm with her teeth. He stayed away from her mouth just in case.

"Tell me what I want to know Morgan and I’ll let you go."

"Let me go and I’ll tell you what you want to know," she said, holding still for a
second before she resumed her struggling with twice the effort. He was forced to push even tighter against her, until he could feel her hipbones pushing into his waist and his lips were an inch from her own.

"If you bite my face, I’m going to kick your ass," he said, willing his body not to
respond to the smell of her, the feel of her, and failing miserably. His cock always had a mind of its own when sex combined with a little bit of danger. Add Morgan into the mix, and he was doomed.

"I didn’t realize you got off on violence," Morgan whispered, looking up into his face with wide eyes, actually seeming a little shocked to feel the beginnings of an erection against her thigh. She was so petite that, with her face even with his own, his cock was positioned directly beneath her entry, ready to slide inside her if they were wearing fewer clothes.

"I don’t, I get off on you. And you know I’d never hurt you. I’m just keeping you from hurting me," he said, fighting to breathe normally though the level of tension between them ratcheted up several notches when she shifted slightly in his arms. He saw her start to breathe a little faster as she became aware of his cock growing even longer and thicker between them.

"I don’t know anything about you," she said, hurt clear in her voice for the first time. It was the hurt that undid him.

"You know how sorry I am. If I’d thought there was any other choice I would have made it," he whispered almost against her lips, resting his forehead on hers and begging with his thoughts for her to understand.

"Me too," she whispered back, surprising the hell out of him when she closed the distance between their mouths, rubbing the satin of her lips against his for a second before she gently pulled his bottom lip into her mouth and suckled him, running her tongue over and over his sensitive flesh.

"Morgan," he moaned into her as his hands released her wrists and her legs parted to wrap around his waist. Then his tongue was sliding past her teeth, tasting her, claiming her, finally knowing what it felt like to kiss his best friend and the only woman who had ever entirely captured his imagination. Hungrily he pressed closer and felt her push back with equal passion, tongue swirling against his as if she would consume him from the mouth down.

He knew the cavalry would be here to help her any minute, had planned on it, in fact, since overpowering whatever guards were sent to corral them seemed the only way out of the present situation. But he couldn’t help but wish they had a few more minutes, or maybe a few hours, to see where this kiss would lead them. He was considering mumbling that wish against Morgan’s lips when she suddenly drew one hand away from his shoulders and then, just as suddenly, slammed her fist back down again.

"Shit!" he screamed as pain blossomed through his right arm.

He turned his head to see a small knife protruding from the thick muscle just below his shoulder and that second of lost focus was all it took for Morgan to shift in his arms again, bringing her knee hard up between his legs and shoving him back against the other side of the door.

Cale let out a muffled sound of pain and doubled over as a wave of pure agony shot through his groin. For some reason, the damn knee in the nuts hurt more than the blade in his arm. He was used to being stabbed and occasionally shot, but it had been a hell of a long time since he’d let anyone get close enough to sucker him between the legs.

"Like I said. Me too," Morgan said, eyes cold once more, as she stepped out of the doorway and out of his reach. "Now get your ass in the bedroom before I damage something we’re going to need."

Happy 4th of July.

2006-07-04T07:34:00.000-04:00

I was going to post a picture of my cover, but I must have gone over my limit of pics since it's not letting me post it. I posted one on my own blog a few minutes ago...lol.

Anyway, in case you don't know me, I'm T.A. Chase and my first book, No Going Home was released yesterday from Liquid Silver. Click here to check it out. I'm going to post the blurb and an excerpt here. I also would like to know why do you think cowboys are a popular theme, not just in gay fiction, but in any type of romance/ficiton story? What is it about cowboys that fascinate us?

Here's the blurb:

Six years ago, a hoof to the head ended Leslie Hardin's show-jumping career and his relationship with the man he loved. Broken, hurt, and rejected, Les has focused his energies on rebuilding his life.

Les’ accident has shown him that the most valuable treasures are usually found under an imperfect surface, and his reputation for taking in strays starts to grow. But it’s one of these strays in particular, injured rodeo cowboy Randy Hersch, who captures more than just his compassion.

Between his disapproving father and his chosen career path, Randy has always felt the need to deny his passion. But when Les takes him under his wing, Randy begins to realize that he is truly strong enough to admit his true self—to himself and the rest of the world. But in the arms of a broken man, can he find acceptance…and love?

And the excerpt: (This scene takes place in the beginning of the book)

“Damn horse,” Randy Hersch muttered as he shifted, trying to find a comfortable spot in the seat of his truck. His body ached, he wanted to stop and rest for a while. He’d spent the last two weeks in the hospital, and he had a sudden urge to go back to the Rocking H and see his family. He hadn’t called to let his sister know he was injured or that he was coming home.

He stopped the truck at the beginning of the driveway and stared at the buildings. The Rocky Mountains proved a beautiful background for the ranch he’d grown up on and left when he was eighteen. The anger and hate between him and his father had gotten to the point where one of them would end up killing the other. Randy left the day after graduation and hardly came back anymore. After getting his leg broken and his body stomped by an angry bronc, he decided it was time for a visit.

It had been a year since he’d last visited. The ranch didn’t look like it used to. No longer were the barns painted the dull gray his father seemed to favor. They were the bright blue he’d come to associate with clear Wyoming skies. The windows and doors were trimmed in pristine white. There were three more new buildings on the other side of the main house. He remembered his sister telling him they had to build more foaling barns.

It’s not home anymore, he thought as he drove up to the main barn filled with organized chaos. His sister Tammy stood in the aisle, directing the ranch hands. He climbed stiffly out of his truck.

“Hey sis, what’s the circus for?” He made his way to her.

Tammy whipped around. Squealing, she raced towards him. He was only able to stop her from launching herself at him at the last moment.

“Wait, girl. Be careful. I’m bruised.” He accepted a gentle hug from his favorite sibling.

“Oh Randy, are you here to recuperate or to stay?” Her gaze skipped over his body looking for injuries.

“Staying’s never been an option for me, Tammy. You know how Dad feels about me.” He shoved his hat back on his head. She wrinkled her nose but kept quiet. He took in the view of spindly-legged foals gamboling beside their mothers.

“What are you doing with the babies?”

Her face lit up. “It’s time to pay the rent on those three hundred acres Daddy leased from our neighbor, Les Hardin.”

“What does the rent have to do with the foals?” He scratched the velvety nose of one of the mares.

“Les gets his pick of each year’s foals. That’s what we pay.”

“Wait a minute. Who set up that deal? He’s robbing you.” Randy was furious.

The Rocking H bred and trained some of the country’s best cutting horses. Each one of those foals was worth tens of thousands of dollars and it was far more than the property they were leasing was worth.

“Wait, Randy. Don’t go off half-cocked. Les and I worked out a deal. Just wait and watch.” She pointed to the plume of dust heading towards them. “He’s here.”

Randy bit his lip and fought back the urge to argue. He wasn’t going to treat his sister the way their father treated him. Tammy had taken over running much of the ranch when she turned eighteen. He had to trust she knew what she was doing.

He stood back as a beat-up black truck clattered into the yard. When the tall man wearing a black cowboy hat stepped from the vehicle, Randy clenched his fist and pressed it to his stomach. He’d never felt such a kick of attraction before in his life.

Les Hardin was an inch or two taller than Randy was. His hair was cut short enough to be covered by the cowboy hat. The tanned skin attested to hours in the sun. Les’ thin lips pulled up in a smile as Tammy greeted him, but Randy got a look at the man’s eyes. Dark brown and filled with a sorrow so deep, Randy thought he’d drown in it. Here was a man who had lost everything important to him.

Randy’s dick hardened and he groaned. He didn’t want to lust after this man. He didn’t want to get involved with anyone near the ranch. It made his life more peaceful when he did come back. At least it was one less reason for his father to hassle him.

Those brown eyes turned his way and he realized Tammy was waving for him to come over. Reluctance dogged his steps. Why did he get the feeling this man would change his life?

Heat up your summer

2006-07-03T20:08:00.000-04:00

What would summer be without a few ways to cool off and just chill? So in my extensive research for the best ways to do that ;) I came across the following visuals...

Poolside naps...

A nice lesson from a swim teacher...

An afternoon just floating in the water...

Well, there you have it. Summer fun and relaxation all in one. Now, aren't you glad you dropped by today?

Kayelle Allen
Romance Lives Forever
http://www.kayelleallen.com
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/romancelivesforever

Summer Fun in the Slow Lane

2006-07-03T18:50:00.000-04:00

Since it's been so hot, I thought you might like some ideas of things to do that cool you off. So here is some fun eye candy to inspire you. See what you can think up to do...

Swimming, anyone?

Or maybe you prefer this type of fun in the water?

There's something so restful about a pool...

Hmm, you know, this isn't cooling me off one bit!

Any ideas for cooling down? Let me know - cause in a few, I'll have some parting thoughts on how to heat things up. *snicker*

Life in the slow lane

2006-07-03T11:05:00.000-04:00

Everyone knows about life in the fast lane. We live it every day. But what's life like over there in the slow lane?

You know, the one where you get to laze around the pool and read a book. Or stretch out under the shade of a tree and take a nap. When was the last time you stargazed? Counted fireflies after dark?

Tell me about the time you just rested and took it easy. After all, this is a perfect weekend for it, right? I'll come back and share mine in a minute. (oh - and post some good eye candy, too.)

Do You Know What Today Is?

2006-07-03T11:04:00.000-04:00

It's the first release day of our new
SMOKIN' HOT line, Molten Silver!

Be on the look out for the announcement,
heralding the release of

No Going Home
by TA Chase
Content: Graphic M/M sex scenes.

and

Death by Seduction
by Anna J Evans

Content: BDSM themes, public/observed sexual situations.

And the winner is....

2006-07-01T10:45:00.000-04:00

Okay, the motorcycle is an Apache Bagger.

The winner is: meljprincess, who was so fast off the mark it makes my head spin!!! Congrats! And, thanks for your enthusiasm. If you enjoy the serial, please do leave a comment on my personal blog, and I'll forward it to my sexy partner, who really is the inspiration for Nick Red Cloud. And, don't forget to look around the AMC1902 site, the bikes are AMAZING!!! I knew someone would guess Harley....

