Lists, Lists, and More Lists

I am a verbal lister. I always have been. People tend to stare at me funny and ask, "What did you say?" at the most interesting times simply because of my verbal listing tendencies. What I mean to say is, I say my lists out loud. I'll walk around and mutter and mumble to myself about needing to do this and that, then remind myself that I need to do such and such before I do this or that.


It's worked out so far, but I'm finding that I'm far too easily distracted sometimes just making the list. And when many of these lists involve my characters and my stories, well, I'm screwed then, because then the characters take over and they all have lists of their own. So, I've declared a cease and desist on verbal listing and I've moved on to actually writing this shit down.


And -- it seems to be working. Damn it. Don't you hate when all the things you've fought against doing because you've argued that doing it wouldn't amount to anything, that you'd just be wasting your time and supplies... Been there, done that, and wouldn't you know it, it turns out doing it works, and I have to admit I was wrong. Man, I hate that. (It could have been worse, I know. My mom could have been the one urging me to make the written lists. Now there's a scary thought, having to admit -- again, ughh -- that my mom was .... *shudder* right. Oh the pain of it makes me want to crawl back in bed.)


Oh, don't think I'll zip through all my lists like a house afire. Oh no. I do pretty well on completing a majority of the tasks on the lists, but there's always something left over to carry into the next day. And yes, I have been listing every day. For over two weeks.


Kinda scarier is that I've been going through and getting things done, getting my house and self organized. The thing that strikes me as more frightening, is that once I've gotten everything neatly organized, I won't have any excuse to put off writing my blogs ahead of schedule... **sigh**


I'll be a real grown up then. Eww, **shudder** growing up and acting my age? Nah! Ain't gonna happen. LOL.


I guess I'll just have to get used to a clean and organized work environment and home and leave the chaos and disorder in my books. Yup, that's my plan -- dump the chaos and disorder on my characters (WEG-- HAHAHAHA)


Serves 'em right for all the hard times they've given me. Okay, time to go start on my day's lists. Have a great one!!


Qwillia

What Makes Me Blush

You would think, as an author of highly erotic romance novels, it would be difficult to make me blush. Not true. If anyone turns their attention toward me, I go red. And not a becoming pink flush to the cheeks -- oh no -- I go beet red and it only gets worse when someone points out that I'm red.

I have no problem discussing the most intimate information with others. I've done my research and investigated all kinds of fun and kinky things, but don't expect me to talk about them without coloring up.

This can prove a bit distracting, especially when I discuss my philosophy behind Dominant/submissive relationships and the inclusion of BDSM in novels. I mean really, just how serious are you going to take a presentation about Power Exchanges, when the lady talking is bright red from the top of her head to the tip of her toes? Heck, even my scalp goes neon!

It's not that I'm ashamed or uneasy about the subject -- far from that. I love analyzing D/s and BDSM information. I just don't like to be the center of attention.

And it isn't just sex that makes me blush. Even when I taught, I had issues with blushing. The kids would focus on me when I was giving instructions and one voice would pipe up with, "Wow, you're red! Are you angry?" and I'd have to say, no, I'm not angry, I just blush easily.

I don't think it's going to change any time soon, so I've resigned myself to keeping my discussion about kink centered to online groups. LOL, at least this way, the people reading the emails or chats, can't see how red I am.

I'm a #1 Bestseller!

I'm so excited! My pub emailed to tell me that PROTECTIVE CUSTODY, my Dec my contemporary erotic romance release is a #1 Bestseller at WCPT! And LIBRARIAN BY DAY, which released Jan 2010 is still holding at #4 on their Top Ten Bestseller list!

To check out both books, visit WCPT or my website!

http://www.whiskeycreekpresstorrid.com/

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/

*hugs*
Paige

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

http://www.paigetylertheauthor.com/
http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

A Second Chance Can Change Your Life

Hey all,

This last Friday, my latest book Second Chances III: Life's a Dance came out.  It's a hot romantic tale about two people who find each other after six years apart.  Here's a quick blurb.

A chance meeting between two people leads to an evening of dance, love and memories to last a lifetime.

When Heather meets the dark, handsome Dustin at the Wildhorse Saloon, she has no idea the single dance he asks of her will lead to the most important moment of her life.  But although the connection between them is immediate and powerful, she belongs to another, and all she can take home with her is the memory of a love that can never be.

Dustin St. James lives, breathes and loves music in Nashville.  As one of the most sought after studio musicians around, he has his pick of gigs and of the ladies.  Yet he's knocked off his feet when the purple-eyed Heather dances her way into his life.  Having to let her go leaves a hole in his life and in his heart.

But Fate has plans for these two and when six years later they meet again, the emotions they share have only grown stronger.  Can they struggle through the tangles of the years apart, or will their long awaited dance of love end before it's had a chance to begin?

