Drawing the line, ONLINE

I will be the first person to admit I couldn't live without the internet. Not only is it my go to spot for work, research, writing etc, but I also get phone numbers, directions, movies... pretty much any and everything I go to the internet to find. I've met some awesome friends online. People who I don't know what I would do without. When I've been buried in my work in progress too long or spent to long with only people who are under the age of eighteen, I know I can click online and find the conversation or the distraction I need.

All this being said, I think it's easy to forget how wide open the internet is. I see people post personal information that makes my cringe for them. Millions of people have access to what you say. It's always there. Rumors spread like wildfire online. One little misprint and it spreads from site to site until you can't escape it. Every one's talking about it before anyone knows if its true or not.

It's kind of scary... Almost like high school, but on a much bigger level.

I think we all start to feel so comfortable online that its easy to forget nothing is private here. Sometimes, for me, I know its hard to find that line. The internet is my solace, but in a way, it's also my "office" of sorts. Co-workers are online, bosses, readers, etc. It's hard to draw that line between being professional and just being...well me. Just relaxing and kicking my feet up and talking just like I would with a friend in real life.

There's been a lot of talk about what is and isn't acceptable online lately. Is it okay for writers or aspiring writes to review books on their blogs? How much is too much to share personally? The list goes on. I'm curious though, how do you draw the line while online?

A Floral Affair

I reckon since it's the day after Valentine's Day and I got flowers yesterday, I'd talk about the long stemmed beauties. Naturally florists everywhere were simply swamped so it was really no big surprise to not receive my flowers until long after five but that was okay. I pretty much figured they were coming. This year I got red roses. Very pretty. Elegant and perfect. Every year my husband buys Valentine's Flowers for the women in his life. My daughter, our mothers and myself get them without fail. He's a busy guy and hey, it's pretty simple to pick up the phone and place an order.

I, for one, believe Valentine's Day is rather overblown and overdone. Personally, I don't need a special day to know my husband loves me since he pretty much shows me every day. I'm also sceptical enough to know that this particular holiday merely lines the pockets of florists and greeting card companies. That's okay. Everybody has to make a living, don't they? Don't begrudge them at all. I simply don't think it's a big deal after 28 years of marriage.

But I digress. A couple of years ago right before Valentine's Day, Mr. Regina kind of sighed and said....damn, honey, roses are $60 a dozen this year and I'll be doing four dozen. Poor guy! I said...Why roses? Honey, I love Gerber Daisies. They are my favorites. It was as if a light bulb went off and he looked at me. "You don't mind not getting roses?" My answer was a definite HELL NO. Now, granted this year I DID get roses but personally, I think they are highly overrated. Nothing cheers me up faster than a beautiful arrangement of colorful Gerber Daisies. Being blunt here, I prefer lots of flowers over the traditional roses. Hydrangeas, tulips and irises are stunning, too. Lilies? They aren't just for funerals, are they? I love the way they smell.


About mid-January I decided that fighting winter blahs was pretty much futile without bringing a little color into the house so I've gotten into the habit of picking up a fresh bouquet every few weeks. I'm at the grocery store anyway and I pass by the floral department on a regular basis. Not long ago, I got a very pretty small arrangement for about five bucks, brought them home and put them in my living room. The mood instantly lightened and though spring wasn't here in reality, it kind of FELT like it!

In other news: I'm tickled to death to announce that Panther Moon (book one of a new shifter/menage series) has been contracted by Ellora's Cave. I'm expecting edits in a little over a week so hopefully, I'll have a release date and a lovely cover to show off soon. I'm also nearly finished with Lawman (book five of the High Plains Shifters series). YAY! Writing steadily and cranking out books as fast as my fingers will let me.

Bite Me!

No, not you. That’s what I want to say to all those blogs and therapists out there who have all this wonderful advice for those who spend Valentine’s Day alone. So yeah, BITE ME! And just so you know exactly what I’m talking about, check out what they think will make everyone feel better.

1.    Take a nice hot bubble bath with scented oils and candles. Uhhh…okay, great advice for someone feeling lonely on VD, isn’t it? They’ve just been given permission to drown themselves. Oh and if the drowning doesn’t get them, maybe the candles will tip over and catch the shower curtain on fire. And there is always perching an electric appliance on the side of the tub, too.

2.     Watch an action movie or another type that will keep your mind off of romance. Sighhh…just what you wanted for VD. A nice two hour flick of blood splattering all over the place. Lots of shooting, revving up a person to off somebody—maybe an ex. Uhh…where’s my gun?

3.     If you know someone who is alone on this day and having a hard time with it, send them flowers or chocolates anonymously.  Oh that’s helpful. Make someone think they have a secret admirer why don’t ya? Then they can drive themselves straight into a rubber room trying to figure out who it is.

4.     Pull out that credit card! Buy yourself something special. Now that’s just special. Go into debt over this day so you can worry next month about how to pay the bill.

5.     Send yourself flowers. Uhhh…more money spent. And unless you are delusional, I think you might know that they came from YOU.