For everyone else who named the Bagger email me too and I will send you a second prize.

If you get in touch with me at dbridger@accesswave.ca, we'll get the details to mail you your prize.

Talk to everyone again soon... And thanks for all the Canada Day wishes, and for making my first SEx blog day such a fun one!! Talk to you soon....

Happy Canada Day from the Great White North! (And a fun little contest, too…)

2006-07-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. I’m Denysé Bridger, and I’m new to LSB, and even newer to blogging, so I’ve no idea what to post other than an intro. I’ve been writing erotic romance for a few years now, and was lucky enough to have one of my novellas nominated for an Eppie this year as part of an Anthology from Amber Quill Press. My first full-length erotic novel is due out anytime with LSB. It’s action/adventure, about a mercenary, and was a ton of fun to write. I hope you’ll check it out when it’s available, it’s called SIMPLY THE BEST. As well as being my first full-length erotic novel, this one is also one of more sexually explicit tales I’ve written. I don’t know yet if that’s a good thing, or not, or even if it’s something I’ll do again in future, but… Once the reviews are in, I guess we’ll all know if it’s going to be a trend, or an anomaly in my catalogue! Let me know what you think when it comes out, all right?

After Simply The Best will be the first in a series of stories and novellas that will comprise THE DEVANE FILES. The setting for this series is Victorian England, a few years post-Jack The Ripper, and the Inspector who is the central character was part of the team investigating the Whitechapel murders. I love the era, and I love the character, so I hope he’s a hit with readers, too!! If you enjoy a sort of flawed and haunted hero, this guy should appeal to you. Aside from being an opium addict, he’s a bit psychic, and a whole lot of brilliant, unorthodox investigative style. I find myself loving him more with each story he tells me.

Anyone who visits my website (http://www.denysebridger.com/) is going to notice something immediately – I never stick to one genre for long! I love to explore all over the place, and my favorites always end up being the ones that are Historical in theme. I’ve been having a great time looking at this blog, and finding my way around at SiN, so I hope we’ll be chatting often in future! I really love hearing from readers and other authors, and will do my best to answer anyone who gets in touch, so do feel free to email at any time, okay? There’s a direct link on my website. Also, I’m scheduled to do my first-ever interview in September for Romance Junkies, so I hope to see everyone there, too.

Oh, almost forgot, a little bit of fun for a contest. The first person to tell me what kind of motorcycle my Rebel Knight hero Nick Red Cloud rides is eligible for an autographed copy of my vampire anthology, A WORLD IN DARKNESS. Details about the book are available on my website, so you can have a peek and see if it’s something you might enjoy! So, have fun and thanks for entering!! And, seeing that it’s Canada Day here, I’ll even toss a Canadian souvenir into the packet with the book, but you’ll have to wait for the surprise!! (I also do a monthly contest in which the winner gets to pick the story they want, in the format they prefer. At the end of each month a random winner is picked and the eBook is sent. The winner is announced on my blog. The contest is running until June 30th, 2007. So, if you’d like one of the books on my website, send an entry!)

And, something to think about for next time, if you’re following the REBEL KNIGHT story, and would like to be featured in one of the upcoming installments, give some thought to what kind of character you’d like to be! I do new chapters every 4-6 weeks, and it’s going to be around for awhile.

Lastly, a bit of amusement that my sister sent to me.

A college class was told they had to write a short story in as few words as possible. The instructions were: The short story had to contain the following three things:
(1) Religion
(2) Sexuality
(3) Mystery.

Below is the only A+ story in the entire class.

“Good God, I’m pregnant; I wonder who did it?”

Pretty succinct and to the point, wouldn’t you say? Anyhow, THANKS so much for taking the time to drop in and I’ll announce the current contest winner later today. Talk to you soon….

Do you do NASCAR?

2006-06-29T21:58:00.000-04:00

Do you do NASCAR?

As most of you know--and probably some of you don’t know--I write sensual NASCAR themed romance. How did I get interested in this stock-car racing sport, you ask? Well let me lay it out for you:

Growing up in Washington State, I began riding dirt bikes when I was an infant. How you ask? My mother used to carry me in a front pouch and my sister rode the back.

Yes, I was raised a tomboy, folks. Sunday, became NASCAR day, where my family would sit down and enjoy all day car racing and crack crab. I'm sure that sentiment brings back fond memories for all of you who did the same.

Here's the history... In the 60's my mother drove the powder puff racing category of drag cars and eventually married my father, who was a mechanic. That was until she decided to have children, and therein lies the story of my tomboy upbringing... instead of boys, my mom had two girls, so she had to make due. But she never really gave up her racing roots, and she decided to trade racing for motor cycle riding. Seemed like the safe way to go.

So my fascination with NASCAR began, you could say, from birth ;). Now I write about the sport, the sexy drivers, the sassy heroine’s--it’s so fun to write I can’t resist.

Stay tuned for my next NASCAR themed romance coming soon from http://www.Liquidsilverbooks.com, Driving Me Insane. You can read about all my NASCAR books here: http://raemonet.com/nascar_heat.html

Here’s a picture of one of the driver’s on the NASCAR stock car circuit… not sexy at all, huh? What an inspiration for a romance, huh… and guess what, he’s a bachelor. This is from the February issue of ESPN Magazine.

So tell me, have you ever NASCAR’d? If not, do you want to now?

Author Rae Monet
http://www.RaeMonet.com

Chip 'N Dale

2006-06-29T00:06:00.000-04:00

Two of my critique partners and I are going to see the Chippendales next month.

No, no. Not that Chip 'N Dale. This Chippendale:

I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous. When it comes to male stripper shows, I'm a virgin. Luckily, one of my critique partners is, er, more experienced than me. LOL

Not that I'm not ready for the experience. I mean, how could I turn this down?

I just don't think I'll be able to tell my family. Well, maybe my sister, since she's an awesome supporter of my writing. But the rest of them... they'd be sure I had one foot in hell.

Hmm. Considering that the temps in southern Arizona this time of year are triple digits, they might just be right. LOL

What about you? Have you ever been to a male stripper show? If you haven't, would you go to one?

Growwwwwwf!

Sherrill Quinn
Follow your passion to the edge... and beyond
Website | Blog | MySpace | Indulge Authors | Readers Group

Eternal Pleasures

2006-06-28T18:39:00.000-04:00

If you haven't already ... check out Eternal Pleasures. Garrett is definately the type of guy I'd want holding my hand, or whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Ahhh...love notes.

Okay, okay ... back to my romantic ideas. How about some fantasies? After all, that's what
Eternal Pleasures is all about ... fantasies. Hmmm...side tracked again. Ever thinkn of your home as the least sexiest place on earth. With all the kids running around, dinner cooking on the stove and the hubby doing yard work who has time for sex at home? Make time .. play games. Turn your bedroom into a private, romantic hideaway (that means get rid of the tv folks). Try some shear curtains hanging around the bed. Yes this will take some time, but well worth it. Oh, and don't forget the candles. Scent stimulates the sex glands to you know. Look for Romantic Fantasies & Other Sexy Ways of Expressing Your Love by Gregory J.P. Godek for more wonder ideas.

Debi Wilder
www.debbiefritter.net

Small Romantic Things

2006-06-28T11:15:00.000-04:00

We all can use a little romance with our sex, can't we? Here are a few things to remember....
Hold hands with your partner in public. Yes, that means the grocery store, in the parking lot, at the park...wherever you may be. That one small intimate action can produce a whole lot of loving down the road.
And what about those love notes? I leave one for my husband in his brief case every once in a while, just to remind him what he means to me ... or what I want him to do to me. Once I even left him a little story taped to our front door so that when he came home he'd have something to read, and think about.
There are so many small things you can do to spark that flame. A look, a handwritten note or drawing (remember when you were a young girl with a crush on the cute guy and you drew a heart with your names in it), or just a look.
Have fun finding your small romantic thing and feel the fire begin to burn out of control.
Debi

Annalisa!

2006-06-28T01:27:00.000-04:00

Check this out! I asked my daughter, whose name is ANNALISA, to choose a number between 1 and 29 for my blog winner. And she picked the number corresponding to....ANNALISA! And it isn't herself! ANNALISA (who is not my daughter), please email me at darragha @ gmail.com (no spaces) and let me know which LSB ebook, and in which format, you'd like!

Thank you ALL for playing today! Don't forget to visit my website and enter my contests! And, please...help an old god learn new tricks.... -- Darragha

Coffee with the Devil King

2006-06-27T08:22:00.000-04:00

He is the master of orgasm-by-kiss.
He likes chocolate cake for breakfast.
He isn't above causing power outages to get his way.
He's a bit Veruca Salt.
Oral copulation with him is a whole new experience, because
He's a shape-shifter. Oh, my!

He's the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven.
And he's waiting for you to claim him. Tame him. *Do* him. He's waiting...here...

Go get him.

Incidently, I wrote Devil King of the Sixth Heaven after having a similar experience in a mall, at a coffee bar. Gods only know who you'll meet at the mall, huh? Would you like to know more about my one-on-one, real-life experience? Would you?

I'll pick one winner from today's bloggers to receive the Liquid Silver ebook of her choice. Additionally, I'm running a contest on my website...take a look here

Now...go find the Devil King...then tell me all about it...--Darragha

Liliah held her brownie up to her lips. Chocolate. Sacred chocolate. It was her Eucharist. Her rescuer. Her drug of choice. She closed her eyes. She willed the fat and carbs of the decadent treat to vanish. She stopped herself from wishing the calories onto the heinies of the girls. Karmic retribution could be painful.

Pushing aside thoughts of fattening up the girls, Liliah touched the tip of her tongue to the glossy ganache frosting atop the moist, chewy fudge brownie square. The taste of the chocolate cascaded through her body like an electrical jolt. Her nipples tingled and hardened. She raked her tongue across the frosting, enjoying the rich, satisfying, silken texture. Washed in a bath of tryptophan and phenylethylamine, chocolate’s feel-good chemicals, her headache and mood improved.

