Paws with a Cause and Linda O. Johnston

Pet Tales

What’s even more enjoyable for a pet-loving author that a fun booksigning? A signing where nearly everyone--readers, booksellers, and me--all talked lovingly about our pets!

At my signing on the first Sunday of this month at Mystery Ink, a mystery bookstore in Huntington Beach, California, dogs, cats and even a rabbit had their habits and unique characteristics discussed with love. We all talked about how we communicate with our pets, and how they communicate with us, not necessarily in the same language--although body language is always involved. Some of our stories involved how our animals interact with one another, too, when a household contains more than one pet.

I loved hearing everyone else’s stories and telling mine, too--such as how my older Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Lexie enjoys getting on my lap when I’m editing. She growls in a friendly tone to get my attention until I pick her up, then becomes miffed when I have to move her because my arms or legs are going to sleep thanks to immobility beneath her sleepy, cuddly body.

And then there’s how my two babies collaborate to give me orders. Lexie will go downstairs and bark to let me know she wants to go out, and in case I didn’t hear my other Cavalier Mystie comes in where I’m writing and paws at my arm and talks to me.

I love writing about animals--dogs and cats in my Pet Rescue Mysteries and even werewolves in my Alpha Force miniseries of paranormal romances for Harlequin Nocturne, about a covert military unit of shapeshifters.
And sharing pet stories with others who also love books? Heaven!

Dan Irvin Photography

Linda O. Johnston’s first published fiction appeared in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and won the Robert L. Fish Memorial Award for Best First Mystery Short Story of the year.   Since then, Linda has published more short stories, plus 33 romance and mystery novels, including Harlequin Romantic Suspense as well as the Alpha Force paranormal romance miniseries for Harlequin Nocturne. 

Linda’s Pet Rescue Mysteries, a spinoff from her Kendra Ballantyne, Pet-Sitter mysteries for Berkley Prime Crime, feature Lauren Vancouver, a determined pet rescuer who runs a no-kill shelter.  In this cozy series, “no-kill” refers to pets, not people!  

Visit Linda at www.LindaOJohnston.com.  Linda blogs weekly at KillerHobbies.blogspot.com and monthly at KillerCharacters.com.  Linda is also on Facebook.

Hello Everyone! We have a total of 59 blogs that have gotten together to help raise money for a great cause. There are going to be some awesome prizes up for grabs for people that donate money to the cause. Here is a little about the company that we are raising the money for:

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy. Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some. Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen. PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause
4646 South Division
Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause
2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information.
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating!

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.
Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.

Paws with a Cause with Maeve Greyson

Animals know best…

My grandmother always told me to watch the animals. “They always know when something is
about to happen,” she said. “And if you’re smart enough to listen, then you’ll know too.”

I remember her repeating that advice on several occasions when I stayed with her each summer.
Those weeks were my heaven on earth because in “Mammaw’s” eyes, I could do no wrong.

It was during one of those wonderful visits that Mother Nature decided to convince me that
Mammaw knew what she was talking about.

On that particular day of my lesson on how I should listen to my elders, I was deep in the woods
behind Mammaw’s house. My favorite pastime was pretending to be a treasure hunter exploring
undiscovered land.

Before I’d left the breakfast table that morning, Mammaw had said, “Don’t go far from the house
today. It’s gonna storm.”

While shoving the rest of my biscuit into my mouth, I glanced through the lace curtains of the
kitchen window. Clear blue sky and bright summer sun beckoned beyond the glass. “Why do
you think that?” I asked. “There aren’t any clouds.”

Mammaw pulled the curtains farther apart so I could see the henhouse and the chicken yard
higher up in the field. “Do you see any chickens this morning?” Mammaw nodded as she tied the
curtains back with a bit of faded ribbon. “They know a bad storm’s coming so they’re staying in
the coop where it’s safe.”

The small yard inside the rusted wire fence was completely deserted. Not a single plump white
hen was out scratching in the dirt or pecking at the vegetable scraps scattered inside the fence.

I was still skeptical. Pappaw had told me how stupid Mammaw’s chickens were but I wasn’t
about to get into the middle of that household feud.

So I agreed with her and promised to stay close as I let the back screen door slam shut behind
me. By the time I was knee deep in the creek a good ways from the house, both the chickens’ and
Mammaw’s storm warning were completely forgotten.

Well…the warnings were forgotten until growling thunder rumbled through the woods and the
metallic smell of rain filled the rising wind shushing through the trees.

