Hi, everyone. Joan usually blogs on the 13th of the month, but she let me take over the blog for today. Today is my birthday AND I am officially launching my debut published novel, Kick Start!Sven was up late preparing his traditional Swedish meatballs, vats of potato and pasta salad, delicate cucumber sandwiches on pumpernickel with fresh dill and a host of other savory options. On the sweet side we have cream puffs, triple-chocolate butter cookies and, of course, birthday cake!
Damon is behind the bar and Paolo is serving. I know Paolo’s a bit clumsy, but he’s so cute when he apologizes for spilling a mojito down one’s cleavage! Maybe this time he’ll keep all the drinks inside the glasses. We’ll have to see about that. (Damon did make sure the absinthe was locked up tight so Paolo won’t be slipping any of that into any glasses this time, either. Ahem!) Make yourselves at home, load up a plate and wrap your fingers around a frosty glass. It is time to party!
Now that everyone’s mouth is full and there’s a very tiny lull in the conversation, I’ll segue into the second part of today’s celebration. My debut booklaunch! I am very happy to announce that Kick Start is available in all e-book forms (links below) for your reading pleasure. Kick Start was the book that finaled in RWA’s 2006 Golden Heart contest—the one that brought us Romance Bandits together! Kick Start was not the first book I wrote. I think it was the fifth. (Believe it or not, I have forgotten some of my early books. I counted the other day and thought my total was 7, but I think it’s actually 9). I had done a lot of writing and learning about writing by the time I began Kick Start. I wrote it in 7 weeks in the summer of 2005, when I was laid off from work but still collecting severance pay. The book was fast, funny, easy and a pleasure from beginning to end.
Fast forward to 2006, when it finaled in the Golden Heart. It had been edited quite a bit by then, but the story pretty much remained intact. It piqued interest at Harlequin, but they ultimately passed on it. By 2007, I had changed the location of my town from Georgia (where you can get a quickie divorce) to North Carolina (where you can’t, but which I knew much better). Changing the location changed the timeline of the story and lots of story elements and locations. By the time I finished revising it, I was kind of sick to death of it. I had moved on and written another book in the Cross Springs series and was working on the third.
And then Life Happened. My husband was once again laid off, I was working full-time and our darling back-to-back daughters were at that incredibly needful stage of high school. Keeping our family afloat and checking things off my To Do list were about all I could handle. For THREE YEARS. Last fall, the baby went to college. Long about September, my dear friend Deb Marlowe started poking me. She wanted to know when I was going to publish a book. You know, one of the 9 I had already written. I thought about it and learned about self-publishing…and then dawdled and dragged my feet. I kept pretending not to hear Deb’s increasingly sharp and pointed probes until she flung down the gauntlet as we celebrated her birthday at the beginning of March. It was time. Now, as we celebrate my birthday, I give Deb the credit for kick starting my publishing career. (That’s a picture of us at an RWA conference many years ago.) Here’s a blurb:
When life stalls right in the middle of the journey, sometimes all it needs is a Kick Start
Linda Dowling’s husband traded her in for a younger model, and she clung to the only life and home her kids knew. Easiest thing by far when her heart was broken and her small town was filled with folks who commonly mistook their neighbor’s concerns for their own. But even in Cross Springs, NC, time moves on and heals the most grievous of wounds. Linda shakes things up, goes back to school and—gasp!—starts to date a younger man.
Suddenly everyone in Cross Springs has something to say about her life—and Linda is faced with hard choices. She has tried for years to live up to the expectations of Cross Springs’ society, but now she is remembering the girl she used to be, back before motherhood and self-doubt robbed her of her self-esteem. Should she bow to comfortable roles and old expectations? Or should she give herself a Kick Start and pursue the kind of love she never thought she would find?
Here’s a link to the excerpt on my website. Actually, it’s the entire first chapter! Hopefully, you’ll be intrigued and entertained and want to read more. In case you do, here are some links where you can find the book in the e-format of your choice. It is also available on Amazon sites around the world. Or it should be. I haven’t quite figured out how to check all those things yet.
As a special present from me to you, I would love to gift one commenter with a copy of Kick Start in the e-book format of your choice. To get in the drawing, please tell me what your ultimate birthday gift to yourself would be (if time, money and reality were not issues and you could Treat. Yo. Self! ). I gave myself a published book, so anything goes!
It’s Par-Tay time!!! I’m so so excited that A SEAL’s Surrender is hitting the shelves. So in the fine Lair tradition, we’re having a major blowout.
Today’s treats include margaritas (of course) and a cupcake tower. Cupcakes of every flavor are being passed around by our hunky cabana boys. Why did we choose cupcakes to celebrate this particular launch, you ask (okay, so maybe you didn’t ask. But hey, I am happy to fill you in you anyway ) A SEAL’s Surrender opens with my heroine, Eden, blowing out her birthday candle on a delicious cupcake. And as we all do when we blow out candles, Eden made a wish. A very special, very sexy birthday wish. Or should I say, she wishes for sex.
