Do you do NASCAR?

Do you do NASCAR?

As most of you know--and probably some of you don’t know--I write sensual NASCAR themed romance. How did I get interested in this stock-car racing sport, you ask? Well let me lay it out for you:

Growing up in Washington State, I began riding dirt bikes when I was an infant. How you ask? My mother used to carry me in a front pouch and my sister rode the back.

Yes, I was raised a tomboy, folks. Sunday, became NASCAR day, where my family would sit down and enjoy all day car racing and crack crab. I'm sure that sentiment brings back fond memories for all of you who did the same.

Here's the history... In the 60's my mother drove the powder puff racing category of drag cars and eventually married my father, who was a mechanic. That was until she decided to have children, and therein lies the story of my tomboy upbringing... instead of boys, my mom had two girls, so she had to make due. But she never really gave up her racing roots, and she decided to trade racing for motor cycle riding. Seemed like the safe way to go.

So my fascination with NASCAR began, you could say, from birth ;). Now I write about the sport, the sexy drivers, the sassy heroine’s--it’s so fun to write I can’t resist.

Stay tuned for my next NASCAR themed romance coming soon from http://www.Liquidsilverbooks.com, Driving Me Insane. You can read about all my NASCAR books here: http://raemonet.com/nascar_heat.html

Here’s a picture of one of the driver’s on the NASCAR stock car circuit… not sexy at all, huh? What an inspiration for a romance, huh… and guess what, he’s a bachelor. This is from the February issue of ESPN Magazine.

So tell me, have you ever NASCAR’d? If not, do you want to now?

Author Rae Monet
http://www.RaeMonet.com

Chip 'N Dale

Two of my critique partners and I are going to see the Chippendales next month.


No, no. Not that Chip 'N Dale. This Chippendale:


I'll admit, I'm a bit nervous. When it comes to male stripper shows, I'm a virgin. Luckily, one of my critique partners is, er, more experienced than me. LOL

Not that I'm not ready for the experience. I mean, how could I turn this down?


I just don't think I'll be able to tell my family. Well, maybe my sister, since she's an awesome supporter of my writing. But the rest of them... they'd be sure I had one foot in hell.

Hmm. Considering that the temps in southern Arizona this time of year are triple digits, they might just be right. LOL

What about you? Have you ever been to a male stripper show? If you haven't, would you go to one?


Growwwwwwf!

Sherrill Quinn
Follow your passion to the edge... and beyond
Website | Blog | MySpace | Indulge Authors | Readers Group

Eternal Pleasures

If you haven't already ... check out Eternal Pleasures. Garrett is definately the type of guy I'd want holding my hand, or whispering sweet nothings in my ear. Ahhh...love notes.

Okay, okay ... back to my romantic ideas. How about some fantasies? After all, that's what
Eternal Pleasures is all about ... fantasies. Hmmm...side tracked again. Ever thinkn of your home as the least sexiest place on earth. With all the kids running around, dinner cooking on the stove and the hubby doing yard work who has time for sex at home? Make time .. play games. Turn your bedroom into a private, romantic hideaway (that means get rid of the tv folks). Try some shear curtains hanging around the bed. Yes this will take some time, but well worth it. Oh, and don't forget the candles. Scent stimulates the sex glands to you know. Look for Romantic Fantasies & Other Sexy Ways of Expressing Your Love by Gregory J.P. Godek for more wonder ideas.

Debi Wilder
www.debbiefritter.net

Small Romantic Things

We all can use a little romance with our sex, can't we? Here are a few things to remember....
Hold hands with your partner in public. Yes, that means the grocery store, in the parking lot, at the park...wherever you may be. That one small intimate action can produce a whole lot of loving down the road.
And what about those love notes? I leave one for my husband in his brief case every once in a while, just to remind him what he means to me ... or what I want him to do to me. Once I even left him a little story taped to our front door so that when he came home he'd have something to read, and think about.
There are so many small things you can do to spark that flame. A look, a handwritten note or drawing (remember when you were a young girl with a crush on the cute guy and you drew a heart with your names in it), or just a look.
Have fun finding your small romantic thing and feel the fire begin to burn out of control.
Debi

Annalisa!

Check this out! I asked my daughter, whose name is ANNALISA, to choose a number between 1 and 29 for my blog winner. And she picked the number corresponding to....ANNALISA! And it isn't herself! ANNALISA (who is not my daughter), please email me at darragha @ gmail.com (no spaces) and let me know which LSB ebook, and in which format, you'd like!

Thank you ALL for playing today! Don't forget to visit my website and enter my contests! And, please...help an old god learn new tricks.... -- Darragha

Coffee with the Devil King

He is the master of orgasm-by-kiss.
He likes chocolate cake for breakfast.
He isn't above causing power outages to get his way.
He's a bit Veruca Salt.
Oral copulation with him is a whole new experience, because
He's a shape-shifter. Oh, my!

He's the Devil King of the Sixth Heaven.
And he's waiting for you to claim him. Tame him. *Do* him. He's waiting...here...

Go get him.

Incidently, I wrote Devil King of the Sixth Heaven after having a similar experience in a mall, at a coffee bar. Gods only know who you'll meet at the mall, huh? Would you like to know more about my one-on-one, real-life experience? Would you?

I'll pick one winner from today's bloggers to receive the Liquid Silver ebook of her choice. Additionally, I'm running a contest on my website...take a look here

Now...go find the Devil King...then tell me all about it...--Darragha

Liliah held her brownie up to her lips. Chocolate. Sacred chocolate. It was her Eucharist. Her rescuer. Her drug of choice. She closed her eyes. She willed the fat and carbs of the decadent treat to vanish. She stopped herself from wishing the calories onto the heinies of the girls. Karmic retribution could be painful.

Pushing aside thoughts of fattening up the girls, Liliah touched the tip of her tongue to the glossy ganache frosting atop the moist, chewy fudge brownie square. The taste of the chocolate cascaded through her body like an electrical jolt. Her nipples tingled and hardened. She raked her tongue across the frosting, enjoying the rich, satisfying, silken texture. Washed in a bath of tryptophan and phenylethylamine, chocolate’s feel-good chemicals, her headache and mood improved.

That’s when she saw him. He entered the mall like a superstar entering an arena of adoring fans. The sight of him took her breath away. An icy chill enveloped her from head to toes. Her spine tingled. Her unused and neglected womanly attributes awakened. Pressure, desire and need attacked her nether regions. She squeezed her legs together. She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. He was simply beautiful. He had the tall, athletic build of a super-athlete, but moved with the grace of a dancer. Liliah realized her mouth was hanging open. Embarrassed and hoping no one had noticed, she locked her lips together. The man was literally jaw-dropping gorgeous.

Her arms suddenly began to throb with an ache that she knew could only be cured by wrapping them around his neck. Her hands tingled. She wanted to shake them out by kneading his powerful shoulders. And as for that dire, empty sensation between her legs … well … she knew what she needed there, too. Him.

The man’s pace was even and fluid. He nodded a greeting at the elderly gentlemen sipping coffees near the mall entrance. He smiled at the owner of the Tandoori chicken stand grinding spices for the day’s offerings. He waved his hand faintly at the uniformed mall janitor pushing a broom around the theater entrance. He strolled by as if they were his subjects and he, their king.
Dressed simply, he made a flannel shirt and Levi’s look good. His walk accentuated the tightness of his faded blue jeans. His thigh muscles were clearly defined. So was his package. He must have a Hickory Farms Beef Log stuffed in his shorts. Damn!

Liliah set her brownie aside. He’s walking this way! And he’s sizing me up! Jeez—I hope it’s me he’s looking at so intently. Hers was not the only female attention he garnered. The silence of the teen girls and the absence of whirring noise from the barista’s espresso machine proved that. Liliah glanced over to the coffee bar. The girls were huddled together, trembling—gazing at the
man like cows staring into the headlights of an oncoming train.

The barista’s face had gone ashen.

Liliah snapped back to the real world as hot coffee dribbled onto her hand and lap. “Dammit.” She slipped off her stool to retrieve some napkins.

Approaching the barista, she whispered, “He’s a babe, huh? ”

The coffee bar attendant nodded. “I’ve never seen such a handsome man before in my life. God, I hope he buys a coffee.”

Liliah nodded, whispering, “He walks as if he owns the mall and everyone in it. He knows we’re looking at him. I’ll bet he’s counting on it. He’s a bad boy. He’s the kind of guy that accepts nothing less than total adoration. ”

The barista smoothed her apron. “I could use a bad boy about now. ”

Liliah turned to face her. “Get in line, honey.”

Angels and Deceivers

For once, I'm going to tell you to judge this book by it's cover.

Let me explain. I'm an art snob. Whenever I've filled out those cover request questionairres that we have to do whenever we sell a book, I have always asked for a photorealistic cover, and usually a kind of abstract one, as I live in fear of the dreaded Poser skin cover. So when April came to me and said, "I know you prefer photorealism, but I've got this great new artist...", I waffled. But I trust April (hell, who wouldn't??), so I agreed.

Best decision I've made all year.

Look at that cover! It's beautiful, isn't it? Even before Lynne and I started talking about ideas, she already had gotten the essence of the story and had not one but two great ideas for how to do it. Fay, my heroine, looks just as beautiful and strong and vulnerable as I'd imagined, and Aaron... yummy, and without any skin! And everyone who has looked at it has said, "Wow, that really looks like an old Bogart movie poster!" Which is everything I had hoped for.

Because that's what Angels and Deceivers is, an old film noir story in print. Only so much hotter! Aaron Pierce is a detective on the hunt for a missing heiress. But he gets a bit...distracted when he meets Fay Sexton, sultry and sassy and up to no good.

***
The view was as spectacular as I’d imagined, and had absolutely nothing to do with the mountains or the city below.

I recognized her instantly as the mysterious woman from the bar last night. She was lounging on one of the deck chairs near the pool, all glossy black hair and long, muscular limbs. The swimsuit she wore was one of those new French two-pieces that revealed everything but her mother’s maiden name, the curves so modestly hidden by her gown last night now revealed in all their statuesque glory. The suit’s top crossed over her breasts, seemingly demure while boldly revealing the faintest curve underneath, the bottom leaving the shadow of her navel showing with the barest of skirts to disguise the junction of her thighs. The brilliant red of the fabric left me in no doubt that this was the owner of the roadster out front. A sensuous car for a sensuous owner.

Stomping down my libido, I started over to her. “Excuse me,” I said, “are you Karen Andrews?”

She lifted her head, unfazed by my unexpected appearance. Drawing the starlet sunglasses down her nose, she studied me for a minute. “Depends on who’s asking.” Her tone was challenging and playful at once.

“Aaron Pierce,” I answered, forcing myself to remain professional. “I’m a private investigator looking into the disappearance of her sister.”

“Well, isn’t that interesting.” She sat up, crossing one shapely leg over the other as she leaned forward. “I’ve never met a private dick before.”

Despite the coyness of her tone, I sensed a trace of bitterness in that last statement. “I take it you aren’t her sister.”

She rose to her feet, folding the sunglasses before offering her hand. “Fay Sexton. Best friend of the missing. Although I didn’t know she’d disappeared. Is Carter sure he didn’t just leave her behind at some party again?”

“He says she’s been missing three weeks, so I doubt it.” Her grip was strong and sure in my hand. I held on a little longer than I should have.

She didn’t try to withdraw it. “Didn’t I see you last night? At the club, right?”

“I was consulting with Mr. Brody regarding the case. That’s why I’m here.”

“Huh. Funny he didn’t mention me.”

I had to agree with her on that. “Why do you think that is?”

“Well, that’s Carter, isn’t it?” Setting the shades down on the table, she snagged a robe of Chinese silk off the back of her chair and slipped her arms into it with a lithe grace meant to fascinate. “He can’t get anything from me, so I’m not worth bothering with.”

“And that troubles you.” Somehow, the fact that it did bothered me as well.

The look she shot me was pure venom. “If what you say is true, if Tess’s been missing for three weeks, it would have been nice if he’d at least told me.”

“If the two of you are such good friends, I’m surprised you didn’t know already,” I pressed.

Her indignation weakened. “I was in San Francisco until yesterday.”

“And you always make yourself at home when there’s no one about?”

“Here? Yes.” The anger snapped again in her eyes. “This has been practically a second home for me since I was eighteen. Claire took me in when no one else wanted me. So you can keep your insinuations to yourself.”

I could tell by the vehemence of her words that there was more to this story than she was telling, but it didn’t seem appropriate to pursue it now. Instead I asked, “And Claire is ...?”

“Tess’s mother,” she ground out impatiently. “She died a couple of years ago and left Tess and Karen on their own. They had a hard time of it, so I’ve been around a lot, trying to help out. Is that a problem?”

“No, not at all,” I assured her, filing away the information she gave me. “It’s very commendable of you.”

“Gee, thanks.” She tried to remain indignant, but I could see worry crease her brow. “Do you really think Tess is in trouble?”

I had just enough chivalry left to be affected by her concern. “I don’t know. I’ve only just begun looking into it.”

Her full mouth tightened with her own internal struggle before finally she said, “If Tess is in trouble, I want to help.”

“The best way you can help is by telling me everything you know about your friend and her habits and behaviors over the last few months.”

“I don’t know anything,” she snapped, her mercurial eyes gone dark again. “I told you, I was in San Francisco for most of the last month.” Her eyes narrowed with determination. “But I can help you investigate. I know all her friends and all the places she hangs out.”

“Fine. Tell me.”