By the time I’d wrapped all my creek rock treasures up in my shirttail, the grumbling thunder
had grown to ear-splitting clashes and the wind whipped at the trees until the dark green leaves
flashed silver in the downpour.

I slithered my way up the muddy creek bank and darted between the swaying trees. I hit the field
between the woods and the house at a dead run, dropping down into the waist high grasses every
time the lightning crackled across the clouds and the thunder drowned my screams.

By the time I splashed my way into the screened-in back porch and stood shivering in the center
of a growing puddle; Mammaw didn’t even look up from the pot she was stirring on the stove.
She just shook her head and said, “Someday you’ll learn to listen.”

So never forget. Animals always know.

Maeve Greyson:

No one has the power to shatter your dreams –unless you give it to them. That’s Maeve
Greyson’s mantra whenever her carefully laid out plans decide to take a detour. When she’s
home from the day job at the steel mill, Maeve writes fantasy and paranormal romances flavored
with a Celtic twist. Tucked away in a five acre wood just this side of Kentucky Lake, Maeve
listens to the wind singing in the trees and hears characters telling their stories. Her work is
proofed by her sharp-eyed dog, Jasper and her promotional manager is her long-suffering
husband of over thirty years who learned a long time ago not to throw away any sticky notes
filled with bits of conversation.

Find Maeve at these places on the web:

Website: http://www.maevegreyson.com/
Blog: http://maevegreyson.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/maeve.greyson
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/maevegreyson
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Maeve-Greyson/e/B004PE9T9U/
ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1


Hello Everyone! We have a total of 59 blogs that have gotten together to help raise money for a great cause. There are going to be some awesome prizes up for grabs for people that donate money to the cause. Here is a little about the company that we are raising the money for:

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy. Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some. Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen. PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause
4646 South Division
Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause
2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information.
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating!

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.
Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.

Paws for a Cause with Jan Scarbrough

I have this habit of rescuing dogs and cats. You can call me a foster failure because the only time I tried fostering, the dog stayed.

Being a romance writer, I often put bits of my real world into my books by adding my family pets.

In Kentucky Flame, I created a white English setter named Major after a dog I had rescued as a puppy from the Humane Society. The real dog, Flops, shared my life and my children’s lives for fifteen years. What better way to memorialize a faithful friend?

Kentucky Cowboy contains two of my former cats. Ginger, a tortoiseshell cat with a peculiar stripe down the bridge of her nose, was in real life Gloria, the cat my daughter brought home from college one Thanksgiving. My husband’s cat Jester also stars in the book as Joker, the hero’s black cat. Our late Border collie, Binky, was my inspiration for the heroine’s pet dog. For Kentucky Woman, I borrowed my daughter’s orange tabby, and I gave the heroine’s son a big, bronze-colored fuzzy dog inspired by my current rescue, Red, who by the way was my foster failure.

When I wrote Santa’s Kiss, I had fun giving the heroine a traveling companion named Little Bits who is the carbon copy of Lenny, my comical Pembroke Welsh Corgi. My upcoming release Kentucky Rain stars Folly, a fluffy calico cat. For the first time I used my real cat’s name for the name of the cat in the book.

Never kill a cat in a romance novel. I broke the rule when I wrote Tangled Memories! I’m pleased to report the gray cat Munster that met a sudden death in the book is really a domestic long-haired cat named Bugsy. This former blue ribbon winner lived to the grand old age of nineteen. But I’ll never kill another cat in a book again!

The animals I have rescued have enriched my life in many ways. I am happy to give them a little piece of immortality in the pages of my books.

Website: http://www.janscarbrough.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jan-Scarbrough-Reader-Page/204815941631

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/janscarbrough

Follow me on Twitter @romancerider

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs. 

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause

4646 South Division

Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.  
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information. 
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating! 

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.

Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.  

Paws for a Cause with Linda Rettstatt

The Term ‘Cat Owner’ is a Misnomer

In my childhood, we almost always had pets—dogs, a cat (the ‘a’ being the operative term as my mother was not a fan of felines), gold fish, those little tiny turtles…well, you get the picture. I’ve always loved animals mainly because you have to do so little to be loved in return. They don’t have expectations about how you look, how you dress, or what kind of car you drive. But in my early adult years after I moved out of my parents’ home and from apartment to apartment, I didn’t have any pets. Except for those three years I lived with friends in a mountain cabin commune of sorts and our cat got pregnant when someone tossed her outside in the middle of the night because of her yowling. She got what she wanted, and we got five kittens.

