Archive for May 2011
Bound by Love
by April Dawn
Blurb:
Chloe Adderley is on the run from an unwanted marriage and a father who is far more dangerous than she realizes.
Faced with an ultimatum that she can’t accept: marry the man or starve to death in her room, running to her grandmother’s house in Italy seems to be the only choice. She will pretend to be a governess, and hire a ship to take her there. It is a flawless plan. When she is robbed and knocked unconscious, however, she never suspects that the man who finds her will mistake her for a harlot.Captain Darion Bannon is dismayed to discover that the unconscious woman he has taken aboard is actually an innocent lady. They find themselves falling in love, and Darion admits that he is a Privateer for the Sons of Liberty. When they are arrested for piracy, as the Crown calls it, they face a cruel prison and transportation to the Colonies, and Darion must fight to keep the woman he loves. Only their love can help them survive the cruel twists of fate.
Buy Bound by Love by April Dawn at Breathless Press
Excerpt: Bound by Love by April Dawn
Hearing the sound of heavy boots drawing near to the door, Chloe ran to the bed. Quickly, she covered herself with the blanket and thrust the blade into the folds. She closed her eyes as she heard the soft clicking of a key entering the lock as though it were telling the story of her doom. Her ragged breathing seemed too loud. She held her breath.
She heard someone come in, and the door locked again. She continued to be patient, her pulse went wild, but she remained still. Finally footsteps came toward her, and a hand touched her face softly.
Now or never!
Chloe slid the knife out of the covers as quick as she could. The covers fell away from her breasts, exposing them to the cold air. The peaks went rigid, and a blush covered her skin. Ignoring this fact as best she could, she thrust the tip of the blade against his throat.
Gasping as she met the eyes of the man in front of her, Chloe peered into two dark pits that were sucking her in. Her eyes left his and glanced over the rest of him. He was not what she had expected.
She thought that she would be faced with a repulsive, putrid seaman with dirty hair and a long beard, perhaps even an eye patch. She was alarmed at his clean clothes and rugged yet handsome appearance. A scar above his eye gave the impression he wasn’t someone to toy with. He was clean-shaven and appeared to be freshly scrubbed. A very masculine smell emanated from him, like salt, leather and sweat. It made her want to put her nose to his skin and breathe deep.
She chided herself inwardly for the wicked thought. Trying not to show the fear and excitement racing through her, she took a breath. She amazed herself as she held the knife steadily in her hands.
“Release me right now or I shall slice your throat, you cad. I’ll not accept your hands on me again.”
“You sure are a feisty little trollop.” He perused her with an infuriating smirk. “Put down the knife. I intend to pay when I have need of your services.”
She tried to appear confident, ignoring his words.
“Give me my clothes, take me to the dock, and let me go, or I’ll kill you!”
Her unflinching eyes stared into his. Heart pounding as though it would erupt from her chest and flee from the room, she tried to breathe steadily. Her hand shook slightly with the dread that coursed through her veins. She was not certain what scared her more, that she was at his mercy, or that she found the thought exhilarating.
He ogled her exposed breasts.
“I rather like you like this.” He smirked.
How dare he stare at her in this indecent manner! Chloe glanced down for a second to jerk the sheet up around herself, realizing her mistake at once. He grabbed her hand and twisted. The knife slipped from her grasp.
Wrenching her other hand back, he held them behind her, forcing her breasts into his chest. The friction of her nipples against the rough material of his shirt sent waves of pleasure through her. She struggled to get away, not just from the man, but from the feelings. They confused her and drew her mind from her struggles.
He pulled her up with him as he stood, the hard length of him pressing against her softness. The blanket fell away, exposing the rest of her ivory body. She strained to keep her legs together in an attempt to protect her vulnerability.
He towered over her; the top of her head came well below his chin. Stronger also, much stronger than he seemed. His lankiness was a facade, for the muscles bulged under his shirt as he held her in a vice-like grip. Dragging her with him as though she were a rag doll, he shook his head resolutely.
