E.Jamie's Muse

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-02-25T21:32:00.001-08:00

I'm so glad you guys are enjoying these little peeks into my upcoming contemporary erotic romance, The Vendetta. Here's this week's six!

“I thought we weren’t doing personal details?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Nope, just not names. I think it’s a bit…I don’t know easier that way, don’t you? No baggage, no expectations, just two strangers taking shelter from this crazy storm. I like that idea that the outside world just stops for now.”

“The world stopping. How tempting,” he said, his brown eyes meeting hers, full of hidden meaning.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2012-02-18T21:59:00.001-08:00

Another sneak peek this week from the first book in my upcoming Blood Vows trilogy 'The Vendetta' coming soon from No Boundaries Press! In this snippet, we meet Alessandro. Hope you enjoy!

When he rounded the long thick white beam in the center of the room his heart felt as if it had stopped in his chest. Her head was tilted to the side, resting against the pillar and her face was flushed in sleep. Good God, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. For a moment Alessandro couldn’t breathe. He just stood there and watched her, watched her chest rising and falling with each breath. This slip of a girl had pulled him from his car and all but carried him to safety?

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

For the next Six Sentence Sundays until its release with No Boundaries Press I will be sharing as of yet unedited snippets from the first book in my upcoming Blood Vows Trilogy called The Vendetta, a contemporary erotic romance about rival mafia families.

Our hero and heroine have just met via a road collision and neither know who the other is at this point. Hope you enjoy!

“I’m going to try and cut you free.” Bree worked furiously, trying not to pay attention to the flames above her getting bigger and warming her face.

“ ‘side down?” he asked, groggily registering his position.

“Yeah. This would be a good time for a ‘dropped on your head’ joke.” She slid her legs in through the window, trying to give him something soft to land on if he couldn’t brace himself.

“Think you can hold on?” Bree asked him as she made good progress on the seatbelt.

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-02-04T23:05:00.000-08:00

The Arrangement is now available at all major online retailers so I thought I'd share one last snippet from it to wet your appetite so you'd want to head over to lhttp://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thearrangementresistancebookone-677035-148.html and pick up your very own copy!

Friedrich was still there. She held on to the railing so hard Elsa feared she’d be unable to unclench her fingers later.

She stayed there watching him as the train began to pull away.

Everything in her screamed to jump off the train but she knew for her sake and Friedrich’s she couldn’t.

So she stayed put.

So did he.

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Happy Release Day!!!

2012-02-01T09:40:00.000-08:00

I'm very pleased to announce that my historical erotic romance The Arrangement, Book One in the Resistance trilogy is now available! I'm so thrilled with the response my little snippets for this story has received thus far and I hope you'll pick up your copy and spread the word asap! http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thearrangementresistancebookone-677035-148.html

If you're new to The Arrangement, here's the blurb:
Elsa Mostek is a young Jewish woman who is forced to move with her family from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. She immediately draws the attention of Nazi Officer Friedrich Weiss who inexplicably shows favor towards her and helps her escape harm many times thanks to the power he wields in the camp. Aware that many of her fellow female prisoners are bartering their bodies for survival and in
desperation to save her starving family, Elsa makes an offer to Friedrich.

What Elsa does not know is that Friedrich is a spy with the German Resistance that has infiltrated the Nazi regime. He must keep up the pretense of loyalty to Hitler's cause as he sends secrets to those on the outside.

Friedrich doesn't want to take advantage of Elsa but can't help wanting her. As the misery of his position increases, she offers him the only light left in a world of darkness and despite his best intentions, Friedrich gives in to her offer. Passion explodes between them, giving them a reprieve from the monstrous world they inhabit, though both know it can never last.

And in honor of its release, how about a little peek inside?

He wiped his mouth and pushed his chair back from the table. “Come here.”
She put her glass down and looked at him in confusion before standing up.
“Come sit.” He patted his thighs.

“What do you mean? On your lap?” she asked.

He nodded.

Elsa looked at him hesitantly but turned and sat on his thighs.

“Not quite what I meant,” he said, looking at her meaningfully and Elsa felt her cheeks grow warm in sudden understanding. “Ah, there we are.” He remarked at her expression. “Put your legs on both sides of me. But take your panties off first, if you don’t mind.”

“Really?” she blurted in surprise then blushed. “I only mean…well…”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “Remember when I said any way? Well this is one way. As is what happened earlier though in my boorish-ness I wasn’t quite at my best. I plan to make that up to you later as well.”

“Oh, and you ripped them off earlier,” she reminded him.

“Did I?” he asked, his cheeks pink and she wanted to laugh at his apparent embarrassment about that.

“At this rate it would be far easier if I walked around without any underclothes at all.”

He gave her a wide smile and she threw a napkin at him.

Elsa stood and Friedrich reached up along her thighs, stopping only to cup her there for a moment, making her entire body seize with anticipation.

“I suppose you’ll tell me people do this on their kitchen tables as well,” Elsa joked, surprised when he grinned at her.

“Mmm. Tables, counters, over the backs of couches from behind.”

Elsa blinked and wiggled as the air hit her folds once she straddled his lap. “Like the animals do it?”

Friedrich nodded. “But we’ll leave that for another time. Let’s continue on with today’s lesson for now.” He cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth to his.

Elsa sighed into his mouth, wanting to burrow closer to the heat of his body. Did he ever get cold? It was a funny thing, how he always felt so warm to her. She ran her fingers along his
chest over his white shirt and undid the buttons as he gently stroked the nape of her neck. His fingers met the scar there and he deepened the kiss before he broke away for a moment and stared into her eyes.

“How are you so strong?” he asked softly. “I try and take some of your strength into me and I can’t seem to do it.”

She shook her head. “I’m not.” She leaned in to kiss him again but he pulled away.

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You are. I want to just sink myself into you again and again in just the hope that I’ll be able to bear one more day here.”

She blushed at that image and the sentiment behind it. It made her a little nervous when he said such sweet things because she wanted to believe them. Even if he did mean them, what good did it do to say the words out loud but to make her long for things that could simply never be?

“I’m always afraid,” Elsa admitted. “I don’t think there’s been a moment that I haven’t been scared out of my wits. I’m afraid of this place, those people out there, what I’m doing, you.”

He went still then. “Me? You know by now you have nothing to fear from…”

She shook her head quickly. “I mean the things you say and what they make me feel.”

He brought his hand from the back of her neck to trace the curve of her jaw and to her lips. “What? What do they make you feel?” He stroked her lower lip with his thumb while his other hand caressed her thighs.

“They make me want things…wish for things…” she admitted, trembling with her admission and his touch.

“I know,” he said roughly as if the understanding was suddenly clear between them that they could say no more.

A shiver of relief overtook her as if a most terrifying door was kept closed and she was safe once again on this side. She caught his mouth again and gave a whimper when his fingers reached that place between her legs. Her lower half tightened in anticipation as he found the small numb of nerves between her folds and began to stroke there in slow circles.

He grinned against her mouth then. “I should be surprised at the sounds you make, but I’m not. It fits you.” Friedrich eased a finger deep up inside of her and Elsa clutched it tight and
moaned even as she blushed.

“You shouldn’t tease me about that. I can hardly help such a thing and what do you mean anyway?” she asked, giving in to the urge to rock her hips.

“That strength I meant before. It comes through in your passion,” he murmured, running his lips along her neck while he crooked his finger inside her walls and teased gently, making her squirm deliciously in his lap. “As if you may not know it but your body does and is so fucking beautiful in its demand.”

Elsa wanted to say he was wrong but her body only confirmed his words. It wanted and wanted. He put his hands on her and her body sizzled like a live wire.

She placed a hand on his lap, found him already straining against the zipper and smiled. “It’s not like I’m the only one.”

He groaned and closed his free hand over hers, moving it with her as she stroked him.

Soft tension flickered in her belly and grew sharper as he moved his hand between her legs. It was hard to focus on pleasuring him but Elsa managed to undo the button and zipper of his trousers, easing them down past his hips so she could take his length in her hand.

“Take me inside,” he ordered, trembling beneath her. “Now.”

When they were ready, Elsa moved over his shaft as he gripped her hips now with both hands and set her down over him slowly so she could feel every thick inch of him fill her. “Oh… Oh…” It was different this way. It was almost as if he was bigger like this and he didn’t even have to touch her in that place where they were joined before her nerves burst. Elsa arched back and Friedrich cupped her back and held her as her orgasm rolled through her.

“Dear God!” she panted, falling forward against him.

“Hang on…don’t move…” he pleaded, holding her hips still.

The front of her dress became warm and moist at the heat of his breath against her breasts. He pushed the dress up over her head so that she was now naked to him.

She pulled at his shirt, wanting the same. She sighed with pleasure when she could finally touch bare, hot skin and muscle. She lowered her mouth to his shoulder, giving in to the urge to skin her teeth in ever so slightly as the hairs on his chest, tickled her breasts, making them draw tight.

Friedrich gave a soft groan and lifted his hips ever so slightly and Elsa’s breath hitched at the small thrust. He pulled her back and cupped her face. “Better?” he asked with a smile.

Elsa gave a small giggle and nodded, knowing he referred to his earlier act against the door. “Oh yes.”

He kissed her, sucking on her lips gently before bringing her closer and lowering his mouth to her breasts.

Elsa gave a low moan as the heat of his mouth drew out one nipple and then the other, all the while he thrust up into her with small, devastating jabs, rousing her yet again so that she was rocking back in need.

“Up and down,” he instructed, taking her hips and showing her what he meant.

Elsa whimpered. Oh sweet heaven! He moved against different places this way. It felt as if as they moved together, he was reaching into her belly and pulling her nerves tighter and tighter outward instead of the usual tugging downward. The friction sent her senses spinning and she held on to him.
Friedrich’s hands went to her back while he thrust up and she met his thrusts.

God, was he right? Did what she was feeling, this passion, make her strong because as they moved together she felt so very strong and yet weak at the same time. She was carried along a hot, melting, burning flame of sensation and yet she was thrusting back, demanding, fighting him yet working with him for that mind numbing explosion she now recognized so well. She felt strong and powerful and hungry. So hungry as he pushed up into her, deeper, harder and finally, Elsa felt him lose control. His fingers dug into her hips as he pumped up his release and with a last thrust brought her over the edge with him.

“Better?” she panted, resting her chin on his head, referring to his melancholy mood.

He laughed against her neck and Elsa felt a lump of emotion, knowing now why he liked to hear her laugh.

For this brief moment, amid all the sadness and fear, she had made him happy.

The Arrangement Coming This Week!

2012-01-30T10:12:00.001-08:00

Guess what I got in my e-mail today? My author copy for The Arrangement which is releasing THIS WEEK! (does happy dance) Here's a press release for it! http://www.prlog.org/11784124-rebel-ink-press-is-proud-to-announce-the-release-of-the-arrangement-by-jamie.html RI doesn't sell directly through its website but through all the major retailers amazon, ARE etc. As soon as I get the first buy link I shall share it with ya'll. Anticipation for this one is pretty high and I'm so thrilled by that!!!

Video Blog

2012-01-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

Updating you on my Amira Press books and my new upcoming release The Arrangement. Also, giving you an exclusive excerpt of my novella Shades Of Grey!

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-01-28T22:22:00.000-08:00

Another snippet this week from my upcoming erotic historical romance The Arrangement, coming in February from Rebel Ink Press! Hope you enjoy!

“I’m not…sure what to do,” Elsa said.

He dotted kisses along her collarbone and pulled the other strap down, baring her to him. “Just touch me. Don’t stop touching me.”

She lifted her hands to his shoulders and eased the shirt down, letting her fingers linger over the broad bones of his shoulders and strong muscles of his arms.

Dear God…if he was anyone else…

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-01-21T20:21:00.000-08:00

So glad you guys are enjoying these little peeks into my upcoming release The Arrangement with Rebel Ink Press. Let's continue on with Freidrich and Elsa's tale shall we?

A woman came towards her then and made to pass her but bumped into her, meeting Elsa’s gaze with a smile. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

Elsa’s heart dropped into her stomach when she felt a piece of paper pressed into her hand. Before she could drop it, her hand closed tight and she crossed her arms to hide the fact that she was holding something.

The woman turned back for the briefest moment and Elsa’s breath caught at the desperate look in her blue eyes.

Elsa went back to the table and managed to slip the piece of paper into her coat pocket without being noticed.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2012-01-14T21:36:00.000-08:00

Sticking with The Arrangement this week. Thanks guys for letting me know how much you are enjoying it and looking forward to its release next month!

“Oh what are you doing to me?” she begged.

He said nothing, just kept moving his tongue along her center with determined purpose, then she detected something besides his tongue and looked down to see him slide a finger inside of her.

She shamelessly gripped it tight and he groaned against her slick folds. The sound vibrated against her skin and her whimpers grew louder and louder as he pumped his finger and sucked her.

