Creativity and Health

Whether you're a writer or an artist, staying healthy is important.

Your physical and mental health is tied in to your creativity. Our creativity, our muse is powerful.
Like all things, you need to care for your creativity as you do you body and mind.

You can't continually take from your creative force without giving back--filling up the energy you take away.
Take time to do whatever brings you joy. Stress is probably the biggest factor.

Many writers have candles or incense in the spaces where they write. Sometimes music is played while they write. I also paint so I play music when I use my watercolors.

As for writer's block, the more push, the worse it gets. Do something writing related even if it isn't writing. Give yourself the permission to step back for a little while. Concentrating too hard and stressing is the block. A differnt point of view may be all you need to grab that spark of creativity once more.

Don't forget to care for the health of your creativity, your muse!

Until next month,
Tambra Kendall
Goin' Down Anthology Book Two
Available now at Aspen Mountain Press
www.tambrakendall.com

Keeping it fresh!

Ever get bored with your spouse or significant other? I'll admit it. I have. I've been married for almost 15 years. If I hadn't gotten bored a few times by now, I'd probably deserve some kind of award.

Recently my husband has been bored with me. I discovered this last week when I went to get my hair done. As I'm walking out the door, he said, "Why don't you do something different this time. Something really different."

Of course, I said, "You don't like my hair?"

"I like it. I just think it'd be neat for you to have a totally different look. Then I could pretend I had a new girlfriend."

I laughed. I understood completely. It was the same reason he went wild the Christmas Eve I surprised him with a Frederick's wig and new lingerie. He got variety without having to stray. Keeping it fresh is good for both of us.


When I wrote Cowboy Games, he went out and bought a cowboy hat. He's so not a cowboy. Doesn't even like to ride horses because he thinks it's cruel. (Don't even get me started on that. I grew up riding and even owning a horse.) But he was keeping it fresh for me. Gotta love that!

So I walked into my salon with long blond hair, and came out with sassy short brunette hair. It'll grow back, but I think I might keep the color for a while. My husband took his new girlfriend out to dinner that night and acts like he's as excited about this as he was when I got my boobs done. Ahhhh, I'm fresh again, and it feels so good.

What have you or your lover done to keep things fresh? Why not try something today (and it doesn't have to be hair!) You know you'll both reap the rewards.

BTW, I leave tomorrow for the RWA National convention in San Francisco. If I can steal a few minutes here and there, I'll post pictures on my blog. So stop by if you get a chance.

Wendi Darlin
www.wendidarlin.blogspot.com
www.wendidarlin.com

Is Your DNA Good Enough for YOUR Man?

By AJ Llewellyn
Hi Everyone,
When I grew up in Australia (1970s) I remember as a kid my older cousins were all about mood rings and biorhythms. I still remember one hot day in my Uncle George's backyard, my cousin Con's girlfriend (who'd forced him to wear a mood ring) moaning about him being in a bad mood. The ring said so.
"No, I'm not," he kept bleating to deaf ears.
It was around this time that Astrology was the new thing and everybody started automatically asking "What star sign are you?"
What amused me - and follow me here kids - was that I had cousins and aunts and uncles whose signs apparently were bad for one another and yet these were among the happiest marriages I knew.
When I moved to California in 1984, astrology compatibility charts were the new rage. I had friends who invested $50-$100 in getting these done. Sometimes they were told the man they were involved with had 100% compatibility - only to learn he was a child molester or something. I work at a movie studio and spend my days consulting with authors about their storylines - especially in the always popular 'rom-coms' as we call them. Fresh is good. Gimmicky, good. If it has a nasty twist.
One of my favorite screenwriters plots out her storylines with characters' astrology signs and accompanying bad traits allegedly attached to each. She must know what she's doing. She's made a fortune.
Inevitably compatibility and dating disasters are strip mined when writers write for the benefits of mankind's entertainment.
So imagine my bemusement to discover that Dating DNA is the new thing. Yep, for $199 you can get a swab of your partner's DNA - and yours - and pretty soon you get a complete outsider telling you whether you're good enough for each other.
Are we not taking things too far now? What are we, pit pulls preparing for pureblood breeding?
What if your DNA report comes back YOU SUCK TOGETHER! and yet, you've managed to create a wonderful life and two, darned cute kids together?
What do you do then? Start to find other flaws? File for a quickie divorce? What happened to getting to know you, love, commitment...feelings?
All I know is a piece of paper won't tell me what I need to know. I don't dispute DNA findings for criminal cases or paternity issues, but can it really tell me I don't belong with the man I love?

I say chuck out the mood rings, ignore the charts...blood be damned. Roll with the punches and lead with your heart.
What about you? Do you think you'll be rushing out to try Dating DNA? What happens if you get bad news? What if it's good news but you still don't think the guy in question is the one for you?

Aloha oe,
A.J.

Between a rock and a hard place

I've been a bad author. I went away for a week with no internet access and no intentions to write. For six days I focused solely on my family, and it felt good, not exactly relaxing but nice all the same, but I fear my little vacation may have permanently pissed off my muse. She is no where to be found, which is a bad thing for any author and especially bad when deadlines are looming. I've tried several of my old standby's to try and get myself motivated, to no avail. So let's hear it everyone. What do you to when your muse deserts you? I open to just about anything to coax her back to life.
Beth Wylde
Born 2 B. Wylde
http://beth-wylde.tripod.com/

Literary snobbery and why I write what I write

A while back I was having a conversation with an old friend whom I have known for a quite a while. My friend is a big fan of literature and poetry and disdains what she dubs trashy fiction. She waxes on about the literary greats and the poets who line her bookshelves.

This is approximately how it went…

Friend: So you’re writing romance now?
Me: Yes I am, I found a new niche and I love it.
Friend: I couldn't bring myself to read that sort of stuff.
Me: Why?
Friend: Well, I asked someone once about this and I think so-called writers write that stuff only because of the money.

This is about when my jaw dropped to the ground. I was speechless for a second. Then I composed myself and continued.

Me: Well, then you should not pick up that kind of stuff then.

End of conversation – change of subject.

This was a friend who I once thought respected me as a friend. Even though her conversations, I suddenly realized, are always dotted with “I’s.” Rarely does a “you” escape her lips. I started to see this person in a new light.

Now I wouldn't stoop so low as to compare genre prose to literature - they are like apples and oranges. I respect both for what they give to the world. As a "genre" romance writer, I want my readers to know exactly what I’m saying. I use lyrical language to drive my point across. I want to reach people – all people, not just those who live on their intellectual throne and look down their noses at the supposedly “ignorant” masses. I have nothing against intellectual pursuits; after all, I’m known as a major geek among friends. But this doesn’t mean that genre fiction cannot be intellectual in its own right. Just because I write in a way that’s easy to grasp doesn’t mean that what I’m writing doesn’t make one think and most especially, feel.

This is why I write what I write. It feeds my soul and fulfils my ache to express myself and transfer those emotions to a reader. I used to write poetry but although I love verse, this doesn’t totally do it any more for me. Poetry calms me down, it kills a bad moment and relieves me of temporary pain – in my case, when I write verse, it is all about me and my perception of things. Now, writing prose, writing positive romantic fiction, it is not all about me. It is about the reader . . . about the characters. It is like a blank canvas and I have plenty of room to roam around. I feel free as I type away. I come out of my shell and reach out to others through my storytelling. I write, because I want to know that what I write makes other people feel good and inspired. I write because I cannot imagine living a life without writing anymore than I can imagine a life deprived of oxygen.

