Sunday 23 September 2012

Excerpt from The Selkie!

Greetings!

Seeing as it's a quiet evening, and I'm frustrated that my favorite TV shows are still in reruns, I thought I'd take the time to bring you an excerpt from my new paranormal romance The Selkie!

How would you react if you woke up in a drunken haze, only to find an impossibly sexy man sitting in your bedroom next to you? And what would you think if you realized this was the man you've been having naughty dreams about for months? Well, this is how my heroine Maggie reacts.

Excerpt:


Maggie stared at him. His long, brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and the body that was so naked and wet on the beach was now clad in a black T-shirt, jeans, and a leather biker jacket. She felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of him in this bad-boy garb. She’d always had a thing for bad boys, from the moment Steven O’Dowd played so carelessly with her heart in high school. And while both Matthew and Bobby had been preppy and straitlaced on the outside, on the inside they’d ended up looking really bad after she learned of their philandering inclinations.

So help her, she would not fall for another bad boy. Her plan was not to fall for anyone, period, for a long time.

Especially not men who overpowered her senses and seemed to ooze sex and moonlight. There really was a faint glimmer to his skin. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was too young for cataracts to set in.

Despite her determination to make the stranger disappear, he didn’t appear even slightly prepared to go. Her mind raced. “This isn’t happening. I was drunk, grieving. I imagined you. I’m probably imagining you right now. Only with more clothes.”

He moved slowly over to the bed, allowing himself to perch on the edge, still smiling. “I didn’t hear you complaining about my lack of clothes last time.” His gaze dropped to her chest, and he waved his hand in that vicinity. “You might want to fasten your gansey. It’s a wee bit distracting.”

“My … gansey?” She shook her head, annoyed. This man used words even her grandmother hadn’t. “What is that?”

He nodded at her bosom, looking annoyed himself. “Your … jumper.” He seized on the right word as if it had just occurred to him. “Your shirt!”

She looked down, only to see her bra on flagrant display. Damn. Feeling herself turn scarlet, she hurried to button her shirt up. She tried not to make eye contact while she did so, but her gaze inevitably flew to his face.

She watched, helpless, as his tongue darted out again to wet the corner of his full lips. She’d tasted that scrumptious tongue. Couldn’t get the taste out of her head! Without thinking, she blurted, “Stop that!”

“Stop what, love?”

Oh God. Stop being so sexy, she wanted to scream. All the heat in her body seemed to shoot up into her face, and she just knew her  shame must be written all over her forehead. “Look, pal, this needs to stop. I don’t know you.” Her hands were trembling now, and her lips were chattering in anger to boot. “I don’t understand…”

“Maggie,” he uttered, grasping her hands. At his touch, her hands stopped shaking and she felt herself calm down once again. His eyes softened as if he almost felt sorry for her. He let go of her hands. From somewhere next to the bed, he produced her flask of brandy. “I’ll explain everything to you, lass. Have a drink first, though. You’ll need it.”

Available at:

http://www.lsbooks.com/the-selkie-p698.php  and all fine ebooksellers!

Winner from The Indulgent Blog!

Hello!

Thank you to everyone who visited my blog during the Indulgent Blog Hop, and thanks so much to the organizers of this awesome event!

I appreciate all the comments that came in, and loved hearing about everyone's sinful indulgences. I have drawn a name from the list of commenters. The winner of The Selkie is...

PixieSprinkles!!

She should win, just because of that cool name!

So many congrats to you PixieSprinkles. A copy of The Selkie is on its way to you.
Have a great evening, everybody. :)

Rosanna

Wednesday 19 September 2012

JP Grider...Maybe This Life.

Hi all!

Today I'm bringing you an author and a book about which I'm completely excited. This one is already high on my own TBR list, and I'm sure that after reading this, it'll be high on yours too. J.P.Grider is a hot talent whose book Maybe This Life has been getting some fabulous reviews!

So read on for J.P.'s interview with me and more about her fabulous book!


1) Did you always want to be an author?  If not, what else would you have done?