“And then what are you going to do? How much chance do you stand of getting in at the Flamingo or the Kit Kat?”

She was right, damn it. I would waste my entire retainer greasing enough palms to get into just one of those clubs. But if Fay traveled in the same circles as Tess and Brody, she would already have access like I could never get.

She must have read the resignation in my face because she smiled condescendingly. “Don’t worry, you won’t ruin my reputation. Let me get changed and I’ll go with you.”

“That won’t be necessary.” I tried to forestall her one last time. “Surely I could come back for you later.”

She paused in the doorway, one well-toned leg peeking through the hem of her robe as she leaned back. “What, and miss seeing the great detective in action? Don’t be silly. I’ll just be a minute.”

***

For more excerpts, head on over to Angels and Deceivers and get your own copy of this amazing cover and the book that goes with it!

Winner of Drawing for Scion's Rebirth!

Here's hoping Sasha will forgive me for stepping on her toes! No harm meant! But Estella, you've won a copy of Scion's Rebirth! E-mail me at heidi@heidimcvay.com to let me know what format you'd like!

Thanks,
Heidi

Body Image and Sexuality

Is anyone ever really happy with his or her body?

You read a lot about how women are so wrapped up in their weight. I admit I am too. Especially since I gained weight and I can't fit my jeans properly. Other women tell me I "carry it well", and my big butt and plump hips don't stop men from hitting on me. Yet I still feel very self consious about my body. Except when I'm writing hot sex scenes. Then my self consiousness disappears.

Maybe women's sensitivity about being called fat or big is such a widely known joke simply because women are just more open with their insecurities. Then again it could be because men get such a kick out of seeing women rip each other apart, and one the first things a women insults another woman on is her looks. Hair, makeup, the size of her ass. . . But I digress; the competitiveness of women is a topic for another day.

Today, with the summer starting to heat up and people being so self consious in shorts and abthing suits, I want to talk about what makes us FEEL sexy. Most people have problem areas that they feel very self-conscious about. Women worry about the size of their hips or their breasts. And while most men won’t admit it, some worry that their dick is too small, or even too big. Or if they’re hairy chest is gross, or that their abs aren’t a perfect six pack.

I mean, sure we LOVE looking at hot men, but do we expect the men in our lives to actually look like this? We have to remember that men don't expect the owmen in thier life to look like an airbrushed model either. We a re oputting that expectation on ourselves.

I talked to a guy once, (Through research of course ) that really stressed about the first time he was with a new woman because his cock was too big. He said it caused all sorts of problems with positioning and comfort. Which ya know, I can understand, because even though we women love out romance heros to have the "massive hammer" as it was put to me, we don't really want that do we? I mean, well...we might want a nice one..but not... anyway..... there is such a things as too big...sure we stretch enough to give birth, but that takes hours of the body slowly preparing itself, and in the end it isn’t a really a pleasant sensation.

And isn’t that what sex is about? Barring pro-creation, it about Pleasure.

I’ve never been in love, but people tell me sex is always better when you’re in love. I’m guessing that’s because you trust that the person you’re with loves you for you, and not for your body size. With that trust comes a sense of freedom, a loss of inhibitions. (Sadly, for some people …that takes alcohol! I’m a bartender, I see this way too often.) I wonder if erotic stories are doing this for women too. You see, when we read them and we get turned on, we forget to be self consious about ourselves. I've recieved an email,okay two, from differnt women saying that after they'd read one of my stories they went an jumped their hubby and had the best sex in a long time.

I don't think it's my story that did it, but the fact that reading a well done hot sex scene that also contains emotion, helps us get past our subconcious, to the root of our sexualtiy. It helps our bodies to remind us that we want to give and receive pleasure. And our emotional freedom from the self consiousness makes it that much easier to achieve.

For me, my sex life got a whole lot better when I decided to concentrate on being healthy instead of worrying about my size. I won’t deny I want to lose 80 pounds, but I’ve learned that whether I am over weight or not, (and no, I haven’t always been overweight) my body is still capable of giving, and receiving pleasure. And I learned to not always depend on the guy knowing how to give me that pleasure. Men like to be told what feels good, and what makes you uncomfortable because for them, it’s a point of pride that you get to come before they do! Maybe more than once!

I guess what I’m trying to say is …stop worrying about how you look, and think about how you feel. Sexuality and sexual enjoyment is a gift we've been blessed with. Embrace it. Wear the short shorts or the skimpy lingerie that makes you feel sexy and attractive. Enjoy what your body can do for you! And if you need a little help...try writing out one ofyour fave sexual fantasies, and leaving it on the bedside table for your signifigant other...or maybe email it to him at work? It coudl make things get very hot, and I'm not talking about the temperatures outside. *wink*

Oh! and to help get you in the right frame of mind..click on the hot photo of the man for a larger version. LOL

Winner of yesterday's blog...Lisa Williams!!

Lisa Williams, please give me a holler at keiraramsay@cox.net and I'll hook you up, baby!

Cheers all!

Keira

A return to normalcy!

Yay for normalcy! I've been like a chicken with it's head cut off this week, since hubby and I made the decision to move from Bangor base where we have lived for two years now to a nearby section of housing meant for surface ships seamen and their families. I've been cooped up in a tiny apartment all that time and felt cramped the entirety of it. So I've been on a cleaning binge for a few days now, preparing for a pre-move inspection. I have a month to get everything in order and get moved to the new place.

If you've ever lived it base housing, you'll know what I'm talking about here... the cleaning is not routine cleaning. You need to be able to literally eat off of any surface if you had to. That's the only downside. On the bright side, the new place is a real house with a honest to goodness yard, literally a hundred yards from Puget sound. Go me! Gotta love loopholes.

As my husband helped me clean out the laundry room last night, I noticed something about him. After six years of marriage and God only knows how many randy romps, I noticed that I still lust after him as much as when we got married. It's the strangest thing really, but it was the way his jeans fit him just so. Shirtless and with low-slung jeans... that's my Navy man. It's amazing to have those moments when you fall in love all over again. The little things never used to thrill me, I was always waiting for the next big thing to come along, the next man to sweep me off my feet.

Then one day I met a skinny blond guy at the bookstore I'd just been hired to work at. Our first kiss was on the back end of a Buick as we were star-gazing. I could say that I knew at that moment that I'd spend the rest of my life with him, but it would be a bald-faced lie. Truth is, I fell in love with him by degrees and yesterday showed me that each day the degrees by which I love this man keep coming. He's amazing and takes such good care of me, even going to far to move when we're perfectly settled in a home already, just so I can have my sunshine and view of the water.

People fall in love in different ways I've discovered. My sister met her husband and married him within ten days of meeting. It's been 9 years and three kids and they are still all over each other like the teenagers they were when they said "I do."

My question to you, dear fellow bloggers, is this. If you have ever fallen in love (and who hasn't) was it like me, by degrees, or was it a bang, as my sister swears she experienced, like everything snapped into place at once? All replies will be adored and all repliers will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Scion's Rebirth. I'll check back later to see what you all think!

Ah, the joys of summer...

So, yeah, it's officially summer right now (yippee!), and one of my fave things to do is hit the pool/lake/beach. What's better than a cool, crisp margarita and a gaggle of hot bodies? LOL. I work at an Air Force base where our primary population is young pilots in training (yeah, I know, it's a hard, hard life I lead *g*). And we don't have just Air Force dudes (and dudettes), we've also got Navy and Marine Corps pilots...yum! Consequently, on any given day, there's a bunch of shirtless hotties either running around the base perimiter or hanging out at the pool...can you say "eye candy"??

Back in the day when I was running every day, we had a Marine Corp guy we used as a rabbit (i.e., he'd set the pace and then I'd run behind him, huffing and puffing to keep up...and just panting in general *g*). Mmmm, there's nothing like staring at a well-defined booty and fabulous back to keep your motivation up! LOL.

So what are your top things to do during the summer? Blog with me today and I'll pick a random winner for any book from my backlist!

Cheers (tipping a margarita glass at y'all)!

Keira

Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door winner

The winner of my newsletter member drawing was Mary S. of Missouri. Congrats, Mary! She won a copy of my first LS release Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door.

Mary says she's new to ebooks, but she's willing to give it a try. She may even buy her a PDA and download some more ebooks to take with her on vacation... Hey, it's great singlehandedly stimulating the economy, isn't it? :)

Check out my newsletter and check out my new blog "Celine's Dreams" at http://celinesdreams.blogspot.com

More fun and contest to come!

Danger! Danger!

Last Tuesday, I had a dream about sex on a motorcycle. Don't ask me where it came from...oh, alright. It was probably my subconscious telling me that I have the hots for a friend of mine who happens to have a Harley. So on Wednesday, going "riding" weighed on my mind all day. I did fulfill my wish, but it was a true ride, no freaky stuff. Dang it! So anyway, my newest crush offered to take me riding on Monday. I chickened out (don't shoot me), but he did happen to call me last night to say he would see me tonight at karaoke. Second chance, right? (I'll be sure to keep ya'll updated. LOL)

You're probably wondering what the point of my Blog is today. Well, here's my question for you guys....What's the most dangerous position you ever found yourself in? The hotter, the better as always. Helicopter, Mile High, with a crazed criminal next door? I want all the juicy details. And anyone who has happened to have sex on a motorcycle, your advice would be much appreciated. ;)

Robin
www.robindanner.com
Putting the "R" in Regencies...

Hot and sleepy...Not!

Happy Summer! Or not so happy if you're where the weatherman says heat index over 100. Yes, that's Richmond tomorrow, and what does that make me want to do?

Sleep.

A lot.

So, in an effort to inspire forward momentum I thought I'd talk about trying new things. And I have been trying new things lately. I dragged my dad to a "Taoism" class that involved a pop song about chi and chakras. I think the whole thing would've been fine--coloring my spleen yellow and saying "courage" to my liver, or was it my kidneys?--but that song was all it took for my dad's skeptical side to kick in.

I've also started going to a new church. It's a unity church and the service involves meditation, which I love. The Father's Day sermon was about growing up without a father and the scars it leaves. I found it very moving and it certainly made me thankful for my dad and my husband, great fathers, both of them.

Another new thing is I've discovered the TV shows on itunes. Yahoo! I was able to get the Commander in Chief episode I missed, and the CSI season finale. But most important, through itunes, I downloaded the Dixie Chick's new album, "Taking the Long Way." I must say that my fave song on there so far is "I Hope." Did I say I was an exciting person? Sigh. I'm not.

However, this past weekend was an adventure for me, when Bridget Midway, Laura Bacchi, and I did a signing at an "adult" store in Newport News. We had some very interesting visitors, like the four graduates in 2006 glasses and the kid with the cast that had to sit by the door looking out while his parents shopped. Usually, when I've gone into this sort of store before, I've tended to look over my shoulder to make sure no one I knew was there. Here we were happy to see people we knew, like Denise--who tried on the impossible-to-walk-in shoes--because the people we knew bought our books.

I was trying to imagine if I could get a pair of thigh-high boots past my thighs, if they would just make me look shorter and stubbier than I already am. I was also curious if the white nurse outfit would turn the hubby on. Then Laura, Bridget, and the shop owner had to educate me on a few items, because let's face it, I'm behind the times. At the very least, I claim innocence and ignorance in all these matters, especially if my mom asks.

And the conversation at dinner! Whew! I had two ultimate margaritas and seemed to be talking about whether having two guys would be as good in reality as it is in fantasy. Feel free to weigh in on this issue.

Now my Grandma read Primitive Passion in one day--I sent her the paperback, because she doesn't have a computer--and she didn't even think it was too spicy. Hmm. Some things I just don't want to know, you know?

And now I'm reading about ghost hunters in a book by Katherine Ramsland. She seems to share my belief that there could be ghosts...but I need to see them with my own eyes to state that as fact.

Tell me about something new you've tried recently or plan to try. I want to hear all about it!

Shara
www.sharalanel.com

Solstice Winner

Winner of the free download of Vixen Virgins is...

Cherie!

Congrats! E-mail me at bethwilliamson@nc.rr.com and let me know what format you prefer!

Thanks y'all!

Solstice Madness

Howdy folks! Beth Williamson here again and I've brought something hot with me. Summer (in the Northern Hemisphere anyway).

Today is officially the first day of summer. It's also the summer solstice at 12:26 today, which actually throughout time has been more a religious event.

Interestingly enough, the Summer Solstice is also known as: Alban Heflin, Alben Heruin, All-couples day, Feast of Epona, Feast of St. John the Baptist, Feill-Sheathain, Gathering Day, Johannistag, Litha, Midsummer, Sonnwend, Thing-Tide, and Vestalia.

It's the longest day of the year and is sometimes called Midsummer because it is about in the middle of the growing season. Of course for those peeps in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, this is actually their winter solstice. That's a brain bender...

There were solstice celebrations in every part of history from Ancient China, Gaul, Celts, Neopagans (Wiccans), and Ancient Rome all the way through Christians who celebrate it as The Feast of St. John the Baptist.

So what does this long rambling post mean? Good question. I'm glad you asked! I want to know your wildest summer stories. Give me the most interesting thing/place/person you ever did during the summer. Was it a celebration? Dancing beneath the moon naked? Or skinny-dipping down in Mexico?

Bring it on folks! Everyone who posts gets entered to win a download of Vixen Virgins.

Ready, set, confess!

The "morning after" with the Vampire Next Door

'Morning all! Sorry for the delay. This is my "first time" at a "morning after" blog and Blogger and I had a few technical issues this time around, but we worked them out eventually. Sounds just like a relationship between a guy and a gal, doesn't it? :)

I thought I'd post an excerpt from Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door to celebrate its release. Enjoy!

Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door
by Celine Chatillon http://www.celinechatillon.com
ISBN 1-59578-229-X
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/helpimfallingetc.htm




Short synopsis:
Valentine Drakul longs for a mate, someone to share eternity with who won’t be totally grossed out living on a diet of steak tartare. Could the sexy girl living upstairs fulfill his every fantasy?

Melynda Kerpanik got the heck out of Dodge, Kansas, and ended up in St. Louis working for her cousin as an interior decorator. But will her career plans take a backseat to her curiosity about things that “go bump in the night”?

A deadly foe ensnares Mel in his evil plot to rid the world of Kindred race... Can Val save the mortal woman he loves without transforming her into the eternally lonely being he's become?


Their first meeting...

Val Drakul had two choices. He could either sink his fangs deep into the flesh of this woman’s luscious, lithe neck--and dispose of her deliciously curvy body later--or he could ask his attractive, half-dressed, uninvited guest to sit down and stay awhile.
He chose the latter.

“I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced,” Val said, letting go of his prey and switching on the hall light. “I’m Val Drakul. You must be my new neighbor upstairs. Shelby’s cousin, right?”

Her face paled as he led her toward the living area. Her cat-green eyes widened with fear and surprise. “Y-yes. I’m M-Mel... Melynda Kerpanik.
”
She stuck out a unsteady hand to shake. Her skin felt velvet soft and warm to the touch. Val clenched his jaw, fighting back an almost insatiable urge to taste her.

“And it’s not what you think,” she continued. “I heard this awful noise so I came down to investigate and--”

“You just happened to notice my door was unlocked?” Val raised one dark eyebrow and chuckled. “So you entered my abode to make sure if everything was all right--is that correct?” She nodded. He motioned for her to sit down beside him on his leather couch. Slowly she bent her knees and relaxed against its cool, smooth surface.

“That was very neighborly of you, Ms. Kerpanik.”

“Uh, thanks. You can call me ‘Mel’ if you like.”

The blush on her high cheekbones enchanted him. The white streak in her part, dividing her waist-length black hair like a skunk’s stripe, he found sexy, too.

“I used to live next to a little old lady who had this awful tendency of falling and breaking her hip,” she continued. “So I tend to act first and ask permission later.”

“That’s an admirable trait, Mel.” He frowned, although his dark eyes continued to scan her curves. “‘Mel’ sounds like a man’s name, and you most definitely aren’t a man. I shall call you Melynda instead. Is that all right?”

She swallowed hard. “Please do.”

“I know I really shouldn’t say a word about your nickname when mine is ‘Val’. I get tons of junk mail addressed, ‘Valerie’. Very few men are named ‘Valentine’ these days. I suppose I should change it.”

“No, I wouldn’t. It’s a good, strong name. And I love the holiday.”

“Really?” He smiled and settled back in his seat. This Melynda person was definitely worth getting to know better even if she was a mere mortal. “Would you like something to drink?” he asked. She shook her head no. “That’s okay. I’m probably out of everything except beer any how.”

She grinned nervously. “Typical bachelor.”

“Yes, I am. And I do have an appalling habit of not locking my doors at times. I don’t expect too many night visitors, so when I go out on a shoot I forget to throw the bolt.”

“A shoot?”

“Photos. I’m a photographer.”

“Yes, so Shelby told me. I noticed some fantastic cityscapes in your darkroom.”

He lifted one curious eyebrow. “Why, thank you. Do you happen to have one of my calendars?”

“Calendar?” Her green eyes widened. “You posed for a calendar?”
“No, I don’t model.”

The endearing blush crept up her cheeks once again. She demurely pulled her robe tighter across her more-than-ample breasts. Val forced his hungry gaze away from his attractive guest’s obvious charms and returned to discussing the topic at hand.

“I shoot a yearly cityscape calendar of St. Louis. Would you like one? I have several promotional copies in my study.”

“Oh, yes, I’d love one.”

Val rose and swiftly exited the living area before Mel could exhale her long-held breath.

What the hell am I doing chitchatting with my devastatingly handsome neighbor at three in the morning? She was certifiably mental. But she couldn’t seem to help herself. She was hooked.

The man couldn’t get any better looking if he tried. Even his name sounded sexy: Drah-kool. The way he said it sent orgasmic sparks zinging along her spine. She couldn’t quite place the accent, but wherever he was from originally the women there were mighty fortunate.

His muscular backside had intrigued her in the moonlight. But now that she could enjoy his face close up his aquiline profile fascinated her to no end. Dark, obsidian eyes glowed with an inner spark above chiseled cheekbones and a smooth, square jaw line. When he looked at her it was if he could see right through her and glimpse the throbbing pulse of her heart. His wavy, shoulder length, jet-black hair was to die for. His slightly olive skin tone denoted perhaps some Mediterranean or Eastern European ancestry? Either way, it was amazing Hollywood hadn’t scooped up a stud like him and put him in pictures.

Sex appeal--Val Drakul simply overflowed with it. His full lips looked like they were made to kiss and to be kissed--passionately and frequently. And his smile? Closed mouth yet quirky. Like he laughed with confidence at all life threw at him and then some. Like he knew his own mind. Like he enjoyed a good beer, a good smoke, a good woman...
Mel pulled her silk robe tighter across her peaking breasts. The mere thought of making love to Val Drakul made her knees turn to Jell-O. It had been too long--way too long--since she’d been with a man.

That damn cheating ex of hers gotten it from both her and his man-stealing girlfriend for a time, but she’d been living the life of a nun since their marriage broke up. Her luscious-buns neighbor probably didn’t suffer at all in that particular department. She didn’t want his pity.

There was no need for Val Drakul to learn that she was a lonely, undersexed, unemployed art teacher from Kansas. She had to get out of here. She’d take her free calendar, wish him goodnight and run the hell back upstairs before she wet his nice leather couch thinking how amazing he must look without his clothes on.

“Here you go.” Mel stood as Val returned to the living room and handed her a large, glossy calendar. “About half are in color and half in black and white. I prefer the black and white shots myself, but the publisher always insists on at least six of the twelve in color.”

Mel flipped through the pages, mesmerized by his talent and technique. In the thrill of discovering another artist’s work, she completely forgot about her desire to depart.

“How breathtaking! They’re simply beautiful. I love your black and white photos, too. Has Shelby talked to you about doing some art photography for the lofts upstairs?”

Val looked decidedly uncomfortable for a split second before his charming smile reasserted itself. “Yes, she has. But I declined. I have more than enough business with the calendar shots, my own gallery showings and the occasional freelance opportunity. Maybe some other time.”

“Too bad. I was thinking of doing at least one of the lofts up in a cool black, white and metallic gray scheme and your photos would be superb accents. You sure you won’t reconsider? They wouldn’t have to be new photos--they could be reprints.”

She turned back to October’s picture of a huge, blood-red harvest moon hanging over the Arch, illuminating it and the river beyond with an eerie orange glow. “I could really see this photo blown up to a good wall-picture size hanging over a dining table.”

Quick, like a cat, he stood beside her, glancing over her shoulder. Mel shivered slightly and felt the dampness between her legs growing.

“Ah, yes. That’s one of my favorites. I wouldn’t mind seeing my Halloween photo framed and hanging on a wall rather than in just a calendar. Let me talk to my publisher about the reprint rights.”

“Fantastic.” She beamed a smile in thanks at him. “It will make my decorating job that much easier.”

“No promises. But I will try,” he said softly.

Mel turned slightly, examining the handsome visage mere inches from her own. Those lips... those eyes. She could see herself taking Val’s strong chin in her hand and tilting his head just a little toward hers and then… Vivid images of her and her newly introduced neighbor moving together as one between satin sheets flooded her mind. It was as if it their joining had already happened—or would happen—and she had no control of how fate would bring them together for better or worse.

“Melynda? Are you all right?” Concern etched itself across his features. He reached out to touch her shoulder.

“Me? I’m fine.” She shook her head and rubbed her temples, inching away from him. The disturbing feeling of déjà vu quickly passed. She’d only been in the Twilight Zone for a few seconds this time. Why she hadn’t outgrown these occasional psychic daytrips was beyond her. “It’s late, and I’m not thinking too clearly. I’d better go now.”

“Yes, you’d better. Unless...”

“Unless?”

She looked deep into his eyes and then she knew--she could never leave him.

“Unless you’d feel safer staying here tonight.” His rich baritone enveloped her like a cloud, drawing her further into its mists; his intense, dark eyes plumbed the depths of her soul.

“I mean, this is an old building and there are lots of strange noises. The vast majority of them are innocuous, but...” He shrugged.

She swallowed hard, licking suddenly dry lips. “You mean there’s something in the building that isn’t harmless?”

“Yes. Me.”

Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door
by Celine Chatillon (http://www.celinechatillon.com)
http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/books/helpimfallingetc.htm


P.S. If you've read this far, I want to thank you. Now, here's my "prize": Everyone who signs up for my Celine's Dreams yahoogroup newsletter today will be entered into a drawing for a download of Help! I'm Falling for the Vampire Next Door . Everyone else will receive a free prize as well. Sounds like a "win-win" situation, doesn't it? Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/celinesdreams and join now!

Loving Fate

WooHoo!! I love the "Morning After!" And it is technically still morning even though I'm a bit late.

Loving Fate is the second book in the Fate series (if you'd like to read the 'morning after' post for Tempting Fate, it was on May 23) and features the spinner of the thread of life Lacy (Lachesis). She's the most sensitive of the three Fates and her heart is breaking for single father Noah after the death of his daughter.

I really love this book as writing it was a different experience for me. As I was writing, I think I was more aware of style and tone for this one than most of the other books I've written. Mostly because it deals with a difficult subject.

Plus, for those of you that have already read Tempting Fate, you get a chance to go back to visit with Chloe and Tanner.

And to end, here's a kind of simple, but fun excerpt of the entire Moraie family at dinner the night Noah appears on Mount Olympus.

Noah sat down next to Lacy.
She passed him a plate heaped with food.
All eyes were on him when he took his first bite of potato salad.
His eyes closed in ecstasy. He pulled the fork out from between his teeth slowly.
“This ... this is almost orgasmically good.”
As soon as he said it, Noah thought maybe that wasn’t the best thing to say to the
family of a girl you fucked earlier in the day.
But God, was the food good.
He shoveled another bite into his mouth.
“You might want to slow down.”
It was one of Lacy’s sisters that spoke.
The three of them were absolutely amazing. They looked almost exactly alike except
for their hair and eyes.
Noah was already used to Lacy’s blue eyes and blond hair. She looked like an angel.
Chloe was just about the complete opposite with raven black hair and bright green eyes.
And then there was Atty with brown eyes and auburn brown hair.
Who were these girls anyway?
“So, have you figured out what I’m doing here yet?”
“Yeah, that’s definitely my fault,” Tanner said. “I still don’t know exactly how I did
it, but well, I brought you here.”
“And where exactly is here?”
He thought maybe he’d talked about that with Tanner earlier, before the incident
with the tea, but he’d been too overcome with lust for Lacy to remember if he ever
actually got an answer.
“Mnt Olms,” Tanner slurred.
Chloe laughed and Atty rolled her eyes.
“I’m sorry. What was that?”
“Mount Olympus,” Atty answered, enunciating each syllable.
“Mount Olympus? Like I’m in ancient Greece?” Noah laughed, but trailed off when
no one joined in with him.
“No,” Atty corrected. “Like modern day Mount Olympus.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?”
He looked around frantically, waiting for someone to start laughing, to tell him this
was all a joke, but no one did.
It was Lacy’s voice that soothed him when he was about to jump up from the table
and run out of the room. She reached over and put her hand on his.
“Sorry, Noah, but it’s the truth.”
“But ... how?”
“Unfortunately, we don’t know that.”
“Are you like gods or something?”
“We’re...” Atty started, but Lacy interrupted.
“Or something. I promise I’ll explain it all in good time.”
“But I don’t believe in gods and goddesses.”
Maybe if he said something like that he could get them to go away. And then what?
End up alone back in his stupid farmhouse that he was looking to sell anyway?
“It doesn’t really matter if you believe or not. We’re here.”
As delectable as the food looked, Noah suddenly found himself without an appetite.
“Hey. If we’re really on Mount Olympus, shouldn’t we be eating ambrosia or
something?”
Tanner laughed as he took a big bite of his cheeseburger.
“Dude, we’re on Mount Olympus. We can eat whatever the hell we want.”
That did make a certain amount of sense.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m not feeling so hot,” Noah said. That tea must have done
more of a number on him than he’d thought. “I think I’ll skip dinner and go get some
air.”
Lacy rose as if to accompany him.
“Alone,” he added.

OK, I said the excerpt was going to be the end, but I forgot about a giveaway - I love giveaways! And I'm going to make things easy - all you have to do is comment and you'll be entered to win a download of Loving Fate.

Enjoy your last day of spring!

Emma
http://www.EmmaSinclair.com

Morning After - Celine Chatillion & Emma Sinclair

Help, I'm Falling for the
Vampire Nextdoor!
by
Celine Chatillion

&

Loving Fate
by
Emma Sinclair

"Can You Keep A Secret?" winner

Congratulations to... Estella!

Estella, email me at rose @ lrmiddleton . com (take out the spaces) with your preferred format for download.

And thanks to everyone who shared their best gifts with us!