Why do you write?

Sascha dropping the ball...yet again.

Yesterday was SUCH a fucked up day and I have an idea of why..never ask a deity for a favor without TOTAL clarification... Anyway, a bit of PR first...www.radiodentata. com - Radio With Teeth is proud to be LIVE now! You can hear ME on my show: The Unnamed (as of yet) Romance show at Wednesday 10 AM. Thursday at 2:30 AM. I don't have the show schedule with me but on the show, I talk about the romance genre, read excerpts and bring issues to light that authors AND readers need to know about!

http://www.radioden tata.com - Radio with Teeth!

Check out the show host blog too! http://sascha. radiodentata. com for upcoming topics and other random shit!

Now a blog post!

What’s the deal with cheesy porno music?
By Sascha Illyvich

Masturbation. It’s part of my daily routine as it should be part of yours. It’s healthy, it feels good and is a wonderful way to release pent up energy during those times when you just need a little self love! Hell, there is even an entire month dedicated to it (May is National Masturbation Month!)

I hit up Limewire with the intention of grabbing pornographic clips. I download a few. I get myself ready, I watch, eyes glued to the laptop as the couple is getting their groove on. Except that I’m distracted. Something isn’t right.

No, his cock isn’t disgusting. She’s pretty. The other guy standing around in the t-shirt stroking off before he’s invited. I could probably do without his face but then again I’m not the type to complain. Much.

But something is still bothering me. I listen a little closer to the dialogue. Nope, straight porn, lame ass dialogue filled with oh fuck me, stick it right there baby and my personal favorite, “give me your manrod!”

After a minute or two, this also is drowned out. But...what the fuck is bothering me? It’s the MUSIC! The music SUCKS! That’s the one thing that causes me to turn the volume down, distracting me from my er, routine!

So why do composers of “high quality pornography” insist on crappy or cheesy music? Why not something sexy or seductive? It’s almost like they are not taking themselves too seriously as they count their cash in the banks.

But damnit! I want to get in the mood to get off! I don’t want to be distracted, as I easily am. I don’t want to be studying the music and being bothered with the inexplicable bullshit that is often found in porn. I want to come!

So I beg you, if you’re reading this and are a composer for Vivid, or any of the other major or minor companies out there producing high quality porno, STOP WITH THE BULLSHIT CHEESE! It’s annoying, here comes the money shot and I’m forced to listen to crappy background noise as I’m trying to give MY money shot. It’s unforgivable!

What say you, readers?

Art imitating life?

I just celebrated my anniversary and it made me start thinking. How much do my life experiences affect what I write? As a teenager, I dated other men but I met my husband by age nineteen. After dating for four years, we married and have been mostly happy ever since.

I write erotic romance and erotica. The erotica stories don’t necessarily have to have a happy ending but all my stories have a HEA. I have only one published work that has the female character divorced and starting over. In today’s society, I know divorce very prevalent but I still tend to stick with the late twenty to early thirty characters falling in love and marrying for the first time.

However, this doesn’t mean that all my relationships are m/f. I write m/f, m/m/f & m/m relationships, which doesn’t apply to my lifestyle but a girl has to have fantasies. Even one married as long as I have been.

So, do you think the relationships you write or tend to read reflect your lifestyle?

BTW, I write mostly paranormal and sci-fi erotic romance but I'm not under the delusion of being a vamp, werewolf or alien. Though at times, I'm told I am a witch.

Laura/LA Day
Website

Satin Seduction available at Ellora's Cave.
Warriors in Time coming in print.
Feral Intensity coming September 5th to Ellora's Cave.

Html...Huh?????

So this is the second year in which I'm doing the whole web site thing and trying to learn about html codes and all that fun computer stuff...

Is it really fun? I don't think so..Honestly I'd rather spend the time writing then trying to figure html codes. I know that I still have a ton to learn and I haven scratched the surface of what I need to grasp but I'm slowly working on it. The worst part of all is the moment I actually learn something a new version of it comes out or things get changed around.

I know that I'm most likely going to have to invest in a class or something because trying to teach yourself what you don't know much about is not working. I have books and everything but it's still not enough. I'm a visual person. I need to watch someone do it and then I'm good from there.

Having your own web site is a great thing as an author, it's your gateway to the world and a means for your readers to find out more about you and your work. When I first started a web site I was using my space and it worked well. I met a ton of people and getting the site customized was no trouble at all. All you had to do was copy and paste layout codes that were provided on the gazillion different sites.

It's not that easy when it's your own site. Not everything is compatible with what you might be using. I learned that the hard way when my guestbook went all crazy on my site and it pretty much crashed. I still thank my web angel Ce for saving the day.

I'm still trying to grasp the whole world of codes and everything that comes a long with it but I find it harder and harder to master the craft especially when there is only so much time in the day.

It would be easy to hire a web designer and someone to maintain the site but as well all know everything is not cheap and well I have to save my money.

At least I know that there are some things I can find out by asking other authors or people who know more then I do about html. There are always people to give you a hand and that's amazing. If I knew what I was doing and someone needed help I'd be sure to do what I can. A pay it forward for me.

For now I'm sticking to what I do know and will keep on trying to learn and finally get a hang of this whole coded world.

Savannah

Bid For Love coming Aug 18, 2008 to Lyrical Press

Pleasure After The Pain coming soon to Red Rose Publishing

Satisfy Your Desire......Indulge The Temptation
www.savannahchase.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/savannahchase/

In Search of PERFECTION

I got really sick of picking up books where the heroine is the perfect package of femininity! Long, flowing, beautiful hair, sparkling eyes and tremendously sexy body. Then the author continues to rave about those attributes through the rest of the book. Pretty much the same with heroes, if you think about it. Sooooo....what's this obsession with perfection? I'm getting pretty damn sick of it.

We've been told for YEARS, by this and that sort of industry, what to THINK about perfection and what's beautiful and what ISN'T.

Did you know the average dress size of the American woman is a size 14??? Shocking huh, when you consider what we see in mags and in the movies. Recall being waaaay shocked when Kate Winslett threw at FIT that a popular fashion magazine had air brushed her cover pic to make her look thinner. Holy crap! Thinner??? The woman is gorgeous just as she is so I don't blame her for being pissed. And what right does anyone have to say...this look isn't right and this look IS?

Well, I just got sick of it. Tired of labels. Tired of the powers that be's perceptions of what is beautiful and what isn't being foisted upon me. As of a few weeks ago, I started a new erotic romance featuring a very tall, beautifully plus-sized woman. Yeah, she's sassy, beautiful, full-figured and utterly enjoys her sexuality. Maybe it's just me, but I think the world needs more heroines like this. Some of the most gorgeous women in the world are plus women. I mean, today iconic beauties like Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren would be considered plump. Ummmm. HUH???? When did we get so shallow as a society that we allow others to dictate what is perfect and what isn't? A sad commentary.