“You want to play a game, harlot? Good, we’ll play.”
Buy Bound by Love by April Dawn at Breathless Press
About the Author:
Hello, my name is April Dawn. I live in California with my loving husband and a beautiful baby boy who was born in ’08. I enjoy reading, travel, and music. I have always loved to read. I have read voraciously for more than twenty years now. (OOPs, guess I’m showing my age there.) I have a love of suspense, fantasy, PI and police crime novels, and so many others, but I have a real soft spot for historical romance.
I think I wrote my first official romance scene when I was about fifteen or so. It consisted of a girl being taken aboard a pirate ship and falling madly for the captain. I wish I still had that writing, because it would be real fun to read what I wrote like back then. I started writing seriously in 2002, and finished my first novel that year which retained the title “Romance Novel” for more than five years. I hope to publish it within the next year or so. I have since finished two other novels that were lucky enough to be named something other than “Romance Novel”..
In the future, I hope to be able to bring more of my characters into the world as I work to finish and publish the other novels that I have begun. Stay tuned to meet all the pirates, gunslingers and thieves that run through my head. Hopefully you will love them as much as I do.
I’m in no position to judge really. I mean, I write this stuff, while not exactly “for a living” just yet, I have no doubt I’ll get to that point. Why would I be surprised?
I certainly am not looking to censor it either. I, for one, think it is great that people are into it. An in such a healthy “out there” sort of way, I guess if you consider Premium Cable channels “out there.” But now that I think about it, it all started for me really with FX, which is a readily available service on most plain jane service plans.
That’s right: Drs. Troy and McNamara, the super naughty boys of plastic surgery, once of Miami then of Los Angeles and their night time soap that included copious shots of blood, gore, yellowy subcutaneous fatty substances and sex. The lust triangle at it’s core was worthy of the best erotic fiction and it only got better. Dr. Troy was a man-whore of amazing proportions, having even been through sex addict therapy (and ended up f$#@ing a fellow addict, natch). Dr. McNamara was a nice guy thrust into bad circumstances so much you felt sorry for him, until he F#@!ed that Kimber doll….well, anyways. It’s ALL available on DVD and I HIGHLY recommend it.
Because it was “regular TV” for all intents and purposes however, you never saw tits, but saw lots of ass and of course never any full frontal..
Moved from there to premium where shows like Spartacus, Blood and Sex on Starz I mean “Sand” showed it ALL—man bits, top to bottom, and included story lines that one can only assume rang true Back in The Day….”Domina” picking her man out of the herd (shades of Madelin Khan baby: “Yes..no ..no …no..yes…no.. no..no” and “I love quick time harch” spring to mind) and quite the specimin he is our Crixus, plus crazy, drug addicted lesbian manipulators who end up dumped over the side of the lutus…PLUS (bonus) gladiator fight scenes that make Russel’s movie rather Disney-esque by comparison. No need to search far for tits, ass, cock and…well ass as even M/M sex is more than suggested, it’s acted on.
And now? well hell, now there is “Hung” (HBO I think) set in our very own Detroit suburbs which is the story of a teacher by day super-well-endowed gigolo by night/weekend. And NOTHING (let me repeat: NOTHING) is left to your imagination here….
It’s not a show I follow as I find the acting annoying however, how can one argue with the premise, hmmm?
Finally, what got me revved this week was my sneak peak at the next episode of Game of Thrones on HBO. A GREAT and sweeping epic based on a book that I must find, there are 4 kingdoms, lots of folks wanting to be in charge, little people (this guy loves his naughty shows and he is very good in this role), incest, and just last night 2 of the HOTTEST scenes I have yet seen and I have seen a lot!
The horse kingdom ruled by this dude who loves eyemakeup and was wedded to this teensy little blonde chick from another kingdom in hopes of regaining the said “throne” from the other 2 has impregnated her (after she gets sick of being ass-F$#@ed every night and figures out how to “please him” and one hopes “please herself” although it’s all very Female Machiavellian and therefore delightful) and has fallen in love with her (imagine). When her life is threatened from afar ’cause she’s knocked up he goes ape shit and hollers and runs around and declares he WILL cross the “black water” (these people are horse people and are terrified of the ocean) and get the “iron chair” (throne) for her….while she tries to hide a very nice evil grin.