That’s when she saw him. He entered the mall like a superstar entering an arena of adoring fans. The sight of him took her breath away. An icy chill enveloped her from head to toes. Her spine tingled. Her unused and neglected womanly attributes awakened. Pressure, desire and need attacked her nether regions. She squeezed her legs together. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was simply beautiful. He had the tall, athletic build of a super-athlete, but moved with the grace of a dancer. Liliah realized her mouth was hanging open. Embarrassed and hoping no one had noticed, she locked her lips together. The man was literally jaw-dropping gorgeous.

Her arms suddenly began to throb with an ache that she knew could only be cured by wrapping them around his neck. Her hands tingled. She wanted to shake them out by kneading his powerful shoulders. And as for that dire, empty sensation between her legs … well … she knew what she needed there, too. Him.

The man’s pace was even and fluid. He nodded a greeting at the elderly gentlemen sipping coffees near the mall entrance. He smiled at the owner of the Tandoori chicken stand grinding spices for the day’s offerings. He waved his hand faintly at the uniformed mall janitor pushing a broom around the theater entrance. He strolled by as if they were his subjects and he, their king.
Dressed simply, he made a flannel shirt and Levi’s look good. His walk accentuated the tightness of his faded blue jeans. His thigh muscles were clearly defined. So was his package. He must have a Hickory Farms Beef Log stuffed in his shorts. Damn!

Liliah set her brownie aside. He’s walking this way! And he’s sizing me up! Jeez—I hope it’s me he’s looking at so intently. Hers was not the only female attention he garnered. The silence of the teen girls and the absence of whirring noise from the barista’s espresso machine proved that. Liliah glanced over to the coffee bar. The girls were huddled together, trembling—gazing at the
man like cows staring into the headlights of an oncoming train.

The barista’s face had gone ashen.

Liliah snapped back to the real world as hot coffee dribbled onto her hand and lap. “Dammit.” She slipped off her stool to retrieve some napkins.

Approaching the barista, she whispered, “He’s a babe, huh? ”

The coffee bar attendant nodded. “I’ve never seen such a handsome man before in my life. God, I hope he buys a coffee.”

Liliah nodded, whispering, “He walks as if he owns the mall and everyone in it. He knows we’re looking at him. I’ll bet he’s counting on it. He’s a bad boy. He’s the kind of guy that accepts nothing less than total adoration. ”

The barista smoothed her apron. “I could use a bad boy about now. ”

Liliah turned to face her. “Get in line, honey.”

Angels and Deceivers

2006-06-27T07:54:00.000-04:00

For once, I'm going to tell you to judge this book by it's cover.

Let me explain. I'm an art snob. Whenever I've filled out those cover request questionairres that we have to do whenever we sell a book, I have always asked for a photorealistic cover, and usually a kind of abstract one, as I live in fear of the dreaded Poser skin cover. So when April came to me and said, "I know you prefer photorealism, but I've got this great new artist...", I waffled. But I trust April (hell, who wouldn't??), so I agreed.

Best decision I've made all year.

Look at that cover! It's beautiful, isn't it? Even before Lynne and I started talking about ideas, she already had gotten the essence of the story and had not one but two great ideas for how to do it. Fay, my heroine, looks just as beautiful and strong and vulnerable as I'd imagined, and Aaron... yummy, and without any skin! And everyone who has looked at it has said, "Wow, that really looks like an old Bogart movie poster!" Which is everything I had hoped for.

Because that's what Angels and Deceivers is, an old film noir story in print. Only so much hotter! Aaron Pierce is a detective on the hunt for a missing heiress. But he gets a bit...distracted when he meets Fay Sexton, sultry and sassy and up to no good.

***
The view was as spectacular as I’d imagined, and had absolutely nothing to do with the mountains or the city below.

I recognized her instantly as the mysterious woman from the bar last night. She was lounging on one of the deck chairs near the pool, all glossy black hair and long, muscular limbs. The swimsuit she wore was one of those new French two-pieces that revealed everything but her mother’s maiden name, the curves so modestly hidden by her gown last night now revealed in all their statuesque glory. The suit’s top crossed over her breasts, seemingly demure while boldly revealing the faintest curve underneath, the bottom leaving the shadow of her navel showing with the barest of skirts to disguise the junction of her thighs. The brilliant red of the fabric left me in no doubt that this was the owner of the roadster out front. A sensuous car for a sensuous owner.

Stomping down my libido, I started over to her. “Excuse me,” I said, “are you Karen Andrews?”

She lifted her head, unfazed by my unexpected appearance. Drawing the starlet sunglasses down her nose, she studied me for a minute. “Depends on who’s asking.” Her tone was challenging and playful at once.

“Aaron Pierce,” I answered, forcing myself to remain professional. “I’m a private investigator looking into the disappearance of her sister.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting.” She sat up, crossing one shapely leg over the other as she leaned forward. “I’ve never met a private dick before.”

Despite the coyness of her tone, I sensed a trace of bitterness in that last statement. “I take it you aren’t her sister.”

She rose to her feet, folding the sunglasses before offering her hand. “Fay Sexton. Best friend of the missing. Although I didn’t know she’d disappeared. Is Carter sure he didn’t just leave her behind at some party again?”

“He says she’s been missing three weeks, so I doubt it.” Her grip was strong and sure in my hand. I held on a little longer than I should have.

She didn’t try to withdraw it. “Didn’t I see you last night? At the club, right?”

“I was consulting with Mr. Brody regarding the case. That’s why I’m here.”

“Huh. Funny he didn’t mention me.”

I had to agree with her on that. “Why do you think that is?”

“Well, that’s Carter, isn’t it?” Setting the shades down on the table, she snagged a robe of Chinese silk off the back of her chair and slipped her arms into it with a lithe grace meant to fascinate. “He can’t get anything from me, so I’m not worth bothering with.”

“And that troubles you.” Somehow, the fact that it did bothered me as well.

The look she shot me was pure venom. “If what you say is true, if Tess’s been missing for three weeks, it would have been nice if he’d at least told me.”

“If the two of you are such good friends, I’m surprised you didn’t know already,” I pressed.

Her indignation weakened. “I was in San Francisco until yesterday.”

“And you always make yourself at home when there’s no one about?”

“Here? Yes.” The anger snapped again in her eyes. “This has been practically a second home for me since I was eighteen. Claire took me in when no one else wanted me. So you can keep your insinuations to yourself.”

I could tell by the vehemence of her words that there was more to this story than she was telling, but it didn’t seem appropriate to pursue it now. Instead I asked, “And Claire is ...?”

“Tess’s mother,” she ground out impatiently. “She died a couple of years ago and left Tess and Karen on their own. They had a hard time of it, so I’ve been around a lot, trying to help out. Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all,” I assured her, filing away the information she gave me. “It’s very commendable of you.”

“Gee, thanks.” She tried to remain indignant, but I could see worry crease her brow. “Do you really think Tess is in trouble?”

I had just enough chivalry left to be affected by her concern. “I don’t know. I’ve only just begun looking into it.”

Her full mouth tightened with her own internal struggle before finally she said, “If Tess is in trouble, I want to help.”

“The best way you can help is by telling me everything you know about your friend and her habits and behaviors over the last few months.”

“I don’t know anything,” she snapped, her mercurial eyes gone dark again. “I told you, I was in San Francisco for most of the last month.” Her eyes narrowed with determination. “But I can help you investigate. I know all her friends and all the places she hangs out.”

“Fine. Tell me.”

“And then what are you going to do? How much chance do you stand of getting in at the Flamingo or the Kit Kat?”

She was right, damn it. I would waste my entire retainer greasing enough palms to get into just one of those clubs. But if Fay traveled in the same circles as Tess and Brody, she would already have access like I could never get.

She must have read the resignation in my face because she smiled condescendingly. “Don’t worry, you won’t ruin my reputation. Let me get changed and I’ll go with you.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I tried to forestall her one last time. “Surely I could come back for you later.”

She paused in the doorway, one well-toned leg peeking through the hem of her robe as she leaned back. “What, and miss seeing the great detective in action? Don’t be silly. I’ll just be a minute.”

***

For more excerpts, head on over to Angels and Deceivers and get your own copy of this amazing cover and the book that goes with it!

Winner of Drawing for Scion's Rebirth!

2006-06-26T15:49:00.000-04:00

Here's hoping Sasha will forgive me for stepping on her toes! No harm meant! But Estella, you've won a copy of Scion's Rebirth! E-mail me at heidi@heidimcvay.com to let me know what format you'd like!

Thanks,
Heidi

Body Image and Sexuality

2006-06-26T03:02:00.000-04:00

Is anyone ever really happy with his or her body?

You read a lot about how women are so wrapped up in their weight. I admit I am too. Especially since I gained weight and I can't fit my jeans properly. Other women tell me I "carry it well", and my big butt and plump hips don't stop men from hitting on me. Yet I still feel very self consious about my body. Except when I'm writing hot sex scenes. Then my self consiousness disappears.

Maybe women's sensitivity about being called fat or big is such a widely known joke simply because women are just more open with their insecurities. Then again it could be because men get such a kick out of seeing women rip each other apart, and one the first things a women insults another woman on is her looks. Hair, makeup, the size of her ass. . . But I digress; the competitiveness of women is a topic for another day.

Today, with the summer starting to heat up and people being so self consious in shorts and abthing suits, I want to talk about what makes us FEEL sexy. Most people have problem areas that they feel very self-conscious about. Women worry about the size of their hips or their breasts. And while most men won’t admit it, some worry that their dick is too small, or even too big. Or if they’re hairy chest is gross, or that their abs aren’t a perfect six pack.

I mean, sure we LOVE looking at hot men, but do we expect the men in our lives to actually look like this? We have to remember that men don't expect the owmen in thier life to look like an airbrushed model either. We a re oputting that expectation on ourselves.

I talked to a guy once, (Through research of course ) that really stressed about the first time he was with a new woman because his cock was too big. He said it caused all sorts of problems with positioning and comfort. Which ya know, I can understand, because even though we women love out romance heros to have the "massive hammer" as it was put to me, we don't really want that do we? I mean, well...we might want a nice one..but not... anyway..... there is such a things as too big...sure we stretch enough to give birth, but that takes hours of the body slowly preparing itself, and in the end it isn’t a really a pleasant sensation.