We blogged about this topic at Three Wicked Writers yesterday and I did another take of it on my personal Regina Carlysle blog. Over at Regina, I posted this pic of Whitney the newest winner of America's Next Top Model. She's the first PLUS SIZED model to win this competition. Is she fat? Well, if we listen to some, we might think so. I see beauty here, folks. Downright gorgeous, lush beauty. I see perfection.

The bottom line: it's about time we took charge and started forming our own opinions. What do you think?

A Sneak Peek at Protective Custody - Coming Soon from Liquid Silver Books!

Here's a sneak peek at my hot new contemporary erotic romance Protective Custody, coming soon form Liquid Silver Books!

Paisley McCoy is a sexy reporter who writes about the San Francisco club scene for alocal magazine. Having a dad on the force has led to one hard and fast rule – she doesn’t date cops. She likes her men sensitive and intellectual, two qualities in short supply in any cop she’s ever met. But now she’s stuck with this standard-issue cop – aggressive, opinionated, and sure he’s always right. In short, the complete opposite of the kind of man she usually goes for.

Gray Beckham is a no-nonsense cop who’s peeved about being taken off a major burglary investigation to babysit the captain’s bratty daughter. Just because she’s gorgeous doesn’t change that. To make it annoying, she acts like the whole thing is a joke and insists she doesn’t even need his protection. And while she might be sexy as hell, there’s no way he’s going anywhere near the captain’s daughter.

Despite their differences, though, Paisley and Gray can’t deny the chemistry between them. But as that connection turns into romance, they find out that the stalker is a far greater threat than they originally thought. And that if he can’t have her, no one will.

Coming soon from Liquid Silver Books!

For more of my sexy erotic fiction, visit my website at http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/

And to sign up for my newsletter, email me at paigetyler@paigetylertheauthor.com with "add me to your mailing list" in the subject line!

*hugs*

Paige

"Stories so hot, they'll make your cheek blush!"

Running Down a Dream

Last month when I blogged, I was just getting ready to take off on a three to four day trip deep into the Interior of Alaska. Well, at the eleventh hour, the trip was cancelled due to pneumonia in the 6 yo son of my co-pilot. Children's health come first.

So, since I've had this dream for well over a year - since I started the book, actually - I found another co-pilot and by the time this posts we should have made it all the way to our destination of Circle, Alaska. Seven hours, more or less, north from Fairbanks by gravel highway. One way. With good weather and benevolent angels who guard over travelers, we should also have made it back to Fairbanks and are heading on down the highway back to Anchorage.

Why? It's the question I get most. People have been looking at me strangely. Drive to Circle? and stay for just an hour or two then turn around? First of all, why Circle?

Circle, and the Yukon River, where the Steese Highway ends, is part of the scenery for my next book to be published. Chinook, Wine, and Sink Her, will be released this fall by Lyrical Press. I'm thrilled, because I sent it in and within a couple days my editor was jumping up and down. She WANTS this book. Good, because I've had a lot of fun writing it! Now to firm up a few location details.

Yup. I want one hour to look around, find the Trading Post, get photos of the river, get a feeling of the atmosphere, breathe in the history of when for one short year, Circle was considered Paris on the Yukon, the jewel of culture with dance halls, and opera. Some of the buildings from that one glorius year are still standing, one hundred and ten years later. For Alaska, that's history. There aren't many shacks that old. Many look far older, but are far less than half that age. Can this be done in a hour? Oh yeah. I'm pretty sure. Might take two if we choose to sit on the bank of the river and watch it flow. Pretty much like watching paint dry because the river is wide and flat and silt-laden.

In other words, Circle isn't so big. 95 full time residents, if I have the most current numbers. Most of them Athabascan Alaska Native. I hope a few residents won't mind having their pictures taken and the friend going with me will talk to anyone. Might get a couple bits of gossip or a few stories along the way. I'd really count myself lucky if we could get someone to run us upriver to the approximate location I picked out for the main setting, a cabin on an old gold claim. Purely a figment of my imagination, but I'd sure love to see the actual land.

So, for the song playing on my iPod Shuffle, the first one to set us off on the highway North, I can think of no better song than Tom Petty's Running Down a Dream. The video doesn't quite fit the tone of my trip, but the song sure does. Click on the title to get the YouTube video. I have quite a few other rockin', drivin' tunes in the mix as well, but this is my favorite.

How far would you go to run down a dream? I figure this trip will take us about 1200 miles roundtrip and possibly a century back in time. The gas alone will be more than an airline ticket, but you can't beat the scenery. When I get back, I'll post photos on The Morgan Diaries Blog. Until then, get your motors running and head out on that boulevard of living dreams. I'll be the one waving and talking about moose we've seen.


Morgan Q. O’Reilly
Get Some Tonight
Webpage: http://morganqoreilly.com/
Blogs: http://themorgandiaries.blogspot.com/
http://midnightseductionsauthors.blogspot.com/
http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com/
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/morganqoreilly
http://www.myspace.com/themorgandiaries
Chat: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheMorganDiariesChatters

Available now, FROZEN, from http://www.lyricalpress.com/
Coming Fall 2008 CHINOOK, WINE, AND SINK HER

Coming soon from Freya's Bower

My newest romantic suspense Nadja's Literary Cappuccino is in final edits and will be released later this summer at Freya's Bower. This is my first Freya's Bower contract and I'm way excited by the quality of everything that's happened so far - speedy turnaround, fabulous cover, high quality editing. Can't wait for the release!

Here's a quick summary of the story line, and a link to an excerpt on my website:

It all seems simple enough: Ukrainian immigrant Nadja Petrov is determined to hold on to her thriving new coffee shop, Nadja's Literary Cappuccino, and Java Beans District Rep Kevin Langley is equally determined to move into town with a Java Beans franchise and run her out of business.

She scopes him out, he keeps a watchful eye on her, and the sparring begins. But there are other players involved, and the web of intrigue soon threatens Nadja, her shop and her aunt as well as Kevin, his franchise and his son.

Within this caldron simmers a sexual attraction between Nadja and Kevin that catapults them to overcome their fears of intimacy and commitment. Their lovemaking is tender and raw. Can their love survive tragedy, doubts and fire?

EXCERPT

Amanda

http://www.amandaburnsromance.com

Basing your story on a different era in time

What era in time would you like to visit? Is it somewhere in the future or somewhere in the long ago past? Here’s a question I’m putting to you about time travel. Given a time machine like the car they used in Back to the Future and the other films that followed, what date would you punch in on the dash. None of us are alike and I’m sure everyone would list a different date and time.

With me, it would be the old west. I usually romanticize about the gunslingers, cattle rustlers and the shootouts that surely happened on the dusty streets in the small towns along the trails. Today the directors in Hollywood depict the shootouts in the films showing what an accurate shot each cowboy was when confronted on the street by a hired gun. In reality, the cowboy back then probably couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. I usually shove these practical thoughts to the back of my mind so as not to spoil my fascination with the old west.

I love everything about the rough and ready cowboy, but as I said before, all the Hollywood movies I’ve seen coated what actually happened in that long ago time. Most of the actors look as if they stepped out of a fashion magazine with their tight jeans, the latest shiny six gun strapped to their side and a clean looking Stetson pulled low over their brow. We all know they didn’t look that delicious.