Elsa gave into the urge to grip the back of his head, fearful of the power of release that was threatening just on the edges of her nerves.

“Please…please…” she murmured, helpless to hold on to her hate, her fear in the face of the intense sensations barrelling through her. She just wanted. Wanted him to never stop doing what he was doing to her right now.

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We'll Meet Again Up For Best Erotica Novel Of 20011!

2012-01-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

I am so thrilled to announce that my historical erotic romance We'll Meet Again is currently #10 in the Preditors + Editors Best Erotica Novel of 2011 poll! Thank you guys so much. If I could pester you to keep voting and offer me up a vote if you haven't already? Voting is running until Jan 10 and make sure to click the link in the validation e-mail for the vote to count! http://critters.org/predpoll/novelerot.shtml

Join Me This Thursday!

2012-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Me and many of my fellow Rebel Ink Press (future home of The Arrangement) authors will be sharing our New Years resolutions this Thursday at the Rebel Reasoning Blog and one lucky commenter will win $25 towards Rebel Ink's fantastic books! See you there!

http://www.rebelinkpress.com/RebelReasoning/

Six Sentence Sunday

2012-01-07T21:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much to everyone for the amazing response last week's first taste of The Arrangement got!

This week's snippet is some more from my upcoming release with Rebel Ink Press 'The Arrangement' Book One of the Resistance trilogy. First the blurb:

Elsa Mostek is a young Jewish woman who is forced to move with her family from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. She immediately draws the attention of Nazi Officer Friedrich Weiss who inexplicably shows favor towards her and helps her escape harm many times thanks to the power he wields in the camp. Aware that many of her fellow female prisoners are bartering their bodies for survival and in
desperation to save her starving family, Elsa makes an offer to Friedrich.

What Elsa does not know is that Friedrich is a spy with the German Resistance that has infiltrated the Nazi regime. He must keep up the pretense of loyalty to Hitler's cause as he sends secrets to those on the outside.

Friedrich doesn't want to take advantage of Elsa but can't help wanting her. As the misery of his position increases, she offers him the only light left in a world of darkness and despite his best intentions, Friedrich gives in to her offer. Passion explodes between them, giving them a reprieve from the monstrous world they inhabit, though both know it can never last.

Now, this week's six:

Elsa had fallen ill but recovered. She didn’t like to contemplate why but Rashda made it very clear to her that Friedrich had made sure she was on the list of those to receive the medication.
She was getting very tired of hearing of his favour for her because Elsa was not a stupid woman. She was terrified that he was simply a cat playing with a mouse before killing it. She entertained him. She feared what he would want in return and was partially relieved when she learned he had gone on a trip with his wife for two weeks. The other part of her feared what would happen to her if he was not around.

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Happy New Year

2012-01-02T16:55:00.000-08:00

Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas or the holiday you celebrate and a happy new year. I for one am very glad the holidays are over. I'm not a bah humbug-y type by any means but I just find the whole thing way too exhausting and the whole celebratory aspect gets lost in the rushing around to different people's homes and tensions rising and schedule's getting thrown off. I'm very much a creature of habit so I'm very eager to get back to my regularly scheduled writing program.

2011 was a great year writing wise. I had We'll Meet Again released and The Arrangement contracted by Rebel Ink Press and completed The Vendetta which I'm still shopping around. So I'm pretty happy with having achieved my goals for 2011.

Now looking forward, I think my output will be even better because there and two books left after both The Arrangement and The Vendetta as these are both the first books in completed trilogies. So that 6 books coming your way this year if I can get The Vendetta picked up! There is also my cowboy erotic historical Wanted which I'm still working on. I also have a nice stable of short steamy tales in my arsenal that I'd love to find homes for.

Maybe one more full length novel as well but I don't want to pull too much onto my plate. Let's just finish Wanted for now.

I'm so tickled that Redemption is still doing so well 3 years after its release! Especially since I know this steamy novella has been responsible for introducing readers to my other works as well.

I hope to continue writing all different kinds of books. I like mixing up the genres! WW2, mob romances, historicals, paranormals. I write the story of my heart and then worry about where it fits later.

I also want to have a look at self publishing. I have no experience or technical know-how in this area but I'm seeing it has really lost it's stigma and is on the rise and friends have gone that route and seem to be doing really well. Not sure it's the right route for me but I do think it merits some serious research.

For now though, I'll just write my books and let other people worry about all that technical stuff!

Hope you all have a fantastic new year and I'd love to hear some of your goals for 2012!

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-12-31T21:18:00.000-08:00

For this week's six I thought I'd start the new year off with a snippet from my upcoming release with Rebel Ink Press 'The Arrangement' Book One of the Resistance trilogy. First the blurb:

Elsa Mostek is a young Jewish woman who is forced to move with her family from the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland to the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. She immediately draws the attention of Nazi Officer Friedrich Weiss who inexplicably shows favor towards her and helps her escape harm many times thanks to the power he wields in the camp. Aware that many of her fellow female prisoners are bartering their bodies for survival and in
desperation to save her starving family, Elsa makes an offer to Friedrich.

What Elsa does not know is that Friedrich is a spy with the German Resistance that has infiltrated the Nazi regime. He must keep up the pretense of loyalty to Hitler's cause as he sends secrets to those on the outside.

Friedrich doesn't want to take advantage of Elsa but can't help wanting her. As the misery of his position increases, she offers him the only light left in a world of darkness and despite his best intentions, Friedrich gives in to her offer. Passion explodes between them, giving them a reprieve from the monstrous world they inhabit, though both know it can never last.

Now my snippet:

“Come. We’re already late,” he said.

“Dammit, Friedrich. You’re not any fun at all,” the shorter man complained.

“She’s a Jew. You don’t know what you might catch,” the taller man…Friedrich…warned with such derision that Elsa wanted to slap his face.

She was untouched and proud of herself for keeping her virtue in tact when so many of her friends were selling themselves food and protection. God willing it never came to that for her.

“I’d slit my throat first,” she grumbled under her breath but the one called Friedrich must have heard her because his eyes held hers for a moment and Elsa couldn’t breathe until he turned away, pulling his friend with him.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2011-12-18T09:21:00.001-08:00

Here's another snippet this week from my steamy Christmas novella Baby It's Cold Outside

The girls wanted to know about her so-called glamorous life in Hollywood. Well, what they really wanted to know was if she‟d ever met Robert Pattinson.

“Yep. The accent‟s fake, I'm afraid. He's actually from Jersey,” she joked and at their horrified glances rushed ahead to assure them that she was only teasing.

Jack shook his head. “One does not joke about Twilight. Ever,” he added with mock seriousness.

On The Third Day Of Christmas

2011-12-14T16:16:00.000-08:00

My free sexy story for the 12 Days Of Naughty Giveaways 'Three French Hens' is now up for you and we all know being naughty is a lot more fun than being nice so how would YOU get on Santa's naughty list? Head on over to the 12 Days Of Naughty Giveaways Blog and give me your answer for a chance to win a free copy of my Christmas novella Baby, It's Cold Outside!

12 Days Of Naughty Giveaways!

2011-12-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

12 Authors, 12 Naughty Giveaways, 12 Naughty Shorties over 12 Days. Come see why being on Santa's Naughty List isn't that bad...

Starting today, myself and 11 other fantastic authors are participating in a Christmas giveaway in homage to the 12 days of Christmas. Every day from the 12 until the 25th you'll get a FREE steamy story, based on the song. I got #3 Three French Hens and you should see that one up on Wednesday. Along with a free sexy tale, each of us is giving you a chance to win one of our hot romances. I'm giving away a copy of my novella Baby, It's Cold Outside! For all the info and to have a look at the first delicious story by Robin Badillo, head on over to: The Naughty Pages Of Phoenix Blog!

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-12-11T21:22:00.000-08:00

After some very annoying technical difficulties, here's another six from my steamy Christmas novella 'Baby It's Cold Outside' Available at Sugar and Spice Press

“Of course it does. I always say there‟s two ways to a man‟s heart. One is through his stomach.”

“Grandma!” Madeline scolded.

“What's the other one?” Katie asked her.

“Why his mind, of course,” Meggie replied with wink at Jack.

You can find other awesome participating Six Sentence Sunday authors Here

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-12-03T21:08:00.000-08:00

I figured since December means Christmas, I would share snippets from my Christmas themed novella Baby It's Cold Outside available at Sugar and Spice Press all month long!

First, the blurb: Madeline Delaney has suffered a terrible loss. She's returned to her home town with her daughter to spend Christmas with Madeline's grandmother. Next door is Jack DeLuna, an adolescent crush that seems to be rekindling into a very adult passion. Still reeling from the death of her husband, will Madeline have the courage to let Jack into her heart, or will guilt and the fear of loving someone again keep her from the future Jack has waited years to give her?

Jack DeLuna. Good lord.
“Hi,” Maddie replied, feeling a ridiculous girlish shiver that reminded her of the teenager she had been with her first serious crush on the handsome Mexican boy. She shook her head, telling herself she was shivering because of the cold.

He put the shovel down and walked over to her, a wide smile on his face. “I heard you were coming back to town. It‟s good to see you.”

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Six Sentence Sunday

2011-11-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

Now that We'll Meet Again has been released, I thought I'd shift focus this week with a snippet from my contemporary romantic suspense Strawberry Wine available at Sugar and Spice Press!

First the blurb: Laura and Caleb were teenage sweethearts. Then Laura disappeared, leaving nothing behind but a simple note.

Now she’s back, a street smart cop on the trail of an underground child sex slave operation right in the heart of New York City and she’s been sent to Caleb’s division to help bring down one of the most reprehensible men in the country. When the old lovers are partnered up, can they put their old hurts aside to do their jobs and save the children?

“Caleb has just been made the lead detective on that case. You‟ll be working with him on this.”

The room around her seemed to shrink, and Laura held her breath for so long only the pressure in her chest reminded her that she wasn‟t breathing. When she tried to take in air, she choked on it and coughed violently.

Sergeant McKinney stood up and got her some water from the cooler in the corner of his office.

She downed it in one gulp and crunched the paper cup.

Video Blog

2011-11-22T19:59:00.000-08:00

We'll Meet Again Release Day Contest

2011-11-21T14:06:00.000-08:00

All over the intergooglewebs we're celebrating the release of my WW2 erotic historical romance We'll Meet Again there are a whole bunch of places you can win a copy! If you just can't wait, head on over and pick up your copy right now! I'm having contests on Facebook and Twitter and as a guest on some fantastic authors blogs. So of course I'm going to have one on my own blog too for all my lovely followers!

First how about an excerpt? After surviving being tortured in a prison camp James has been suffering from nightmares about the men he couldn't save. Tonight, he takes solace in the bottle, much to the panic of his new wife.

Later that night, Cassie turned towards James, coming awake when she suddenly noticed the usual weight of his arm around her waist wasn’t there.

She sighed and ran her hand along the mattress, opening her eyes when she didn’t feel his body next to her.

He wasn’t in the bed.

Cassie felt her stomach plummet as she scrambled off the bed. She pulled on her violet cotton robe and wrapped it tight around her middle. She bit her thumb as she rushed out of the bedroom and turned in to the living room, stopping when she saw James on the couch, his head bowed.

Thank God.

He lifted his head abruptly, making Cassie jump. She noticed her had a bottle of something clutched to his stomach and a shot glass on the coffee table. The smell of liquor hit her strongly, and the shine on the wood surface proved to be liquor he had spilled.

"What are you doing?" she asked softly.

"Getting fucking drunk, wife dear. Care to join me?" he asked dryly.

"No," she said sitting down next to him. "Why?"

"Why indeed," he said. "I don’t rightly know, love. I have everything I never even really knew I wanted. Beautiful wife, beautiful son, a military career if I want it, a home, a position as head of the family business. What could possibly be wrong?" He gave a bitter laugh.

"I don’t know." Cassie watched him uneasily. "Why don’t you give me the bottle?"

"No," he insisted, clutching it closer. "No." He reached his hand to her and patted her shoulder. "Why don’t you go back to bed, sweetheart?"

"James, I’m not going to leave you here to get blind drunk."

"Would you just give me some fucking space, damn it!" He threw the bottle against the wall, shattering it.

Cassie jumped, panicked at his anger. She cringed when she heard Phillip begin to cry.

"Go," he ordered. "Go tend to him."

She gritted her teeth but stood up and went to pick up Phillip out of the bassinet, assuring a worried Virgie that she could go back to her room. Cassie brought him into the living room.

"You’re a mean drunk," she accused.

He laughed bitterly at that but stopped when he saw that she carried Phillip with her. "I thought you were going to put him back to sleep."

"You thought wrong," she said, stiffening her spine. "We are not leaving you to wallow alone. Tell me what happened to cause you to get yourself drunk."

He stood up and went to get another bottle out of the small fridge. He came back and started to pour the liquor into the shot glass.

Cassie moved the shot glass out of his reach, causing the liquor to spill.

