Do Reviews Sell a Book?

Got a really nice review the other day for Lone Star Lycan (book two in the High Plains Shifters series) and it made me feel really good. It was a nice little ego boost especially when the book is a new release and you're wondering how everyone likes it. Call it insecurity, ego...hell, I don't know but we are curious people, us writers.

Anyway, I wonder why we worry so much about reviews. I've had one really bad review for a book that came out last year and it just about KILLED ME. It felt like a slap in the face. Naturally, all my friends were quick to assure me this is ONE PERSON'S OPINION and the smart part of my brain knew they were right about that. Others gave the book a great review. Still, it hurts. Fortunately my other reviews have been awesome. Nothing at all to complain about.

Reviews are a nice little pat on the back (assuming they are GOOD) and the book is featured on the review site which is great publicity that doesn't cost the author a dime. Who could complain about that? Still, I can't help wondering if anyone buys a book simply because of a good review? I never have. Normally, I buy the books of fellow authors whose work I know very well or tried and true authors who seldom disappoint. I go to publishers websites and check out the covers and blurbs. Sometimes I'll read an excerpt of the book on that site. Pretty much, that's how I make my book selections.

What about ya'll? Do reviews sway your buying choices?

Here's my most recent review of Love Star Lycan from Just Erotic Romance Reviews. Thanks LT Blue for reading and reviewing and giving me four stars!

Quinn Harlow suffered a horrible childhood under the cruelties of Decker Harlow, never knowing he wasn’t her biological father. Now in her early thirties, Quinn is traveling to the Wolf Creek Ranch on the day of her father, Bartholomew Fitzpatrick’s funeral and plans to stay just to get some answers. However, she is extremely disappointed that she didn’t have a chance to meet him. Joe McKinnon, ranch foreman of Wolf Creek and new Alpha, has been waiting for Quinn it seems all of his life. Quinn isn’t quite sure what has gotten into her, but making out with a man she just met at her father’s graveside isn’t something that she typically does. Joe is determined to show Quinn a side of herself that she would have never thought possible and to convince her to stay with him forever.

I tend to crave any story that has an Alpha Lycan male and I’m sure glad I picked up Lone Star Lycan to satisfy my craving. Joe’s character is so sexy and Alpha that he could just stand in a room and I would melt. I was a bit worried at first that Quinn wasn’t the woman for him, but Quinn changed my mind. Quinn’s character comes across a little stuck up in the beginning but I discovered it was a protective measure for her. The story line kept my attention throughout the story with some intrigue and action thrown in. The sexual chemistry was instantaneous in the beginning and sort of wears off. It doesn’t pick back up for Joe and Quinn until almost the end of the story. The first time Joe and Quinn have sex, it is downright raunchy which is just the way I like it. The other sexual interaction was just as hot and spicy with a bit of anal play thrown in. The secondary characters are all needed to move the story along. Lone Star Lycan is the perfect read for any season.

More stuff

Speaking of good reviews...my friend, Fran Lee, is getting amazing reviews for her debut Ellora's Cave release Out of Her Dreams and today she has another good one out. Head over to EC today and check it out! I promise you won't be sorry. Fran rocks the HOUSE!


Buy it HERE!

Blurb:

Hallie James loves cats—she just never realized she was one herself. Not until she met delicious leopard shifters Gar and Cal, one sinfully dark, one beautifully golden.

A terrifying meeting with a runaway pit bull lands her on her butt on the sidewalk. But when the dog’s owners appear out of nowhere, asking if she’s all right, Hallie has the most shocking reaction to their mouthwatering…scent!

Cat pheromones are powerful, and Gar and Cal’s attraction to the human is as instant as hers is to them. Hallie finds herself caught between two cats—hot and hard Gar, and his hot and delicious little brother Cal. When a gal is confronted with such a succulent choice, why not enjoy the fact that cats aren’t monogamous?

E-Book v Mini Netbook

In case everyone is wondering where Anne got off to, she's on a well deserved family vacation this week and being the good buddies were are, Kelley and I have been filling in for her but she'll be back next week feeling so frisky we'll wanna slap her! Ummm....just kiddin' Anne! You know we'd never do THAT but allow us to be a little jealous. Okay?

Soooo I'll take Anne's day and her space to announce I am getting a new computer. Don't know when it'll arrive but I can tell you right now, I'm ready to kick this old one I'm using right out the damn window. Don't get me wrong...we have several computers in the house. Besides mine there are two other desktops and they are both new but they aren't in my ROOM. I need something in here in case I want to work on a spectacular masterpiece (Allow me my dreams please). I've always gotten the leftover computer. Someone gets a new computer and the old one is given to me. I don't know how that trend started exactly but it SUCKS. Soooo, finally, finally it's my turn to get something that has that great 'new computer smell'.

