Saturday, January 30, 2010

Oy... I should blog more and goof around less

I am the first to admit there aren't enough hours in the day. I want to write and have a whole slew of stories perolating in my head. And I have to reivew, play with my DS, aggrivate my DH...and learn a new puter program.

Am I bellyaching? Nope. Just sharing what's on my mind.

But, how do you write when the words won't come? See, my roundabout issue is that when I force myself to sit down and write... it doesn't happen. Oh no. It happens about 11 at night when I really want to sleep. Or at midnight when I'm sick as a dog and don't feel up to sitting up.

Which is why I'm sitting here blogging rather than writing the short story I want to write.

So instead of grousing some more, I think I'll mosey over to Megan's blog and aggrivate her a bit.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

I hate watching TV

Okay, really, I'm lying. I love tv. Yup. I love my cop shows and my law dramas. I even find my self drawn into some of those reality-ish shows on A&E, like Intervention.

But this post is me working through an issue, so bear with me a bit longer.

My family likes to watch M*A*S*H. No problem. It's a good show. But the commercials...

I like Willie Nelson. I like the ASPCA. I like the Humane Society.

But when I see those darned commercials for the ASPCA and they have Willie singing You Are Always On My Mind.... in light of recent events... it was like a kick to the gut. I turned off the stove and walked out of the room in tears.

Sorry, but losing Rusty is still rather fresh.

I was in the middle of making supper when this darned commercial came on. DH saw it and tore all the blankets off the couch to find the remote to change it. When he succeeded and found me in the dining room trying to compose myself, he wrapped his arms around me and said, "Guess we wn't be watching that channel for a while."

I'm glad he cares and said that. Made me feel better.

I'm glad you took the time to read this. I know eventually I'll feel less upset, but not completely. My pets are my children.

And, yes, I hug them everyday. (Even when they stink).

Monday, January 25, 2010

So the More I Thought... the More I Parlayed It Into an Idea

Location: Hiding in my cat room (long story)
Tunes: 867-5309(jenny) on the iPod

As if I don't have enough on my plate, when I couldn't sleep last night, I came up with another idea for a story.

People might say I'm a masochist. They'd be right. At the moment, I have at least 4 stories going, 1 super short, and 2 subbed. You'd think I'd give myself a moment to breathe. You'd be wrong.

The more I thought about the post from the other day about high school and where I am now, the more I think it'd make an interesting story. Not like a this is me and this is my story, but if I could do it again or maybe if I wasn't married and I went back for the big 15, what it might be like. (BTW, I'm Class of '97, so 2012 would be my 15 year reunion.)

Thinking I might just have to write the idea down... well, once this Blackhawk song is over.

Saturday, January 23, 2010

I Don't Look Back

Well, maybe I do. You see, with Megan stopping by yesterday I had a lot to think about.

Why?

Well, I've known her a long time. She's been a close friend since Rainbow Brite was still on regular television. She got me thinking about all those people way back when who I'd never thought I'd run into again.

When I was in high school, I was the proverbial wallflower. Shocked to read that, aren't you? Most people find their niche in HS. Not me. I wore flannel before Pearl Jam made it look cool. I had a crazy beaded braid in my hair for most of my middle school career. And it wasn't until my sophomore year that I decided that a wrist-full of bracelets wasn't cool any longer. I rocked the punk look when punk wasn't in.

Which brings me to people I never thought I'd deal with again. Megan understood all the crazy things I did. Heck, she lived them with me.

But I look back and wonder what my peers thought. I was voted biggest brown-noser in my graduating class. I think I might have been voted most likely to become a breeder, too. You could say the kids I grew up with were a tad clique-y and mean girl-esque. If you did, you'd be right.

Now that I'm writing stuff I KNOW they never would've expected out of me, I wonder what the 15 yr reunion will be like. I want to think I aged gracefully like a fine wine.

But then again, maybe I shouldn't look back. No one really wants to be the person they were back then. I don't.

So as Gary Allan says, I'll live my life my way and I won't look back.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Introducing Megan Slayer!


A close friend of mine stopped by for a visit. She's new in the publishing world and though she acts shy, she's not by far. She's written since childhood and likes to explore the dark and the mysterious... oh, and the erotic. I've known her for years. I know you'll find her work a treat. She's willing to explore recesses I'm too chicken to deal in. But that's what makes us friends.

I thought I'd share a piece of her flash fiction, yes, Mistress.

Warning: Contains strong language, horny vampires, a sultry Dom, and hints of hot sex.

Raven stood in the throng of Goth dancers and licked her lips. The crowd swayed around her, caught up in the lullaby of the heavy music. She smiled. In spectacular performance mode, her guys rocked the house. Oh sure, she liked their music, but she held something more precious.

“I could fuck him all the way to Texas,” a slip of a teen next to her shouted above the music.

“I have.” All of them. Dear Goddess, the members of Vicious Circle could do more for one woman than her wildest dreams. And all she had to do was nod.

The girl crooked her brow and snapped, “Whatever.”

Before the last song ended, Raven edged through the sweaty swarm. The music surged in her soul, but it wasn’t enough. She needed them. Once she strode into the dressing room, she shed the silky black tunic. When they showed up, clothing wasn’t important.

The sound of their voices echoed in the hallway. Her nipples pebbled and her mouth watered. After she removed the carved bamboo sticks from her hair, the soft tresses skimmed her shoulders.