And isn’t that what sex is about? Barring pro-creation, it about Pleasure.

I’ve never been in love, but people tell me sex is always better when you’re in love. I’m guessing that’s because you trust that the person you’re with loves you for you, and not for your body size. With that trust comes a sense of freedom, a loss of inhibitions. (Sadly, for some people …that takes alcohol! I’m a bartender, I see this way too often.) I wonder if erotic stories are doing this for women too. You see, when we read them and we get turned on, we forget to be self consious about ourselves. I've recieved an email,okay two, from differnt women saying that after they'd read one of my stories they went an jumped their hubby and had the best sex in a long time.

I don't think it's my story that did it, but the fact that reading a well done hot sex scene that also contains emotion, helps us get past our subconcious, to the root of our sexualtiy. It helps our bodies to remind us that we want to give and receive pleasure. And our emotional freedom from the self consiousness makes it that much easier to achieve.

For me, my sex life got a whole lot better when I decided to concentrate on being healthy instead of worrying about my size. I won’t deny I want to lose 80 pounds, but I’ve learned that whether I am over weight or not, (and no, I haven’t always been overweight) my body is still capable of giving, and receiving pleasure. And I learned to not always depend on the guy knowing how to give me that pleasure. Men like to be told what feels good, and what makes you uncomfortable because for them, it’s a point of pride that you get to come before they do! Maybe more than once!

I guess what I’m trying to say is …stop worrying about how you look, and think about how you feel. Sexuality and sexual enjoyment is a gift we've been blessed with. Embrace it. Wear the short shorts or the skimpy lingerie that makes you feel sexy and attractive. Enjoy what your body can do for you! And if you need a little help...try writing out one ofyour fave sexual fantasies, and leaving it on the bedside table for your signifigant other...or maybe email it to him at work? It coudl make things get very hot, and I'm not talking about the temperatures outside. *wink*

Oh! and to help get you in the right frame of mind..click on the hot photo of the man for a larger version. LOL

Winner of yesterday's blog...Lisa Williams!!

2006-06-25T15:56:00.000-04:00

Lisa Williams, please give me a holler at keiraramsay@cox.net and I'll hook you up, baby!

Cheers all!

Keira

A return to normalcy!

2006-06-25T04:58:00.000-04:00

Yay for normalcy! I've been like a chicken with it's head cut off this week, since hubby and I made the decision to move from Bangor base where we have lived for two years now to a nearby section of housing meant for surface ships seamen and their families. I've been cooped up in a tiny apartment all that time and felt cramped the entirety of it. So I've been on a cleaning binge for a few days now, preparing for a pre-move inspection. I have a month to get everything in order and get moved to the new place.

If you've ever lived it base housing, you'll know what I'm talking about here... the cleaning is not routine cleaning. You need to be able to literally eat off of any surface if you had to. That's the only downside. On the bright side, the new place is a real house with a honest to goodness yard, literally a hundred yards from Puget sound. Go me! Gotta love loopholes.

As my husband helped me clean out the laundry room last night, I noticed something about him. After six years of marriage and God only knows how many randy romps, I noticed that I still lust after him as much as when we got married. It's the strangest thing really, but it was the way his jeans fit him just so. Shirtless and with low-slung jeans... that's my Navy man. It's amazing to have those moments when you fall in love all over again. The little things never used to thrill me, I was always waiting for the next big thing to come along, the next man to sweep me off my feet.

Then one day I met a skinny blond guy at the bookstore I'd just been hired to work at. Our first kiss was on the back end of a Buick as we were star-gazing. I could say that I knew at that moment that I'd spend the rest of my life with him, but it would be a bald-faced lie. Truth is, I fell in love with him by degrees and yesterday showed me that each day the degrees by which I love this man keep coming. He's amazing and takes such good care of me, even going to far to move when we're perfectly settled in a home already, just so I can have my sunshine and view of the water.

People fall in love in different ways I've discovered. My sister met her husband and married him within ten days of meeting. It's been 9 years and three kids and they are still all over each other like the teenagers they were when they said "I do."

My question to you, dear fellow bloggers, is this. If you have ever fallen in love (and who hasn't) was it like me, by degrees, or was it a bang, as my sister swears she experienced, like everything snapped into place at once? All replies will be adored and all repliers will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Scion's Rebirth. I'll check back later to see what you all think!

Ah, the joys of summer...

2006-06-24T10:36:00.000-04:00

So, yeah, it's officially summer right now (yippee!), and one of my fave things to do is hit the pool/lake/beach. What's better than a cool, crisp margarita and a gaggle of hot bodies? LOL. I work at an Air Force base where our primary population is young pilots in training (yeah, I know, it's a hard, hard life I lead *g*). And we don't have just Air Force dudes (and dudettes), we've also got Navy and Marine Corps pilots...yum! Consequently, on any given day, there's a bunch of shirtless hotties either running around the base perimiter or hanging out at the pool...can you say "eye candy"??

Back in the day when I was running every day, we had a Marine Corp guy we used as a rabbit (i.e., he'd set the pace and then I'd run behind him, huffing and puffing to keep up...and just panting in general *g*). Mmmm, there's nothing like staring at a well-defined booty and fabulous back to keep your motivation up! LOL.

So what are your top things to do during the summer? Blog with me today and I'll pick a random winner for any book from my backlist!

Cheers (tipping a margarita glass at y'all)!

Keira

Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door winner

2006-06-23T22:06:00.000-04:00

The winner of my newsletter member drawing was Mary S. of Missouri. Congrats, Mary! She won a copy of my first LS release Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door.

Mary says she's new to ebooks, but she's willing to give it a try. She may even buy her a PDA and download some more ebooks to take with her on vacation... Hey, it's great singlehandedly stimulating the economy, isn't it? :)

Check out my newsletter and check out my new blog "Celine's Dreams" at http://celinesdreams.blogspot.com

More fun and contest to come!

Danger! Danger!

2006-06-23T13:29:00.000-04:00

Last Tuesday, I had a dream about sex on a motorcycle. Don't ask me where it came from...oh, alright. It was probably my subconscious telling me that I have the hots for a friend of mine who happens to have a Harley. So on Wednesday, going "riding" weighed on my mind all day. I did fulfill my wish, but it was a true ride, no freaky stuff. Dang it! So anyway, my newest crush offered to take me riding on Monday. I chickened out (don't shoot me), but he did happen to call me last night to say he would see me tonight at karaoke. Second chance, right? (I'll be sure to keep ya'll updated. LOL)

You're probably wondering what the point of my Blog is today. Well, here's my question for you guys....What's the most dangerous position you ever found yourself in? The hotter, the better as always. Helicopter, Mile High, with a crazed criminal next door? I want all the juicy details. And anyone who has happened to have sex on a motorcycle, your advice would be much appreciated. ;)

Robin
www.robindanner.com
Putting the "R" in Regencies...

Hot and sleepy...Not!

2006-06-22T00:15:00.000-04:00

Happy Summer! Or not so happy if you're where the weatherman says heat index over 100. Yes, that's Richmond tomorrow, and what does that make me want to do?

Sleep.

A lot.

So, in an effort to inspire forward momentum I thought I'd talk about trying new things. And I have been trying new things lately. I dragged my dad to a "Taoism" class that involved a pop song about chi and chakras. I think the whole thing would've been fine--coloring my spleen yellow and saying "courage" to my liver, or was it my kidneys?--but that song was all it took for my dad's skeptical side to kick in.

I've also started going to a new church. It's a unity church and the service involves meditation, which I love. The Father's Day sermon was about growing up without a father and the scars it leaves. I found it very moving and it certainly made me thankful for my dad and my husband, great fathers, both of them.

Another new thing is I've discovered the TV shows on itunes. Yahoo! I was able to get the Commander in Chief episode I missed, and the CSI season finale. But most important, through itunes, I downloaded the Dixie Chick's new album, "Taking the Long Way." I must say that my fave song on there so far is "I Hope." Did I say I was an exciting person? Sigh. I'm not.

However, this past weekend was an adventure for me, when Bridget Midway, Laura Bacchi, and I did a signing at an "adult" store in Newport News. We had some very interesting visitors, like the four graduates in 2006 glasses and the kid with the cast that had to sit by the door looking out while his parents shopped. Usually, when I've gone into this sort of store before, I've tended to look over my shoulder to make sure no one I knew was there. Here we were happy to see people we knew, like Denise--who tried on the impossible-to-walk-in shoes--because the people we knew bought our books.

I was trying to imagine if I could get a pair of thigh-high boots past my thighs, if they would just make me look shorter and stubbier than I already am. I was also curious if the white nurse outfit would turn the hubby on. Then Laura, Bridget, and the shop owner had to educate me on a few items, because let's face it, I'm behind the times. At the very least, I claim innocence and ignorance in all these matters, especially if my mom asks.

And the conversation at dinner! Whew! I had two ultimate margaritas and seemed to be talking about whether having two guys would be as good in reality as it is in fantasy. Feel free to weigh in on this issue.

Now my Grandma read Primitive Passion in one day--I sent her the paperback, because she doesn't have a computer--and she didn't even think it was too spicy. Hmm. Some things I just don't want to know, you know?

And now I'm reading about ghost hunters in a book by Katherine Ramsland. She seems to share my belief that there could be ghosts...but I need to see them with my own eyes to state that as fact.

Tell me about something new you've tried recently or plan to try. I want to hear all about it!

Shara
www.sharalanel.com

Solstice Winner

2006-06-21T21:07:00.000-04:00

Winner of the free download of Vixen Virgins is...

Cherie!

Congrats! E-mail me at bethwilliamson@nc.rr.com and let me know what format you prefer!

Thanks y'all!

Solstice Madness

2006-06-21T07:50:00.000-04:00

Howdy folks! Beth Williamson here again and I've brought something hot with me. Summer (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway).

Today is officially the first day of summer. It's also the summer solstice at 12:26 today, which actually throughout time has been more a religious event.