While my mind is geared toward gadgets, I've been wondering about something. Several friends have gotten these mini-netbooks. The ones pictured here are Dells but there are plenty of other brands out there. These friends not only can slip them in their purses so they can take care of business while on the road but they can read pdf format books on them just fine. The only difference is you scroll down instead of turning a virtual page. Most of these little beauties cost around $300. Not bad for something you can do so many things with...including READ.

Now there may be die-hard 'page turners' out there who prefer an e-book reader. We all know the Kindle and the Sony top of the line versions are plenty expensive, ranging in price from $400 to $300. Other ebook readers are making their debut as well. Tons are coming on the market with very attractive prices. The Cool-Er e-book reader shown here costs around $250 and comes in many, many mouthwatering colors. Neat, huh? Plug Cool-ER ebook reader into your browser and check out their site.

Most of you know, I have an e-bookwise which definitely serves the purpose. It's a little heavier than most readers but does have a backlight, which I love. Still, I'm lusting after something a bit fancier.

Lately, I've been leaning toward just getting the 10" screen mini netbook. For the price, it'll do more. I love the idea of traveling with something small enough to carry in my purse that fills so many functions. For the price difference, this seems the better deal to me. What do ya'll think?

My new guilty pleasure

Okay so I have a new guilty pleasure. I'm totally entranced by True Blood.


Last season I didn't have HBO but they did play a few episodes on the free HBO weekend. Loved it then but couldn't see spending the extra money for only one show. Neither my hubby nor I watch many movies so it just wasn't something we wanted to do at the time. Recently we had to switch cable companies and guess what? They had a rockin' deal on HBO. So now I've been going through all the older episodes On Demand and I just can't stop watching. The new episode this week? OMG! I almost died. I can't wait to find out what's going to happen. I haven't enjoyed a show this much in a long time.

What's your guilty pleasure?

In other news I got a great review for my Madison Scott book, Satisfy Me.

Title: The Malone Brothers: Satisfy Me
Author: Madison Scott
Publisher: Liquid Silver Books
Publisher URL: www.liquidsilverboo ks.com
Reviewer: LT Blue
Rating: 4 Stars
Heat level: H

I’m a sucker for women who finally get the gumption to go after the men they want. Maggie’s character is a treat and one that I could relate to. Maggie has settle for years and did what was expected of her, until she actually woke up and realized that wasn’t the life she wanted. Ty is the perfect male for Maggie. Ty is sexy and willing to help Maggie out and fulfill her sexual fantasies as long as she knows it is only temporary. Ty is the type of guy you just love to watch fall in love and see all of their beliefs just crumble with a great woman at their side. The sexual chemistry between Maggie and Ty was actually there before we see them in the same room and when they have sex it is magically hot. I’m sure if there was more time, the raunchy side would have come out, but with this short story it was just hot and simmering.. There were a few background characters that played an important part of the story and I really loved the ghost. Satisfy Me is definitely a summer read that will satisfy you.

LT Blue
Just Erotic Romance Reviews

New Friends and Fun Talk

Since I'm currently out of town and using my son's computer, I can't put my little 'blonde girl' avatar up here but this is REGINA writing from the friendly South Plains and Lubbock, Texas. The other day I loaded up my daughter and we took a road trip to visit my son. He attends college here and in a few short weeks we'll be moving my daughter here, too...sniff sniff.

Anyway, today I want to talk about friendship and how sometimes the strangest things can bring people together. I've often blogged here about how lonely this biz is. We writers tend to stick to our private, quiet little cubby holes to do our thing and most of the time our friendships are limited to on-line writing buddies. Recently I joined the Jeanie and Jayha yahoo group to hang out and meet new friends. Very cool bunch and although I'm new there, I already love these chicks to death. Anyway, I learned that Drea, one of the members of the Posse is from Texas and well damn, when I found out she was practically within shouting distance, we decided to MEET.

Yeah...meeting FACE TO FACE with other writers just seems like Heaven on Earth to me. We met for drinks and chatting last night and we just had so much in common that I felt I'd known her forever. Honestly think we could have chatted all night. But since it was getting late, we parted with a promise to do it all again soon. Finding another writer and a kindred spirit so close to home was just cooler than hell. So thanks, Drea, for the drinks, the fun, and the laughs.

For those of us who tend to hide out in our little spaces, conventions are a great way to meet up personally for the first time but, let's face it, those times are so few, so far between. I find it so interesting that most of us find our closest friends are met on-line. Ain't modern invention cool. Brings us together and opens our eyes and expands our worlds. But still, it's nice to actually meet an on-line friend in person and I wouldn't have missed it for the world. So the next time I'm in town, you'd better believe I'll be calling up my new friend and hanging out for awhile.

I think we writers MUST get out more! What do you think?

The lure of the bad boy

I want to explore what exactly it is that draws to those bad, bad boys. In a lot ways that old saying 'good guys finish last' really is true. I know personally, when I'm reading a book it's those cocky, troubled past, or current bad boys who make me swoon. I was watching True Blood last night (holy crap I love that show) and Eric is one bad vamp but I think he's hot as hell. Something about the guy just totally does it for me. On the other hand, I like Bill too. To me, Bill isn't the typical good guy. He has a very bad past and I find that part of him pretty damn hot. In some ways, that bad boy is lingering under his surface, he's trying to bury him but I think he's there waiting to break free.