6.     Go to a sporting event where the focus is on the game and not hearts and flowers. Oh yeah, right. Don’t ya know that in that great big ol’ flat screen they will inevitably have, someone is going to be proposing to someone? And if there isn’t a flat screen, I can guarantee you that at halftime, some guy is going to walk some gal onto the playing field/court to get down on bended knee.

7.     Visit a local nursing home. Bring flowers and brighten a senior citizen’s day. Well, you know you’re past the point of no return and have hit rock damn bottom when you spend your VD taking flowers to the old folk’s home.

Honestly, I don’t know who comes up with these ideas but they are just plain crazy. For those who take Valentine’s Day seriously, those who might be feeling lost and alone, none of those suggestions make sense. Every single item listed is just a reminder of the fact you are without a significant other.

You’re thinking: “Okay Ms. Know-It-All, what SHOULD someone do, then?”

Glad you asked. LOL There are different ways to get through this day. Notice I didn’t say celebrate this day. What’s to celebrate?

One: If you’re still into a little lovin’ on the run, get all dressed up and go down to the local watering hole for some no-strings-attached good times. Don’t forget the latex.

Two: If you’re a bit more conservative and the bar scene doesn’t appeal to you, have some friends over who are just as unattached as you. You can compare notes on all your ex boyfriends and husbands and have a rip-roarin’ good time. Don’t forget the tequila.

Three: If you’re not into no-strings-attached good times and not into partying with friends, WORK. Yep, just work. Nothing like it for helping you focus and get rid of all the bad mojo. Stay away from love songs, chocolate, and the opposite sex as much as possible.

Four: Rent these movies: Love Story, Message In A Bottle, A Walk To Remember, Titanic, and The Notebook. Buy a box of Kleenex and a bottle of your fave wine. Put on your old pjs and fuzzy slippers. Sit down on the floor with your fave stuffed doll, pillows and blankets all around you, and let those cleansing tears fix everything. Oh, don’t forget to get up half an hour earlier in the morning to put cucumber slices on your eyes and make sure you have pain reliever handy for the hangover. You might need some Preparation H, too—for the eyes, silly.

AND?

Last but most certainly not least: Get out that e-reader and purchase a copy of Twelve Days of Love. It’s a feel-good romance that will tug at your heartstrings but in a very good way. Guaranteed to take your mind off the ex who left you for the bimbo down the street. 

Blurb:  

Eden Riley left her high school geek days far behind. Or so she thought. But when she returns to her hometown and comes face to face with the local heartthrob, sparks ignite like a chemistry set on crack. Super-smooth Nick Lancaster sets her nerves jangling and thrusts her libido into overdrive. But can the former geeky girl overcome her insecurities and jump his sexy bones?

Nothing suits former jock and debate-team star Nick more than sparring with the one-time nerd. He’s just itching to get up close and personal with her high-velocity curves and tangle with her on the nearest horizontal surface.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, all bets are off when Cupid draws back his bow and Nick has only twelve days to convince Eden she belongs with him, in his heart and in his bed.

To Read A Full Excerpt, Click HERE.

To Purchase Your Copy, Click HERE. 

http://tessmackall.com 

Ranting - Author L. J. Holmes

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought because “Ranting” is serious business and I want to make certain I rant about the “right” thing.

I could rant about that moment when you realize: Oh. My. God. I am getting OLD!

No, it’s not the moment that popped into most of your minds. I was only eighteen when my hair started shimmering with silver—NOT gray—amongst the blonde. Only in my worst nightmares would I consider eighteen over five hills and on my way to that final resting spot of six feet we are all so glibly promised. Nor would it be when you realize your boobs are playing hide ‘n’ seek with your belly button, although that one DID make me want to rail loudly against Newtown’s laws on gravity.

It also wasn’t when the twinge in my fingers and the occasional LOUD scream from my knees alerted me to the new resident: arthritis that had moved in when I wasn’t looking.

No, for me, the defining moment when the panic of senile aging hit home was not when I found silver hairs up there but……I found them down there. Time, had indeed marched on and plastered itself in a place that ached for its misspent youth, but now was forgetting why it was there.

I thought about ranting over my black thumb and that no matter how many times I watered them or placed those adorable rice paper parasols over them I could not make my rock garden grow. I guess I planted the wrong rocks.

But as we approach tomorrow and the snowstorm that is threatening to dump loads of the white stuff upon us, I want to rant about snow. I’m a winter fan. No bugs, no humidity high enough to leave behind rivers of your own sweat with every step you take, and let’s face it, snow, when it’s pristine, can be downright breathtaking. It’s sinful that something so inherently beautiful can also be so dangerous.

I used to teach and loved showing my students how to cut out beautiful snowflakes from paper. Each flake, like Mother Nature’s flake, had us all oohing and ahhing. But I got to wondering how any of us really know what a snowflake looks like? Has anyone managed to keep them from melting long enough to stick them under a microscope? Yet with unwavering authority, we are told they each are different and intricate.