Interestingly enough, the Summer Solstice is also known as: Alban Heflin, Alben Heruin, All-couples day, Feast of Epona, Feast of St. John the Baptist, Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Johannistag, Litha, Midsummer, Sonnwend, Thing-Tide, and Vestalia.

It's the longest day of the year and is sometimes called Midsummer because it is about in the middle of the growing season. Of course for those peeps in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, this is actually their winter solstice. That's a brain bender...

There were solstice celebrations in every part of history from Ancient China, Gaul, Celts, Neopagans (Wiccans), and Ancient Rome all the way through Christians who celebrate it as The Feast of St. John the Baptist.

So what does this long rambling post mean? Good question. I'm glad you asked! I want to know your wildest summer stories. Give me the most interesting thing/place/person you ever did during the summer. Was it a celebration? Dancing beneath the moon naked? Or skinny-dipping down in Mexico?

Bring it on folks! Everyone who posts gets entered to win a download of Vixen Virgins.

Ready, set, confess!

The "morning after" with the Vampire Next Door

2006-06-20T10:50:00.000-04:00

'Morning all! Sorry for the delay. This is my "first time" at a "morning after" blog and Blogger and I had a few technical issues this time around, but we worked them out eventually. Sounds just like a relationship between a guy and a gal, doesn't it? :)

I thought I'd post an excerpt from Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door to celebrate its release. Enjoy!

Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door
by Celine Chatillon http://www.celinechatillon.com
ISBN 1-59578-229-X
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/helpimfallingetc.htm

Short synopsis:
Valentine Drakul longs for a mate, someone to share eternity with who won’t be totally grossed out living on a diet of steak tartare. Could the sexy girl living upstairs fulfill his every fantasy?

Melynda Kerpanik got the heck out of Dodge, Kansas, and ended up in St. Louis working for her cousin as an interior decorator. But will her career plans take a backseat to her curiosity about things that “go bump in the night”?

A deadly foe ensnares Mel in his evil plot to rid the world of Kindred race... Can Val save the mortal woman he loves without transforming her into the eternally lonely being he's become?

Their first meeting...

Val Drakul had two choices. He could either sink his fangs deep into the flesh of this woman’s luscious, lithe neck--and dispose of her deliciously curvy body later--or he could ask his attractive, half-dressed, uninvited guest to sit down and stay awhile.
He chose the latter.

“I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced,” Val said, letting go of his prey and switching on the hall light. “I’m Val Drakul. You must be my new neighbor upstairs. Shelby’s cousin, right?”

Her face paled as he led her toward the living area. Her cat-green eyes widened with fear and surprise. “Y-yes. I’m M-Mel... Melynda Kerpanik.
”
She stuck out a unsteady hand to shake. Her skin felt velvet soft and warm to the touch. Val clenched his jaw, fighting back an almost insatiable urge to taste her.

“And it’s not what you think,” she continued. “I heard this awful noise so I came down to investigate and--”

“You just happened to notice my door was unlocked?” Val raised one dark eyebrow and chuckled. “So you entered my abode to make sure if everything was all right--is that correct?” She nodded. He motioned for her to sit down beside him on his leather couch. Slowly she bent her knees and relaxed against its cool, smooth surface.

“That was very neighborly of you, Ms. Kerpanik.”

“Uh, thanks. You can call me ‘Mel’ if you like.”

The blush on her high cheekbones enchanted him. The white streak in her part, dividing her waist-length black hair like a skunk’s stripe, he found sexy, too.

“I used to live next to a little old lady who had this awful tendency of falling and breaking her hip,” she continued. “So I tend to act first and ask permission later.”

“That’s an admirable trait, Mel.” He frowned, although his dark eyes continued to scan her curves. “‘Mel’ sounds like a man’s name, and you most definitely aren’t a man. I shall call you Melynda instead. Is that all right?”

She swallowed hard. “Please do.”

“I know I really shouldn’t say a word about your nickname when mine is ‘Val’. I get tons of junk mail addressed, ‘Valerie’. Very few men are named ‘Valentine’ these days. I suppose I should change it.”

“No, I wouldn’t. It’s a good, strong name. And I love the holiday.”

“Really?” He smiled and settled back in his seat. This Melynda person was definitely worth getting to know better even if she was a mere mortal. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked. She shook her head no. “That’s okay. I’m probably out of everything except beer any how.”

She grinned nervously. “Typical bachelor.”

“Yes, I am. And I do have an appalling habit of not locking my doors at times. I don’t expect too many night visitors, so when I go out on a shoot I forget to throw the bolt.”

“A shoot?”

“Photos. I’m a photographer.”

“Yes, so Shelby told me. I noticed some fantastic cityscapes in your darkroom.”

He lifted one curious eyebrow. “Why, thank you. Do you happen to have one of my calendars?”

“Calendar?” Her green eyes widened. “You posed for a calendar?”
“No, I don’t model.”

The endearing blush crept up her cheeks once again. She demurely pulled her robe tighter across her more-than-ample breasts. Val forced his hungry gaze away from his attractive guest’s obvious charms and returned to discussing the topic at hand.

“I shoot a yearly cityscape calendar of St. Louis. Would you like one? I have several promotional copies in my study.”

“Oh, yes, I’d love one.”

Val rose and swiftly exited the living area before Mel could exhale her long-held breath.

What the hell am I doing chitchatting with my devastatingly handsome neighbor at three in the morning? She was certifiably mental. But she couldn’t seem to help herself. She was hooked.

The man couldn’t get any better looking if he tried. Even his name sounded sexy: Drah-kool. The way he said it sent orgasmic sparks zinging along her spine. She couldn’t quite place the accent, but wherever he was from originally the women there were mighty fortunate.

His muscular backside had intrigued her in the moonlight. But now that she could enjoy his face close up his aquiline profile fascinated her to no end. Dark, obsidian eyes glowed with an inner spark above chiseled cheekbones and a smooth, square jaw line. When he looked at her it was if he could see right through her and glimpse the throbbing pulse of her heart. His wavy, shoulder length, jet-black hair was to die for. His slightly olive skin tone denoted perhaps some Mediterranean or Eastern European ancestry? Either way, it was amazing Hollywood hadn’t scooped up a stud like him and put him in pictures.

Sex appeal--Val Drakul simply overflowed with it. His full lips looked like they were made to kiss and to be kissed--passionately and frequently. And his smile? Closed mouth yet quirky. Like he laughed with confidence at all life threw at him and then some. Like he knew his own mind. Like he enjoyed a good beer, a good smoke, a good woman...
Mel pulled her silk robe tighter across her peaking breasts. The mere thought of making love to Val Drakul made her knees turn to Jell-O. It had been too long--way too long--since she’d been with a man.

That damn cheating ex of hers gotten it from both her and his man-stealing girlfriend for a time, but she’d been living the life of a nun since their marriage broke up. Her luscious-buns neighbor probably didn’t suffer at all in that particular department. She didn’t want his pity.

There was no need for Val Drakul to learn that she was a lonely, undersexed, unemployed art teacher from Kansas. She had to get out of here. She’d take her free calendar, wish him goodnight and run the hell back upstairs before she wet his nice leather couch thinking how amazing he must look without his clothes on.

“Here you go.” Mel stood as Val returned to the living room and handed her a large, glossy calendar. “About half are in color and half in black and white. I prefer the black and white shots myself, but the publisher always insists on at least six of the twelve in color.”

Mel flipped through the pages, mesmerized by his talent and technique. In the thrill of discovering another artist’s work, she completely forgot about her desire to depart.

“How breathtaking! They’re simply beautiful. I love your black and white photos, too. Has Shelby talked to you about doing some art photography for the lofts upstairs?”

Val looked decidedly uncomfortable for a split second before his charming smile reasserted itself. “Yes, she has. But I declined. I have more than enough business with the calendar shots, my own gallery showings and the occasional freelance opportunity. Maybe some other time.”

“Too bad. I was thinking of doing at least one of the lofts up in a cool black, white and metallic gray scheme and your photos would be superb accents. You sure you won’t reconsider? They wouldn’t have to be new photos--they could be reprints.”

She turned back to October’s picture of a huge, blood-red harvest moon hanging over the Arch, illuminating it and the river beyond with an eerie orange glow. “I could really see this photo blown up to a good wall-picture size hanging over a dining table.”

Quick, like a cat, he stood beside her, glancing over her shoulder. Mel shivered slightly and felt the dampness between her legs growing.

“Ah, yes. That’s one of my favorites. I wouldn’t mind seeing my Halloween photo framed and hanging on a wall rather than in just a calendar. Let me talk to my publisher about the reprint rights.”

“Fantastic.” She beamed a smile in thanks at him. “It will make my decorating job that much easier.”

“No promises. But I will try,” he said softly.

Mel turned slightly, examining the handsome visage mere inches from her own. Those lips... those eyes. She could see herself taking Val’s strong chin in her hand and tilting his head just a little toward hers and then… Vivid images of her and her newly introduced neighbor moving together as one between satin sheets flooded her mind. It was as if it their joining had already happened—or would happen—and she had no control of how fate would bring them together for better or worse.

“Melynda? Are you all right?” Concern etched itself across his features. He reached out to touch her shoulder.

“Me? I’m fine.” She shook her head and rubbed her temples, inching away from him. The disturbing feeling of déjà vu quickly passed. She’d only been in the Twilight Zone for a few seconds this time. Why she hadn’t outgrown these occasional psychic daytrips was beyond her. “It’s late, and I’m not thinking too clearly. I’d better go now.”

“Yes, you’d better. Unless...”

“Unless?”

She looked deep into his eyes and then she knew--she could never leave him.

“Unless you’d feel safer staying here tonight.” His rich baritone enveloped her like a cloud, drawing her further into its mists; his intense, dark eyes plumbed the depths of her soul.

“I mean, this is an old building and there are lots of strange noises. The vast majority of them are innocuous, but...” He shrugged.

She swallowed hard, licking suddenly dry lips. “You mean there’s something in the building that isn’t harmless?”

“Yes. Me.”

Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door
by Celine Chatillon (http://www.celinechatillon.com)
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/helpimfallingetc.htm

P.S. If you've read this far, I want to thank you. Now, here's my "prize": Everyone who signs up for my Celine's Dreams yahoogroup newsletter today will be entered into a drawing for a download of Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door . Everyone else will receive a free prize as well. Sounds like a "win-win" situation, doesn't it? Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celinesdreams and join now!