Is it the woman in me who thinks I'm going to be the one to change these bad boys? I've heard that before but in my case, I don't think so because honestly, I don't think I would want them to change. LOL. Is it the danger or the edge? I know I always live my life by the rules. I'm pretty much a good girl through and through and maybe there's a bad girl inside me begging to break free. Maybe its my inner bad girl who longs to have that bad boy show her all his wicked ways? Or maybe it's that I want to live vicariously through them. Maybe, like always I'm reading way too much into this and it's just that they happen to all be so damn hot!

Are you attracted to bad boy? What is it that lures you to those delicious bad boys?

Kicking a Dead Horse

*sighhhhh*
I'm 'speed posting' today because my poor old computer keeps shutting off every 10 minutes or so. We have several in the house but this one is in my office and I've grown attached to it. Better get 'un-attached' really quick because this one is about to bite the dust.

I've been thinking about something lately. When does an author know that it's time to pull the plug on a series? Personally, I adore series because it's like this endless story that just keeps on giving. But at what point is it just not fun anymore? There are some really popular series going on out there but, frankly, I've quit buying some of them. By the time an author gets to about...oh, let's say...10 of these books, I'm pretty much over it.

Guess the reason I'm mulling this over is because I have started my own series and I'm wondering how this all works. So far, sales on the first book are rocking, the second book is out and the third comes out in August. Wonder if I'll just get 'a feeling' that it's time to move on? Will people stop buying therefore telling me they are DONE with it? Hey, I just don't know. Like I said, this is new for me so I'm waiting to see how this all unfolds.

Here's what I'm thinking about this so far. As long as the stories for the series keep coming, I'll write them but I'm ALSO thinking that working in another series or a few single titles into the mix is a smart idea. By the time, I'm fairly ho-hum about starting another, I figure I'll know when to quit. If I'm bored, I guaran-damn-tee ya, my readers will be too.

Lately, I'll see a new book in series that seems to have been out there for umpteen gazillion years and just roll my eyes. They kick that dead horse repeatedly trying to raise him from the dead when, in my view, it's time to walk away and do something else.

go ahead, try it! I dare ya!

So, I've jumped onto the urban fantasy bandwagon. This genre really isn't my thing, mostly because there isn't any romance. I want romance. I live for romance books!

However, I was starting to get jittery for another Nalini Singh book. I'd read her recent release "Branded by Fire" and loved it, of course, and was dying for more of this fabulous author. So, I went out to her site to search around. Thing is, I've read all her Psy-Changeling books, but I've never read her Guild Hunters series. So, I bought the first one in the series, "Angel's Blood". Fantastic book!! It's actually urban fantasy romance, so there IS some romance going on. I wouldn't say there's as much as in her Psy-changeling books, but we do have some bad ass fellas in this boook that had me sweating. The hero, Raphael, yum. And to think I almost didn't buy it! That would have been a huge mistake. I should have known Nalini Singh wouldn't write a bad book. The frustrating thing is, the next book in the series doesn't release until September. And it's only a novella. After that we have to wait until next year to get another full length. Next year?? I'm not that patient!! LOL I want more now, damn it!

Anyway, this all got me curious. Am I the only one trying new things around here or what? Have you ventured outside your box lately? Read anything you swore you'd never read?

Now that I've read my first urban fantasy romance I'm looking to try more. Any suggestions? Remember, they NEED to have some romance. I'm going shopping today, so give me a list! LOL

Little No-No's I Loooove!

With my daughter heading off to college in about a month, I can honestly say I've been indulging her. We've done the massive shopping thing and I'm cooking lots of her favorite dishes. I mean, you'd think she was never coming home again or that she's moving out into a remote Brazilian rainforest or something. No, she's only going to be two hours away and yes, they will have modern conveniences where she's going. Anyway, I was thinking about all the little guilty pleasures out there. We avoid them like the plague or at least I do. Mainly because my 'little no-no's" are FOOD RELATED. You know what I mean. You know you shouldn't but you think about them and think about them until you finally give in knowing you might as well apply that ice cream directly to your ass.

Which leads me to my number one guilty pleasure....ICE CREAM. I love it in any flavor at all but my particular fave is BlueBell Moosetracks. Vanilla with chocolate and carmel swirls and loaded with little chocolate chunks that melt in your mouth like butter.

Number two? Easy. Tex-Mex. I adore Tex Mex food and probably because of that, it would be next to impossible to pry my ass out of Texas. Enchildas, tacos, burritos, not to mention warm tortilla chips with salsa washed down with a tall glass of iced tea. That would be one of my favorite meals and also one of the most fattening things in the world.