A bit more obvious was the scene wherein one of the current king’s advisors is doing his day job teaching whores how to please. He watched, and talks a couple of newbies through a practice session, telling them at one point “you be the man” “Your job is to convince him he isn’t paying for this” and “play with her ass” Holy F$#@ing Shit people it was amazing…..worth the price of Premium Cable RIGHT THERE. (yeah, she’s doing what you think she is…all the time narrated by this dude…good lord hotness)
Pushing the envelope, nay ripping it open and wiping off the dripping juices with it, these shows are myriad now:
The Tudors
The Borgias
Weeds (naughtiness of a different sort but great!)
Nurse Jackie (see above)
BoardWalk Empire (the best one on really)
and, of course, the genre du jour:
TRUE BLOOD!!!! bring on the Blonde Vamp this year baby I have read this thing and I know she picks him..ok?
or really funny…
Liz is out…have a great Memorial Day weekend….thank a soldier, or a sailor, or an airman, in whatever way you deem appropriate!
Gambling With Love
by Kaye Spencer
Blurb:
Disowned by her wealthy Charleston family when she married a gambler, Lainie Conrad lived a charmed life of European travel, good times, and gambling until Rutherford Tolliver decided to claim Lainie for his own. Now, widowed and certain that Tolliver killed her husband, Lainie plots revenge, but she doesn’t want Ford’s life. She plans to ruin him in a high-stakes poker game. The problem is, she’s fallen for U.S. Marshal Nick Foster, who is duty bound to arrest her for a murder she didn’t commit. Derringers, poker, and her feminine wiles become weapons in her quest for retribution.
Buy Gambling With Love by Kaye Spencer at Breathless Press
Excerpt: Gambling With Love by Kaye Spencer
Minutes later, the doorknob turned, and the door opened into the room. That she didn’t try the key told him she knew he was waiting for her. It was her gambler’s nature. She noticed every little detail. When she hesitated at the threshold, her hourglass figure was silhouetted for a moment against the dim yellow hallway light before closing the door. She crossed the few steps to the fireplace, situated the coffee pot at the edge of the fire, placed a cup nearby, then dropped her room key and purse on the table. Taking her time and seemingly oblivious to his presence, she removed her short jacket and draped it neatly over a chair back.
Sashaying to the bed, she looked down at him. Firelight and shadows played off her swept-up golden tresses, and visions of their last night together in New Orleans seized him. Right then, he hated himself for how shamelessly he still loved her.
“You can only imagine my extreme disappointment when I saw you on the stairs. All this time I’d hoped you were dead.”
The teasing welcome in her tone belied her harsh words, and a warm rush of desire went straight to his groin. It was hard to keep his voice steady with a churning den of rattlers twisting around in his stomach. He’d never loved a woman before Lainie had waltzed into his life, and even though she’d run out on him, there was no room in his heart for another woman now.
“Your aim was off. It was just a flesh wound.” There wasn’t enough light for her to see it, but he turned his head, gesturing at the scar that began at his right temple and ended over his ear.
“Why are you assuming my aim was off? It did knock you out, which was the object of my intent, I’ll have you know.”
He cocked an eyebrow, mocking her. “So you’re a sharpshooter now?”
The lyrical lilt of her laughter warmed his heart. He loved that about her. She lived each moment with optimism and humor, and nothing seemed to dampen her spirits.
“Well, next time you use that little parlor gun of yours, make sure you’re close enough to cram it right into the poor chump’s belly when you pull the trigger.”
“Why, thank you so much for the advice. I’ll remember that. However, in my defense, if you hadn’t tried to disarm me, I wouldn’t have pulled the trigger. It was your own fault that I shot you. Your ultimatum left me no choice but to demonstrate the sincerity of my convictions.” Her voice dripped with syrupy sweet sarcasm.