Behind her, the door opened. She peeked over her shoulder, more to tease them, than to see them.

“Mistress.”

Gerard, Aidan, Stephen, and Collin might command attention on the stage, but in the back room, bus, bedroom... she ruled.

Raven snapped her fingers. “I know you want to touch me. Close the door.”

When she turned, the metal door clicked. All four men dropped to their knees. Gerard, to her left, groaned. She tipped his chin with her index finger. “What my love? Speak.”

Without tearing his gaze from hers, he replied. “You wore the boots, Mistress.”

“I did.” She opened her hand. “Come here.”

While the other three remained on their knees, Gerard stood yet said nothing.

“You played well tonight.” As she spoke, she smoothed her hands over his torso. The muscles tightened under her touch. “You deserve a reward.” When her attention slipped to his cock, an involuntary groan ripped from his throat. “You want my touch?”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“I shall take you, but you cannot come until commanded.”

A rivulet of sweat trickled from his temple. “Yes, Mistress.”

“I want you all to stand.” She snapped her fingers. “Gerard, drop your leathers.”

With the flick of his wrist, he shoved his pants down past his sculpted calves. His cock, long and thick pointed to her like a beacon. Still, his gaze never left hers.

“Unzip me.” As Gerard brought the pull down between her breasts, he revealed her body inch by inch. The cool air caressed her fevered skin. She held open her arms. “Stephen, Aidan, touch me.”

Two sets of hands roamed her naked flesh. Gerard’s lips parted a fraction of an inch. Ah, her voyeur. She’d reward him soon. She dropped her hands and ran a long finger over her silken cleft. Nice and slick.

“Collin, have a taste. I won’t neglect you.”

The blue-eyed vampire strode forward and took her middle finger into his mouth. Gerard groaned. The tip of his cock glistened.

Just right.

“Gerard, sit down on the couch.” Raven pointed to the leather sofa and turned her attention to Stephen, Aidan, and Collin. “I’m going to fuck him. I want you to touch me so we can come together.”

As the three men guided her to the couch, Gerard lay across the buttery soft cushions. Raven stroked his engorged member, drawing a low rumble from his chest. She sank down on his cock, eliciting her own groan. “Now, we play.”



If you like this post, be sure to say something and she might be willing to stop back. And if you want more... well, you know the drill.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

I'm over at Author Roast today!

If you have time, I'm the honored roastee at The Author Roast and Toast.
Here's the addy:

http://authorroastandtoast.blogspot.com/

Come on over! It's gonna be a heckuva time!

Okay, I've been there a while, and good gravy is it a blast. Whew! The food's flying and hot guys are everywhere... or are they droids. Meh, it's still fun.

Getting Intimate Blog Tour! Victoria Blisse is an Author You Should Know!



Let's welcome Victoria! Great to see you here at the blog. Just a few questions so we get to know a bit about you.

What t-shirt saying best describes you and why?

I just had a quick look online for this and found the perfect saying for me!

“Smile, it's the second best thing you can do with your lips.”

We all have those embarrassing moments that we want to forget, but which one is really funny is retrospect?

Oh, this has to be the time I was on a walk with my 2 friends Kate and Stewart. We were all about 17, just to put this in perspective and we were walking down a country lane. All the snow had melted off the path but there was still snow in the field. We all had our torches with us (it was evening) and for some unknown reason we decided we wanted to see what our torches would look like in the snow. So we throw them over a fence to see. We do it a couple of times and jokingly we say if anyone askes us what we’re doing we’d just say we’d dropped our torches.

So this big guy came over and gruffly asked us what we were doing. We went silent. Then I piped up.

“We dropped our torches.”

The guy explained we were dropping them on private land and he’d appreciate us taking them elsewhere. Which we did. After about 5 minutes of walking in silence, we all just burst into gales of laughter!

What's the grossest thing you ever ate and liked?

Hmmm, well I do love haggis and black pudding and most people don’t like to think of blood and guts and stomach lining let alone eat it!

Cat, dog, or bird person and why?

I like all three. I’m not one or the other. I think this is because as a kid my Dad had Greyhounds, before that my mum had cats and after the greyhounds we got a budgie. I like them all now!

What's the wackiest place you ever got an idea for a story from?

Erm, that’d probably be an episode of Buffy the vampire slayer or walking down a back alley in Scarborough!


If you could switch lives with anyone for the day, who would it be and why?

Oh, I never know who to pick for these questions. I reckon I’d quite fancy a go at being the Queen for a while. If you’re going to swop places with someone you might as well go for someone impressive!

Other than your own books, which genre do you read the most and why?

Fantasy. I love fantasy books by the likes of Pratchett and Gemmell and Piers Anthony. I love escaping to a completely different world and they are very reminiscent of fairy tales but just for grown ups!

To HEA or not? Which do you prefer and why?

I love a happy ending, I rarely use anything else. In fact I only remember one short story of mine ending sadly. I really tend to feel cheated by a sad ending. I’ve invested so much in the characters I want it all the end well so yes, I always end my stories happily!

Are you a snuggle by the fire and watch the snow or lounge on the beach type of person? Why?


SNOW! Oh yes, I can put on lots of layers, turn up the heating and stay warm in the cold but I cannot escape the heat when it is too hot. So if I have to choose I go for the cold!

How'd you get into writing and which nugget of wisdom do you wish ALL writers knew?