I guess you’re wondering where this blog is going. LOL I’ve already written two short westerns, but I’ve been thinking of doing another longer story. I’m not sure if I’ll put too much realism in the western showing, what a terrible shot the gunslinger actually was back then. I may just keep the story filled with dashing cowboys and how they were the fastest guns around. Somehow, I kind of like the tough cowboy that turns out to be the handsome hero leading a posse and saving the small town from gangs and gunslingers. This makes the story all that more romantic and most of us are looking for romance and excitement in a story. For those who aren’t, I’d like to hear how you feel by answering the question below.

Would you rather read a fictionalized romantic version of the old west or have the theme of the story pouring with realism?


Mary Suzanne

Be sure and watch for Elevator Ride to Ecstasy on July 15th from www.eXtasybooks.com. (Fantasy Games Series)

Jade, a full-length erotic romance coming soon from www.eXcessica.com.

Religion....to use or not to use? That is the question.

I'm in Savannah, Georgia for a few days on vacation. I took this picture inside of Clary's Diner. Great place to eat breakfast if you're in the area. It's on Abercorn Street right down from another famous landmark- The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. This is one of the most amazing churches I've ever seen. The architectural details and sculptures are amazing.

As a reader do you like to read about a character's religious affiliation? I know a lot of Christian romance readers who make this the main theme of their work. A lot of them write erotica too.  

I'm working on a story right now that takes place in Savannah. The title is Sweet Tea Maggie. The main character is very religious and meets a man who has turned away from God. In this instance knowing about her religious background is mandatory. Knowing about his is also imperative for the reader. So now onto my next question- if you, yourself, aren't a very religious person would that fact turn you away from my latest story? 

I love to learn new things so I look at this as an opportunity for learning but I know some people would disagree. Go ahead- I dare you...

Kissa Starling, author of Erotic Romance

www.kissastarling.com

Jade's New Releases

Who Am I?
Mainstream Romance: Mystery/Suspense, Contemporary
ISBN: 978-1-60435-114-9
Cover Artist: Shirley Burnett
Editor: Jean Paq
Word Count: 9,040
Release Date: July 03, 2008


What would you do if you woke up one morning with no memory? And in a strange, yet gorgeous man's home? What if someone was trying to kill you and you didn't know why?

Sage has to figure out the answers before she and Wyatt, the stranger who saved her life, end up dead.


Excerpt 1

Wyatt paced in the kitchen as he listened to the hold music, while waiting for the doctor to come on the line. Suddenly it died and the doctor picked up, "Phoenix, everything okay?"
"Yes and no. She's awake, but ain't got any idea who she is."
"Sounds like you're saying she's got amnesia."
"If that means she can't remember her own name then, yeah she does." There was silence on the other end of the line. "Doc, you there?"
"Yeah, I'll be out as soon as I can, given the roads are clear. Just keep her from over exerting herself and getting too excited."
"I'll do my best, Doc."
"See ya later, Phoenix."
"Sure, Doc." Hanging up, he ran a hand through his hair. What the hell was he going to do? He'd hoped when she'd woken up she'd call somebody and be gone. But he couldn't, with good conscience, kick her out on her pretty little derriere. Especially now that she didn't know who she was or what she was doing here in the first place. Damn it, Tracy was right, he had a soft spot and he was beginning to think it was in his head. After returning the phone to its cradle, he headed upstairs.
Well today would be a waste, he'd never get back to his chores, now. He knew it'd be all right, his farm hands, Anthony and Diego, would take care of everything. The ranch was pretty small in comparison to others. There were the horses he bred and sold, several milking cows, a bull, pigs, and chickens. Selling a cow and sometimes a pig, along with the horses, brought in enough money to keep him comfortable and pay the bills.
Upstairs he knocked on the door to the guestroom. When there was no answer, he peeked in thinking maybe she'd fallen back asleep. The bed was rumpled and empty, the empty dishes sat on the tray at the foot of the bed. He heard water running in the adjoined bathroom. Walking over, he picked up the tray. Behind him the bathroom door opened, he turned and couldn't help but stare. Champagne blond curls tumbled to just below her shoulders, the night shirt she had on fell to her thighs and seemed to outline every curve of her small frame. She was easily the most attractive woman he'd ever seen.

For more info or to buy click here.

Title - Jessie's Dirty Little Secret
Publisher- Lyrical Press, Inc.
Genre - Paranormal
Heat Level - Intense
Word Count - 14,135
Price - $2.50

We all have our demons...

Jessie has a secret. She's inherited Garin, the family incubus. For generations, he's granted Jessie's family wealth, power and privilege, but it comes with a price... In return, they must satisfy the demon's sexual desire.

Now it's Jessie's turn. When she proves a match for Garin's insatiable appetites, her escapades draw the attention of a god who has demands of his own.

Will Jessie sacrifice everything to satisfy her carnal desires?

Warning: Warning this title contains: menage a trios, BSDM, caning, and whipping--all that fun stuff.

Excerpt
Jessie sat next to her aunt’s grave as the wooden coffin was slowly lowered into the ground. Her best friend, Sasha, sat on one side of her, Todd on the other. Looking up, Jessie found Garin watching the proceedings from the shade of an oak a few feet away. After giving her a small wave he turned and walked away. With a half-hearted sigh, she leaned into Todd, and he slipped his arm around her waist. Beside her, Sasha took her hand. Together they lead her down to the car. Jessie nodded and absently thanked people as they murmured their condolences.
Todd suddenly tightened his hold on Jessie. “Amber, what are you doing here?”
Jessie blinked at the sudden appearance of Todd’s secretary. The golden-haired diva gave Jessie a sad smile. “I just wanted to give you my condolences, Jessie. Todd’s told me how much your aunt meant to you. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, Amber,” Jessie replied. Once back in the car, Jessie looked at Todd. “What was she doing here?”
He shrugged, not looking at her. “I guess just what she said.”
That was bull and he knew it. Neither she nor Amber liked one another. Especially since Jessie had caught Amber making moves on Todd more than once. Thinking, Jessie remained quiet on the way home. He’d had that look. The same one he always had when he was lying. So what was going on?
As they pulled into the driveway she turned to Todd. “I think I’m going to take a hot shower, then lay down for a bit.”
He nodded as they got out of the car and headed up to the front door. “That sounds like a good idea, you look a little worn out.”
She gave him a peck on the cheek and headed up to her bedroom. Inside, she went into the bathroom and locked the door. Shedding her clothes, she walked over and turned on the water. After giving it a moment to adjust, she stepped in under the spray, calling, “Garin.” Right now she need what Todd wasn’t willing to give her—a good hard, rough fuck to release some of the pain she felt.
Out of nowhere, an arm grabbed her about the waist and swung her face first against the hard, cold tiles of the shower. Her hands made a fleshy smack against the shower wall. An invisible force pulled her hands over her head and held them there as if shackled.

For more info or to buy click here.

YUM! Isn't This A Helluva Hot Cover?

Doesn't this cover shriek HOT MONKEY SEX??? I just love it. Gotta have a hot, buff, male torso on erotic romance book covers, and eXcessica delivered.

This is the cover for my soon-to-be released collection of short stories, "Summer Heat: Steaming Stories For A Hot Summer Afternoon".