He remembered only too well. “You gonna shoot me again?”
She busied herself with lighting the oil lamp on the bedside table, replaced the chimney, and adjusted the wick. “That depends upon your intentions toward my virtue.”
As the room lightened, he saw the little grin that played at the corners of her mouth. Self-constraint vanished, and he pulled her down to sit beside him at the edge of the mattress, her subtle jasmine fragrance making it all the more difficult to keep his hands to himself. “You know my intentions toward your virtue have never been honorable.”
Reaching under her skirt, he slipped his hand between her knees and slowly inched his way along the inside of her silky smooth thighs just to see where they stood with each other. The devilish gleam in her eyes promised heaven at the end of his journey, and she spread her legs a little, inviting further exploration.
Buy Gambling With Love by Kaye Spencer at Breathless Press
Strapless
by Honoria Ravena
Blurb:
Suffering from heartache over her broken engagement, Nadia has sworn off men. Elisheba, who has been a confidant throughout the break up, has always stood by Nadia—but Elisheba has more on her mind than friendship.
Buy Strapless by Honoria Ravena at Breathless Press
Excerpt: Strapless by Honoria Ravena
She blew her bangs out of her face with a frustrated breath and shook her head. “You need to get back out there. Plastic toys are no substitute for human contact.”
I grinned. “They’re not plastic.”
She rolled her eyes. “You miss my point.”
“No, I ignored it. I’m not ready to deal with a man yet.”
“Then you should be with a woman.”
I choked on my tequila shot. My eyes watered as it burned down my throat.
When I stopped coughing, she asked, “What is so funny?”
“I’m straight. In other words: I heart cock.”
It was her turn to choke on her drink. “I’m going to have that put on a T-shirt for you, and I’m going to force you to wear it.”
“I don’t swing that way. And I don’t know anyone who does.”
Her brown eyes sparkled with mischief. “Occasionally, I do.” She brushed the back of her soft hand down my cheek. “For you I would. You have soft, expressive eyes and a body with curves in all the right places.”
I could feel the flush creeping into my cheeks. Thomas had never given me such a compliment. A little thrill of excitement curled through my belly. I cleared my throat and sat back in my chair. I wasn’t really surprised that she was bisexual. She was the kind of beauty that made everybody’s head turn. Her laughter would make guys cross the bar to talk to her.
But she was hitting on me? This was new territory. Now how to solve this tactfully so I still had a friend in the morning…
Buy Strapless by Honoria Ravena at Breathless Press
About the Author:
I write paranormal romance. My first book is coming out with Red Rose Publishing on December 17, 2009. I live in Texas.
I like writing, reading, travel. If I chose any other career I’d be bellydancer. I love Korean food, but alas, the good stuff is all the way in Dallas. Korean food will be featured in my book, if that scene isn’t cut for some reason. And sushi. Actually I’d really like some sushi right now. I have a sick obession with coffee. Drink it, snort it, shoot it. I’ll take it anyway I can. I’ve also got this weird thing about office supplies. I love office supplies, and I think I need everything I see. I love ancient history, and I’ve got a lot of books dedicated to the subject.
I read what I write, so a lot of paranormal romance. I like Laurell K. Hamilton, Sherrilyon Kenyon, Lora Leigh, Maggie Shayne, Charlaine Harris. I’m into a lot of erotic science fiction lately by Angela Knight and Morgan Hawke. Shattered Mirror by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is one of my favorite books. It’s paranormal YA.
Since I’m Daddy’s little girl I like a lot of action movies. Die Hard, The Rock, ConAir, and I was raised on Terminator. we’ve got me on tape yelling at the characters to run as the Terminator comes after them. I must have been like three. And, no, it never gave me nightmares. I love comedy, too. That 70’s Show is a favorite. While most people consider Girlmor Girls drama, I don’t. It’s one of the funniest shows out there. I also like sci-fi. Star Trek, Stargate, and I strongly believe that they never should have canceled Firefly. And no, you don’t have to be a Trekkie to enjoy Star Trek. For some reason everyone thinks that. It’s a quality show, and I like things that are good.