I always enjoyed writing, but I didn't think about being an author until a few years ago when I drove past this old demolished inn in my neighborhood. I thought to myself, 'Now there has to be a story there.' But, I never did finish that story; I went on to write one based on my great-grandmother's life (Maybe This Life), and then my old rock-star fantasy (Unplugged, A Portrait of a Rock Star) kicked in. I ended writing those two stories at once.

Before writing, I graduated college with a degree in Television Production, worked in P.R. for Cablevision for ten years, got married and had four children, got my personal training and group fitness certification, worked as a personal trainer and fitness/spin instructor, and I am now a QA/QC Tech for a vitamin manufacturer. I have a very eclectic resume, but it gives me some good writing material.

2) What is the strangest job you ever had and why?

Didn't have any 'strange' jobs. Just the ones I mentioned above.

3) What is your favourite book of all time and why?

Persuasion by Jane Austen is my favorite book. I think I love it, because even though the two main characters barely say anything to each other throughout the whole novel, there is so much romantic tension. I love that in a book. Jane Austen does it so subtly, that you don't even realize it until you've finished the book. It is a terrific novel.

4) Describe your ideal hero or heroine (details please! *wink wink*)

My ideal hero is vulnerable. That, to me, is number one. I can read a book about a wide, strong, muscular god or a lean, tall, denim-clad rocker, but if he isn't tormented and vulnerable, I won't be turned on. Something about a man we can fix, I guess. lol. I do love when his eyes are vibrant though. And of course, his smile has to make you melt. That's pretty hard to write, but if an author does it correctly, we can imagine it, right?

5) If you could share a romantic evening with any character from romance literature (any genre), who would it be and what would you do to him/her (ahem! With him/her)?

I think my favorite is actually Edward Cullen. I never fell for any other character as much as I did for him when I first read Twilight (the book, of course, not the movie).

6) What comes first for you: plot or character?

Character comes first. I don't intend on doing that, but a character will pop into my mind and then start talking to me. Before long, my character creates a partner and then they are having conversations in my head. Who needs television when we have our vivid imaginations?

7) Who is, hands down, the sexiest actor of all time?

Well, of all-time, I'd have to say Michael Landon. Young or old, he was one handsome man.

8) Describe your writing style please.

Well, before I write, I dream...literally. It may be a dream I had while sleeping, or it could be a daydream, but I always imagine storylines before I write them down. I never plan what I am going to write. I let my imagination go, then when I have time to sit and write it down, I do. Like that song, These Dreams,  from Heart, 'every moment I'm awake, the further I'm away.' That's me. Always has been.

9) Who is your favourite author and why?

Jane Austen, as I said before, she writes emotion so subtly you don't know what hit you.

10) What is on the horizon for you? Any interesting news or books we should know about?

I am working on my first YA Paranormal book, A Touch of Honor. I'm so excited about it. If I have my way, it will be a trilogy. I know how the third book will end, but I need to write a lot more words to get there. lol.


Lena Giordano has just met Rick Murphy. So why does she have the glaring suspicion that she's met him before?

How would you feel if a man you just met triggered visions of a haunted life that was not your own, but those memories inflicted pain and fear as real as if you had lived through them?
And, what if those visions were a warning of a similar fate?

Would you have the courage to change your own future by arranging those warnings, like pieces of a puzzle, to form a new destiny?

For Lena Giordano, finding that courage isn't going to be easy. Abused relentlessly by her fiance, twenty-five year old Lena is putting herself in danger by not breaking her engagement, and her visions of her great-great grandmother, Angelina, are confirming this risk. Then, thirty-eight year old Rick Murphy appears, claiming he has been in love with Lena for nearly one-hundred years. Rick's presence triggers nightmares even more intense than before, forcing Lena to put the pieces of her visions together to learn her destiny. Though for Lena, even after her paranormal puzzle is complete, the bravery she needs to open her heart is even more tormenting than the abuse she endures.