Take care,

Rose Middleton
www.lrmiddleton.com

Girl Talk

Growing up, I've always benefitted from close girl friends in who I can confide, be it about boys or school, or hopes and dreams. Even now, I still have girls night out, though the pool of single friends is growing smaller year by year, and when we do get together, there's more talk about kids and nappy changes LOL!

I couldn't help but blend in this wonderful gift into my story, Can You Keep A Secret? Margie, best friend to our heroine, Penny, is a riot, and I've so far been asked whether she'll get her own story. Time will tell (*she laughs wickedly*) but for now, I want to celebrate the joys of best gal pals with an excerpt.

~*~

"So, what’s new, baby?" Margie asked, patting Penny’s knee. "Tell me all about it."

"Governor’s Ball with Dad."

Margie groaned. "Yes, I saw you in the Who’s Who column again."

The drawling tone of Margie’s voice made Penny cackle with laughter. Ben’s career was one of Margie’s pet hates, and she insisted he stop using Penny as arm candy every time they talked. But she understood Penny’s position, too, with her own family thrust so pointedly in the spotlight. Being the daughter of two highly renowned actors, Margie knew the pressure of responsibility.

"And work?"

Penny’s cheeks heated. "Work’s fine."

"Fine? Are you trying to con me?"

Penny smiled. "Me? Never. Work is A-ok."

"So why have your cheeks turned beetroot red, and why is there sweat on your upper lip? You’re not telling me everything."

Ain’t that the truth, Penny thought wearily. Weakened by the emergence of her inner vixen, Penny wasn’t sure she possessed the strength to resist Margie’s probing. When those words appeared on the little red card at lunchtime, enticing Jesse with absolute confidence, she’d almost thrown the gift away.

She had no idea where such a naughty little poem came from, and even less of an idea how she managed to sneak into his cubicle and actually leave the present for him to find. It wasn’t like her meek and mild self at all.

Feeling Margie try to break down her defences, Penny resigned to the inevitable and gave in. "We’re having Christmas in July. A Secret Santa present exchange and a trip to the ski fields."

Margie’s eyes grew wide and hungry for details. "And who are you playing Santa for?"

Margie really had a way with words, Penny thought, as more visions of her playing Santa for Jesse bombarded her. Sheesh, the night wasn’t even over yet. "Just one of the reporters," she said with an air of carelessness that didn’t convince Margie one iota.

"And what are you planning to buy for this mystery reporter?"

Penny shrugged, but she could see Margie wasn’t buying the act. After all, of the two of them in the room, Penny wasn’t a professionally paid actor. "Just a few little things, nothing expensive."

"Just a few little things that, what? Make him think you’re interested?"

"Margaret!" Penny sat up. "I would never."

Oh, but she did, and the wicked pleasure it gave her bloomed in her chest again.

"If you want my advice," Margie winked. "Be bad. Be very, very bad."

Reaching out, Penny playfully punched Margie’s arm. The woman was such a rebel.

"You know I couldn’t."

"Why?"

Million-dollar question, that. Why? Why, indeed. "Because."

Penny pushed up to her feet, knowing that if she didn’t try for the door now, she’d be here all night pouring out her plan to Margie. Their friendship had never been about boy talk. Sure Margie was there when Caldwell said it wasn’t working and when Thomas walked out. Just like she’d been there for Margie through two divorces. But that was it. No sex advice, no girl talk, no boy talk.

"And just where do you think you’re going, little lady?" Margie laughed. "I want details."

"Honey, I’m tired." Penny slipped her trouser button back into its loop. "Dinner was exquisite, as always. And the company," she leant down and kissed Margie’s cheek. "Divine. I gotta run."

At the front door, Margie stopped her one last time. "Promise me one thing."

"What’s that?"

"That you take a chance, do what your heart desires. Forget all the stuffiness you grew up with, forget deportment and what’s expected of a woman. Screw it all to hell. You deserve lust, love and some damn good sex. Go get it."

~*~

And in celebration of my boss putting on another Christmas in July this year (*here we go again!*) I'm giving away a free download of Can You Keep A Secret? All you need to do is reply to this post and tell me the best Christmas present you've ever received. I'll draw a name out of a hat and pop back in later today with the winner!

Cheers,

Laura Rose Middleton
www.lrmiddleton.com

What a busy Father's day!

Already I've taken dh to the airport. He's being deployed to Germany...hopefully back by fall. Oy! So I rushed back home to blog and before I have lunch with my own father. My dad is one of those guys who rarely says "I love you." He grew up in the age when men didn't show emotion. My mom will make me hug him before I leave today - It'll be painful for both of us.

My father is an avid fisherman - my fondest memories are fishing with him when I was a kid. Ironically Fishing Openers in my part of the country are on Mother's Day. That doesn't seem right. So my big plan is to lunch with my parents.

For those of us in the states how are you spending Father's day? For those outside of the US - what are you doing today? Enjoy it however you choose to spend it.

Love,

Tina

Winner of Bridget Midway's "Flashback to the 80's " contest

Meljprincess got all of the correct songs first! Whoo! Hoo! I thought for sure the Romeo Void song would have gotten you. Mel, e-mail me at Bridget@BridgetMidway.com and let me know which book you would like besides THAT'S WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR.

Thanks everyone for playing.

BridgeT

Contest while Momma works...

While I do my book signing today, you all will have to put on your thinking caps. And of course I will not make this easy on you. Moohaahaahaa!

If you haven't guess from my book title, That's What Friends Are For, and some of my other current book titles, I'm a bit of an 80's head. I love 80's music and the feeling you get from it when you listen to it. So in my contest, I'm going to list 5 of my favorite 80's songs. You have to guess the artist. Post your answers on this blog along with your e-mail addy. The first person to guess them all right, will win a free download of That's What Friends Are For!

1. Never Say Never

2. Love My Way

3. Cars

4. I Want Candy

5. Suddenly Last Summer

BONUS! If you tell me who are the 4 singers on the original song, "That's What Friends Are For" you can get another free download from me from anything in my collection. Check out my website at www.BridgetMidway.com to read excerpts and reviews.

Good luck and have fun! Oh my! What am I doing? I have to get ready!

Stay sexy!
BridgeT

Winner of LSB Download

Thanks everyone for stopping by and playing the match the couples game. It looked a little disorganized because I couldn't put it in neat columns like I wanted to, but believe me I spent a lot of time fighting blogger as I tried to set it up.

Anyway, the winner of a free download of a LIquid Silver Book is Teresa. Contact me at bondav40@yahoo.com to let me know what book you'd like and what format you want it in--Liquid Silver has a wide variety of choices of format. I'll be offline a lot of this weekend so may not process your request until Monday, but will get it done.

Have a great day!

It's 1 a.m. Do you know where your erotica author is?

Okay, I'm starting to wind down. I have all of my books and CDs ready. All I need to do is sleep. Yeah, sleep. Speaking of sleep, I do have to hit the bed. However, I will leave with you all, for your reading pleasure, an exclusive excerpt from That's What Friends Are For! Enjoy! Sometime Saturday, I'll post my contest to win a free download of my book!

BridgeT
www.BridgetMidway.com

She took a deep breath then blurted, “I’m so fucking horny, Ned. That’s why I came up with that plan.”

His heart settled a bit. Not what he’d wanted to hear but the one thing he could always count on with Fiona was honesty. He’d always appreciated that.

“I’m sorry,” she continued. “I never wanted to use you. I thought it would be okay. We’re friends. We know neither one of us would hurt the other. I know you’re clean. I know I’m clean. I got tested every month after I dumped Kwame.”

“I know.” He remembered how nervous she’d been every month when she’d gotten tested.

“And I thought since I was allowing myself to get used...” She trailed off unable to complete the statement. “Can you forgive me? I’m a horrible friend.”

“No you’re not.” He kissed her temple. “Truth be told, I struggled with wanting to go through with it for that same reason. I wanted you so much but I didn’t want our friendship to suffer. I don’t have a lot, but our friendship means more to me than anything in the world. You know that, right?”

“Of course. Just like with me. I would die for you.” She gave him a quick peck on the lips. Then he heard her swallow hard. She kissed him again, a little longer this time. His hand that rested on her hip squeezed it gently.

Fiona’s breathing increased. Her breaths matched the pounding rain outside, hitting against his window. Listening to her and holding her, Ned’s heart started a crazy, hammering rhythm.
“Fi,” he said in a short breath.

Instead of responding verbally, Fiona kissed him harder. His tongue slid into her hot mouth. She sucked it like he’d imagined her taking his penis in her mouth. When she moaned, it not only vibrated his tongue but also his lips and body.

His hand cupped the back of her head as his other hand smoothed over her firm ass. He had never forgotten how absolutely perfect her backside was when he’d squeezed it the other night outside of the club.

One of Fiona’s hands clutched his shoulder while the other hand danced down the side of his body, eventually reaching the waistband of his pajama pants. Just the proximity of her hand stirred his engorged penis, making it throb even more. As though she read his thoughts, her hand gently swept over his cock.

His breath caught as she pulled from him.

She said, “We don’t have to, well, you know...”

“Yeah.” Ned nodded, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

“Not all the way.”

“Exactly.”

“We would be each other’s...”

“Relief.”

She sighed. “Yeah. Relief.”

Without another word, Ned stripped off her top and tossed it to the floor. Fiona made short work of undoing his pajamas as they both pulled them and his boxer briefs down in one tug.
“We’ll still be friends,” Fiona said with a lilt of questioning in her voice.

“Damn right.” He yanked off her panties, nearly tearing them in the process. “Friends with benefits.”

SExing it a little early

Hi y'all! My name is Bridget Midway, and I'm a---oh, wrong group!

Hope Bonnie Dee doesn't mind me stepping in early on my SEx day. Just like in that hit 80's song, I just can't enough. Oh I just can't get enough! Actually, except for my finger frantically typing away on my blog day, I'm running around the house like, uh, Britney Spears looking for a place to drop baby #2 (good analogy, Bridget!) because tomorrow Shara Lanel (yeah!) and I will be at our "Wicked Words" book signing event.

For those in the Tidewater area of Virginia, please come see us Saturday, June 17th from noon to 6 p.m. while we sign CD and print copies of our books. We'll also be doing a drawing to win our gift basket. Ohhhh! Ahhhh! So where is the signing? Hmm, how can I put this tactfully? It's at The Love Shack at 987 J. Clyde Morris Boulevard in Newport News, Virginia. The Love Shack is not just a B-52's song. It's an adult toy store. Hey, if touring in malls boosted Tiffany's career then making the rounds at adult toy stores should be par for the course for an erotic romance writer. By the way, I've also signed at The Pink Banana Boutique in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Don't you just love that name?

Personally, I find that people are less uptight about buying *gasp* erotica if they're in the right setting. Somehow signing That's What Friends Are For at a church sale seems wrong. Call me silly!

Anywhoo, so I'm running around trying to get things ready for the signing, making sure I have enough books and promo items and pens and, oh, a camera! So many things to grab and remember. Agh! But by tomorrow I'll be all poised and calm. Yeah, right! There will always be something that I'll forget. I normally do.

So before I get in on talking about my book, That's What Friends Are For, I want to know from you all where the strangest place you've ever purchased a book from an author. Did you catch one in an elevator and got her/him to sign it there? Or maybe in the ladies' bathroom? Or, hell, what about at an adult toy store? Or tell me where you would love to see your favorite author sign. Would you like your fave author to sit in front of Wal-Mart signing away? How about at Victoria's Secret? Hmm, actually that's not a bad idea! Let's just share. For me, the strangest place I've gotten my books from authors has been at the adult toy store is it. But I have been known to stalk an author or two at conventions and conferences. That's right, folks. I have no shame.

I'm going to take a small break to get some more of my stuff together. Procrastination, thy name is Bridget Midway! So stick around. If my head doesn't explode between now and noon tomorrow, you'll be seeing more of my blogs tonight and tomorrow.

Stay sexy!
BridgeT

Paul Newman. Just because.

Here's Darla's DH

The incomparable, Alfalfa!
Did you know Carl Switzer who played Alfalfa was murdered?
In searching for this photo I read some stuff about it.

Everyone's finding the match-ups way too easy. Even my 'stumper' couple, Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy, didn't stump everybody.

Mates for the second nine

Here are the partners for the second group. Any you don't recognize?







Hope you enjoyed this little game.

I had fun thinking of couples, less fun assembling the photos which, believe me, is a real pain in blogger.

Tomorrow I'll post the winner of a free LSB download chosen at random from among those who commented today.

Second group of partners looking for their mates

Here's another group of lonely lovers looking for their other half.

Part 2 - Partners for the first nine

It appears the blog only allows uploads of nine photos at once, so I'm going to have to do this in groups.
Here are the partners for the first nine, and no, I wasn't clever enough to put numbers or letters with each picture. Get over it!
It's a game for fun not winning. However, I will pick a winner of a free download of any Liquid Silver book from among those who comment on the blog today.

Famous Couples Match Up

Salt without Peppa? Santa without Mrs. Claus? Inconceivable! Some things were just meant to be together. See if you can match the couples from the first group with their partners in the next post.

Simple Pleasures

Last night, one of my favourite little people, and daughter of my best friend, was admitted to hospital with anorexia. Her disorder has degenerated to the point that the hospital is now monitoring her to ensure that thanks to her struggling organ systems, she doesn’t suffer either heart attack or stroke.

