Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Leap Day Guest Blogger - Lorraine Nelson



A Cowgirl's Pride, Book 4 in the Thunder Creek Ranch series.
Leah Manning grew up among so many domineering, protective males that it left her frustrated, longing for a different life. Her family couldn't, or wouldn't, understand that she needed to dance, and she'd lived away for several years. Unknowing, she'd embroiled herself in a deadly game from which there seemed no way out. Now she was home. Would they welcome her back? What if trouble followed? Most importantly, did Cal still work the ranch?
Brian Calhoun, Cal to his friends, had hated Leah when she'd left, but hated himself even more for not going after her. Now she was back and more lovely than ever. Would his adolescent love for her return, develop into something more, or die a slow death at the hands of this new Leah?
Trouble does follow Leah home, and her ex will stop at nothing—even murder—to silence her. Will the terror draw them closer together or drive them apart forever?

Welcome Lorraine Nelson, author of the Thunder Creek Ranch Series.  She's readying to release Book #4 - A Cowgirl's Pride very soon, so I sat down to ask her a few questions.
     
1.   Can you tell us a little bit about your Thunder Creek series?
The Thunder Creek Ranch is located in Alberta, Canada, and sweeps back to border the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The series focuses on the second and third generations of the Manning family, their lives, their loves, and their struggles, as they work together to keep the ranch prosperous. Above all is a strong sense of family loyalty, as evidenced by their willingness to care for and protect each other when trouble rears its ugly head.

2. What was the catalyst that made you try your hand at writing?
I've always enjoyed writing, and published books and posters for children in the early nineties. When my marriage dissolved, I concentrated on my children and earning a living, allowing my writing to fall by the wayside. But in the fall of 2008, my thumb was amputated due to a bone infection. Hoping to return to my day job as a CSR at a call center involved typing, so to regain flexibility in that hand (and get used to not having that thumb) I began typing up a story. That was in February, 2009, and I haven't looked back since.

3. I know your books are all hawt cowboys, ever consider writing another genre?
Ooohhh, I do love my cowboys! I've also written several other books, and although most tend to have an element of suspense to them, not all the heroes are cowboys. Love on the Rocks (releasing 08/12 through BP) and Blessed Homecoming (releasing 07/12 through BP) have doctor heroes; Her Unlikely Bodyguard (releasing 06/12 through BP) has an ex-military turned teacher hero; Daydreams & Nightscenes (not yet contracted) has a billionaire hero; and in Mistletoe & Mr. Hoe (available on Amazon), the hero is a baker.  I write what I enjoy reading, and if a hot hunk comes to mind, I run with it. 

4. Thoughts on the current Paypal e-book cleanup? 
Basically, I think they're nuts! We are the ones paying for the books. If not for using our money, Paypal wouldn't have a business. I'll be acquiring credit cards to make purchases from here on in. No one is going to tell me what I can or cannot purchase to read.

5. Last book you read from another author that you absolutely loved?
That's hard to say. I've read so many. Although I'm reading Timeless Heart by Karyn Gerrard at the moment and it's fabulous. Love the time-travel element.

6. What’s on deck next?
I signed 5 contracts in January, so the past couple of weeks I've been plowing through edits on 3 of them. LOL!!! 3 down, 2 to go!

I feel honored that Breathless Press has contracted 3 of my books, one of which is an inspirational. Blessed Homecoming, a romantic suspense, is to be the first title released in their new Blessings line in July this year. 

Hawk's Woman is a western historical, included in Evernight's Virgins Behaving Badly anthology due out in March. A Cowgirl's Pride, Book 4 in my Thunder Creek Ranch series, is Leah Manning's story and I'm hoping for a March release through Evernight. I'm currently writing Book 5, Cameron's Quest (working title-this may change). Cameron rediscovers his lost love—a fiery, red-headed Irish woman—uncovers a secret, and a murder. After that, who knows? There are plenty more ideas floating around for this series and a lot of unfinished work on my hard drive that's been calling to me. 

It's hard to believe that at this point last year, I was still unpublished. By August, 10 months after Zakia and the Cowboy was released, I'll have 11 books available for sale.