Take the journey with Lena through her surreal fantasy land and find out if her own self-worth is strong enough to deserve a man who would cross lifetimes to be with her.
Maybe This Life, a romantic suspense, is a story about past lives and second chances; a reincarnation, past-life, recycled souls love story - A romance of two souls who couldn't stop at one lifetime to be together.

Buy link:

http://www.amazon.com/MAYBE-THIS-LIFE-ebook/dp/B008QR2SVS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1345301565&sr=1-1&keywords=j.p.+grider

J.P.'s site:

http://www.jpgrider.com/

Thanks for joining me today, J.P.!!

Sunday 16 September 2012

Ndulge me, Ndulgent Bloggers!

Hello readers!

I am so thrilled to be part of the Indulgent Blog Hop today!

 
 
There are some fabulous prizes up for grabs today. I'll be giving away a copy of my newest book, but more on that below. There is also an amazing grand prize of  $100 GF from WINNER'S CHOICE of Barnes & Noble or Amazon. So make sure you follow along, and visit everyone's sites.
 
Indulgence. What sort of feelings does this word conjure up for you?
Decadence. Excess. Perhaps even too much of a good thing?
Or does it feel just right?

I think we've all been made to feel at some point that indulgence is a negative thing. Something to be avoided, or we pay the price.

I'd like to share some of my indulgences. Hmmm, let's see.
Well, I'd do many a naughty thing for a jar of Nutella. That's pretty common knowledge. I'd also be willing to fight you for a bag of Lay's chips. (Okay, maybe those two are bad indulgences).
A long, hot bath, preferably with handsome company. That's another good one.
A nice, cold bottle of beer. Sleeman's Clear is my personal fave, but I'd offer you good money for a Corona.
I think one of my favorite indulgences is a day on a Mexican beach. Lying in the sun, feeling it absorb into my skin, smelling cocoa butter all around me as the breezes caress me....Okay, now I'm just getting carried away!



Tell me, what are your most sinful indulgences?

Leave a comment with your email address, and you could win a copy of my new paranormal romance The Selkie!


In the mean time, please read on for an excerpt from The Selkie, and find out a little bit about my heroine Maggie's favorite indulgence!


Blurb:

This was supposed to be her year. However, after losing her job and discovering her fiancé cheating, Maggie Collins has her doubts. When her grandmother dies, she hits rock bottom. Maggie travels to her grandmother’s home in Orkney, Scotland to sort through her gran’s things, only to discover the old woman has left her a seal pelt as her inheritance. She also learns that others are after the pelt.

To add to her frustration, Maggie’s dreams are filled with luscious images of a long-haired man, images that draw her to the magical beaches in Orkney. Although she’s lost her trust in men, this dream man inspires her with a lust she’s never known before.

Calan Kirk has also been dreaming. Dreaming of Maggie, the mortal woman who arouses him as no other woman ever has. Meeting her in the flesh when she arrives in Orkney is nothing short of spontaneous sexual combustion. But she is a human, and not to be trusted. He needs the seal pelt, not a red-haired temptress.

As a thief ransacks Maggie’s grandmother’s house, Maggie and Calan are thrust together. They must search for the animal skin, a mythical relic which once found, will either bring them together or rip them apart forever.

 

Excerpt:

She was attempting to stand on her wobbly legs, only to fall back down on her bottom, when she heard the sound of splashing water. Thinking it was her seal, Maggie turned to look.

Her breath caught in her throat. It wasn’t the animal at all.

It was a man. He was rising out of the waves, walking toward her. She froze. He was nude, utterly nude, and was staring at her with overflowing intimacy. As if they’d had, God help her, relations.

And she realized, with sudden panic, they’d had! In her dreams. He was the seal-man from all her sex dreams.

No. Impossible.

Her first instinct was to call for help, but there was no one near. And then she realized with frightening awareness that she didn’t want any help anyway. Glued to her spot, she couldn’t help but drink him in.

He was beautiful, if unnervingly wet and naked. He had long, shiny, brown hair that hung down past his shoulders. His face could have belonged on an ad for expensive cologne, and he had a body to match. Sculpted shoulders gave way to arms corded in muscle. His defined chest was blanketed by a smattering of sparse, brown hair that led tantalizingly to his rock-hard abs.