I am past asking ‘why’. I’m sure there are a million reasons why; some blatantly obvious, and others that only the patient will ever know. The question I am now asking is ‘what’. What can I do? What should I say? What time should I get there? What should I do when I am there? What should I bring with me? So naturally, being the communicator that I am, I had to ask someone who’d also been in this position. The friend I asked is also a writer, and this is part of the email she sent in response.

“Has Willow been to touch the dolphins? Should be easy to take her to sea world. Has she any animals? Can you play Bach to her? I would be surrounding her with the best nature can offer. Beautiful shells, a stone. What about Buster Keaton or any of the old, gently funny dvds. Water is a great healer - know any waterfalls? - take her for a treat and stand as close to the waterfall as possible. Can she paint or draw how she feels? I have a feeling words are useless to her at this point”.

Of course my irrepressible friend is right. This is what my little patient is missing! She’s lost her awe! She’s missing the wonder of everyday things. So this is what my blog is about. The beautiful, wonderful, amazing things that are so common we often miss them. I want to know about the simple things that make you smile and which could drag you from the deepest abyss.

For me there is always the sky. Not just any sky, the special, jacaranda blue of a Queensland sky in Winter. I also love the early Summer warmth that seeps through my bones and makes for that looser-limbed walk we all adopt when the weather heats up. And then of course, there is my garden. Every day, new wonders wait for me in my garden. In the morning they drip with glistening beads of dew, in the middle of the day there are butterflies wafting through on multi-coloured wings, and of an evening, I am always enchanted by the sweet scent of jasmine.

I know my lovely friend Cyndi Redding, goes ‘leaf peeping’ when Autumn arrives on her doorstep. What do you do? What is the thing that makes you smile and keeps you in touch with the wonder of life? Let’s have a day celebrating simple beauties! I’ve told you mine…now you tell me yours!

Oh and since all my characters seem to have one of these things themselves, the winner can choose which novel of mine they’d like to win!

Embrace Your Inner Groupie

Kate Willoughby here. You know, there are certain male professions that just “do it” for me. I meet some friends every week at Starbucks and whenever a firefighter wanders in, I have to struggle not to stare. There’s something about that uniform! Yes, I know it’s a grungy pair of mustard yellow baggy pants and suspenders of all things, but shoot, the sight of a man in that outfit slaps my hormones upside the head. Even in this picture you can’t see what these guys really look like, but you just know under that asbestos suit there’s a Real Man who could toss you over his shoulder and carry you off to his bunk at the firehouse.

Same with guys who work construction. No, not the potbellied ones whose butt cracks you’d pay NOT to see, but the buff ones, the ones who, if they made eye contact with you and pulled off their hard hat, would only have to crook a finger at you to hop into his bed. Can you picture him? He’s in a pair of well-worn jeans, kick-ass boots, and tool belt that hangs at a slant around his lean hips. His muscular build is a result of sweaty, physical labor.

That’s why the hero of my new book, Losing It, is in construction. Ben doesn’t wear a hard hat, but he has an impressive, ah, set of tools. In another manuscript of mine, the heroine has a thing for firefighters, like me.

I asked a group of women this question: When fantasizing about your perfect lover, which occupation most appeals to you? What's sexy to you? For instance, do you fantasize about a prince or a hunky firefighter? List any that appeal to you. I ask you the same question. Post your answers in the comment section here. Then come on over to the "Behind The Scenes" section of my website to find out what were the top five ranked sexy male professions were. The results surprised me.

Morning after indeed!

It's been an interesting month! My beloved laptop, Cameron the Compaq, died a horrid death when I arrived in Louisiana for a nice long visit with family. It was, however, nice to take a well-earned break, whether voluntary or not. All I really had to do work-wise was edit this little gem of a story. Scion's Rebirth is a novel that is very near to my heart because the character of Kai. He's such an enigma and I loved each moment writing him and exploring what made him tick.

Cameron the Compaq had been replaced by Gwendolyn the Gateway and together Gwennie and I are going to write a bang up new novel. :) I've enjoyed my break, but I must admit that it's really nice to be back home and back to work. I hope that all of you who buy the book enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. And in the name of shameless self-promotion, I give you a rather long, but very juicy excerpt from Scion's Rebirth.

Please enjoy and feel free to let me know that you think! I'm always open to suggestion and I relish feedback! Have a great day!

The sound of soft music spilled from beneath the door that was open just a crack. Bach from the sound of it. The lights were low and as Rachel lifted her hand to knock, the sound of a voice came through. “Don’t just stand there, come inside.”

Rachel blinked. How had he known she was there? She pushed the door open and stared into the dim room. The only source of light in the room was a laptop screen. The voice came again. “Don’t dawdle. Turn on the light and shut the door.”

She flipped it on and pushed the door shut behind her. The man on the couch didn’t even glance at her as he continued his game of solitaire. His fingers moved over the track pad with a speed that Rachel could barely fathom. He must have been truly bored. “Mr. Matsumoto?”

“Yes.” He still did not glance up, instead lifting one hand to gesture to the leather desk chair.
“Sit.”

Rachel sat. Her eyes never left his face. She hadn’t expected him to be so young, or even familiar. As his name suggested, he was of Japanese descent. Full lips were set in a grim line, brows raised in a scowl that was focused on the laptop. He cursed beneath his breath and snapped the lid shut, aiming dark eyes straight for her. Recognition filtered through her, though she couldn’t place him exactly. Where had she seen him before? When had she seen him before?
His scowl did not disappear, but rather deepened as he stared at her. “You’re the dimwit’s cousin, aren’t you?”

“Dimwit?” Rachel frowned.

“Montrose. I should have known. You have the same last name.” He snorted, expression hardening. “You are Adam’s cousin, are you not?”

“Yes. Adam Montrose is my cousin,” she replied automatically. “But I don’t see what that has to do with this meeting.”

His scowl disappeared, one eyebrow lifting in disbelief. “It has nothing to do with our meeting. I was simply surprised to see you here. I didn’t know you were one of my artists.” He set the laptop aside and rose from the couch, moving to lean past her. He rummaged on the desk for a moment, and Rachel’s eyes slid closed. He smelled good, an odd amalgamation of expensive cologne and soap. She sniffed the chest before her lightly. Her eyes flew open when he gave another derisive snort. “You do know that it’s considered rude to sniff a stranger, don’t you?”

“I wasn’t sniffing you.” She suppressed a grimace, though her face instantly flamed a brilliant red. “I was making sure my allergy medicine was still working.” Her standby excuse for if she got caught sniffing someone never failed to work. Not that she’d had to use it in several years. She couldn’t help it if she had a fixation on smells.

He snorted again, a sound that was getting old. “You’re a horrible liar.”

File retrieved, he sat back on the couch once more and flipped the folder open. “Miss Montrose, I was prepared to offer you a private showing, based on the fact that the sales of your work have increased my revenue considerably. I looked back over the records that the manager kept.” He paused, casting his eyes to her, expression stern.

“That’s why I fired him. For the 15 years he was in my employ, he never once turned a profit until you came along. But that’s beside my point. I was going to offer you a showing, exclusively your own work, but now that I’ve seen you face to face and remembered who you are, I’m not quite as willing to consider it.”

Anger flared within her chest as her heart sped up. Rachel clamped down on the urge to demand that he explain himself. It would do her no good to threaten the very source of her livelihood. He had her career, literally, in his hands. She remained silent, though her lips formed a thin line of discontent.

He laced his fingers together atop the file folder that now lay on his crossed legs. “Miss Montrose, you’re a gifted photographer, there’s no doubt about that. You also make me a fair amount of money. You’ve been my top seller for months now. But that alone isn’t enough to convince me that you’re worth the investment it would take to do that kind of showing.”

“Not worth it? How can you say that?” She couldn’t resist the question. “What have I ever done to you?”

His lips curved into a smirk. “To me? Nothing.” He flipped the folder closed. “I might be persuaded to change my mind.”

“How?” Rachel swallowed hard. She’d do anything for this opportunity. She needed it. The potential to double or even triple her income would mean that she could start Zazu in that Montessori preschool she’d been looking into.

Obsidian eyes narrowed in challenge. “Lock the door and I’ll show you.”

Rachel’s eyes widened to comical proportions. Instantly, her face flushed once more. Her entire livelihood had just slipped away. Her heart sank within her chest. She gave a resigned nod. “I think I understand.”

A smug smirk lifted one corner of his lips. “I thought you would.”

Rachel gave a stiff smile as she rose from her seat, portfolio grasped in sweaty palms. She’d do anything, yes. Anything but that. Her integrity was all she would have left once she walked out of the room, and damned if she was going to whore herself for the sake of money. “I’ll just be going now.”

The expression on his face would have been laughable had her world not been crumbling around her ears. She made her way stiffly to the door, hand reaching for the knob. She didn’t hear him move, and was stunned when his hand closed around her wrist. “Wait.”

Rachel tugged at her hand. “Please, let me go, Mr. Matsumoto. It’s bad enough already.”

“What’s bad enough?” The curiosity in his voice was threaded with some unidentifiable challenge.

She swallowed hard, forcing her eyes to remain on the door. She didn’t want to have to look at him. It was bad enough that she felt like she should remember him, but to have to remain here any longer was a horrible prospect. “It’s bad enough that I’m walking out on my only source of income, please don’t make it worse.”

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” His voice was soft and just as intense. “Tell me why you would walk away from a chance like this ... the price is small to pay.”

“Maybe to you, but to me the price is too high. I’m not a whore. I’d rather go back to working in a portrait studio than prostitute myself. My integrity is all I have and it’s insulting to have it questioned in this manner. Thus, I’m leaving. My integrity is not worth the money I’d make doing a show. I’d know why you gave it to me, and it wouldn’t be because of my talent. It’s best if I take my work elsewhere.”

To her surprise, his grip relaxed and his voice was smug. “Well said, Miss Montrose. Sit down, and we’ll discuss the details of your show.”

Rachel’s eyes snapped to him. “Didn’t you hear me? I won’t do the things you want me to do. Not for that.”

“That’s exactly why I’m giving it to you.” He countered as he dropped his hand from her wrist and pointed to the chair once more.

“You mean if I had said yes, you wouldn’t have ... you know.” She blushed faintly, trying to wrap her brain around this news.

His gaze narrowed and intensified as his eyes swept down the line of her body. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, Miss Montrose. I’d have taken you, make no mistake of that. I’d have taken you so hard and so fast that your teeth would rattle and you’d bear my mark for days. But you would have left without getting your show. I don’t do business with whores.”

Foolish mortal woman. The words rang in her head, niggling at the back of her mind. The words spoken in that silky voice that was even now ordering her to sit down once again. Her heart sped up and she stepped away, jerking her eyes from his form as though to look at him burned her very eyes.

“Mr. Matsumoto, who are you?”

His lips curved into an enigmatic smile as he seated himself on the couch once more. “I’m a friend of Elizabeth’s.” This was stated simply.

Rachel frowned. “I met you at the wedding.”

“Yes. I was your escort. I’m not surprised you don’t remember. The human mind is a fragile thing, Miss Montrose, and memories can be tricky.” His smug expression did not waver. “Now, back to business, yes?”

“Yes.” Rachel echoed softly, eyes rising to him once more. She managed to punch down the blush that still threatened her. Her memories of the wedding were fuzzy at best, and she barely remembered him beyond the dance they’d shared before he’d left her at her door. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he’d seen her with anyone else, but it was obviously a bad idea.

Best to keep her mouth shut. She forced her brain to focus on what he was saying, details about the show. It was time to put the past behind her once and for all, no matter how pretty his eyes were.

Morning After ~ Lisa Marie & HE McVay

Stealing Kisses
by
Lisa Marie

&

Scion's Rebirth
by
H.E. McVay

One more Pic and the winner!

The winner is Rain. If you'll email me at chase.ta @ gmail. com (w/o spaces), I'll let you know what you've won.

Thanks to everyone for making my first SEx experience a great one. I really enjoyed sharing my guys with you.

Remember stop by my blog, No Boundaries for daily eye candy and a story that I've been posting new updates to every Tuesday. :)

Until next time, everyone.

T.A.

No Going Home blurb and excerpt

Here's the yummy cover. :)

Now the blurb:

Six years ago, a hoof to the head ended Leslie Hardin's show-jumping career and his relationship with the man he loved. Broken, hurt, and rejected, Les has focused his energies on rebuilding his life.

Les’s accident has shown him that the most valuable treasures are usually found under an imperfect surface, and his reputation for taking in strays starts to grow. But it’s one of these strays in particular, injured rodeo cowboy Randy Hersch, who captures more than just his compassion.

Between his disapproving father and his chosen career path, Randy has always felt the need to deny his passion. But when Les takes him under his wing, Randy begins to realize that he is truly strong enough to admit his true self—to himself and the rest of the world. But in the arms of a broken man, can he find acceptance…and love?

Here's the excerpt now. Enjoy!

Les found Randy sitting in the dining room, staring at a pair of boots. It had been twenty minutes since Randy’s father left. He had managed to compose his nerves enough to come and see if Randy was up. He knelt beside the cowboy, putting a hand on the man’s knee.

“Randy,” he asked in a low voice.

Unfocused blue eyes met his gaze and blinked.

“Do you need help getting your boots on, baby?” He clamped his mouth shut. Shit. It was one thing to call him that while he was half asleep. It was another thing entirely to talk sweet to Randy while he was awake.

Another blink and a slight smile. “Yeah. I can’t bend over real well at the moment.”

Les took Randy’s foot and placed in on his thigh. Sliding on a boot, he pulled the pant leg down over it. He did the same with the other than looked up to see Randy staring down at him. Without thought, he rose up on his knees and cupped Randy’s face.