Thanks for stopping by, Lorraine.  Below you'll find an excerpt for A Cowgirl's Pride as well as a blurb to her short in the Virgins Behaving Badly Antho.  


Excerpt - A Cowgirl's Pride, Book 4 in the Thunder Creek Ranch series
He was so hot for her! If he didn’t get these damned jeans off soon, his erection just might pop the zipper. That’s how hard he was for her—so stiff the skin stretched tight over his cock and it ached.
She suddenly pulled free and backed away from him. He almost swore out loud in frustration, thinking she’d changed her mind, but she’d only gone to close the vertical blinds at the windows.
“Just in case,” she said, smiling a come-hither smile as she turned back to him.
He felt guilty for his unjust thoughts, but closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, relieved to have her back in his arms.
“I’ve missed you, Cal,” she said as she ran her fingers through his thick, wavy hair.
“No more than I’ve missed you. I was beginning to think you’d never come home.”
“Oh, I wanted to, so much, but it just wasn’t possible.”
“You’re here now,” he said, grabbing the hem of her sweater and pulling it over her head to expose beautifully shaped breasts enclosed in see-through peach lace. “And I’m so glad you’re back.”
He bent to suckle her nipples through the lacy cups, her mindless purr of delight going straight to his groin. If he got any harder, he’d explode. Still, he took his time, banking his desire as best he could to give her pleasure.
Slipping his hands inside the waistband, he worked her blue jeans and sexy peach colored thong down over her hips, promptly falling to his knees at the sight of her curls. He leaned forward, reaching out to touch her satiny skin, smell her spicy vanilla scent and taste the creamy essence that was Leah. He wanted—needed—all of it—all of her.

Thunder Creek Ranch books are available at:

Lorraine can be found:
Twitter: @lornelca
Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Lorraine-Nelson/e/B005XMAYFQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1/188-7193462-3918419




Hawk's Woman is a western historical novella, one of nine short stories to be included in Evernight's Virgins Behaving Badly anthology, coming in March, 2012.

Tabitha Meadows, a member of Boston's elite, elopes with her boyfriend, only plans change when he absconds with her money. The conductor throws her off the train at the next stop. With no money and unwilling to face the scandal in returning home, she meets Brody Hawkins (Hawk) and takes a job as entertainer in his saloon. The handsome cowboy draws her fire and her passion as no one before. Does her virginity stand a chance of surviving his charms?

Hawk isn't looking for a woman, especially one as innocent as Tabitha, but he finds himself drawn to her just the same. He should be a gentleman and buy her a ticket east on the morning train, but he wants her in his bed. Could he convince her to stay?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Am I Pretty?

I saw a recent report on the news about the rash of young women who are posting videos online asking the million dollar question -- "Am I pretty? Do you like me?"

I was heartbroken, seeing these girls who are called ugly, fat, stupid who felt the need to turn to the world to bolster their bullied self-esteem....and they often opened themselves up to even worse criticism due to the pure douchebaggary and the anonymity of the internet.

I remember being in middle and high school and being called fat.  I was tall (still am) and had a curvy body.  The flat-as-a-board girls around me didn't understand that I was right, they were wrong.  Unfortunately, I didn't understand it either.  Today, I'd kill to have that body.  And often kill myself trying to attain it again.

Why must we feel the need to tear each other apart to make ourselves feel better?  I will admit that when someone irritates me, the first response to make jokes about them.  And then I feel guilty about it and think "I'm going to hell for this." 

Now, I don't tear down someone who is successful just because they are successful, or because I'm jealous, or because I'm a hater.  At least I don't think so.  I only pick on those who are asses to me in some way shape or form.  You be cool with me, I'll be cool with you.

Unfortunately, for most of the world, it isn't like that for others.  I see people tearing down their peers every single day, just because they can.  Because they are so miserable in their own lives that they feel the need to pull someone else down in the mire with them.  

I guess what I'm saying is that those young girls that are suffering issues of self-esteem need to toughen up and fast, because it only gets worse as you get older.  Especially if you are in an industry like mine.  Every single day we are putting out something very personal -- our craft -- to the inspection of everyone in the world.