Unwavering authority—the same authority that once upon a time called Pluto a planet? The same authority that said the earth was flat or the center of the universe? The same authority that knew nothing about the taffy pull-and-push of the planets plates in causing volcanoes to erupt and mountains to pop up overnight?

I doubt science is going to show me the data about the intricate and individualized designs of snowflakes, but my logical side can’t quite swing their way. I figure there have been a whole LOT of snowflakes throughout the history of our planet, yet each one has been different? Are the fractal designs so infinite that no two flakes can EVER look alike? Fraternal twins should not look alike, based solely on chromosomal anomalies, but Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen look a lot alike. I look out my window in awe at the careening of snowflakes during storms; every flake looks pretty much like the next one, so again, who managed to keep several of them— because you cannot make a rule by testing only one—from melting long enough to microscope them out? Anyone know? I’d love the answer.

Maybe I’ll use that, the seeking of the truth about snowflakes, for one of my upcoming manuscripts.

Oh, didn’t I tell you I’m a writer? And just recently, December 1, 2010 became a published author with the release of Santa Is A Lady from the Muse It Up side of the Muse Publishing House.

I haven’t cracked into the top ten yet, but I am hopeful…especially with one review I got that suggested it needs to be bought and made into a Christmas movie. (That came from a NY Times Best Selling author so I am meandering around here with my jaw scraping the floor. Not a pretty sight. Maybe if I Krazy Glue a dust rag to my chin at least the dragging jaw might accomplish something.)

And that’s not all. I have my second book, Forever With You, a short, itty-bitty story, coming out on February 1st, 2011 from the Muse It Hot side. This is one of my all-time favorite stories from my inner voice, named with much love, Nudge. It also has one of my all-time favorite Delilah K. Stephans covers. Let me slip an excerpt in here…just in case you might be interested.

***

The moment she rounded the house, a call went up. “Coffee!” one of the worker’s bellowed.

Just like the game, children play called Telegraph, the word traveled through the ranks, bringing all the men out from their assorted work places with lolling tongues and grateful eyes. They clearly liked working for an employer who thought of their well-being too.

Keith was the last to arrive.

One by one, the workers poured themselves a cup of the aromatic, dark liquid, added their own sugar and-or cream, stirred with vigor and then went off to sit on several of the tree trunks left over from the graders and dozers that had cleared enough land to build the house, garage, and enclosed pool upon.

Keith took a cup, and like his crew, poured himself some coffee, but unlike his crew, he followed her to the patio and one of the chairs near the umbrella table she’d placed there only last week, across from her.

Inwardly she sighed. Keith Patterson, of Patterson Construction, had been the image in many of her troubling dreams of late...

Dressed, like most of his crew, in tight, muscle clinging jeans, ugly, but sturdy steel-toed work boots, and by this time of the day, a naked chest, his flannel shirt tossed on some convenient branch somewhere; he was totally drool-worthy. She could not help but dream about touching that hair roughened chest, and the taut, work primed belly. His arms rippled, and when he was facing away from her, working, the flex of back and shoulder muscles brought her tongue out, metaphorically.

“How much longer?” she asked, trying to force her mind away from the drop of

sweat, glistening from the sun that was slipping slowly down over his bobbling throat to the treasures she’d noted beyond.

***

This story has a surprise ending that I’m pretty sure no one will see coming. It’s on sale at the Muse Bookstore.

Was I telling the truth about the cover? It is so stunning.

Moving on, and believe me, Tooting My Own Horn doesn’t come easily for me. I’m much better tooting everyone else’s…but we Honest to The Heavens published authors must learn to Toot! The Bookstore link for this book is

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=104&category_id=69&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

I have another book, The Pendulum Swings coming out on March 1st, 2011. Pendulum is a Time Travel…sort of…comedy romance. An Egyptian girl, enslaved by the Roman Empire, travels to today into the body of a woman who is extremely loathed by all those around her. At first she cannot remember who she is, but the name “Joanna” doesn’t feel right.

The hero, Joanna’s disillusioned husband, discounts her amnesia as another ploy by the original owner of the body she awoke in to regain control over him.

She has her work cut out for her, but although she doesn’t know it, there’s a very seductive fireplace that is going to change the tides for her and the man who loathes her.

Meet the new and vastly improved Joanna More-Reed. Guess you can tell from the cover there’s going to be some erotic belly dancing in this story.

Here’s a synopsis from the book…

She awakens alone and does not recognize the word her “husband” tosses out at her—amnesia—nor the name he calls her, Joanna. She understands his hatred of her.

Bits and pieces of her darkened memory begin to return. She is Siri, daughter of Ancient Egypt, slave-lover of Petronius of the Roman Army, and her last memory is of Titus, Petronius’s general killing her. Is this the promised After-life?

Ten weeks after the crash, Siri is released from the hospital to a household filled with the starchiest people she’s ever known with one exception…her new daughter Mandi.