I’ve always loved making up stories from being a tiny little child and as I grew up I enjoyed writing them down especially in secondary school. As I grew up I got less and less inclined to write until I met my darling husband who encouraged me to write some fantasies down and later they developed into full blown erotic romance stories. So it’s all his fault really. ;)

And the bit of wisdom all writers need to know and to remember is just to Keep on writing and writing and writing. It’s the only way to get better, it’s the best way to keep getting published and it’s a great promotional tool!



The sequel to Getting Physical!

John and Terri have been dating for six months now, and John is anxious to commemorate this special anniversary. As much as Terri loves the time she spends with John, she still can't shake her negative self-worth. When a series of misunderstandings drives the two apart, it's up to John to convince the woman he loves that she's the only one with whom he wants to be intimate.

Here's an excerpt:

I could not believe it had been six months or so that I’d been putting myself through the gym torture. Granted, I felt better for it. I was more flexible and filled with energy but I was not seeing my curves fall away in any significant manner. And of course, the curves that were going were the ones I wanted to keep! My bra had gone down a size and my hips seemed to have shrunk, but no amount of concentration seemed to make my podge of a belly disappear.

I persevered though, mostly because of John and partly because of mum. She had bought me the stupid gym pass in the first place and I’ve always been told it’s rude not to accept a present graciously.

It wasn’t so bad. At least the gym held good memories for me and with John around I always had someone to talk to while working my bum off. I could look at him lustfully, too and then take him home to have my wicked way with. Although he was perfectly capable of having his wicked way too, come to think of it. He might have been a virgin when we first met, something I still found unbelievable, but he soon got the hang of things. And oh, he was imaginative. He kept me satisfied but paradoxically that only made me want him more. I wanted to find out all the ways we could orgasm together.

I was lost in lurid fantasy as I pushed the door of the gym open. The usual mix of sweat and antiperspirant products mixed with hot plastic and rubber greeted me as I walked in. That was not what surprised me. What did surprise me was seeing my John talking to the stick insect.

It was a gym. The place was filled with lean, mean, perfectly-formed female bodies but there was one I disliked more than all the others put together. I’d discovered from the simpering of her friends and her personal trainer’s barked instructions that her name was Sam. But in my mind she remained the stick insect. She was as thin as a rail and beautiful with it. She had bright, natural blonde hair and sparkling eyes, and although I beat her hands down in the cleavage department hers were pert and always peeped out the top of whatever sports ensemble she was wearing. Men would literally drool down them when talking to her.

Jealous? Me? Well okay, maybe I was just a little bit. She was everything I wasn’t. She was effortlessly gorgeous and instantly charming. Most of the men in the gym wanted to fuck her and half of the women too, but up until that moment I was sure that my John barely even realised she existed. He loved big women, real women. He adored my curves and he told me that at every possible moment. He begged me never to lose them and I told him I couldn’t if I tried. And boy, was I trying.

But at that moment my world shattered. I couldn’t hear what was being said over the noise of the packed gym but her eyes were full of lust and he was pointedly not looking at her. Why on earth would you not meet the gaze of a person, unless you were trying to hide something or you were feeling guilty about something? I saw exactly what a moment later, when she covered my John’s strong hand with her own thin, little dainty one and squeezed. He looked up at her then and smiled. She walked away.

I was stunned. My John had been captured by the stick insect.

Want to follow her blog tour? Comment and you can win prizes, as well as learn all about Victoria and her books. Follow her tour here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/11/virtual-book-tour-getting-intimate-by.html

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Victoria Blisse Stops By the Blog Tomorrow!



The sequel to Getting Physical!

John and Terri have been dating for six months now, and John is anxious to commemorate this special anniversary. As much as Terri loves the time she spends with John, she still can't shake her negative self-worth. When a series of misunderstandings drives the two apart, it's up to John to convince the woman he loves that she's the only one with whom he wants to be intimate.

Want to blog hop along her tour? http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/11/virtual-book-tour-getting-intimate-by.html

Want an excerpt to whet your whistle for tomorrow?
Here you go:

I could not believe it had been six months or so that I’d been putting myself through the gym torture. Granted, I felt better for it. I was more flexible and filled with energy but I was not seeing my curves fall away in any significant manner. And of course, the curves that were going were the ones I wanted to keep! My bra had gone down a size and my hips seemed to have shrunk, but no amount of concentration seemed to make my podge of a belly disappear.

I persevered though, mostly because of John and partly because of mum. She had bought me the stupid gym pass in the first place and I’ve always been told it’s rude not to accept a present graciously.

It wasn’t so bad. At least the gym held good memories for me and with John around I always had someone to talk to while working my bum off. I could look at him lustfully, too and then take him home to have my wicked way with. Although he was perfectly capable of having his wicked way too, come to think of it. He might have been a virgin when we first met, something I still found unbelievable, but he soon got the hang of things. And oh, he was imaginative. He kept me satisfied but paradoxically that only made me want him more. I wanted to find out all the ways we could orgasm together.

I was lost in lurid fantasy as I pushed the door of the gym open. The usual mix of sweat and antiperspirant products mixed with hot plastic and rubber greeted me as I walked in. That was not what surprised me. What did surprise me was seeing my John talking to the stick insect.

It was a gym. The place was filled with lean, mean, perfectly-formed female bodies but there was one I disliked more than all the others put together. I’d discovered from the simpering of her friends and her personal trainer’s barked instructions that her name was Sam. But in my mind she remained the stick insect. She was as thin as a rail and beautiful with it. She had bright, natural blonde hair and sparkling eyes, and although I beat her hands down in the cleavage department hers were pert and always peeped out the top of whatever sports ensemble she was wearing. Men would literally drool down them when talking to her.