Later, I shared living space with others for whom having an animal in the house was not a popular option. But three years ago, I found myself living alone. And after exposure to a friend’s seven cats, I remembered how much I love cats. I needed a cat. I wanted a cat. I wanted a little furball who would come running when I walked in at the end of the day, who would look at me adoringly and curl up in my lap. So I visited local shelters and I ended up with Binky, a six-year-old tuxedo cat who had been surrendered for adoption. I was now a cat owner.



Oh, but wait. I forgot the one basic rule of cat ownership. It does not mean you own a cat. It really means a cat owns you. The day I brought Binky home and turned her loose in my apartment to let her explore her new space, she soon disappeared. I’m on the third floor and since I was sure she couldn’t open the door by herself, I knew she had to be in here somewhere. After searching every possible hiding place, I heard a noise in the kitchen. I found Binky—curled up on the top shelf inside one of the overhead cabinets right next to the wine glasses. I deduced that she either had a drinking issue or was masterful at opening doors. What I soon discovered was that whoever installed the cabinets had not finished off the one corner on the back of the one cabinet—and she found that little opening and her safe place.

But it didn’t take Binky long to get comfortable and learn the lay of the land. I used to keep a juice glass of water on the nightstand beside my bed at night. I awoke in the middle of the night to a lapping sound. Yep, Binky was helping herself to a drink—from my water glass (which is now her water glass.) I couldn’t find her one day when I came in from work. What I did find was a mound underneath the blankets on my bed. Yep, Binky had made herself at home on my 1200 thread count sheets (my one good luxury pair.) Remember me mentioning that my mother was not a cat lover? I have a rocking chair that had been my mother’s. Of all of the furniture in my living room, Binky decided that was to be her chair. I have to admit I found that amusing.

It really only took her about three months to train me. I’m adept now at launching myself out of bed at an ungodly hour when I don’t have to work (usually prompted by Binky licking my face) to give her breakfast on schedule. I’ve adapted to sleeping on one third of the bed so that she can comfortably curl up in ‘her space.’ I plan my vacation time around when I can find a cat sitter to either live in or come by twice a day to feed and care for Binky. I fear boarding her will only bring back nightmares of her incarceration in the shelter and then I’ll have to find her a therapist. One of my friends and her husband sometimes come in to care for her and even plan their evening to stay for an hour and watch TV so she has some company. They’re apparently owned by Binky, too.

That first day I brought her home, I called a friend and said, “Guess what—I’m a cat owner.” Oh, I was so naïve. In fact, Binky is the cat AND the owner. She owns me, lock, stock and heartstrings. And you know, I wouldn’t trade her for anything.

Linda Rettstatt
Writing for Women
www.lindarettstatt.com



Hello Everyone! We have a total of 59 blogs that have gotten together to help raise money for a great cause. There are going to be some awesome prizes up for grabs for people that donate money to the cause. Here is a little about the company that we are raising the money for:

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy. Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some. Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen. PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause
4646 South Division
Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause
2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information.
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating!

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.
Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.

Paws with a Cause with Megan Slayer

I write under two different names when I write. I won't go into the whys, but I write as Wendi Zwaduk and Megan Slayer. Megan is my more free spirited counterpart. The cat that is really hers more than mine--and yes, he knows it--is who I'm going to talk about today.

When I was a kid, we had cats. We had cats at the farm, too and I considered myself the resident kitten expert. Why? Because I made sure all the kittens got attention. I don't think they always appreciated it, but they were loved. We had orange cats, calico, white... grey tigers... but no black ones. I'm not really sure why, but we didn't.

When I got older, I had a white cat whom I loved. Then when I moved out, I had a couple of grey tigers. I wanted another orange one and eventually got one of them, too. Then came the brat. The black cat is one of a kind, even though he looks like just about every other black cat out there. Why? I believe he's crazy. Not like psycho killer crazy, just a little off kilter. This is a picture of him playing with cat nip. I couldn't get him to hold still at all.