Check it out…
I wish for a guy who worships my body, is great at sex and makes me feel like a well-loved Goddess. Someone who loves me, for me. Inside and out. And is really, really good at it.
And if he could be six-foot-two, with sandy blond hair and dreamy green eyes, a body that made nymphomaniacs weep and a smile that melted her panties, that’d be nifty, too.
Eyes scrunched tight, Eden Gillespie let that visual play out for just a second. Then, with a deep breath, she opened them wide and blew.
The flame went out. Thankfully. Because she’d blown so hard, the candle toppled from its perch on the chocolate cupcake. Good wishes did that, she told herself as she scooped up a fingerful of frosting and grinned at the woman sitting across from her.
“So? What’d you wish for?” Bev Lang leaned forward, her wild red curls bouncing like springs around her cheerful face.
“It’s a secret. If I tell, it won’t come true,” Eden said primly before bursting into laughter. Yeah. Like she was gonna lose out on her body-worshipping lover because she put the word out that she was waiting? Still, she pulled her cupcake closer and, since it was filled with molten chocolate, used a fork to enjoy the next bite. And fill her mouth so she didn’t blurt anything out.
Because you never knew with wishes.
“I can’t believe you won’t tell me. How long have we been friends?” Bev asked, putting on her best fake-affront look. It wasn’t very effective since she still looked like she was waiting for a white apron and her boyfriend, Raggedy Andy.
“Eleven years?” Eden guessed, counting back to the first day of high school. That’d been the year her dad had died, leaving her mom too broke to keep paying the exorbitant tuition to the private school Eden had always attended. Secretly terrified, she’d put on a brave face in hopes that the public school kids would accept her more than the private school snobs had. Bev had been the new girl in town, unaware that Eden wasn’t acceptable because of her zip code. By the time she’d learned the ins and outs of Ocean Point social politics, she and Eden had been too good of friends for it to matter.
“Then as your best friend since ninth grade, I figure it’s my job to help you with the wish,” Bev decided, leaning back in Eden’s faded and frayed Queen Anne dining chair and digging into her own cupcake. “I think this should be your year for sex.”
“An entire year, dedicated to sex?” she asked with a laugh. She was sure there was nothing more than dust motes and the faint air of neglect floating through the formal dining room. But, still, it was all she could do not to look over her head to see if the wish was written there in the candle smoke.
“You should dedicate this year to the pursuit of sex.” Bev scrunched her nose and pointed out, “I don’t want to hurt your feelings or anything, but it might take a little effort on your part.”
When was the last time she’d had sex worth putting in a little effort? Definitely not with that guy. Not with any guy, if she were being honest. Eden swirled her fork in the gooey rich chocolate, using it to make a design on the Meissen plate. And when better for brutal self-truths that a girl’s twenty-fifth birthday.
The last guy she’d had sex with had broken his foot trying to play he-man and do it against a tree. Instead of accepting that he just wasn’t he-man material, he’d blamed her.
No wonder her love life sucked. Look at the kind of guys she had to work with.
Yep. I think if I had that kind of luck in my love life, I’d be using my birthday wish on a sexy hunk, too. Lucky for my husband, I will probably be wishing for something more fun this week when I blow out my own birthday candles. Shoes, some fabulous book sale numbers, shoes, possibly a massage. Or, oh, I don’t know. Maybe shoes.
How about you? Do you blow out candles on your birthday? And do you make a wish? Does it come true? (you can share after the fact, if it does. The wish fairy can’t come take it back, right?)
We’re not exactly having a Launch Party today. Do I hear groans and sighs of disappointment. The Banditas and their BB’s are always up for a raucous event.
Never fear! We have the usual finger foods and goodies on hand. Sven’s been hard at work in the kitchen making canapes and those little barbecued sausages, as well as caviar and champagne.
Unfortunately he’s not getting the usual “help” from Lars, who’s promised everyone a foot massage today. It’s probably just as well since Lars tends to drop things.
The party preparations are on temporary halt, however, because we have a serious problem in the Lair.
Someone (andI’m not mentioning any names) stole the proof copy of Jo-Mama’s debut book “The Watcher.”
In case you’re confused look to the left for Evidence #1 — the purloined book!
Missing, MISSING, I tell you! And someone must pay!
You might suspect the Golden Rooster carried the book off to the Land of Oz or even — shudder — to the “right coast.” Or perhaps a Bandita Buddy from down south “appropriated” the proof prize. Not naming names, again, but I hear some of those southern gals have sticky fingers.
In fact, our famous Chook is NOT the culprit, but the investigator. So line up the usual suspects and let the case begin!
GR:
What? What? Oh, that’s right, some naughty visitor to the Lair has stolen Jo-Mama’s proof of “The Watcher.” Let me see, let me see (dons his Sherlock Holmes hat and whips out his magnifying glass).
Sven:
Not I! I’ve been slaving in the kitchen for days (looks darkly at Lars). With NO help, I might add.
Lars:
Don’t look at me (eyes Aunty Cindy’s pretty colored toes greedily). I’ve been playing with pinkies all day.