My food can’t touch on my plate. I take great pains to make sure it doesn’t. So if you ever have dinner with me or see me at a buffet and I’m cursing quietly as my food slides together, you know why. And yes, I know there’s medication for that. I like to eat the frosting off cake before I eat the cake part.
No?
Ron’s hair…yes, very.
Well I’m gonna tell you … in reverse order, Letterman style:
10. Laundry–I mean, really can’t it EVER just be DONE? Apparently not.
9. The Grocery–especially when I’m hungry–so much food, so many acres to traverse–so many things I’d rather be doing. BTW did you know that you will touch each item you purchase SEVEN (7) times before you’re done?
8. Bagging my Own Groceries–I mean, My 19-year home-from-college-for-the-summer son needs a job and HE could doing that! Where ARE all the baggers anyways? Yeah, thanks for catching that last of 20 bags, you lame- ass hourly slag.
7. Having to be “on a diet.” I think it is what’s making me so bitchy, really. That, and the fact that it is May 17 and barely 60 degrees outside. Seriously. I remember the days like they were yesterday when, knowing I needed to fit into a size six dress for an event on the weekend, could not eat for 24 hours and go down an entire size. Ah actual functioning metabolism thy name is Youth….
6. Coffee pots that shut off automatically after an hour. What is the point? Coffee that’s been poured and warmed in the microwave sucks.
5. Blog posts with no comments. I do this a lot, it seems. I ask you: if blog post is written and no one comments, does it exist? (5. sub a: people who do nothing but comment on blogs)
4. The Michigan Liquor Control Commission. I mean, I turn MY stuff in on time to THEM. What the F$#k is the holdup in Lansing? I WANT my outdoor beer garden approval NOW!
3. Getting attached to a new soft-core porn premium channel mini series and having it END after just six weeks. ARRRGHH! Cesere Borgia I will miss your dark broody eyes and half shaven chin and unhealthy obsession with your sister, so very much….farewell my darling! Oh well, at least Hank Moody and that adorable sweetie Silas Botwin are back on soon…
yes, I’d do him if he were my brother too…
2. Insurance companies. I have been sans a working dishwasher as part of a large water damage claim that has remodeled my kitchen from the studs outward since Feb. 11 and still can’t get no satisfaction. (2. sub a: Hand washing dishes)
And the One Thing Bugging the living sh*t out of me today?
Having a SWEET new idea for a fairly complex story, thinking it might actually be worth seeking out an agent over, and having absolutely no time to write the f$#ker down! (1. sub a: ”real writers” who denigrate those of us toiling in the Actual Fields of Work Out Here).
Meet Sean Garrison, owner of Garrison Brothers Brewing, a regional powerhouse in craft brewing. He has it all: successful business, super star status in the beer world, recently divorced (albeit from the woman whose family money got him started), and on top of the world at the largest beer expo in the nation. But he only has eyes for one thing: Jennifer Baxter, marketing director for a recent start up brewery specializing in whacky ingredients and Never-before-tried combinations of ingredients. He wants her….at first just to work for him, but after a steamy weekend of cat and mouse at the expo, he wants much much more. How far will man acknowledged to be one of the most ruthless beer executives go to get what he wants? A tale of brewery intrigue, sabotage, unrequited lust and betrayal, and ultimately redemption in the most unlikely of places.
“Cheeky Blonde”…GREAT, isn’t it? Damn, I wish I had time to write it.
I hope you have a lovely weekend, beloved followers–all 1.75 of you! Yours truly is at the World Expo of Beer in Little Bavaria, a.k.a Frankenmuth, Michigan, pouring and chatting and drinking and promoting.
Liz
Kissing Cowboys
by Eve Cassidy
Blurb:
Giving up a night out on the town with the guys is an easy sacrifice, but JT is determined to find out one way or another if the sexual tension he senses in Jacob Cordero is all in his mind. Keeping secrets in a bunkhouse is almost impossible, especially when an accident on an unbroken horse lands him right where he wants to be…in Jacob’s bed.