Whatcha think? Not bad, huh?

Coming Soon From eXcessica: Summer Heat

I am doing the happy dance again!! eXcessica just accepted my anthology of short stories "Summer Heat: Steaming Stories For A Hot Summer Afternoon".

I hope it will be released in a couple of weeks. It's in the editing stage now. I belted this one out as fast as I could because I wanted a summer release. I've long had a dream of publishing an anthology of short stories, and this one is my dream come true!

Keep an eye on my blog, my Yahoo group, and my newsletter. When "Summer Heat" is available for sale, I'll announce it.

Next summer - Summer Heat II. I have no idea what publisher yet. That's a year away. ;)

Here's my blurb:

Six sexy stories to set your pulse racing on a hot summer afternoon. A shapeshifter finds herself in a very compromised position with the man of her dreams. Two luscious women have sexy fun with popsicles to ward off the summer heat. Three women have one thing in common – the same man! They get their revenge against him in a most creative way. A man, a woman, a remote controlled vibrator, and a church picnic. Use your imagination. A missing kitty brings Kat together with her very sexy neighbor. Jenny is a tough-as-nails prosecutor by day – but a submissive wench by night. When the summer heat is at its hottest, you never know what might happen.

Here's an excerpt from the shapeshifter story, "Double Shift":

Oh, no!! Did Michelle cancel her trip? There was nowhere to hide, and she didn’t have enough time to shift back into her normal form.

She was up the creek without the proverbial paddle.

“Hey, Michelle! I’m bored! Let’s go out tonight.”

It was Brian. Damn him, he had a key to Michelle’s place! Mary’s heart pounded in her chest. What on earth was she going to do? How could she possibly get herself out of this mess?

Didn’t he know Michelle went away for a few days? Maybe she hadn’t called him yet. When she did, how would he explain the Other Michelle standing in a pile of colorful clothing on the floor?

Think fast, Mary!! There has to be a way out of this!

Brian walked into Michelle’s bedroom in time to see Mary standing with half of her body in the crimson dress and one arm sticking out of it. Mary could only imagine how ridiculous she looked.

“What’s this? Playing dress-up?”

“I’m … I’m just going through my clothes to see what I can throw out.”

“You, throw out something? That’ll never happen. I have itchy feet. Let’s go out clubbing tonight.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not? You love clubbing.”

Mary had never been clubbing in her life. It wasn’t the kind of thing she normally did. So how was this day normal in any way? She didn’t go clubbing, but Michelle did.

So, she would go clubbing. What could it hurt? After all, what would they do, have a few drinks? Listen to some really bad local bands? Couldn’t be much more than that.

Mary was in for a surprise!

She had twelve hours until she turned back into Scary Mary. She’d be back home in her own bed before that happened. What the hell. Go out clubbing. It’s not like she had anything better to do. Besides, clubbing could be fun!

More fun than she had counted on.

New At Nuts4chic - Foot Fetishes

This week, my article at nuts4chic is about foot fetishes. There are lots of people who have kinky fantasies about feet. Toe sucking and foot massaging and foot binding and all kinds of strange things involving feet.

You should see some of the kinkiest shoes I've ever seen. Could you wear something that looks like this without feeling your back break?



How about these boots? Don't they make your toes cry out in pain?



Then there's Chinese foot binding. That practices deforms a woman's feet, and she cannot walk. All for the want of a "lotus" - a small foot that is considered beautiful. The top, larger picture is of what happens to the human foot when bound for the sake of "beauty". It's barbaric.



So, foot fetishes are more than just strange. They can be debilitating to the human body. Wearing those "stylish" shoes can harm your feet and put great strain on your spine. I've already explained how Chinese foot binding is harmful.

There are good things about paying attention to feet, such as a good foot massage. I love foot massages, and I have the proper massage oils to give and receive them. Go read my article to learn more about the bizarre fixation on feet, and healthier ways to pamper your feet.

Are YOU Bi-Curious?

Bi-Curious

Have you ever heard the term Bi-Curious? Do you know what it means?

I have come across this term three or four times in the last few weeks. I all cases it referred to women but I suppose men could be bi-curious as well.

I found the following discussion involving Bi-curiosity on the internet and decided to share it with you.

What is Bi-Curious?

A bi-curious person is a heterosexual man or woman who also finds the idea of same sex coupling intriguing.

True confessions, girls: Have you ever wondered what it might be like to kiss the lips of another woman? Ever woken from a lusty dream about a lady lover? Ever secretly mused about being, you know, intimate, with a girlfriend? If you whispered yes to any of these questions, you might just be bi-curious.

What does it mean?

Let's pretend you'd never in your whole life eaten anything but Italian food: Ziti, lasagna, manicotti — all perfectly tasty stuff. Nobody would raise an eyebrow if you eventually started wondering about the flavors of Indian, Chinese or French cuisine, right? (seemed like a weak analogy to me)

So, would it be strange for a woman who's been with only men her whole life to develop a curiosity about what else is out there. Would a female paramour have a whole new take on lovemaking? What's it like to be in a romantic relationship with a woman? The bi-curious woman may choose to pursue her curiosities into the real world, or keep them tucked secretly into her own private fantasyland. It's entirely up to her — and it's nobody's business but her own.

Are all straight women bi-curious?
No, not necessarily. Woman-to-woman friendships are famous for deep emotional intimacy and tender physical affection. Heart connections and handholds between two girlfriends don't necessarily imply any sexual undercurrents whatsoever. It's a time-tested recipe for a genuinely close, and purely platonic, bond.

Is bi-curiosity just a fleeting fancy, or does it mean that deep down I'm really bisexual, or even lesbian?

It could be a passing reverie, or it could be the beginning of some big changes. According to the Kinsey Scale, a widely accepted measure of sexual orientation, very few people are strictly heterosexual, or exclusively gay. In fact, most people's sexual orientation falls somewhere along the spectrum in between the two absolutes, and it can change over time. Fantasies, dreams and curiosities may drift across gender lines, whether or not they are ever acted upon. In other words, most folks have at least some capacity for bisexuality at some point in their lives, be it in the imagination or in the bedroom. And it's perfectly normal.

But wait, I've always assumed I was straight!

And so you may be. But sisters, Sappho was no fool. Women are beautiful creatures. (As a man, I can vouch for this) Who amongst the living can gaze upon the Venus de Milo and not be captivated by those callipygian curves? Add the sensuality and sensibility of a real live female, and you really can't blame a girl if she becomes a little intrigued from time to time.

So, it's all good?

Sexual orientation is not simply black and white, and it is not carved in stone. And bi-curiosity is just that: Curiosity. The musings of your erotic imagination are your own private business, and it's up to you to pursue a lifestyle and lovestyle that suits you. These days it's all about being true to yourself, being responsible and honest with others, and enjoying love, lust and life itself to the fullest.

One woman’s description of her Bi-Curiosity:

For me, it means that you have been straight in practice, but have had same-sex leanings that you have not explored. I think it is different to being bi-sexual. I once said to a bi-woman that I don’t feel that I can yet call myself bi-sexual because I have not had a same-sex sexual experience. She countered with the argument that the world is filled with virgins who know they are straight. She had a point, which made me think. I guess in the end, I'd rather "try it out" before I make up my mind.