Maggie held her breath as her gaze traveled lower on his body, taking in trim calves and thighs a quarterback would envy. And, she noted with simultaneous hunger and horror, his penis was the biggest she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. It was thick and long and glistening with the droplets of water that yet cascaded over his body. And it seemed to be reaching for her. She gulped, and forced herself to look back up at his face.

There was a faint glow about his skin, a shimmery aura. Dismissing it as a trick of the moonlight, she shook her head.

He was almost upon her, and his full lips were taut in a teasing grin. Maybe he was a surfer who’d lost not only his board, but his shorts in the waves. She knew she should be frantic, but wasn’t. There was something in his brown eyes that was so familiar, so soothing, even as they swept over her own body with lustful appreciation.

He stopped in front of her, and stood boldly, unashamed of his glorious nakedness. She managed to spit out one hushed word. “You.”

“You,” was his equally awed reply.

 

Buy Links:

 
 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tuesday 11 September 2012

Angelica Dawson...for all eternity.

Hello friends;

I'm really pleased today to welcome Angelica Dawson to the Room. Angelica has a hot new release from Naughty Nights Press, and it looks scrumptious. Vampires, sexiness, what's not to love?

Without further ado, I'm turning it over to Angelica, because I'm ready to get this party started! Welcome Angelica!


Eternity
 

How long would you spend verifying that the person you are with is the one you want to spend eternity with? And in this case, I really mean eternity. Not your life, you are immortal, eternity. 

Julia has one sexual encounter to make her case. 

Could you do it? Could you name that quintessential character that you would look for? Could you devise a test for it?  

This is something we all do in the course of our lives. We aren't vampires like my characters, we have a limited life-time with our spouses, but there is still something that tells you it's time to make that leap, to go from a casual couple to a committed relationship. What is it? I imagine it's different for all of us, just as it is for all of the vampires in Blue Moon House.  

I should explain. Julia has only one encounter with each vampire, but there are seven in the house. It's a lot of work to prove yourself seven times, in seven different ways. I won't tell you how each of them does it, but I can tell you how I did it in my real life. 

I had been friends with this guy for over a year. We lived in the same tiny hamlet, took the same hour long bus ride to and from the University. He was a little weird, but in a geeky kind of way. I'm a little geeky myself, so that worked. He started hitting on me and I wasn't ready to move past friends. He chilled and we became even better friends, escalating to roommates when the commute was officially deemed to suck. We moved in with a third friend to a flat nearer the U. Living with him, seeing his response to me when I'm manic, me when I'm depressed, me when I'm on a deadline and will strangle anyone who gets in my way... well, he loved them all. That was what did it. When he looked at me walking out of my room with my hair in a nest and still had that cute smile that said, you're hot. When he brought a phone into my room so I could call my mom because I didn't have the will to get out of bed. We started dating soon after moving in together and we were engaged only a few months later. 

Could I have chosen him on a night's notice? Nope. It wasn't love at first sight. But it was friends at first words, and that, I think, will last longer and make stronger all the romantic parts. In the end, we're still friends, and we always will be. 

Interested in Blue Moon House? I will give a copy away to a commenter! Let me know how you chose the person to spend your life with, or how you would if they magically appeared at your door. Also your email address.
 
 
Blurb:
 
Anyone coming to Blue Moon House knows what to expect. Their reputation in the BDSM community is legend. However, one aspect of their House is not public knowledge. One thing is sworn secret by every sumbissive who contracts with them. No one must ever share the nature of the Dominants in Blue Moon House. In return for sexual pleasure beyond previous experience, the members of the House take payment in blood. Vampire erotica with no limits, this first story of Blue Moon House follows Julia as she attempts to transcend humanity and submissive nature to become a Dominant in the House. First, she must prove herself to each of the seven vampires of the House, and each will exact a heavy cost.
 