Jealous? Me? Well okay, maybe I was just a little bit. She was everything I wasn’t. She was effortlessly gorgeous and instantly charming. Most of the men in the gym wanted to fuck her and half of the women too, but up until that moment I was sure that my John barely even realised she existed. He loved big women, real women. He adored my curves and he told me that at every possible moment. He begged me never to lose them and I told him I couldn’t if I tried. And boy, was I trying.

But at that moment my world shattered. I couldn’t hear what was being said over the noise of the packed gym but her eyes were full of lust and he was pointedly not looking at her. Why on earth would you not meet the gaze of a person, unless you were trying to hide something or you were feeling guilty about something? I saw exactly what a moment later, when she covered my John’s strong hand with her own thin, little dainty one and squeezed. He looked up at her then and smiled. She walked away.

I was stunned. My John had been captured by the stick insect.

You have to come back tomorrow to meet Victoria!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Submitters Anxiety

Sounds like a 12 step program or a disease. Well, disease it might be.

It's my label for the way I feel right now.

What do I mean? Oh, I subbed my farmer and I subbed my lawyer. Now I haven't spoken much about the lawyer, but if you read some of my older posts, you'll remember my farmer, Sully. Well, I think he's ready to see the light of publication... now hopefully the editor sees him the same way. And then there's the lawyer. He went to a different publisher because he's the follow up that goes along with Learning How to Bend, but it's got the distinction of being a stand alone story.

So why the anxiety? Oh, because if you're a writer, you know that feeling of "Did I write it well enough?", "Did I catch all the bugs in the story?", "Will the editor like it?", "How will I deal if the editor says no?"

Yup, all those thoughts are running through my head right now.

So what am I gonna do in the mean time?

Write. I have a couple of other irons in the fire and I'm not about to let them get cold or melt into oblivion. What else is there to do? If nothing else, it keeps me off the streets. And if they aren't what the publishing world wants, then I'll have others.

But I'm trying to think positive.

Then again, I'm a firm believer in not counting my chickens before their hatched... call it a throwback to my farm roots.

Toodles.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Linda Poitevin - An Author You Should Know!

Welcome brand new author Linda Poitevin! She's the author of A Fairy Tale for Gwyn available from The Wild Rose Press. You can visit her at her website:
http://lindapoitevin.com/
and follow her blog tour here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/12/virtual-book-tour-linda-poitevin.html

Make sure to comment. The more you comment, the better your chances to win a great prize!

Here's the blurb for A Fairy Tale for Gwyn:

Gwyn Jacobs doesn’t believe in happy-ever-after.

Ever since her ex-husband walked out four years ago, abandoning her with a toddler and infant twins, Gwyn has been mother, father, and bread-winner all rolled into one. Her own scarred heart and failed marriage aside, she is determined not to open up her children’s lives to the possibility of another heartbreak...until her very own fairy tale falls into her lap -- and the hero won’t take no for an answer!

Here's a great interview with Linda! Welcome!

Hello, Wendi, and thank you SO much for the interview. A Fairy Tale for Gwyn is my first published book and I cannot tell you how excited I am...your support means the world to me!

What t-shirt saying best describes you and why?
This is where my daughters would tell me I'm hopelessly out of step, because I don't even know what the current sayings are! I went online to look some up, but wow, a lot of them out there are really rude these days...not me at all. I suppose I'd probably have to have my own printed up with one of my favorite sayings, probably something positive such as "Niente senza gioia," which means "nothing without joy" (that one is actually getting painted above my kitchen doorway, where it will serve as a reminder on all of those days!).

We all have those embarrassing moments that we want to forget, but which one is really funny is retrospect?
No hesitation on this one! Every year in high school, we had "Greaser Day" where we dressed in 50s style. In Grade 10, I got my dates messed up and went dressed in a poodle skirt and bobby socks a full week early...and had to stay that way all day because we lived too far away to go home and change! Not the kind of thing you want to do as an already awkward adolescent. But wait, it gets worse!!! The next year? Yup, you got it. I did the exact same thing. Same event, same goof. I still cringe at the memory....

What's the grossest thing you ever ate and liked?
Bowing to my daughters' expertise again: escargot (snails). I love the things, but only if I don't think too much about what I'm eating. And no, contrary to what my children tell men, slugs are not the same thing!!!

Cat, dog, or bird person and why?
Cats and dogs. I love birds, but don't have the patience for the mess and noise. Cats because I love their independence and general outlook on life, and dogs because I love coming home to someone who greets me as if I've been gone for a year instead of just out to the mailbox and back (it makes up for the lack of small children in my life these days).

What's the wackiest place you ever got an idea for a story from?
I don't know about wacky, but certainly the most mundane was an intersection near our house. I was stopped at a red light and there was a woman on a Harley motorcycle in front of me; she was dressed in all black leather and looked really cool. I started in on the "what if?" and before the light had changed, had the bones of an undercover cop story (which I haven't yet had time to write but still plan to one day!). I think that was the day I realized that story ideas are literally everywhere as long as we're open to them.