Another guilty pleasure? Coffee. I drink gallons of it. I'm like the damn Energizer Bunny 24/7. Yes, I love Starbucks and all those great concoctions but give me a pot of fresh hazelnut coffee, one of my cute little mugs, and a splash of creamer and I'm in hyped-up heaven.

And yes, I have more guilty pleasures. I won't miss True Blood on Sunday nights and I love discussing episodes with my friends the next day. I watch Disney movies, sometimes all day long and I freely admit that Beauty and the Beast is my favorite. I always cry at the end. My favorite wine is Shiraz (thanks for the recommendation, Anne) and my favorite mixed drink is a nice margarita on the rocks with lots of salt. Yumm.

So what are your 'guilty pleasures'? Those little things you love but wish you DIDN'T love quite so much?

something fun

As a mom, I tend to NOT spend a lot of money on myself. Usually when I go shopping with the girls, the most I buy myself is a few books. That's my big splurge. Well, Friday we went to the mall and I came away with a bag full of clothes! New panties from VS and several new tops. It was fun to buy something for myself. It's been quite awhile since I've done that.





That's not all I got though. I also bought a box of Born Blonde haircolor from Clairol. And guess what? I now have blond streaks. LOL Hey, we moms want to have fun too, right? So, I mixed up a margarita and handed th box to my daughter and let her have total control of my hair. Which is a big deal for me. I don't even go to salons. I'm a control freak when it comes to my hair. I've had too many stylists butcher it. However, it was a fun sort of bonding time. We chatted about tons of stuff while she worked on me. And the results turned out pretty neat. My husband even likes it!





No pictures yet though. I'm going to be letting her do a purple streak next. Yes, purple. LOL Once it's ALL done I'll take a few pics and post them here. In the meantime I want to know what YOU do to pamper yourself? When was the last time you took some ME time?





It's strange, but I feel somehow rejuvinated. I've decided to pamper myself more often. Heck, someone has to do it! LOL

Birth of the Hellbitch

Know how Clark Kent was this mild mannered reporter...glasses and his tie tied nice and tight? And then he'd hear the call of someone in distress and jump into the nearest phone booth and go all super-powery on everyone? I'd like to say that I've been like HIM lately but actually, I've been more like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Good guy/bad guy...er...in my case Good GIRL/Bad Girl.

Normally, I'm the most even keeled person around. Usually cheerful with a positive attitude. Don't know if it's the hot Texas heat or rampaging mood swings from being 'a woman of a certain age'. Probably a little of both. On Monday, I began the week in writing mode. The pages were flowing and the plot was nicely unfolding and then Tuesday hit. I was weepy, depressed, downright sad. Everything that was said hit me wrong and well, I just wanted to be left ALONE.

Well, THAT short-lived episode finally passed and I thought..whooo, I'm back to my old self.

Yesterday, HELLBITCH was born. Um...where did she come from? This was a woman who snapped at everyone, whined, complained, griped and basically wanted to tear the throat from anyone who looked at her. Was this woman in the mirror ME??? Oh Holy Shit! I've never been one who terrorized others with bad or sad moods so I kind of retreated to my little writer's cubby hole and stayed clear of everyone.

I must have needed just a wee bit of solitude because after about three hours of alone time, I felt just fine. Maybe we all need some of that just to decompress. Odd thing though, last night I was talking it out with friends and suddenly a story worked it's way into my head. Aha. Lightbulb moment. Was it the act of just calming down that sent this story bulleting in my direction? Or was is coming down from a rough period of wild mood swings? Who knows. I'm going to go with it.

In Other News: Just got the cover for Ringo's Ride, the third book is my High Plains Shifters series. This will release at Ellora's Cave soon. I'm still waiting on a release date. In the meantime, here's the cover and a little blurb.

Ringo’s Ride
Regina Carlysle

Book 3 in the High Plains Shifters series but may be read as a stand-alone story.

Rayne dreamed of the day Ringo would claim her as his mate changing her into the lycan she is meant to be. One touch from his hands burns her with a flame hot enough to scorch the Texas plains. But the moody lycan has made it clear he doesn’t want her. That’s just too damn bad! The sexy latino lycan belongs to her and she aims to claim him no matter what it takes.

Ringo hides the pain of his tortured past behind a menacing sneer. Learning that Rayne is meant to be his mate is unwelcome news. She deserves better than to be saddled with a man with his checkered past. It isn’t until she is taken from him that he knows she is the only woman who can heal his battered soul.

a new series...and I'm totally hooked!

I love stumbling on a new series. I discovered this one from an ad in the RWR, Romance Writers Report. So, yes, those ads DO work. LOL





Have you read Pamela Palmer? Well, she has a new series started called the Feral Warriors and they are sooooooo good!!! I'm half in love with all the warriors already! OMG! I bought the book yesterday and stayed up until 2:30am reading it. I could NOT put it down.





Here's a blurb of the first one, which released in June.
Kara MacAllister’s quiet small-town life is transformed forever the night a powerful stranger rips her from her home, claiming she is the chosen one – the key to his survival. Spiriting her away into the rain-soaked night, Lyon reveals a truth Kara can barely credit. She’s immortal, and the only one who can save his race. And deep within her, he arouses a fierce, primal hunger beyond anything she’s ever imagined.