[Enter Gladiators Demitrius and Marcus, flashing swords.]
Jo-Mama:
What about those two?
GR:
Not likely. They never learned to read, just a bunch of steroid-pumped hunks (looks jealously at the Gladiators).
JM:
Say it isn’t so! Reading is the foundation of civilization!
GR:
Whatever. (Bends over, examining a dusty spot on the end table of the reading room.) Hmmmm, looks like the book was lying here.
JM:
Good grief! How can you tell MY book was there? There are millions of Bandita books around here. (Flings her arms wildly) It IS the Romance Bandits Lair, after all. Books are coming out all the time!
GR:
I see dead people.
JM:
What are you talking about, you crazy chook?
GR:
Dead people! Aren’t your books full of dead people?
JM:
Well, sure, “The Watcher” is a romantic thriller, but it’s not ALL about murder and mayhem. There’s a very sensual love story in it. Kate and Slater have an instant connection between them, and although she’s single minded to the point of annoyance, Slater’s just the man to, uh . . . distract her.
Take a look at Evidence #2 — the back cover blurb:
Forensic psychiatrist Kate Myers believes the killer of two teenage girls in Bigler County, California, is the same man who savagely murdered her twin sister over fifteen years ago. Working with a single-minded tenacity, she sets out to prove it.
Deputy Ben Slater hides his personal pain behind the job, but Kate’s arrival in his county knocks his world on its axis. He wants to believe her wild theory, but the idea of a serial killer with the kind of pathology she proposes is too bizarre.
Together they work to find a killer whose roots began in a small town in Bigler county, but whose violence spread across the nation. A Janus-like killer, more monster than man, he fixates on Kate. The killer wants nothing more than to kill the “purple-eyed girl again.”
[Enter Paolo, Lucius, and the Hockey Hunks, led by Zach, all bearing trays of champagne and bottle of Coke and Pepsi -- perennial rivals in the Lair]
GR:
(shouting at the top of his lungs) Let the festivities begin!
AC:
(Grabbing for the champagne) Give me one of those! (sniffs loudly) I hope that nasty Ermigarde isn’t going to eat all the food.
GR:
(Stumbles about, muttering) Clues, clues, must follows the clues.
Readers, join us in the hunt for my proof copy of “The Watcher.” Who do YOU think purloined the book? One of the Banditas or Buddies? One of the Lair denizens or guests? Or someone we’d never, ever think of! Heh, heh, who’s the main suspect??!!
One clever commenter who convinces me who the guilty culprit is and WHY will receive a free download of “The Watcher” when it becomes available the end of August.
Everyone who emails me a snail mail addy (jo.lewisrobertson@yahoo.com) will receive an autographed postcard of the book cover and will be entered to win a PRINT COPY of “The Watcher.”
Good evening, Regency gossip mavens! It’s your eagle-eyed editor here from Regency Routs, Rumpus and Rumpy-Pumpy.
Are you ready for your big dose of SCANDAL???!!!!
Yep, we’re all getting to play papparazzi for the day. Nikons at twenty paces! Hoist your Olympus!
Because today is the launch party for the honorable Miss Campbell’s latest release MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION and there’s going to be blood on the Polaroids before we’re done, dear readers!
But first a word from our sponsors at MIDNIGHT CENTRAL…
MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION is a classic Regency romance spiced with passion and danger and…SCANDAL (well, you kinda knew that, you’re papparazzi, right?).
Here’s some secret video from one of our undercover London reporters:
And here’s the background to the breaking story that’s taken the gossip sheets by storm:
London’s most notorious seducer, Nicholas Challoner lives solely for revenge…
The dashing, licentious Marquess of Ranelaw can never forgive Godfrey Demarest for ruining his sister – now the time has come to repay the villain in the same coin. But one formidably intriguing impediment stands in the way of Nicholas’s vengeance: Miss Antonia Smith, companion to his foe’s unsuspecting daughter.
Having herself been deceived and disgraced by a rogue-banished by her privileged family as a result and forced to live a lie-Antonia vows to protect her charge from the same cruel fate. She recognizes Ranelaw for the shameless blackguard he is, and will devote every ounce of her intelligence and resolve to thwarting him.
Yet Antonia has always had a fatal weakness for rakes…
We even have specific footage for our Aussie scandalmongerers, uh, READERS of Downunder Disgraceful Doings!
You’ll notice that Nicholas and Antonia have been caught in a VERY compromising position in this candid photo.
Just goes to show you shouldn’t do anything naughty in the summer house at Pelham Place. All those bushes give dedicated papparazzi lots of places to hide out – and let’s face it, neither Nicholas nor Antonia was paying much attention to what was going on OUTSIDE the lovely little Greek temple at the time!
Our intrepid reporter told us events reached such a pitch that his camera fell from his sweaty hands and crashed upon the muddy ground, so this is our only photgraphic record of illicit cavortings.
To speak frankly, dear readers – and do we ever do anything else here at Regency Routs, Rumpus and Rumpy-Pumpy? – we’re not at all surprised that the Marquess of Ranelaw is currently giving us plenty of material to titilate you. After all, he has always had a terrible reputation as a rake and a libertine.