For most of us -- we get some love.  But we also get dislike, trash talk, bad reviews, haters if we see any success, and people who just generally don't want us to succeed.  The hope is that the love outshines the negativity and we move forward.  The hope is that we can ignore the haters and keep on doing what we do and find more success with each additional submission of our newest manuscript.

Because every single time we release a new book, we as authors are saying..."Is it pretty?  Do you like me?"

I had a new release yesterday, and as usual, I felt the need to go check out the sales because I want people to like my work.  I once had another author fuss at me, telling me it didn't matter where you are on the totem pole.  Now, although I was very green, and VERY offended by her statement at that point, there was a glimmer of truth in there. To obsess over numbers and rankings is crazy. 

I'll keep telling myself that as I go back to Bookstrand and Amazon to see how I'm selling.  Although I don't want to obsess over this, I will for a few days and then let it go.  Off to obsess...so am I pretty?

Sunday, February 26, 2012

FREE READ -- AVAILABLE TOMORROW!



Monday, February 27, 2010 is an awesome day for me times two.  First, off, my short story GOING BERSERK will be made available as a FREE READ on the Evernight Publishing website, as well as some of our distributors (will give more deets tomorrow!)

GOING BERSERK was originally in the anthology MIDNIGHT SEDUCTION and is a bridge story between NIGHT OF THE DRAGON and BEAUTY AND HER BEASTS.

The other good news?  BEAUTY AND HER BEASTS (BAHB) also premieres tomorrow.  It will be up and available on all of the regular spots.

I highly suggest reading the short story as it will give you a richer reading experience when you read BAHB.


A Berserker Mate's Story Series:

Night of the Dragon
Going Berserk
Beauty and Her Beasts
Magic, Mischief, and Mayhem (Coming Soon!)


Start the series out right -- pick up Night of the Dragon HERE!

Six Sentence Sunday - Twenty-seven

My six today come from the newly contracted Beauty and Her Beasts, the second Berserker Mate's Story which is out Monday.

A quiver ran along his spine as he pressed closer to her warmth, lifting her from the floor.  He moved his thigh between her legs as she rose and elevated her dress up to her hips, revealing her shapely thighs, and was rewarded with her satisfied moan. 

“I ache every moment I breathe to hear that sound once more,” he said against her lips before returning to the kiss.  “Again.”

Her hips slowly moved, as she sought the feel of him against her wet pussy, pressing against the strong muscles of his thigh.  She moaned for him again, and he felt the sound in his dick, the shaft growing harder than he could ever recall.  
 
Wanna Read More Sixes?
 

Saturday, February 25, 2012

OUT NOW - WHIP ME REAL GOOD by Kassanna




Welcome Kassanna to my blog.  She just released her Evernight title Whip Me Real Good and wanted to share a peek of it with us.

Blurb

What do you do when an unexpected party shows you an unexpected lifestyle... and you like it.

Mattie couldn't believe her luck... Not only had the Lexington Corporation agreed to fund her grant for the small organization she'd founded for abused women but she'd also received a complimentary ticket to the years hottest affair. Every year the Erotic Exotic Event was held and the who's who in society always made it a point of showing their faces at the exclusive party. Mattie's pleasure was two fold. This was her chance to come out of her shell to have some fun and thank the man that had personally chosen her little charity.

She had no clue what she was in for.

John ran Lexington Corp like the well oiled machine it was, however Club Lexx was his baby and his home if you counted his apartment above the dance hall. He was a strong believer of giving back to the community which is why he chose a non-profit entity to support every year. What he didn't expect was the latte beauty that looked like a librarian, but moved like a stripper, to come bounding through the clubs gold doors. She blew into the club like a whirlwind and turned his night inside out. Too bad he could never seem to get her to himself for more than a few minutes thanks to a comedy of mishaps that left him wanting her badly. Hoping for an opportunity to get her alone he took the chance when it arose.

That's when things really start to heat up.


Excerpt

"First time here?" 

Mattie felt the light touch of gentle lips against the rim of her ear. A soft waft of liquor-imbued air brushed her cheek.

"First time here?"

His words felt like a caress. She swirled her bar stool around to face the man she'd briefly glimpsed in the mirror. Her knees brushed his hard thighs.