Loving Fate

2006-06-20T10:47:00.000-04:00

WooHoo!! I love the "Morning After!" And it is technically still morning even though I'm a bit late.

Loving Fate is the second book in the Fate series (if you'd like to read the 'morning after' post for Tempting Fate, it was on May 23) and features the spinner of the thread of life Lacy (Lachesis). She's the most sensitive of the three Fates and her heart is breaking for single father Noah after the death of his daughter.

I really love this book as writing it was a different experience for me. As I was writing, I think I was more aware of style and tone for this one than most of the other books I've written. Mostly because it deals with a difficult subject.

Plus, for those of you that have already read Tempting Fate, you get a chance to go back to visit with Chloe and Tanner.

And to end, here's a kind of simple, but fun excerpt of the entire Moraie family at dinner the night Noah appears on Mount Olympus.

Noah sat down next to Lacy.
She passed him a plate heaped with food.
All eyes were on him when he took his first bite of potato salad.
His eyes closed in ecstasy. He pulled the fork out from between his teeth slowly.
“This ... this is almost orgasmically good.”
As soon as he said it, Noah thought maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say to the
family of a girl you fucked earlier in the day.
But God, was the food good.
He shoveled another bite into his mouth.
“You might want to slow down.”
It was one of Lacy’s sisters that spoke.
The three of them were absolutely amazing. They looked almost exactly alike except
for their hair and eyes.
Noah was already used to Lacy’s blue eyes and blond hair. She looked like an angel.
Chloe was just about the complete opposite with raven black hair and bright green eyes.
And then there was Atty with brown eyes and auburn brown hair.
Who were these girls anyway?
“So, have you figured out what I’m doing here yet?”
“Yeah, that’s definitely my fault,” Tanner said. “I still don’t know exactly how I did
it, but well, I brought you here.”
“And where exactly is here?”
He thought maybe he’d talked about that with Tanner earlier, before the incident
with the tea, but he’d been too overcome with lust for Lacy to remember if he ever
actually got an answer.
“Mnt Olms,” Tanner slurred.
Chloe laughed and Atty rolled her eyes.
“I’m sorry. What was that?”
“Mount Olympus,” Atty answered, enunciating each syllable.
“Mount Olympus? Like I’m in ancient Greece?” Noah laughed, but trailed off when
no one joined in with him.
“No,” Atty corrected. “Like modern day Mount Olympus.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
He looked around frantically, waiting for someone to start laughing, to tell him this
was all a joke, but no one did.
It was Lacy’s voice that soothed him when he was about to jump up from the table
and run out of the room. She reached over and put her hand on his.
“Sorry, Noah, but it’s the truth.”
“But ... how?”
“Unfortunately, we don’t know that.”
“Are you like gods or something?”
“We’re...” Atty started, but Lacy interrupted.
“Or something. I promise I’ll explain it all in good time.”
“But I don’t believe in gods and goddesses.”
Maybe if he said something like that he could get them to go away. And then what?
End up alone back in his stupid farmhouse that he was looking to sell anyway?
“It doesn’t really matter if you believe or not. We’re here.”
As delectable as the food looked, Noah suddenly found himself without an appetite.
“Hey. If we’re really on Mount Olympus, shouldn’t we be eating ambrosia or
something?”
Tanner laughed as he took a big bite of his cheeseburger.
“Dude, we’re on Mount Olympus. We can eat whatever the hell we want.”
That did make a certain amount of sense.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m not feeling so hot,” Noah said. That tea must have done
more of a number on him than he’d thought. “I think I’ll skip dinner and go get some
air.”
Lacy rose as if to accompany him.
“Alone,” he added.

OK, I said the excerpt was going to be the end, but I forgot about a giveaway - I love giveaways! And I'm going to make things easy - all you have to do is comment and you'll be entered to win a download of Loving Fate.

Enjoy your last day of spring!

Emma
http://www.EmmaSinclair.com

Morning After - Celine Chatillion & Emma Sinclair

2006-06-20T03:23:00.000-04:00

Help, I'm Falling for the
Vampire Nextdoor!
by
Celine Chatillion

&

Loving Fate
by
Emma Sinclair

"Can You Keep A Secret?" winner

2006-06-19T21:27:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to... Estella!

Estella, email me at rose @ lrmiddleton . com (take out the spaces) with your preferred format for download.

And thanks to everyone who shared their best gifts with us!

Take care,

Rose Middleton
www.lrmiddleton.com

Girl Talk

2006-06-19T03:34:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I've always benefitted from close girl friends in who I can confide, be it about boys or school, or hopes and dreams. Even now, I still have girls night out, though the pool of single friends is growing smaller year by year, and when we do get together, there's more talk about kids and nappy changes LOL!

I couldn't help but blend in this wonderful gift into my story, Can You Keep A Secret? Margie, best friend to our heroine, Penny, is a riot, and I've so far been asked whether she'll get her own story. Time will tell (*she laughs wickedly*) but for now, I want to celebrate the joys of best gal pals with an excerpt.

~*~

"So, what’s new, baby?" Margie asked, patting Penny’s knee. "Tell me all about it."

"Governor’s Ball with Dad."

Margie groaned. "Yes, I saw you in the Who’s Who column again."

The drawling tone of Margie’s voice made Penny cackle with laughter. Ben’s career was one of Margie’s pet hates, and she insisted he stop using Penny as arm candy every time they talked. But she understood Penny’s position, too, with her own family thrust so pointedly in the spotlight. Being the daughter of two highly renowned actors, Margie knew the pressure of responsibility.

"And work?"

Penny’s cheeks heated. "Work’s fine."

"Fine? Are you trying to con me?"

Penny smiled. "Me? Never. Work is A-ok."

"So why have your cheeks turned beetroot red, and why is there sweat on your upper lip? You’re not telling me everything."

Ain’t that the truth, Penny thought wearily. Weakened by the emergence of her inner vixen, Penny wasn’t sure she possessed the strength to resist Margie’s probing. When those words appeared on the little red card at lunchtime, enticing Jesse with absolute confidence, she’d almost thrown the gift away.

She had no idea where such a naughty little poem came from, and even less of an idea how she managed to sneak into his cubicle and actually leave the present for him to find. It wasn’t like her meek and mild self at all.

Feeling Margie try to break down her defences, Penny resigned to the inevitable and gave in. "We’re having Christmas in July. A Secret Santa present exchange and a trip to the ski fields."

Margie’s eyes grew wide and hungry for details. "And who are you playing Santa for?"

Margie really had a way with words, Penny thought, as more visions of her playing Santa for Jesse bombarded her. Sheesh, the night wasn’t even over yet. "Just one of the reporters," she said with an air of carelessness that didn’t convince Margie one iota.

"And what are you planning to buy for this mystery reporter?"

Penny shrugged, but she could see Margie wasn’t buying the act. After all, of the two of them in the room, Penny wasn’t a professionally paid actor. "Just a few little things, nothing expensive."

"Just a few little things that, what? Make him think you’re interested?"

"Margaret!" Penny sat up. "I would never."

Oh, but she did, and the wicked pleasure it gave her bloomed in her chest again.

"If you want my advice," Margie winked. "Be bad. Be very, very bad."

Reaching out, Penny playfully punched Margie’s arm. The woman was such a rebel.

"You know I couldn’t."

"Why?"

Million-dollar question, that. Why? Why, indeed. "Because."

Penny pushed up to her feet, knowing that if she didn’t try for the door now, she’d be here all night pouring out her plan to Margie. Their friendship had never been about boy talk. Sure Margie was there when Caldwell said it wasn’t working and when Thomas walked out. Just like she’d been there for Margie through two divorces. But that was it. No sex advice, no girl talk, no boy talk.

"And just where do you think you’re going, little lady?" Margie laughed. "I want details."

"Honey, I’m tired." Penny slipped her trouser button back into its loop. "Dinner was exquisite, as always. And the company," she leant down and kissed Margie’s cheek. "Divine. I gotta run."

At the front door, Margie stopped her one last time. "Promise me one thing."

"What’s that?"

"That you take a chance, do what your heart desires. Forget all the stuffiness you grew up with, forget deportment and what’s expected of a woman. Screw it all to hell. You deserve lust, love and some damn good sex. Go get it."

~*~

And in celebration of my boss putting on another Christmas in July this year (*here we go again!*) I'm giving away a free download of Can You Keep A Secret? All you need to do is reply to this post and tell me the best Christmas present you've ever received. I'll draw a name out of a hat and pop back in later today with the winner!

Cheers,

Laura Rose Middleton
www.lrmiddleton.com

What a busy Father's day!

2006-06-18T10:12:00.000-04:00

Already I've taken dh to the airport. He's being deployed to Germany...hopefully back by fall. Oy! So I rushed back home to blog and before I have lunch with my own father. My dad is one of those guys who rarely says "I love you." He grew up in the age when men didn't show emotion. My mom will make me hug him before I leave today - It'll be painful for both of us.

My father is an avid fisherman - my fondest memories are fishing with him when I was a kid. Ironically Fishing Openers in my part of the country are on Mother's Day. That doesn't seem right. So my big plan is to lunch with my parents.

For those of us in the states how are you spending Father's day? For those outside of the US - what are you doing today? Enjoy it however you choose to spend it.

Love,

Tina

Winner of Bridget Midway's "Flashback to the 80's " contest

2006-06-18T09:20:00.000-04:00

Meljprincess got all of the correct songs first! Whoo! Hoo! I thought for sure the Romeo Void song would have gotten you. Mel, e-mail me at Bridget@BridgetMidway.com and let me know which book you would like besides THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR.

Thanks everyone for playing.

BridgeT

Contest while Momma works...

2006-06-17T10:04:00.000-04:00

While I do my book signing today, you all will have to put on your thinking caps. And of course I will not make this easy on you. Moohaahaahaa!