Bent on reforming the stiff upper lips of those around her, belly dancing, togas, dashikis, and schentis become the daily uniforms that wear down the resistance of the manservant, the most unforgiving of nannies, and the crispiest of housekeepers.

Laughter, respect and joy soon fill the household, but Jason keeps his distance knowing the other shoe will drop—until the night he decides, in a drunken snit, to dance with the fireplace mantle and literally finds himself up the chimney.

Will Siri win over her 21st Century husband and find the key to her Time Travel? Or will Jason Reed continue to loathe the woman he believes is still his conniving wife…the body Siri now owns?

The Link to the Bookstore for the Pendulum Swings is: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=126&category_id=73&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

Muse’s two websites are www.museituppublishing.com and Must it hot is www.museithotpublishing.com

I have several blogs, three dedicated to cover blogs I do for other authors, not all of them are Muse, especially on my Muse Blog spot who have determined what I do is a Stationary Trailer. They are… http://linsownblog.blogspot.com

This one is specifically geared to Muse’s YA covers

http://linsownbooklounge.blogspot.com

This one is for Muse Authors and others with books from other publishers. That address is: http://linsownoyster.blogspot.com

These are more my own ranting pearls of dubious wisdom, horn tooting, etc. They are

1.) http://linsownspeculations.blogspot.com

2.) http://linsowngraymatter.blogspot.com

3.) http://linsownblog.blogspot.com

I can also be reached via my e-mail: www.spatzdkat1212@yahoo.com

My other contracts take us as far as April into 2012, so far.

Here’s a complete listing of all the books I have contracted from Muse and Muse It Hot.

1. Santa is a Lady-December 1, 2010 (available for purchase. Check link above.)

2. Forever With You-February 1st, 2011

3. The Pendulum Swings-Due on March 1, 2011

4. Twilight Comes-May 1, 2011

5. In From the Cold (wickedly funny)-June 1, 2011

6. This Time Forever (para normal, sort of.)- August, 1, 2011

7. Beyond Yesterday (powerful paranormal)- September 1, 2011

8. Champagne Afternoon. (very erotic)-November 1, 2011

9. The Christmas War-December 1, 2011

10. She’s Gone (a suspense filled mystery)-February, 1, 2012

11. Echoes From The Past (Blatant Time Travel, erotic with a lot of humor.)-April, 2012

12. Life’s Journey (An NDE story that shows us no matter how wonderful Heaven might be, our heart must return to earth and battles yet to be waged.)

The storm is coming, so I’d better get busy with finding something to contain snowflakes in and then ask my son if he’ll let me use his microscope fast! Think if we put the microscope in a vat of dry ice first and get it really cold, we’ll be able to test the different snowflake shape theory?

Why We Should All Be Cougars - Eliza Lloyd

Older woman should always partner with younger men, don’t you think? It is obvious we live longer, so the man should be at least six years younger. Additionally, we earn less so an older woman would more likely be on an equal playing field financially with a younger man, let’s just say another four years younger. In support of this, we reach our sexual peak later in life. This conclusive proof suggests that we should all marry men at least ten years younger.

I am surprised there haven’t been more scientific studies to support my notion. I would be a happy participant in such a study. My test subject should be six-two, dark hair and look like David Gandy, without the white shorts. Or it could just be David Gandy and then I wouldn’t have to feign my passion. Eighteen years isn’t too much of a difference, is it?

If Zsa Zsa can do it, why can’t we? Hey, don’t laugh. She caught a Prince!

My second novel was released a few days ago entitled WICKED TEMPTATION. My voluptuous Regency heroine has captured the ideal younger man – the dashing Duke of Pelham. Their relationship was perfect until she had to go and fall in love with him.

While they share scorching physical passion, they have much to resolve: her scandalous but enticing past, his young children, the expected detached emotions of a ton marriage. And her longing for something greater than she has ever had before.

Here’s the blurb:

Randall VanLandingham married the first time for duty. This time he wants much more. Everyone knows his new wife has a past, but he’s the one man powerful enough to stay the gossip while enjoying the fruits of her scandalous reputation. Anne is everything he wants in a woman—insatiable and interesting—but he’s growing damn tired of fending off every man who lusts after his duchess. How does one protect the honor of a woman who has none? How does one win the love of a woman who has shared her love with many?

Pragmatic Anne Porter, a Welsh coal miner’s daughter, learned how to use her beauty and sexuality to lift herself from poverty, and her plan was working perfectly. Until she married the handsome and much younger Duke of Pelham…

Until she fell in love…

You can buy it here: http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9080-wicked-temptation.aspx

Stalk Off!

Getting on my nerves first thing in the morning isn’t advisable. Sending me weird stuff on Facebook most definitely isn’t advisable. My profile clearly states I’m on there for networking. I wonder, if people read profiles like the guy below said he did, how did he fail to see I didn’t click the box that said I was interested in MEN?

Lena Matthews had a freak the other day, and you can read the conversation HERE.