 
Excerpt:
 
“MmmmMmmaximum.” Julia wept loudly. Blood was trickling down her back and over her breasts where the cruel whip had broken her skin. She burned everywhere, stinging from her first beating at his hand, and then adding the salt of sweat, the blood. Sagging against the chains that held her mostly upright, she sobbed bitterly.
The whip was gone and Harry was there, releasing her wrists. “Terrance. Did you have to be so hard?”
The tall, icy man softened for the first time Julia had seen. “Everyone has a limit. If she would join us, I would know hers. Now, I do. Take care of her, Harrold.”
Julia’s mind logged the response but couldn’t think about it in the midst of the pain. Harry was licking her wounds, his saliva closing them faster but burning them further. Julia screamed again.
“Hush,” Harry said with concern, his voice soft and familiar, a raft for Julia to grasp in the sea of pain. There was a stabbing in her leg. 
“That will help. You will sleep soon, Julia. In the morning, the pain will be much less, I promise,” Terrance told her, pulling her hair off her face and mopping it with a cool cloth.
“I-I’m not...” She didn’t know how to ask if she was unworthy.
“You impress me, Julia. I look forward to having centuries to get to know more of you, other limits.” 
Julia flinched, crying out and hugging Harry. Terrance laughed and the difference between that and the cold demands, the hard mocking he’d given her all night made her turn back. 
“Never pain, Julia. I found that limit.” 
She relaxed, the drug they’d given her taking effect. It didn’t make her dopey, but she was exhausted. Terrance had followed only hours after Lynn. Julia hoped that was the end of the women. All had known of her distaste, but only Jocelyn had pushed it, knowing she could be pushed. Lynn had been more like Sophia.
When she woke on the large bed, she did ache, but all the burning was gone. She saw welts all over her body, but smelled a tincture that had been applied to speed her healing. It was working. She rose slowly though, wincing at times, to find herself breakfast.
For the first time, Julia wondered just how many vampires there were in Blue Moon House. Was she near the end yet? She hadn’t changed her mind. Her family lived far away and she only saw them on holidays. She had a few friends she would miss keenly, but they would be fine without her. No one depended on her, except possibly her co-workers, and she’d been meaning to walk out on them for months now.
“Whoa. Are you okay?” one of the other submissives, a man of middle years, asked.
Julia nodded, sitting very gingerly in the dining room. Pain spread across her bottom and then receded a little after she had sat a moment. Sucking through her teeth, she pushed it away. Then she lifted her juice.
“Who?” he asked. It wasn’t a common question. Masters were usually kept private. 
“Terrance,” Julia’s voice was a croak.
The man’s mouth hung open. “But Terrance never... I mean, I hope you feel better soon.”
Julia grabbed at his elbow. “You belong to Terrance?” she asked.
“I did,” the man answered. “He was too soft, too gentle for what I wanted. He sent me to Will.” The man’s grin gleamed. “I’m very happy now.”
Julia stiffened and regretted it when her bruises panged. Will, she was sure, would have her next. “I see. Have you had other Masters?”
“Not in the House. I’m Justin.” He offered his hand and Julia took it. “You’re older than most,” he observed.
She chuckled. “So are you.” Most of the submissives were in their mid-twenties. Both Julia and Justin were well over thirty. Julia was only a year and a bit from forty. It had posed problems when she started in the BDSM community - no one had wanted her. Blue Moon House, Harry specifically, had not turned her away after one session. 
“Touché. Why Terrance?” he asked.
Julia shook her head, sure she couldn’t tell him, unsure if she was even allowed. 
“Who is your Master normally?” Justin asked.
Julia’s eyes went soft. “Harry.”
Justin smiled. “I’ve often wished he took men. Not that I’m not happy with Will. I thought about it most when I was with Terrance,” he admitted.
Julia simply nodded. She ate slowly, relishing the nourishment, the fluids. Her body felt every year of thirty-eight today. The spare flesh had been kind to her in the beginning, cushioning blows so they stung but didn’t bruise. She’d lost weight, though not a lot, since coming here and her joints ached in a way they hadn’t a year or two ago. 
She chuckled to herself as Justin rose. He quirked an eyebrow and she shook her head. “Nothing.” She’d just been thinking how little she’d miss those aches when she was a vampire. 
Buy links:
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Friday 7 September 2012

The Selkie- a little teaser!