If you haven't guess from my book title, That's What Friends Are For, and some of my other current book titles, I'm a bit of an 80's head. I love 80's music and the feeling you get from it when you listen to it. So in my contest, I'm going to list 5 of my favorite 80's songs. You have to guess the artist. Post your answers on this blog along with your e-mail addy. The first person to guess them all right, will win a free download of That's What Friends Are For!

1. Never Say Never

2. Love My Way

3. Cars

4. I Want Candy

5. Suddenly Last Summer

BONUS! If you tell me who are the 4 singers on the original song, "That's What Friends Are For" you can get another free download from me from anything in my collection. Check out my website at www.BridgetMidway.com to read excerpts and reviews.

Good luck and have fun! Oh my! What am I doing? I have to get ready!

Stay sexy!
BridgeT

Winner of LSB Download

2006-06-17T06:39:00.000-04:00

Thanks everyone for stopping by and playing the match the couples game. It looked a little disorganized because I couldn't put it in neat columns like I wanted to, but believe me I spent a lot of time fighting blogger as I tried to set it up.

Anyway, the winner of a free download of a LIquid Silver Book is Teresa. Contact me at bondav40@yahoo.com to let me know what book you'd like and what format you want it in--Liquid Silver has a wide variety of choices of format. I'll be offline a lot of this weekend so may not process your request until Monday, but will get it done.

Have a great day!

It's 1 a.m. Do you know where your erotica author is?

2006-06-17T00:36:00.000-04:00

Okay, I'm starting to wind down. I have all of my books and CDs ready. All I need to do is sleep. Yeah, sleep. Speaking of sleep, I do have to hit the bed. However, I will leave with you all, for your reading pleasure, an exclusive excerpt from That's What Friends Are For! Enjoy! Sometime Saturday, I'll post my contest to win a free download of my book!

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

She took a deep breath then blurted, “I’m so fucking horny, Ned. That’s why I came up with that plan.”

His heart settled a bit. Not what he’d wanted to hear but the one thing he could always count on with Fiona was honesty. He’d always appreciated that.

“I’m sorry,” she continued. “I never wanted to use you. I thought it would be okay. We’re friends. We know neither one of us would hurt the other. I know you’re clean. I know I’m clean. I got tested every month after I dumped Kwame.”

“I know.” He remembered how nervous she’d been every month when she’d gotten tested.

“And I thought since I was allowing myself to get used...” She trailed off unable to complete the statement. “Can you forgive me? I’m a horrible friend.”

“No you’re not.” He kissed her temple. “Truth be told, I struggled with wanting to go through with it for that same reason. I wanted you so much but I didn’t want our friendship to suffer. I don’t have a lot, but our friendship means more to me than anything in the world. You know that, right?”

“Of course. Just like with me. I would die for you.” She gave him a quick peck on the lips. Then he heard her swallow hard. She kissed him again, a little longer this time. His hand that rested on her hip squeezed it gently.

Fiona’s breathing increased. Her breaths matched the pounding rain outside, hitting against his window. Listening to her and holding her, Ned’s heart started a crazy, hammering rhythm.
“Fi,” he said in a short breath.

Instead of responding verbally, Fiona kissed him harder. His tongue slid into her hot mouth. She sucked it like he’d imagined her taking his penis in her mouth. When she moaned, it not only vibrated his tongue but also his lips and body.

His hand cupped the back of her head as his other hand smoothed over her firm ass. He had never forgotten how absolutely perfect her backside was when he’d squeezed it the other night outside of the club.

One of Fiona’s hands clutched his shoulder while the other hand danced down the side of his body, eventually reaching the waistband of his pajama pants. Just the proximity of her hand stirred his engorged penis, making it throb even more. As though she read his thoughts, her hand gently swept over his cock.

His breath caught as she pulled from him.

She said, “We don’t have to, well, you know...”

“Yeah.” Ned nodded, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

“Not all the way.”

“Exactly.”

“We would be each other’s...”

“Relief.”

She sighed. “Yeah. Relief.”

Without another word, Ned stripped off her top and tossed it to the floor. Fiona made short work of undoing his pajamas as they both pulled them and his boxer briefs down in one tug.
“We’ll still be friends,” Fiona said with a lilt of questioning in her voice.

“Damn right.” He yanked off her panties, nearly tearing them in the process. “Friends with benefits.”

SExing it a little early

2006-06-16T21:37:00.000-04:00

Hi y'all! My name is Bridget Midway, and I'm a---oh, wrong group!

Hope Bonnie Dee doesn't mind me stepping in early on my SEx day. Just like in that hit 80's song, I just can't enough. Oh I just can't get enough! Actually, except for my finger frantically typing away on my blog day, I'm running around the house like, uh, Britney Spears looking for a place to drop baby #2 (good analogy, Bridget!) because tomorrow Shara Lanel (yeah!) and I will be at our "Wicked Words" book signing event.

For those in the Tidewater area of Virginia, please come see us Saturday, June 17th from noon to 6 p.m. while we sign CD and print copies of our books. We'll also be doing a drawing to win our gift basket. Ohhhh! Ahhhh! So where is the signing? Hmm, how can I put this tactfully? It's at The Love Shack at 987 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard in Newport News, Virginia. The Love Shack is not just a B-52's song. It's an adult toy store. Hey, if touring in malls boosted Tiffany's career then making the rounds at adult toy stores should be par for the course for an erotic romance writer. By the way, I've also signed at The Pink Banana Boutique in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Don't you just love that name?

Personally, I find that people are less uptight about buying *gasp* erotica if they're in the right setting. Somehow signing That's What Friends Are For at a church sale seems wrong. Call me silly!

Anywhoo, so I'm running around trying to get things ready for the signing, making sure I have enough books and promo items and pens and, oh, a camera! So many things to grab and remember. Agh! But by tomorrow I'll be all poised and calm. Yeah, right! There will always be something that I'll forget. I normally do.

So before I get in on talking about my book, That's What Friends Are For, I want to know from you all where the strangest place you've ever purchased a book from an author. Did you catch one in an elevator and got her/him to sign it there? Or maybe in the ladies' bathroom? Or, hell, what about at an adult toy store? Or tell me where you would love to see your favorite author sign. Would you like your fave author to sit in front of Wal-Mart signing away? How about at Victoria's Secret? Hmm, actually that's not a bad idea! Let's just share. For me, the strangest place I've gotten my books from authors has been at the adult toy store is it. But I have been known to stalk an author or two at conventions and conferences. That's right, folks. I have no shame.

I'm going to take a small break to get some more of my stuff together. Procrastination, thy name is Bridget Midway! So stick around. If my head doesn't explode between now and noon tomorrow, you'll be seeing more of my blogs tonight and tomorrow.

Stay sexy!
BridgeT

Paul Newman. Just because.

2006-06-16T11:43:00.000-04:00

Here's Darla's DH

2006-06-16T10:30:00.000-04:00

The incomparable, Alfalfa!
Did you know Carl Switzer who played Alfalfa was murdered?
In searching for this photo I read some stuff about it.

Everyone's finding the match-ups way too easy. Even my 'stumper' couple, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, didn't stump everybody.

Mates for the second nine

2006-06-16T10:27:00.000-04:00

Here are the partners for the second group. Any you don't recognize?

Hope you enjoyed this little game.

I had fun thinking of couples, less fun assembling the photos which, believe me, is a real pain in blogger.

Tomorrow I'll post the winner of a free LSB download chosen at random from among those who commented today.

Second group of partners looking for their mates

2006-06-16T10:21:00.000-04:00

Here's another group of lonely lovers looking for their other half.

Part 2 - Partners for the first nine

2006-06-16T07:02:00.000-04:00

It appears the blog only allows uploads of nine photos at once, so I'm going to have to do this in groups.
Here are the partners for the first nine, and no, I wasn't clever enough to put numbers or letters with each picture. Get over it!
It's a game for fun not winning. However, I will pick a winner of a free download of any Liquid Silver book from among those who comment on the blog today.

Famous Couples Match Up

2006-06-16T06:55:00.000-04:00

Salt without Peppa? Santa without Mrs. Claus? Inconceivable! Some things were just meant to be together. See if you can match the couples from the first group with their partners in the next post.

Simple Pleasures

2006-06-15T03:52:00.000-04:00

Last night, one of my favourite little people, and daughter of my best friend, was admitted to hospital with anorexia. Her disorder has degenerated to the point that the hospital is now monitoring her to ensure that thanks to her struggling organ systems, she doesn’t suffer either heart attack or stroke.

I am past asking ‘why’. I’m sure there are a million reasons why; some blatantly obvious, and others that only the patient will ever know. The question I am now asking is ‘what’. What can I do? What should I say? What time should I get there? What should I do when I am there? What should I bring with me? So naturally, being the communicator that I am, I had to ask someone who’d also been in this position. The friend I asked is also a writer, and this is part of the email she sent in response.

“Has Willow been to touch the dolphins? Should be easy to take her to sea world. Has she any animals? Can you play Bach to her? I would be surrounding her with the best nature can offer. Beautiful shells, a stone. What about Buster Keaton or any of the old, gently funny dvds. Water is a great healer - know any waterfalls? - take her for a treat and stand as close to the waterfall as possible. Can she paint or draw how she feels? I have a feeling words are useless to her at this point”.

Of course my irrepressible friend is right. This is what my little patient is missing! She’s lost her awe! She’s missing the wonder of everyday things. So this is what my blog is about. The beautiful, wonderful, amazing things that are so common we often miss them. I want to know about the simple things that make you smile and which could drag you from the deepest abyss.

For me there is always the sky. Not just any sky, the special, jacaranda blue of a Queensland sky in Winter. I also love the early Summer warmth that seeps through my bones and makes for that looser-limbed walk we all adopt when the weather heats up. And then of course, there is my garden. Every day, new wonders wait for me in my garden. In the morning they drip with glistening beads of dew, in the middle of the day there are butterflies wafting through on multi-coloured wings, and of an evening, I am always enchanted by the sweet scent of jasmine.

I know my lovely friend Cyndi Redding, goes ‘leaf peeping’ when Autumn arrives on her doorstep. What do you do? What is the thing that makes you smile and keeps you in touch with the wonder of life? Let’s have a day celebrating simple beauties! I’ve told you mine…now you tell me yours!