He glared at her and pulled it back and resumed pouring.

Cassie again leaned over and pushed the glass away.

He slammed the bottle down on the table in frustration, and a frisson of fear went through her. Before she could chicken out, she reached for the bottle and held it to her.

"You want it back? Start talking," Cassie ordered though she certainly had no intention of giving him the bottle again. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Phillip reached his small hand towards the neck of the bottle, grunting in annoyance when she lowered the bottle to carpet, next to her legs.

"I didn’t do enough," he said, his voice thick with sadness. "I couldn’t stop what happened to Phillip. I couldn’t stop what happened to any of them. There was this one man, Dai ordered him beheaded, and I couldn’t do a fucking thing! Everything they mentioned in court . . . everything, Cassandra."

She held her breath, wondering if he had lied about Phillip to protect her. To not have her memory of him tainted by knowing Phillip had been raped.

He shook his head and stood up, unsteady on his feet. "No. No point in talking about it again and again." He paced, shaking his head at her. He pointed to the door. "You should go. Really. You should just take the baby and go home. Go home to Boston, to your mum. Don’t think about me. Don’t love me. Just go away, Cassandra. Please just go away."

"Stop it!" she demanded, softly. Her eyes filled with frustrated tears. "Stop trying to push me away. You promised. You promised you wouldn’t do this."

"Ah yes, well, I promised many things, didn’t I?" he sneered, leaning against the wall. "I promised to back away and let you marry Phillip. I promised to marry Nicole. I promised to never hurt you. I promised to protect the men in my company. Bang up job, eh?"

She shook her head, at a loss over how to help him, how to change his thinking and make him see how wonderful he was, how strong and brave and how much she loved him.
"There was nothing you could have done in that prison, James. Your men were captives, and so were you. Dai had all the control in there."

"Oh I did plenty, my sweet wife. I did. Shh! I don’t want to discuss this. Go to bed. Go. I don’t want to look at your beautiful, heartbroken face and your tears. Go."

She stared at him, shaking, not sure if she should dare press him to explain. She pulled Phillip closer to her. He slept now. She took him back to his bassinet and forced herself to go back into the living room.

James had picked up the bottle she had left on the carpet and now didn’t bother with the glass but drank the scotch straight from the bottle.

He looked at her and rolled his eyes and began to laugh. "You are a terrible wife, my dear."

She jolted as if he’d slapped her.

"You never do what I tell you. From the moment I met you, you kept pushing your way into my heart. I tell you to go away and you don’t. I told you to marry Phillip and you didn’t. I told you not to come with me to this trial and here you are."

"So, I’m a terrible wife because I don’t leave you," Cassie shot back, fighting the urge to slap him silly.

"Right-o!"

"So all that for better or worse stuff was a bunch of bunk, huh?" Cassie asked.

"A good wife does what her husband tells her. She sits docilely at home while her husband goes out and takes care of what needs to be done. She has habits like needlepoint and goes shopping and to luncheons. She does not expose herself to terrible things like war stories about monsters but keeps herself away from unpleasantness so that her husband can be with her and feel at ease and relaxed."

"Ohhhh! My mistake, I didn’t know you wanted to be married to a brainless porcelain doll!"

He cocked his head. "Oh no. Not Nicole. I don’t love her . . . I . . . " He squeezed his eyes shut, and banged the back of his head against the wall.

"You what?" she pressed, wiping her damp cheeks.

"I . . . Fucking hell . . . I love you." He grabbed her, and pulled her to him. "I’m selfish and I love you and I wish I could forget and just love you." He cupped her face and shook his head. "But I can hear their voices in my head and they tell me I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve to live and have babies and a wife and a home because they’re dead."

"Who?" she pressed.

He pushed her away again. "No!"

"James?"

She darted back when he slumped to the floor and drew his knees up, rubbing his legs through his blue pyjama pants.

"I saw his face. It was all purple and swollen from the rope around his neck. I saw it again tonight, in my dream . . . only he was talking to me."

"He who?" She crouched down next to him.

"He was new. A young private. Maxwell. So innocent. Fuck, I’m cold," he said as his shaking became more violent.

She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his bare arms. "I love you and I want to share your troubles and ease your burdens."

He sniffled and leaned his head against hers. "You’re such a good wife."

Cassie shook her head at his contradiction. She kissed his cheek, encouraged that he was warming to her again.

"One of the guards took a liking to him. He was a good looking kid. Almost pretty, you know? We all knew it would only be a matter of time. When it happened he was catatonic for days. But the guard wanted him again."

Cassie swallowed down her nausea and wrapped her arms tighter around him.

"There was nowhere to hide. No way to avoid it. He knew it. He asked me to kill him. We didn’t have guns but . . ." He looked at her, shame in his eyes. "We know how to kill without weapons."

Cassie felt cold now as well, but she nodded for him to continue.

"I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bring myself to do it so he was . . . taken. Later, after work, I came back, and there was Max, hanging over his cot, his eyes staring at me." He groaned then and suddenly jerked away from her and ran to the bathroom to throw up.

She rushed to him and stroked the back of his head as he panted over the toilet. She gave him some water to wash out his mouth.

He brushed his teeth and then washed his face and went to sit on the edge of the tub. "I couldn’t do it. Why couldn’t I do it? I’m a killer. I’ve killed so many men. The enemy. Why couldn’t I do this to save an innocent man from such a horrible fate?"

"Because it’s different to kill a friend than it is an enemy."

"I should have done it for him!" James insisted. "How can you even look at me after what I let happen to them all! It should have been me who died in there. It should have been me!"

"Don’t say that!" Cassie pleaded.

He grabbed her, pressing his fingers into her arms. "Why! Why the hell do you love me? Why do you keep trying to make it all right?"

"Because I’m such an awful wife," she said dryly.

"God damn it," he swore and grabbed the back of her head, closing his mouth over hers.

Now for your chance to win just leave a comment here with your e-mail addy and I'll pick the winner this Friday!

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-11-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

If all goes well We'll Meet Again will be released tomorrow! (crosses fingers) So I figured one last WMA snippet for ya. Hope you enjoy!

They stayed there, feasting on each other’s mouths, hearing the occasional catcall and grumble in French. They parted when the need for air became too great and even then, his arms stayed around her, holding her at least a foot off the ground. One of her shoes came loose and dropped with a thunk on the wooden platform.

James stayed panting warm air against her face, his eyes open gazing into hers. They flickered briefly with a moment of confusion when he pressed her body closer to his and Cassie understood he must have felt the slight bulge of her stomach through her dress.

Cassie swallowed hard. "There’s something you need to know now."

Over At Romance With Sass!

2011-11-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

I'm so thrilled to be over at bestselling author Margie Church 's blog today! If you want a chance to win a copy of my heart wrenching WW2 romance We'll Meet Again, head on over and say hi!

New Release Date For We'll Meet Again

2011-11-14T20:52:00.000-08:00

Unfortunately the release date for my erotic historical We'll Meet Again has been moved yet again. This time we're keeping our fingers crossed for the 21st, this coming Monday. In the mean time I thought I'd share a sexy excerpt to help ya'll endure the wait!

First the blurb: It's 1943; Cassie Atherton's fiancé Phillip Davis is fighting in the war, and she is doing her part as an American nurse in England. When nursing a seriously injured English captain named Edward James Harrison, Cassie suddenly finds herself truly in love for the very first time. Instantly drawn to each other, Cassie tries to resist James's shameless flirting but the two of them grow close during his convalescence. They know their futures lie elsewhere but neither expect their parting to come when the unexpected death of her father calls Cassie back home. Once he’s fully recovered, James returns to active duty and ends up on a mission with Phillip in Japan where both men are captured. Their joint suffering in the POW camp under Lieutenant Dai bonds them as the best of friends.

They manage to escape and Phillip brings James with him when he returns back home to Boston to meet Cassie, not being aware that the two already know each other. Torn between friendship and love, honor and passion, set against a backdrop of violence and historical upheaval, Cassie and James try to fight a love that refuses to be denied.

Her dress slipped off of her to billow around feet and she let James guide her towards the bed.

Before setting her down on the mattress, he eased her underclothes down and off, followed by his own. Cassie ran her fingers up his strong thighs to the thatch of darker hair at the base of his shaft. She gently circled it with her fingers and smiled when she heard him groan. She liked touching him like this, so intimately and knowing she was giving him pleasure. Cassie stroked him slowly, feeling his thick shaft swell in her hand.
She looked up. His eyes were closed as he bit his lip. She had an idea that shocked her because she had never even contemplated doing it before but she had heard whispers that some women did.
Certain women.
Cassie pressed her lips together. She was a married woman now, should she even be contemplating such a thing? Would James be shocked and disappointed in her if she did it? No. Cassie didn’t think so. He was always kind and honest with her, explaining things she had no knowledge in without making her feel like a silly child.
Being married meant they could do anything, didn’t it?

Cassie leaned forward and pressed her lips to the head of his shaft.
She looked up hesitantly when she heard James gasp. His eyes flew open. Cassie jerked back, afraid he would tell her not to do such a thing ever again.

But he smiled at her, heat in his gaze. "Are you sure you want to, darling?"

Cassie grinned back and shrugged. "I don’t quite know yet. Is it okay to try?"

"Just watch your teeth," he warned.

It took her a second to realize what he meant and then she laughed.
"Oh. Well, yes. That makes sense." She licked her lips and pressed her mouth to the head of his shaft again.

As Cassie touched it with her tongue, she felt James’s fingers dig into her shoulder. He shivered, and she could tell he was making a conscious effort to ease his grip.
She took just the head into her mouth, sucking slowly. She heard his curse above her and her name sounded tight from his lips. She didn’t think she was doing it quite right. There wasn’t the rhythm to it she thought there should be. It wasn’t unpleasant, but Cassie liked kissing him better, liked having him inside of her much better.

Though she did enjoy the sounds her husband was making very, very much.

Then he was pushing her away and she worried she wasn’t doing it right, but she realized with a start that he was very hard now.

"It’s too much right now, sweetheart," he panted. "Perhaps when we go for another round, eh?"

He leaned over her and cupped her mound between her thighs, making her gasp.
"I would very much love to repay you in kind, love."

Cassie shivered, imagining his mouth there. "Oh I think I’d like that," she said eagerly, then blushed at how exuberant she sounded.

"Oh you will." He nodded smugly. He placed a few pillows under her back so that she wasn’t lying flat.

She leaned across to the night table and flipped on the lamp as James shut the light above them and joined her on the bed.

"Now you look golden," Cassie said with an appreciative smile, taking in the hard muscles of his body in the soft light.

He slid his fingers along her thigh until he met her core again. He kissed her as his fingers stroked her slick folds.

Cassie whimpered and she bunched the sheets in her hands, watching him work his way to her collarbone and lower.

One of James’s fingers pressed against the sensitive nub of flesh amid her folds and he rubbed slowly, making Cassie’s breath catch. She closed her eyes, giving herself up to the ecstasy of his touch.

Then there was the heat of his mouth. Everything in Cassie seemed to seize and hover in anticipation of that first touch of his . . .

She cried out when his tongue met her center. Her eyes were squeezed shut, unable to bear seeing him there between her legs, fearing it would be too shameful, fearing the sight would send her over the edge into the biggest orgasm of her young life.

His tongue probed gently, licking, sucking, drawing her nerves tighter and tighter.

He stopped and looked up at her. "How do you feel?"

Cassie met his gaze over the swelling of their child. She could only nod and whimper pleadingly for him to continue.

He chuckled and bent once again to his task until she was writhing restlessly, her skin feeling lit with an electric current that was growing stronger and stronger until he suddenly stopped.

"Why?" she burst out, lifting her head.

James smiled and kissed her. She blinked in surprise, tasting herself.

He pulled away and cupped her between her legs. "Because I want to feel it all around me when you come."

He lay down beside her, and she looked at him in confusion.

"If you’re on top, you might like it better because of the baby."

"Oh," she said. She followed his lead and moved over him, trembling when she felt the head of his length probing at her damp folds. She took a deep breath to still her racing nerves, afraid to go over the edge much too soon. She slowly eased down, feeling every warm inch of his length fill her.

James cupped her breasts, and Cassie didn’t move, loving the feeling of him in that deepest part of her.

"Oh . . . " She sighed. "My husband is so wise," Cassie teased.

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-11-12T22:14:00.000-08:00

If all goes well with last minute edits, We'll Meet Again should hopefully release this Monday. Shall keep you updated. In honor of this last six before the release, I give you James and Cassandra's first time together.

She expected the pain that everyone told horror stories about, but beyond a slight initial sting, when James pushed into her slowly, Cassie felt perfect, joined in the most basic way to this man who claimed her soul and now body. She opened her eyes and found James looking down at her, restraint tight in his face.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his voice trembling.

She touched his face. "Yes. Very much so. It doesn’t hurt like I thought it would," she admitted, and felt her face heat. "You feel good. Very good."