But today I got my own freak. I’m gobsmacked these blokes think women are so stupid as to think he means what he’s said. Blimey O’Rielly! Oh, and by the way, no one, NO ONE is allowed to call me baby except my husband.

Paul Suarez 11 February at 07:43 Report

How are you doing ?How I wish words could express the thoughts that I have towards you. If I should say I love your profile then the greater percent of my words are still unexpressed. But of course, I must say something... my heart beats for you, and my heart longs for you.i really apreciate to be yours your good friends,anywell, how is life going with you over ther baby,well am aruna by nameand i would like to get to know you more.I must say you are a princess.I love everything i saw in your profile and i would love to know you better for the miracle of friendship that speaks from one heart to the other,recognize unspoken needs and lead to more.I'm interested in you,and something tells me now that you might be the woman i have always looked for.i am Paul a US Army...45yrs.. ,5'9 tall ,brown hair ,i have 2 boys .divorced now .seeking a long term relationship I work with the US ARMY .I came across your profile and i love what i saw. i'm really attracted to you and i would love that we can keep this communication going on between us till we meet in person.Write back if you are interested and lets get to know....

Sgt.Paul

Emmy Ellis 11 February at 07:58

Umm, lovely of you to write, but I'm not interested. First, you're Aruna by name and then you're Paul. I have my own Paul.

A little bit of advice would be to not write to women with such an "in your face" post. It comes off as freaky, stalkerish, and most women will realise what you're doing. Seriously, you need to readjust your approach if you want to start a relationship with someone.

The most startling line is: until we meet in person.

Kind of assured that women will fall for that crap, aren't you? Please, do yourself a favour and start all over again. Just not with me.

***

and something tells me now that you might be the woman i have always looked for—that something told you a pack of lies, man, because there’s no way in hell that information is correct. Thanks for getting on my nerves first thing this morning and setting me up for a grumpy day. Cheers. Yep, I really appreciated THAT!

Who the hell do these men think they are, preying on women like this? And get this, I clicked that beautiful word "report" beside his name and it gave me three options. To click that he threatened me with violence, that he was sexually explicit, or to block him. I had no alternative but to just block. ARGH!

An Older Story With A Shiny New Cover!

Sorry I'm late! I've spent part of the day helping family, the other part helping my brother with an article he's writing for a hunting magazine. Time totally got away from me. Anyway, today I've got a new release to announce. Well, not new really, because the story was previously published. But it does have a new cover (thanks to the fabulous Valerie Tibbs) and this one was never before available on Amazon's Kindle either. Also, at $1.50 it's cheaper!  :)

Buy on Nook or Kindle

Here's a blurb:

Diamonique’s life is changed forever when she stumbles across Cain Reed on a dark, lonely New York street. With a single bite, she’s given immortality and shown unimaginable pleasure. But before she can explore eternal love his betrayal tears them apart.

One hundred years later, Cain is back to save her from a dark enemy. Rafael, the depraved leader of The Dominion, will stop at nothing to settle an ancient score between him and Cain. Caught in the middle, Diamonique will need to swallow her pride and rely on Cain if she’s to survive. But is she handing her trust over to the right immortal or is she merely trading one evil for another?

As you can see this is a vampire romance. The only one I've ever published. Melissa at Fallen Angel Reviews gave it 5 angels and said: "A Diamond at Midnight is a short novel about the deep and abiding love between Cain and Diamonique. Anne Rainey did an excellent job of showing the strength that Cain and Diamonique possess. They are such strong, stubborn people with very deep emotions for one another.”     Buy on Nook or Kindle

Happy reading,

A Little Bit Naughty--out now!
http://annerainey.com

Staking Claim

I have a new release! I love this feeling. Even though there is always some very nerves, it's exciting too!



Blurb:
Workaholic Gabrielle Ellis never lets her relationships make it past a couple dates. The sooner she can ditch them, the less chance they might leave her. Of course, she never picks the kind of guys she’d want anything long term with anyway… After a night out celebrating, yet another escape from her jackass of the week, and her upcoming move, she wakes up in her best friend’s truck in the middle of nowhere.

According to Jake Marshal, she dumps every guy she dates for one reason--they’re not him. He promises her, if she'll just let go and allow herself to feel, she’ll know she belongs in his bed, forever. Jake, consummate bachelor and participant in her hidden fantasies, wants to stake his claim. On her. As much as she wants him, she’s scared, too. After one touch, Gabrielle knows she doesn’t stand a chance because Jake always gets what he wants. But just maybe, she’s been his all along.

Contains: Outdoor sex, masturbation, toy play and a lot of sexy lovin’

To celebrate, I'm sharing a never released, ADULT excerpt!