He looks like a fallen angel and acts like the De-il himself! Many a time, we’ve had to fan our heaving bosoms and reach for the smelling salts preparing the sealed sections of RRRARP where we’ve related his numerous and notorious escapades with wanton women both within and without society.
But this Season, the on dit is that Nicholas Challoner is out to catch himself a bride. And he seems to have settled on innocent debutante Cassandra Demarest.
The marquess’s attentions to the lovely young woman have been notable. At the Bradham musicale, he sat next to her for the entire evening – apart from a mysterious disappearance onto the terrace. During the house party at Pelham Place which had such a lamentable end, he was rarely away from Miss Demarest’s side.
But we at Regency Routs, Rumpus and Rumpy-Pumpy have inside information, dear readers! It’s not Cassandra he’s pursuing but her dowdy chaperone Miss Antonia Smith who until now has been a model of rectitude.
Previously, Miss Smith was on our radar purely as a dragon of a companion with no dress sense. But rumor now has it that Miss Smith conceals hidden depths.
We wonder what else this lady is concealing!
We have it on good authority that Miss Smith can ride and shoot better than most men – something Ranelaw needs to take into consideration if he’s plotting the lady’s ruin. Just take a look at this candid shot of Miss Smith toting heat instead of a reticule.
If I were the marquess, I would be VERRRRRRRRRRRY careful! Of his dealings with both Miss Smith and Miss Demarest.
And then, fetch your editor a burnt feather, there was that scandalous evening at the Merriweathers where not only Miss Smith and the marquess danced a waltz together, but the poet and traveler John Benton, once accounting the handsomest man in England, returned to set female hearts a-flutter.
The fellow has been in Italy for years and there is some secret scandal about his absence that we promise to get to the bottom of before we’re done. We will leave no stone – or poet – unturned in our search for the truth! Our reporters will scale any cherry trees (oops, gave away a clue to a future edition there!), hide in any retiring room at a ball, eavesdrop on any conversation to keep our readers informed!
There is MUCH more we could say – once our lawyers have cleared us to speak… Ahem, once we have completed our researches.
There are whispers of missing heiresses, elopements, parental disapproval, seductions, abductions, duels. Oh, my, we can hardly contain our censure at the wicked goings on this Season. And we dread to assault our gentle readers’ ears with what we know.
Well, all right…
If you insist…
What’s that? The lawyers say no?
It seems if you want the full dramatic story, you have to read MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION?
NOOOOOO! Regency Routs, Rumpus and Rumpy-Pumpy resents the implication that we don’t have the whole story – even though we don’t. One thing we do know, there is much scandal and mayhem before there’s a wedding!
OK, you papparazzi in training, let’s celebrate the launch of this scandalous memoir with some wild reportings! Tell me the latest scandal in that notorious den of iniquity, the Romance Bandits Lair.
What did Sven do with Madame Christine at the last party? Where did Cindy and the cabana boys disappear to on Thursday? Is the deadline cave only for deadlines?
If you know no scandal of the lair – which this editor finds extremely hard to believe! – tell us some scandal from this momentous Season where the Marquess of Ranelaw seems to have lost his taste for wild women and started to pursue dowdy companions.
Heavens to Betsy, what is the world coming to?
Plenty of champagne and orgeat and warm lemonade to keep you refreshed. We have the second best orchestra in London to keep your toes tapping – that social-climbing Mrs. Jones-Llewellyn-Jones had already booked the best orchestra, bl-st her hide. And the party favors include THREE signed copies of the document in question. Yes, MIDNIGHT’S WILD PASSION (oh, my, the summer house!) will go to three intrepid reporters today.
GOOD LUCK, PAPPARAZZI! May you do Regency Routs, Rumpus and Rumpy-Pumpy proud!
First, thanks to Tawny for giving up her normal blogging day so I could have a launch party here in the Lair to celebrate the publication of my first women’s fiction novel, Living in Color. This is a bit of a departure from my normal romance and young adult novels, but it’s a story I really thought deserved to be out there in the world. That’s why I decided to hop on the self-publishing wave and give it a whirl to see what happened.
It’s a different type of experience being in charge of every aspect of the writing, editing, marketing and distribution of one’s book. So far the only thing I’ve not done myself is design the cover. I knew I had no talent in that arena, so I enlisted the talented Kimberly Killion at Hot Damn Designs, and I think she did a lovely job. I firmly believe covers are important because they’re the face of your book, the first impression. I have no doubt that there are really good books out there that don’t get read as many times as they should because they’ve had the misfortune of having bad covers, though I’ve been very fortunate with all of my covers to date (thank you, Harlequin and Penguin!). I also believe that the book beyond the cover has to live up to good packaging. I hope readers believe Living in Color does that.