So Ladies

Are any of you Bi-curious? Do any of you have Bi-sexual leanings? An experience? Do you dare to tell us?

I’m Curious

Whether bi-curious, bi-sexual or hopelessly heterosexual, I’d like hear your thoughts.

SIDE NOTE

My sexy new book, Love and Seduction in Las Vegas was released today.

Here’s a trailer on the book. Check it out then buy the book:

Love and Seduction in Las Vegas

Summer of Awakenin'

Author Note: Warning; Graphic sexual content. Make sure when you read this ramble you do it with a slow, sexy southern drawl please. ‘Cause that’s the way it’s intended. Wouldn’t want to mess with a memory now would ya? This isn’t a poem and it isn’t quite a story. It’s something called a POUR.

Summer of Awakenin’
or if you prefer:
Southern Boys and Mama’s from Hell


I can still feel his long black hair between my fingers, soft and smooth, glidin’ across my flesh like silk. And his scent. Oh God, I can close my eyes and breathe it in right now. To this day my nipples harden whenever I catch a whiff of Old Spice.
I laugh about it now ’cause I know that boy didn’t buy it for himself. He stole it from his Daddy no doubt. But that night I knew he’d worn it special just for me. Guess he thought it made him a man somehow.
And for a while…I guess it did.
For certain it made me weak in the knees. Or maybe it was just the fact that by wearin’ it he announced his intentions to me. At least that’s how I see it now. And his intentions of course were to get laid. My my. He expected me to make him a man.
Just how the hell he expected me to do that is beyond me. Like I knew how to suck his cock. I didn’t.
We’d made our plans that day in history class. Old Man Rivers was as deaf as a post and dumber too. For days Jimmy had been slidin’ his desk closer and closer. All the while grinnin’ at me and me grinin’ right back and not knowin’ why.
And that day he finally got the nerve to touch me.
At first he put his hand on the seat next to my thigh. I remember it made me nervous, but it was a nice kind of nervous. Know what I mean? Then he pressed the back of his hand against me and I stopped breathin’. I swear I felt like I’d swallowed a bee and it was buzzin’ around inside o’ me.
And then his hand rode up high on my waist.
Now that was a different feelin’ altogether. The heat from that boy’s hand literally traveled the rest of the way up and wrapped itself around my breasts. Hells Bells! That was a shot right between the legs. I think I may have giggled then. Not sure. It was so long ago and I was after all just before passin’ out.
He leaned over~~not eye level~~more like breast level~~and whispered to me. His breath tickled the skin on my arm and the vibrations caused by his voice raised a rash of chill bumps the likes of which I’ve never had again. How can you be hot and cold all at once?
At that moment I thought of Mama. I wasn’t allowed to date. And this sure as hell wasn’t a date, but, something told me Mama would not approve. But something else told me not to give a damn too!
I’m not sure if it was the buzzin’ that bee was doin’ inside o’ me or the way all our friends were starin’ at us, but I couldn’t hear a thing Jimmy was sayin’ so I inclined my head to listen.
"I’ll be down by the pond tonight. Meet me at midnight."
I hadn’t expected that and when he said it I looked up. I can see his dark blue eyes so clearly. I never said yes or no. And he moved away then, as if it was a done deal.
And I guess it was.
I moved through the rest of that day as if I was walkin’ through a thick cloud. Only the cloud was inside my head. Meetin’ him was gonna take some doin’ on my part. I’d have to slip out the window and if I got caught…
I barely ate a thing at dinner that night. Which was a good thing. It played right into that, "I’m not feelin’ so well" excuse I gave. I simply couldn’t spend another minute with my family. I wanted to be alone with my thoughts.
Mama came up about ten and said good night. I was already in bed, feignin' sleep. She didn’t care though. She woke me to ask if I was asleep.
After she left I went back to what I was doin' which was watchin’ the clock. I figured it would take me about fifteen minutes to get to the pond. Somehow though I knew I’d get there early. Knew he’d be there waitin’ too.
At twenty past eleven I couldn’t stand it another minute. I got out o’ bed and threw on my shorts and t-shirt and slipped my feet in my flip flops. The window was stuck- of course. And I knew every time I pushed on it my Mama heard it. I kept runnin’ back and forth to the door and openin’ it to look down the hall to see if she was comin’.
Finally I got the window to move a little, and inch by inch, opened it far enough to climb through. When I hit the ground I took off runnin’ and lost a flip flop the very first thing. I scrambled for it like a fool. I should’ve left it.
If I was gonna get naked why the hell did I need flip flops?
I’d like to say that I was imaginin’ all kinds of things. That I could see him kissin’ me or layin’ me down on the grass and fuckin’ me. Not that I was all too sure of exactly what that was. I mean I knew, but do you ever really know until you actually do it?
The truth is I had no idea what I was runnin’ to. Not a clue as to what to expect. And then I did actually have a thought. What if he didn’t show up? I stopped dead in my tracks and almost turned around. But that didn’t last long. I started runnin’ again, only slowin’ down and walkin’ just before I got there. I didn’t want to be out o’ breath when we met. Even then I had enough sense to know that you never let a man see how anxious you are. I guess I forgot about bein’ thirty minutes early and how that might appear. But he was there. Waitin’.
He looked down at the ground. So did I. We said hello. I walked down to the edge o’ the pond and Jimmy asked if I wanted to sit on the pier. I shrugged. More danger. That rickety ol’ pier had been there since the beginning o’ time.
So we sat side by side. Waitin’. On what? Hell I knew he was gonna kiss me sooner or later. We talked about school for a few minutes and then it happened. He put his arm around me. Got to give the boy credit. He moved faster than most men I’ve known. Of course most men have been slapped at least once and know better than to move too fast. They look for signals. Jimmy wasn’t experienced enough to look for a signal. But the truth be told, if I were a signal, I’d have been a flashing red light!
My lower belly tightened. And God, yes, my clit was throbbin’ and I didn’t even know I had one. But I sure as hell knew where it was after that night. His lips were cool and wet. Mine were hot and dry. He tasted like Bazooka bubble gum and yes, he smelled of Old Spice.
I guess because I kissed him back he got brave, 'cause he pushed his tongue between my lips. And you know what I found out? You really do melt just like they say in all those romance books, because I did. The evidence was in the creamy feel of my slit. And later of course I realized the crotch of my panties were wet too.
We sort o’ fell back on the pier. It was a clumsy move and all of a sudden he was all hands. And I couldn’t keep up. The faster I pushed him away from one spot the faster he moved to another.
Not that I’m complainin’. It was instinctive that I kept pushin’ him away and that he kept comin’ back for more. We finally settled down a little bit and he started to rub my breasts. And he still had his tongue in my mouth. The nice thing about Jimmy was he seemed to know when to apply pressure and when to let up. He could teach a grown man a trick or two and that’s a fact.
Well I finally did it. Yep. I up and moaned. God help me, I did. Fuck the flashin’ light signalin’ for more, I had my own built in siren too. It was all the encouragement Jimmy needed. Next stop? You guessed it. His hand went straight to my pussy. And I swear to ya, as I live and breathe, I bucked like a wild horse, throwin’ that boy right off o’ me. We both sat straight up and stared at each other a few moments. He was confused. I don’t blame him. So was I.
He said, "I guess you don’t want to do this."
And I said, "I don’t know."
So he said, "Why don’t we just kiss for a while then?"
I agreed. Kissin’ I could handle. So we started kissin’. And sure enough his hand went to my breasts again. Well I kinda liked that anyway, but after a while it wasn’t enough. Never is. Is it?
This time his hand slipped inside the waist band of my shorts. And I let him. He started rubbin’ the lower part of my belly, gettin’ close to the curls hidin’ my sex. You know in a lot of ways I was shy, but not that shy. I kinda figured if he can do this so can I. So I started rubbin’ the front of his jeans. He was so fuckin’ hard. Of course I didn’t understand that. Well at least not until he unbuttoned his jeans and pulled the damned thing out and laid it in my hand! It was smooth and hard and soft all at the same time. Imagine that. A cock in my hand.
"Play with it," he said.
"How?" I said.
"Just rub it and kiss it a bit."
Kiss it? Did he really say Kiss it? I know I’d been nervous about even bein’ there in the first place. And I was shakin’ a bit too. But hell. I kissed it. Right on the end. The head. That’s when Jimmy pushed me down and dead on it. It was in my mouth before I knew it. And Jimmy was moving in and out. I started to gag and fell backward. I bet Ol’ Jimmy learned a lesson about that. And then again, maybe not. Men are like that ya know. Shove it in at all costs.
Anyway it didn’t stop Jimmy. He got on top of me and started to hump up and down against the front of my shorts. His hand went inside again and this time he made it down into the curls and inside the slit.
OH MY GOD. Katie bar the door. I spread ’em wide. Yes I did!
He rubbed and humped. Rubbed and humped. And every once in a while he actually hit the right spot too. Before you know it the world started spinnin’ and I DID NOT WANT TO GET OFF! The world that is. The getting’ off part I was mighty pleased with.
Jimmy however, was having a rough time of it. As soon as I was in my right mind again I noticed he’d stopped and was movin’ his cock back and forth in his hand.
I guess more of those instincts kicked in ’cause I reached over and grabbed it from him and started jerkin’ it back and forth. And it didn’t take long. All that creamy white stuff started shootin’ out o’ him and I pulled my hand away. He put his hand on it himself then and kept right on strokin’ too. It just kept oozin’ and I kept lookin’. And believe it or not I understood he was feelin’ the same thing I’d just felt.
And I thought that was kinda nice.
After that we were both a bit embarrassed I think. So we kissed one more time and talked about meetin’ again the next night. I didn’t run home as I wasn’t at all anxious to get there. I even stopped out in the yard and stared at the house for a long time. It was dark and all was quiet.
You know I think I must’ve started holding my breath the moment I went out that window, 'cause all of a sudden I relaxed and let out a long one. I hadn’t been caught and something pretty damned special had happened to me. I tip-toed over to the window and started climbin’ in. About half way through I was dragged the rest o’ the way.
Mama.
The lights switched on and there was Daddy too. Mama was screamin’ at me like a banshee. She threw me on the bed and started hittin’ me with her fists. Over and over she just kept hittin’ me and askin’ me where I’d been and what I’d been doin’, never givin’ me a chance to answer. She had all the answers. Told me I’d been off with a boy and havin’ sex and bein’ a nasty girl.
Daddy just stood there with his head hung. There wasn’t anything he could do.
Mama was like that. Don’t get me wrong, she had good days too. Bright, sweet days when her laughter was like magic. But she had her dark times for sure. Mama was broken. I knew it. Daddy knew it. And we forgave her every time.
I don’t know how long she beat me. Don’t really care. I didn’t cry that time. I had something inside me stronger than Mama. I guess maybe I sorta became a woman that night. I was different. I know that for a fact. I think she knew it too, 'cause she couldn’t beat me enough.
After a while she left me there. Out o’ breath she spat her last words. "Lyin’ little slut." And she switched off the light.
I couldn’t go to school for a while after that. My eyes were swollen shut. Too black, too blue. And of course I didn’t see Jimmy the next night either. When I did go back to school, he didn’t even look at me. Another year of high school and we never spoke again.
I never kissed another boy until after I left home either. I had a couple of opportunities, but I didn’t want to risk makin’ Mama mad. There was a part o’ me too that wanted to keep Jimmy’s kiss safe. If I didn’t kiss anyone else, he’d always be there somehow.
Mama died o’ cancer a few years ago. She died angry- just as angry as she lived. I think o' Jimmy often, wondering where he is. Is he happy? Does he ever think o’ me? I keep a bottle of Old Spice in a cabinet in the bathroom. It’s hard to find Bazooka bubble gum. But every once in a while I see it some place. I buy every single piece they have. THE END.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed this, check out my Gabriel's Ride Series, releasing today from Freya's Bower. Gabriel will make you sweat! http://www.freyasbower.com/content/view/398/71