“It’s gorgeous out here.” Gabrielle’s foot crunched in a bed of orange and brown leaves as she trekked her way through the woods surrounding the cabin.
“Yeah, I like it. I’ve invited you with me before, ya know? I think you had to work or something.” He spoke in a tight voice.
“It’s my job, Jake. You can’t be angry with me about that.”
They continued walking through the dense trees as they spoke. “It’s not that I’m upset about that, and you know it. I’m damn proud of you for what you’ve accomplished. You just need to focus on you, too, Gab. You’re twenty-seven years old, and all you do is work. I had to trick you to get you away this weekend. Don’t pretend you don’t know why you do it, either. It’s easier to be around those people you know won’t be in your life for long, than to get out there and create real ties.”
She gasped, feeling a little pinch in her chest. Before speaking, she took a couple deep breaths. “I have a real tie with you.”
“That’s because I didn’t give you a choice. I didn’t let you cut yourself off from me. If I did, you would have bailed a long time ago. Now,” he nudged her elbow, “now, you want me around. You just don’t like admitting it because it’s putting yourself out there too much.”
It was as if Jake’s words nailed her feet to the forest floor like they were one of the pieces of furniture he built. Pebbles of sweat beaded on her forehead as she froze, looking at Jake. He was right. God, how could he be so right about her? How could he know her so well? Those little secrets that she buried inside herself, not willing to admit, Jake knew.
His finger slowly danced down the side of her face. “Don’t look so shocked. I know you, Gab. I watch you, listen to you.”
She smiled. “Stalker.”
“Quit trying to change the subject. Don’t act like you can’t show me how you feel.”
Gabrielle bit her bottom lip. “I know. You’re right. Let’s walk, again. I just want to spend time with you right now.”
“I can handle that.” They started to walk again, the blanket of leaves kicking up as their feet brushed through them.
“When did you invite me here? I don’t remember.” His arm grazed hers making her feel giddy like a teenage girl.
“Um, twice I think. Once on your twenty-fifth birthday, and the other on the anniversary of your mom passing.”
Guilt burrowed deeply into her chest. “I suck, don’t I?”
Jake winked at her. “I’m hoping so.”
They walked more in near silence. The only sound around them was the wind rustling the trees and their footsteps crunching on the earth. She felt completely at ease, comfortable in a way that she always felt around Jake. Nothing else mattered when they were together. No fear or loneliness. Just Jake. “How’s work going?”
“Good,” he replied. “Selling a bunch of pieces. The shop is filled. Life is good.”
“How do you do it?” Gabrielle leaned into him. “Do you ever worry about anything? You’re always looking on the bright side of things. It’s infuriating sometimes.” Though her words were playful, she also really wanted to know.
“Everyone processes shit differently, Gab. You know that. For me, I’ve lost enough that, when I find something I want, I hold it closer. Others get scared of losing it and run away. It’s just how I’m built.”
She didn’t have to wonder who he meant when he said others run. That was her, and she knew it. Jake, on the other hand, he definitely went for what he wanted. “So that’s your excuse for the compulsive dating?” She tried to keep her voice light, but little tinges of jealousy started to multiply inside her.
“Aw, hell. Is Dr. Ellis jealous?” Jake stopped and leaned against a tree. “Green looks good on you, honey.”
“Pfft. I don’t get jealous.” The racing of her heart told her she was lying to herself.
“I’ve never wanted anyone the way I want you. I can promise you that.”
“Why?” Her heart jumped a little when the question came out.
Jake sighed and wrapped his arm around her as they started to walk again. “You remember when you were in med school? You were barely scraping by and you got a hundred dollar bonus at that pizza place?”
She squinted, thinking back. “Yeah.”
“I remember picking you up from work because you didn’t have a car and there was this woman and her daughter bundled up together on the streets. With no thought, you handed them that hundred dollars, even though you needed it.”
She shook her head. “Anyone would have done that.”
“No, they wouldn’t have. It’s not just that, Gab. When I met you, you were this quiet, reserved girl, but you’ve grown. You work hard and don’t give up. You helped people then though no one in your life extended you the same courtesy. When you want to be, you’re fun.”
“Hey!” She swatted him. “As opposed to most of the time, when I’m boring?” Gabrielle teased.
“Basically.” He winked at her. “You’re funny as hell, woman, but I think you forget that sometimes. You draw people to you. Everyone loves you, Gab.”
She froze, looking over at him. If everyone loved her, why were they always leaving her behind? Not her boyfriends, because with them, it was always easy to walk away, but her family…why was it so easy for them to forget about her? “I think you’re biased by some friend rule or something.”
“I think you’re fishing for more compliments. Now, come on, before I have to spank that pretty ass of yours for thinking otherwise.”
Her pussy started to tingle. Her breasts felt heavy...needy. Gabrielle didn’t move. Lust fought its way through the jealousy, or any unease she might have felt at the direction of their conversation. Her feisty streak reared up. “No.”
Jake’s eyes darkened as he pushed himself away from the tree. “What did you say to me?”
Heat singed her insides. Her pussy wept with her juices. The little tingle of nervousness at the back of her neck that they might been seen only excited her more. “No.”
“Mmm, you’re asking for it. I’m going to make that curvy little ass sting, but I want something else first. Get on your knees, Dr. Ellis.”
Her pussy spasmed with his demand, and a smile tilted her lips. This time, she would be the one to do something for Jake. Gabrielle dropped to the ground. The leaves were scratchy against her knees. Blood pumped furiously through her body, eager and needy.
“Unbutton and unzip my pants. I want my cock in those delicate hands of yours.”
Gabrielle fought to steady her shaking hands as she popped the button on Jake’s pants free. It was a lost cause, so she ignored it, pulling down his zipper, too. His velvet and steel cock sprang free....