Now while that was a bit of shameless self promotion, letting you know about my newest fantastic book isn't the main purpose of this blog.  Instead I want to talk about why I wrote the book as well as the previous ones in the series.

Each of the stories touches on a important social issue.  One I've dealt with in some way personally.  As a matter of fact, each story is based on something that happened to myself or someone I care about.

In Second Chances: Waiting in the Wings, Callie and Jordon deal with the horrible practice of date rape.  It is life changing for both of them and an issue facing men and women in all walks of life.  Most date rape is perpetrated by someone the victim knows which makes it even more insidious.

In Second Chances II: Do Me a Favor, Favor and Keeton confront a truly terrible problem in our society.  Illiteracy.  Reading is such a gift and a pleasure I couldn't imagine anyone not being able to pick up a book and read, so it was my joy to be a part of the literacy program where I used to live.

And in this newest book, Second Chances III:  Life's A Dance, Dustin and Heather tackle the terrible and destructive practice of domestic abuse.  Having survived this self esteem shredding horror myself, I wanted everyone to know how it can affect lives.  The victims as well as those around them.

 Each of these social issues are things we all see happening around us, but many don't understand how far reaching or intimately they can touch us.  For example, did you know that twenty-seven percent of Americans are functionally illiterate? Two-thirds of those are women.  Were you aware that seventy four percent of people in the USA have either been a victim of or know someone personally who has been a victim of domestic violence.  And finally, seventy-three percent of date rape victims know their attacker.  Can anything be more terrifying than to find you can't trust someone you thought you knew?

As an author, the only way I knew of to help bring these issues to the public eye is to put them in a book.  And so, the Second Chances series was born.  Having  almost lost a friend to date rape, (she  tried to commit suicide after the attack), I can say rape is something I don't find funny.  So when I wrote Waiting in the Wings, what happened to her was always on my mind.

I didn't set out to write a social series, but when I saw the response to Waiting in the Wings, I knew I had to do more.  And so I chose the two other issues I knew of personally.  So committed am I to helping people understand how horrible these issues are, I have promised to donate 50% of my author royalties to different social organizations to help out.  I hope, in some small way, I can make a difference.

If you are interested in learning more, or donating your money or time to these organizations, please check out their websites.

Rape Abuse Incest National Network (RAINN)/ http://www.rainn.org/

National Institute for Literacy / http://www.nifl.gov/

National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) / http://www.ncadv.org/

And do yourself a favor *grin* and pick up the series yourself.  See why I think these social issues are something we need to fight against with everything we are.  And why everyone is talking about these wonderful books!

Hugs to all and see you next month!

CJ England

 Follow Your Dreams

http://cjengland.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CJsaysFollowYourDreams/

Do You Kinect?

Do You Kinect? We do! XBox 360 Kinect is changing our lives!

Confession time – we’re baby boomers, so we didn’t grow up on Nintendo/ Playstation/ XBox – more like PacMan! Our kids did, and now their kids (yup, somehow we’ve become grandparents).

Another confession: at our house, our health is our most important priority. If we’re not healthy, we can’t keep writing our steamy stories, or traveling, or working for the causes we support , or anything else. We work out religiously. We have a NordicTrack, a stationary bike and a weight bench in our basement. In good weather we take long walks several days a week in our neighborhood. In bad weather (which means November through April, pretty much) we drive 20 minutes to the nearest mall and walk the circuit there. Religiously, and BORING, too much of the time.

So we went looking for something to spice up our routines. We also wanted something we could take on the road with us in our RV. We did our research early in the fall and made our purchase just before Christmas. We had fun at the GameStop store where we bought it – another customer listened in on some of our conversation with the sales clerk. As we finished up our transaction she said, “Boy, those kids are going to be happy Christmas morning!” We smiled (probably more like gloated) and told her it was for us!

Enter Xbox Kinect. Wow. We’ve started with Dance Central – I’m sure someday we’ll open up the Your Shape workout game we also bought, but it’s hard to imagine a better, more engaging and upbeat workout than the dance moves. I find the songs playing themselves in my head during the day at work and I can hardly wait to get home and start dancing.

And the technology? Exquisite! No need to hold a controller, keep track of it or dance on a sensor pad – the Kinect sensor nods at us when we move into the dance space, scans us, automatically signs us in, and reads our every move. If my torso or part of a limb is the slightest bit out of line when I’m executing a move, that part of the dancer on the screen is outlined in red so I know exactly where I’m falling short.

Turns out one of our kids gave us some behind the scenes info on how they do that. He’s a dancer, based in New York, and he was recruited with some other professional dancers to learn some Xbox dances so they could calibrate how much variation in individual moves to allow before the player is out of compliance. Pretty high tech!

So, we’re hooked. Lady GaGa’s Poker Face, the old classic Funky Town, Down, Pon de Replay – the list goes on, 32 in all, and access to more on line. Next in our sites: we’re about to download the Black Eyed Peas’ I gotta Feeling. Watch for us on the dance floor – we’ll keep you posted!!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO SELL AN E-BOOK?