He didn't care. Honestly. He didn't. As long as he had the nip, he was happy. So why do I say he's crazy? He's got this routine in the morning. Should explain everything. At seven am, promptly, he heads to my bedroom and climbs onto the bed. He then strolls all over me, occasionally touching my face with his nose and paw and meowing. The faster I get up, the faster he stops. If I want to sleep in? Yeah, he keeps up what he's doing. When I finally get up, he winds around my feet all the way down the stairs and can't understand why he's been stepped on more than once. I feed him and his brother, then feed the tot. Once he's done eating--he wolfs it down, I swear--he uses the box. Fine. The moment he's done doing his morning constitutional, he runs full bore through my house. I don't mean a gentle jaunt.Nope. Full blast. And he's jumping on things, ears back, in a black streak. Once he makes his lap of the downstairs, he strolls into the kitchen like nothing ever happened.

See? He's crazy.

But I love him. I do. Wouldn't trade him for a moment. Thanks for reading. :-)

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs.  

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause

4646 South Division

Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.  
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information. 
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating! 

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.

Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.  

Sunday Snoggin' With Best I Ever Had!!

It's time for the Sunday Snog, one of my favorite times of the week. For my snog, I thought I'd feature a snippet from my upcoming short story, a hot little menage called Best I Ever Had. Comes from Turquoise Morning Press on March 11th and I can't wait!!

The objective—keep her safe. No one said anything about falling in love. 

All she wanted was a pint of ice cream, not to be a witness to a double murder. Good thing Emma’s got not one, but two, sexy men willing to keep her safe. As long as she can keep her hands to herself.

Sam’s mission? To find the man responsible for the murder. He’s not going to rest until the streets are safe, even if it means having his best friend guard his best girl. It’s the best option, right?

Quint never dreamed he’d be attracted to his best friend’s lover…and his best friend. He’s got to keep his hands to himself all while figuring out what he wants from life, even if love equals Emma and Sam in Quint’s bed.

Is love in the cards or are they going to go up in flames before they get started?

And now for that snog!!

“I said it before and I meant it. I want to lick every inch of you and hear you scream my 

name, Em.” He stopped a whisper from her lips. “Only my name.”

“What about Quint?”

Instead of answer, Sam swooped in for a kiss. Emma gasped into his mouth. Her knees 

wobbled as he swiped his tongue over hers. Forget the loose top or her fears. She wrapped her 

arms around him and ground her pussy against the bulge in his jeans. Sam hiked her up against 

his chest and carried her into the bedroom. She broke the kiss and held on with each stride.

Emma collapsed on the bed. Her legs fell open. She never could resist his caress. “Take 

me, Sam.”

“My girl still wants me. Halle-fucking-lujah.” Sam groaned. His voice dropped two 

octaves to a rough bass that made her womb quiver. “Jesus, I missed you.”

“Missed you, too.” Emma nodded. “Show me.” Her heart thrummed in her ears and her 

breath caught in her throat. She wanted him for the rest of her life. She dropped her hand from 

her breasts and guided him to her soaked cut off shorts. She should’ve felt exposed. Instead, she 

felt complete. “Right here, right now, Sam.”

Sam ripped the t-shirt up over his head, giving Emma teasing glances of the chiseled 

muscles of his chest. Her gaze followed the thin trail of crisp mahogany hair that disappeared 

below his belt to where the true pleasure lay trapped. Emma moved her knees, her hands sliding 

down her torso until she hooked her fingers into her waistband.

“That’s right, baby.” Sam tossed the discarded garments onto the floor. “I want to see all 

of you.”

Emma shrugged out of his shirt. The brisk air in the bedroom kissed her dewy skin. She 

fumbled with the zipper on her shorts. Sam grasped the frayed edge of her shorts and pulled. The 

scream of ripping denim ricocheted through the room. “No bottoms?” Sam crawled along her 

body and planted his knees on either side of her hips. He cupped her chin and nibbled her ear. 

“You shaved.”

Emma threaded one arm around his neck and spoke against his lips. “I like being bare.”

“I like you bare.” He took both her hands in one of his and arranged her on the bed. 

“You’re so wet.” His gaze seared her. “For me.”

“Sam?” Her heart pounded. “Make love to me, Sam. With Quint watching.”

Be sure to check out the other snogs. You won't want to miss the heat!! Thanks for reading!

Paws with a Cause with Paulette Forshey

Today I welcome my friend, Paulette Forshey and her story about Brandy. Read on!!

Brandy

In our little town, we have rituals, some might believe they’re a bit odd, but that’s what makes them habits.

We have a strip mall with a Chinese Restaurant tucked nicely in the many rows of stores. People like to go there for the great food and meet up with friends. After the meal, people travel up two doors to the pet store; I know oriental food and pet store, there should be a joke in there somewhere. Next stop is the local Wal-mart and then home.