If you could switch lives with anyone for the day, who would it be and why?
As I'm sitting in the middle of a serious winter storm at the moment, I'd have to say anyone on a warm tropical island...for sadly obvious reasons! And I wouldn't mind having a couple of weeks, rather than just a day. :) In a more serious vein, I'd don't think there's anyone I'd trade with, to be honest, because I like my own life enough that I wouldn't want to miss a day of it. Of course, if you asked me on a day that wasn't going as well as this one, I might have a different take on matters...

Other than your own books, which genre do you read the most and why?
Urban fantasy. I love the darker side of the fight between good and evil, and the complex plot lines in some of the stories.

To HEA or not? Which do you prefer and why? I'd have to say that depends on the story. I'm a definite sucker for a happy ending but not if it compromises the plot or the characters. In my opinion, something like Gone with the Wind just wouldn't be the same if it ended with Scarlett and Rhett declaring their undying love for one another -- there were just so many more possibilities for character growth by having them part ways, and it made the story feel much, much bigger. So yes, it definitely depends.

Are you a snuggle by the fire and watch the snow or lounge on the beach type of person? Why? Despite my earlier answer regarding the tropical island, I'm a snuggle-by-the-fire type. I love the whole cocooning thing! When it comes to beaches, I'm good for a short while, but I overheat easily and get bored quickly. Besides, public exposure in a bathing suit? Not! :)

How'd you get into writing and which nugget of wisdom do you wish ALL writers knew?
I started writing romances when I was about twelve years old and got into my mother's Harlequins (which were a whole lot tamer then than some of them are now). :) My high-school best friend and I used to swap stories we'd written -- she was my only reader for years. But I have my husband to thank for my actual writing career. After picking up one of my stories out of desperation one day (he had no unread books in the house), he became my biggest fan. He's the one who pushed me to take it seriously, to join the Ottawa Romance Writers' Association, and to persevere when the rejections rolled in. He's been amazing!

As for a nugget of wisdom for all writers? As a debut author, I feel somewhat underqualified to hand out advice at this point, but I think I'd have to say never stop trying to improve. It's one thing to tell a good story, but it's a wonderful thing to tell it well...and I certainly hope I'm meeting that goal!

Here's the bio for Linda:
Linda Poitevin lives just outside Canada’s capital, Ottawa, with her husband, three daughters, and a varied collection of animals. In her spare time, she gardens (organically), cans and freezes the family’s winter fruit and vegetable supply, knits (basically), crochets (better), and starts way more projects than she ever finishes. (Fortunately that doesn’t hold true of her books!) She loves spending time with her family, having coffee with friends, walking by the river and watching thunderstorms…in about that order.

Here's an excerpt from A Fairy Tale for Gwyn:
“I think you should,” he said.

Gwyn reached for the handrail and gripped it until the ache in her knuckles remained her only link to reality. She thought she should, too, but decided to make sure they were thinking about the same thing. “Should what?”

“Know why else I’m leaving.”

She gulped for air. She absolutely didn’t want to know, she told herself, because it was for the best, and reasons didn’t matter. They couldn’t matter. But when she tried to deny him, she managed only a thread of a whisper, a single word. “Why?”

Strong, heated fingers closed over hers, slid against them, twined with them.

“Because if I don’t leave now, I won’t leave at all.” Gareth’s thumb stroked her wrist, playing havoc with her pulse. “Because, besides missing my plane and breaking my contract, I’d still be here in the morning when your kids woke up, and you’d hate both of us if that happened. And because I respect you, and them, too much to do that to you.”

Gwyn squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on his words rather than his touch. Respect…kids…she felt certain the words should have some importance, but she couldn’t seem to get past the warm, pulsing ache spreading through her body.

Gareth’s voice swore in her ear. He’d moved closer. Close enough that his scent filled her senses to overflowing, and his hair brushed her cheek when she moved her head, and…

“You’re not helping,” he muttered.

Her eyes fluttered open. “Wh-what?”

“I said, you’re not helping,” he grated.

With a shock, Gwyn realized that he hadn’t been the one to move, and that her own feet had somehow shuffled forward, bringing her to teeter on the edge of her stair, her free hand resting against his shoulder for balance. Her face flamed. She dropped her hand and stepped back.

“I’m sorry.”

Gareth’s clenched jaw made his smile look somewhat tight. “Don’t be. I’m just a bit rusty at this honorable thing. Which brings us to the next discussion.”

Gwyn would have liked to retreat a few more steps before she tried to discuss anything with him, but he still held her hand captive. And with his thumb continuing to travel its hypnotic path over her wrist, she couldn’t muster the will to pull away. She cleared her throat. “What discussion would that be?”

“The one where we decide what we do now. You see, much as I’m enjoying Goldfish soup and doing chicken pox dot-to-dots, I’m afraid those pursuits still fall under the heading of friendship.” He lifted her hand in his, turned it over in his grasp, and traced a finger across her palm. “I meant what I said about wanting more than that from you, Gwyn, and I don’t know how long honor will hold out.”

Nothing on earth could have persuaded her to meet his gaze at that moment.

Gareth lifted his other hand to push a strand of hair away from her face. “Come away with me.”

Except maybe that.



Enjoy and get to know Linda Poitevin!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Linda Poitevin - Blog Tour for A Fairy Tale for Gwyn stops by tomorrow!

Want a great new read by a NEW author? Then you need to read A Fairy Tale for Gwyn by Linda Poitevin. Want to know more? Here's the blurb:

A Fairy Tale for Gwyn

Gwyn Jacobs doesn’t believe in happy-ever-after.