Living in Color is a mother-daughter road trip story, one that leads to healing and some unexpected discoveries. Here’s the blurb:
After the death of her father, Sabrina Bishop feels a sense of relief that he’s gone. No longer will he be able to abuse her mother mentally or physically, and just maybe her mother might grow to see what he’d done to her was wrong. But with the death of Jim Bishop, Sabrina is now responsible for her mother’s well being since Ruby can’t read or write and has lived a sheltered life. But Ruby has a very small comfort zone in rural West Tennessee, and that means she can’t come live with Sabrina in Atlanta. Besides, Sabrina’s job as an award-winning news photographer keeps her traveling around the globe most of the time. As she tries to make suitable plans for her mother’s future, Sabrina offers to take Ruby on a road trip to expose her to a world she’s never seen. As they travel to sites such as Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park and the Gulf Coast of Florida, the trip becomes a journey of unexpected healing and self-discovery not only for Ruby, but for Sabrina as well. ~~~ As someone who doesn’t like to fly, I take a good amount of road trips. I actually enjoy driving long distances and being able to stop wherever I want whenever I want. So I thought I’d share my top five favorite road trip destinations I’ve been to.
1. Yellowstone National Park — My sister worked at the park for a year, so I visited once while she was there and a couple more times since then. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and I always want to spend more time there.
2. San Antonio and the Hill Country of Texas — My good friend Mary lives in San Antonio, so I’ve driven there several times. Last month, we also took a trip up to Fredericksburg in the Hill Country so I could do some research for the trilogy I’m writing for Harlequin American. Some of my favorite stops on this trip are the missions along the Mission Trail in San Antonio — the Alamo and four others (San Jose, Espada, San Juan and Concepcion).
3. Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, Florida (in the sunset photo) — I love the Gulf Coast. It’s so relaxing there. I love driving along the roads that follow the beach, listening to the waves.
4. Outer Banks, N.C. — Home to Cape Hatteras and several other lighthouses, Cape Hatteras National Seashore (wonderful because it’s undeveloped like so many stretches of beach), and Kitty Hawk, site of the Wright Brothers’ famous flight.
5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN and N.C. — The roads that crisscross this park pass by waterfalls, beautiful mountain streams, lush green mountains, stunning wildflowers, historic structures of past mountain communities, and even the occasional black bear. It is one of the most richly bio-diverse places it the world and is thus designated an International Biosphere Reserve. And it has the benefit of only being about four hours from my house.
What I’d like to know from you all is:
a. Do you like road trips?
b. What are some of your favorite road trips and destinations?
c. Any fun (or horrible) road trip stories to share?
I’ll pick a winner from today’s comments to receive a road map of the United States and a $5 Starbucks gift card to get you started off right on your very own road trip.
If you’d like to read Living in Color (it’s a great Mother’s Day gift — hint, hint), you can download it at:
Smashwords.com for Sony e-reader, iPad and various other formats, including for your desktop computer
Okay, break out the freshly made cookies (I hope Joanie made them, and I’d like to request they be just like the ones she made for one of our Bandita get-togethers — yum!), your favorite non-alcoholic beverage (we are driving, after all), and road map and hit the road!
As many of you know, next week, February 4th, my novel, THE SURRENDER OF LACY MORGAN, will be available as an e-book from Ellora’s Cave, the very smart people who bought the rights to publish it!! YIPPEE!!
So, do you know what it’s about? *Wink, wink.*
Oh, well, here’s the back cover blurb:
When two steely-eyed, lean-hipped strangers ride into town, Lacy Morgan knows her past has caught up with her. What she doesn’t know is that the U.S. marshals will do whatever necessary to capture her stepfather and his gang of murdering thieves, including bringing her to her knees to serve their sexual needs.
Quinn and his blood brother Dakota are searching for the one key to finding the band of outlaws who murdered their adoptive father. When they confront the sultry stepdaughter of the gang’s leader, they discover she’s unaware of her natural submissiveness tendencies.
As they journey to the gang’s lair, each day the men draw Lacy further and further into a sensuality she’s never known and a trust she’d sworn never to surrender to again. Using her lusty body for their combined pleasure, they find themselves ensnared in the same tender trap.
Doesn’t that sound delicious? Want to know more? Here’s a little blurb from my website:
U.S. Marshal, Quinn Halliday, searches for a gang of outlaws responsible for the robbery of the
Bank of Cheyenne and the murder of three people—one of whom is his mentor, the man who raised him after his parents died. With his blood brother, Dakota, he’ll do whatever he has to in order to bring the murdering thieves to justice, even if that means bringing the leader’s daughter to her knees to serve their sexual needs.(This picture of Russell Crowe was my inspiration for Quinn.)
Lacy Morgan, unaware of her natural submissiveness, is the stepdaughter of the gang’s leader, Devil Morgan—a man who taught her the meaning of fear. Managing to escape her lecherous stepfather’s grasp, she’s hidden herself as the schoolmarm in a tiny hole-in-the-wall place where even her stepfather wouldn’t look for her.(You see the image of Lacy on the book cover.)