The other man tensed, but didn’t push him away. He tried not to listen to a voice saying it wasn’t a good idea. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to those cut lips. Randy didn’t join in at first. Les swiped his tongue over the seam of Randy’s mouth. A gasp allowed him access to the inside. His tongue made a foray in the wet warmth.Randy tasted like maple syrup and earth. His male tang caused Les’s cock to stand at attention. When his body demanded a harder and deeper kiss, he pulled back. Randy protested and the younger man’s shocked gaze met his. He could tell by the hesitant movement of the other man’s lips, Randy hadn’t been kissed often.

“Why did you stop?” Randy blushed when he realized what he asked.

Les chuckled and brushed a finger over Randy’s lips. “Your lips aren’t up for anything more.”

Randy ducked his head. “Why’d you kiss me?”

He lifted that stubborn chin up and whispered another kiss over Randy’s lips. “I kissed you because you’re the hottest man I’ve seen in a long time. Also, I wanted to kiss your bruises and make them better.”

“You’ve only kissed my lips.” A flirty gleam came and went in those stunning eyes.

“That’s true, but I don’t think you’re up to me kissing any other part of your body.” He stood and offered Randy a hand.Pulling the cowboy off the chair, Les didn’t step back. He let Randy’s body brush against his own. His hand cupped the back of Randy’s head and his other hand landed on the small waist. He drew Randy close to him, savoring the feeling of the lean muscled warmth of the male body pressed to him.Randy didn’t seem to know where to put his own hands. Those strong hands stroked over his shoulders, down his back and settled on his ass.

Groaning, Les brought his mouth down on Randy again. This time the cowboy opened his mouth without Les asking him. Their tongues slid together with a gentle touch. Les didn’t demand or get aggressive. He wanted to learn Randy and didn’t want to scare the kid away.


(c)2006 T.A. Chase

A little Sun?

How about enjoying some sunshine? :)

Flowers?

Here's some more candy, but this comes with flowers as well. :)

Enjoy I'll be back later with an excerpt from No Going Home.

T.A.

Happy Monday!

So I'm new here to Liquid Silver and SEx. ;) My name is T.A. Chase and I write homoerotic stories about men loving men. My first book from LSB will be coming out soon, I hope. It's called No Going Home and is about a rodeo cowboy and the man who figures out how to love him.

I'm sure those of you who've checked out my blog, No Boundaries know I'm good for some yummy eye candy..which I'll try to post some more through out the day. If you stop by my blog, you'll also figure out that I love to take a picture and write a story about it.

So my challenge to you through out the day and if you want to, you can do it as many times as you want...is to write something, even if it's just one sentence about one of the pics I post here today.

Unfortunately, since my book isn't out yet, I can't give that away as a prize, but I promise I've got some good stuff to give away to one lucky winner tonight around 9 p.m. Trust me, I'm putting the names of everyone who posts in a hat and drawing the winner's out. I'm not going to pick the winner based on their writing....because then everyone would win. :)

So stop by often throughout the day and check out the pics I'll be posting...let me know what they invoke in you; emotionally or physically. lol

Until a little later,

T.A. Chase

Romantic times winner!

It's brewing up a nasty afternoon thunderstorm here in Florida, so I need to hurry and post today's winner. Thanks to everyone who answered today's poll. I've drawn a winner, and she is ... Ta Da! Estella. Estella, please e-mail me and tell me your preference of download format for your prize, Cabin Fever.
Congratulations, Estella!

Nessie

Romantic Times

No, I'm not talking about the convention many of us attended last month in Daytona Beach, nor am I talking about the book reviews magazine. Today I want to talk about moments in your life with that special someone, in which the mood and surroundings encouraged romance.

So let's do a poll. What circumstances qualify most for your kind of romantic times?

1. Your idea of a romantic meal is (a) candlelight dinner in an upscale restaurant; (b) a picnic just for the two of you with finger foods and wine; (c) a meal he or she cooks for you at home; (d) drive-thru (e) raid the fridge after making love.
   
   
2. Your idea of a romantic date is (a) live theater, ballet, or opera; (b) first run movie at a cinema; (c) cuddle in front of the TV watching rented DVDs; (d) attend a live sporting event together;(e) dancing.
   
   
3. Your idea of a romantic get-away is (a) Fly to a faraway city for a weekend in a luxury hotel; (b) A weekend at a cabin in the mountains; (c) A weekend at a quaint bed and breakfast; (d) a weekend at a hotel on the beach; (e)Camping in a state or national park.
   
   
4. Your idea of a romantic gift is (a) Jewelry; (b) clothes; (c)An electronic device, i.e. an iPod or digital camers; (d) an autographed copy of a book by your favorite author; (e) a puppy or kitten.

There you have it.

There's no score profiling the type person you are, there are no right or wrong answers. Just give me your choices or add others of your own. Have fun with it.

All (non-LSB) participants will be eligible for a drawing to win a free download of my Quicksilver, CABIN FEVER, a story in which the heroine pulls out all the stops for a romantic weekend with her husband to try to save their troubled marriage.

Vanessa

PS Just to kick things off, I'll give you my answers: 1.c 2.e 3.e 4.d

Does True Love Really Exist?

Well, in the romance novel industry, we must believe it does. After all, it is paramount in making a good story and selling it to readers.

Let’s face it. We live in the real world and not a novel. So, I wonder if true love can actually happen in the “real world.” I’m sure everyone reading this has fallen in love at least once in his or her life. What separates “love” from “true love”?

Once you find true love, what exactly does it mean? Is it someone you were destined to spend the rest of your life with or just someone who is supposed to have an influential presence?

I guess I would like some feedback regarding the thoughts and beliefs regarding true love. Personally, I’ve been searching for my place and I suppose my own destiny and where I belong both in love and my writing life.

Posted for Erin Katz!

Interview with a Male romantica author!

~ Cover Art by April Martinez ~

Dateline: Daytona, Florida, sometime last month. I'd just sold a hot paragraph to Louie the Crab for his Donkey Spankers and Lycra Weekly magazine. Feeling pretty good at the big cash payoff, I was walking along minding my own business and counting the readies when there was a rattle of stiletto heels behind me. Before I knew it a classy dame had me by the lapels of the trenchcoat and pinned against the wall. I looked into the flawless face and steely blue eyes just inches from my own.

"Silver!" I gasped.

Minty-fresh breath gusted against my face. "You've been avoiding me, A J," she purred.

I gently pried her hands from the lapels. "Yeah, well..." Snappy repartee, I grant you, but hey, you never saw Silver with that look in her eye. I knew what she wanted. It was –

"The interview, A J," she said. "Give me the interview, or the world will know the truth behind the story of you, the can-can dancer and the elephant on the Butte Montmartre last year."

Hot damn! What a night that was! But I knew I was beat and held up my hands. "Okay, okay! You want it, you got it."

As luck would have it we were right by a bar, the Mai Tai. When we walked in Paige Burns was holding court amidst a horde of admirers as she took on and beat all-comers at thumb wrestling. We chose a booth in the corner away from the crowd. I ordered root beer. Silver chose something exotic that melted the cocktail swizzler – and the cherry it was stuck through. As usual she was in a happier mood now she had her own way. Then she let me have it…

"Very few men write romance, let alone erotic romance, what made you decide to go that route?"

"I joined the wrong queue… Ah, no, I blame my esteemed critique partner for this! When she read some of my earlier work she said "You're stopping the action at the bedroom door: Why?" I really couldn't give a good answer and went out and read some of the great books out there and decided I could write romantica.

"A general charge leveled at guys is we can't handle emotions, either IRL or on the page. Crap! Evidence to the contrary we're human beings, we have feelings, and the gods know I've been through the romantic mill-race more than a few times. With any writer, it comes down to using life experiences to create a good story that entertains the reader. I hope I succeed."

"I think you have, but don’t men usually write thrillers or sci-fi?"

"Oh? Think of Anne McAffrey, Elizabeth Moon, Barbara Kamazin, et. al! Classy sci-fi writers, every one. As for thrillers - hmm! Well, yeah, men do write them more than women, and it seems the more Greek letters they use in the title the better! When you see a cover on a doorstep-sized book bearing the legend "The Phi-Alpha-Kappa Gambit," you can bet top dollar it ain't written by a member of the fairer sex!"

"I’ve read Mr. Grey and the Hotel Ghosts, and boy, are the sex scenes hot. Are they based on experience? Are you looking for a research assistant? ;) "

"Thank you! – some - and yes ;) Applicants, please go to the link below…"

Silver pouts a bit, I think she was hoping I’d pull out an application. She recovers quickly though and pins me with that “I dare you to answer” look.

"What’s the sexiest thing you’ve ever done for a woman?"

"Hmm! O-kayyy. We were walking through the Erzebet Ter in Budapest at midnight after a great night out. The moon was riding high over the city and she said "I want you – now!" We made love under the arches. It kinda set the seal on things."

"Damn, AJ, you tiger you, but that sounds like something she instigated. What about you? I know there’s a bit of naughty in you somewhere."

"lol, I'm like an iceberg – you only see 10% of the naughtiness above the surface ;) O-kayyy Two. My then girlfriend and I were apart for several weeks. I wrote erotica pieces for her in which we were the central characters and I described what I did for her in exquisite detail and sent them in e-mail attachments. When we next met, I acted them out…"

Silver fanned herself. "Uh huh!" she said softly. After a pause she launched another question at me from left field.

"Rumor has it that you’re a kilt wearing man, is it true what they say about men in kilts?"

"Oh, we're like the brand of battery – Ever Ready!"

Silver sips her drink, her eyes wide at the thought. She clears her throat…

"Does your family know what kind of books you write and what have they said about it?"

"They do, but being British, they pretend not to…"

She laughs infectiously, and I notice a crowd of young men are starting to form in our little corner.

"What’s your favorite swear word?"

"'Oh bugger!' A good old-fashioned English catch-all for most occasions. Of course, it literally refers to anal sex… "

“I love British swear words. Funny enough, my favorite word refers to sex in general.” She winks and I think one of the young men in the crowd faints.

"If you were on a deserted island, which celebrity would you want with you?"

"Claudia Black (Aeryn Sun in Farscape, Shazza in Pitch Black). Man! When wearing that skin-tight leather outfit she could start a riot in a monastery just by walking past…"

"What’s your best pick up line?"

"'Have some chocolate!' Mind you, being a chocoholic myself it's a moot point if there's any left to give away…"

"That would work for me, doll. So what’s next? More Grey? How about just more AJ?"

"I'm happy to say Liquid Silver has accepted the next Mr. Grey story, Spirit from the Sky! The cover's posted here, and the first batch of edits should hit me between the eyes any day now. There's a whole raft of Mr. Grey stories featuring Martin Grey and Claudia Mackenzie stacked up in my ideas file. The next is in first draft form, and I've begun research for a Mr. Grey story set in Claudia's spiritual homeland of Scotland.

"As for more A J - Hmm! I'll be in Indianapolis in my adopted State of Indiana for three weeks from the end of next month. Sometime soon I hope to move there permanently. I will be joining the local chapter of the RWA - a great bunch, really warm and welcoming. I'm also looking forward to the July 4th parades and saying Happy Birthday, USA! As sure as the sun rises I'll be visiting some of the bookstores too. Maybe I'll meet some of my readers there?"

She nodded and smiled. I got the impression the interview was over and she'd let me off lightly – I think! Taking courage in both hands, I asked her to dance. Silver nodded again and I led her out onto the floor.

I'd forgotten about the stilettos…

Couples' Movies Blog Winner

Laurie Emerson wins a copy of my book, Moon Magick. Laurie, please e-mail me at raemorgan@worldnet.att.net so that I can get an address to which to send your signed copy.

And thanks again to all those who visited and shared their adult movie favs with the rest of us.

Rae

Couples' Movies

Come on now!! This is Dr. Rae speaking to you. If the phrase couples’ movies brought up the mental image of the current Vince and Jennifer movie, you should be ashamed of yourself. When Dr. Rae talks couples’ movies, she is talking erotic films, adult movies, or if you will, porn - - not date movies.

Of course, today there are few really good erotic movies. Now, the adult film industry is all about the nitty gritty. The down and dirty. The far out kinky side of sex. It's all about massive mammaries, bodacious bootay, and large dicks and the many various ways these sexual organs can interact.

While there are some current adult film producers who try to appeal to the female half of the couple, thus creating a couples' movie, most of today's adult films are just pasted together sexual vignettes with bad moans- and- groans voice overs. Boring!

But it wasn't always like that.

To me, the great age for adult films (or Triple XXX-rated movies ) was in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Those were the eras of couples' films.

Picture this:

Date night. Couple goes out to eat (our fav was all you could eat fish night at Walgreens. $1.29, you couldn't beat the price.) Having fully sated one appetite, the couple hits the local movie rental place (locally owned, no Blockbuster chain at that time) and shops together for a XXX-rated couples' flick. Heads home and fires up the VCR. By the second scene heavy petting was in high gear, leading to ---- fade to black. Ahhh. Sweet youth!

Ahem, but I digress.

During this "golden era of porn," the adult film industry actually had something resembling plots. Sound familiar? If you are an LSB reader or author you know that LSB stresses plot over of a string of sex scenes strung gratuitously together. Why? Because we know female readers (on the whole) want some meat with their dessert. So do female consumers of adult films. Too bad the current crop of adult film producers don't follow their brethren of years gone by.