We continued this routine for about four months, and each time we went into the pet store there was a beautiful blonde baby Basset Hound sitting in a cramped cubicle. She was a twin in color and looks to a female Basset Hound we’d had years before. We’d go in find her and stand watching this bundle of wiggles and long floppy years bounce around in the tiny cage. Week after week we went in to see her and each time the staff would ask if we wanted to hold her. Repeatedly, my husband would smile and say, “No thank you, we’re just looking”. After all, at home, were our six year old Basset Hound, Daisy and our three year old Jack Russell, Belle. We had two dogs, we didn’t need another, right?

The little Basset Hound was getting bigger and bigger and her cubicle wasn’t. It was a typical Saturday, Chinese, Pet Store, would you like to see her, and “Yes, please”.

WHAT?

My husband said yes. The staff got her out and my husband went to the play area with her while I followed, dumbfound, behind him.

That now not so tiny bundle of Bassett bounced, ran around the play area, and kept jumping into my husband’s arms. Each time she did, her razor sharp baby teeth grazed hubby’s hands slicing them better than a Ginsue knife in a cheap late night T.V. commercial.

My husband laughed, petted her, and repeated over and over what a beautiful good girl she was. Then he turned to me and said, “Get out the checkbook”. He had to make the request twice because I wasn’t sure he’d said those words, but he had.

As we were walking out the door, her in his arms licking his face, wearing her new collar and leash, one of the staff leaned over and whispered to him. I was busy trying to listen to the other staff member explain all the paper work she stuffed in my hands, so I missed the comment.

Outside in the car hubby handed me the wiggling bundle and started the car. As I arraigned the little girl across my lap, I asked him what the person had said.

“After four months the older dogs are sent away. She was no longer a cute cuddly puppy, she was near to a dog now. People buy puppies, not dogs. Thanks for giving her a home.”

I hugged her close to me and told her she was going to our house, her ‘forever home’. Because she resembled our other Basset Hound from so many years before, she became Brandy Sniffer II, Brandy Jean for short. That was eight years ago and she’s still with us at her forever home.

 J. Paulette Forshey

Award winning author of Deliciously Sinful Romances

www.jpauletteforshey.com

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs. 

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

Paws With A Cause

4646 South Division

Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.  
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information. 
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating! 

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.

Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.  

Paws for A Cause Kick Off!!

I'm kicking off my week of Paws with a Cause with a story about my baby, Rusty.

I got Rusty after my first cat passed away. I love my first cat, but I'm one of those people who needs a cat in the house. I do.

DH had been away for work and Mr Man, the first cat, passed away from kidney failure. It was the worst Monday of my life at that point. He was a present from DH to keep me 'safe'. I loved him. Still do.

But he'd passed. I wasn't sure I wanted to get another cat, but I missed the little guy. So BIL told me--he was almost as crushed as DH and I, and he helped me bury Mr. Man--he'd take me to the APL to "get you another kitty".

We went that Friday. I wanted to look a while. I wanted to choose carefully. Turns out, this one chose me.  I walked past his cage and he pawed at me. Stuck his paw right out and tapped me. BIL took him out and his friend in the cage tried to come along. In hindsight, I should've gotten both of them, but I didn't. I picked him. Or rather, he picked me. He looked a lot like Mr. Man, but had some goofy name I didn't like. DIL wanted me to call him, Mr Man Jr. Nope. That wouldn't work, either.

I took him home and knew exactly what I'd name him. Rusty, after my favorite NASCAR driver. I have no idea if he liked it, but he loved being called Ruster Duster. He loved to crawl into the cupboards and was right there when we'd work on home improvements. He played fetch and used the night time hours to sing or play Marco Polo... one of the two, but he was noisy.

My favorite story about Rusty? We'd moved from a small house to the bigger house. Well, we brought the cats with us when we moved, but first we brought them over to get them used to the house. Rusty got loose. Not out in the yard loose, but loose in the house. I freaked out. COMPLETELY freaked out. I thought, goodness, he jumped off the balcony... did he run into the woods.... Couldn't find him anywhere. I went home. DH stayed at the new house. Still no Rusty. We put out food and waited. Turns out, he'd crawled into one of the heating ducts and hid. DH found him when he came out to eat the food. I was never so happy as when DH called to tell me he'd found Rusty.