Sam was looking for love, and he wasn’t finding it in the accounting firm where he labored daily in his cubicle. A trip on a party train might be the answer. As he rides the rails he meets Jacob, and the train isn’t the only thing pounding the rails through the night. It’s love and lust when hearts collide on the LOVE TRAIN.

Available today from www.romancedivine.com and Amazon.com Kindle Books. Available tomorrow from a number of ebook selling sites.


As you know that isn’t an easy question to answer. Some writers hire promotional companies to post their e-books to the different yahoo sites, but lately, some of the owners of the sites are restricting how many excerpts can be posted each day by these businesses.

I try to follow the rules of the different sites, but sometimes it gets confusing. Some will let you post only one excerpt per week, while another will allow two per author per week. (Scheduled Days) Then there are those that will let an author post two daily as long as there isn’t a scheduled chat. It’s hard to keep up with where you can post and how many are allowed.

One of the publisher’s I write for places our books on a variety of sites to sell. He combines our published books into a book trailer to use for advertisement and also loads the same trailer to You Tube. He’s also started converting our books into audio versions and finding a market for them. I believe this is his way of trying to promote his authors. So far, with my continuous promotions weekly and his trying to find the most advantageous selling venues, my sales are increasing, but the work of promoting is tedious.

On one of the groups, an author said he wasn’t having much luck in sales even with giving away books in contests or posting excerpts to the different sites. I say to him to just keep at it and it could pay off in the future.

I’m always dreaming of the day when an author’s name is recognized once a book comes out and the need for promoting will be a thing of the past. I’m hoping for one such day, but I don’t think that’s anytime soon.

Here’s a question to any author reading this blog. Do you believe all the work involved in promoting your e-book will pay off in the long run?

http://www.mary-suzanne.blogspot.com/
http://www.webspawner.com/users/Romancewriter/index.html

Ever had a character come to life?

I love the show Castle and watch it every week. The latest episode had Nikki Heat come to life- they are filming a movie after the book in this episode. Well anyway when the 'author' sees his character literally come to life he realizes his fantasy has come true. She is everything he imagined, and created, her to be.

This got me thinking. What if the characters I create really could come to life? Would I change their appearance? Their mannerisms? Or even their likes and dislikes? No, I wouldn't.

Which character would I most like to actually come to life? I would definitely have to say Angel from Angel's Wish. She has always been one of my favorite characters. She's so sure of herself. A little rough around the edges perhaps but aren't we all?

So go ahead- make your choice. If you could literally bring a character to life...which one would you choose?

Convention Sex And My Upcoming Release

If you've ever been to a science fiction and fantasy convention, you'll know how kinky they are. Some of these cons even have late-night panels discussing polyamory, bondage, and erotic writing. When I lived in Maryland I spoke at many science fiction and fantasy conventions and I have lots of tales to tell. I met my husband at Balticon sixteen years ago. Affairs and sex go on all over the place, not to mention those fun private con parties where I would get free booze. So, I had to write a story based on those experiences. Below, read my excerpts from my upcoming release Indiscretions: Vol. 2: The Mile High Club and Room Service. This book will be released on Friday, January 14, 2011.

Although I didn't attend the infamous Disclave convention that led to the con getting a lifetime ban from the hotel, this particular convention lived in infamy ever since a guy rented a room for kinky sex purposes, tied himself to the room's sprinkler system in the middle of the night to engage in some bizarre sex play, and proceeded to flood out two entire floors of the hotel. The entire hotel was evacuated at Oh-Dark-Thirty in the morning because of this clown's stunt. Sad to say that even though the man who caused the flood was not connected to the con in any way, the con took the brunt of the blame for it. I know someone who was there when this went down and he said it was as bad as the rumors said it was.

I hear new stories with every con - fights between lovers, new hook-ups, massive flirtations, room hopping, great parties, you name it. The only thing I haven't run into are furries, but I figure give it time.

So if you want to get a taste of convention sex (as well as The Mile High Club/first class air flight sex), read my new book Indiscretions: Vol. 2 - The Mile High Club and Room Service. I'll continue this series with Indiscretions: Vol. 2 - The Convention (tentative title), which will delve even more into the sexy goings-on at conventions. Lots of fun for everyone!



Romance Divine is the featured publisher at Rainbow EBooks from January 14 - 16, 2011. My new book INDISCRETIONS VOL. 2 - The Mile High Club and Room Service will be featured. This book is much hotter and kinkier than my other books. It's got it all: m/m, m/m/f, bondage, anal, airplane sex, hotel sex.

Here's the link to Rainbow Ebooks:

http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/

Head on over there during Romance Divine's featured days that weekend and get 20% off my new release INDISCRETIONS VOL. 2 - The Mile High Club and Room Service. And get 20% off my other Romance Divine titles as well.