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New Video Blog!

2011-11-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-11-06T07:37:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who has been loving these little snippets! We're getting close to the Nov 14 of this passionate, heart wrenching tale. SO excited!

James lowered his head to hers, meeting her eyes. "Because now I can’t let you go," he choked, his eyes filling with tears. "I can’t bear the thought of you leaving here and living the rest of my life without you, not touching you, loving you every day now that I have touched you. And as much I as I love Phillip, I can’t bear the thought of his hands on you instead of mine."

Cassie froze, joy and panic in her heart. "So w…what are you saying?"

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Guest Blog: Welcome Margie Church!

2011-11-01T20:53:00.000-07:00

I'm so honored to have the fantastic bestselling author Margie Church on my blog today!!! Give her a lovely welcome!

What's in Your Soul?

Halloween is historically known as All Souls Day and that got me to thinking about seeing into one's soul. Some of us have married our soul mates; some of us have more than one and they might not be the opposite gender. But have you ever had the experience of looking into someone's eyes and feel like they are looking right into your soul? A stranger? An acquaintance? I have.

When my second child was an infant, I used to love to hold him and watch him fall asleep. He'd stare at me with his drooping eyelids and it was such a pleasure to know the last thing he saw was my face. Though days old, I always wondered why I felt a different connection with this child. It wasn't just maternal love. It was something else. I recall holding him and wondering who are you? He felt like this newborn had such an old, peaceful soul. As this child grew, I realized he has my husband's soul. He has many of the same endearing ways that made me fall in love with his dad on first sight! This child is a child of my heart. My firstborn is the child of my wildest dreams.

Another time, a few years ago, a man I occasionally saw around town had been on vacation for a few weeks. We'd known each other for years, but I wouldn't say we were even friends – maybe just friendly. When he returned from his trip, our gazes connected for the briefest moment. I felt that magnetism, but I was doing something else at that second and my brain didn't register what had happened. A minute later, I sat down and awareness dawned on me. Later in that hour, he looked my way again – almost apologetically. I've never forgotten it; we've never spoken of it; and never will.

Another time, I was in Chicago in a cab. We drove past my double. She was walking down the sidewalk, wearing the same raincoat as I. She even had the same haircut. It was uncanny, unnerving. She glanced my way as the cab passed her. I felt like a ghost.

When I develop characters, I look for that one trait that is going to bind them to each other forever. In my vampire series, Love Bites, the vampire Wade tells his beloved Jui, "Distance means nothing to the soul." When she needed him he came from across the world and risked everything. Sigh. When Allaire is kidnapped and missing for months, Devon knew in his soul she wasn't dead. And when Kevin finally accepted his sexuality, he chose Teak. He wouldn't back down or compromise on the choice he knew in his soul was right. In Nopeming Shores, the devastation Lily feels after Gabe is killed is so powerful, he cannot leave the confines of earthly existence. Gabe's soul cannot rest.

Before I give you a chance to win my newest book, Nopeming Shores, I have to thank Nancy for hosting me today. It's very special for me to be here. She and I met several years ago on the fan site, Forbidden Love. Although I've been a total slacker, she continues to deliver amazing fan fiction for the members. I feel like this is a bit of a homecoming to be on her blog and I can't wait to have her at Romance With SASS.

CONTEST: Has anyone ever peered into your soul? How did it make you feel? Share an experience with me and you could win my newest book, Nopeming Shores.
Blurb: Nopeming Shores by Margie Church with J. Andrew Lockhart
An IED snuffed out Gabe Holliway's life, but couldn't destroy his love. Using his unique gift, Gabe struggles to help his young wife, Lily, rebuild her shattered future.

But when Gabe's ghost reaches out to her, Lily fears she's lost her last hold on sanity. Can she trust what she discovers and what her heart says? When she sees Gabe face-to-face, can she believe her eyes?
When love transcends death, the answers are found in Nopeming Shores.

Read the first two chapters of Nopeming Shores and buy the book on Amazon

Margie's website: Romance With SASS
Margie's Blog
Margie's Twitter
Margie'sFacebook
Noble Romance Buy Link

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-10-29T22:30:00.000-07:00

Once again, this weekend's six is from my upcoming historical romance We'll Meet Again! Coming from Noble Romance Nov 14! Hope you enjoy!

"It’s all right, darling. I’d better go now before…well…before," he said, his voice thick.

"James," Cassie pleaded, trembling.

He stopped on his way to the door and gave her a sad smile. "I wish I didn’t have to leave. But we both know I do."

She nodded slowly.

He stood looking at her and quickly walked back to her and grabbed her for one last kiss before pulling away again. "I love you so much," he groaned.

Blog Hop!

2011-10-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Halloween me and a whole slew of fantastic authors are participating in a huge blog hop from now until midnight on the 31st!

Now what does that mean for you? Prizes! Many... many... many... prizes! Each author is offering something on their blog for you to grab.

For myself, I thought in honor of the chilly turn the weather has taken I'd offer a copy of my steamy novella Baby It's Cold Outside!

Just leave a comment here anytime between now and midnight EST on the 31st and I'll pick a winner!

How about a wee peek?

Madeline Delaney has suffered a terrible loss. She's returned to her home town with her daughter to spend Christmas with Madeline's grandmother. Next door is Jack DeLuna, an adolescent crush that seems to be rekindling into a very adult passion. Still reeling from the death of her husband, will Madeline have the courage to let Jack into her heart, or will guilt and the fear of loving someone again keep her from the future Jack has waited years to give her?

“Yes,” she said, firmly pushing the word out before she could talk herself out of it.

“I‟d like to have dinner with you, Jack.”

He smiled at her and exhaled in an endearing display of relief. “I thought you‟d never put me out of my misery.”

“Me neither,” she laughed with a sheepish shrug. “I‟m incredibly nervous about the whole thing but I would very much like to go out on a date with you.”

Jack leaned his head down and Madeline caught her breath, thinking he was going to kiss her.

Did she want him to? Yes, she decided. She did. So when he seemed to change his mind and straightened up, putting his hands in his coat pockets, Madeline took a step forward and pressed her lips to his.

His lips were cold from the chill in the air but quickly warmed as he deepened the kiss.

Madeline felt her knees go a little weak and was grateful to feel Jack‟s arm come around her back to pull her up against him. She clutched at his coat because her senses were spinning under the sweet delicious movement of his lips against hers.

He was pulling away. She whimpered, then broke the kiss as embarrassment flooded her at the needy sound.

His eyes were lit with unmistakable desire as he tucked a loose lock of her black hair behind her ear. “I suppose we should save something for this Saturday but damn I‟ve wanted to do that since I saw you first come out of your car. You‟ve grown into such a beautiful woman, Maddie, you take my breath away. You really do.”

She cleared her throat and touched his coat. “You‟re no slouch in the growing up good department yourself, Jack DeLuna. So Saturday then?” she asked. If she didn‟t stop touching him she was afraid she‟d kiss him again and never want to stop.

He pressed his lips to her cheek. “Saturday,” he confirmed.
She forced herself to turn away and he made his way back down the porch steps to his house as she unlocked her front door and went inside. Her fingers lifted to her lips, still tasting him there.

God, that had been good. She hadn‟t expected to enjoy a simple kiss so much.
“Maybe that just goes to show how hard up you are lately,” she remarked dryly into the darkened corridor. “You‟re probably gonna tackle him as soon as you see him on Saturday and throw him in the backseat before you even say „how do you do?‟”

Wanna have a look at the other participating authors? You can find them all Here!

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-10-22T20:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who are enjoying these little peeks into my upcoming release We'll Meet Again! In this week's snippet, James gives in...just a little.

James took her hands and covered them with his own. With a groan of what sounded like defeat, he spun and grabbed her. His mouth claimed hers in a haze of fire that spread over her entire body and pooled with shocking intensity between her legs.
Cassie whimpered, greedily, and was dimly aware of the sound of the door being slammed shut before he was pushing her against the wall.
His hands cupped her face in a fierce grip as if to hold her there while he feasted on her mouth.
As if she’d ever want to leave.

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-10-15T19:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all you lovely folks for reading and commenting on these snippets. We're going to continue with another bit from my upcoming historical romance We'll Meet Again, coming Nov 14!

His touch on her bare skin sent a shocking warmth through her that settled low in her belly and farther than that. "And Cassandra, don’t ever ask me again if I feel anything for you. Not ever, unless you want me to dishonour myself and prove it to you." James's voice was rough and filled with unmistakable intent, his breath warm with smoke and coffee and his scent had just the barest hint of woodsy cologne mixed in with his own male scent, wafting over her face.

Cassie’s thighs came together tightly as she felt a fluttering there in between.

Sweet Lord.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2011-10-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who keeps reading and commenting. Love ya muchly! This weeks snippet is once again from my upcoming WW2 erotic romance We'll Meet Again, coming Nov 14! Hope you enjoy!

He held her head still, bringing his other hand to the other side of her face and pressed his forehead against hers. "Cassandra," he sighed, sad and urgent.

"Don’t," she pleaded. "Please, don’t."

"Just a small gesture of farewell, darling?" he asked, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear.

A kiss wouldn’t have to mean anything in the grand scheme of things, Cassie tried to rationalize through her guilt.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2011-10-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who drops by and comments! So appreciated! I figured in honor of the upcoming release of my WW2 erotic historical We'll Meet Again, coming Nov 14 I would make every Six Sentence Sunday snippet from now until its release, from We'll Meet Again. Hope you guys enjoy!

First the blurb: It's 1943; Cassie Atherton's fiancé Phillip Davis is fighting in the war, and she is doing her part as an American nurse in England. When nursing a seriously injured English captain named Edward James Harrison, Cassie suddenly finds herself truly in love for the very first time. Instantly drawn to each other, Cassie tries to resist James's shameless flirting but the two of them grow close during his convalescence. They know their futures lie elsewhere but neither expect their parting to come when the unexpected death of her father calls Cassie back home. Once he’s fully recovered, James returns to active duty and ends up on a mission with Phillip in Japan where both men are captured. Their joint suffering in the POW camp under Lieutenant Dai bonds them as the best of friends.

They manage to escape and Phillip brings James with him when he returns back home to Boston to meet Cassie, not being aware that the two already know each other. Torn between friendship and love, honor and passion, set against a backdrop of violence and historical upheaval, Cassie and James try to fight a love that refuses to be denied.

How could she explain that her shortness with him was a result of her own guilt? Of the dream she had last night, a scandalous dream that featured none other than the captain. Captain Edward James Harrison and herself doing things that still made her heart race and her body warm when she thought of them.
Shame filled her, though she tried to tell herself she was not responsible for the content of her dreams. Maybe Nurse Norwich was right. She was getting much too involved with her patients. One very specific patient.

Playing 20 Questions!

2011-09-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Hey my wuvlies, I'm over at the Rebel Ink Press blog playing 20 Questions and talking about my upcoming release w them, the first book in the Resistance trilogy The Arrangement! Come say hi!

Submission Call

2011-09-24T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, thought I'd pass along this submission call from the lovely folks at Amira Press, home of Redemption, Till Death Do Us Part and many of my other books as well! Want to join me? Here are the details and where you can find out more!

Don't hold back... Let your imagination take over and spin dreams on the pages of your books! Amira Press is looking for the hottest erotic works that will steam up our computer screen and make our editors swoon! Close the curtains and let your mind wander to every erotic destination and character it can find. Then send your manuscript to us! Look at our submission page, and please follow the guidelines. Erotic works in every genre are accepted, especially Shifter, Gay, Menage, and Interracial. So go wild!!

http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=conditions

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-09-24T21:13:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to all you lovelies who let me know how much you enjoy these little snippets! For this week I thought I'd share a bit from my steamy futuristic paranormal short Playground Of The Gods

First, thee blurb: Luke and Megan are fighter pilots and soldiers fighting side by side to find a new home for their lost people. They have loved each other for years, but neither will admit it for fear of betraying the memory of their best friend, Megan's dead fiancee. With a little help from the Gods above, will these brave warriors find the courage to engage in a battle for each others hearts?

Hope you enjoy!

He drinks the wine from between her thighs slowly. Her moans, music to his ears. Strong hands grasp her slim legs, holding them steady while his tongue plunders, back and forth, making her ready for when he will thrust himself into her and claim her.

Megan blinked and closed the book. Whoa. Somebody’s been reading porn, she thought with a devilish giggle. But how on Earth had the book ended up wedged in her mattress?

“Ah well, finder’s keepers,” she declared and opened the book again.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2011-09-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Sara loved Connor, but he was from the wrong side of the tracks. They eloped and her father had him mudered or so she thought. Pregnant and desperate to escape an arranged marriage Sara married Connor's best friend, Aaron. When Connor returns very much alive, Sara is forced to choose between her first love and the new love she's found.