Ever since her ex-husband walked out four years ago, abandoning her with a toddler and infant twins, Gwyn has been mother, father, and bread-winner all rolled into one. Her own scarred heart and failed marriage aside, she is determined not to open up her children’s lives to the possibility of another heartbreak...until her very own fairy tale falls into her lap -- and the hero won’t take no for an answer!

Want to know more about Linda? Here's her bio:

Linda Poitevin lives just outside Canada’s capital, Ottawa, with her husband, three daughters, and a varied collection of animals. In her spare time, she gardens (organically), cans and freezes the family’s winter fruit and vegetable supply, knits (basically), crochets (better), and starts way more projects than she ever finishes. (Fortunately that doesn’t hold true of her books!) She loves spending time with her family, having coffee with friends, walking by the river and watching thunderstorms…in about that order.

Want to follow her blog tour? Here's the addy:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/12/virtual-book-tour-linda-poitevin.html

Stop back tomorrow for an interview with Ms. Poitevin. Remember, the more you comment, the better your chances to win a great prize!

Friday, January 15, 2010

What A Conversation!

Since Rusty went to the big litter box in the sky, to cope with it, DH and I had a conversation about what he might be doing up there. Now we had a cat before Rusty, named Messiah. He had bad kidneys and died a week before we got Rusty. Anyway, we figure Rusty and Messiah are in heaven trading stories about us over a bag of kitty
nip. It goes something like this:

Messiah: "Horny toads weren't they?"
Rusty: "Damn near knocked me off the bed. Thought they'd get rid of me with their interpretation of an earthquake. I showed them. I stayed put."
M: "Good for you. I thought the dog cured them of that. I guess not."
R: "Ever get really angry with one of them?"
M: "Yeah, Mom got snippy so i cuffed her eye. It bled so bad, but she got over it and still loves me."
R: "Dog got snippy with me so I cuffed her eye. Don't know why they got that overstuffed wiener on legs, but they did."
M: "I see they don't live near them pit bulls. Coco and Sugar... they were so crazy. And they never realized we had the screen in the way."
R: "I never saw them. Nah, we played with the coyotes and the big dog got sprayed by a fox... moron. If she'd used her brain, she'd know that you never chase something that will make you stink."
M: "That little screaming thing got big. When they brought him home, I thought, gee whiz there goes the neighborhood."
R: "Yup, now he's a big screaming thing. But he leaves Legos and crumbs on the floor, so it's all good. Once in a while he leaves ice cream out in his bowl."
M: "Gotta love that ice cream."


But you must realize, I have no idea what they are really saying, but whatever it is, I hope it made you laugh as much as it did me.

Toodles.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

A Cruddy Day - RIP Rusty


Normally I don't mind talking about myself, but I keep the personal things under wraps. Today is not one of those days. Now I'm writing this on Wednesday and most of you will probably not read it until Thursday. But today, Wednesday, is a cruddy day.

You might have noticed in my previous posts that I am a cat person. Have been all my life. Why? Because I like to have a kitty snuggled in my lap and purring. Dogs are great and all, but my dogs are too big to stick in your lap (they sorta drape over and loll there).

So why, you might ask, was today cruddy?

We had to put my cat down today.

If you recall, I do have two cats.

Kenny, the fat orange one, is still fat and orange and currently chasing a lady bug.

Rusty, God rest his furry little soul, passed away at noon.

For the past few months, he's been on a downhill skid. This time a year ago, he still played fetch (yes, you'd throw the piece of dog food and he would bring it back to be thrown again). A year ago, he'd run through the house and sing (well, meow at all hours of the night for whoever happened to listen). He'd terrorize the dogs, antagonize Kenny, and beg for moist kitty food at 5 AM.

In October, he stopped eating his wet kitty food and dropped from 8 lbs to 6 lbs. After daily visits to the vet and no progress, I took him off his meds, which only made him puke, and put him on natural kitty food that I made (Thanks, M). That seemed to help cause he wasn't puking and seemed to be getting his steam back.

Right after Christmas, he got worse. He wasn't eating and pooping became a chore. To keep him from using my loveseat as a litter box, we started putting him in the dog crate (it's big enough for a Doberman). He hated it, but I think he also saw it as a little refuge from the dogs, Kenny, and my DS. He'd eat his food and seemed reasonably happy.

Last night, he seemed a bit listless, but I thought, he hasn't been eating, so it'll pass. When I woke up, he was still kinda juts laying there. So I fluffed a blanket next to me on the couch and plopped him there to watch him. Normally cats will shift and get comfortable. Not Rusty. He laid there in the position I put him in for 45 minutes. Not good. I rubbed his head and talked to him. I felt like crap for not doing anything, but I wasn't sure what to do.

When DH woke up, I told him Rusty wasn't really moving. We then took Rust to the vet. Around 12:10 we put him to rest.

Now I realize he was hurting. There was a growth in his belly. I don't know what it was and the vet wasn't sure either. Cancer? Might have been. Dunno. But there are things you'll never forget for the rest of your life. Carrying his poor little body is one of those things.

My regular happy posts will resume tomorrow. Right now I thought I should share my story. It makes me feel a bit better to talk about it, but yep, I'm still upset.

And yep, I'm still a cat person.

Kreativ Blog Award


I am so behind on this, but I was nominated for the Kreativ Blog award by Jaime and Kaily Hart, so here goes:

Seven things about me:

1. What do I dislike? Commercials on television. Yup, I'd rather start a show halway through if I can watch it on the DVR and FF through the blasted commercials. I hate losing the storyline just so someone can try to convince me to eat pizza.