Buy Kissing Cowboys by Eve Cassidy at Breathless Press
Excerpt: Kissing Cowboys by Eve Cassidy
“So what do you think about the ankle? Ice pack for the swelling first, then heat?”
“Yeah, and I’ve got something else that will help.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’ll see. Just lie still and I’ll be right back.”
JT laid back on the bed and tried to get comfortable. His dick had decided it liked being hard and more blood rushed to his groin. Lying in Jacob’s bunk didn’t help much. The man’s scent surrounded him. A unique blend of male musk and some kind of herb. He inhaled deeply. Whatever it was, the man should bottle it, ‘cause it had to be a powerful aphrodisiac.
The irony that Jacob had been the image he’d jacked off to the night before didn’t escape him now. But if he didn’t find a way to regain some control over his own body, he’d be in trouble. Wouldn’t take a man as smart as Jacob long to notice the raging hard-on he couldn’t hide, even if he’d tried.
“Here.” Jacob pressed a bottle of tequila into his hand and laid an ice pack across his ankle. “A few swigs of that and any residual throbbing should disappear. Besides, I want to be able to move it after I rub in some of the oil.”
“Oil? What oil?” JT sat and unscrewed the top from the liquor. Maybe the alcohol would dull his response to Jacob’s touch. He tipped the bottle and took several swigs. He screwed up this face, and the liquid burned inside him. Nothing like a tequila burn to warm a man, or get him settled down.
“It’s a home remedy that’s been passed down for generations. Many men in my family have served as medicine men for their tribes. Now my grandfather just makes it and hands it out to all us every time we get together.”
JT nodded. He didn’t know much about Native American tradition, but many around the group had claimed Jacob knew what the hell he was talking about. They’d shown him a lot of respect.
“You need to remove your jeans. Once I start working on that foot and ankle, I don’t want anything in the way.”
He froze. Oh shit.
Buy Kissing Cowboys by Eve Cassidy at Breathless Press
About the Author:
Eve Cassidy was born and raised in the South, but her adventurous spirit has led her to various places around the world, thanks to her time in the military. That experience gave her an eye-opening education about a variety of cultures and the people within, and it was then she discovered her interest in the dark and erotic that now weaves its way into her stories.
Now, as a full-time writer, she has returned to her small hometown in the South where she spends her days in front of a computer, writing steamy and often kinky adventures she hopes readers will enjoy as much as she does.
The Bowdancer
by Janie Franz
Blurb:
Jan-nell, a young healer and keeper of village lore, despairs of ever finding the child who will be the next bowdancer or a man worthy enough to love. When a village wedding is interrupted by four strangers, Jan-nell treats the injuries of one of them. The leader of these men, Bastin, is an arrogant, intelligent rogue who also is searching for an equal. His presence questions the bowdancer’s life choice and stirs more than her mind.
Buy The Bowdancer by Janie Franz at Breathless Press
Excerpt: The Bowdancer by Janie Franz
As they headed down the path with one of his men following, Bastin asked, “Does the bowdancer have a name?”
She smiled. “I am called Jan-nell… and you are Bastin. I do not know yet if we are well met. From where do you come?”
He spread his arms wide. “From anywhere and everywhere. I usually am king of all I can keep my eye on.”
Jan-nell was shocked. “Are you telling me you are a bandit?”
He smiled. “That nasty word has been applied to me. I prefer to be called an adventurer, taking my pleasure where I find it.”
“You mean you rob and pillage and rape?”
He flashed a smile. “I never… rape.”
Jan-nell looked away. She cleared her throat at his bluntness. Yet, considering further, she laughed at his arrogance and shifted her bow to the hand nearest him.
He laughed again. “That quarterstaff is enough to discourage the strongest heart. Is that why you live alone?”
“The child has not come yet.”
“Whose? Yours? It does not happen that way.”