For this week I thought I'd share a snippet from my contemporary romance Till Death Do Us Part available in both ebook and print from Amira Press.

Sara shook her head. She didn’t want Aaron to stay with her. She wanted to be alone. She wanted to just fall into the darkness and never ever come out because the light just hurt too much. Maybe she could just stay here forever. She could lie down on the bed and just wait to die, to join Connor.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2011-09-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Claire Lauder was the girl next door who fell in love with the boy from the wrong side of the tracks. Now these ex-lovers find themselves on opposite sides of the law, but Claire soon learns that all is not as it seems. Ryan Wyatt is a man with a dark past who is given a second chance. The price? Betray the man and the organization that took him in when he had nothing. but will forgiveness be harder to earn from the woman he has never stopped loving?

For this week I thought I'd share a snippet from my novella Shades Of Grey with Amira Press.

Claire. The name stole his breath from him like a punch, and he slid to the floor, lowering his head to his knees. Had she been told yet? Did she know that the older brother she idolized was dead and that Ryan Wyatt had been there when it happened, had been just as responsible as if he had fired the shot himself? Did she hate him? He told himself he wanted her to hate him, to not be able to care less, really, because when those big blue eyes looked at him with love, he was left shaken and willing to lay himself bare before her, to give up everything just for the pleasure of seeing those eyes light up with love for him.

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Six Sentence Sunday

2011-09-03T21:54:00.000-07:00

For this weeks Six Sentence Sunday I thought I'd share a snippet from my paranormal romance Four Winds Of Heaven. I learned that it is #160 over at Fictionwise's bestsellers in Dark Fantasy and I would love to see it crack the top 100 and hope this snippet whets your appetite to pick up your copy Here

“Well, three children had a series of visions of the Holy Mother. During those visions, Mary entrusted them with three secrets. Two have been revealed so far. The third has been highly speculated on.”
“You think we know what it is?” Laura asked, laughing.
“No. I believe you are the third secret of Fatima,” he stated.

Check out more of the awesome participating Six Sunday authors Here

Video Blog

2011-09-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Because I talk too much, this had to be split into 2 videos! Talking about books I'm working on and what's coming up!
Part 1

Part 2

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-08-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

For this week I thought I'd share a snippet from my steamy shortForbidden published by Amira Press!

Alex knocked on Max’s door, and when she turned the doorknob, she realized it was unlocked. She pushed it open and froze at the sound of a female moan coming from the bedroom. Her conscience screamed against what she was about to do. She moved toward the room and tilted her head to watch the heated scene before her through the partly open door.
Max lay on top of Katie, one of Alexandra’s bridesmaids, driving into her. Alex’s face flushed. She shouldn’t be watching this, but some invisible force held her still.

Check out other great Six Sentence Sunday Authors!

We'll Meet Again Cover

2011-08-21T16:34:00.000-07:00

So thrilled to share the cover for my upcoming historical romance We'll Meet Again!

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-08-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

I thought for this week I'd share a snippet from my best selling novella Redemption since you guys are showing that one so much love on All Romance Ebooks. It's published by the lovely folks at Amira Press and you can pick up your copy Here

First, the blurb: On the run from a murderous uncle, Katie Beaumont married outlaw Ben Cready the day before he was supposed to hang. They shared one night of explosive passion and for six months, she'd believed herself a widow. Now Ben is back to claim what's his, and that includes the sweet bride he'd never been able to forget.

“Christ, woman.” His voice was thick as he stared at her, the heat in his eyes making her feel more naked than she already was.
She didn’t think that merited a response.
“I’m gonna fuck you tonight,” he informed her. “You got any objection to that you best tell me now.
She shook her head, then, not wanting him to misunderstand, she quickly added, “No. No I don’t.”
He nodded and then silently walked away.

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-08-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all of you who have commented on my snippets! For this week I thought I'd share a snippet from my first ever published short story, from way back in 2008 from Amira Press: To Love A Knight

Nikolas took her hand and placed her fingers on his cock. “Does that feel evil?”

“You feel so warm,” Delia replied. She gave a small squeeze around the thick shaft, and Nikolas moaned. She was about to jerk back her hand, afraid she had hurt him again when he held her fingers in place.

“No, don’t remove them,” he pleaded. His eyes closed, and his neck arched, pressing his head back into the pillow.

“But . . . but you’re hurt. I’m sorry I didn’t know,” she replied, feeling tears of shame spring to her eyes.

“You didn’t hurt me. I moaned because it felt so very good.”

“Really?” she asked in surprise.

Back To Smut Party!

2011-08-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Passing this on for the lovely Dawne Prochilo to all my writer friends. You definitely want to get in on this asap! It sounds like it's gonna be a blast!

You’re invited to participate in a Back-to-Smut Party

When: September 2-7
Where: Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

It’s been a long summer. The kids are antsy and the fathers crabby. The mothers have intervened, entertained, been sunburned and longed for the crisp smell of fall and new pencils. Well, it’s here! Back to school! Or in this case—Back to Smut.

Calling all erotic romance authors to join in the celebration. We’ll share smoldering
excerpts, ogle hot bodies and dish all things sex—all without the impressionable little twerps we adore.

How to sign up: contact me at em.petrova@live.com with the subject BTS party and I’ll send your name to Marissa Dobson, owner of Sizzling Hot Book Reviews. She’ll hook you up with a way to post.

What you’ll need: Blog posts, promo, links, dreamy pics, alpha heroes, sexy heroines and all the things you’d keep from your kids’ sight! And don’t forget to bring a prize or two to draw in readers.

Now sign up and put the call out to all your groups and friends on social media.
Hell, you can even call your mother-in-law…

Redemption Trailer

2011-08-13T14:01:00.000-07:00

Since Redemption has been doing so well, I thought I'd share the trailer for my sexy novella! Hope you enjoy it. The lovely Caren Dittbrenner does all my trailers. Redemption is currently 61 on All Romance Ebooks, would love to see it break the top 50!

Redemption Tease!

2011-08-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

I was so tickled when I found out that Redemption was in the top 100 American Historical bestsellers over at All Romance Ebooks! It's #64 and I'd love to see it hit the top ten! You can pick up your copy here: Redemption Buy Link To entice you I thought I'd share the blurb and a steamy excerpt! Hope you enjoy!

On the run from a murderous uncle, Katie Beaumont married outlaw Ben Cready the day before he was supposed to hang. They shared one night of explosive passion and for six months, she'd believed herself a widow. Now Ben is back to claim what's his, and that includes the sweet bride he'd never been able to forget.

The first time she’d lain in this bed, it had smelled like him. Ben had told her it had been his mother’s house, a small cottage hidden in the mountains. The perfect hideout for Ben Cready and his gang. The perfect place for Katie to disappear.

Katie had lain there, staring up at the wooden beams above and closed her eyes, letting his warm, musky scent transport her back to the night before when he’d moved over her, doing things to her that had made her body greedy, open, wet and wanting things she had no understanding of.

And oh he’d given. He’d given hard and deep, plunging his cock into her again and again, but she could feel the restraint there in his muscles, saw it in his face. He had held back, for her. It made Katie want it all the more. Want him.

Playing that night over in her mind, Katie had stared up at the ceiling, feeling her most intimate place grow damp. She reached down tentatively under her night gown and jumped at the first touch. She’d let her eyes drift closed and remembered the heavy warmth of his body and his strong, rough fingers stroking her gently, then harder as her passion grew. Katie followed his movements, trying to mimic them with her own fingers. She pushed her fingers into her body. Surely it wasn’t shameful now that she was a married woman.

They weren’t the same as his cock. There wasn’t that deep full thick feeling of being possessed, claimed, taken. He moved slowly, gently with her and Katie realized with a burst of shame that she had bitten into his shoulder once. The memory of his cock hitting a particularly sweet spot made her whimper and gush a little. The broad tanned muscle of his shoulder was there, beckoning her mouth and Katie had only meant to run her lips along the tight skin, but then he’d angled his hips and hit that sweet spot and the sweet burst of sensation had been too much to bear and she’d sunk her teeth into the muscle. He’d groaned above her, pumping a little bit harder.

Reliving that moment, Katie had angled her fingers trying to mimic the movement and while the sensation wasn’t quite the same, Katie had bit into her pillow as she felt the funny climbing sensation begin to tug deep in her belly.

With her other hand, she’d tried to copy how he had stroked that swollen bundle of nerves right above her opening. Here the sensations grew sharper and Katie barely had time to breathe before her body arched upwards, the heels of her feet digging into the mattress and the intense feeling of release seemed to explode through her blood.

“What was that?” she had asked him when it first happened.

“You came, honey,” he hissed through his teeth as he pushed his cock into her.

‘Came’. Such a simple unassuming word to describe the most exquisite feeling Katie had ever experienced.

She’d done that again the next night and many times since. It wasn’t him but it kept the memory of him vibrantly alive for her, that stranger who’d saved her and showed her what passion was.

She woke up in the middle of the night, her heart racing. She must have
screamed because in the darkness she heard his voice.

“Bad dream?”

Her eyes frantically searched him out but Katie could barely make out his silhouette in the doorway. “What happened to the lamp?”

“I blew it out. Wonder you didn’t burn down the house around that pretty head of yours.”

That was the second time he’d called her pretty. Katie tried not to put any stock in it but the one good thing about the darkness was that he couldn’t see her blush. “I can’t sleep when it’s dark. I don’t like it.”

“Well, you can’t sleep with that lamp on neither. I ain’t risking you burnin’ down our house.”

Our house.

She heard his footsteps come closer and she sat up when he was right next to the bed.

“Move over.”

“What?” Katie asked, her heart beat tripling its rhythm. She saw the shine of his grey eyes as he leaned over her and turned the blanket down.

“That’s my side of the bed.”

“I know.”

“I’ll sleep beside you. You won’t need the lamp.”

Katie hesitated afraid to object, afraid that he’d turn back to the cellar, afraid he’d want more, afraid she would. She moved over to the cooler side of the bed and held herself stiff, unsure as he spread himself out next to her.

He didn’t touch her.

Katie bit her lip, unsure of whether she wanted him to.

“Relax. I ain’t gonna ask you for nothin’ tonight. Just sleep.”

She didn’t relax until heard him snoring.

Katie turned to him wishing she could see more than just the faint lines of his face. She felt him breathing against her face and she lifted her fingers hesitantly but then drew them back, not wanting to risk waking him. She fell asleep with his breath against her face and didn’t wake up again until it was morning.

The room was still bathed in grey when Katie became aware of herself again. The first thing she noticed was there was something heavy against her waist and that she was no longer facing Ben. His arm was draped over her waist and her back was nestled against his chest.

And there was something very warm and hard pressed against her bottom. She wondered if it hurt him to feel swollen like that because she knew that she certainly ached in her own place between her legs. Not painfully. It was more a dull throb that she recognized well by now.

She also knew now what she needed to do to relieve it but she didn’t dare. Not here. Not with him lying next to her. Katie breathed shakily. That was the rub though, wasn’t it, she thought. It was the feel of his body, warm and hard lying next to her that was bringing those feelings back a hundred fold. So many nights she had relieved herself imagining his touch, his scent, the coarseness of his body rubbing against hers and now here he was.

He shifted behind her and Katie froze, afraid to move, afraid he would smell her want on her like a beckoning musk. She didn’t want him to know, God, she didn’t. She’d be too embarrassed to have him know how she had dreamed about him.

His arm moved up along her rib cage to her breast and his big hand cupped it over her night gown.

Katie jumped, feeling her nipple tighten against the heat of his palm. She almost leaned into his palm, wanting more but afraid any movement would be seen as a sign of rejection.

He mumbled something behind her but it was unintelligible and Katie wondered if he was still asleep.

His hand squeezed gently and Katie’s eyes fluttered closed, overwhelmed by the sweet ache coursing through her. Her hand fisted the pillow and her breath was coming in short, quick pants, making her breast rise against his palm. She wished he would-

He slipped his hand past the heart shaped collar of her nightgown and Katie whimpered. His hand was now against bare skin as if he’d read her mind. He moved lower to cup her again and Katie felt herself gush embarrassingly between her legs. Ben squeezed the soft skin, scraping his palm over the nipple and then Katie felt his fingers move over it, pinching with slight pressure.

As if following her trail of arousal, Ben moved his hand out from the collar of her nightgown and moved down to her thigh. Katie felt her core throb and clutch desperately at the feel of his hand on her leg, moving higher, pushing the nightgown up as he went. Slipping inside her under clothes, his fingers met bare, wet skin. She bit her lip so hard she almost broke the skin.

Katie heard him groan behind her as he delved into her pussy.
“Remembered you like this,” Ben growled in her ear, making her jump with the realization that he was now if not before, fully awake. “Open and wet…your pussy slick like sweet honey.”

She didn’t know what to say, his touch was stealing all reason from her mind, but he held his fingers still and she knew she’d have to say something or he’d stop. “Please…” she sighed, wanting more, wanting him to move…to pump his fingers like she remembered.