And... that's all. Sorry! I'm being a tease :)

Available HERE

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Waiting for the Muse

I'm sure my author friends are thinking...where the HELL is she? Since the first of the year I've been buried in my writing cave hammering out one thing after the next. That's not a bad thing. I've been waiting on my muse to return for some time now and it feels really great to get major wordage down. Since mid-January I have submitted two books and I'm nearing the end of a third.

As many of you know, last year was tough on my family with lots of illness and upheaval but all that is evening out now. While that was going on I stayed seriously blocked. It was hard to write anything at all. Now suddenly the pressure has been lifted and it seems I've lifted that massive blockage from my shoulders. The worst thing about it all was the guilt I felt at not writing. I couldn't seem to relax and give myself a break. My friends constantly encouraged telling me that things were tough and I should try not to worry so much. I worried anyway.

In the end, I think things have a way of working out as they are meant. When I returned to my writing in a serious way at the beginning of the year, I found my voice a bit altered and in a good way. What I wrote was richer, flowed better and felt more mature. Mature. Now there's a word! I've always believed that our life experiences add to our telling of a tale and since much erotic romance is geared toward mature women, it feels good to be writing stories that might be more relatable.

Writing slumps happen. All of us have been there with that and it makes sense to try as hard as we can to lift ourselves out of it. Some people find they'll read more or write SOMETHING every day. They might try to pull away from any writing altogether and just take a 'word' vacation. Hmm. Maybe I did a little bit of all of that but I found that pulling away, leaving it behind completely simply filled me with guilt. At the moment, I'm alternating between heavier, darker stories and the lighter, more fun stuff. Right now, I'm doing Lawman, the fifth High Plains Shifter story. I'll follow this up with something more fun and frolicky (is frolicky a word?). All I know is there is a light at the end of that dark tunnel and if you are meant to write, eventually you WILL. Now, I'm making up for lost time as my muse sits happily on my shoulder.

All The Love In My Junk Folder

To celebrate the upcoming release of Twelve Days of Love from Ellora’s Cave http://www.jasminejade.com/ps-9071-50-twelve-days-of-love.aspx  I’m on a blog tour. The UNValentine’s Day Blog Tour, that is. Why UNValentine’s Day? Because I think the hype that surrounds that day is just too much and leaves us with high expectations that usually fall way short. Of course, that’s not true with Twelve Days of Love. Valentine’s Day is everything my heroine Eden ever dreamed of. But shouldn’t we be celebrating love all year long—not just one day? If you’re a reader of romances, that’s something you already wish for—a year round love fest. Some of you are even lucky enough to have that. But some of us…

Well, we soldier on. LOL

One of the things I’m doing for my blog tour is sharing VD disaster stories that were sent to me, and I did just that over at Melissa’s Imaginarium the other day. Check it out: http://melissasimaginarium.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-day-and-author-tess-mackall.html

Today I want to talk about love in some unusual places—my junk folder, for instance. Yeah, even in the spam cage you can find love if you just look. LOL I had been expecting an email from someone and it was way overdue. So I had this light bulb moment and checked my spam. Yep, it was there. And while there I perused the other emails that had been captured as well. Amongst all the Irish Sweepstakes lottery wins, all the male enhancing drugs, and everybody and his brother trying to sell me something, I found some real pearls. Pearls for this blog anyway. lol

Take a look at your spam. I bet you’ll find them too. The sender will have names like this: Abdul, Hakeem, Saami, Hassan, Ibriham, Kofu, Ahmed, Mohamed, and even a Daniel. Now I’ve got nothing against anyone looking for love, but could someone tell me why the overwhelming majority of these names sound Middle Eastern? With the world political climate the way it is right now, one would have to wonder why I’m getting invitations of love from mostly Middle Eastern men. Are they trying to get my money (can’t get blood out of a turnip so that doesn’t really scare me, lol) when they have all that oil? Or are they trying to lure me into some terrorist cell using love to brainwash me? LOL

Now before anyone throws rocks, this is all in good fun. They’re working some kind of scam for sure. We all know that. And just because they have Middle Eastern sounding names doesn’t mean they are terrorists, of course, and it doesn’t mean they are swimming in oil either. I’m just joking about all of that. They are very very probably just your plain, ordinary, run of the mill, asshole. And I think they’re organized too. lol

Why do I think they are organized? Because they almost all start out with this same line:

“I see your picture on your msn profile. I am most interested in getting to know you. I will send you picture.”