Here is a sneak peek from my upcoming release "Indiscretions Vol. 2", two erotic stories to set your heart racing! Enjoy the excerpts and look for the book to come out early 2011.

INDISCRETIONS: VOL 2 - THE MILE HIGH CLUB and ROOM SERVICE
Release Date: 14 January 2011
ISBN: 978-1-935757-12-2
Author: Elizabeth Black
Format: E-Book
Genre: Erotica
Category: Erotic, Male Male, Gay, Hetero, Multiple Partner, Threesome, Ménage, Short Stories
Length: 7,627 words 41 pp (PDF)
Price: $3.99

EXCERPT - THE MILE HIGH CLUB

"May I take this seat?"

She was startled out of her reverie by the most delicious man she had ever seen. Dark brown hair fell in the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen. The smile he gave her showed off deep dimples in each cheek. His dark grey suit and silk tie shouted money. The body encased in that suit had broad shoulders and what she strongly suspected were six-pack abs from workouts at a private gym. He was serious man-candy! His gaze moved from her face to her tits – exactly why she bought them in the first place.

"Of course. Would you like to share some champagne?"

He sat down. "I'd love some champagne.”

"Lovely, my name is Caryn. I'm on my way to California."

"I'm Jeremy. I'm heading to California, too. Business or pleasure?"

Oh, it'll be my business to pleasure you! "A little of both. Convention near San Diego."

"Same here. Are you staying at the Hotel Del Coronado?"

"Yes! That's where the convention is being held. Are you staying there, too?"

"I sure am. Talk about a small world," He looked her up and down, taking in her heart-shaped face and brand new tits in one swoop. He moved his arm to rest one hand on a shapely leg, just below her skirt's hem. "You're very sexy." His fingers pressed into the soft skin above her knee.

She moved her legs apart to give him greater access to her pussy, which was just starting to warm up. She wanted to feel his fingers against her clit, all the way up here in First Class 35,000 feet above the ground. Does that mean I’m part of the Mile High Club? And all this time she thought that was an urban legend. "You're very sexy, too. I love the dimples."

EXCERPT - ROOM SERVICE

"Takeshi!" She was so happy to see him she couldn't help but give him a bear hug, nearly lifting him off his feet. A lingering buss on the cheek hid the lust she felt for him. Although he did not express his passion towards her with the same fervor, she knew he was as aroused by her mere presence as she, judging by his quick intake of breath. Takeshi was an honorable and subtle man who exuded class. She turned to Jeremy. "Do you two know each other?"

"Yes," Jeremy said. "We met last year." Am I mistaken or do I see the hint-of-past-lover whimsy in their eyes? "It's good to see you again, Takeshi."

"Such a small world," Takeshi said. "I have a gift for you, Caryn." He held out a hardback book. "My first book, published this year by Harper Collins. I autographed it for you."

"Congratulations!" Caryn squealed as she took the book. "So you finally did it!"

"I knew you would get published," Jeremy said. "It was just a matter of time."

She wanted to spend more alone time with these two scrumptious men. Would they be up for a threesome? Both of them were clearly into her, she gazed at the two men – and into each other? "Let me put the book in my room. Please come in. I have wine if you'd like some."

"I never turn down free wine. Count me in!" The three of them entered Caryn's room which in her mind still smelled like sex. Sweat and a lingering scent of strawberry lube, a heady combination. She wondered if Takeshi would notice. He must have noticed something was up since she and Jeremy had left her room the moment Takeshi approached her. She poured wine into three plastic glasses and handed them out. If she was going to enjoy more dalliances she welcomed the relaxing mood a glass of wine would give her.

My House is Haunted. Anyone Else?

A few weeks ago my wife and I went to a birthday party for a friend. Well, it was actually more like a gathering. It was in the warehouse portion of this person’s freshly opened tile and floor-covering store. All we did was sit around and talk and while we talked I announced that my home is haunted.

I don’t remember what prompted me to announce this, but it sure got everyone’s attention and questions poured in.

Some of you will scoff at the notion, but my house truly is haunted. Too many things have happened over the years for it to be anything else. Taping noises in an inaccessible wall of a staircase, heavy banging and scraping noises upstairs which sounded like the furniture was being rearranged, when everyone but me was fast asleep, and an weird sigh, which could be heard from only one place about every two hours, which sounds eerily like a death knell. Also on rare occasions things disappeared, with no explanation of where they went, never to be found again.

Yeah it’s spooky. Sometime it would raise hackles on the back of my neck when I was the only one awake in the early morning hours.

I was a late comer to the belief that the house was haunted. My daughter, son and wife all thought it was from early on, some ten years previous, but they never mentioned it. Probably, because they thought I would mock them. But after hearing the unexplainable furniture moving and tapping incidents and telling them, they opened up with their own experiences. My daughter refuses to sleep in one bedroom. My wife had been hearing the taping for years as it had moved around the house and recently in our bathroom, she felt someone was behind the mirror and she heard breathing.