Here are some of my favorite golden age of porn movies:

The Devil in Miss Jones 2 (1982) – Georgina Spelvin played Miss Justine Jones, a sex-starved spinster who committed suicide in Miss Jones I (1973). In Jones I, she is sent back to Earth to learn all about sex from Harry Reams (yes, the man with one of the longest prongs in the adult film industry!). In Miss Jones 2, she has learned her lesson all too well and is now in Hell where every time she attempts a sexual act or thought, alarms go off. The Devil (Jack Wrangler, one of the best actors in the adult film industry at that time) is upset with her, but she persuades him (using sex, of course) to allow her to return to Earth where she inhabits a call girl’s body and literally goes to town. The Devil finds himself jealous and pursues Justine.

The film was funny, and believe it or not, you root for the Devil to find eternal happiness with Justine.

Debbie Does Dallas (1978) – Debbie played by Misty Winter is a member of a cheerleading squad that wishes to try out for the Dallas Cowboy cheerleading squad, but they don’t have the money to get them to the try outs. So, instead of washing cars or baking cookies, the girls, and most particularly Debbie, use their bodies to persuade their respective bosses to give them the money. Simple plot that leads to some hot nookie here, there, and everywhere.

Dr. Rae found the film a great spoof and lots of fun. I am sure there are some women who would call the film sexist, but not I. The women in the film control their destinies and have a heck of a good time doing it, to boot! Can't get any more empowering than that!

Any movie by Annette Haven, one of the best actresses in the adult film industry. She was in one main stream film (10) and was considered for Body Double ( the role went to Melanie Griffith). Her most famous movie was Barbara Broadcast; it was given its ten minutes of fame by Dan Quayle who cited it as an example of heinous pornography. He asked the Attorney General to pursue the adult film industry and shut it down. Like the AG of the USA didn't have better things to focus his energies upon.

Wonder how Dan knew there was hot sex in it? Hmmm?

Another good Haven film was High School Memories.

Haven tended to play sympathetic and intelligent women who were comfortable with their own sexuality. She was a class act and much of what she did when compared to the current adult film industry would seem tame. However, there were one or two scenes in BB that had old Dr. Rae's jaw dropping (the restaurant kitchen prep table scene comes to mind as does a mild bondage and forced masturbation scene).

Those are my fav adult films.

What are yours and why? One person will win a signed copy of Moon Magick, Book Two in the Coven of the Wolf series.

See you at the movies!

Dr. Rae

Well...that was interesting

I set up to do my dinnertime post and discover Blogger down for database maintenance. Phew. What a bummer! Especially as I wanted to talk more food. :D You see...in addition to the strawberries, I have a jones in the worst way for this stuff called Nutella. I'm dangerous around Nutella. Nutella is endangered around me. And my local Kroger very recently began carrying it, so now I don't even have to drive thirty minutes to the international grocery over on the west side of town.

But I'm now the proud owner of at least three gallons of strawberries, and about two quarts of freezer jam, which is setting up nicely in my kitchen. I'm taking the extra strawberry mash and mixing it up with ginger ale and maybe a bit of lime sherbet for punch (and adding in the vodka when my kids are not around).

Now picking berries (or really any U-pick vegetable or fruit) always makes me realize how backbreaking good old fashioned farming or hunter/gathering can be. So I got my exercise today, and that got my juices flowing for the novella I'm working on. I thought I might leave a little preview of it here:

Man plans and the Gods laugh, Lin thought, straightening the bodice of her ill-fitting dress. What the hell is a girl like me doing in a place like this? The lights and colors of the rotunda of the hotel were lit with thousands of twinkle lights, in a weak reflection of the billions of stars that dotted the vast sky that was technically underground.

She missed her sky with an ache like a sore tooth. No sky was actually visible in all of Cinco City--only holograms and illusion, the same way that "down" and "up" were illusions of artificial gravity in the massive, rotating ring city.

Dubbed "Cinco City" by its denizens, LEO-5--Low-Earth Orbit settlement number five--was one of eight urban sprawls in fixed orbit around the Earth, and home to millions of people who, by virtue of debt or circumstance, had lost their coveted eligibility to live on Earth proper.

Millions of people and one target, that is. She spied him in the crowd from half a room away, a sense in the back of her head twanging taut like a bowstring and homing in on him. Tall, auburn haired, and lean, he moved through the crowd with a purpose. He was why a girl like her was currently trying not to exhale too much and lose her bodice in a place like this.

Sweet Summer Strawberries

Good morning! Or just Morning, if you're like me, where the phrase, "Good morning," is considered more of a challenge than a greeting. It's June in the Midwest, and where I am, that means the strawberries are ripe for the picking, which is where I am this morning. Bright and early (heaven help me!) and by this afternoon, I should have a freezer full o' Jam.

There's something about a ripe strawberry...biting into it, feeling the first resistance. Then the explosion of flavor, juice filling your mouth, little seeds providing interesting texture, but not enough of a nuisance as to get caught in your teeth. Strawberries just taste like summer to me. Like everything that makes summer good - from freedom from school when you were younger, to longer days and evenings and nights that you can enjoy on a blanket, looking up at the stars. Strawberries have this...sensuality to them that speaks to the primitive, id part of the brain, or maybe even bypasses it altogether.

But maybe strawberries don't do it for you. What other food reaches into you, bypasses higher thought, grabs you by the senses and won't let go? And yeah...I want recipes, too. Mr. Xandra's gone out of town for four days. It'd be nice to have something extra whipped up for a nice reunion.

Edge of the Knife

There are days when you just want to 'strap on some steel' and kick some butt. It was just this kind of day that birthed Callista, my red headed warrior lass from 'Edge of the Knife'. Callista is an ex-member of The Mercy, an organization that hunts and destroys vampires. She is on a mission: Locate and kill the head honcho, the big cheese, the evil sadistic vampire that killed her beloved sister, Hestia. However, she soon learns that nothing is as it seems...and that the shadows she stalks live deeply within her, she is her own greatest weapon and her own greatest enemy. It would take a strong and persistent man to break through such a fortified shield, and wouldn't you just know it...Valerian was born. Valerian and Callista, two enigmatic and mysterious characters that fight one another at every turn but cannot deny nor fight the attraction that burns between them.

Callista, who came out fighting right from the beginning, began to show a side that surprised even me. There is a beautiful vulnerability and *gasp* shall we say it, need, that lingers there, flutters there, and encompasses that cold and hard shell. It just takes Valerian--impossible, insufferable, stubborn and persistent Valerian to bring it all full circle, and show Callista, that no one is past love or redemption.

I hope you will enjoy Callista and Valerian's journey, and be touched by them as much as I was. Valerian is but one of The Brotherhood...Cashel and Raphael lay in wait :)

Mara

posted by Tina for Mara. :)

Morning After ~ Mara Lee and Jayelle Drewry

Edge of the Knife
by
Mara Lee

&

The Outcast
by
Jayelle Drewry

A good author?

First some morning eye candy for y'all. :) some yummy abs and a cute belly button...lol.

Actually my question for everyone is this: What makes a good author? What makes one writer someone you will automatically buy no matter what she/he writes? It might be the same thing that makes a good story. I don't know.

Is it because they use humor in their stories that make you laugh out loud or snort milk through your nose? (like Paige Burns or Dakota Cassidy)

Is it because they take you to a new world or introduces you to aliens? (like Leigh Wyndfield or Xandra Gregory)

Or maybe it's the way they write about ghosts or ancient gods? (Darragha Foster or A.J. Matthews)

See, for me, no matter what Leigh Wyndfield writes..even if it isn't sci-fi..I'd buy it because I know she'll give me a good story no matter what. She'll take me away from my mundane world and entertain me for however long it takes to read her book. Or another one for me would be Paige Burns. She writes great romantic comedies, but if she suddenly wished to write a dark emotional paranormal, I'd still be there with my credit card waiting to buy it. I know that even though she might have jumped into another genre, I'll get my money's worth because her talent to write heart felt characters and make them real to me will make me enjoy any book she writes.

Does it have to do with that elusive thing called 'voice'? Something that we writers struggle with every day..trying to figure out what the heck our 'voice' is...lol. Not sure any one of us could tell you.

Please let me know what makes you buy your favorite authors (and no they don't have to be just Liquid Silver authors..though we like to hear that you like us.. ;) I'll be stopping back as often as I can to chat with y'all and maybe post some more eye candy.

Tiffany Aaron

Touch. Tease. Please.

Darragha's Name that Novella - winners

Sorry Darragha, I was supposed to post this for her and it never made it past my inbox. So with out futher ado...

Hey! Thanks for playing 'name that novella' with me on June 2nd! I'm going to type my favorites at the top of my manuscript and get a feel for which one is the best match.

Here are my favorites, though that's not to say I didn't like a few others (Dar She Blows made me giggle. Perfect for a sequal to "The Orca King" quite frankly...)

LadyVampire2U:
Scrimshaw, Spells and Seduction (I can work with this!)
Spell-Crafted for Pleasure

Meljprincess:
A Rare Pleasure

Kayleigh:
Raising Kane (which I then changed to Raising Kane in Salem)

Would you three please contact me at darragha @ gmail.com (no spaces)?

Thank you!

Anniversary Winners

Thanks everyone for the well wishes.
Wonderful stories and MelJ, you touched my heart!

All three of you, PamK, Estella, and MelJ are winners.

Email Me - bookmom31 @ gmail.com

My Anniversary...

Today is my 11^th wedding anniversary. Steel would be the gift of choice if we were exchanging gifts, but we decided last year to take a couple only vacation to celebrate last years (10^th) and this year together. So we’re going to Costa Rica at the end of the month for a week of luxurious relaxation.

We’ve actually been together closer to 14 years but it was 11 years ago, June 4^th, 1995 that we tied the knot. My Dad was the master of ceremonies, yes, he’s a minister, and my sister and his brother were Maid of Honor and Best Man. My mom made my dress, long distance too, and it turned out perfect.

But like any wedding it had its stressful moments, its funny moments, and moments I’ll cherish forever.

We got married at the Point Hilton Tapatio Cliffs in Phoenix, in an open courtyard. Just as I was getting ready to walk down the isle, the DJ played the wrong song. So someone scrambled to tell him he was an idiot and he finally got it right. Most of the ceremony was a blur, but my dad did say a few (okay, so a lot) words that still to this day I’m not really sure what they had to do with marriage, but I could tell he was nervous. My sister sang a song, and for the life of me I can’t remember that either, LOL. When it came time for “kissing the bride” my new husband kicked off his shy guy persona and grabbed my ass, pulled me to him and laid a big one on me!

It was a small wedding of only about 80 attending so we all shifted into the conference room which was beautifully decorated. We had gold fish in small bowls with blue marbles in the bowls on the table which represented the colors of the wedding, Cobalt blue and yellow.

Again, lots of blur, but I think we went through the buffet line to get everyone started eating then circulated the tables. I just remember being very happy and as it was a party for me, very in my element. We had family, friends from both my work and his, and even special guests from England. I worked at the Scottsdale Princess hotel at the time, and a lovely older couple that came to the resort every summer joined us at the wedding! It was a very wonderful surprise.

After the champagne toast the DJ got the party started, but I started feeling sick. I hadn’t felt that great while we were taking photos prior to the ceremony and the feeling had come back. I ended up in the bathroom throwing up (no, it wasn’t the food, I hadn’t even touched it) and spent some time in there with my mom getting myself back in order.

Once I felt better, I went back in to the party where the DJ had everyone dancing after noticing that the bride was missing. It was time for the Father/Daughter dance. My dad who did the ceremony and walked me down the isle, is actually my step-father, but I felt it was a gesture of thanks and love to him to ask him to do those things. We’d butted heads in the past a bit. J So, it was with the dance. I think the song was Wind Beneath my Wings, which everyone uses I know, but it was popular at the time. Unfortunately, my biological father was at the wedding and cut in on the dance. My step-dad was gracious and let him, but I was mortified. I hadn’t even seen my real dad for a long time but had felt he should get invited. So while I was feeling sorry for my step-father, my new father-in-law, cut in on my real dad. (confused yet) I still love him to this day for that. So in the guests’ eyes, it looked like a Father(s) Daughter dance.

The dancing when on, interrupted for the cake cutting which instead of getting cake on each other, we got our siblings. It was fun and messy. The next surprise my shy husband sprung on me was when he dove under my dress to get the garter with his teeth.

Needless to say, despite all the fun, I still didn’t feel well so left early to go take a bath and once again, Mr. Burns surprised me by staying down at the party and playing the perfect host.

So today, on my 11^th anniversary, I’m going to spend the day with my man and my boys, go to the gym, clean the house, help install cabinets in the laundry room, and have a wonderful dinner out with the man of my dreams. Pretty perfect in my book.

Have an anniversary? Doesn’t have to be a wedding, could have been to celebrate dating too. Did you do something wild and crazy? Something completely romantic? Let me know and I’ll pick a winner for any Liquid Silver Download tonight.

Morning Eye Candy

I'm still asleep (isn't it cool that I can sleep and type?)
so here's some eye candy until I'm awake.

Don't you wish he was doing your laundry?

The TOOL on Vacation

Hi all,

Well, some of you have been following my brief and silly blog about my boyfriend, partner, significant other, Tool. Yes, he's still hanging around, and the nickname seems to have stuck (at least in my mind... and also when he's naked).

So, a few weeks ago, Tool and I took our first real "vacation" together. We spent 11 days traveling (er, I mean tooling) around the southeastern states. We had such a good time that we are headed out on a cruise in August. Now, I know that seems like taking our lives in our hands during the midst of hurricane season, but we're nothing if not adventurous. After all , we do live on the east coast of Florida.