Sadly, Rusty passed away a couple of years ago on DH's birthday. He'd been having issues with his tummy and used my couch (Don't have the couch now) for a potty box. Turns out, he had stomach cancer. I sat with him through all the IV treatments and the pills. He dropped to less than 5 pounds and his fur looked worse for wear, but I loved him. I held him when he passed and I'm glad DH was there with me. I drove home and DH buried him. He was my baby and I loved him very much. I'll never have another Rusty, but I'm grateful for the time we did have.

Paws With A Cause® enhances the independence and quality of life for people with disabilities nationally through custom-trained Assistance Dogs. 

PAWS® increases awareness of the rights and roles of Assistance Dog teams through education and advocacy.  Founded in 1979, Paws With A Cause is dedicated to helping its clients who are challenged by many disabilities, such as Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Seizure Disorders, and Hearing Disorders to name just some.  Each of our dogs are trained to meet the specific needs of our clients. Tasks may include opening and closing doors, picking up objects, pulling a wheelchair, turning lights on and off, and alerting a person to particular sounds like a telephone, doorbell, smoke detector and many others. Our dogs change lives by enhancing the independence of our clients. By just opening a door, a dog opens up the world for a person with a disability and your donations will go to making that happen.  PAWS thanks you so much for your donation and allowing us to open more doors.

 

Paws With A Cause

4646 South Division

Wayland, MI 49348

How to donate:

1. Go to https://www.everribbon.com/PawswithaCause

2. Click on "Make a Donation"
3. Enter a amount you wish to donate. Everibbon will add a small fee to your donation for processing. My fee for donating $5.00 was .49 cents. So keep this in mind when deciding your donation amount. You will receive 1 entry into the giveaway for every $1 you donate.  
4. In the box that says "on the behalf of" please put your name. This is the name that will be listed on the everibbon website so put a name you do not mind being visible to everyone. Do not check the box to make a anonymous donation because I will not be able to track your donation to enter you into the giveaways.
5. Next it will ask you for your credit or debit card information. 
6. Then it will ask for your email address to send you a receipt. This is so that you can submit it for tax purposes.
7. Ta Da! Your all done making your donation. Now you need to contact Danielle to enter the giveaway.
8. Please email Danielle at RomanceBookJunkiesDanielle@Yahoo.com with the name you used to donate your money. For example the name I used to donate on behalf of was Romance Book Junkies. Do not send me your name off your credit or debit card because I will not be able to see this. Along with the name you used please tell me how much you donated and if you live in the US or are International.
9. Your all done. Thank you for donating! 

Warning: Do not try to email Danielle the name and donation amount of another person that is not yourself. If Danielle recieves more than one email with the same persons name and donation amount she will have to ask for your copy of the receipt from everibbon to verify that you are the correct winner. Thank you.

We will have 3 winners for the main giveaway.
We have 2 $65 gift certificates to any online book store.
Also we have a huge box of books and swag from Romance Book Junkies for US residents only.

Good luck to all and thank you for helping make this fundraiser a success.

Racing Quotes of the Week!

 It's time for the funny quotes of the week in the world of racing!!

There were some really goodies, too!

"...tight in the middle..."

Guess that's better than loose all over.

"...Look at him trying to sneak in that little hole..."

Aw... don't tease me like that. 

"...slipping out of his way..."

Polite. Nice!

"...trying to get a hole..."

Well, aren't they all?

"...sat on four poles..." 

Bet that was painful or really fun.

Next week is Paws for a Cause Week, so the racers will be back in two weeks. Until then, enjoy!!

Ten Lines of Heat with Until the Night!

Ten lines of White hot fun with Until the Night!!! I love this story and hope you do, too! Get your copy here or here!

And now for those ten hot lines!

“God damn. Bite me.” Allan yanked Todd’s arm, pulling him down onto him. “Do it.”

Todd bared his fangs and growled. The sound shimmered up and down Gypsy’s spine. He sank his teeth into the soft spot between Allan’s neck and shoulder.

“Oh, wow,” Gypsy groaned, then caught herself. Triple shit. They weren’t supposed to have heard her getting off on watching them. But, hell—the bloodlust reared its ugly head. She needed to feed.

Both men turned to look at her. The colour drained from Allan’s face. Todd loosened his grip on Allan’s shoulder and moved his hands in front of Allan’s cock. “We didn’t know you were here.”

Never let them see me sweat or crumble…

Even if I did eavesdrop on them.

Gypsy levelled her shoulders. “At least now I know why I’m the only one of us not getting fucked.”