“The next bowdancer,” she answered impatiently as to a persistent child. “I was found at six. The next has not yet appeared.”
“Then what happens?”
“I train her, and she becomes the next bowdancer.”
“And what becomes of you? You flirt with the locals, yes? Who is left by that time?” He looked her over again. “Though I would certainly wait for one as you.”
Buy The Bowdancer by Janie Franz at Breathless Press
About the Author:
Janie Franz still calls herself a Southerner (she was born in Tennessee) though she has spent more than half her life living in North Dakota. She holds a degree in anthropology and has an unquenchable curiosity, which may explain the broadness of her journalism credits that include regional, national, and international publications. She has co-written two books with Texas wedding DJ, Bill Cox (The Ultimate Wedding Ceremony Book and The Ultimate Wedding Reception Book), and has published a writing manual, Freelance Writing: It’s a Business, Stupid! She is also a prolific book and music reviewer, and runs her own online music publication, Refrain Magazine.
She has been a radio announcer, a booking agent for a groove/funk band, and a yoga/relaxation instructor. She has been happily married to a singer/songwriter for almost four decades. They have a daughter who is a fiber artist and is married to an animator, and a son who is the executive chef of The Toasted Frog, a high-end martini bistro, and who plays drums and blues harmonica with local bands.
The Bowdancer is her first published work of fiction.
Breathless Press Authors Present
“The Best Advice Your Mother Ever Gave You”
“The best advice my mother ever gave me was to always look into a person’s eyes because those are the window to the soul. I’ve know truth from lies, and sadness from anger, all by looking into a person’s eyes. We too often judge people by our reactions to them, but when you look a person in the eye, you know the source of their emotions and the depth of their feelings.”
-Mary Corrales, author of Clandestine Eyes.
“Remember the little things. The big things will remember themselves.”
-April Dawn – Bound by Love
“Be sure to do things that make you feel sexy, because if you don’t feel sexy, you won’t be sexy.”
-Ava Delany – Fallen
“My favorite piece of advice that my mother gave me was to never say “no” when someone asks you to dance. I grew up in a small Texas town, and my friends and I frequented country dance halls. In order to 2-step, you needed a partner. So I could either turn down the not-so-hot-men, and just sit there all night, or I could get off my butt and have fun. After all, it’s only a dance. I tried it, and lo-and-behold, it worked. I danced with everyone who asked, and after a while, the really hot ones started asking me, too. And find that I apply this advice to my life as well. I never say no to an opportunity. I don’t want to just sit there and watch everyone else have fun in life. I want to dance!”
– Carrie Pulkinen, author of To Catch a Spirit
Ok so people, seriously “writer’s block?”
Where does that come from?
I have the opposite problem I think…just as dire.
“Writer’s Diarrhea” or perhaps “Writer’s Runs” (less icky sounding) but with a twist.
I have “Just Passed the Last Rest Stop in 100 Miles with Writer’s Runs”.
I have so many new ideas, between naughty Realtors, a “Cheeky Blonde” idea about brewery sabotage, murder and sex, some Serious Cougar action, and my latest:
How to Be a sEXy-Pat….The Trailing Spouse Syndrome.
Oh and there is all that bloody promoting to be done. I am on a “blog tour” this month—and trust me I had to google that term. This means my three Brewing Passion stories are featured, reviewed, given away, excerpted and what not for a few weeks….you can see what’s up using this handy list:
5/16 excerpt & giveaway @ Love To Read For Fun
5/17 guest post @ The Enchanted Book
5/17 review @ Just Another Book Addict
5/18 review @ A Chick Who Reads
5/19 excerpt @ A Chick Who Reads
5/19 review @ Sugarbeat’s Books
5/19 excerpt @ Ramblings of a (Future) Librarian
5/20 guest post @ Sugarbeat’s Books
5/20 interview @ Just Another Book Addict
5/20 review @ Ramblings of a (Future) Librarian
5/24 guest post @ As The Pages Turn
5/25 interview @ The Enchanted Book
5/25 review @ As The Pages Turn
5/28 interview @ My Need To Read
5/29 giveaway @ My Need To Read
6/9 review @ Beck’s Book Picks
6/10 giveaway @ Beck’s Book Picks
Just in case you want, you know, MORE LIZ…..damn I think I’m sick of myself….