Oh and since all my characters seem to have one of these things themselves, the winner can choose which novel of mine they’d like to win!

Embrace Your Inner Groupie

2006-06-14T22:03:00.000-04:00

Kate Willoughby here. You know, there are certain male professions that just “do it” for me. I meet some friends every week at Starbucks and whenever a firefighter wanders in, I have to struggle not to stare. There’s something about that uniform! Yes, I know it’s a grungy pair of mustard yellow baggy pants and suspenders of all things, but shoot, the sight of a man in that outfit slaps my hormones upside the head. Even in this picture you can’t see what these guys really look like, but you just know under that asbestos suit there’s a Real Man who could toss you over his shoulder and carry you off to his bunk at the firehouse.

Same with guys who work construction. No, not the potbellied ones whose butt cracks you’d pay NOT to see, but the buff ones, the ones who, if they made eye contact with you and pulled off their hard hat, would only have to crook a finger at you to hop into his bed. Can you picture him? He’s in a pair of well-worn jeans, kick-ass boots, and tool belt that hangs at a slant around his lean hips. His muscular build is a result of sweaty, physical labor.

That’s why the hero of my new book, Losing It, is in construction. Ben doesn’t wear a hard hat, but he has an impressive, ah, set of tools. In another manuscript of mine, the heroine has a thing for firefighters, like me.

I asked a group of women this question: When fantasizing about your perfect lover, which occupation most appeals to you? What's sexy to you? For instance, do you fantasize about a prince or a hunky firefighter? List any that appeal to you. I ask you the same question. Post your answers in the comment section here. Then come on over to the "Behind The Scenes" section of my website to find out what were the top five ranked sexy male professions were. The results surprised me.

Morning after indeed!

2006-06-13T04:38:00.000-04:00

It's been an interesting month! My beloved laptop, Cameron the Compaq, died a horrid death when I arrived in Louisiana for a nice long visit with family. It was, however, nice to take a well-earned break, whether voluntary or not. All I really had to do work-wise was edit this little gem of a story. Scion's Rebirth is a novel that is very near to my heart because the character of Kai. He's such an enigma and I loved each moment writing him and exploring what made him tick.

Cameron the Compaq had been replaced by Gwendolyn the Gateway and together Gwennie and I are going to write a bang up new novel. :) I've enjoyed my break, but I must admit that it's really nice to be back home and back to work. I hope that all of you who buy the book enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And in the name of shameless self-promotion, I give you a rather long, but very juicy excerpt from Scion's Rebirth.

Please enjoy and feel free to let me know that you think! I'm always open to suggestion and I relish feedback! Have a great day!

The sound of soft music spilled from beneath the door that was open just a crack. Bach from the sound of it. The lights were low and as Rachel lifted her hand to knock, the sound of a voice came through. “Don’t just stand there, come inside.”

Rachel blinked. How had he known she was there? She pushed the door open and stared into the dim room. The only source of light in the room was a laptop screen. The voice came again. “Don’t dawdle. Turn on the light and shut the door.”

She flipped it on and pushed the door shut behind her. The man on the couch didn’t even glance at her as he continued his game of solitaire. His fingers moved over the track pad with a speed that Rachel could barely fathom. He must have been truly bored. “Mr. Matsumoto?”

“Yes.” He still did not glance up, instead lifting one hand to gesture to the leather desk chair.
“Sit.”

Rachel sat. Her eyes never left his face. She hadn’t expected him to be so young, or even familiar. As his name suggested, he was of Japanese descent. Full lips were set in a grim line, brows raised in a scowl that was focused on the laptop. He cursed beneath his breath and snapped the lid shut, aiming dark eyes straight for her. Recognition filtered through her, though she couldn’t place him exactly. Where had she seen him before? When had she seen him before?
His scowl did not disappear, but rather deepened as he stared at her. “You’re the dimwit’s cousin, aren’t you?”

“Dimwit?” Rachel frowned.

“Montrose. I should have known. You have the same last name.” He snorted, expression hardening. “You are Adam’s cousin, are you not?”

“Yes. Adam Montrose is my cousin,” she replied automatically. “But I don’t see what that has to do with this meeting.”

His scowl disappeared, one eyebrow lifting in disbelief. “It has nothing to do with our meeting. I was simply surprised to see you here. I didn’t know you were one of my artists.” He set the laptop aside and rose from the couch, moving to lean past her. He rummaged on the desk for a moment, and Rachel’s eyes slid closed. He smelled good, an odd amalgamation of expensive cologne and soap. She sniffed the chest before her lightly. Her eyes flew open when he gave another derisive snort. “You do know that it’s considered rude to sniff a stranger, don’t you?”

“I wasn’t sniffing you.” She suppressed a grimace, though her face instantly flamed a brilliant red. “I was making sure my allergy medicine was still working.” Her standby excuse for if she got caught sniffing someone never failed to work. Not that she’d had to use it in several years. She couldn’t help it if she had a fixation on smells.

He snorted again, a sound that was getting old. “You’re a horrible liar.”

File retrieved, he sat back on the couch once more and flipped the folder open. “Miss Montrose, I was prepared to offer you a private showing, based on the fact that the sales of your work have increased my revenue considerably. I looked back over the records that the manager kept.” He paused, casting his eyes to her, expression stern.

“That’s why I fired him. For the 15 years he was in my employ, he never once turned a profit until you came along. But that’s beside my point. I was going to offer you a showing, exclusively your own work, but now that I’ve seen you face to face and remembered who you are, I’m not quite as willing to consider it.”

Anger flared within her chest as her heart sped up. Rachel clamped down on the urge to demand that he explain himself. It would do her no good to threaten the very source of her livelihood. He had her career, literally, in his hands. She remained silent, though her lips formed a thin line of discontent.

He laced his fingers together atop the file folder that now lay on his crossed legs. “Miss Montrose, you’re a gifted photographer, there’s no doubt about that. You also make me a fair amount of money. You’ve been my top seller for months now. But that alone isn’t enough to convince me that you’re worth the investment it would take to do that kind of showing.”

“Not worth it? How can you say that?” She couldn’t resist the question. “What have I ever done to you?”

His lips curved into a smirk. “To me? Nothing.” He flipped the folder closed. “I might be persuaded to change my mind.”

“How?” Rachel swallowed hard. She’d do anything for this opportunity. She needed it. The potential to double or even triple her income would mean that she could start Zazu in that Montessori preschool she’d been looking into.

Obsidian eyes narrowed in challenge. “Lock the door and I’ll show you.”

Rachel’s eyes widened to comical proportions. Instantly, her face flushed once more. Her entire livelihood had just slipped away. Her heart sank within her chest. She gave a resigned nod. “I think I understand.”

A smug smirk lifted one corner of his lips. “I thought you would.”

Rachel gave a stiff smile as she rose from her seat, portfolio grasped in sweaty palms. She’d do anything, yes. Anything but that. Her integrity was all she would have left once she walked out of the room, and damned if she was going to whore herself for the sake of money. “I’ll just be going now.”

The expression on his face would have been laughable had her world not been crumbling around her ears. She made her way stiffly to the door, hand reaching for the knob. She didn’t hear him move, and was stunned when his hand closed around her wrist. “Wait.”

Rachel tugged at her hand. “Please, let me go, Mr. Matsumoto. It’s bad enough already.”

“What’s bad enough?” The curiosity in his voice was threaded with some unidentifiable challenge.

She swallowed hard, forcing her eyes to remain on the door. She didn’t want to have to look at him. It was bad enough that she felt like she should remember him, but to have to remain here any longer was a horrible prospect. “It’s bad enough that I’m walking out on my only source of income, please don’t make it worse.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” His voice was soft and just as intense. “Tell me why you would walk away from a chance like this ... the price is small to pay.”

“Maybe to you, but to me the price is too high. I’m not a whore. I’d rather go back to working in a portrait studio than prostitute myself. My integrity is all I have and it’s insulting to have it questioned in this manner. Thus, I’m leaving. My integrity is not worth the money I’d make doing a show. I’d know why you gave it to me, and it wouldn’t be because of my talent. It’s best if I take my work elsewhere.”

To her surprise, his grip relaxed and his voice was smug. “Well said, Miss Montrose. Sit down, and we’ll discuss the details of your show.”

Rachel’s eyes snapped to him. “Didn’t you hear me? I won’t do the things you want me to do. Not for that.”

“That’s exactly why I’m giving it to you.” He countered as he dropped his hand from her wrist and pointed to the chair once more.

“You mean if I had said yes, you wouldn’t have ... you know.” She blushed faintly, trying to wrap her brain around this news.

His gaze narrowed and intensified as his eyes swept down the line of her body. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, Miss Montrose. I’d have taken you, make no mistake of that. I’d have taken you so hard and so fast that your teeth would rattle and you’d bear my mark for days. But you would have left without getting your show. I don’t do business with whores.”

Foolish mortal woman. The words rang in her head, niggling at the back of her mind. The words spoken in that silky voice that was even now ordering her to sit down once again. Her heart sped up and she stepped away, jerking her eyes from his form as though to look at him burned her very eyes.

“Mr. Matsumoto, who are you?”

His lips curved into an enigmatic smile as he seated himself on the couch once more. “I’m a friend of Elizabeth’s.” This was stated simply.

Rachel frowned. “I met you at the wedding.”

“Yes. I was your escort. I’m not surprised you don’t remember. The human mind is a fragile thing, Miss Montrose, and memories can be tricky.” His smug expression did not waver. “Now, back to business, yes?”

“Yes.” Rachel echoed softly, eyes rising to him once more. She managed to punch down the blush that still threatened her. Her memories of the wedding were fuzzy at best, and she barely remembered him beyond the dance they’d shared before he’d left her at her door. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he’d seen her with anyone else, but it was obviously a bad idea.

Best to keep her mouth shut. She forced her brain to focus on what he was saying, details about the show. It was time to put the past behind her once and for all, no matter how pretty his eyes were.

Morning After ~ Lisa Marie & HE McVay

2006-06-13T01:23:00.000-04:00

Stealing Kisses
by
Lisa Marie

&

Scion's Rebirth
by
H.E. McVay