Hello everyone!

I was very excited this week to see the launch of my fourth Liquid Silver Book, The Selkie!
This book was based on the mythology of Scotland's Orkney Islands! In that part of the world, it isn't unusual to hear talk of selkies, another word for seal. Well, "selkie" also refers to the mythological folk who are seal shapeshifters.

When a selkie wears his pelt, he can live underwater, but when he sheds his pelt, he can live as a human on land. There are numerous stories of selkie folk who have lost their pelts to enterprising humans. If a mortal steals a selkie pelt, the selkie is compelled to live with, and pleasure, that human.

Interesting idea for a book, huh?

Many of these tales end in sadness, for the selkie will always want to return to the sea, and will try to find his or her skin. This leaves a devastated human behind, mourning the loss of a sultry lover.

Please read on for a little teaser from my paranormal erotic romance, The Selkie!


Blurb:


This was supposed to be her year. However, after losing her job and discovering her fiancé cheating, Maggie Collins has her doubts. When her grandmother dies, she hits rock bottom. Maggie travels to her grandmother’s home in Orkney, Scotland to sort through her gran’s things, only to discover the old woman has left her a seal pelt as her inheritance. She also learns that others are after the pelt.

To add to her frustration, Maggie’s dreams are filled with luscious images of a long-haired man, images that draw her to the magical beaches in Orkney. Although she’s lost her trust in men, this dream man inspires her with a lust she’s never known before.

Calan Kirk has also been dreaming. Dreaming of Maggie, the mortal woman who arouses him as no other woman ever has. Meeting her in the flesh when she arrives in Orkney is nothing short of spontaneous sexual combustion. But she is a human, and not to be trusted. He needs the seal pelt, not a red-haired temptress.

As a thief ransacks Maggie’s grandmother’s house, Maggie and Calan are thrust together. They must search for the animal skin, a mythical relic which once found, will either bring them together or rip them apart forever.
 