Whew…just not enough F#@!ing hours in the day I tell you.
* pause and re-set for egregious self-promo *
Getting some GREAT BUZZ on The Brewing Passion series!
Link here to 3 great reviews… “Five Cups” sayeth the Coffee and Romance Crowd for all three of my peek into the lives of the owners and employees at The Winter Street Brewing Co.
http://coffeeandromancereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/rookie-brewing-passion-part-1-by-liz.html
http://coffeeandromancereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/xxxmas-ale-by-liz-crowe-brewing-passion.html
http://coffeeandromancereviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/jockey-box-brewing-passion-part-3-by.html
Boom baby.
And now I’m off—the Kitchen Remodel is nearly done meaning I really oughtta put some of this crap back in the cabinets….
Have a GREAT F#@!ing Weekend!
Tagging Her Lynx
by Abby Wood
Blurb:
Living in the bush of Alaska, Chloe Barrant wanted to take care of the animals at her wildlife refuge and ignore the times she shifted into a lynx. Even she knew that wasn’t normal. Little did she know that the day she’d turn away the poachers she’d find a male lynx coming to her rescue. What surprised her even more was when the lynx turned into a man claiming her as his life mate.
Granger, alpha of the Lynx clan, would do anything to protect the Lynx. They’d lost too many members to the hunters who preyed on them. Finding his alpha life mate gave him back dreams for the future that he’d given up on long ago.
Chloe didn’t understand how the other Lynx expected her to fill the alpha role within the clan, when around Granger she only wanted to slip into beta role and submit to him. Could she figure it all out in time to save the Lynx?
Buy Tagging Her Lynx at Breathless Press
Excerpt: Tagging Her Lynx by Abby Wood
“You can put the shovel down. No harm will come to you.”
Chloe glared and gave her head a tight shake without moving her gaze off the lynx. She swore the animal talked, but his mouth didn’t move. In fact, he now sat completely motionless, with the innocence of a house cat on his face.
“My name is Granger, and I am a shapeshifter like you. We have the ability to talk to each other telepathically.”
The shovel fell from her grip, and she jumped back at the clatter of the handle skimming the chain links of the cage. She hurried over to the other side of the aisle and stood with her back against the wires.
Her coat caught on the metal, and puffs of downy feathers billowed out from the snags. She gnawed on her bottom lip and stared, not wanting to believe the voice in her head. There was no way that lynx had just spoken to her.
“It’s true, Aningan. We are from the Lynx family. I’ve seen you shift and run through the woods, keeping to the deep shadows, too afraid of discovery. I’ve bided my time in coming to you, but unfortunately those men meant you harm and forced me to come out of hiding.”
“Go…go a-away. Scat!” She motioned with her arm for him to take off. His chuckles filled her head.
She froze, her lips pursed in disapproval. Why did she even contemplate the reality of the cat laughing in a very masculine, husky voice? She even heard a hint of tenderness in his teasing. This is crazy.
“You’re not crazy. I am your mate, and together we have the ability to communicate telepathically. I can explain everything to you. Is there somewhere we can go, sit down, and I can transform back into my human form? What I have to tell you will answer many of the questions that have troubled you lately.”
She shook her head. Not possible. This is all in my imagination. A…an aftershock from watching you tear apart another person. She raised her gloved hand and rubbed her forehead.
Buy Tagging Her Lynx at Breathless Press
About the Author:
Abby Wood lives in Oregon with her husband and kids. A big animal lover, she enjoys the multitude of animals that come and go in her life. She likes nothing more than to delight readers with a book that takes them out of the real world and between the pages of a whole new world…if only for a little while. She loves to hear from readers and you can find her atwww.authorabbywood.com