"Yes. Is it that obvious?" Mattie put a smile on her face and prayed her nervousness didn't show.

He backed up a step but stayed close. Mattie's eyes were drawn to the way his fingers fondled the smooth sides of the glass. His voice reminded her of the brown liquid swirling in his tumbler, even and still with hidden torrents beneath its surface.

"A little. Newbies are rare for this party, though. My name is John."

Mattie held her hand out. "Mattie Bedlam."

John raised an eyebrow. "Bedlam?"

She raised her chin. Mattie felt the devil on her shoulder, prodding her on, when she answered. "Yeah. It's a known fact that I leave chaos in my wake."

John leaned in closer. "Exactly what kind of mayhem do you
cause?"

That devil was using his damn pitchfork creatively. She apparently didn't need that much help finding herself. "What kind are you looking for?"

"Any you're willing to provide." John straightened and cocked his head at the dark door she'd been eyeing earlier. "All you have to do is step over the threshold with me."

Mattie shifted in her seat and took a good look at the man standing in front of her. The bootleg cut of his dark jeans showcased his lower body in the right places, and combined with scuffed boots  conveyed the image of a working man. He was a walking contradiction. A casually dressed man attending a party that cost thousands of dollars to get into, if a ticket could be obtained, and he carried himself with a confidence as if he hadn't a care in the world.

She followed the lines of his legs up to his crotch. Noticing the large bulge, she hastily turned her head to look away. Trust her to zero in on his package. Noticing how others were dressed, maybe not:  people were in various states of dress and undress. Her eyes came back to the man in front of her.

His sand-colored dress shirt resembled soft suede, stretched across broad shoulders. The fabric pulled at the seams around his thickly muscled forearms and biceps. Mattie's lifted her hand to run her fingers along the fabric, wondering about the body beneath the material, before she caught herself, placing her traitorous appendage under her thigh. The shirt opened at the neck revealed a smattering of dark hairs on his tanned chest. His straight black hair fell loose around a sharp jaw line, brushing his shoulders. The touch of gray hair at the temples gave him a distinguished air. She looked at his face and into his hypnotic blue eyes, everything happening around them seeming to pale in comparison than to simply basking under his gaze.

Interested in reading more?  Check out Whip Me Real Good HERE.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Coming Tomorrow! Taming the Bad Girl!

The next book in Emma Shortt's Office Seduction Series comes out tomorrow!!

Here's a little peek at the story.

Available 2/24/12 at www.evernightpublishing.com

Blurb:

She’d been falling in love with him for years, since the moment they first met, and after one night of mind blowing sex Lucy’s mind was made up. She wanted Giles forever...only he didn’t want her back.

Four months later and Lucy’s life is a mess. A string of men, countless parties and a huge screw up at work, leave her with only one place to turn for help. Back to the man who broke her heart. The man she swore to loathe forever.