In all fairness, our visitor has been benign. Nothing threatening has ever happened to us. I hesitate to call him a ghost because that’s not what I think he is. I tend to think of him as a spirit in transition. Between what, I don’t know? I call this spirit a him, because he could be the spirit a man who’d been killed in a flash-fire, when the home was almost complete.

Back to the party/gathering, once I broke the subject of my house being haunted, no one laughed in disbelief or joked about it. In fact a good third of the guests spoke of paranormal events their own.

How about you? Is your house haunted? Have you experienced a paranormal event? That’s what the comment section is for.

~~~~

Meanwhile I would appreciate your consideration of my latest book. If you'd like to read something a little different this is it.

Here's what one reader said about the Bastard Preacher:

I prefer light reading & happy endings which usually keeps me away from overly complex story lines that take a time-line or geneology graph to keep track of the characters & subplots. Frequently I'll flip between books and/or genres to keep from getting bored. Not a worry with this book, it kept my attention. I read it straight though and really enjoyed it. It had a good premise, nice blend of characters & plot without becoming muddy or getting bogged down in unnecessary sideline stories.

I love this! It seems to be a different style from her usual storyline; there is romance, drama and sex of course, but the storyline itself carried the book.

We've all seen the mega-church leaders on TV; this story takes the southern style tent-revival preaching & develops the back story of what goes on behind the flashy smiles & words. The author creates characters who are easily visualized, so I found myself wondering if any of these fictional characters may have had true-life inspiration? Anyway, remarkable new take on one of the oldest professions! The story was a good length, and for me a good couple nights' read.

It looks like the story will be brought to conclusion in book 2 of this series, as is alluded to at the end of the final chapter. I will be continuing the series with this author, so thank you Mr. Dawning for the entertainment & I look forward to the next installment.

This book is on sale right now for $2.99 at Amazon.com. Here is a buy link: The Bastard Preacher

Ready for Summer?

I don't know about everyone else, but the cold weather has taken its toll on me. It's the first winter ever that I feel like it's truly been winter in a very long time. I live in North Carolina and we don't see a lot of snow in my area, but we've seen some this year.

Now granted, we haven't been snowed under. But there's been enough that I don't feel deprived. This Monday night, we're expecting snow, but snow that tapers off into freezing rain. Oh, JOY JOY. Won't that be fun? Power lines can come down with only an eighth of an inch on them. Not at all like snow. So I'm keeping an eye on that system and hoping it moves further north or south or something and just bypasses me altogether.

I'm so longing for the ocean. Just want to feel the warm ocean air and chuck all this cold. But if I were to travel to the NC Coast right now? I'd still be cold. And there is nothing colder than cold ocean water. So I'm looking forward to my trip in July for sure. I can just imagine how the air smells. How the sun shines down on the ocean waves and makes it sparkle.

I swim in the pool, not the ocean. I'm honestly afraid of the ocean. But I love looking at it. There is something about it that calms me, helps me put things into perspective. I would so love to live on the coast, but that remains a distant dream.

So, anyone here tired of the cold or are you a winter lover? And do you have thoughts of moving some place--a dream location you've thought about for years?

Off to look at the weather report. Hope everyone is having a great weekend so far.

Uniform Fantasies

What is it about uniforms that ignites our fantasies? One of the most common role play elements or bedroom fantasies involves someone in a role of authority. Even if it is just the illusion of power, it seems to spark that little extra element of excitement for both men and women.

Consider the police officer. If you have been pulled over, or even seen someone pulled over, you might have imagined that hunk or hunkess flipping up your skirt (or what have you) and having their way. After all, we are supposed to obey the cops, right? No guilt!

Next, firefighters... who wouldn't love a hunky fireman risking his own safety to make sure you are taken care of, in every way possible?

Or a doctor, who might literally hold your life (or your wife) in his or her hands?

Military personnel can easily fit into our fantasies as well. Concerned with protecting you at any cost, and able to pay that cost with specialized training and superior fitness... yep, that works for me too!

Whether it is the issue of control (either having it, or the loss of it), or just the fantasy of a sexy guy or gal in uniform, the simple fact is that we love the dream.

While watching the new Hawaii Five-O or the driven, hot female cop/charming, successful writer series Castle, who hasn't imagined themselves in one or the others shoes? I sure have!

So what uniform fantasies float your boat?

Holiday flashfiction: What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Every other Friday, I write an installment of free fiction for the Free Fiction Friday community. (Check it out for lots of free gay romance stories!)

After finishing the serial I was working on, I decided to do a few holiday-themed flashfiction stories. This is one of those stories.