“Stop?” he asked, his voice hard with disappointment.

“No,” she whispered.

He groaned his approval and began to thrust his fingers inside of her. Two fingers, deep into her… pussy. That’s what he’d called the warm, place that seemed to want him so desperately.

Katie couldn’t breathe, having him here, feeling his flesh and blood fingers here inside of her, not her own.

“You gonna come, honey?” Ben asked in her ear, pumping his fingers, making her cry out when he added a third into her.

“Oh….” Katie buried her face in the pillow, the sensations too sharp, too wonderful. They were almost unbearable. “Please…please…” she begged, dying for that sweet oblivion, knowing it would be all the more intense because her fantasy was once again real.

“Come around my fingers, darlin’,” he whispered, his breath hot against the back of her ear.

Her pussy was already clutching him tight, and when he started to pump his hand faster, Katie bit the pillow and screamed hurtling over the knife edge of desire into the most delicious orgasm of her life. It felt like it went on and on and then she realized it was because he hadn’t stopped the movement of his hand. He was still thrusting his fingers hard and fast into her and her pussy was creaming down, coating him, messy and uncaring.

“Come again for me, honey,” he growled in her ear, rubbed the heel of his hand against her clitoris as he pumped and she whimpered at the nearly painful pleasure.
“I don’t think…I can…” she moaned. Surely she couldn’t experience that explosion more than once a night.

“Sure you can,” he assured her and she could hear the amusement in his voice. Katie wanted to turn and look at him but didn’t dare. It was simpler like this, to not have to look at him while he did sinful things to her. But was it sinful? They were married after all. But wasn’t intercourse supposed to be just that, a man putting his seed in his wife to father a child. Not this…this…delicious, touching, stroking…sucking of breasts. He knew of these things because he was an outlaw, a criminal, but what did it make of her that she enjoyed them, wanted them?

True to his word, Katie could feel the tightening begin again deep in her belly like a coiled spring.

“Come for me, my sweet Katie…come for me…” the endearment, the sound of her name from his mouth made her arch back against him and she was coming again, bucking her hips as the explosions rocked off through her blood.

“Good…thatta girl…come, honey. I can feel it, all around my fingers…” he purred in her ear.

Sated, Katie moaned when she regained her senses again and trembled when she felt him remove his fingers.

“Now, I gotta take a piss and ease my own ache, darlin’.”

Katie, pushed herself up onto her watery limbs as she watched him get out of the bed. The image of him relieving his ‘ache’ made her flush with the knowledge that she wanted to see that.

“Get dressed and we’ll go into town, cause I ain’t starting this day on nothing’ but milk.”

Katie nodded quickly, her pussy was still in spasm with after shocks and he must have seen it on her face because his eyes held hers and he swore under his breath and turned away.

“Mister-Ben,” she corrected her self quickly.

He stopped and turned back to her.
“I’m-I’m glad you’re back,” she finished lamely.

Ben stared at her, the seriousness in his gaze making her nervous. She jumped when he chuckled and shook his head as he walked away.

She sat next to him on the buckboard as they rode into town. She was sitting next to her husband. Her husband.

“You need anything besides coffee?” he asked.

“Um… Vegetables…fruit. Some meat.”

He nodded. “I gotta meet with the Sheriff. You take care of them things and wait for me outside the store.”

“I wanted to meet with the Sheriff too,” Katie insisted firmly and he must have guessed by her tone that it wasn’t to make a social call.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Excuse me?”

“You wait for me outside the store, like I say,” Ben ordered.

Katie scowled at him. Part of her said not to push him, but the other part of her stubbornly chafed against being ordered about, especially since both men had taken it upon themselves to leave her in the dark for six months. “I want to speak with him about my Uncle.”

“You let me handle that.”

As they drove into town, heads turned their way with blatant curiosity.

Katie’s cheeks burned under the scrutiny.

“You want out of this marriage you just let me know,” Ben told her.

She turned to him in surprise, a sick tight ball in the pit of her stomach. “What?”

“You ain’t gonna have an easy time of it, being Mrs Cready.”
“I can handle it just fine, thank you,” she said primly. True, there were some folks that treated her like she had some kind of catching disease when they learned who her husband had been…or still was, she amended mentally. That was one of the reasons she loved the house in the mountains, she could hide from the more judgemental townsfolk. There were a few nice people though, Katie learned. They took pity on the young widow and invited her for tea or chatted with her when she had to do her shopping. Pastor McCadden, who had performed the last minute wedding ceremony always had a kind word for her and made sure she was doing well.

“I think you’ll have a harder time of it than I do,” she countered and he snorted at that.

“Never did care much what people thought of me,” he told her, drawing the reigns tight to stop in front of the general store. He hopped down and then came around the wagon to help her to the ground.

“You won’t…cause trouble, will you?” Katie asked afraid that he was headed to the saloon to engage in drinking or gambling or shooting.

He chuckled, an infectious sound that split his face in a grin that gave him an almost childlike appearance. “Honey, don’t you go forgettin’ now. I am trouble.”

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-08-07T08:37:00.000-07:00

I thought for this week I'd share a snippet from my very 1st number one best selling short storyTop Guns. It's a quick hot read about best friends becoming more so pick up your copy asap!

The game lasted another twenty minutes. Twenty of the hottest, sweatiest, most breathless minutes without actual touching she had ever been privy to. The room was bathed in the scent of male sweat and damn if it wasn’t making Allie wet as all get out.

It’d been a while since she’d had a good fuck. That was all, she decided, watching Jimmy running back and forth, bending to receive the ball, his shorts caressing the curves of his buttocks. Too damn long, she thought, her mouth dry.

It's All In The Writing

2011-08-05T16:22:00.000-07:00

As I've wrapped up the 1st round of edits on my historical romance 'We'll Meet Again' I've been enjoying catching up on one of my favorite new shows The Borgias and checking out that fandom which seems to be all about the illicit yet not yet (if ever) sexual relationship between brother and sister Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia. Though the posters certainly don't leave any real doubt. Kinda surprised the US censors would allow the poster considering how tight assed they seem to be about sexual matters of any kind.

Based on the story of the infamous papal family, The Borgias was the inspiration for Mario Puzo's The Godfather and you can definitely see hints of Michael Corleone in the conflicted Cesare.

Now as I read comments from a serious minority of folks who find that even hinting at a sexual relationship between Cesare and Lucezia to be 'gross' and 'disgusting' it occurred to me that the main reason I don't is because the writing and of course performances by Francois Arnaud and Holliday Graigner are just too damn good. They sell it. The writing sells it and that's the beauty of not just a good show, but a good book.

Set in this day and age, yeah, Cesare and Lucrezia might be a little too off kilter for many but we're talking about the 15th century, we're talking about a power hungry corrupt family whose loyalty is mostly to each other and no other. History is full of sex, power and yes, incest too. I doubt the US or Canada will ever have the balls to really go there with Cesare and Lucrezia. They have no trouble showing us people getting mutilated six ways to Sunday to but anything sexually kinky? Oh hell no. The writing is so good that even a hint of it is latched on to by the majority of viewers and they love it. I admit, it's twisted, but romantic as hell to watch these two in scenes together with that under current of restrained sexuality.

And really, they're hardly the first 'couple' who we shouldn't want to see together but the writing just makes these couples so damn compelling!

Take soaps for example.

On General Hospital you had Luke and Laura who could NOT have had a bigger derailment to their budding romance: He rapes her. A drunken night, a volatile man and emotions neither can control and you have the beginnings of what will become the most famous couple in soap history.

How? The writing was so brilliant that the viewer was pulled through what could have been the point of no return in a less capable writing team's hands.

On Days you have Ej and Sami. They started off all flirty passion and romance and then came a hell of a ballsy twist, Ej turns out to be the son of Sami's family's nemesis. It's Romeo and Juliet with two leads who are nobody's fools. They scheme, they lie, they cheat and the viewers love them. For some, they jumped ship when Ej blackmailed Sami into sleeping with him to save her fiancee at the time. That took some massive balls on head writer Hogan Shaeffer's part and for the most part it paid off because for the majority of us that snowy night in December, we saw more than others did, or more than others were willing too. These were two volatile characters who were crashing against each other. Sami knew Ej adored her and would not have harmed her if she left that car. She gave in because she wanted Ej too but he was the enemy, he was a DiMera and she was a Brady and this has been the push pull of their relationship for the past five years. But Hogan Shaeffer is gone and this couple lost their magic under the writing team that replaced his team. If you follow me on twitter, you know of my utter disdain for soap writer Dena Higley for what she has done to what should have been the next biggest supercouple in soap history. A Brady/DiMera love story? It should have been a no brainer, right? Any romance author worth her salt would have been all over this pair, but alas, the 'brain' part of the equation seems to be missing from Dena's process and the show has suffered for it. Well, she's gone now and the new team is set to take the reigns this Sept. One can only hope this new writing team isn't afraid to explore this gold mine sitting right there for them. That whole debacle with Dena just proved to me how VITAL good writing is. Couples she put together simply don't work because the writing doesn't work. Yes, the performances matter, but in the end it all comes to the writing.

In theory, certain topics are considered by some to be taboo; BDSM, incest, and any other manner of kink you can think of, but if you tell a damn good story the viewers and the readers will follow you anywhere.

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-07-31T08:39:00.000-07:00

Knee deep in 1st round of edits for my WW2 set erotic romance We'll Meet Again coming soon from Noble Romance so thought I'd share a wee snippet from that. This is from Cassie an James' first time making love. Hope you enjoy!

She closed her hand over his and shook her head. "I’m just worried that I won’t know how to please you," Cassie admitted.
He kissed her and took her hand, bringing it down between them. "You don’t need to do anything to please me," he assured her, catching his breath when she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. He stroked her cheek. "Your very existence fills me with a joy I never thought was possible."

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-07-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who has read my snippets thus far and commented! So glad you guys are enjoying them!

For this week's snippet from my wip Wanted, an erotic historical romance set just after the civil war, we get Colin and Mara's first kiss! Hope you enjoy!

He groaned, a primal sound of possession Mara had never heard as his mouth finally closed over hers in a devastating kiss that shook the very earth beneath her. Lost, she grabbed at his shoulders, fearing she would spin off into the world as her senses left her so completely she'd be hard pressed to remember her very own name at the moment. No, he was most definitely not like the French men...boys, she amended, with who she had flirted. None of them had kissed her like this. His mouth moved over hers, opened hers, demanded entrance and when his tongue slid inside Mara whimpered at the delicious, sinful invasion. She followed his lead, kissing him back the way he showed her.

You can find the other great six sentence sunday authors at www.sixsunday.com

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-07-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

This week's snippet is from my wip Wanted, a historical erotic romance that takes place after the Civil war.

"Thank you, Mr Morgan."

"Oh please, you must call me Nick." He stepped foreward to take her hand and it was then she noticed his limp. He hadn't had it before she'd left for Paris. A war injury, she supposed. He pressed his mouth to her hand and Mara had a brief thought that she felt nothing, unlike when Colin Beaudine simply looked at her.

Thud Thursday

2011-07-14T19:50:00.000-07:00

This week's food for the muse courtesy of Mr Crowe.

Now go forth and write!

Six Sentence Sunday

2011-07-10T09:23:00.000-07:00

I've signed up with many awesome authors at www.sixsunday.com and we're all posting snippets of our wip's! Here's a tiny bit from my wip Sweet Revenge. Hope you enjoy!

Neither of them spoke. Eric's eyes just moved over her as if seeing her for the first time. The evidence of his arousal surged thick between them even through his layers of clothing and Dara fought with every ounce of willpower she possessed not to press her hips down, not to give in to this hungry, monsterous thing between them. All the while her pulse beat a strong rhythm through her blood that told her he knows! He knows how I feel and he feels the same way. God help them both.

Meet Colin Beaudine

2011-07-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce you to the sexy hero of my new historical western, Wanted. His name is Colin Beaudine and he's the new ranch hand on the Aubrey plantation in post civil war Virginia. Mara Aubrey, our heroine takes one look a him and of course, decides she must have him. Completely understandable I'd say, wouldn't you?

But of course, our Colin is not without his angst and dark side, as all good heroes usually are. His wife was murdered while he was away fighting in the war and her loss had so destroyed him that he's vowed to never get close to another woman. You see, Colin and his wife had a very special relationship, he was the dominant to her submissive. Now yes Colin does burn to fulfill the those dominant urges and does sometimes use the 'ladies' in town to sate his appetite but he's not looking for a permanent sub. The spoiled, sensual and tempting Mara may just prove too hard for his alpha urges to resist when she insists that she wants to be taken and taken hard, by no one but him.

THIS IS....Thud Thursday!

2011-07-07T19:25:00.000-07:00

Some more yummy food for the muse courtesy of Mr Butler.

No go forth my wuvlies and be inspired...

Can I Come Over And Play?