Excerpt:
She watched as Calan locked the door and slowly turned back to her, as if afraid of what he’d find written on her face. As if he, too, was experiencing a tide of emotions that seemed to come out of nowhere, but that were swelling with each moment in each other’s company. Threatening to overtake them.
She wanted to ask for that cuddle, but couldn’t. Because she knew, she just knew in the deepest part of her heart, that it wouldn’t stop at a platonic hug. And so they just stared at one another.
His eyes seemed to grow blacker with each passing second. His fists were clenched. His lips were pressed tight. And she felt as sturdy as a horse with a broken leg. Ready to collapse against him, into him.
All over him.
“Lass,” he finally breathed, his voice ragged from want, “come to me.”
“Why?” she whispered, knowing she was supposed to fight this. Wasn’t she?
Clearly understanding she was terrified of submitting to her wildest, most urgent need, Calan prowled over to her. He leaned over and grazed his lips against hers, drinking her in as if her scent was a soft, intoxicating perfume. “No more games, Maggie, no more excuses. I’m finally going to do what I was sent here for. It’s time you had your selkie- man.”
“But … we’re so not right for each other.”
“Never mind that,” he uttered. He pulled her to him, and she didn’t resist.
As a satisfied grin spread across his face, she knew he could feel her knees knocking. He held her against his chest with one arm, and cradled her face with his other hand, seeming to revel in the feel of her skin. He moved the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip, causing her mouth to open. As he stroked her there, Maggie brushed the tip of her tongue against his thumb.
God help her. She couldn’t help herself.
That intimate caress seemed to destroy any resistance Calan had left. He brought his lips down upon hers in a kiss that surprised her, and seemed to surprise him as well, with its force. He nipped, licked, and suckled at her lips, running his tongue along her teeth and her own tongue until they were both breathless. It took all her power not to rip her clothing off her body. The only thing that stopped her was the fervent need to have him rip it all off for her.
“I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you, lass.”
“This feels crazy.” She giggled nervously as he began to work on her shirtfront. She reached up to the leather tie that was securing his ponytail. “May I?”
He nodded in response, his eyes fairly blazing with want. She tugged, and his glorious mane came loose, falling over both their shoulders. “Oh my,” she whimpered, finally allowing herself to run her hands through his hair. “It’s like chocolate silk.”
He laughed in a naughty, low rumble that made her pussy hungry. Calan then tore the blouse over her head, having tired of her buttons. “Take the rest of your clothes off, woman. I want to taste your skin.”
She bit her lip so she wouldn’t moan again. No man had ever spoken to her in that way, with such hunger. With no hesitation at all, she removed her jeans, woolly socks, and then slipped out of her red satin bra and panties. She shivered under his gaze, from sweet anticipation.
Calan slid slowly out of his own clothing, as if putting on a show. As he yanked off his leather boots, she noticed his feet were also webbed. Maggie wondered that she hadn’t noticed the webbing before, but didn’t care. He then, with his gaze on her the whole time, dropped his jeans and stepped out of them. He wore no underwear. Surprise, surprise. His appreciation for her was evident. His shaft was thick and seemed to be reaching for her. The sight made her mouth water. She clamped her lips shut. Heavens to Betsy! She was pretty sure she was drooling.
He stood still for a moment, just raking his gaze over her body, as if trying to memorize every curve and freckle. Then Calan clutched her to him, letting one of his hands slide down her belly. He played with her pubic hairs, giving them a frisky tug, as he kissed her left earlobe. With a sigh, Maggie threw herself against him, locking her hands around his neck.
Calan reached behind her to grasp her derriere, and then hoisted her up onto his waist. He carried her over to his plush bed, kissing her the whole time. He lay her down, leaned over and used his knee to spread her legs. As he lay on top of her, she wrapped herself around him, as she had done on the beach. Only now, skin against skin, it was luscious, hotter than hot.
He turned his attention to her lips again, and her mouth opened automatically to him. As his tongue slid against hers, Maggie thought she’d never tasted anything so good. Salty and sweet, like her favorite salted-caramel lattes. He nibbled, suckled, and her lips felt swollen from his touch, alive with sensitivity. He pulled away from her for a moment to gaze into her eyes, and she felt an exquisite head rush. She stared up at him in awe. “What are you really?”
He brushed two fingers against her cheek, his gaze more affectionate than any she’d ever seen. “I’m what you need, love.”
“You’re what I need,” she repeated, dazed.
 

Thursday 6 September 2012

Melissa Blue and those pesky first lines!

Hello everyone!

I am so pleased to be hosting the wonderful Melissa Blue on my blog today. Melissa is here to talk about the importance of that crucial first line. As authors, we all know how hard it can be to come up with a zinger sometimes. Melissa has some great advice, so read on!






It Starts With the First Line

 

Eons ago I participated in Karin Tabke's First Line Contest. If you’ve never heard about this contest, it's pretty self-explanatory. You entered your first line. Now the next week, if you made the cut, you posted your second line. On and on until a winner was announced and an editor from one of the Big Six read your full. (Can’t remember which publisher.) One line. That's all you had to make the first cut. No pressure.

 

In case you were wondering…no I didn't win the contest, but I did learn something extremely valuable about writing opening lines.

 

Don't bite off more than you can chew. If your book doesn't involve things blowing up, dead bodies littering the pages or zombies, you probably shouldn't open with any of those things.

 

Books are not a contest. Sometimes getting read may feel like a contact sport, but, alas, it is not.

 

Don't try to fit everything in that one line.

 

There's more, but it all adds up to making a promise to your reader. That's what that first line is in so many ways. That opening line is saying this is what you should expect from the rest of the novel. I won't get on my soapbox, but I will say if it comes down to it I'd rather show character in that first line than plot. And, when you show character you can show story.

 

Lynne Kelley squared her shoulders and channeled Scarlett O'Hara.”