*warning: while it's worksafe, it's a bit on the mushy side!* :)

What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?

Sebastian grabbed his laptop, logged on, and huddled into the corner of his sister’s comfy sofa, waiting. Any minute now, his little video chat icon would ping to life, letting him know someone was calling. He hoped.

A few days ago, Skyler had told Sebastian he wouldn’t be able to contact him for a while. Then he’d grinned and said, “What are you doing New Year’s Eve?” Skyler had said he wanted them to start 2011 together, even if they couldn’t be in the same room. Sebastian had smiled and agreed. The second he’d shut his laptop he’d broken down.

For more than a year, he’d tried to be the perfect Army wife, so to speak. He sent Skyler care packages and spoke online with him as often as Skyler could manage. He sent long, chatty letters and emails. He visited Skyler’s parents at least once a week. He didn’t freak out (in front of anyone, anyway) when he found out there'd been a rocket attack that hit Skyler’s barracks in Afghanistan—an event Skyler didn’t tell him about, and when Sebastian found out, Skyler downplayed as “no biggie” with one of his typical tough-guy shrugs. He didn’t cry when Skyler told them he wouldn’t be home for the holidays after all.

In short, Sebastian was doing the best he could. And he was doing it while pretending to be nothing more than Skyler’s best buddy. As far as the Army was concerned, Sebastian was nothing to Skyler. If Skyler was killed, he would have to rely on Skyler’s parents to tell him. They adored him, and treated him like a real son-in-law, but it wasn’t the same. He wanted to greet Skyler with a kiss at the airport when he came home. He wanted to go with Skyler if he ever got deployed to Germany, or somewhere else that wasn’t a warzone. He wanted to write I love you in his letters and emails instead of using their special codes. The hiding was almost as painful as the separation, which had been almost fourteen months now. Fourteen months of aching loneliness and praying Skyler wouldn’t drive over an IED or get hit by an insurgent’s rocket or grenade.

Since the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, his parents, his sister, and Skyler’s parents had all been hopeful that the status quo would change. Even Skyler seemed hopeful. The last time they’d spoken online, Skyler had typed When the repeal is certified, I’m making an honest man of you. Sebastian had laughed a little, and made some stupid joke about how nothing could make him an honest man. He could admit to himself, if not to anyone else, that he was afraid to hope. If he let himself hope, it might never happen. What they had now was good. He loved Skyler more than anything or anyone in the world. Falling in love with a military man hadn’t been in his plans, but Sebastian wouldn’t change meeting Skyler, loving him, no matter what he had to give up.

The little clock in the corner of his computer screen read 11:53. It was getting late. Then again, it would be morning where Skyler was. Sebastian gnawed at his lip, trying not to worry. Skyler had told him he wouldn’t be able to talk for a couple of days. That didn’t mean he was doing something dangerous. He could be doing some kind of training. Or…traveling to another location. He’d said he would be online tonight, and he’d never let Sebastian down before.

The shrill peal of his sister’s silly novelty doorbell reverberated through the house. Sebastian jumped at the sound. He let out a breath and forced himself to relax. His sister and brother-in-law had invited a few friends over to ring in the New Year. Most of them had arrived a few hours before, but they’d said they expected at least one more person.

“Bastian, will you get the door?”

Sebastian jumped again, nearly dropping his laptop. “Jeez, Serena. Give me a heart attack, why don’t you?” He turned to see his sister standing in the doorway, holding his niece. The baby’s face was red and tear-streaked.

Serena gave him a tired smile. “Sorry. I’ve got my hands full with Michaela and Denny’s busy entertaining the mob. Could you go see who’s here?”

After a quick glance at his laptop screen, which still showed no flashing icon, he sighed and stood. He set the computer on the couch cushion. “Okay. Call me if this thing beeps, okay?”

“I can do that.” Serena moved to stand behind the couch, jiggling Michaela and humming softly.

Sebastian hurried down the hall to the front door. The doorbell let out another annoying peal, louder now since he was closer to it. He winced. “I’ll be right there!” He pulled the door open, a smile of greeting in place for the newcomer.

“Hey, Happy—” His eyes took in the man on the doorstep, and his voice deserted him. He had to have fallen asleep on the couch. This couldn’t be real.

Skyler grinned at him. “I told you I’d see you tonight, didn’t I? Happy New Year, Bastian.”

Sebastian’s paralysis lifted. He launched himself into Skyler’s arms. Skyler let out an oof of surprise, but those strong arms came up and wrapped around him for the first time in too long. Tears streamed down Sebastian’s cheeks to dampen the sweater Skyler wore. He tried to make them stop, but couldn’t. All the worry he’d felt earlier, and the joy now, were so overwhelming he had to let it out somehow.

Skyler held him close and kissed his cheek. “Hey, hey. Don’t cry. I’m home now.”

“For real?” Sebastian muttered into Skyler’s broad chest. He didn’t want to look up until he could get himself under control. This wasn’t how he’d imagined their reunion would go, with him crying like a baby. He felt a little ridiculous.

“For real.” Skyler’s lips brushed his cheek. “My tour’s over. I should be stationed here for at least a year. I didn’t want to tell you in case they changed their minds again.”