2011-07-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Hey my wuvlies! I have a potential release date for WMA for Aug 15 (but no cover yet) so I am open for anyone willing to offer guest spots on their blogs to promote it starting now. Comment here or message me at nancy777ca@yhaoo.ca and let me know if I can play in your sand box!

Best Laid Plans

2011-07-03T17:07:00.000-07:00

I've always told myself that I should only work on ONE novel at a time. I'm pretty good at filing all those bazillion novel ideas that scream at me with every passing day into neat little folders and away as I work on the current wip.

So how did I end up with THREE wip's this year in various stages of completion?

Well, while I was subbing We'll Meet Again, I thought I'd try and polish up a short quick steamy tale and sub that while I waited to hear back. So when that was done, I hear back from my lovely publisher Amira Press that the paranormal series I wanted to do was not for them but did I have any more yummy cowboys? See, my novella Redemption with Amira is still a really big seller and so I figured, why not? I started working on Wanted. Then I hear back on the short submission, they love it, want it but can I make it into a full length since they think a full length will sell better than if it was a short. Oy...um...okay, so I table Wanted and start expanding my short Sweet Revenge into a full length. Finally, We'll Meet Again gets picked up and Noble loves it so much they ask if I have anything else. Indeed I did, a long sprawling mob themed epic that I've had to cut into a series of three books, the first of which is called The Vendetta, so then I had to table Sweet Revenge as I polished up The Vendetta.

That's how it happened. A case of trying to strike everywhere while the iron was hot. I don't recommend this but hell that just goes to show that nothing ever turns out the way you plan it too.

Though one thing DID come true, I wanted to write three books this year. A crazy ass way to reach my goal but hell, whatever works, right?

So shall I tell you a bit more about my three wips?

We have The Vendetta which I wrapped up and submitted this past week: The O’ Reiley’s and the Dardano families have always despised each other, turning New York City into a war zone and dividing the loyalties of the biggest families in organized crime. When mob princess Brianna O’ Reiley’s husband is murdered under the patriarch Bernardo Dardano’s orders, she vows vengeance on the family that has destroyed hers.

Trying to regroup after her loss, Brianna leaves her young son William with her family and leaves the city to spend sometime alone. A snow storm blows in and she crashes into another car on the road. Both she and the other driver are unharmed and take shelter from the storm where Brianna allows herself for just one night, to forget her tragedy in this stranger’s arms.

They part, neither knowing the other’s identity only to discover in a cruel twist of fate that the passionate stranger who helped her through her grief is none other than Alessandro Dardano, the youngest son of Bernardo, returned to New York from running his father’s business overseas to now take his place as Bernardo’s successor.

And Brianna is now pregnant with his child.

Then there's Wanted which I haven't written up a blurb for yet as it's not done but as of now it's set in post-civil war Virginia. The heroine Mara, has returned to help her parents restore their horse ranch to it's former glory with the help of their ranch hands...one of which is our hero who as of yet does not have a name! There's a bit of a BDSM feel about this one that's tickling the muse and if I think I can do a good job, I'll go there. The tone of this one is kind of like Bertrice Small I think.

Finally, there's Sweet Revenge which is my first foray into menage romance with a bit of m/m too. Dara is torn between Jason, her husband and Eric, his best friend. When Jason finds out, he turns the tables on them both by making Eric a permanent third party in their bed but as the three of them try and make their way in this new facet of their relationship, a dark spectre from Jason's past threatens to ruin everything he holds dear.

So with The Vendetta now submitted, now my focus will be on Sweet Revenge and Wanted. I'm going to try and buckle down and focus just on Sweet Revenge but Wanted it looking at me with that flirty look in his eyes...Will I be able to resist? Or well, let me put it to you, which would YOU love to read sooner Wanted or Sweet Revenge? Comment and let me know!

Today I Swear I'm Not Doing Anything...

2011-06-20T15:16:00.000-07:00

I don't have a Snuggie, like Bruno Mars does, but last week I took my first every 'Lazy' Day. Juggling the evil day job with the wonderful but very time consuming work of writing is very hard and sometimes you just need to unplug or you'll burn out. I somehow ended up with three works in progress this year, aside from We'll Meet Again which is still technically a wip as it's been accepted for publication but still has to go through that oh so lovely edit process. I'll go more in depth on my other books in a later post but needless to say, if I want to get out three releases this year for your guys AND if I wanted to take my lazy day, I needed to do it now.

So I did. I finished polishing the second draft of The Vendetta which is the first book of a trilogy and decided to grab my lazy day before I started polishing up the third draft.

The night before I prepared a marinade for a yummy cornish hen (Italian salad dressing, seasoning salt, garlic and thyme if you're curious) so the next day I would only have to pop it in the oven and add some potatoes. Cooking is relaxing to me. The day of, I hopped on only to check my e-mail, Facebook, Twitter etc and let everyone know I was bowing out for the rest of the day then I got offline and put the phone on vibrate and out of sight. Then bliss of blisses, I went BACK to bed. Usually, once I get up, I can't go back to sleep but I napped wonderfully, then got up, took a shower and yep, went back to bed. I watched tv, listened to the radio and read. Then when it was time, I tucked the hen in the oven and let the yummy smell fill my apartment as I lounged around and did absolutely nothing.

I missed my writing, I missed my online friends and chatting with my readers but for
those wonderful hours I was just absolutely wonderfully lazy.

And the next day, I was back online and back to my wonderful stories and knew I had done my writing a favor by stepping back because if I didn't there's always a chance I might burn out. We need those days where we just take a break. It makes us better at what we do because it allows us to come back with fresh eyes.

I know for sure that it won't be as long as this last one before I take another lazy day. I owe it to my writing. So do you. Sure you'll feel guilty that first hour or so that you should be doing something, but as you sink into your bed, back under the blankets, you'll get over it.

Thud Thursday

2011-06-09T08:52:00.000-07:00

Since everyone else is doing it, here ya go. Thursday's steamy inspiration to get ya'll going!

Now go forth, my writer friends and er...multiply? No that's not it. Write!

We'll Meet Again-Coming Soon From Noble Romance

2011-05-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

My favorite genre to read is historical romance. Scottish warriors, cowboys, dukes and lords all make my heart flutter but I have a very special affinity for romances set in the World War 2 period. I can't really explain my eagerness to devour anything from this bygone era. Movies, music, documentaries, and set especially within the 30's and 40's, I love them all. As much as I write to movie soundtracks and music in general, I especially love tuning my radio to those lowly AM channels where the oldies live and letting those big band and sultry, sad ballads play as I pen my tales of romance and woe.

If there's something to that whole reincarnation thing, perhaps that explains my fascination with the era.

I love reading about romances set in that time, either strong women fighting both the enemy and fighting for their men and those strong, chivalrous soldiers who had the courage of their convictions and could fight across the battle lines to the death yet fight just as hard to get back to his sweetheart back home where another type of strong woman waited, the ones who stayed behind, longing for their handsome soldiers to return, keeping the home fires burning and surviving the hardships of war at home.

One of my favorite WW2 authors is Anne Bennett who pens fantastic moving tales of these women fighting the good fight at home while their men fight overseas. Another is Paullina Simons who I will go to my grave praising for her Bronze Horseman trilogy. Do yourself a huge favor and read these fantastic authors!

I was frustrated that there aren't MORE of these fantastic stories out there, though thanks to epublishers that is changing and I'm discovering more of them, thank goodness! But one of the best pieces of advice I've ever received was if you want more of a type of story, write it yourself!

And so I did.

We'll Meet Again came about roughly 3 years ago and tells the tale of Cassandra Atherton and Edward James Harrison. An American nurse and wounded British solider who meet in the middle of WW2 while Cassie's fiancee is fighting overseas. A seemingly doomed love develops between them which both try to fight when James and Cassie's fiancee Phillip are trapped together in a Japanese POW camp and an intense bond of friendship forms between the two men.

There is angst. MUCH angst and of course this is me so there is a LOT of passion too.

I'm thrilled now to announce that Noble Romance Publishing has picked WMA for publication and we're now in edits so I hope to have this wonderful story available for you all very soon!

If you follow me on facebook www.facebook.com/nancy777ca or Twitter @nancy777ca I usually share some snippets and #wipfaveline 's from this story but my lovely blog readers deserve a nice long excerpt so that's what you're gonna get!

Enjoy!

She was walking across the grounds towards the stables when she felt a hand circle her arm and pull her into the darkness of one of the open stalls. She almost screamed before she saw who had grabbed her.

James.

She choked on a sob and tried to push past him but James wouldn’t let her. "You refuse to let me explain, so now I have to make you listen. You’ve left me no choice."

"If I recall, your choice was quite clear," Cassie snapped, shoving at his chest.

He cupped the side of her face and gave a little start when he must have noticed it was damp. He looked at her more carefully in the darkness. "Have you been crying?"

"If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather not have my life’s purpose be to inflate your ego," she hissed.

"Cassandra, please," he sighed, lowering his head to hers. "I hate knowing I’ve made you cry."

She stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. "You don’t need to explain anything. I know why you’re marrying Nicole. My mother explained what I was too furious to see."

"Your mother?" he asked, panicked.

"Yes, apparently we haven’t been quite as inconspicuous as we liked to believe. Oh she won’t say anything so we’ll remain with our nobility in tact. Congratulations."

He leaned against the wooden wall. "Fuckin’ hell. So now she knows about us? What did she tell you?"

"That you’re marrying Nicole because…of this. Us."

He ran a hand across the back of his neck and sighed wearily.

"Well, that’s all the confirmation I need. Goodnight." Cassie tried to move past him but he blocked her way.

"Just, wait. You don’t-"

"Understand? Oh I do understand. And I…" she forced her emotions back down. "I agree. Really. You and I…I’m marrying Phillip so it’s…Yes," Cassie said trying to speak through the wave of sobs that threatened to rise.

James cut her off with a kiss. Quick and hard before she even realized it was happening and then…she melted, sagged against him and returned the kiss with equal fervor even as the tears slipped from her eyes and slipped between their joined mouths. Then he pulled away. "That’s why. That’s why I have to marry her."

Cassie nodded and wiped her cheeks. "Do you think it will be easier?" She honestly wanted his opinion. She told herself it would but she needed to hear him say it.

He ran a finger along her collar bone. "I do. We’ll be committed to other people, living our own lives. Oh we’ll visit and spend holidays together but…I’ll love her and…"

"You will?" Cassie blinked in confusion. "You mean you don’t now?" The thought filled her with traitorous joy.

He stared at her and then burst out with sad laughter. "Oh sweetheart, you really don’t understand, do you?"

"What?" she asked insulted.

"When you told me you loved me. I was determined not to say it back. When I left for the war again, it eventually ate away at me in ways that the first half of my service didn’t. All of us in the service, in the first half, you’re all full of your own fighting spirit and a soldier’s egoism that you’re going to save the world. Then, after Japan, I was filled with thoughts of revenge, to get back out there and kill them all. This last bit…you really saw the toll of war. Not just on your fellow soldier but on innocent people. Those people in the camps, they weren’t soliders, they weren’t fighters. They were innocent people stolen from their homes and herded like cattle into pens where they were gassed, starved and tortured in any manner of ways. When we liberated those people, the ones that survived, all I thought was that amidst all that grey, how I yearned to see your eyes. Your bright blue eyes. To have just your hand on my face and to look up at you and tell you that I loved you too. In my head, to say those words was like a balm on my soul, Cassandra."

Cassie closed her eyes as the tears streamed down her face.

James turned and sat down on an over turned crate. "I almost did it. I almost went to Boston, determined to just grab you and run away with you somewhere in hiding and just live in peace until we were old and grey."

"But then you remembered Phillip," Cassie said softly.

He nodded. "There’s more to our time in prison than what I told you. I wanted to spare you the ugliness of it as much as I could but…"

"Tell me," she pleaded, cradling his face.

He shuddered. "When we managed to escape, that wasn’t the first time we tried. When we were first captured, the other prisoners had an underground tunnel going. We were let in on it and pitched in to help with the digging. Somehow the guards found out an escape was being plotted and wanted to know how and who was orchestrating it. I was out working when I heard that they had grabbed a few of the soldiers in our hut, determined to make them talk. Phillip was one of them."

"Oh God," Cassie moaned.

"I tried to get to him but they grabbed me and locked me in a four by four foot tin cage out in the hot sun. No room to stand up or lie down. For days. They told me they’d leave me there to die if I didn’t give them the names. Dai took particular pleasure in telling me how they were torturing the other men, Phillip included." He took a deep shaky breath before continuing. "There was one guard there who liked to…violate the men." He looked up to see if Cassie understood his meaning.

Cassie clamped a hand over her mouth, feeling the bile rising in her throat. She almost pleaded with James to stop his story but knew he needed to tell her.