Why is it that Tool time is so much more fun when you're in a hotel? The excitement, the laziness, the frozen beverages in pretty glasses, the fact that I don't have to make the bed or clean the tub. They all add up.

Anyhow, a fun time was had by all. Even on the notorious "bathtub" day. It is a day that will go down in the history of the relationship of Jane and Tool. Let me tell you what happened to us in Mississippi. We were staying at a golf resort, and I had just stepped out of the shower. I misjudged the slickness of the tile, and naked as a jaybird, shot across the room on one foot, as if an Olympic panel of figure skating judges were sitting on the toilet waiting to flash me a perfect score. Time stood still. I remember thinking, with complete clarity, should I fall or try to save myself? All of this occurred, to my shock and horror, as Tool stared from down the hallway, mesmerized. I remember landing, flat on my back, and when I finally dared open my eyes, Tool was peering down at me. "Are you okay?" He looked concerned, and all silly me could do was burst out laughing. I still can't talk about it without a strong urge to pee my pants!

So, I'm thinking this time there should be a little contest involved for all you faithful readers and bloggers. So, for a copy of my book (the only one SO FAR...), Rescue Me, who wants to share their best / worst / funniest / sexiest vacation story? Nothing is off limits!

I'll check in during the day and select a winner. Good Luck to you all.

Jane

Excerpt - posted for Darragha

She paused as she unwrapped the soft butter colored piece of antique erotica. "He got it. He got the Viking's Member for me!" She looked at her watch. It was way too early in the morning in Amsterdam to phone her connection with a few words of praise. "Oh, my." Long, hard and decorated with scrimshaw depicting scenes from Norse mythology-scenes of love between the gods-both male and female-it was by far the most intricate piece in her collection. "Dare I sell this?" she questioned herself. "How could I sell this?"

The bell on her door chimed. She carefully set the whalebone piece back in its packing materials and dashed to the storefront. "Hi, can I help you?"

She glanced at her pet rats. Calm. Sleeping. That means the rather stately looking white-blonde woman before her was human. And by the looks of the rock on her ring finger-wealthy.

"Santeria supplies?" the woman asked.

"Yes, of course. May I show you?" Salem replied.

"I need sal negre," the customer continued. "Bad neighbor. He really needs to go away."

"I carry sal negre. Black salt. I have it."

"I need dove's blood and a quill, as well."

"I'm sorry, I don't carry real dove's blood. Only a purified protein compound. Will that do?"

"City regulation?" the customer asked.

Salem nodded. Dove's blood ink technically fell under the umbrella of religious goods, but she'd chosen not to carry any products produced by the slaying of animals. Her quills were farmed and plucked from happy geese.

"Let me show you," Salem offered, leading the customer to her mini-botanica section of Santeria candles, spells and other ritual supplies. Not the best selling items in the store-though occasionally she'd have a very good day, voo-doo-wise.

"Sal negre. Good. Good. Is this the largest size you carry?" the woman asked.

"I have a large container in the back. How bad of neighbor do you have? A little sal negre combined with the right spell should be enough to send even a demon packing."

The woman looked sharply at Salem. "I've separated from my husband and he will not move out of our townhouse. He's making it impossible for me to carry on...well, let's say he's making things difficult. And it's not because he wants or needs the house or me. He's just being stubborn. I'll take as much black salt as you have."

"I have five pounds. That should dispel even the most vile of future ex-husbands," Salem replied.

"I have the spell. Will you look at it for me?"

Salem felt her stomach tighten. She didn't want to be asked to perform the ritual. It had happened before and after one mistake-she was never doing someone else's magic again. "I'm not an expert in Santeria, ma'am. I only know what I've read and heard from my suppliers."

The woman scoffed and unfolded a piece of paper she'd been carrying. "I wash the stoop with sal negre waters. I wash a piece of his clothing in the same liquid. I record our marriage vows in reverse order on a parchment using dove's blood with a quill, then burn the paper."

"That should do it. He'll become uncomfortable and wish to leave. Once he does, his life will again return to normal-save that it will be in a new place far away from you," Salem concluded. "I think it's a good ritual."

"I'll take two quills and the salt," the woman replied in a rather commanding manner that told Salem it was "check-out" time.

"I'll be right back with the salt. Go ahead and bring your quills to the counter. No ink?" Salem asked.

The woman shook her head. "I'll stop at the park on the way home."

Salem didn't ask any further questions.

***

"A body? In the alley? A dead body?" Salem asked.

"You phone now, yes? And, Bubee...start locking your door."

"Christ. Yes, I'll phone. Right now," Salem replied reaching for her telephone. She dialed 9-1-1.

She didn't wait for the operator to finish her "what is the nature of your emergency" standard response. "Hi. There's a woman, dead in the alley behind my store. Behind Misha's Deli and Salem's Fine Collection of Sins. Sixty Seven Hundred Crowley Way. Downtown. No, I don't know who she is. I haven't looked. Misha found her. He's with the body now. No, he won't touch anything. Yes, thank you. Please hurry." Please hurry? She's dead. She ain't going anywhere. Salem paused, realizing the absurdity of her comment. "Me? I'm Salem Grier. I live above my shop. And Misha Polikronikis found her. He owns the deli. Thank you."

She hung up the phone and slipped on her clogs. The metal handrails of the fire escape were covered in morning dew. A heavy chill still clung to the darkness of pre-dawn.

Misha had found his keys. She also heard the soft waling of the Mourner's Kaddish emanating from her friend. Yeetgadal v' yeetkadash sh'mey rabbah...

"Did you know her, Misha?" Salem asked.

He nodded. "She bought a cup of coffee from me today. And struck up a conversation with a man who ordered warm milk. He looked like warm milk. What man drinks warm milk?"

"Blonde man?" Salem asked.

"Like a banana he was blonde," Misha replied.

Salem sucked in her breath. "She came into my shop today. She bought black salt. Said she had to get rid of a bad neighbor. A blonde man showed up after closing. He kind of gave me the creeps."

"You think he's the one who did her in?" Misha asked. "Do you see how he did it? Look at her throat. Those marks-someone strangled her."

"Does she have something sticking out of her ear?" Salem asked squinting to make out the object without having to get too close.

"It's a quill. Drilled it into her brain."

Salem turned and vomited.

The Bone in the Stone (NOT!)

Hi need help! I'm writing a novella for a Liquid Silver Books Halloween Anthology, "A Witch in Time." I'm having a heck of a time with getting the title right! The primary objects of the story are a whalebone dildo (I'm blushing even typing this word) and a small Odin Stone. The heroine is Salem Grier, owner of an occult bookstore/antique sex toys shop. You know...leather sheathes and um...whalebone dildos...

Here's an excerpt (first draft stuff...copyright, 2006 Darragha Foster). Have any title ideas for me? The best title gets used, gets credit and gets her choice of LSB book for download!

Thanks for letting me pick your brains...with an awfully large toothpick...

Salem Grier/The Bone in the Stone

Who says good sex can’t set you free?

Salem placed a hand over her pounding heart. She couldn’t catch a full breath in the wake of her last powerful orgasm.

She realized how sweaty she was, and hoped her sticky body bore a sensual perspiration glow as opposed to locker room stink. Not that Kane any better off than she. He’d gone south of her belly button and stayed there for quite awhile. A walkabout between her legs, so to speak. He seemed to have collapsed after getting her off for the third time.

She reached her other hand out to touch his soft, wavy blonde hair as it cascaded over her naked thighs. His breathing told her that he, too, was exhausted.

Pinioned under his weight and tangled in a confused mess of jeans and undergarments, she figured until she could catch her breath, she’d just stay where she was. On the floor of her shop. With the front door unlocked and within view of the windows. If someone walked in or glanced in the window in passing, so be it. The only folks who came into her shop were open-minded sorts, any way. Puritans certainly didn’t whip out the plastic at a place like hers.

Salem felt fairly certain she couldn’t walk, much less rise from the floor at this point, any way. She managed an exhausted, ‘wow,’ which was met by a single-word reply from her new friend.

“More,” he uttered. He slid his hands in-between her legs.

“Oh, no. No more. I can’t,” she begged. “Kane, no more.”

Kane chuckled, the sound rising low and teasing from his throat. He slid two fingers into Salem’s swollen, wet vagina. “I need you,” he whispered.

“Can we, at least, get off the floor?” Salem asked, squirming as Kane inserted a third thick finger.

“The floor is nice,” he replied. “You on the floor is nicer.”

Salem wasn’t sure she could muster the energy to command Kane to stop diddling her clit long enough for her lock the shop and move their party somewhere else.

How many orgasms could she have before noon? Salem knew she was about to head face-first into another hurricane as Kane reached into the open display case and withdrew the ancient whalebone dildo.

“Exquisite,” he whispered.

“Nordic craftsmanship,” Salem replied. “Very rare. And very old.”

“I’m not talking about the tool. You are the true treasure of this shop.”

***Kane is the hero. He has a dark half/evil twin who wants Kane dead. Kane and his brother (name not developed) are spirtious Berserkers who died in Iceland at "Berserkurhraun" -- the Bersker's Lave Field -- a thousand years ago. The oldest known dildo is made of whale bone and was found in Iceland. Gotta love that, huh! There's a great legend from the Berserkurhraun area in Iceland, which I'm using...***

Got title ideas?

A Job By Any Other Name

Once upon a time—a little over five years ago, in fact—hubby and I left glorious Kansas City for even more glorious San Francisco. In Kansas City I’d been a tech writing manager for a software firm. In San Francisco, at the end of the dot com busts, I was one of thousands looking for work in the computer arena.

Jack said not to worry about finding a job. After all, how often would we find ourselves living in the middle of one of the country’s most wonderful cities?

“So true,” I said with an enthusiasm that might have worried him if he’d taken a bit more time to think about it.

And we did have a fabulous time. When we left San Fran for South Carolina (after a temporary stint in Virginia), we didn’t think we’d be there long enough for me to find a good job, so I didn’t look. That’s when I started writing, and since then, erotic romance has been my “work.”

However, a couple of weeks ago, someone called and asked if I’d consider a position as a proofreader. Proofreading, I thought. That’s a job?

The money offered was pretty good and the distance to the workplace wasn’t too great, but I wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know if I should interview. What if I can’t do the work?”

“Are you kidding?” Jack snorted a laugh. “It’s right up your alley. Proofreaders have to be picky and you drive people crazy with your pickiness. You’d be fine.”

“But the hours are so long. When would I have time to write?” I wailed.

Jack looked at me with disbelief. “Let’s see. How many games of Solitaire did you play yesterday? How much time did you spend reading?”

Most of the time I feel like the luckiest woman in the world being married to my best friend who knows my heart and my mind.

Other times I just want to slap him.

“Look on the bright side,” he said, sporting an encouraging smile. “Maybe they won’t like you.”

Thanks, Sweetheart.

Okay, I started the new job Tuesday. My supervisor didn’t have a desk set up yet (not through any fault of hers), so she sat me at a counter in a file/storage room. A high counter, that could only be reached with a high chair.

Now, I’m not high. (I mean… Oh heck, you know what I mean.) The air couldn’t be let out of the chair until I could get on it. Every time I tried to boost myself up, the damn thing took off on its wheels across the floor. Finally I braced it against a file cabinet and squirmed on. I let out the air. Too much. The only way to pump it up again was to get off. I slid off and added air. Too much. I got on and let it out. I got off and pumped…. Half an hour later, I found about the right height for the counter, but the wrong height for the rest of me. Keeping my feet on the floor was impossible, and using the chair rail meant tucking my knees under my chin.

So there I perched, feet dangling until my ankles swelled like grapefruit, trying to concentrate on learning a new job. Was it time for lunch yet?

Now, while I know I’m not a genius, I don’t think I’m the dimmest bulb in the chandelier, either. But it seemed like every time I found an error noted in the proofreader’s procedural manual, the example I’d chosen to highlight was an exception to the rule. In fact, mostly what I’ve learned so far are exceptions. I’m still not sure I know any rules.

I’d never given a thought to all of the products lining the shelves in our stores, and what it takes to package them. Every word on every box, carton, bottle, can has to be proofread as to accuracy and claims. Just think (as I do now), how the box of a septic system product might read without a proofreader: Instead of “Use SEPTIC HEAVEN and you won’t spend your weekend mucking about,” you might see, “Use SEPTIC HEAVEN and you won’t spend your weekend fucking about.” Or on a box of poison for mice, instead of “Promises to kill all household pests,” you might see, “Promises to kill all household pets.” Oooh! Bad!!

So, this I is the reasoning I’m using to keep me going back. Today I had a cube space and a chair blessedly close to the floor, but (I’m ashamed to say) I spent the afternoon dropping off. Literally closing my eyes and wishing I was here at home curled up in my recliner. Or writing. :) Anyway, I’ve made it two whole days! It's not easy going back to work after five years! (Do you feel sorry for me yet?) Good! Then...

Help me stay awake! Make me laugh with your funny office stories, or even squirm over a few office fantasies. Lots of people I know met their significant others at work—bet some of you did, too. If you did, your time at work had to be more exciting than mine is proving to be, so help me out.

Unfortunately, I have no computer at the office—yes, this is a job from the dark ages, all done on hard copy—so I won’t be able to answer anyone’s comments until I come home tomorrow night. But don’t let that stop you! Let me hear all… Your office experiences will help get me through what's sure to be a long Friday!

Thanks for visiting with me today—

Dee