Dakota O’Keefe, a Marshal and horse whisperer, is the half-breed son of a white trapper and the daughter of a Sioux medicine man. An outcast in two worlds, he’ll follow his blood brother and partner into the bowels of hell to find the gang and avenge their mentor. A natural voyeur, he has shared many a bed with Quinn and his women, but even as he helps subdue this sultry redhead he realizes she is something more to his brother.(This picture of actor, Eric Schweig was my inspiration for Dakota.)
Don’t they sound Yummy? Want to read more? Uhm…it’s an erotica…so if you want the exerpts you’ll have to go to www.ellorascave.com and click on the cover or go to my website www.suzanneferrell.com in the books page. OR better yet, why not buy the whole book next Friday!!
So, do you have any questions to ask me, Quinn, Lacy or Dakota?
I’m so ready to celebrate the holidays!! I love this time of year. All of it- the baking, the crafts, the gift wrapping, the pretty lights and the fabulous music. I’m a sucker for a holiday movie and a sap over anything wrapped by a kid. I adore the whispered secrets and have been known to get teary eyed over watching my kids decorating cookies with my husband’s questionable help.
And this year, I’m celebrating a little bit extra. I am so excited to have a holiday story out, it’s like that extra sparkle of tinsel on the tree for me.
A BABE IN TOYLAND Excerpt:
He could barely see her through the crowd.Bikers were shoulder to shoulder with what looked like bankers from the S&L on the corner.Mixed in were a few gals with huge hair that he suspected worked at the beauty salon in the mall.
“What the hell…”He stared, slack jawed, as Rita waved her hand, all game-show-hostess like, over the array of vividly colored items spread across the tailgate of his truck.
“What the hell are these?” she clarified, stepping around two blondes to greet him.
Even knowing he was no better than one of Pavlov’s pups, Tyler’s gaze swept over her face, now pinup girl exotic.Her hair, still in a ponytail, but she’d done something to make it look like all fifties-movie-star flirty.She was still in the same jeans she’d worn earlier, but she’d replaced her red puffy jacket with a black studded leather one.
Tyler’s mouth watered.
“These are toys,” she said.It took him five seconds and the direction of her pointing finger to remember the question.
“Toys.”
“Sex toys.”
“I realize they’re sex toys.Why are they here?Now?On my truck?”He stared, fixated, on a foot long, neon green monstrosity with a head—an actual face—of a dinosaur.
Her laugh was all it took to rip his gaze from the freakish dildo and back to her face.She ran her tongue over her upper teeth, to hide a smirk, he was sure.
“I see you’re interested in the T-Sex.The dinosaur of dildos,” she explained, sounding like a TV commercial hawking a new model car.“Guaranteed to make your woman roar with pleasure.”
“What…”
“What am I doing with them?Selling them, of course,” she said, indicating the little slips of paper she’d tucked underneath each toy.He squinted, seeing she’d not only written up descriptions, but detailed sex and position suggestions along with the asking price.
Tyler was grateful the icy wind was there to cool his cheeks before the heat became apparent.
Didn’t matter, though.Rita, probably having a special radar for that kind of thing, chuckled.
She leaned forward and gave his cheek a soft pat.The smooth touch of her fingers making him want to grab her wrist and nibble his way up her arm.
“Don’t worry, big boy,” she purred.“You can have first dibs.I’ll even give you a good-driver discount.”
The only thing that kept Tyler from grabbing her by that tiny waist, tossing her in the bed of the truck and showing her just exactly how good he could drive was the six-and-a-half-foot biker in studded leather who’d tapped her on the shoulder and asked the price of a set of candy cane styled nipple rings.
And that, my friends, is the beginning of true love
To celebrate the release of A BABE IN TOYLAND and IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE MISTLETOE, and because the holiday season just screams for a little extra fun – I’m having a contest trio. One contest on my website, one contest on my Facebook page and another for my newsletter. You can check them out –and enter any and all if you’d like –on my blog December first. But… that’s not enough, is it? How about we kick it up even more and I’ll give away three copies of IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE MISTLETOE to three commenters today! To win, all you have to do is check out NAUGHTY IS NICE, my free read over on eHarlequin, and tell me in the comments which character is your favorite
I’m thrilled to host a launch party today for my newest young adult book, Winter Longing, written as Tricia Mills. I love this story, and I’ve been very, very happy to be getting good reviews for it from everyone from teen book bloggers to Publishers Weekly. Here’s a bit about the story:
Winter Craig finally gets up the nerve and tells her long-time friend Spencer that she likes him as more than a friend. The best part? Spencer likes her as more than a friend too. With the perfect boy to love and be loved by, she begins her senior year at her small Alaska school and indulges in the dream of becoming a costume designer for the movie industry. Life is perfect — until tragedy strikes. Winter’s perfect life turns upside down as she deals with an unbearable loss, doubts about her future, a best friend whose home life is getting worse by the day, and unexpected feelings for an unexpected boy.
Typically, I write about places I’ve been, but an Alaska setting called to me for this story. I didn’t have the moolah to plunk down for a trip to Alaska, so I did copious amounts of research. I picked the brain of a friend who once lived there. I read books, perused blogs of Alaska residents, utilized Google Earth and maps to get the lay of the land. I filled my TiVo with everything Alaska-related I could find — everything from nature programs about the flora and fauna to Deadliest Catch, Discovery’s show about crab fishermen on the Bering Sea. I tried to pepper in bits and pieces of this information to give the story an authentic feel.