But only when their lives are threatened by an ancient evil will Kara and Lyon realize they have found a love they would risk their immortal souls to claim...and a powerful desire that could never, ever be tamed.

Desire Untamed is Book 1 in the Feral Warriors series
Read more HERE

Have you read this book? Have you read ANY good books lately? Let's talk books!!

I don't want to grow up! I'm a Toys R Us kid

Well Toys R Us may be a bit of an exaggeration but I am a big kid. Tonight(Tuesday because I'm writing this early. I'll be way too tired Wednesday morning), at midnight (yes you read that right, midnight. LOL) I will be going to see the new Harry Potter movie. I've never done the whole midnight movie thing before but a couple friends of mine are going and you only live once, right? So we're piling in the car tonight and heading out for coffee and then we'll go over to the theater with probably a bunch of kids who are half our age and see a midnight movie.




I love the Harry Potter books and movies. I never really thought it would be something I would be into but a friend of mine lent me the first book years ago and since then, I've been hooked. I even turned my mom on to the books and we always see the movies together when they come out (which means I get to see it twice). I can't wait until my kids are old enough to watch them with me or when I can lay in bed at night and read the books to them before they go to bed at night.



I love these girls nights like this. I don't get to do them often with two kids and a husband at home but even when I'm not seeing a movie targeted for kids, I still FEEL like a kid when I'm hanging with the girls. For a couple hours we get to forget bills, the dirty house, and what to make for dinner the next night and just cut loose with other people who are just like you.

I'll be sure an update comments on how the movie and my night went!

Do you plan to see Harry Potter? What makes you feel like a kid again?

The Artist...tough or EMO?

Remember when you were in school and first learned about the famous painters and writers who were just a little...um....OFF? Yes, we know than Vincent Van Gogh had emotional/mental problems yet produced art that graces the walls of the most famous museums in the world. Edgar A. Poe was an addict, Hemingway committed suicide, and Emily Dickenson was a recluse who was afraid of the world. Today we watch wonderful actors and actresses and marvel at their talent yet hear news reports of their addictions, their inability to sustain relationships, or their outright 'flaky' behavior.

Is it the curse of a creative mind to be just a little whacky along with the genius?

I've always seen the creative person as a little more intuitive than most. They watch the world, study it, and sometimes feel too much. Admittedly, I am quick to laugh and cry and sometimes struggle with depression but, for me, it is just my life. I am who I am and nothing about that is going to change anytime soon. I have noticed lately, among my own circle of friends, writers all, that most are tough rather than EMO. Sure rejection comes with this business. That's a part of life. There is rejection or disappointment in any career. Before I became published, I took rejection hard but these days, not so much. I allow myself five or ten minutes to whine and then I pull up the big girl panties and return to my storytelling. Lately, I've noticed I'm not the only writer among my group of friends to do this. Yeah, we'll talk about the disappointment but the talk doesn't go on very long. After all, there is another story to tell.

So are we too EMO or are we tough? Tough, I think.

Regina's Contest Winner!

Julia Barrett come on down! You've won Regina's contest!! Congrats!

You can contact Regina at: reginacarlysle @ yahoo .com (no spaces)

Regina wanted to thank you ALL for playing and for making her release day so much fun! :)

Lone Star Lycan is OUT! It's Contest time!

Today Lone Star Lycan is out at Ellora's Cave. This is the second book of my High Plains Shifters series. Highland Beast, book one, came out in May. Anyway, it's exciting to have a series!!!! YAY! Remember the other day when I was talking about writing outside the box? For me, writing shifters was a giant step outside the box because I never thought my imagination could stretch that far. Boy, am I glad I was wrong about that.

Now Ringo's Ride, book three, has gone through the editing process and I'm only waiting on the cover and a release date. I'll be sure to let you know about that. Hoping it's SOON.

In honor of the occasion, I'm having a contest. I don't do DIFFICULT with this contest stuff and who needs the stress on a Friday, right? So just leave me a comment and on Monday, I'll have Anne announce my winner. I'm offering a download of Lone Star Lycan OR, if you prefer, go over to my website. http://www.reginacarlysle.com/ and look around. If there is another book you would prefer, let me know and I'll get it to you instead. How does that sound? I have both print and ebooks listed over there.

And since it's Friday, let me that this opportunity to wish you a happy weekend. Enjoy every minute of it! I've added my trailer for Lone Star Lycan. I know I've posted it before but today, I just couldn't resist posting it again!


Buy the book HERE!

Blurb:

She came to dusty west Texas to bury the dead. But one look from Joe’s smoldering eyes made Quinn Harlow grow wet and needy. The cowboy was too big, too sexy, too everything, and more man than she’d ever had before. Though she was just a visitor, her heart begged her to stay and find her destiny with him on these desolate plains.