"I don’t know," James admitted, replying to her unspoken question. "If he did, Phillip has locked it somewhere deep inside of him neither you or I will ever get to. But we finally found out who had snitched. A son of a bitch from one of the other huts. Phillip and I got assigned to his work rotation and I saw Phillip take his bare hands and wrap them around the man’s neck and choke the life out of him. Then he grabbed one of the larger rocks and smashed the man’s face in. We all saw it happen and blocked the guard’s view so he wouldn’t see until it was too late. Dai found the tunnel, collapsed it, shot a few of the soldiers to teach us a lesson and moved us to another hut," James concluded, his own voice thick with tears.

"Phillip never gave you up. Whatever they did to him, he never exposed the rest of you," Cassie said, her legs weak. He drew her onto his lap.

"Exactly," James said. "So at the end of the war, no matter how weakened my resolve, no matter how much I just wanted to take you into my arms and love you for the rest of my life…I couldn’t do it. But I was terrified that someday I would break. Someday you would look at me and my heart would take control of my head and I would break."

"So, what? Nicole is supposed to be insurance?" Cassie asked, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"She’s a nice girl," James said. "And I do care for her. If we’re both married the temptation will be gone. Surely you understand that."

"Yes. I do," Cassie admitted, emotionally exhausted. "Billie hates her though."

"Bil- Oh Whilemina?" he asked with a small smile. "She’s young. I love her but she thinks the world revolves around her. We’ve all spoiled her terribly."

"She says Nicole’s a terrible person," Cassie said. "The purpose of this whole nobility thing isn’t to saddle you with a shrew for a wife, James."

James sighed. "Nicole is spoiled, undoubtedly. And I catered to her too much in the past, but things will be different now. As her husband I will have to take a firmer hand with her and she’ll let the goodness in her grow and become more mature."

"I hope you’re right. My mother thinks…we’re making a mistake. She thinks we should be honest and follow our hearts," Cassie said, burying her face in his neck and trembling.

His arms tightened around her. "She would understand if she knew the whole story. This stays between us, Cassandra."

"You don’t need to say that," Cassie assured him. "I’ll never say anything."

"Even to Phillip. If he tells you, fine but he must never know I told you."

"Why did you?"

"I can’t bear to have you furious with me," he admitted, absently running his fingers up and down her arm, raising goose bumps on her skin.

"We should get back. There’ll be wondering where we are," Cassie said even as she burrowed closer in his arms.

"Wait, just…a second more," James said, dropping a kiss on the crown of her head.
Cassie lifted her gaze to him. "Tell me again. Just once more so I can lock the words away."

He gave her a sad smile and slid his fingers into her hair. "Oh I do. I do love you, sweetheart."

James closed his mouth over hers and Cassie gave herself up to the fire that blazed through her blood at the touch of his lips against hers. Hearing him say the words made her want to take his hand and run away. She understood now that’s why he hadn’t said it before. Cassie sighed as his tongue reached to meet hers.

"I knew it! Oh I knew you didn’t really love that stupid cow!" Billie suddenly exclaimed joyfully, making Cassie and James dart apart so quickly Cassie almost fell off his lap.

I'm hoping to make a playlist for this story but for now, I give you Cassie and James's song We'll Meet Again as sung by Vera Lynn.

The End Of Love In The Afternoon

2011-04-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

By now you've heard the news that ABC is pulling the plug on iconic soap operas One Life To Live and All My Children. I can't tell you how heartbreaking this is, especially for those of us in the romance writing industry. Soaps are the visual equivalent of what we do. Grand sweeping romances are told via hot actors and beautiful actresses and offer viewers entertainment in the same way our romance novels do.

And like in romance novels, we fall in love with the characters, but unlike romance novels, we get to follow soap characters for decades.

Kristen Alderson played Starr Manning on One Life To Live since abut her toddler years and viewers have literally watched her grow up on screen. Same with Kimberly McCullough who plays Robin on the thus far safe General Hospital.

Who hasn't followed the duchess of Daytime Erica Kane on All My Children through her many many MANY husbands? She was soap's version of a fictional Elizabeth Taylor and who didn't cheer when her portrayer Susan Lucci FINALLY won her emmy after 18 losses?

So faced now with losing beloved characters like these, we romance authors can't help but feel we're losing a bit of our industry too.

Why are we losing our soaps? I don't think anyone can deny that the 80's and 90's were the golden age of soaps. Star crossed lovers were put through every trial imaginable but you knew true love would conquer all in the end and we had TALENTED writers back then who didn't see bringing a couple together as the end of their story. I mean how many adventures did our beloved couples go through and still remained strong? GH's Luke and Laura and the Ice Princess storyline? OLTL's Vicki/Ginny and Clint and that whole crazy awesome time travel story and the awesomeness that was the outrageous Eterna storyline? And let's not forget Tina going over the falls and showing up at Cord and Kate's wedding not so dead after all and with baby in tow?

And the piece de resistance Days' Marlena's possession by the devil!

Yes, outrageous stories all but told brilliantly by writers with balls who weren't afraid to take risks. You can make a reader/viewer believe anything if you write it well. I've always believed this.

What has changed? Is it the writing? OLTL is brilliantly written still and All My Children is still good. And they get the axe? Yet Days Of Our Lives has been on a downward spiral since signing the hack that is Dena Higley (who the grand Erika Slezak had booted off Oltl when Dena was head writer there because she was destroying the show) back in 2008 and yet Days is still on the air, though dead last in the ratings. So is it the studios that are pulling the plug? It sure looks that way if all the fury at Brian Frons (head of ABC I think) is to be understood. He's pulling oltl and amc off the air and replacing them with...what else, reality shows??? So I'm thinking that it's not the writing really but the studio heads who are now running the homes for our beloved shows. They used to be men and women who yes, ultimately wanted a profitable business, but the way to make those profits were through fantastic storytelling. They had a love for entertainment. Now we have men and women more interested in the quickest way to turn air time into money in their pockets with no respect to storytelling or the fans that have kept these shows on the air for generations.

There are petitions springing up everywhere to save OLTL and AMC. I for one REFUSE to watch the shows the replace my beloved soaps with. Will it help? Will the studio heads change their minds and actually listen to the fans?

Stay tuned.

Meet Connor Over At Sensual Secrets!

2011-04-13T09:43:00.000-07:00

Today I'm blogging over at Sensual Secrets about Connor, the hot hero in my novel Till Death Do Us Part. Come over and say hi! http://sensualnsecret.blogspot.com/2011/04/guest-blogger-e-jamie.html

Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy

2011-04-04T18:16:00.000-07:00

My novella Redemption with Amira Press is one of my biggest sellers and I have no doubt the appeal is largely due to my hot outlaw cowboy Ben Cready. Lately I've had a few requests to write MORE cowboys. So what is it about a cowboy that makes our senses tingle in all the best ways? Is it their inherent wildness? Of a man taming an otherwise wild land, working the earth, working up a sweat to provide for his woman and his children? Is the appeal that that kind of hard work automatically lends itself to the belief that a man willing to work that hard must be a man of good character?

What about those bad boy cowboys?

Ben Cready is definitely a bad boy but he has a good heart. Deep down he wants to be better and Katie helps him become that better man. He is a cut throat on the outside but to his woman he is gently and passionate. We love that outward roughness, tempered by the love of a good woman. The bad boy cowboy is all charm with a wink and a smile that melts us like butter. We know we shouldn't encourage him but really, he's just too damn irresistable.

Maybe it's the nostalgia factor. The love of tradition. The idea of finding that one good man and creating a life with him and having children and everyone working together on the ranch, a life and love that echoes for generations. Of cultivating a land together that will be passed down from son to son, daughter to daughter. Of legacy.

Or maybe it's just the idea of being taken roughly in the barn.

My novella Redemption is available through Amira Press and wherever ebooks are sold:

http://www.amirapress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=185

On the run from a murderous uncle, Katie Beaumont married outlaw Ben Cready the day before he was supposed to hang. They shared one night of explosive passion and for six months, she'd believed herself a widow. Now Ben is back to claim what's his, and that includes the sweet bride he'd never been able to forget.

Hope you enjoy it and I'd love to know what is the appeal of a cowboy for you and who are some of your favorites either on screen or on the page!

Guest Blog and Give Away!

2011-04-04T16:01:00.000-07:00

I'm guest blogging over at the lovely Kharisma Rhayne 's blog, giving away a copy of my betselling novella Baby It's Cold Outside! http://kharismarhayne.blogspot.com/2011/04/guest-blog-e-jamie-giveaway-too.html Comments are on moderation until Kharisma comes back from her move in the next week or so so that's when I'll be picking a winner!

The Bazooka Bubble Gum Jump Rope Song

2011-03-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

My 9 year old niece and her friends came up with this gem. (laughs)

My mom, my mom gave me a penny, to go see my friend Jenny, but I don't see no Jenny. I bought myself some bubble gum. Bazooka-zooka bubble gum! Bazooka-zooka bubble gum!

My mom, my mom gave me a nickle, to go buy a pickle, but I don't buy no pickle. I bought myself some bubble gum. Bazooka-zooka bubble gum! Bazooka-zooka bubble gum!

My mom, my mom gave me a dime, to go buy a lime, but I don't buy no lime. I bought myself some bubble gum. Bazooka-zooka bubble gum! Bazooka-zooka bubble gum!

My mom, my mom gave me a quarter to go across the border, but I don't cross no border. I bought myself some bubble gum. Bazooka-zooka bubble gum! Bazooka-zooka bubble gum!

My mom, my mom gave me a looney, to go see George Clooney, but I don't see no Clooney. I bought myself some bubble gum. Bazooka-zooka bubble gum! Bazooka-zooka bubble gum!

I heard this song over two damn weeks ago. Yes. I still have it in my head. Now it's your turn (laughs)

For A Great Cause

2011-03-27T08:46:00.000-07:00

The author L.K. Bellow has come up with a great way to help out the Japan Earthquake victims. She has penned a short fantasy tale 'Collective Shivers' and is donating the proceeeds from all sales to the Red Cross. It will be available at all online retailers very soon but right now you can pick it up at Smashwords.

You'll be getting a great story at a great price $0.99 and you'll know your money is going to help people who really need it right now.

The goal is to help raise $10,000 so head on over to http://lbelow.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-release-collective-shivers-charity.html for all the info and let's support this fantastic cause!

Consider The Source

2011-03-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I got an e-mail from someone who was feeling completely discouraged because some asshat as work told her to give up her writing dream because it was never going to happen. His reasoning? Not any comment on her talent, her discipline, her process. No. His reasoning was that it took too much money to get published and upon learning that what she wrote was erotic romance remarked in all his wisdom that no one was going to buy 'that stuff'

(blinks)

Say what?

I swear, my entire body seized up with rage. I get VERY pissy when even other more successful authors put down newbie authors (which thankfully does NOT happen that often in the romance industry. We're a pretty supportive bunch!) but to have your dreams shattered by an utter ignoramus? If I had turned my webcam on, I'm sure you would have seen the steam coming out of my ears.

So as I made it VERY clear to her, let me make it clear to you. We'll hit the 'nobody's gonna buy that 'stuff' aka: erotic romance. Tell that to best selling erotic romance authors like Jaid Black, Jaci Burton, Lora Leigh, Bertrice Small, just a few of the MANY erotic romance authors who are making a living from that 'stuff' that apparently no one is buying. To say nothing of less known as of yet authors like myself who are making a nice chunk of change selling this 'stuff'.

Erotic romance makes up half of the entire romance novel industry who's sales figures are in the billions.

Yes. That's a B, not an M.

As for the second idiotic statement: It costs too much money to publish a book. Does this moron actually think that when he goes into a bookstore, the authors have all PAID to create the books in there? Yes. Apparently he does.

And he is wrong. YOU do NOT pay to have your book published. You GET paid when your book is published by a publisher who takes your baby and sells it, then you get a percentage of the sale from each book.

Not one book you see in a book store is the result of an author writing a check to a publisher so they could have their book published. If a publisher asks you for ANY money, run in the opposite direction.

I will add an exception to this rule: Self Publishers, Vanity and/or Subsidy Presses. These are companies that will publish your book for a rather exorbitant fee, or if you have the technical know how, you can format and self publish your book. I'll get more into that in another post but for the purpose of this post, I'll just say that book stores will not stock your book on their shelf if it's self published or vanity published and while the stigma (owing to belief for many that the quality won't be as polished, content won't be as good etc) So you can pretty much bet your life that all those books on the shelves were submitted to reputable publishers and polished within an inch of it's life, put through many publish-y hoops and finally stocked on the shelf.

So please do not give up on your writing dreams, especially not because someone who has no knowledge of the industry tells you so, and EVEN if someone who does tells you so.

Yes, getting your book published is damn hard the traditional way and even if you go with smaller presses and epublishers where there are more opportunities but it IS possible. All you have to do is write the book of your heart and write it the absolute best way you can.

Unless you're Snookie.

I have no explanation for that one. Sorry.