2. Favorite things? Law and Order, CSI (miami or ny), writing, and drawing. I'd rather cozy up with a good book or my ereader, or dive into a box of messy charcoals thn talk to people some days.

3. Cat, Dog, or Bird person? Cats. Sorry, I have two dogs and love them dearly, but I am a cat person. Why do you think I go through the hassle to make my sick cat's food, if I wasn't a cat person? I like an animal who will sit in my lap and purr (oh, that sounds gross), you know what I mean. Unfortunately, both my cats are snobs, so i'm still looking.

4. Give me Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea or give me death--well not really death, but it's my favorite scent.

5. My first Lora Leigh book was purchased at Walmart and sat on the bookshelf at home for a month. The next Lora Leigh book I got from the library. Um, I thought it was a bit hot for the library, but trust me, I went out and checked out her backlist within an hour of finishing Wicked Pleasure. I've been hooked ever since.

6. I have my belly button pierced and my ears pierced 5 on one side, three on the other.

7. I named my pets after NASCAR terms. Yup, Darlington Raceway, Rusty Wallace, and Kenny Wallace. Call me strange--I don't care.

Who to send to?

Ashley Ladd - cause she's a great friend
Marianne Arkins - cause she rocks
Cate Masters - cause she inspired me to be a better writer
Kelly Moran - cause she has always been a supporter
Kiss Carson - cause she's a great CP and always fun
The Menagerie - cause their Saturday hotties are the best
Linda McMaken - cause the Lori Foster event wouldnt' be the same without you!

Thanks Kaily and Jaime! You gals both rock and I love ya!

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

KM Daughters - A Pair of Authors You Should Know!

Introducing the writing team, KM Daughters. These wonderful ladies are the co-authors of Capturing Karma. Want to know more? Well read on!
If you want to follow their blog tour, here's the link:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/12/virtual-book-tour-km-daughters.html?zx=99670792cf94efbe

KM Daughters' will be giving away an autographed copy of Against Doctor's Orders, the first book in the award-winning Sullivan Boys Series to one randomly drawn commentor and the blog host with the most comments, excluding duplicates or KM's responses.

Welcome ladies! So, a few questions, and no squirming. : )

What t-shirt saying best describes you and why?

We ADORE Readers

We all have those embarrassing moments that we want to forget, but which one is really funny is retrospect?

Attending a Romance Writers of America national conference, we exchanged emails with an Editor who expressed interest in our first mildly spicy contemporary manuscript IF we were willing to revise the story – a landmark event since this was the first time we submitted to a publisher. Short on specifics and heady on “we’re all that…” excitement we attended a large book signing and related this particular publisher’s interest in our ms to our author “heroes” as we sought their autographs. We didn’t pick up on their terse but polite reactions to our “big news”. Later we attended a spotlight for this publisher and were surprised at their focus on three-ways and lack of bestiality taboos. Oh my. The term, revision, took on a new meaning. We slipped out the door and laughed so hard we almost… well, we needed to use the rest room. Chattering to each other we pushed through the bathroom door where we were confronted by a row of urinals. Uh. Fortunately, no gentlemen were present.


What's the grossest thing you ever ate and liked?

Peanut butter and raisins sandwiches.

Cat, dog, or bird person and why?

A dog person – who could resist such blatant adoration at EVERY homecoming? A pillow embroidered with the following sentiment says it all: “Lord make me the person my dog thinks I am.”

What's the wackiest place you ever got an idea for a story from?

More unusual than wacky – a mountaintop in Bosnia Herzegovina.

If you could switch lives with anyone for the day, who would it be and why?

Nora Roberts. Not solely because she’s wildly successful in our dream career. She’s an amazing, cool lady.

Other than your own books, which genre do you read the most and why?

Romantic suspense wins in the have the cake and eat it, too category. By definition the pacing keeps the pages flying with suspense’s edge of your seat elements. And as always the ending always bestows that, “Ahhhh,” that we crave.

To HEA or not? Which do you prefer and why?

Always, always HEA. We wouldn’t write anything other than happy endings. It’s a pleasure to write, dream and embrace love and hope. Our motto is Love Heals. It’s our ultimate truth as women, daughters, wives and mothers.

Are you a snuggle by the fire and watch the snow or lounge on the beach type of person? Why?

How do we choose? I think we’d say snuggling by the fire and our dear husbands would choose the beach. Sometimes marriage involves happy compromises.

How'd you get into writing and which nugget of wisdom do you wish ALL writers knew?

Aren’t all writers voracious readers? We certainly were/are… Our love of reading led irrevocably to the desire to, “do that, too.” And we love to tell stories, weave anecdotes, observe people and wonder what their stories involve. We have a tendency to explain real life human behavior via our own fiction. “Maybe he or she is surly because… I’ll bet she’s smiling because…”, etc.

We’re pretty short on “nuggets of wisdom” because no two writers are alike – including us. But if pressed, the wisest nugget we can offer is: The Reader should be at the heart of any writer’s ideal quest. Touch, delight, captivate, embrace, intrigue, soothe, sadden, console, titillate, entertain – above all – as our tee shirt proclaims, adore your Readers.


Thanks ladies! Great interview.