I have long been fascinated with Alaska. I’m not sure when it started, but it’s possible it was during the years of Northern Exposure. Though the show was actually filmed in Washington state, its setting was rural Alaska. I loved the interesting characters, the gorgeous vistas, the sense of community that came from living in one of the harshest places on earth. It takes a certain type of person to live in Alaska, whether they’re a native or someone who moves in from “Outside” (what Alaskans call the Lower 48).
My fascination grew as I began to read Dana Stabenow’s Kate Shugak mystery series. Her depictions of Alaska and its residents are so vivid that I’d swear I’d been there. I aspire to that as a writer. The series is currently in the works for a TV series, and I can’t wait! Though I’ve always pictured Irene Bedard playing Kate (as I think Stabenow has too), I’m not sure how that will work out.
Men in Trees, starring Anne Heche, was another favorite. Again, it was full of quirky, fun characters, and a fish out of water story much like Northern Exposure. I hated that it got canceled when it did.
One of my current favorites is actually a reality show set in Alaska, Deadliest Catch. This show is full of interesting characters too, but they’re real people doing the deadliest job in the world. When Captain Phil Harris died this year, it wasn’t just a character viewers lost. It was a real man with a real family. This show illustrates the harshness of the seas off of America’s last frontier. I’ve always been a fan of stories that pit man against the elements, so that’s part of the appeal of this show and many other stories set in Alaska.
Is there a particular setting that calls to you as a reader or TV/movie viewer? If so, what is it and why does it appeal to you? One commenter today will win an autographed copy of Winter Longing.
Scene: The Bandit War Cabinet Room which is even further underground than the Writers Deadline Cave which featured in all its fiendish glory in Christine’s launch at the beginning of the month. We interrupt this bulletin to bring you an important message!
PLAGIARISM GURU: This is looking suspiciously like Christine’s launch!
SHEEPISH AUTHOR (NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH ROOSTERISH BANDITA): Um…
PG: Is that all you’ve got to say for yourself?
SA: Well, not really! I’ve got a whole launch post ahead of me. It would be a bit sad if I stopped now, wouldn’t it?
PG: Don’t play clever with me, Bandita!
SA: No, sir! I’d just like to point out that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
PG: Tell that to Madam!
SA: I will! OOH, CHRISTEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!!!!
We interrupt this message to return to our original message.
So where was I?
That’s right the Bandit War Cabinet Room where all the REALLY fiendish plans are hatched.
Oh, no, now the rooster is keen on coming down. He thinks a hatchery means some hot chicks.
Down, boy!
Anyway, as you can see, it’s party central down here. Just look at this embarrassing photo of the hijinks on our New Year’s Eve party in 1943! And we can promise you more of the same tonight, oh, yessirreeeee! Batten down those hatches! Iron those hankies! Match those socks!
Speaking of embarrassing! There’s been a major hitch in our planning for today’s launch of the new Anna Campbell opus MY RECKLESS SURRENDER!
Oy, oy, oy! And assorted other Bandita cries of despair! Including the famous Ai Caramba! And “Demetrius, what are you doing with that sword?”
It turns out the top secret documents, essential for today’s mayhem, have been diverted to Africa. We need to get them OUT OF AFRICA!!! Snort. Feel the urge to break into a Danish pastry!
What are we to do? What are we to do? We interrupt this broadcast purely to interrupt this broadcast…
Oh, get lost! No time for jokes when our launch is going haywire!
Anna Campbell runs around like a chook with her head cut off.
Oh, no, the rooster just keeled over in shock!
Not you, GR! Just a generic chook!
A GENERIC CHOOK, I SAID!
Lordy, why is everyone I work with a drama parrot?
Anyway, the Bandita War Cabinet has issued this press release:
In the absence of detailed plans for today’s launch, we turn in desperation to you, Banditas and Bandita Buddies! Give us three reckless things to do in the lair today to celebrate the release of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER!
The best suggestions will win one of THREE signed copies of MY RECKLESS SURRENDER! Unless the books have gone to Africa too.
What’s that? They have!!!!
But I have it on good authority that the books are walking like an Egyptian and they at least will be here for distribution before the end of the night!
STOP PRESS: A shipment of naked Regency rakes has been captured off the shores of Tripoli by roving renegade Banditas. And they will soon be here to assist in any nefarious plans!
So come on, people, give us some nefarious plans! Otherwise we’ll have to put the rakes in the shed!
Grease up the Cabana boys and ice down the drinks, it’s time for another Launch Party in the Lair
I have to admit, the release of Do You Take This Cop? is bittersweet. Bitter because it’s the last book connected to my Serenity Springs series. I spent so much time with the characters, it’s been difficult saying good-bye. But then the sweet kicks in, mainly because I’m really excited about DYTTC being set loose on the world *g*
Here’s the back cover blurb:
Is she safer with him…or without him?