Coming Soon from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid
http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com/torrid
His Sweet Obsession

Visit Tess’s Website http://www.tessmackall.literalseduction.com
Visit Tess’s MySpace http://www.myspace.com/tessmackall
Join Tess’s Newsletter http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TessMackall
Tess on the Nice n’ Naughty Blog http://nicennaughtyauthors.blogspot.com
Tess on the Sensual Secrets Blog http://sensualnsecret.blogspot.com

Erotic Birthday Spankings, anyone?

All of the recent birthdays have me wondering...

Spankings.  We all get them as kids, either for punishment, birthdays, or just a "tag, you're it!" type of spanking.



Have you ever had a 'fun' spanking get serious in one helluva hurry? Sexy serious? As in 'drag-him/her-over-to-the-nearest-wall-or-flat-surface-and-take-care-of-those-red-hot-cheeks'??



Oh my. I've been on both sides -- how about you? What's the most erotic spanking you've ever gotten? C'mon -- spill the beans! I'll never tell...

(but you might read it in a book! LOL)

 

What's your superpower?

This seems to be the summer of the superhero. Due to my hubby's love of superhero movies, I've seen Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, and I'm sure we'll be seeing Hancock, Hellboy 2, and The Dark Knight. Fortunately, this enables me to see lots of hot guys, since most superhero movies feature sexy actors. Can you say Edward Norton and Christian Bale?

All of these superhero flicks have started me thinking--a dangerous thing indeed! Would it be better to be an ordinary person with extraordinary tools and suits, like Iron Man or Batman, or would it be better to have inborn abilities like Superman? What about guys like Bruce Banner/the Hulk and Spider Man, whose powers are created by science gone wrong?

And what would be the coolest superpower? There are so many to choose from: flight, speed, strength, durability, invisibility, x-ray vision (lol), shapeshifting, telepathy, telekinesis...the list goes on an on!

So what do you all think? What's the coolest superpower? Which one would you choose to have? How would you get it?



Cassandra Gold

Fantasies: New Year’s Eve and Fantasies: Independence Day now available from Red Rose Publishing!
Alpha-Omega now available from Torquere Press!
www.cassandragold.com
http://www.myspace.com/cassandragold
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cassandra_gold/

The Day After the Fourth...

I hope everyone had a wonderful fourth!!