Joe McKinnon, alpha of the Wolf Creek pack, takes one look at his destined mate and knows he’ll have his hands full dealing with the sassy female. A single glance has his cock going hard. One touch has him willing to move mountains to claim her. He knows it won’t be easy to tame the woman who holds his future in her hands.

Reader Advisory: Includes a scintillating M/F/M ménage scene. Enjoy!

Excerpt:

“Leave us, Tobias. I’ll finish this with Quinn.”
“Yes, lord.”
Lord?
Okay. Had she landed in an alternate dimension? Was she caught in some weird time warp where people addressed other as lord?
But she didn’t have time to dwell on that now. Joe expected her to drop everything, leave her life, her home and live out here in the damn wilderness. Well, nobody told her what to do and that was a fact. At the sound of Tobias leaving and the door snapping closed, she stood and glared at Joe.
“I know I let you get a little friendly out there at the cemetery. Too damn friendly.” She rolled her eyes. “Jeez, talk about an understatement. I don’t know what possessed me. A moment of madness I reckon, but I won’t be dictated to by you or by my dead father. Got that, Joe?”
Joe turned more fully toward her and for the first time she saw a hint of humor gentle the lines of his lips. “I know what possessed you, darlin’. Pure and simple, it was lust, sexual power. A need to be fucked long and hard by a man who understands you. You felt the connection between us and you can try all damn day to deny it but it was there.”
She wanted to refute it, spit it out at him, tell him he was wrong but he advanced, rounded the desk in two long strides to jerk her into his arms and it was as if the very breath was sucked from her lungs. His big hands roamed the surface of her bare arms and all that heat tore through her like a blast as he took her mouth. Silenced. Submissive. She’d never felt that way before. A woman who spoke her mind and dominated those around her with the force of her size and personality, she was suddenly new. Brand new.
His tongue swept with devastating precision into the cavern of her mouth, leaving Quinn to drink his breath, taste the wild flavor of this stranger. But he didn’t feel like a stranger, as his tongue tangled with hers. The feel of his massive chest pressed against her breasts seemed predestined, something she’d known before and had ached to explore in her naughtiest dreams. Quinn’s nipples tightened sharply. Joe must’ve felt it too because he broke the kiss, sucked in a breath and buried his face against the curve of her shoulder.
Lost. She was lost in sensation to the point she hardly noticed when the edge of the giant walnut desk nudged her butt. Joe made a sound of frustration, half-growl, half-groan and Quinn felt him touch the nape of her neck and fumble with the big button that held up the halter of the black linen dress. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t muster a protest, when the fabric loosened and he latched onto a diamond-hard nipple with his hungry mouth.
He sucked hard sending a zip of energy through that pleasure point where it arrowed sharply downward to curl low in her belly. A gush of moisture rained from her pussy, further dampening her sorry excuse for panties. Joe drew back to give her a molten stare, full of promise and heat, before he lowered his eyes to take in her bare breasts. “Damn, woman. You’re the sweetest thing I’ve even seen.”

my first book signing

So, I told some of you that I recently had my first ever book signing. It wasn't a smashing success, but it was good experience. I came away having learned what I'd do differently. I don't think I showed any pictures, but my MIL came over the other day and gave me a few that she'd taken. So, I figured I'd scan one in and show you all.

This is at the Borders in our local mall. The staff was very friendly and made me feel very welcome. (click for a larger view) In other news....Taking Chloe gets 5 cherries at Whipped Cream. How cool is that? My first review from them too! *grin*

Here's a snippet: "Ms. Rainey writes a steamy novella, no doubt. Her characters are rich with life and human qualities that draw the reader into the story. The scenes are vibrant and filled with passion. The writing style flows well, hooking the reader from page one until the very end." --Tiger Lily

Read the full review HERE

Hollywood Hunks!

Kelley couldn't be here today due to internet problems. Don't you hate that? I always feel so disconnected when that happens. At any rate, we figured we'd post a few cuties from the big screen to drool over. That way she has something to grin about when she gets back online. What are friends for, right? hehe!

Viggo...positively primitive...yum! Dwayne Johnson, he has such a great smile and I LOVE that tattoo!!

Ewan...there's just something completely romantic about this man. I always think soft music and candlelight.


Gerard. What a bod, right?

And let's not forget about Hugh. I just love him as Wolverine!

Happy Hump Day!! *grin*

Need a challenge?

Sometimes I need a little kick in the butt with my writing. As many of you know, I began with historicals many years ago but then switched to writing western contemporaries. But after awhile I started to feel a little stale. Stuck in a rut. Then a writer friend challenged me to do something different.

It was then that I wrote Feral Moon, my first paranormal and my first menage. What began as a simple exercise to get me out of a rut turned into something I could really build on and now I have several paranormals under my belt. By stepping out of my comfort zone, I opened myself to a whole new world. Thing is, everything can begin to feel a little stale after awhile and that's when I think writers block sets in.