Without the badge, he’d be perfect!
The last thing Faith Lewis needs is a cop poking his nose in her business. Okay, yes, Nick Coletti is gorgeous. And charming. And great with her son. But dating the town’s most popular boy in blue is hardly going to help her keep a low profile. This guy could blow their world apart if he discovers their secret.
Funny thing is, he may also be their only hope. If she had someone like Nick on her side, maybe she could finally be free, and give her son the life he deserves. But trusting Nick means telling the whole truth about her past. He might protect them. Or he might just turn her in…
One of my favorite scenes in DYTTC is when Faith and her son Austin attend the Coletti family’s annual Fourth of July picnic. Here’s a quick excerpt:
A muscle jumped in Nick’s jaw as he slid his finger across her shoulder and down her arm to her elbow, trailing gooseflesh in his wake. Stepping back, he pulled a pair of sunglasses out of his front pocket and put them on.
“Let me get that for you,” he said gruffly, taking the cake from her.
“Oh. Thank you.” Except, without it, she had no idea what to do with her hands. So she wiped them down the sides of her white walking shorts. Crossed her arms and then let them hang at her sides before picking up her bag from where Austin had dropped it.
“Everyone’s out back,” he said. Then he took her hand.
She almost stumbled. She’d come to learn he was big on touching. His hand pressed to the small of her back when they left the restaurant. His arms around her, his solid chest pressed against her back as he went through the motions of the proper batting swing. His fingertips brushing against her cheek as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while she ate her ice cream cone.
It was…sweet. She couldn’t remember a time when a man had wanted nothing more than the simple pleasure of touching her. And realizing how much she enjoyed it, enjoyed being with him, was all too frightening.
So instead of focusing on how it felt, his rough, large palm against hers, she took in their surroundings. The Frey’s house was a mix of brick and wood with double front doors, tall, gleaming windows and immaculate landscaping. There were trees, shrubs and flowers to soften the austere lines of the house and make it warm and welcoming, and as far as she could tell, there wasn’t one blade of crabgrass in the lush lawn.
It was a far cry from her own week-choked backyard and spotty windows.
They rounded the garage and were met by the low hum of voices mixed with music. “This is a lovely house,” Faith said, withdrawing her hand from his before anyone could see them.
“Andrea and Steve are happy here.”
She slowed her steps as the voices grew louder. Many, many voices from the sound of it. “I especially liked that first flower bed, the one with the miniature roses. Does Andrea garden?”
He laughed. “Andrea doesn’t do dirt. Or anything related to getting dirty. Luckily, her in-laws enjoy it so they handle the gardens for her.”
As they reached the backyard, Faith’s throat was so dry, not even the enticing scents of grilling meat could work moisture back into her mouth. One look at the crowd talking and laughing on the long patio made her step back, bumping into Nick’s solid frame.
He steadied her with a hand to her upper arm. “Everything okay?” he asked.
She edged away from him—and the backyard—hugging her arms around herself. Okay? Let’s see…she was spending the day with a nice family. Her son had a new best friend and was acting like a normal, nine-year-old again and she had the interest of the sexiest man in town.
Everything was awful.
She was a liar. Worse, even she was beginning to believe her lies. Beginning to hope that she could stay in this town, be a part of these people’s lives and give her son the permanency he craved.
That she could be Faith Lewis forever.
Ever patient, Nick stood there, staring at her from behind his sunglasses, his posture relaxed, the damp hair at his nape curling. Forcing a smile, she looked up into his handsome face. “Everything’s perfect.”
(As you may have guessed, Faith isn’t exactly what–or who–she seems to be *g*)
And with summer on its way (and Memorial Day coming up fast) I thought it’d be fun to have a Launch Picnic! Everyone slather on some sunscreen and let’s take this party outside
In DYTTC, Faith brings her signature dessert, Red Velvet Cake, to the picnic. What’s your favorite dish to take to picnics? Your favorite thing to eat at a picnic? One commenter will win a copy of DO YOU TAKE THIS COP?
Disclaimer: Our guests run the gamut from personal friends, to interesting authors who've asked to appear, to authors whose books we love. We have not always read our guests' books before hosting them here. Some of them provide us with free books though most do not. We do receive a commission from Amazon for every book purchased through links on our site. For purposes of making purchasing decisions, visitors should assume the bandit sponsoring the guest has a personal connection of some kind to her guest and may have received a free copy of the guest's book.
In case you do, here are some links where you can find the book in the e-format of your choice. It is also available on Amazon sites around the world. Or it should be. I haven’t quite figured out how to check all those things yet.
Available for Kindle - 
) A SEAL’s Surrender opens with my heroine, Eden, blowing out her birthday candle on a delicious cupcake. And as we all do when we blow out candles, Eden made a wish. A very special, very sexy birthday wish. Or should I say, she wishes for sex. 
And if he could be six-foot-two, with sandy blond hair and dreamy green eyes, a body that made nymphomaniacs weep and a smile that melted her panties, that’d be nifty, too.
by Beth
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