So now we have (echo)"the day after", with some hangovers going on, still full bellies, burned fingertips from both the BBQ and those snappy little firecrackers, and hearing loss from letting those whistlers go to close to the ears.
Isn’t celebrating GREAT!!!!

Well, I can say, I saw fireworks when my man kissed me .
Yeppers, had a wonderful evening all alone, he cooked dinner, I’m talking nice big rib eye steaks, baked potato, and a salad, how more yummy can you get? (The man can cook people, the man can cook Then a movie and some wine. Mmmmm hmmmm, I’m telling you, NOW that’s a way to celebrate. *Grins*

So what did you guys do? Drive the crowds looking for a place to watch the firework show, BBQ at your house and light your own, head to the beach with the millions of others to see the sparkly spinsters, or just have a quiet evening at home like me, watching a movie and making out on the couch like a couple of teenagers? *Giggles*

Now that we have the giggling out of the way. LOL.

July is the month that my new release The Devil Himself has published with Whiskey Creek Press Torrid.
So in honor of that, and keeping the celebrating going from the fourth *Grins*, I’m having a GIVEAWAY.

The Prizes...
4 gifts for 4 entrants ~

First Gift - A copy of The Devil Himself
Second Gift - A copy of A Slave’s Way Out
Third & Fourth Gift - A Copy of my erotic short story A Night to Remember

The Announcement...
At the Midnight Seductions Chat - Hosted by
The Romance Erotica Connection
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Romance_erotica_connection
Friday July 25th at 2:00 PM


How to enter…
Email Authorcasalo@aol.com
With “July Giveaway” in the subject line.

Vampires = H.O.T

I'm a happy bunny today :) So happy, I could squeal from the rooftops.

Why is she so happy?, I hear you ask.

Well, The Vampire Oracle: Power releases from Cobblestone Press today. It's live. It's for sale.

A writer lives for days like these. Their words, the words they've labored over for months, are in print (e-print for me) and are available to anyone who wants to read them. It's such a thrill to know that people besides my family, critique partners and editor will read my work (and hopefully enjoy it too). It makes the days that I spend typing until my fingers bleed soooo worth it!

Power was a first for me. I've always been a fan of vampire romances (Buffy anyone?) but it wasn't until Cobblestone Press put out a call for The Vampire Oracle series that I decided to try my hand at one. And I'm so glad I went for it.

Bottom line- vampires are hot. Seriously hot. Smoking hot. Brooding, dark, tortured. My hero in Power is Jourdain, a centuries-old vampire who's on a revenge mission. He doesn't count on having amazing sex with Bryanne, my heroine. And he certainly doesn't count on falling in love with her.

This book was a lot of fun to write, and I hope that people will have a lot of fun reading it. Check out the blurb and click the link for an excerpt.


The Vampire Oracle: Power
Buy / Read an Excerpt Here

Jourdain has spent years tracking the Elemental Ruby to Chicago. Desperate to destroy the danger it could cause, he will do anything to find it, even deceive.

Bryanne, the ruby’s owner, is fascinated by the stranger who rescued her from the hands of an attacker. Unaware of his motives, she responds to his sexual energy and welcomes him into her bed.

But when an enemy ups the stakes, Jourdain is forced to come clean. Should Bryanne trust Jourdain or run as fast as she can? One thing’s for sure, the wrong decision could mean death.



For a chance to win a copy of Power, join me tonight at the Cobblestone Press chatroom at 7pm Central. It's always a lot of fun!

Have a great weekend everyone!


Ava

Available Now from Cobblestone Press: Power

Website ~ Blog ~ MySpace ~ Yahoo Group

Some fun health tips for the summer. :)

A lot of you are wondering, I'm sure, how to brave the swimsuit season that is now upon us. It's not uncommon to be so swamped with work, family, and responsibilities that we don't have time to do the things we want to do like go to the gym after work, or go food shopping in advance in order to be sure we eat right. I'm a bit of a health nut myself, but I try to be moderate with it.

And so in light of the season (and oh, what a season!), I bring you... Adrianne's Tips for Getting Into Your Favorite Swimsuit and Therefore Impressing Hot Guys:


1) Don't skip meals. I mean it. You'll only compensate for the calories later and it won't teach you how to eat in order to maintain afterwards.

2) Drink plenty of water, and ditch the soda. Soda dehydrates and it's calories you don't need besides. And instead of diet soda, drink tea. My favorite combo is green and mint tea. :)

3) Go out for walks during your lunch break. It's a great way to fit in exercise to a busy schedule.

4) Take the stairs versus the elevator, and park further away from the office. Every chance you have to avoid being sedentary and keep active counts.

5) Brown bag it. It's less taxing on your wallet and you're less likely to eat junk food that way.

6) If you go out for drinks, only have ONE and nurse it--and avoid the overly sugary drinks like daiquiris, margaritas, and fruity wines. Dry white wine averages about 60-65 calories per glass. Two of those and you might as well have had a soda. Moderation is the key!

7) Eat healthy snacks. Things like fruit and chopped veggies are good. My favorite snack is this brown rice cake that's butter and caramel flavored--it's like eating super healthy popcorn with an amazingly low sugar content. However, there's no dairy or gluten in there--a nice to know for the allergic out there. :)

8) If you order salads, get them either with very lean protein or completely without--and either get fat-free/lo-cal dressing on the side or just use a small amount of olive oil, vinegar, and pepper. Some salads are high enough in calorie and fat content that you might as well have had a cheeseburger.

9) When you eat out, fill up on soup or salads first before your meal. And doggie bag the rest.

10) Another restaurant tip is ordering appetizers for your main meal. I like to order things like spring veggie rolls (rice wrapper with fresh veggies, no frying or anything like that) and hummus plates.


What are some of your favorite summer activities? Do you find yourself more or less active when the weather gets warmer?

Me, I do yoga year round, but am more likely to go outside for power walks and long walks when it's warm outside. I also enjoy swimming, and plan to replace the tires on my bike and enjoy the trails.



Love & Magic,
-A

Adriana in New York

Do you love New York or hate it? We love it! Maybe it’s our own version of Sex and the City - our next release Smoldering Passion (Whiskey Creek Torrid, July 15) pulls together what we love best about New York and pays tribute to a favorite aunt.

We placed heroine Melissa Hopkins in a Brooklyn apartment and neighborhood based on our son’s. One of my favorite scenes takes place in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Shakespeare Garden, where I’ve often sat and watched the crowd on NYC trips.

Hero Harry Gage runs a Manhattan center for sexual studies and lives in a condo apartment overlooking Central Park - his floor to ceiling window is featured on our cover (by Jinger Heaston). Here’s a link to that excerpt, but that’s getting ahead of our story.

When the story opens, Melissa’s an art student working on her Masters degree, and she needs a job. She’s technically very proficient in her art medium but has been told she lacks passion. She answers an ad for a research worker at Harry’s center - where her aunt used to work. We’ll let readers decide if Melissa succeeds in unlocking her hidden passions - we think they were smoldering all along.

Passion is exactly what prompted my favorite aunt to pursue a groundbreaking career in sex studies and erotic art and to champion women’s rights, and this book is dedicated to her memory.

Adriana

http://www.adrianakraft.com/