I know the common theory is that writers should stick with one genre because readers get upset when they buy a particular author and find they've picked up a straight contemporary when they were expecting a paranormal. As a writer though, I don't know whether I really WANT to be stuck in the one-genre box, ya know? It's troubling but then who wants to read the same formulaic plot in every single book? I think that can easily happen to a writer when she only writes one genre.

Right now I love writing paranormals but yes, once again I'm feeling a little stale. At the moment, I'm working on developing a new series with two other writers. I've already done a holidy series (Mistletoe Magic/Ellora's Cave) with these talented authors and we honestly had so much fun working together that we thought we'd do it again. So Cindy Spencer Pape, Desiree Holt and I are planning another Texas themed contemporary series. One of the stories is already written.

What is really cool is that we've found we like working together. Our writing styles are similar and it's a challenge to work out details that will be shared in each story. In a way, this is the perfect thing to give a writer a chance to do something a little different. To step out of the box. Just another way to stay fresh as a writer. I like that.

customer service...and I'll take that to go!

There seems to be a serious lack of customer service these days. Anyone notice that? Esp. at fast food restaurants. Okay, the very term 'fast food' should be your first clue that they are NOT going to be super friendly. But, when did we start sacrificing common courtesy? Do you really have to pay extra to get a smile with that hamburger??

The other day we were at Wendi's. The one we always go to used to have good service. They almost always got the order right and they smiled when they handed it out the window to you. The girls and I used to get a chuckle out of the sweet lady who always called me ‘sugar’. She’s not there anymore though. In fact, the guy who is there most days pretty much throws the bag at you. Another time we went there, I was half way down the road before I realized they had one of our meals wrong. Isn't that THE most frustrating? You either wait at the window while you check your order, thus pissing the people off behind you, or you end up screwed because they gave you grilled chicken instead of crispy on your salad. Complain to the manager? Sure if you want them to spit in your food the next time you pull through the drive-thru.

Then Sonic opened up down the road. Each time we've been there the service has been excellent. The order has been correct and our food delicious. It's still fast food. I spend about the same amount there as I used to at Wendi's. So where am I going to go for a burger next time I'm in town, clearly not Wendi's. It's sad that so many restaurants are focusing on quantity as opposed to quality.

Should lower prices mean crappy attitudes?

Don't get me wrong, I worked in the service industry for years. I realize it's not easy to LOVE your job. To be sweet and courteous to all the customers all the time. But I do remember the morning meetings where the boss drilled it into us that a happy customer means more sales and more sales means we get to keep our jobs for another day!

Doesn't anyone take pride in their work anymore? Is that so archaic?

Where were you?

Last Thursday, my daughter Avery and I walked into our hotel room in Dallas and immediately flipped on the television. Breaking news was that Michael Jackson had been taken to the hospital and that he was in cardiac arrest. We sat stunned watching everything unfold. We realized how serious it was when the news folk began to refer to him in the past tense and it wasn't long before they announced he'd died.

We honestly didn't know what to say. Finally we just looked at each other. Avery finally said....you know, I think I'll always remember this moment. Where we were when we heard this.

I realized that when these shocking things happen our memories are just so clear. Looking back, I remember sitting in the backseat of my mom's car with my girlfriend Joy. Heck, we were just little girls but I still remember hearing that John Kennedy had been assassinated. Later, I remember sitting on the floor next to my babysitter watching television when they announced that Robert Kennedy was murdered in Los Angeles. When Elvis died, I was standing at the kitchen sink in my parent's home. I learned of John Lennon's murder while on my way to my college sorority winter formal. I was with a date and we stopped somewhere to listen to the news on the radio. I cried and messed up my makeup.

Again, I was with my daughter in a hotel in Plano, Texas when we heard the news of the sudden death of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter. And the day Pope John Paul died, Avery and I were also in Plano, walking to our car after her tennis match, when friends pulled up and told us the news.

My kids were both nationally ranked tennis players and it seems I've spend much of my life traveling with them here and there for tournaments so it's no great surprise that we were often on the road when hearing shocking news of some kind.

Do you remember where you were when stunning news occurs? Bet you do.

In other news:

My friend Anny Cook, a talented writer and friend of this blog, has a release! YAY! Surpassing Pleasures is out today at Ellora's Cave. I've read this book (not surprising since Anny is one of my critique partners) and I have to say it's AWESOME. If you like shifters and hot hot stuff, you'll love this one.

BUY IT HERE!

Blurb:

Special Agent Sebastian Spade has worked hard to convince Zipporah Jericho that he’s her man. But every encounter ends with Zip dancing out of reach to protect a family secret. When they are brought together by a murder, Seb determines this time he will never let her go.

In the bedroom, on the road, in a secret cabin in the woods, he masters her body by daring to satisfy her deepest desires. As they explore the forbidden pleasures that await them with every touch, they discover trust is another word for love.