Sebastian finally pulled back to stare up into the face of the man he loved, thinner, tanner, and more weather-beaten than it had been when they’d said goodbye all those months ago. Skyler looked tired, but happy. Whole. Safe. And so precious it made Sebastian’s chest ache.

From inside the house, he could hear shouts of “Happy New Year!” 2011 had come, and Skyler was home.

“Happy New Year,” Sebastian whispered, pulling Skyler down for a kiss.

Cassandra Gold

www.cassandragold.com

The Best Party I Barely Remember

Or, the White House Eggnog Escapade

If you happened to read my bio you may recall I spent a year as a White House Staff Economist. One of the perks of the job was an invitation to the White House Christmas Party. It happens there are actually several parties, only a few of which feature the actual president. Those were reserved for people a level above my job, but my co-workers and I still got to party inside the White House for several hours one cold late-December evening.

Thinking this was pretty freaking cool, I invited a guy I was trying to impress as my plus one. He worked for Democratic Senator Harkin from Iowa and had been in DC for a few years, though never to a White House party. Thus, he was suitably impressed with the invitation (and me).

They decorate the public areas of the White House every year, and if you happen to go on the tour during the holiday season, you'll find most rooms have the holiday touch. During public tours, you'll be ushered through at a pretty quick pace, pausing for the guide to impart some historical tidbit about the chairs or something on the wall. At the official Christmas party, they let us loose with no restrictions. This alone was wonderful and certainly made my guest feel special.

But the best part: the whole shindig is catered by the White House Mess. No, it's not the state of the country, but what they call the kitchen, which is run military-style, though no GI got food like this. And the crowning glory of the whole thing:

White. House. Eggnog.

You need to wait on a line at the serving table, and then they dole it out in tiny little cups, for which there is a very, very good reason. Unfortunately, no one told me. I happen to love eggnog. A. Lot. I enjoyed the first serving so much I went back for more. After the second I couldn't feel my face. After the third…well I honestly don't recall the rest of the party. I do remember sitting in a restaurant around the corner from the White House with a group of my co-workers some hours later. This is the point they mentioned that the White House Eggnog packs a real wallop. Well, duh.

I never did have another date with that guy, though.

If you want to try your hand at reproducing the experience (of the eggnog), I think this recipe probably comes pretty close, though I can't say for sure if this is the one we had. Notice the ratio of alcohol to non-alcohol ingredients, and be careful!

WHITE HOUSE EGGNOG

(This recipe appeared in the White House Holiday Recipes in 1996. It was devised by White House Executive Chef Walter Scheiber.)

5 yolks
5 whites
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup bourbon
3/4 cup cognac
3/4 cup dark rum
1 quart heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
nutmeg
vanilla extract
milk to taste

Combine yolks and sugar in bowl and beat to ribbon stage. Add bourbon, rum and cognac to yolk mix -- set aside. Whip egg whites and salt to stiff peaks. Whip cream to medium peaks. Fold whipped whites and cream together. Combine white/cream mix to yolk/liquor mix. Mix well. Add nutmeg and vanilla to taste. Adjust thickness with milk to desired consistency. Store very cold; blend well before serving.

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Have you got any holiday party faux pas you want to share with us? Whether it's the karaoke at the company party or dancing on a table in front of the boss, I'd love to hear.

I'll give away a copy of WELL-HUNG BY THE CHIMNEY to everyone who comments by Jan 6 (10 am Pacific time)... leave a contact email so I can send your PDF or email me em AT emlynley.com

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Heat up your holidays with my latest release The Christmas Bonus, a 30k m/m novella in: Well-Hung by the Chimney from Ravenous Romance!

Alec has a week to close a big takeover deal or lose his job, so when the buyer, Brant Linton, heads off to a tropical island for the holidays, Alec has no choice but to follow. But Brant's sister has forbidden any business during the trip and Alec is forced to pretend he's Brant's boyfriend. Until business turns pleasurable in EM Lynley's THE CHRISTMAS BONUS.

Visit me on the web: http://www.emlynley.com

Check out my FREE READS

Guest Blogger -- Bianca Sommerland!

Please welcome guest blogger Bianca Sommerland!

By The Sea

Cassandra and all the lovely ladies of Midnight Seductions, thank you for having me. As some of you might know, today is special. On this day, in 1431, Joan of arc was handed over to the bishop. Fascinating.

Oh, and on a lesser note, my first book, Rosemary Entwined, has been released!

Now, so far, most of my posts have been about fairytales. The snippets I’ve done have been popular, so I’d like to give you another. And I’ve chosen the fairy tale I consider least appropriate for children.

The Little Mermaid