Will Giles want to help her get back on track? And if he does will he be able to look past her bad girl ways and tame her once and for all?
Excerpt
           Giles leaned forward on his desk, putting him even closer to me. I gulped. “I notice you didn’t ask me for help.”
            “Well, no.”
            “Why?” he asked.
            I gulped again. It was so damn hot in here and why the hell wasn’t my heart slowing? I’d probably end up having a heart attack in Giles’ office. He’d have to feel something then surely? That thought gave me some satisfaction and I spoke before thinking. “We don’t exactly work very well together,” I said. “We never did, even before….”
            I halted, panic slithering down my spine. Why the hell had I said that? After the night at the bar it was completely the wrong thing to say. To bring it up again! Shit.
        Giles shot up and moved around the desk before I even realized his intentions. I backed up, but there was only so much room available to me. A couple of steps and my shoulder blade met the filing cabinet.
            “Before what?” he said, and his voice was deadly.
       I shrugged, trying to look composed, but failing epically “Nothing. I just meant…nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
            “No, Lucy, by all means finish your sentence,” he insisted. “Call it exactly what you think it is.”
            The night we fucked. Wasn’t that what I’d said? I swallowed and ran my damp palms down my dress, wanting more than anything to push past him and go home. Yes, home. Not to a bar or a club, but to sink into my couch, pull a comforter around me and watch trash TV—just as I had the last few nights.
            “Let it go, Giles,” I said. “Wasn’t that what you were going to do?”
            He growled. “I was. Though you don’t seem to be able to.”
            How right he was, though he didn’t really know it. I can’t let you go…. The words whispered through my mind and with them came anger. Wonderful, beautiful anger, straight to my rescue, overriding the nerves and the hurt enough that I could give him a snarky smile. “Don’t flatter yourself.”
            “Then why bring it up?”
            “A slip of the tongue.”
            “So finish the slip,” Giles demanded. “Finish it, Lucy, once and for fucking all.”
         I glared and tossed my hair back. Loathing and longing pulsing through me. “Before we nearly made a huge mistake.”
            “A mistake?” He stepped even closer. “Is that what you’re calling it? I got the impression we did make it, never mind nearly. I have some very vivid memories of our…mistake.”
            “No, Giles,” I said “A mistake would have been doing it more than once. That night was just….” I waved my hands, trying to find the words to sum it up in as nasty a way as I could. “A blip. Something that should never have happened. I realized that the moment you went mental over a stupid phone call.”
            “A phone call from another man!”
            “Whatever. It’s done now, just like you wanted.”
            “Is that right?” I could feel tension radiating off him—which made no sense—but maybe he was as angry as I was. After all, no man liked to be labeled a blip and certainly not one as masculine as Giles.
             “Yes it is,” I insisted, eyeing the door. “Thank God I learnt my lesson in time.”
            “But you haven’t,” Giles said, practically seething. “You’ve got a whole lot to learn yet, sweetheart.”
* * * *
            I pulled her into my arms, ignoring her gasp of outrage, and wound my arms around her slim waist. She fit so perfectly and anger pulsed through me. A mistake, was I? A blip? So finally she’d admitted it! Just like I’d known all along. Damn her, I’d show her a mistake.
            My mouth found hers before she could stop me and all at once it was like coming home. She mewed against my lips, but again I took no notice. I consumed her mouth, thrusting my tongue in, demanding her acceptance. She stiffened in my arms, pushing against me, and I was sure she was going to deny me. Push me off. Tell me there was no chance in hell of this ever happening. A mistakeJust a fuck…. But then she melted, I could actually feel it. Her resistance went, her body molded against my own, her tongue found mine and I wanted to shout my satisfaction.
            We kissed for what seemed like hours, days, but was maybe only minutes. I didn’t know. Pleasure wrapped around my body, pulsed along my cock, filled my mind. How many nights had I taken myself in hand, pleasured my own shaft, all the while thoughts of her slipping in? And now I had her. Now she was in my arms again. It was almost too much to comprehend and because of that, in that moment it didn’t matter that she didn’t want me like I wanted her, that I was going to be just another fuck, another mistake. I’d take it. It was enough right now. It would have to be.
            I backed her up against the filing cabinet and ran her dress up her thighs until it bunched around her waist. She moaned and undulated against me, ramping up my excitement to the point of unbearable. The kiss deepened and I lifted her into my arms. She weighed hardly anything. Her legs wrapped around me and my hands moved underneath her perfect ass, squeezing and molding. I could feel the heat of her pussy against my dick and I almost shot my load right there and then. But I’d waited too long for this. So many months waiting that I knew I’d hold on.
            Without really thinking about it I turned and dropped her on the edge of my desk. The movement was enough for our lips to unlock and I paused, wondering if now would be the moment she’d refuse me. But the look on her face caught me by surprise. She was flushed, excitement and something I couldn’t quite identify sparkling in her eyes.
            She reached up, undid my tie, and popped the buttons of my shirt, exposing my chest, the muscles I knew she’d loved the last time I’d had her.
            “Touch me, Luce,” I whispered. “Let me feel your hands on me.”
            She complied. Running along my pecs, across my ab muscles, before leaning in and taking one of my nipples in her mouth. She tugged on it, nipped it and my dick almost burst through my zipper. I reached down and let it out, then nudged her thighs apart.
            “My tights,” she whispered. “I need to…”
            I ripped them along the length of the crotch. Scarlet panties that were already drenched flashed through the material. I ripped those too.
            “Giles!”
            Her voice held a world of shock, but there was no fucking way I was giving her even a moment to think about what we were doing. The idea that she might realize what the hell was going on and push me aside with a taunting look and a snarky smile horrified me. I had to have her! I fucking had to. She was driving me crazy and though I knew this was wrong in so many ways I was too far gone to care. Anger and lust drove me. Tomorrow would be the time for regrets, not now. Not when I had exactly what I wanted mere inches from me.
            “Open you legs, Luce,” I said. “Nice and wide for me.”
            “Are we really going to do this?” she whispered.
            “Fuck?” I asked.
            “Yes.”
            To answer her I took either side of the vertical split at the top of her scarlet dress, the part that allowed far too much cleavage to peek through, and ripped that too.