Excerpt:

Zip knew it was going to be a bad week when she found a body in the ladies restroom. Fortunately, it wasn’t her first discovery of a body so she didn’t scream or do any of the other stereotypical sissy stuff but it did piss her off. No woman should have to deal with a dead person when it was that time of the month—unless it was somebody the woman had finished off herself.
The woman’s short blonde hair was mussed, sticking out in all directions. The knife protruding from her back was a pretty clear indicator that death wasn’t accidental. And the pool of blood surrounding her left little hope that she survived, so Zip elected to go for help.
She backed out into the hall, bumping into Sebastian Spade, her brother’s coworker.
“Zip?”
“Body in the restroom,” she blurted out. “Dead body.”
He tugged her out of the way, pressing her against the wall next to the door. “Don’t move.” He slipped his gun from his holster, opened the restroom door with his shoulder and peeked inside. Damn. It certainly looked like a body to him. Approaching the woman, he leaned down and checked for signs of life though experience told him the woman was gone. He blew out a quick breath, pulled his cell phone from his pocket and punched his partner’s number on speed dial.
“Yeah?”
“Me. Your sister just found a body in the restroom.” Before Quill could ask any questions, Seb turned off the phone and went back in the hallway to join Zipporah. “Quill’s on his way. Do you need to sit down?”
She crossed her arms tightly over her chest to hide her trembling hands. “No. I’m okay until he gets here.” Her quick visit with her brother Quill at the local FBI office had turned out to be a bad idea. She thought about asking for her purse, still on the restroom floor where she’d dropped it, but decided that was a bad idea. Maybe Quill or Seb would be able to return it to her later.
Seb crouched next to her while they waited. “How about telling me what happened?”
She rubbed her arms with trembling hands. “I stopped in the restroom to brush my hair. It’s windy outside. A-and there she was on the floor.”
“Did you recognize her?”
Zip shook her head. “I didn’t see her face.”
He just nodded and straightened up as Quill rushed down the hall toward them.

You know you're a mom when...

I woke up excited today. Want to know why? Because we're going to see Ice Age 3 later and I can't wait!

As that thought passed through my head I realized something very quickly. It's a kid's movie and I'm probably more excited about it than they are. LOL What has happened to my life?! Once upon a time I used to get excited over going out to nightclubs with friends. Getting a new pedicure. Shopping at the mall with girlfriends. That's pretty much all changed.

Yes, you know you're a mom when...

the term 'psycho mom' does NOT need to be explained

you're favorite moments are spent watching old home movies

you're car has petrified chicken nuggets under the seats...on a regular basis

you're hot friday night consists of pizza and an animated movie

you can't see the front of your fridge because of all the 'artwork'

at least once a week you repeat phrases that you're mother used to say...and it makes you cringe

you know how to use the guilt card like a pro (thanks, mom!)

you can cook, scold, and talk on the phone without blinking an eye

your fancy purse contains an emergency kit: hairbows, crayons and bandaids

you wish you could erase the phrase, 'mom, I'm bored' from their vocabulary forever!

and for those with teens...

your best weapon is threatenting to take away their cell/ipod/internet connection "BWHAHAHA!"


Geez, I really need a vacation. LOL

Relating to characters of the opposite sex

Don't you just love it when you find out something new about yourself? It's like it thumbs you on the head and you wonder how you never noticed it before. LOL. I had one of those "duh" moments lately. I got a really good review for my erotic work which I write under the name, Madison Scott
The reviewer mentioned that she thought I really got it when it came to the way a man feels about love and sex. That came as a little bit of a shock to me. I mean, I've always hoped that I got into a mans head well. I struggle with it and work hard on it but I was never sure if I did a good job with it or not.

A couple days later I was reading a book. One of my really good friends was reading it at the same time as me. While I'm reading along, the heroine is really pissing me off. Did I realize that the hero had screwed up a few times too? Yep. Did he make me mad? Yep to that too but for some reason I kind of "got" where he was coming from. It's weird because it wasn't as if I didn't "get" where she was coming from to a degree as well but I felt like her mistakes were bigger than his and I automatically sympathized with him more.

When my friend caught up with me, we started talking about the book and I was shocked to realize she sympathized with the heroine more. In my crazy little mind, the heroine was completely wrong but the way my friend saw it, she wasn't. Like I always tend to do, I started over thinking things. LOL. I tend to have a little problem with that. Believe me, I KNOW this sounds crazy but I started feeling a little guilty. We're women, we should stick together, right? Why was it easier for me to forgive HIS mistakes over HERS? Were hers really worse or do I expect more from her because she's a woman? Do I expect her to know better and give the guy more leeway because he's a guy? I hope not. I don't know. I can tell you one thing though, it's going to be in the back of my head when I'm reading from now on. LOL. Like I said, over thinker here. I'm curious if this was a one time thing or if it's something I always do. I do know that when I read a book, I have to like the heroine but I have to fall in love with the hero. Maybe that's part of what this is. I don't know.

So, am I crazy (don't answer that, lol)? Do you tend to sympathize more often with either the hero or the heroine in a book?