Disney did a great job completely rewriting this story into a cute love story with cool music (I love Sebastian) but the original Hans Christian Anderson version was pretty twisted. In his story, mermaids live hundreds of years, but they have no souls. The only way they can get one is to earn the true love of a human. When the little mermaid falls in love with a prince, she makes a deal with a witch to get legs and gives up her voice (Disney got that right). But even though he likes her, in the end, he marries someone else. Her sisters give up their hair to get her a knife so she can kill him, because his blood will give her back her tail. But she can’t do it. So she kills herself.

I don’t much like that. So I’m changing the ending.

Laid out on the sands, lifeless, like her prince had been after she saved him from the wreckage of his ship, Ariel gasped and cried out as the cold, salty air burned inside her throat. Her lungs felt tight, impossible to fill. Every inhale was torture. Almost as painful as the blood boiling hot through her veins.

But neither compared to the agony she’d suffer when she used her new legs. The witch had warned her. Each step would feel like she was walking barefoot on blades. It sounded rather unpleasant.

He’s worth it. Ariel pushed up to her knees and ground her teeth as the first hint of pain shot through her. Those eyes, that hair…

Laughter rose up from the ocean and rolled around her, deep and powerful and more than a little frightening. Not her father, he never laughed when enraged.

Perhaps Poseidon?

“Neither, sweet child.” A massive wave crashed onto the beach and receded to reveal a man as big and strong as any of the gods she’d ever seen. Bronze curls framed his face, chiselled as the stone statues of heroes of old. “I am Theseus, and I am here to save you from yourself.”

A nervous giggle gurgled past Ariel’s lips. If her tongue had not been sacrificed to the witch, she would have told him that only one could save her. And she had to find him first.

Theseus knelt at her side. “No. At best that fool will break your heart. At worse he will be the death of you. I won’t have it.”

Ariel held up her hand and shook her head.

He took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her fingers as he spoke. “He loves the maiden he first set eyes on when he woke on these very shores. Not you, Ariel. He will never love you.”

Tears welled in her eyes as she shook her head again. Her prince would never love another. He belonged to her.

“I have watched you for years, giving my heart to you a little more each day. It was yours when you pulled that boy from the sea and gave him back his life.” His hands trapped her face and his thumbs swept away her tears. “In all the lifetimes I’ve lived, I’ve never been drawn to a woman like I am to you. You’ve dreamed of finding a way to possess a soul in the way of those who walk the earth. I can give you that. I can love you, unconditionally.”

A frown creased her brow. She cocked her head, uncertain if he knew what he said. For a soul to be hers, her man must love her above all others.

“I do.” He bent down a lay the softest of kisses on her lips. “To prove it, I will give you my blood. The blood of the prince will return you to the sea. My blood will give you your voice, make these legs yours, for all eternity.”

Not for free, Ariel stared at him, wondering what he would give in exchange.

He smiled. “Only immortality, my love. It is nothing.”

With a dagger drawn from the sheath on his belt, he held it over his wrist and locked his eyes on hers.

“A trade, Ariel. I will give all I am, all I could be. But you must give yourself in return.”

Oh, how she wanted to say yes. A precious soul of her very own. He could give it to her.

But could she forget her prince so soon?

“I can make you forget him.” Theseus’ lips tilted as his hand slid down her throat, between her breast, and over her belly. “One night with me and when you are asked about the prince that tempted you away from the sea, your answer will be ‘What prince?’.”

That made Ariel smile. He certainly thought much of himself.

So she mouthed the words ‘One night’ and let him take her away.

Before the night was over, all thoughts of the prince were gone.

If you’ve enjoyed my snippets, I hope you’ll visit my site to read the ones I’ll do for Sunday Snippets. And take a look at Rosemary Entwined. I fell in love with her seven men. And I think you will too.

About Bianca: Bianca Sommerland was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. When not reading neurotically or writing as though the fate of the world rests on her keyboard, she is either watching hockey or teaching her daughters the beauty of a classic, steel pony while reminiscing about her days in Auto Body Mechanics. Her time is balanced with utmost care between normal family life, and the internal paranormal realm where her characters reside. For the most part, she succeeds. She is currently working on a risqué new ménage novel called, EMBRACING EVIL. You can find her at http://imnoangelauthorsblog.wordpress.com/

Rosemary Entwined blurb

One kiss might save her, but if Rosemary has to lose even one of her men, she doesn’t want a prince.

The only role of Rosemary's nest of men is to feed her insatiable hunger for lust, but that's not what she wants for them. Or what they want from her. While Rosemary presses for them to live their own lives, they each find ways to steal into her heart. With the threat of her mother's nest hanging over them, Rosemary decides to surrender to the love they offer and focus on building their combined strength to stand against the inevitable attacks.

When her control over her powers slips, another problem arises. The nest is incomplete. A prince must be chosen, and if he is not among her men, she'll be forced to let one of them go.

She once feared her heart wasn't big enough to hold them all. Now she fears she's not strong enough to release even one. Even if it costs her her life.