Emma is doing a giveaway of BOTH books in the series on her blog, so go check her out! www.emmashortt.blogspot.

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Six Sentence Sunday - Twenty-six

Changing gears this week with a new WIP.  Our heroine has been abducted by a pair of werewolves and they decide she needs to be stripped and bathed before dinner.

Her hands were contained in his, elevated above her head.  She looked up to him and caught his stare and then watched as his eyes roamed down her body.  Lust filled his gaze, something she’d never gotten from a man staring at her.  That look was something she’d only seen from the village men as they watched one of the barmaids, wondering how they could bed her that eve.  

Her skin heated in response, half from embarrassment and half 

from…desire.  She felt an ache in her core,  and she bit her lip

to fight the wanton lust that rose within her.  

Wanna Read More Sixes?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Guest Blogger - Seleste deLaney

Welcome Seleste deLaney as my guest this week.  She writes across the map, from erotic romance under this pen name to YA under another.  Thanks for stopping by and giving us your two cents :)


Yesterday was Valentine’s Day—a day to either celebrate romance or bemoan the lack of quality single men in the world. Or to bitch at your spouse for spending too much money on something stupid.

So, anyway… we did romance yesterday. Let’s talk about something the single and attached among us can all celebrate now—sex!

There’s this interesting phenomenon regarding people who write romance and erotica for a living—people have this tendency to think we’ve tried out everything we write about. It’s odd because no one seems to ask people who write mysteries and thrillers where they’ve hidden dead bodies, but romance? The kinky stuff? Of course, romance authors have done it.

I’m here to tell you the unvarnished truth.

Sometimes we do.

But not always.

Yep, I hate to burst that bubble, but we’re not all into everything. However, sometimes we’re willing to try for the sake of authenticity. For example, there was a certain position I was contemplating for a story, but I’d never done it. Hubs and I tried. Complete failure that involved a lot of laughing. We did decide if the heroine had much longer legs than me it could possibly, maybe work, but in an effort to write honestly, I didn’t put it in the book. There are others, however, that I know can be done because I’ve done them.

But… that scene I wrote with the sword and the blood? Yeah. No. Haven’t done it and have no plans to try. Sorry. Ditto for some others I’ve written (whether currently published or not).

Getting back to the thriller comparison… You see, sex isn’t like murder.  Most of us don’t kill people, but most of us do (or did or will) have sex. It’s one of the reasons it’s hard to disconnect the author from the character in those moments of the story. After all, writers are told time and again to “write what you know”, so it’s not a major leap to the following equation:

authors have sex + authors write what they know = authors write about sex they know

The fact of the matter is, sex scenes are as much (if not more) about emotion than mechanics. Authors write the emotion they know into sex scenes (blissful sex, bored sex, angry sex) because there is a lot of variety there to take from. However, for a lot of authors, if they only wrote the mechanics of what they know… zzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Most people’s sex lives don’t involve role-playing, and that’s what would be required (well that or a kinky nature and a true I’ll-try-anything-short-of-death attitude) to really tap into all the possibilities for sex scene choreography.

So, for the sake of all authors out there, please do not assume we do everything we write about. However, if you try something we wrote about and liked it—by all means let us know ;-)

A lucky commenter will receive a PDF copy of any ONE of the titles shown of their choice -- so show Seleste some love :)



Want to learn more about Seleste?


Buy Links:
Forever Summer: http://1placeforromance.com/romantic-fiction/forever-summer/prod_5911.html