Want to know more about Capturing Karma? Well, here's the blurb and an excerpt:

Capturing Karma
Veterinarian Matty Connors’ visions lead her to homicide detective Brian Sullivan once again despite her resolve to remain anonymous the past four years. Her official work with the police in California resulted in the brutal murder of her fiancé, and since, a recurrent nightmare she barely survives. Brian, the reputed ladies man of the Sullivan family, has yet to give his heart to a woman until Matty lays claim to it. His black-and-white approach to solving crimes doesn’t jibe with Matty’s spooky pronouncements or her reputation for alleged infallibility. A wild goose chase searching for a murder weapon casts doubt on Matty’s “truths” and threatens their smoldering romance. Is Brian her nightmare slayer and ultimate truth? When the puzzle pieces fall in place for Brian, will it be too late to save Matty?

And and excerpt:
“Hi, Brian,” she responded, tamping down the temptation to hug him hello. “How’s the new baby doing?”

“Great, thanks. How’s that bump on your head?”

Matilda touched an edge of one of the butterfly strips over her eyebrow. “Turning every color of the rainbow, but it’s fine.”

He swiveled his head toward the throaty bark of the wolfhound in the corner of the room, then scanned the other occupants in the lounge: primate, feline, porcine, wolfish and human. “Steve told me you’re a great vet. Looks like you’re pretty swamped here.”

“Shamus and I split the patient load,” she said.

“And Shamus is?”

“My brother. He came for me at the hospital yesterday?”

Brian’s eyes bored into her, a sexy smile twitched the corner of his lips. “Good.”

“And ‘good’ means?”

“The big guy isn’t competition. That’s good.”

“Ah. So we’re clear. What competition would that be?”

The sexy smile twitched again. “For but a smile from sweet Matty,” he lilted in an Irish brogue.

Squelching an impulse to grin, she molded her face serious and parroted a brogue, “Ah but woe to the knave who plies smiles with an untrue heart.”

She grinned now. “What can I do for you, Brian? Did you get an estimate to repair your car?”

“It’s about that letter you brought me. It’s related to a case. We need your help.”

Of course. “I gave you the letter. You know as much as I do.” Her heart hammered, nothing to do with the pulse acceleration from earlier flirtation. I can’t go further with this case. No matter what, I have to stay anonymous.

Monday, January 11, 2010

KM Daughters stops by the blog tomorrow for Capturing Karma!










You can follow the tour here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2009/12/virtual-book-tour-km-daughters.html?zx=99670792cf94efbe

Here's the blurb for Capturing Karma:

Veterinarian Matty Connors’ visions lead her to homicide detective Brian Sullivan once again despite her resolve to remain anonymous the past four years. Her official work with the police in California resulted in the brutal murder of her fiancé, and since, a recurrent nightmare she barely survives. Brian, the reputed ladies man of the Sullivan family, has yet to give his heart to a woman until Matty lays claim to it. His black-and-white approach to solving crimes doesn’t jibe with Matty’s spooky pronouncements or her reputation for alleged infallibility. A wild goose chase searching for a murder weapon casts doubt on Matty’s “truths” and threatens their smoldering romance. Is Brian her nightmare slayer and ultimate truth? When the puzzle pieces fall in place for Brian, will it be too late to save Matty?

Here's an excerpt:
“Hi, Brian,” she responded, tamping down the temptation to hug him hello. “How’s the new baby doing?”

“Great, thanks. How’s that bump on your head?”

Matilda touched an edge of one of the butterfly strips over her eyebrow. “Turning every color of the rainbow, but it’s fine.”

He swiveled his head toward the throaty bark of the wolfhound in the corner of the room, then scanned the other occupants in the lounge: primate, feline, porcine, wolfish and human. “Steve told me you’re a great vet. Looks like you’re pretty swamped here.”

“Shamus and I split the patient load,” she said.

“And Shamus is?”

“My brother. He came for me at the hospital yesterday?”

Brian’s eyes bored into her, a sexy smile twitched the corner of his lips. “Good.”

“And ‘good’ means?”

“The big guy isn’t competition. That’s good.”

“Ah. So we’re clear. What competition would that be?”

The sexy smile twitched again. “For but a smile from sweet Matty,” he lilted in an Irish brogue.

Squelching an impulse to grin, she molded her face serious and parroted a brogue, “Ah but woe to the knave who plies smiles with an untrue heart.”

She grinned now. “What can I do for you, Brian? Did you get an estimate to repair your car?”

“It’s about that letter you brought me. It’s related to a case. We need your help.”

Of course. “I gave you the letter. You know as much as I do.” Her heart hammered, nothing to do with the pulse acceleration from earlier flirtation. I can’t go further with this case. No matter what, I have to stay anonymous.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

So I've Been Away

Well, not really. Some bad things happened to the computer and things got pushed to the back burner. I know, I'm a writer and I'm (as DH says) permanently attached to my computer. Yup, it sucked. Lots of things I wanted to get done got shoved to the back burner (like, I don't know, blogging...), while I scrambled to save things that weren't already on my falsh drive. (Thank God for Flash drives).

But I'm back up and running, shiny and new. I even hope to have a new Eye Candy up tomorrow.

Hugs and happy writing,

oh and Toodles.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

SNOW!

Ugh! I'm not a snow bunnie. Never have been. And looking outside there is ten inches on my yard. Yuck. I'm lousy at driving in it too. I tend to slip and slide.

But I'm working on a WIP and an edit to send to an editor.

So not much to say today. At least April is only four months away.

Why?

Cause it tends to snow a lot LESS in April.