First off, the only picture on my MSN account is of a goldfish. Yeah, a damn goldfish. He loves that? Okay. To each his own. Never heard of a goldfish fetish, though. HA! But that’s the nature of spam, isn’t it? It’s an email to the world—cover all bases, hit everyone hoping to reel in a big fish---OKAY! Now I know why they are so attracted to my goldfish pic. LOL

There is also a pattern to these emails too. Within a few minutes of receiving this email, you also get one from Mohammad asking for your help. He’s got loads of cash stashed away, and he can’t get it out of the country without your help. HA! Don’t ya just love it?

Well, not everyone is as skeptical as you and me. Not everyone is savvy enough to know what these people are all about. They also lurk on dating sites. Mostly the free ones. I know someone who fell for one of these dudes. Now she was lucky enough to figure it all out before she actually gave up any money, but the “relationship” went on for a couple of months and she was pretty taken with this guy.

And it was the week before Valentine’s Day when all this came crashing down on her too.

You see, she’d kept it all a secret. Believing and not quite believing at the same time. Telling someone would have stopped it long before, and I don’t think my friend really wanted to be stopped. She was hoping against hope that it was real. She shared some of their emails and IM conversations with me and quite frankly? He talked a good game.

And it’s not just these scam artists out to break your heart either. Have you ever talked to someone who got involved in an online “affair” because of interaction on Facebook or MySpace? I heard from a MySpace friend I hadn’t chatted with in quite a while. She sent me a message telling me all about how her heart was breaking. As it turned out, she’d flown half way across the country to finally meet the man she’d been talking to online for an entire year—one of the reasons she didn’t talk to me or anyone else all that time—and yep, he was there to greet her all right.

But…she didn’t recognize him. Turns out he’d sent her his cousin’s picture. The real dude—the one who had written her poetry, sent her flowers, talked to her on the phone for hours?—he was a mere shell of the physical picture she had kept in her head all that time. The lie broke her heart AND her spirit. And you know what? She feels guilty that she can’t care for him now just because he doesn’t look like his picture. I explained to her that she had been lied to and she should focus on that. But she thinks of herself now as being shallow because the man is NOT six-two and built like a brick outhouse. Sooner or later I think she’ll figure it all out, though. I hope. But it just happened a few days ago. She was to stay with him for two weeks—through Valentine’s Day before she returned. She stayed exactly forty-eight hours—in a hotel—crying—before she came home.

When you’re searching for love it just seems like the playing field is littered with mines just waiting to blow up in your face. We’ve all had our heart broken at one time or another. It happens. You can’t make someone love you. And sometimes you can develop feelings for someone they don’t return. All of that is understandable. But when someone lies to you, treats you badly just because they can? Well, that’s a whole different kind of heartbreak, isn’t it. The former you can get over eventually and chalk it up to experience. The latter isn’t so easy to get over. Your ability to trust just isn’t the same, making it harder to get back up on that horse and try again. But most people do try again. There is always that little flame burning inside of us that can’t quite let the chance at love go by. That’s where all that frog-kissing comes into play I guess. And boy some of us have kissed a helluva lot of them for sure. Lol

This Valentine’s Day you’ve got a little help with the whole love thing. On February 11^th—this coming Friday—Twelve Days of Love releases. You can read it in bed with your honey. Trust me. It’ll jumpstart your heart and a few other things as well. Lol And in addition to Twelve Days of Love, my fellow author and friend Darah Lace has a release that very same day—Bucking Hard. So you now have two books to read that are guaranteed to get your lovin’ on!

Blurb for Twelve Days of Love by Tess MacKall:

Eden Riley left her high school geek days far behind. Or so she thought. But when she returns to her hometown and comes face to face with the local heartthrob, sparks ignite like a chemistry set on crack. Super-smooth Nick Lancaster sets her nerves jangling and thrusts her libido into overdrive. But can the former geeky girl overcome her insecurities and jump his sexy bones?

Nothing suits former jock and debate team star Nick more than sparring with the one-time nerd. He’s just itching to get up close and personal with her high-velocity curves and tangle with her on the nearest bed.

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, all bets are off when Cupid draws back his bow and Nick has only twelve days to convince Eden she belongs with him, in his heart and in his bed.

For a full excerpt, click HERE.

Blurb for Bucking Hard by Darah Lace

All her life, tomboy Bradi Kincaid has wanted two things—a career as a veterinarian in her hometown Grayson, Texas…and Mason Montgomery. Problem is, he’s her best friend and according to him she’s “one of the guys”. Convinced he’ll never see her otherwise, Bradi comes up with a sure-fire plan to get over Mason—flirt a little, dance a lot and get laid.

What Mason imagines doing to Bradi is just all kinds of wrong. But the woman on the dance floor isn’t the girl he grew up with. She’s hot and sexy and turning him on. Him and every other man in the bar. She’s also had too much to drink and is unaware of the trouble she’s inviting. He does what any friend would, he steps in, then sets out to teach her a lesson.

But before the sun rises, Mason discovers Bradi has a thing or two to teach him.

For a full excerpt, click HERE.