 

That's the first line from See Lynne Chased. This says in no certain terms this character will channel Scarlett O'Hara if necessary. Who is O'Hara? Someone who doesn't make apologies for getting what she wants. Someone who will rip off her curtains and make a dress. That just takes chutzpah. Also, it shows this is at least a modern world where Scarlett O'Hara was written and/or lived. The tone is tongue in cheek, which fulfills my tag line's promise—romance with snark.

 

Is it the most memorable, greatest ever written, people should write odes to my first line kind of line? No. (But if you think so say so in the comments.) Was this an implied promise to whoever read the book they should expect something tongue in cheek and a heroine with chutzpah? Yes.

 

First lines are important. You don't have to get them right when you're writing the first draft. When you read them you don't have to break out your old English lit textbook to break it down and understand. Simply, first lines are important.

 

What are some of your favorite first lines?

 

You can find me loitering on these places online:




 

 

 

 

Tuesday 4 September 2012

Jane Wakely is here! And she brought a shifter!

Hi pals!

My dear friend Jane Wakely has written a book, after being such a wonderful hostess and hosting so many authors on her blog! That's right- check it out at http://www.janewakely.blogspot.ca/.
I couldn't be more excited! And it sounds so delicious, with a sexy mountain lion shifter!

Please help me welcome her to my Room, and read on for our interview and more info on A Place To Belong!




1) What is your favourite book of all time and why?

LOL...This question is impossible to answer! I have so many books that are favorites and lots of times certain scenes will stick with me. When I reread, I don’t usually read the whole book over, but go to my fave scenes and reread them. So many different writers (romance) have written great moving pieces that I could never choose just one book.

2) Describe your ideal hero or heroine (details please! *wink wink*)

My ideal hero would be tall, over 6’4” and blond. (Often times I write my heroes blond and have to change them to mix it up a bit!) There aren’t enough blond heroes IMO! LOL Dark green or dark blue eyes would be awesome and he’d have to have a sexy scar somewhere visible—and also sexy tats! He’d also have huge biceps and eight pack abs!

3) If you could share a romantic evening with any character from romance literature (any genre), who would it be and what would you do to him/her (ahem! With him/her)?

Hmmm...this is tough. Just one character? LOL I’d probably choose Rhage from LOVER ETERNAL by JR Ward. Unfortunately, we would probably just have dinner because he has Mary and I’m married. However, if those factors were taken out of the equation, then I can’t list the details here! ;)

4) What comes first for you: plot or character?

It varies. Sometimes plot comes first and other times the characters do. Sometimes they come together and both completely change when I’m done with their story. Sometimes I think of a character I’d like, but I can’t figure his plot (or the other way around.) I have no consistency here!

5) Who is, hands down, the sexiest actor of all time?

Gosh, these questions are really tough, Rosanna! ;) I wouldn’t say of all time, because I’ve seen him in things that I didn’t care for, but when I think of the sexiest actor/character, I always think of Orlando Bloom as Will Turner. And second place? OB as Legolas!

6) Who is your favourite author and why?

Like choosing a fave book, I can’t narrow this one down to just one. I read a lot of romance sub genres, but I really like paranormal/shifters. The shifter worlds created by Dana Marie Bell, Crystal Jordan, Cynthia Eden and Rebecca Royce are some of my favorites. 

7) What is on the horizon for you? Any interesting news or books we should know about?

My shifter romance, A PLACE TO BELONG, released from Silver Publishing on August 25, 2012.  This is book one of a three book series and I’m working on book two now.


Here’s the blurb:

Maggie, a professional photographer, has always been a loner. After spending the day on Mount Brighton, her car dies. Setting out to walk for help, she encounters a mountain lion intent on keeping her where she is.

Chris is a mountain lion shifter on his way home. Nearing the road, a car catches his attention. Intense feelings arise as he realizes the woman inside the stranded car is his mate. He has to find a way to stop her from leaving.

Maggie and Chris share a strong connection, but Maggie isn’t sure if she should trust it. She has to decide whether or not to stay with Chris or let her insecurities and her past rule her future.

Check it out on the Silver Publishing website:

Thank you, Rosanna, for being a wonderful host! :)